← Back to project

Created for Sleep Inn® By Choice Hotels® By The Foundry at Time Inc.

Stay Happy This Season

Pack smarter, travel better and sleep soundly—whether you’re on the road for business or pleasure, or staycationing at home.

CREATED FOR
Lumina Stock/Getty Images
scrollfor more

Tips for Seamless Travel—From Departure to Arrival

Here’s how to make your destination your happy place, wherever you go.

Created For
Dave and Les Jacobs/Getty Images

I want to PACK better

Breeze through your trip with these packing strategies.

  • 1
    1

    Trim your list of “must-have” apparel.

    Google your Sleep Inn hotel destination and check the forecast. Remove all items you find yourself packing “just in case”—no need for that raincoat if skies will be clear.

    Shutterstock
  • 2
    2

    Reduce your toiletries.

    Decant any “must-have” products such as body lotions or hair gels into smaller containers: Why lug the big bottle when you’ll only use one ounce? And remember that your Sleep Inn hotel will provide such toiletries as soap, shampoo, and conditioner.

    Ziquiu/Getty Images
  • 3
    3

    Compress items to create space.

    Once you’ve reduced your packing list to the bare essentials, place nightwear, workout clothes, jeans, and any other items that are wrinkle-proof into a compression bag. These bags squeeze the garments together—and press all air out—so they use up a fraction of the space they would take when folded and stacked with your other items.

    Taist/Getty Images
  • 4
    4

    For work clothes, use tissue paper.

    Friction creates wrinkles in clothing. To keep your blouses, skirts, and slacks friction- and wrinkle-free, fold them around a piece of tissue paper (or a dry-cleaner bag). Note: Garments made with synthetics such as nylon and polyester are naturally more wrinkle-resistant.

    Shutterstock
  • 5
    5

    Roll t-shIrts and camisoles.

    Rolling up items will help you optimize your space because you can tuck the rolled items into corners or shoes. To roll a T-shirt, lay it front-side down, then fold each sleeve toward the center, so you have a rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise and roll from the bottom to top.

    Shutterstock
  • 6
    6

    Wear your bulkiest clothes.

    Wear the clothes that would otherwise fill suitcase space, like knee-high boots, chunky sweaters, or blazers. Or, if you’re driving, you can throw these on a seat or in the trunk.

    Popovaphoto/Getty Images
  • 7
    7

    Unpack immediately.

    When you arrive at your hotel, immediately hang up your clothes on the Sleep Inn-provided hangers. For persistent wrinkles, you may need to dampen the garment and gently stretch it taut. Hang to dry.

    Digital Paws Inc./Getty Images

I want to EAT better

Stay energetic, healthy, and happy en route to your destination.

  • 1
    1

    Take your caffeine to go.

    If your travel ritual includes a cup of coffee or tea by your side, take a thermos of your favorite hot drink with you—you’ll get your caffeine fix and save time and money.

    John Kasawa/Getty Images
  • 2
    2

    Stash some snacks.

    The night before you leave, prepare and bag foods you can snack on, such as raw vegetables, fruit, yogurt, nuts and raisins, and hummus. And for lunch, many homemade dishes are delicious at room temperature, such as whole-grain pasta, quinoa salad, roasted vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs.

    Creativ Studio Heinemann/Getty Images
  • 3
    3

    Grab groceries.

    When you need to make a stop, look for a grocery store—you’ll find many more healthy options there than at a fast-food restaurant.

    Eli Asenova/Getty Images
  • 4
    4

    Drink lots of water.

    When you’re traveling, you may not notice how dehydrated you become. Drinking water is not only essential for your body but can curb food cravings and prevent headaches.

    Kedsanee/Getty Images

I want to REST better

Getting deep and restorative sleep will allow you to wake up well-rested and happy.

  • 1
    1

    Book a hotel with FREE AMENITIES

    Look for affordable Sleep Inn options which include a fitness center and pool, full breakfast, and simply stylish rooms that double as sanctuaries with soft lighting, cozy beds, and the promise of a restful stay.

    Shutterstock
  • 2
    2

    USE THE FITNESS CENTERS OR POOL.

    Twenty minutes of exercise at Sleep Inn’s pool or gym and a post-workout shower will help you shake off travel fatigue and steam away stress. Plus, a hot shower or bath lowers your body temperature and signals to your brain that it’s time for sweet dreams.

    Largeformat4x5/Getty Images
  • 3
    3

    Get a great night’s sleep.

