There’s something special about staying in a hotel.

The feeling of knowing you don’t have to make your own bed or hang up your own dirty towels is truly bliss.

Of course, sometimes we have to forgo the hotel for a guest bed in a loved one’s home.  And, sometimes, you get to be the loved one offering up a free bed.  I live in Orlando, Florida – so I play the hostess with the mostess a free bed about 6-10 times a year.

While I do not make the beds for my guests, I do like to take a few cues from the hotel industry.  Actually, I take more than cues when it comes to pampering visitors.

I take supplies.

I never use the shampoo and conditioner provided by the hotel.  My naturally curly hair is much too delicate for that.  But I do bring home every single little bottle I find in my hotel bathroom.  When I get home, I put my hotel freebies into a little basket that I set in my guest bathroom.

Another basket sits on the nightstand next to the guest bed, and I fill that with bottles of lotion supplied by previous hotel stays.  I also fill the nightstand drawer with little notepads and pens that used to live on top of hotel room desks.

I actually got this idea from a friend who travels 4-6 months out of the year for business.  The baskets in her guest rooms are filled with everything from lotions and soap to travel tooth brushes and fluffy white slippers – all of which came from a hotel she stayed in while traveling for business.

Clearly, the nicer the hotel, the better the goodies you can bring home for free!

Photo Courtesy of leozaza on FlickR.