Luxury Level Self-Care at Home
Are your travel plans feeling a little deflated this year? The hospitality industry worldwide has scaled back significantly to accommodate the dwindling capacity in the wake of recent events. Even hotels that remain open are operating with minimal staff for those who are traveling out of necessity to visit family.
Many of the high-end resorts and other upscale properties, especially those who cater to tourist destinations, are remaining closed. Even high-end boutique hotels are slowly opening with very limited list of amenities.
You can access a list of hotel openings, policies, booking info, and more - Here.
The fact that luxury retreats will remain functioning conservatively for the foreseeable future has left many jet-setters this holiday season without new stamps in their passports. Or at the very least causing their Louis Vuitton suitcases to collect dust.
Even if you had access to a private jet, luxury travel can still be a little difficult right now. But, what if you could recreate a luxury 5-star hotel experience at home, at a fraction of the cost?
Travel is essential even during ‘normal’ times, to recharge and offer a bit of escapism from our everyday lives. This requisite may have even more resonance nowadays, as most of us are still struggling with how to delineate our workdays from our weekends.
To remedy the FOMO that travel cancellations are likely to cause, I’ve created a guide to help reinvent the luxury experience right in the comforts of your own home. Even though it can’t replace sipping a MaiTai on the beach of your favorite resort, it does come with some benefits.
No need for a pet-sitter
Packing is super easy, as in no packing required; which leads to my next point….
Zero unpacking
You can sleep in your own bed (super bonus points)
It costs much less than an actual trip
You maintain your safety and minimize your risk
5-Star Luxury Staycation Package for Two
While a staycation in your own home may not be an exact replica of luxury travel, you can recreate certain hallmarks of those types of experiences. Some are even so subtle you may not even directly notice them. Sensory manipulations can lead to a cognitive bias of a true luxury experience.
These tips are meant to heighten those perceptions in order to persuade your subconscious, and hopefully be transported by its effects. Bon Voyage!
1. Make your house smell like a high-end hotel lobby -
It’s been proven that the olfactory senses have a strong effect on your mood. Not in the way a drug affects the brain, but in how your experiences shape your responses to certain smells. It’s no secret that high-end hotels use the science of scent branding which engulf you the moment you step into their lobby’s.
This elusive tactic is meant to create a subliminal link between their signature smell and your location. Start associating your home with a luxury resort with the recipe below.
For more awesome easy stovetop potpourri recipes go to Instrupix.com
2. Steal-Worthy Hotel Room Toiletries
Most standard hotels stock pretty generic and utilitarian toiletries not even worthy of displaying the actual brand name. But then, there are the resorts that provide similar amenities that beg to be stashed inside your luggage just so housekeeping will restock more miniature treasures in your bathroom.
Coveted brands whose names proudly remain on the labels for extra credibility to these luxury resorts. Big names like Le Labo, Aesop, Ferragamo, Hermès, Bvlgari to name a few that grace the cache of bottles available at only the most exclusive resorts.
Imagine taking the private boat shuttle from near Piazza San Marco to the Belmond Hotel Cipriani in the Venetian lagoon and heading straight to the bathroom in your room. This luxury hotel worthy of any bucket-list features the complete line of Bulgari’s Thé Verte. An exclusive line of toiletries scented with Italian bergamot and pepper. The slightly spicy bouquet makes the spacious bathrooms as enticing as the hotel’s gardens, vineyard, and pool.
Bring that exclusivity home without being a guest - Here. Bonus points, these fragrant beauties are already in TSA approved sizes to enjoy during your staycation or when you travel next.
3. Luxury you can live in : hotel robes
Never mind that these terrycloth Egyptian cotton super-luxe robes have been worn before, because the turndown service will keep ‘em coming. Each one just as fluffy as the first. You would think that they were all brand new.
While it’s best not to think too hard on the previous whereabouts of this luxurious staple before you, there’s something undeniable about the softness that envelops you when you put it on.
To get your own and always know that you were the only guest in it, go to - luxurysparobes.com
4. Luxurious relaxation for two with a couples massage
Usually the two pieces of ‘hotel-room literature’ that beg inspection upon arrival are the room service and spa services menus. The listings of various tempting hotel spa massages are characteristic of a luxury stay at a swanky resort and therefore are a must-have for your staycation.
