Suite des Olivier at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes

The first thing I do at a fancy hotel? Check out the bed. I love the tightness of the crisp, clean sheets tucked into the mattress, the way the heavy hotel bedding cocoons around my body. It feels so luxurious—nothing like the wad of sheets I grapple with in my own bed. And with a fantastic bed invariably comes fantastic décor. (Who doesn't love lying in the hotel bed, pretending the upscale furnishings are your own?) Expensive hotels strike the perfect balance between elegance and comfort—something we should all strive for in our own bedrooms, right? Luxury needn't be confined to one or two nights at a five-star hotel. You can enjoy it on a daily basis, without spending outrageous amounts.

My first 5-star style icon: the Suite des Olivier—said to cost $18,000 per night—at the seaside Hotel Martinez in Cannes, one of the world's priciest (and most beautiful) hotels. The suite melds art deco style with classic, almost royal, touches, like the tufted headboard and the silken bedding. Perfect.

Tufted Headboard

Splurge: Lorraine Tufted Headboard (Pottery Barn, $700-800)