THE BOUTIQUE BEDROOM CHECKLIST

Tamara Heber-percy, co-founder of boutique hotel travel company Mr and Mrs Smith (mrandmrssmith.com) shares her formula for a peaceful slumber

1 Lighting This can make or break a room. Lights need to be dimmable, and you should be able to turn all of them off with one quick flick of a bedside switch. 2 Scent Amangiri (a spa in Utah; aman.com) and the Upper House (in Hong Kong; upperhouse.com) both smell incredible. Those aromas completely transform the setting and, of course, help you to relax. At home, I burn a ‘ White Wood’ candle from Clement & Claude, made from soy wax. It smells heavenly (£14; clementandclaude.com).

3 The bed Your hotel bed should be better than your bed at home. It will, naturally, have freshly ironed sheets. Thread count isn’t always everything – often a quality-made 400-count sheet can be better than one that’s 700. In fact, if you go too high, the sheets will become stiff. There should be a hard and soft pillow to choose between, and a soft-tothe-skin throw to snuggle under. At home, I have a mattress from Hampshire-based manufacturer Millbrook Beds – we slept on one once at one of our favourite hotels and it’s one of my best-ever purchases (millbrook-beds.co.uk). 4 Technology You know how in some rooms, you feel as though you’re fighting a battle with it? Figuring out how to turn off the bathroom fan or that blinking LED light… That’s the opposite of a perfect room. Minimising wires and switching off standby lights is a good start. 5 Darkness If you’re a light sleeper, like me, an effective blackout blind, windows that block out any noise from the streets and heavy curtains that properly shield you from any light are essential – velvet is my go-to fabric.