By Elizabeth Millard

Business travel can be stellar for negotiating contracts, meeting clients face-to-face, and expanding a network, but sometimes it can begin to feel a little vanilla in terms of personal experience. Because no matter how lavishly a hotel room might be decorated, it's still only a temporary stop and often devoid of any personal characteristics.

Here's how to make your next hotel stay feel more like an extension of your home:

Photos on the nightstand
Many people like to wake up to the smiling faces of spouses and children, and being on the road is no different. To truly feel at home, buy a small, travel-ready set of folding frames and insert photos of your choosing. Then use the same photos by your bed at home as you do on the road. This will give a sense of continuity between the two spots.

Kid art as decoration
The hotel room may have striking art that's dynamic or thought provoking, but nothing really beats the watercolor done by your 4 year-old. Before leaving, ask your child to create a piece of artwork especially for the trip, and direct the child to put it in a manila envelope that you don't open until you arrive at your destination. Not only does this create a fun project for your children, but it also gives them a sense of being a part of your business trip and emphasizes how much a parent wants to stay connected. Once in the room, pop open the envelope and set up the art in several visible spots.

Scented eyepillow
Many studies have found that scent evokes memories and feelings faster than sight or taste. When combined with a trusty eyepillow that can help you fall asleep in a new location, the two pair nicely. Just lightly spritz the eyepillow with a spouse's favorite perfume or cologne, and you are your thoughts instantly transport. This way, home is just a few deep inhalations away, and so is dreamtime.

Keep up solid habits
There are certain habits that can be done every day—a half hour of yoga, perhaps, or running on the treadmill, which can transfer over to hotel life. But some travelers go beyond performing just a couple of exercise-related activities in order to truly bask in their habits which may include eating at the same restaurants during each return to a city. The same can be done for a hotel room by giving yourself a half hour or so to "settle in" to your new home-away-from-home—set up photographs and kid art, put clothes away, arrange toiletries and maybe order the same meal from room service as always.

Employ the laptop
To stay connected to home, set a certain time in the evening when you know all work and business dinners will be done, but when the kids won't be in bed yet, then "schedule" a videoconference session to hear about the day's events. If the time difference doesn't allow for such a bedtime chat, then tweak the hour so you can talk in the morning or just when a spouse or the kids are getting home. Connecting visually is usually much more satisfying than just a phone call, and since your hotel is likely to have high-speed, secure broadband from iPass, why not take advantage of that speedy connection?

Family blog
The computer can also be employed to keep a family-run blog while you're gone. You can set it up so that everyone has access to a site that's easy to update. Whenever there's a free moment in your hotel room, you can check soccer game scores, your spouse's latest work triumph and even the dog's recent adventures. Although some people might feel like "nothing happened" during the day, it's the small details of life that make up a sense of home—a loose tooth, the dog stealing everyone's pizza, the dishwasher overflowing again. Staying updated feels like being home, and a hotel room won't seem so remote anymore; you’ll be only a few quick clicks and stops before heading back to fix that dishwasher and thanking your new budding artist for a job well done.