You've just returned home from a wonderful resort holiday. You walk into your house and suddenly feel let down. Everything at the resort was so wonderful and your house seems so ordinary in comparison. Turning around and going back to the resort is not an option, so what are you going to do? Rather than count the days until your next vacation, let yourself be inspired by your resort experience and turn your home into a mini-resort you enjoy all year 'round. You may be surprised by how easily and inexpensively this can be done.

What Did You Love about Your Resort?

What distinguishes a resort from an ordinary hotel? When you stop and think about it, it's mostly the little things:

• An ordinary hotel may have a swimming pool, but a resort has a swimming pool in a lush garden setting.

• Your hotel bathroom will have all the necessary fittings, but your resort bathroom will have stylish, modern bathroom fittings.

• An ordinary hotel room is designed for sleeping only. A resort suite is designed to be a luxurious "home away from home."

These are some of the things that distinguish a resort from "just a hotel." Now the question becomes, "How do I turn my house into my  resort?" Let's look at those distinguishing characteristics again and see what can be done.

If you have a swimming pool, maybe all you need to do is add some potted plants to give it some greenery or get some outdoor furniture to make it more comfortable poolside. Did you notice how there were shaded areas around the resort pool? A shade sail can transform your pool area from a place where you go for a quick dip and then retreat to the shelter of your patio into a place where you want to spend the day relaxing as you did by the pool at your resort.

If you don't have a swimming pool, do you really need a pool big enough to accommodate a hundred resort guests? A plunge pool can fit neatly into even a small yard and is just as refreshing as the pool you enjoyed at your resort.

If a pool is not an option, then consider water features such as a waterfall, a fountain or a pond. There's a reason why water features are included in almost all good resorts: gently flowing water and tranquil ponds are soothing and relaxing. Isn't relaxation what you're looking for when you go to a resort?

Turning your bathroom or ensuite into a resort bathroom can be as simple and inexpensive as replacing your shower head with a new "waterfall" or "rainfall" shower head and perhaps buying some heated towel rails for an extra touch of luxury. On the other hand, your resort bathroom may have inspired you to do a complete bathroom renovation. If so, consider replacing your old bathtub with a spa bath and/or adding a skylight to your bathroom. Turning a bathroom or ensuite into a personal spa room is one of the most cost-effective ways to turn your home into a mini-resort there is.

Didn't you love having a private garden or balcony outside your resort room or bungalow? If your master bedroom is like an ordinary hotel room, with four walls and a window and a door, you can turn it into a private resort suite by opening it up to the outdoors. If your bedrom is on the ground floor and has a window facing the back yard, consider opening it up to the outdoors with French doors and creating a private garden enclosure. If it's upstairs, you can have a local carpenter add a deck or balcony. Either way, opening a bedroom to the outdoors can make an amazing difference.

These are just some of the things a resort stay can inspire you to do in your home. When you add up the cost of travel and accommodation and compare it to the cost of your renovations, you may be surprised to discover how economical turning your home into your personal resort can be.