(Checking In)
These Beauty Upgrades Will Turn Your Home Into A 5-Star Hotel
Do Not Disturb.
There’s no place like home… except for maybe a five-star hotel. Sure, you might be far from the bed that practically molded to your body or the slippers you’ve worn for years, but 1,200-thread-count sheets and a plush robe go a long way in making up for that. And while even checked luggage often forces one to pick and choose when it comes to their travel skin care and beauty routines, at the world’s finest hotels, you’ll often find washes and creams that aren’t just adequate substitutes for your tried-and-true products, but surpass them — offerings that are so luxe, in fact, that you’re tempted to take them home.
But before you rack up a much higher-than-expected incidental charge for slipping that silo of shampoo into your suitcase, know that there are many ways to bring five-star hotel energy to your humble abode (that don’t involve weighing down your carry-on). Not only are there many beauty and personal care brands that truly elevate even the most mundane maintenance — think Laundry Sauce’s fine-fragrance detergents or Marvis’ chic toothpaste — but some hotels even sell the very products they stock. (Among them, the Marriott Bonvoy properties.) Transforming your own bedroom or bathroom into a five-star hotel is truly just a click away.
Scroll on to check out — or should I say check in? — some of the best beauty, home, and personal care picks to bring five-star hotel energy into your home.
Le Labo’s Edition Hand Soap not only features the black-tea-and-bergamot fragrance the brand created specifically for the hotel — it’s also loaded with skin-friendly, moisturizing ingredients, including vitamin E, olive leaf extract, and jojoba. (The beloved scent actually comes in a host of formats, including shampoo and conditioner, candles, diffusers, and bath grains.)
A stay at a Conrad Hotel includes amenities stocked by Byredo, including shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and lotions in the woody-floral cult classic Mojave Ghost. This kit brings together the body wash and lotion with a dry brush, so you can up the sensorial experience even more.
You’ll find Diptyque offerings in hotels around the world, including several Ritz-Carlton properties and The Dominick in New York City. While you can never go wrong with one of the brand’s celebrity-loved candles, if you’d rather skip the wick, a Diffuser is an excellent way to add hotel-level fragrance infusion to your living space.
“Getting into bed” transforms into “turn-down (self) service” when you add a little pillow mist into the mix. This pick from L’Occitane blends notes including lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood for peak relaxation vibes.
Another way to boost your turn-down self-service? With amazing-smelling sheets. Laundry Sauce elevates one of the top five most unglamorous household chores with elegant, sophisticated scents. Misfit, its limited-edition collab with fine fragrance brand Arquiste, brings a cozy, patchouli-forward fragrance to laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and an in-wash scent booster.
On the topic of linens: While high-end sprays and soaps can elevate even the most… well-worn bedding set, why not luxe it up even further with a silky pillowcase? This La Bonne Brosse option consists of 30-momme, 6A-grade Mulberry Silk and features very hotel-coded piping. Your hair (and skin) will thank you.
Fun fact: Maison Francis Kurkdjian created the now-legendary Baccarat Rouge for the 250th anniversary of luxury crystal purveyor Baccarat. Unsurprisingly, you’ll find the sumptuous, amber-tinged scent wafting through the Baccarat Hotel in New York City — and, with this candle, through your home.
Seemingly every nice hotel I’ve stayed at has provided Marvis toothpaste; and at the end of those stays, that Marvis toothpaste has almost always gone home in my toiletry bag. Along with the Classic Strong Mint, this seven-piece set includes more unusual flavors like Ginger Mint and Amarelli Licorice Mint.
“Lounging on fresh sheets in a plush robe, freshly washed hair wrapped up in a towel as you wait for room service” tops my personal list of little hotel luxuries. For the “freshly washed hair” element, try Aesop’s Hair Care Duo, which you’ll also find in the shower at the Waldorf Astoria. (As for the room service, well… takeout?)
Those who take far too long to unpack (guilty as charged) might as well add a touch of fancy hotel energy to their bathroom sinks. Stoney Clover Lane’s collab with The Beverly Hills Hotel brings the property’s iconic palm print and pastel pink to a host of accessories, including this roomy vanity case.
With Eau Parfumée Thé Impérial, Bvlgari bottled up the signature scent of its hotels and resorts: A fresh and citrusy blend of Italian citrus and black tea that smells like, well, a peaceful stay at a resort. Spray it on before heading out the door to keep yourself in that zen headspace.
