Imagine…

… you’re finally unplugged from work, walking up to a peaceful and airy entryway with a fresh welcome cocktail ready for you to sip on. You’re greeted with the fruity scent of plumeria as you slowly wander to your bedroom retreat to decompress and relax. There are fresh towels in the bathroom, plus all the toiletries your spa-loving body can imagine. To top it all off, the bed feels like a cloud. Your troubles are long gone and you can finally unwind in your clean, cozy room. Bliss…

Sounds like the start of the perfect vacation, right? Well, what if you can get this same feeling as soon as you arrive home – every day.

Vacation is definitely about a location – but what defines a vacation even more than a destination, is the feeling you have while you’re on it.While we can’t turn your home into a private, tropical island – I can share several products and tips to make your home feel like a luxury getaway.

In this article, I’m going to show you how you can easily make your home feel like a vacation every time you walk in your own door.

How To Create a Luxury Welcome Experience

The First Step Into Relaxation

First impressions are key for making your return home as relaxing as possible. Sure, maybe you’ll take out a pile of bills from your mailbox, but be sure to have a welcoming entrance to remind you to unwind. The bills can wait until tomorrow…

I recommend having a welcome mat (or door sign) that has a soothing word or phrase that you can read each time you come home. We all need reminders to pause and breathe at the end of the day, don’t we?

Who Says Your Home Can’t Have a Signature Drink?!

One of the greatest parts of going on vacation is that first welcome drink in the lobby from a kind concierge. While we unfortunately don’t have a concierge at home taking care of our requests, we can have the necessary ingredients in the fridge, ready to take the edge off of our day.

Here are some tropical cocktails using simple ingredients that are all available at Trader Joe’s.

Want to step it up a notch? Get fancy with your welcome drink and make the famous Mai Tai that Hawaii vacationers have fallen in love with. Use the official recipe from ‘Trader Vic’ that was first served at the Royal Hawaiian.

The Sweet Scent of Vacation

As you’re imagining yourself somewhere tropical – it’s important to create the right aroma of your environment. Scent can trigger certain feelings and emotions (lavender = sleepy, citrus = clean, etc.). Place tropical scented plants throughout your home to trigger that Aloha spirit. You can find tropical plants that are easily cared for and grow in any climate. Jasmine and Plumeria smell like the tropics and are (surprisingly) able to grow just about anywhere (the image below is from Virginia!).

Candles Inspired By Your Happy Place

Another easy way to create vacation aromas is by using candles. You can find candles in just about every scent you can imagine! Try to think of your happy place and how it smells – there’s likely a candle that smells just like it.

For me? My heart swells when I think of Disneyland. Pure joy for me is walking down Main Street and smelling the sweet baked goods and knowing I’m about to spend a day on the best rides ever and snacking on some incredible treats. And whatdya know? There’s a Bakery On Main Street candle!!

Kick Off Your Shoes and Get Cozy

Nothing makes you feel like you’re at a luxury resort more than a fuzzy robe and cozy slippers. Take off your work clothes and slip into something comfy. The plushier, the better!

Here is a classic Turkish cotton robe, the highest rated robe based on multiple blogs (including insider.com).

What’s more cozy than fuzzy slippers? HEATED fuzzy slippers! Here are some popular microwaveable slippers that will have you feeling toasty and ready for a massage. Sadly, at-home masseuse not included.

Simple Things That Turn Your Room Into a Deluxe Suite

Classic White, Clean Bedding

It’s not a luxury suite unless there are fine white linens. Many of your favorite 5-star hotels have online stores where you can literally buy their linens, duvet covers, and pillows. Want your bed to be just like the fancy Ritz Carlton’s?? It’s possible now!

Get the linens, duvet, and pillows straight from the Ritz itself!

Sleep Like a Baby

There’s just something about hotel beds that make you sleep like a baby. Part of it is knowing you’re on vacation, but the other part is the feather mattress topper. Make your bed your sanctuary – after all, we spend a third of our lives sleeping! Might as well make it as comfortable as possible! Hilton Hotel’s feather topper can certainly help. Ahhhhh…..

Lighten the Mood With Lighting

One way to make your mind feel like it’s on vacation in a whimsical fairyland, away from all things reality (like those pesky bills from earlier), is with unique lighting. Choose a fancy chandelier, or my go-to: fairy lights. Have you ever walked around a town and seen a restaurant with those cute twinkle lights above the outdoor seating area? Makes you want to instantly eat there, right? The same goes for your room. Twinkle lights or warm-hued lamps take your mind to another place. You’ll feel calmer, as if your bed is in another world.

