These Small Touches Can Instantly Make Your Home Feel Like a Five-Star Hotel

When guests check into Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, California, they’ll be delighted to find the lobby’s Artisan Bath Bar: a selection of locally-made soaps, scrubs, and salts visitors can bring back to their room. “Our returning guests always walk in and head straight to the bath bar first thing, and remark about the smell bringing them back to Farmhouse time and time again,” says Jessica Fimbrez, guest services manager at the inn. “It has become one of our signature amenities!” 

Avid DIYers might love to make their own spa goodies from scratch, but you can also fill your home with local favorites. “Display it on a bath tray with a special note, making a mini Farmhouse bath bar to wow your guests, just like we do,” Fimbrez says. 

Snacktime, anyone? Boise’s Inn at 500 stocks its lobby with complimentary fresh fruit, snacks, and sodas for guests to grab whenever they’re feeling peckish. “Food is love, and we know travelers on the go and away from home always need a quick snack without a lot of fuss,” says Inn at 500’s general manager Adam Altwies. “The joy this simple act brings to an exhausted traveler is palpable from the smiles on their faces—and it’s one of the most frequently well-reviewed, thoughtful touches we provide, so we know guests love it.”

The next time you’re expecting visitors, leave some snacks in the guest room. Altwies suggests fruit like apples or bananas, a breakfast cookie or bar, chips, nuts, and something sweet to round out the offerings.  

The Gordon Hotel boasts awe-inspiring artwork, but the Eugene, Oregon-based property didn’t want their love of art to evoke a stuffy, sterile museum. That’s exactly why the hotel has its own art bar, which is packed with a rotating assortment of colored pencils, watercolors, and acrylic paints—plus a large sink for cleanup. 

“We wanted to provide our guests with an opportunity to explore and embrace their own creativity as well,” explains Nicole Roselio, vice president of design and marketing at Obie Hospitality. “Creativity can be messy, and we want people to feel like they can make a mess and really have fun with the entire process.”

If paints and pastels feel too messy, carve out a little spot for crayons, adult coloring books, or some blank pages.

Very few hotel franchises do happy hour like the St. Regis. Inspired by the battles of Napoleon Bonaparte, various properties dramatically saber a bottle of bubbly to mark the transition from day to night. (Bonus points if you have an excellent view like the one St. Regis Punta Mita offers.) If you don’t want to bust out a Christofle saber, you can create the same vibe with a champagne flute or a booze-free mocktail.

The Ranch at Laguna Beach takes their turndown service very seriously. The housekeeping staff provides slippers, draws the curtains, and preps the bed—plus, they leave a treat from a local chocolatier. According to COO Kurt Bjorkman, it’s a token that makes their turndown feel personal, not generic. “It’s a quiet moment of care,” he explains. “Our hope is that guests feel grounded and welcomed, like someone thought about them before they even arrived back in their room.” 

If you want to take your bedtime routine up a notch, Bjorkman says intentionality is key. “Keep it simple,” he recommends. “Choose one thoughtfully made treat—ideally from a local maker—and pair it with soft lighting and a handwritten note.”