    To dream better, turn off all electronics an hour before bedtime, avoid alcohol, close the curtains, and turn the room’s thermostat down before climbing under the covers—a cooler room helps you fall asleep faster and stay rested longer.

    Shutterstock

Make Your Bedroom as
Serene as a Hotel

Transform your bedroom into a simply stylish sanctuary,
with the relaxing vibe of a hotel room.

Created for
Sleep Inn® Designed to Dream® Hotel
Remove the
clutter.
Organize your
drawers.
Dim the
lights.
Paint your
walls green.
Add a potted
plant.
Upgrade your
bedding.
Perfect your
pillows.
Hang nature-
oriented artwork.
ADD A
COZY RUG.

Remove the clutter.

The goal is to have clean, empty surfaces. Pick up every item on your dresser, bookcase, floor, or nightstand and ask yourself if you really need it in your bedroom. As you become an expert at getting rid of nonessentials, you will have more room for what you do want and need: books on the bookshelf, makeup on the vanity countertop, a vase of flowers on your dresser.

DFK Photography/Getty Images

Organize your drawers.

It’s amazing what we lose track of in dresser drawers: string bikinis from college, threadbare T-shirts, out-of-style jeans. Empty your drawers (and closets) of all garments you don’t wear. This will give you new storage space to tuck away essentials that you want in your bedroom but that are better kept out of sight—jewelry and accessories, for example.

Organize your drawers.

Dim the lights.

To make your room more conducive to restful Sleep Inn hotel-like sleep, experts recommend a soft lighting scheme using lightbulbs with a warm color spectrum (think colors echoing natural light: yellows, greens, golds) at a low wattage. They also recommend reducing light exposure three hours before bedtime so you can fall asleep more easily. If your bedroom has an overhead light, install a dimmer switch so that you can reduce the light as the evening progresses.

Trudy Karl/Getty Images

Paint your walls green.

Experts say the color green is restful to the brain. It’s in the middle of the color spectrum, so it strikes the eye in such a way that your eye doesn’t need to adjust to it. Your first and last minutes of every day are spent in your bedroom, so paint the walls a color that feels good to you. If green doesn’t appeal, explore to find out which colors do trigger a relaxation response.

Banks Photos/Getty Images

Add a potted plant.

NASA research has revealed that many indoor plants are potent air purifiers—not only reducing levels of carbon dioxide and airborne dust, but also attacking interior pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, and nitrogen oxide. Good plants for your bedroom include philodendron, spider plant, golden pothos, gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum, corn plant, and peace lily.

Melissa Ross/Getty Images

Upgrade your bedding.

Find sheets that match the texture and feel of the luxurious Sleep Inn hotel bedding you love. Pima and Egyptian cotton are the least likely to pill and will stay coolest while you are in them. Cotton/polyester blends won’t wrinkle as readily as 100 percent cotton sheets, but they don’t breathe as much and will feel warmer while you’re sleeping. For bedspread and pillowcases, keep it simply stylish: Sleep Inn hotel designers balance pattern and color to maintain a sanctuary feel, offsetting an eye-catching black, white, and gray nature-inspired leaf print on the bed scarf with a white comforter and pillows.

Jamie Grill/Getty Images

Perfect your pillows.

One of the best parts of traveling is falling back into those oh-so-fluffy Sleep Inn hotel pillows. So if your pillow is lumpy or flat or you’ve had it more than five years, get a new one. Select a pillow that matches your sleeping style. The goal is to keep your spine in a neutral position and aligned with your neck as you sleep. In general, if you sleep on your side you need a thicker pillow; face-down sleepers need a thinner pillow; and back sleepers need something in between.

Shana Novak/Offset

Hang nature-oriented artwork.

Use images from nature to help create tranquility: Pictures of waterfalls, sunsets, foggy back roads, birds in flight, or even mountain ranges might do the trick.

Courtesy of Sleep Inn® Designed to Dream® Hotel

ADD A COZY RUG.

Get that plush Sleep Inn hotel-like feeling underfoot with an area rug. If you’ve got hardwood floors in your bedroom, it’ll pull double duty by absorbing sound and adding a barrier of warmth in the colder months; if you’ve got carpeted floors, it’ll define your space and add visual interest. Look for patterns and colors that play off your bedding and wall shades, for a harmonious, pulled-together look.

Shutterstock

Hit the road and rest in style.

Visit Sleepinn.com to book an affordably stylish hotel experience that best suits your needs and itinerary.
BACK
TO TOP