Zeel brings the spa experience directly to you. How it works -
• Book: Book an on-demand massage at home, in your hotel room, or at your office, from the app or zeel.com.
• Relax: Choose the massage type (including couples massage) and the gender of your therapist, and he or she will arrive with a massage table(s).
• Repeat: Book whenever you like, 8am to midnight, 365 days a year, and enjoy a 5-star experience every time.
Just to address the pink elephant in the room - Zeel has resumed in-home, spa, and workplace wellness services based on state and city guidelines and regulations. For all the latest updates on Zeel’s response on the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on their customers, providers, and services you can go - Here.
5. Delightfully detox with facials.
The popularity of facials and masks at luxury resorts will never fade, for one reason - upkeeping your moneymaker is at, ‘face-value’, a worthy investment. But achieving a youthful glow doesn’t just happen on its own. Thankfully we have a $532 billion dollar beauty industry to keep us flush with plenty of products to choose from like this gem below.
Give an extra dose of ‘ahhhhh’ to your staycation, and take the plunge with the Turquoise Clay Mask by Olehenrikson. His purifying mask is inspired by the ritual of cold-water plunges in his homeland of Scandinavia. The antioxidant-rich formula promises to soothe, mattify, and refine pores.
Do your face a favor, and grab a bottle of your own - Here.
6. Luxe spa-inspired ambiance with candles.
It’s hard to imagine an alternative other than candles to create the perfect ambiance. Something about the rhythmic dance of flickering flames, the warm, flattering hues they softly cast that make them irreplaceable when it comes to setting the mood.
Add an exceptional scent and you’ll be ready to ‘Om’ your way to a more enlightened state. The Bamboo candle by Nest delivers an astonishingly fragrant blend of white florals with an abundance of lush green notes and hints of sparkling citrus. The iconic aroma is a best seller for a reason.
7. Celebrate in style with the classic combo of champagne and strawberries.
Nothing says “special occasion” quite like champagne and strawberries. The combination goes beyond novelty thanks to the complementary nature these two have when they interact with one another. The sweetness of the berries pairs perfectly with the dryness of the bubbles.
Get this luxury essential delivered straight to your door, complete with flutes (just like room service) with champagnelifegifts.com.
8. Luxury culinary with a crab dinner for two.
It may still be a while before feeling confident enough to brave your favorite local haunts for a romantic dinner out. Now’s the ideal time to bring a “destination dinner” home to you. Can’t make it to Chesapeake this year for the annual family pilgrimage? No worries because you can have the Bay and all of its bounty brought to you.
ilovecrabs.com will same-day steam and ship your order of Maryland bluefin crabs so they arrive as fresh as possible on your doorstep. Indulge in the Dinner for Two and get a dozen “hahd shell” crabs, 2 Harbour House Crab Cakes, 1/2 lb. of jumbo shrimp, 4 espresso bean brownies, and of course, two mallets.
Seafood not your thing? No worries, ‘cause I’ve got you covered. Some Michelin Star rated restaurants are now offering delivery in their areas. See what options are available in your area - Here.
9. Done for you : delivery with concierge services.
With delivery options on the rise, it’s never been easier to optimize your staycation. These services are almost as good as the front desk concierge that you can dial up at whim.
Get more than just groceries delivered, like food for Fido, Advil for your champagne hangover, or a new phone charger - not because you forgot to pack it, but because the cat chewed through your last one.
10. Shop souvenir jewelry.
No luxury vacation is complete without a little retail therapy. Imagine strolling through the local boutiques and bazaars on the hunt to discover the perfect bauble to remind you of all the wonderful memories of your trip. You love the thrill of finding a truly unique piece imbued by the spirit of the place being visited.
Look no further because my new summer collection has just the kind of souvenir styling that makes them rare finds, just like a piece you might uncover at your favorite island resort.
(Click on any image for details)
Rollin With the Times
There will never be a perfect replacement for all the luxuries we had access to before, however, some of the fallout, as a result, is undeniably good. Things like slowing down to appreciate what we have in everyday life without the need to escape it.
With many experts weighing in on when life will return to normal, it’s clear that this holiday season is too soon for travel beyond driving distances. So, in the meantime, this is the perfect time to indulge in a little staycation luxury this summer.
Just stay present enough to actually enjoy it.