Design Tips for a Hotel-Inspired Guest Bedroom

Design Tips by someone who knows what it means to come home to stillness

There’s something quietly sacred about a well-made guest bedroom. Not just a space to sleep, but a soft landing. A little corner of serenity in a world that rarely stops humming. Think of the best hotel room you’ve ever stayed in, not the glitzy kind with chrome taps and robes too tight for a proper stretch, but the ones that stay with you. The ones that knew you were tired before you did. A good bed. A bit of stillness. A sense of being looked after.

That’s what we’re chasing here.

More and more Aussies are finding joy in bringing that feeling into their homes, especially when they’re expecting family from the coast, old mates from interstate, or city kids home from uni. A hotel-inspired guest bedroom isn’t about being flashy. It’s not about thread count or custom joinery or getting everything just right. It’s about creating a space where someone can breathe. Where they can put their phone down, pull the covers up, and forget the world for a bit.

If you want to create that, something soft, warm, and unmistakably welcoming, here’s how to do it in a way that feels real. Not staged, not sterile. Just honest, thoughtful comfort.

Guest Bedroom Design Tips for Thoughtful, Hotel-Inspired Comfort

1. Start with the Bed, Always the Bed

If the bed’s not good, the rest doesn’t matter. You can have the nicest throws, the moodiest lights, the best view of the gum tree out back, but if your guest wakes up sore, it’s all gone.

A quality mattress is your cornerstone. It’s the bit they’ll remember. Not the paint colour. Not the footstool. The sleep. If you’re putting people on a pull-out lounge or an old double with a dip in the middle, you’re not offering rest, you’re offering obligation.

Mattresses like the COMO Natural Mattress Range and Backcare Elegance Collection from Simply The Best Bedding are just what this sort of room needs. The COMO range is built from enhanced pocket-in-pocket springs, natural latex, Dunlop Ultra Fresh Foams and bamboo fibre, designed to breathe with you. It doesn’t just sleep well, it feels clean, like air after rain.

The Backcare Elegance mattresses bring that plush, hotel feel, the one where you lie back and don’t even want to reach for your phone. With Unique SENSORTOUCH 5 ZONE pocket spring-and-foam support and quilting that holds you just right, they’re the sort of beds that make guests linger a little longer in the morning.

Dress the bed with natural fibres. Nothing too stuffy or slick. Washed cotton or linen always works. Something with a bit of give, a little texture. Add a mid-weight doona, not too hot, not too thin, and a couple of different pillow types so your guests can choose their own comfort.

2. Strip It Back, Less Is More

The best hotel rooms don’t crowd you. They leave space. Space to think, space to move, space to settle.

Your guest room should be the same.

Start with the basics: a good bed, a side table, a reading lamp. Maybe a chair in the corner. Maybe a mirror. Then stop. Don’t fill every wall or cover every surface. Let the room breathe. You want calm, not clutter.

Use neutral tones, soft whites, sandy taupes, warm greys, and let texture do the work. A timber bedside. A woven throw. A ceramic bowl for loose change or earrings. Keep it grounded. Earthy. Quiet.

3. Lighting: Low, Warm and Thoughtful

Harsh overhead lighting kills mood. It flattens a room, turns warmth into glare. What you want is soft, directional lighting. Lamps by the bed. A gentle globe in the ceiling if you must.

If you can, install dimmable switches or use warm, low-watt bulbs. Make it easy for your guest to get up in the night without blinding themselves. A small touch lamp or a motion-sensor floor light works wonders.

And let’s not forget natural light. Thick blinds or layered curtains can help your guest control how the morning comes in. A slow sunrise. A late sleep-in. That’s luxury.

4. Add the Human Touch

This is where the room turns from nice to special.

Think about what you’d appreciate if you were staying over. A jug of water and a glass. A spare towel rolled neatly on the bed. A few hangers in the wardrobe. A book or two, maybe something with short chapters, something local.

Add a note: “Make yourself at home.” No need to sign it. The gesture speaks.

A sprig of eucalyptus in a little jar. A tissue tucked into the pillow with a drop of lavender oil. A coaster for their morning cuppa. These are the touches that say: someone’s thought of you.

5. Make It Practical Too

Design isn’t just about how it looks, it’s how it works.

Make sure there’s somewhere to put a bag. Somewhere to charge a phone. Maybe a power board tucked out of sight. A spot to hang a shirt or toss a towel.

Add a full-length mirror if you can. Not for vanity, but practicality. And make sure the door closes without sticking and the light switch is where you’d expect it to be.

Your guest shouldn’t have to ask how to turn on the fan or where the spare loo roll lives. If the design’s good, they’ll just know.

6. Consider the Wake-Up

Good guest bedrooms ease you into the day.

That means light control, yes, but also sound. If the room’s near the kitchen or the main road, lay a rug. Hang a thicker curtain. Put something soft under the door to keep the draft, and the noise, out.

You don’t need to serve breakfast in bed, but you can make the morning gentle. Let the space do that for you.

7. Create a Feeling, Not a Display

A lot of people get stuck trying to impress with their guest room. But the best ones don’t impress, they embrace.

Your guest doesn’t care if the cushions match or the decor’s trending on Pinterest. They care about comfort. Clean sheets. A bit of space. A feeling of being welcomed, not just accommodated.

The best rooms aren’t perfect. They’re warm. They’re lived-in but clean. They’ve got heart. That’s what makes someone feel looked after.

8. What Will They Remember?

This is the question to ask yourself when the room is done.

Will they remember the smell of fresh sheets? The soft curve of the lamp glow? The quietness of the room? That moment in the middle of the night where they rolled over, half-awake, and felt deeply, deeply, okay?

If so, you’ve nailed it.

9. A Quiet Corner for Work or Thought

Not every guest comes to your place on holiday. Some bring work with them, deadlines, emails, maybe a bit of reading to catch up on. Others just like a quiet corner to journal, write postcards, or lay out tomorrow’s plans.

That’s where a small desk comes in.

We’re not talking about a full-blown home office setup. Just a modest worktop. A timber desk with clean lines. A stool or comfortable chair tucked underneath. Maybe a soft lamp overhead and a power point nearby.

It doesn’t need to scream workspace. In fact, it shouldn’t. It should feel like a thoughtful touch, a little nook that says if you need it, it’s here. A place to open a laptop, jot down a few notes, or spread out a map without taking over the whole room.

And when it’s not in use? Add a vase with fresh gum leaves. Stack a few magazines or a weathered novel. Let it become part of the room’s rhythm.

It’s one of those small gestures that makes a guest feel seen. Like you’ve thought of their whole stay, not just where they’ll lay their head.

So Walk Into That Room. Shut the Door. Lie on the Bed.

What does it feel like?

Would you want to sleep here if you were bone-tired from a long drive? Would you breathe a little easier, knowing someone had thought of you?

That’s what makes it hotel-inspired. Not the look, the feeling.

And when you get that right, when you’ve created a space that welcomes them in, the quietest comment is the best one: ‘I slept so well’.

That’s when you know your guests will never forget it.

Let’s Make Your Guest Room Feel Like Home

Keen to create a space that whispers comfort and welcomes with warmth? Whether it’s for family dropping in or mates staying the weekend, Simply The Best Bedding is here to help you nail that hotel-inspired feel. Reach out here, we’ll help you turn your guest room into something truly special, no fuss, no fanfare. Just honest, thoughtful comfort.