Traveling is one of our favorite things to do. We love meeting new people and discovering new cities. A good amount of thought goes into our trips – no matter how long or short. We’ll look up best restaurants, hidden locals-only bars and shops, and, especially, historic hotels and architectural elements of the city. The Scout Guide and The New York Times’ 36 Hours series are two of my favorite guides when it comes to planning domestic trips.
When it comes to packing, we carry on as often as we can. I swear by my Briggs and Riley luggage – an investment that’s worth every penny. If we’re driving somewhere, we’ll often toss everything into our XL LLBean boat totes. You can’t go wrong with either of those standbys.
No matter how long your trip is, your hotel room becomes your home for a few days. Over the years, I’ve pulled together a few little essentials that I always travel with to make me feel at home.
Travel steamer. This is the best kind of travel companion and I rely on it all the time to keep tops and dresses looking fresh – especially if I’m having to roll things a bit in order to stay within carry-on size.
La Mer Renewal Oil. Since we host on the road and are always snapping pictures, it’s nice to have a few beauty go-to’s to keep you feeling refreshed and ready – and this is one I swear by. Travel can be so rough on skin, especially the stale air on planes. Two drops of this before I go to bed works wonders to keep my skin feeling hydrated and looking dewy whenever I’m traveling.
Large bottled water and healthy snacks. Instead of spending $25.00 at the airport on something that isn’t as healthy or relying on your road trip route to find you some place that isn’t serving all fried foods, I try to bring a few healthy snacks with me like cut veggies, mixed nuts, homemade trail mix, popcorn, apples, bananas, or bars without a bunch of sugar (something that’s becoming increasingly difficult). Having a large bottle of water on-hand during these trips is also key as it’s so important to stay hydrated.
We almost always stop by a grocery store near wherever we are staying to stock our room with healthy organic snacks, fruits, and sparkling waters so that we have healthier options at-hand, just like at home.
Dr. Dennis Gross Ultra Gentle Daily Peel and a mask or two. These are items that are on the top of my bathroom countertop at home and they travel with me to my hotel room bathroom counter-top because, as I mentioned, travel can be rough on your skin.
Slippers and a robe. The ultimate cozy, at-home luxury to me. I have a set of waffle weave slippers and robe from my wedding day that I always travel with to get ready in and lounge around in if we have time between events. Oh, and please excuse the bottoms of my slippers in these photos. I try to wash them after every trip – I suppose this is a good example of why to always have them with you in hotels!
Small throw from home. It’s funny what a difference this makes, but it really does – especially when it comes to cozying up for a midday nap or nestling it underneath your neck when you lie down for bed. I love these from Sferra.
A good book or magazine. This goes immediately from my carry-on to my hotel nightstand, which makes me feel right at home. I’m trying to get better at reading more and having books easily accessible helps so much. I get so much inspiration from magazines and have the habit of taking pictures of interiors that inspire me, design books I need to buy, and other little tidbits to either look up online or add to my shopping list. I love sharing things that inspire me with y’all, so I often post these discoveries on Insta Stories.
I hope this gives you guys – especially my readers who travel a lot – plenty of ideas to make your travel a bit more luxurious and ways to make your hotel room feel a little more like home. Happy traveling!
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