One thing that changed about me after I became a mother is the way I appreciate good hotels. When I was younger and still single, I barely care about the hotels I or we (with friends or hubby) stay at. I only had the bare minimum requirements – it must be clean, water is running and the location must be safe. My standards changed, or should I say doubled when I started bringing the kids with us. The room must be spic and span. The bedsheets and pillowcases, in particular, must be immaculate whites. The location, amenities, ambiance, location and restaurants or food must be kid-friendly. It must be carpeted. The bathroom should have the anti-slip mats and the hot and cold shower combination must be working. Non-smoking floors must exist and connecting rooms must be offered, in case we’re with our families. Kitchen amenities must be complete too and in-room service must have considerable options. The service must be impeccable too, as bringing children in unfamiliar places can sometimes be overwhelming.
So, the past six years, I’ve been in several hotels with varying ratings. And, every time the vacation is over, I do miss being at a good hotel. This is that moment where I wish I’m a billionaire so my kids and I can check-in at good hotels anytime we wish. But, reality check says I’m not (yet) a billionaire so all I can afford right now are short staycations. Being high with the good hotel life (as I call it), I’m trying to emulate the hotel rooms we’ve been in our own home. When low on a budget or when I miss or can’t move on just yet with the recent staycation we had, I transform our own room into a hotel vibe. How?
Bring out your immaculate white bedsheets and pillows. I hoard white linens every time there is a SALE in S&R. I really stock up on these and I don’t regret it. I bought white linens with white satin stripes. Pang hotel talaga! I also bought white linens with embroideries if type ko naman ang vintage vibe.
Use white, thick but soft duvets. I rarely use duvets because one, it’s hot in our country all year round and two, mahirap labhan! Hehe. But, a good hotel always has soft, thick and white duvets. It’s so comforting. Ang sarap humiga and just crawl under it.
Tip lang. For anything white, I make sure to air dry them after machine washing and drying. Bilad pa sa sun, if possible. And, I also don’t skip using fabric conditioners so they won’t smell bad kapag tinago.
Since the duvet is out, the aircon must be turned on and set to the coolest! If you’ve got the converter type I see no problem with electric bills. If not, then just make sure the room or any opening is tightly closed para lumamig agad ang room so the aircon can automatically adjust. Also, make sure that your aircon unit is clean and in good condition para it can work optimally. P.S. Hide your electric fans or transfer it temporarily in other rooms.
Ready the movies, if you’re not on cable TV. My hubby and I love watching TV in hotels. He likes History Channel or National Geographics, that is if walang exciting NBA game. I on the other hand like watching old Pinoy movies. Haha. No movies, no problem too. We can always stream with our Sun Broadband or we can subscribe for more channels in our ABS CBN TV Plus.
Prepare a small pantry. You know what else we like to do in hotels? We like to eat and drink and eat and drink. You can have chichiria or nuts or trail mix for healthier choices. You can have pizza, ice cream, wine and of course, coffee!
Lay down the carpet. This is optional. You don’t need to buy one. Carpets are hard to maintain anyway. If you have one in other rooms you can just borrow/transfer it for a while (yung portables ones ha, hindi yung installed sa floor). They say that carpets are one of the dirtiest things you can find in a hotel. And, I think so too. Pero maganda pa rin talaga tingnan eh. Parang hindi good hotel kapag hindi carpeted. Hmm. One of these days, I’ll ask hotels on how they clean their carpets.
Bring out your hotel slippers. Haha. I’m guilty of bringing home unused hotel slippers (and bathroom supplies na rin!). Pair your slippers with fluffy robes.
Dim lights. If no dim light is installed in your room, you might consider changing bulbs into a romantic and warm citrine shade or change into one with lower watts. Or, you might just simply turn on the nightshades. Don’t forget to hang your heaviest and longest earth tone curtains!
Do all these and you’re off to a “good hotel experience” at the comfort of your own home! Honestly, I’m considering buying a condo unit and convert it into our very own hotel room in the city. For that quick city getaway especially on weekends, kapag gusto mo lang mag relax and not be bothered by the house chores. Hay. Let’s see!
