7 Low-Cost Upgrades That Make Your Bedroom Feel Like a 5-Star Hotel

What if your bedroom could feel as luxurious as a 5-star hotel room? With simple yet strategic upgrades, it’s not only possible but easily DIYed in a weekend, and the best news is these changes don’t have to cost an arm and a leg to achieve.

Many small, low-cost bedroom decor transformations can be big on style, creating a bedroom that feels like your own personal hotel suite. Ahead we share interior designer tips for getting the bedroom of your dreams.

Add Sleep Friendly Lighting

Hotel rooms foster glow, not glare, with many different luminous sources of ambient light. One way to achieve the glowy look of a hotel bedroom is to relocate bedside lamps so the bottom of the shade meets your eye level when you are propped on pillows, says interior designer Maria Ramirez.

“Use warm bulbs around 2700 K and sneak a little light low to the floor so the brain files it under ‘fireplace cozy,’” she says.

If your budget is tight, swap bulbs first, grab simple ceramic bases with linen shades, and add a plug-in dimmer for lights by the bedside.

Upgrade your Sheets

The softest bed sheets and pillows can elevate a bedroom’s style. Ramirez recommends choosing natural fibers, new pillow inserts, and a crisp fitted sheet.

On top of these, add a throw for a cozy feel. Much of these items can be purchased on sale or at a discount, especially if you aren’t picky about colors or patterns.

“Invest in pajamas too, silk for softness or wool if you run cold,” she says. “Wash with gentle detergent or a splash of white vinegar to keep everything soft and fresh.”

Turn the Headboard Wall into a Calming Anchor

A clear focal point settles the eye and makes bedrooms feel purposeful, Ramirez says. To get an intentional feel in your bedroom decor, paint the walls in one color so the room feels wrapped or add a simple fabric panel behind the bed for softness.

“If you’ve got any art, keep it large and move it a touch lower so it relates to the headboard,” she adds.

This will help pull the eye towards the bed, making it the focal point of the room. 

Pare Down the Decor

A major difference between bedrooms and hotel rooms is the amount of clutter. Bedrooms can be brimming with busy decor or everyday items you use all the time from reading glasses and vitamin jars on the nightstand.

“Clear off nightstands and dressers, then add back only what feels meaningful,” Avery Carter, an interior designer and owner of Avery Carter Designs, explains.

Decide on minimalist bedroom decor, leaving behind only key decor pieces and relocate all everyday items to their proper places.

“Fewer, more impactful pieces allow each one to shine and make the room feel calmer and more considered,” Carter says.

Bring in Something Living

This can include some easy to maintain houseplants or a bouquet of fresh flowers, which instantly soften a bedroom and add life, Carter says. Potted, easy-to-care for flowers pop in color and usher in soft shapes without requiring too much in terms of a financial investment.

Flowering houseplants like bromeliads and African violets do well indoors and don’t require much care. If living flowers feel like too much upkeep, opt for natural, branch-like faux stems that feel organic and still deliver that layered look, says Carter.

Always Make the Bed

It sounds simple, but it’s transformative.

“A made bed anchors the room and sets the tone for the entire space,” Carter says.

It’s also the fastest way to make your bedroom feel pulled together and refreshed even without adding anything new, she adds. In fact, there are plenty of reasons to make the bed every morning, mainly that a made bed instantly downplays any other busy moments in the bedroom.

Repaint the Room

Slapping on a new coat of paint can make a room feel fresh again. And you don’t need to commit to painting the entire room if that feels like too much work.

In this case, consider adding an accent wall behind your bed’s headboard to make it the focal point. Or try color blocking—like painting the lower half of the room—to add depth and intention without overwhelming the space.

“It’s one of the most cost-friendly updates you can make, and it’s completely DIY-able,” Carter says.

All you need is a spare afternoon and a few gallons of paint.