Booking your stay at a fancy chain buys you quality assurance—your suite will be predictably well-appointed. But you're also playing it safe. If you take a risk with a smaller boutique hotel, you'll most likely be well-rewarded with artful, distinct decor, rather than the "appealing to the masses" vibe of chain hotels.

At The Redbury @ Hollywood and Vine, described as having a "bohemian counter-culture feel," the style is both elegant and eclectic, upscale and lived-in. What I love is that it doesn't look like a hotel—you know, the standard white sheets, all-neutral look of most places. That pristine aesthetic is beautiful, yes, but it's not functional for most people (especially if you're stealing a style for your home). The Redbury gives you the feeling of being in an exotic Moroccan escape—but one that's yours. Hello, House Hunters International.

Bed

Splurge: Lifestyle Solutions Wilshire Platform Canopy Bed ($673, Wayfair)

Steal: Coaster Furniture Symphony Poster Canopy Bed ($578, Furniture Barrel)

Bedding

Splurge: Elephant Indian Bedsheet Sheet ($65, Novahaat)

Steal: Boho Floral Tapestry Bedspread ($22, Amazon)

Pillow

Splurge: Ikat Decorative Pillow Cover ($35, Etsy)

Steal: Thai Design Cushion ($8.50, Ten Thousand Villages)

Bench

Splurge: Verde Collection Aydin Kilim Bench ($491, Amazon)

Steal: Button Tufted Upholstered Bench ($210, Target)

Rug

Splurge: Safavieh Persian Legend Collection Rug ($1,687, Amazon)

Steal: Safavieh Anatolia Collection Rug ($358, Amazon)

Sofa

Splurge: Essex Sofa, Paprika Herringbone ($1,300-1,700, West Elm)

Steal: Klaussner Dopler Dreamquest Sofa ($954, furniture crate)

Mirror

Splurge: Bertina Venetian Mirror ($670, PlumStruck)

Steal: Venetian Gems Loreta Wall Mirror ($389, Wayfair)

Lamp

Splurge: Laura Ashley Renee Table Lamp with Charlotte Shade ($133, Buy.com)

Steal: Red Shade with White Candlestick Base Table Lamp ($56, Lamps Plus)

Orange Side Chair

Splurge: Madeline Chair ($349, Urban Outfitters)

Steal: Noho Orange Lounge Chair ($266, Overstock)

Coffee Table Cubes

Splurge: Butler Masterpiece Bunching Cube End Table, Chesnut Burl ($279, Wayfair)

Steal: Mesa Storage Cube, Antique Walnut ($46, Walmart)

Wallpaper

Splurge: Paisley Wallcovering by Van Luit ($55 per roll, Creative Wallcovering)

Steal: National Geographic Paisley Print Wallpaper ($54.58 per bolt, Home Depot)*

*Yes, it's only a few cents cheaper. But I love them both!

Patterned Side Chair

Splurge: Skyline Furniture Swoop Ikat Chair ($256, Home Furniture Showroom)

Steal: Athens Slipper Chair, Cinnabar ($225, Target)

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)