Coronavirus lockdown: How to treat yourself to a five-star hotel experience at home

Just because you are stuck at home, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some five-star indulgences at a fraction of the price. Here’s how.

Oh, what a strange time to be alive.

The resounding message now is to stay at home and only go out if it’s essential, so we can limit the spread of COVID-19.

Essentially we are grounded, and not in the chic “really down to earth and centred” way. There are no weekend dinner plans to look forward to, no Friday night knock-off drinks with mates and no cheeky Sunday afternoon jaunts to the cinema.

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Being grounded is particularly frustrating for avid travellers like us. Not knowing when we’ll next be able to enjoy that delicious moment where you book flights and research boutique hotels is rather grim.

But we’ve come up with a way to cheer ourselves up next weekend – by creating a hotel experience at home. It’s the perfect antidote to the current mood and a way to make the most of the weekend. Those two days we used to really look forward to once upon a time when days of the week mattered. Remember that?

Plush robes and delicious bathroom products … it’s time to bring a little five-star hotel luxury into your home. Picture: Mayfair Hotel, Adelaide.

Using nothing but some home delivery, a bit of ingenuity, YouTube research and a can-do attitude, you can magic up a five-star experience while still honouring the “stay at home” mantra. It might be a nice way to cheer up someone in your household who’s feeling dreary.

The other great bit? There are a few points here where you can order supplies from local companies that may be battling a bit in this rough economic climate, so you can treat yourself and support local business at the same time. Many featured here are in drought and bushfire affected areas too. You get extra bonus points for supporting them.

So, here’s what you need to do prior to check-in:

Make your bed to a hotel standard

One of the most delightful things about a hotel stay is slipping into a beautifully made bed. You know when the sheet is tucked in so tight you have to aggressively wrench it out? Bliss.

A well-made bed is one little luxury we can hold onto in these crazy times, and there are plenty of good YouTube videos on how to do it with finesse. This one is the most endearing and poorly made video I’ve ever seen, but it gets the point across:

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If you really want to go all out, you could buy some new luxe linen online (check out Australian company Kip&Co) and order a dreamy pillow spray from Rich Glen Olive Estate.

Be sure to top that freshly made bed with some creatively folded towels (and chocolates for the pillow)

The first time you encounter a towel animal on a hotel bed is a truly wondrous moment. That somebody can be bothered folding linen with such diligence warms the heart every time you see it.

Here’s an instructional video on how to fold a towel into a swan. The music choice is particularly pleasing.

You also need to make sure there are a couple of chocolates carefully placed on the pillow during turndown service. Thankfully Haigh’s delivers their chocolates. Phew.

Treat yourself to an indulgent new candle

Great hotels tend to smell excellent. So order a bougie new candle online to help set the scene. Our pick is the Meeraboo soy candle – hand poured in the bush by a mum and her daughters, in the heart of drought-affected Canowindra, NSW.

Purchase some luxe new robes and slippers

Boy oh boy here has never been a better time to justify spending money on house clothes.

So splurge on some new duds, like this excellent waffle robe and these Australian designed, ethically made slippers …

Order in a fancy dinner (aka high class room service)

With restaurants around the country unable to receive customers, many fine dining establishments have had to recalibrate the way they do business and turn to home delivery options. Our sister site delicious. has some great suggestions of fancy eateries (like Attica, below) that will now deliver some of the country’s finest dishes to your door.

You better pair that meal with some fine wines …

Fancy drinking wines curated by a former Noma sommelier? Well you can do just that by ordering a monthly natural wine subscription (six bottles) from The Borough Box – a new homegrown wine subscription service. Bottoms up.

Create a breakfast buffet

One of the best bits of staying at a hotel is that “I just put on 5kg by merely looking at it” breakfast buffet.

The delicious article previously mentioned also includes local cafes and providores that will deliver you a sumptuous breakfast, or pantry hampers so you can create your own buffet experience.

Deck the bathroom out with some lush new products and put some time aside for a DIY spa treatment

No matter how old we get, there is still a weird joy that comes from the small toiletries in hotel bathrooms. So for your staycation, purchase some lovely new body wash and lotion from Washpool up in Ballandean, QLD.

Being pampered at a hotel spa is another delicious treat. Unfortunately with the whole social distancing thing massages and facials by professionals are a bit on hold, so you’ll need to do a bit of a DIY thing for the time being. Spring for some new Australian-made skincare from Sister Skincare in Bathurst or Elly B Organic Skincare in Armadale (both NSW) and set time aside to give yourself an at-home facial.

Then all that’s left to do is hang a “do not disturb sign” on your front door handle and give your neighbours the impression that you’ve finally lost it.

Enjoy your stay.