When guests book a room at a hotel, their comfort level is of the upmost importance. Hotel staff provide turn down services, complimentary breakfasts and make every effort to make guests feel more relaxed while away from home.

Guests travel for many reasons: to go on vacation, to celebrate an anniversary or for business. Hotels very often are the home where people on the road lay their head. The hotel room is a home away from home for all kinds of travelers.

A 2014 Gallup Hospitality Industry study looked at many types of hotels, from luxury to economy, to find out what guests really want from their stay. Many hotels are guilty of "gold-plating" with products and services that add cost to guest receipts but aren't meaningful. In lieu of gift shops and hotel bars, guests want to feel at home with good internet connectivity, comfortable beds, responsive employees that have real conversations and quality in room amenities with personal touches.

Guests have been heard. To better accommodate their guests, more hotels are realizing true hospitality starts at home and are adding home touches to their lobbies, bars, conference rooms, libraries and rooms.

It's in the Little Things: Handmade and Handwritten

The little touches that remind guests of home go beyond mints on pillows and fluffy robes. Although, fluffy robes and slippers are a great first start to wrap up guests in feelings of warmth and relaxation after a hot shower.

It's in the little things that a loved one might leave you at home when you're sick or busy, or a friend may leave you when you're visiting from far away that count.

  • Complimentary welcome baskets of snacks and drinks are great for travelers who may be late and starved after a long flight. Healthy snacks, sweet treats and games for kids help them feel welcome, too.

How delicious does gluten-free homemade bread and cheese with champagne sound? It's especially nice when dietary needs are considered, such as gluten-free or nut-free items.

  • Items that families may have forgotten are ready at hand, such a charging dock for phones and tablets, a sewing kit or bug spray. Items are placed in areas that make sense, as you'd pick them up at home and use them — the hairdryer is near the plug in the bathroom.
  • In addition to standard menu lists and hotel contact numbers, some hotels are also including a handwritten welcome and thank you note, along with details about the upcoming weather.
  • Inside of empty drawers, let guests find pens, stationary and complimentary postcards. Let them take a moment to write their own notes, make to-do lists and reflect.

Interior Design Accentuates Feeling at Home

No matter whether a guests stays at a luxury or an economy hotel, there are certain traits and aesthetic choices that hotels share. There are standard linens, brands and resources that hotels use that guests have seen everywhere. Some follow themes and decoration styles that are too ornate or too office-like. You can't please everyone, but there are certain interior design changes that are helpful to make guests feel at home.

When designers are looking at selections to make the most of a comfortable aesthetic, one of the first things they consider is natural materials, such as selecting handcrafted furniture made from beautiful wood, from industry specialists like Rocky Top Furniture or individual woodworking craftsmen like Gary Forte Woodworking. Furniture made from oak or willow, for example, have a beautiful grain that easily makes an attractive focal point to a room while giving it a rustic home feel.

Handmade furniture also makes a great addition as a focal point in other areas. A hotel located in the mountains might commission a large conference table from a woodworker and have the table top infused with bits of mica.

If a room has a westward or southern facing window, the room receives a wonderful warmth when the sun sets. Colors that accentuate that warmth, such as sage, boost the mood and the experience the room has to offer. Opportunities to explore with color are also in the accents:

  • Consider adding pops of color with blue or red pillows. Matching or contrasting knit throws over a desk chair, the end of the bed or on the corner of a loveseat are cozy additions.
  • Instead of geometric art or prints of famous master artworks, larger hotels or smaller bed and breakfasts may opt to go local: Source art from local arts organizations and artists.

These artworks don't have to be bought. The art can rotate in and out with an agreement with arts organizations in partnership to showcase art, bringing different styles and cultures together and demonstrating the hotel's involvement in its home community. The hotel may give local artists a budget to work with to add murals to particular spaces: libraries, conference rooms or outdoor patio walls.

When hotels create a home environment away from home, guests are more likely to return and recommend a hotel to others. It also makes their stay more memorable and enjoyable, which is what true hospitality is all about.