Showcase a Unique Art Piece

Gone are the days of hand-me down artwork or random pieces you find at Goodwill (don’t get me wrong, you can find some real gems there!). It’s time to level-up the look of your home by using modern, minimalist art pieces. Might I suggest our very own EverLine Wall Art?! Every art piece is hand-drawn using one single line (seriously!), and you can find many of your favorite city skylines! So if you can’t physically be in Venice, might as well have some one-of-a-kind wall art of the famous canals. Ooh la la!

Create Your Own Oasis

We already talked about using plants to create the magical scent of vacation – there are also many plants that will make your home aesthetically look like a private beach on Fiji. It’s all about bringing the outside in. Here are a couple plants that are easy to maintain (no green thumb necessary!) and give a tropical vibe:

Snake Plant

Monstera Plant

How to Turn Your Bathroom into a Home Spa

Premium Toiletry Kits

Let’s be real. We all go to hotel rooms and immediately check out the toiletries situation (p.s. why do they always leave out the conditioner for us ladies?!). Here’s the thing: hotels use mass-produced products that are usually not ethically sourced or organic. So if you want your bathroom to be even better than a large hotel chain, consider using a top-of-the-line brand that is all organic and ethically sourced – like Hawaiian brand, Mālie Organics. Just be sure your guests don’t sneak them in their luggage!

Escape to Your Waterfall Shower

How would you like to shower under a tropical waterfall every day? Install a rain shower head, close your eyes, and pretend you’re at a secret waterfall on the island of Bali. All that’s missing is a monkey!

Wrap Yourself in Warmth

Staying at luxury hotel means we have amenities that we don’t necessarily need. Do we need a heated towel rack? Definitely not. Does it make our self-care routine much more enjoyable? ABSOLUTELY. Towel warmers are actually very common in Europe, but haven’t quite made it as a common household item in America yet. Let’s change that, shall we?

Don’t Forget the Little Touches

Impress With Toilet Paper Origami

It’s surprisingly easy to turn your bathroom into an elevated spa-like experience. All you have to do is fold a little bit of toilet paper in a fancy way… Who knew?! Toilets don’t necessarily scream, “Luxury,” do they? But I can assure you 100% that if you fold your toilet paper, it will bring a smile to your face (and your family and guests!).

Check out the various ways you can level-up your TP!

Enjoy a Daily Souvenir

Everybody loves souvenirs! The best kind of souvenir? Chocolate! It’s an instant dopamine hit. Belgian chocolate is claimed to be the best chocolate in the world, so treat yourself to the best of the best (bonus if they’re in the shape of seashells!). No need to leave one on your pillow every day…

Subtle Details That Can Take Your Staycation to the Next Level

I’m In a Vacation State of mind

Like I’ve been saying, vacation isn’t just about the destination. It’s also about the feeling. The vibe. The energy. Here’s my favorite way to get into a vacation state of mind: ambience videos. Search on YouTube any type of happy place you may have + “ambience.” You can find videos of beaches, mountains, cozy cafes, fairy forests, quiet libraries, even Disneyland Main Street! The list is endless. Put these videos on your TV or computer in the background and enjoy ASMR ambience with the sounds of waves crashing, coffee brewing, or pages turning. It mentally takes you to another place.

Gathering Together For games

I don’t know about you, but some of my favorite vacation memories include playing board games in the hotel lobby with my family. Hotel lobbies are so inviting and calming because they’re all about community and relaxation. So after you have that initial welcome drink, you can sit down and play a nice game of cards or chess to further unplug.

Curl Up with a Good Book

Is it a vacation if you don’t have a juicy beach read?! There’s a reason why every book store and website have entire sections devoted to vacation reads. We’re so accustomed to scroll on Instagram or TikTok; but to really get into vacay mode, the best thing we can do is put our phone down and open a book. Below is the number one rated beach read for 2022 by Harpers Bizarre, Buzzfeed, and Vogue. I’m willing to bet it’s more entertaining than our Instagram stories.

Think Outside the Couch

Opt for something a little different to lounge in at home. How about an indoor hammock?! They’re not only adorable and aesthetic, they’re also super comfortable. Talk about a perfect staycation: after you finish your cocktail, grab your new beach read, and take a long Sunday nap in your hammock. Nothing better!

Are you ready to check-in to your stay at home?! Remember that vacation is a state of mind. There are so many ways for us to step into this state of mind – no plane tickets necessary!

I would love to hear about what you will try first to turn your home into a luxury getaway! What gets you into vacation mode best?

Here’s the best part about your home getaway: you’re not required to ever check out.

Endless vacation, here we come!