How to Create a Five-Star Hotel Experience in Your Bedroom

The experience of staying at a luxury hotel is, in a word, divine. The staff is attentive and the flowers are fresh, sure, but for me it’s all about the bed. The sheets, the pillows, the duvets, the coverlets — ALL OF IT. You truly feel like you’re on vacation when you slip into the abyss of crisp white linens, and it’s heaven.

And then you come home. And you’ve probably got laundry on your floor and your bed isn’t made and maybe there’s a stray laundry basket in corner. This is the opposite of divine. But a few months ago I made the decision to make my bedroom look and feel like a five-star hotel. I banished clutter and tchotchkes. Dirty clothes are immediately put in a wash basket. And gone are my pinstriped sheets, my plaid duvet cover and my decade-old down insert. In its place are the crisp white linens that bring me such pleasure when I’m on vacation. Truly that’s all I changed, but my bedroom experience has done a 180. My husband can’t stop commenting about how peaceful and serene our room is now, how when he walks in at the end of the night, the space makes him feel more relaxed. Because that’s what it’s all about, right guys? We all have crazy, fast-paced lives where the demands upon us never end. So when we’re ready to call it in and head to bed, let’s treat ourselves to luxurious sleep that is akin to one you’d pay hundreds of dollars a night for.

We sampled a full range of the best bed linens on the market. Seriously, we spoiled ourselves, and then came up with a list of out top can't miss bedding for giving you that hotel experience at home. Get ready to indulge.

Founded just five years ago, Boll and Branch is a leader in the textiles game, offering sumptuous, high-end linens directly to consumers from their website. The best part? It’s all chemical-free and fair-trade certified. 

We tested the brand’s below Solid Hemmed Duvet Cover and the Down Alternative Duvet Insert and the combined experience is sublime. The cover is crisp but lustrous, and utterly luxurious. The interior corner ties in all four corners keep the duvet in place and the envelope flag conceals the buttons at the bottom of the duvet. 

Prior to this, I had only ever used down duvet insert but this just in: I’m a down alternative convert! Worth every penny of its $300+ price tag, the insert is warm but not too warm and it’s evenly distributed — no lumpy down corners! It’s also much fluffier and lighter than any previous inserts I’ve used. 

If you’re not familiar with Parachute, you should be! My consistent go-to for all my home needs, the direct-to-consumers brand has everything you need to create your hotel room at home. I’m partial to Sateen sheets (Egyptian cotton, natch), which are soft as butter with a luxurious sheen to them. The set comes with a fitted sheet and two pillowcases (all of which wash and dry beautifully) Oh, and the pillowcases feature a back-envelope closure that I’m obsessed with. 

Next you’ll want to grab the Duvet Basic Bundle — two standard pillows, one duvet insert. Lush and plush, they are comprised of a hypoallergenic microfiber filling encased in a shiny, silky sateen cotton shell that is almost pretty enough to stand on its own. Regardless of whether you opt for down or down alternative, you can choose between soft, medium and firm pillows and either lightweight or all-season duvet (Read: Are you a hot sleeper or not?!). 

Lastly, the duvet cover. If you’re looking for an all-white duvet cover that is more cozy than crisp, look no further than Parachute’s Cloud Cotton Duvet. Softer than soft, this cover is truly cloud-like and makes for a sumptuous topper on your bed. 

Gryphon has been in the bedding business for literally 200 years, crafting high-quality textiles since 1813. What sets them apart: they own all their facilities from the cotton farm to the textile factories and work to ensure everything is responsibly, ethically and sustainably made. Their amazingly soft sheets are made of 100% Supima cotton, which is grown only in the US and has superior strength and softness. It will even keep its color. 

We tested the brand’s Luxury Suite Sheet Set and off the bat were taken with its polished look, similar to what you find in a five-star hotel. The Supima cotton has the most elegant, silky feel and, the sheets drapes wonderfully on the bed. They also have an uncanny lightness and breathability for cotton sheets. Best of all they seems to grow softer after washing without losing their crisp look. An inverted pleat detail on flat sheet and pillowcases only adds to the refined luster. The Luxury Suite Set comes with a flat sheet, fitted sheet and two pillowcases. You can complete the collection with the Luxury Suite Duvet Cover Set and the Pillow Case Pair, also made of Supima cotton and also featuring the same elegant, timeless feel. 

There is a lot of good stuff going on in this Buffy comforter. But before we get to that, let’s talk about how sustainable it is. The fabric shell is constructed of 100% eucalyptus and uses 10 times less water to produce. The interior fill is made from 100% recycled PET BPA-free bottles are diverted from landfills. In fact, according to Buffy, each comforter keeps 50 bottles out of landfill and protects 12 geese. 

But how does it feel? We tested it out and have to say luxuriously good. The eucalyptus fabric is soft and soothingly cool to the touch. (The cooling effect is one feature of the Buffy comforter that a gazillion Amazon reviewers are crazy about). The layers of spun fiber fill are cloudlike and breathable, providing a lightweight airy feel. In our tryout, it never felt lumpy or bulky. It also gave us peace of mind knowing that the comforter is made out of antimicrobial materials that keep out dust, mites, and mold. We added Buffy’s Duvet Cover to extend the life of the comforter; made of the same eucalyptus fabric it exhibits the same ooze-in softness. Oh, and we have to mention Buffy’s fabulous unboxing, which features clever cartoons and a lavender-scented eye mask that reads “resting Buffy face.” 

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Brooklinen

Photo: Brooklinen

If you are in need of a total bed makeover, Brooklinen is the place to go. The brand has the market covered with everything from bedding basics, like pillow and duvet inserts, to sheet sets, covers and blankets. 

We started our test with inserts: specifically the Mid-Plush Down Alternative Pillow. Constructed with shaved microfibers that mimic the texture of down, we found it to be supremely soft and supportive — in addition to being hypoallergenic and vegan friendly — all wrapped up in a decadent silken cotton shell. (This pillow also comes in Firm and Plush versions depending on your sleep position.)

Next up, the Down Comforter. The All Season version we tried contains 700-fill power and has amazing loft right out of the box. It is soft but holds its shape well due to the baffle construction. You seriously just want to snuggle up with it and spend the day in bed.

Lastly, the sheet set. Brooklinen has a devoted internet following with tens of thousands five-star reviews, and a lot of it has to do with the company’s sheets! The Luxe Core Set we sampled is made of 100% long-staple cotton. With a 480-thread count sateen weave, it is ultra smooth and polished looking as well with an elegant finish. Again, the super soft feeling makes it hard to depart your bed in the morning. FYI: Brooklinen conveniently bundles their bedding into various sets — so if you do need the whole kit and caboodle you will save some money on a package.  

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Mellani 

If you don’t have the money for an investment right now, but you still want to indulge in hotel-style bedding, Mellani might be the brand for you. The Amazon bestseller has literally 50,000 reviews singing its praises. Their sheet set is made of brushed microfiber that has the same appeal of high-end cotton — ultra softness. For the price, it really can’t be beat.

These sheets are also wrinkle, fade and stain resistant as well as hypoallergenic, and they come in more than 40 colors. We paired our set with Mellani’s five-piece duvet cover and pillow sham set and were blown away. For a minimal outlay of cash, you can have your bed looking and feeling like a million bucks.   

Buy Now

$24.97 at Amazon

Buy Now

$29.70 at Amazon