Hotel beds enjoy a stellar reputation for being immensely comfortable. Let’s face it: who doesn’t look forward to sleeping in one when they go on holiday or even when they’re just travelling because of work? There’s something about the mattresses that makes the beds extra cosy and allows them to get a night of refreshing sleep. This post looks at why hotel beds are so comfortable and what the hotels do to make sure their guests sleep well when they visit the hotel.
Why are hotel beds so comfortable?
The mattress is the most important part of the bed, and hotels will invest a lot in equipping their beds with good-quality mattresses. This is why hotel beds feel more comfortable than standard beds, but there are several others. Below are some of the main ones:
Hotels study comfort
Hotels study the sleep experience a lot so they can improve comfort for guests as much as possible. If a guest has a bad experience at their hotel, it can damage business, especially if the guest leaves a negative review and the guest won’t come back.
Hotels will collect feedback and test mattresses, finding out what works and what doesn’t, and apply what they’ve learned from the research to make their beds and the guests’ overall stay as comfortable as possible.
Hotel beds are made differently from domestic beds
Since hotel beds are “contract beds” and are subject to much heavier usage, they must meet specific standards, including fire safety standards and standards for withstanding frequent use.
Amongst other things, the beds are tested to gauge their ability to cope with people sitting on the edge of the bed, someone falling or sitting heavily on the bed, someone lifting or moving the bed, someone moving around in their sleep, and the bed falling from a height of 300 mm. The hotels themselves can then be confident they’re providing their guests with a high-quality, comfortable bed.
Hotels regularly turn the mattresses.
A good hotel will turn the mattress regularly unless it’s a new mattress and doesn’t need them to turn it. Even then, the hotel will still likely turn it. This is because turning a mattress helps keep it in condition for longer and prevents bumps and dips from developing due to regular use.
Hotels use mattress toppers and comforters.
Since hotels want their beds to be as comfortable as possible for the guests, many establishments add a mattress topper to the mattress. Not only does this ramp up the comfort, but it also helps to protect the mattress so that it serves its purpose for longer.
Choice of pillow firmness
When it comes to comfort, however, hotels don’t just stop at the mattress. Some hotels lay on the VIP treatment and offer their guests a choice of pillows. The correct pillow firmness can help align the spine and enable the guest to cope with any aches and pains. Often, we don’t think about replacing our pillows at home, whereas in the hotel industry, this is something they consider (and do) regularly.
Looking after the mattresses
No hotel wants a bad online review. As well as trying to find the best mattresses possible, hotels will keep a careful eye on their mattresses and do their best to take care of them.
Replacing hotel mattresses
A good hotel with high occupancy stats will try to replace its mattresses every three to five years, whereas a hotel trying to stretch its money as far as possible may replace mattresses as late as every ten years. Even the best mattresses will start to develop bumps and dips as they approach double digits, making it time for a replacement anyway.
Maintenance policy
Good hotels will have a maintenance policy under which they’ll clean, flip and rotate mattresses at least twice a year. If they spot that a mattress is torn or soiled in some way, they’ll get rid of the mattress. Of course, not all hotels do this. Some will try to hide the mattress’s defects, so it pays to check out your mattress when you arrive at your hotel room.
Recycling mattresses
“What happens to the old mattresses?” you might be asking. Some hotels, such as Hilton Hotels, will send them to a recycling centre. The centre will then strip down the mattress to make other products. This diverts the mattress from contributing to the less eco-friendly option of landfill.
Foam, fibre and other soft materials from the mattress can go towards carpet padding, insulation, pillow stuffing and furniture upholstery stuffing. Metals and box springs can go to use for tools, car parts and building materials. The wood from the beds can be recycled to make flooring, compost or mulch.
Mattresses in five-star hotels
Naturally, five-star hotels endeavour to serve up a five-star experience. That includes offering the most luxurious beds possible for guests to indulge in the five-star treatment. Below are some examples of how some of the big hotel chains spoil their guests mattress-wise:
Hilton
Hilton Hotels, one of the world’s most famous hotel chains, if not the world’s most renowned, spoils its VIP guests with the “Serenity Bed.” The chain had this bed specially designed for its hotels, and the extra coil support and internal design of the mattress protect it from mattress breakdown.
Doubletree by Hilton
Hilton’s Doubletree may be famous for greeting guests with a cookie when they arrive, but the hotels also have their unique “Sweet Dreams” mattress. The mattresses have a movement-reducing foundation so that slipping around during the night isn’t a concern, and you can sleep soundly.
Fairmont
Fairmont is an old hand in the hotel world, but they’re still somewhat wet behind the ears when it comes to the mattress game. The Fairmont Bed — for which the company charges a starting price of $1,950 ( approximately £1,466) — goes all out, though. The mattress includes cooling technology, core support, memory foam and a plush pillow top. It’s one luxurious mattress.
Four Seasons
Just like the hotel experience, a Four Seasons mattress is a lavish affair. The mattress, which starts at $1,949 ( approximately £1,465), aims to balance comfort, support, and temperature management. The mattress offers three different firmness levels, although the chain sets each bed with its Signature topper for the firmest support while still providing immense comfort at the same time.
The Savoy (London)
The Savoy is renowned for being one of the best hotels in the world. When life’s demands leave you craving calm remedy from commonplace pressures, a refreshing night’s sleep on a Savoir mattress is second to none.
The Savoy, amongst other world’s finest hotels, use Savoir mattresses. Every Savoir bed contains the finest, chemical-free natural materials, from long, curled Latin American horsetail to Mongolian cashmere and British lamb’s wool. Each is designed to provide the perfect sleeping environment.
How to sleep better in a hotel
Some have suggested that it’s not just about the mattresses but also about the conditions hotels create for the guest to be comfortable in their room. If you’re one of the people who finds it hard(er) to sleep in a hotel, follow the tips below so you can sleep better next time you check-in:
Do some research
When you choose accommodation, often you don’t just pick the first hotel you see. You browse the amenities to know whether you’ll have a good stay there. High-end hotels sometimes describe their beds to convey the hotel’s luxury (and the experience of staying there). Please find out about the beds themselves. Do they sound comfortable?
Check the mattress
Don’t assume that because you’re sleeping in a hotel, you will be sleeping on an excellent, comfortable mattress. It would be best if you learned to spot a bad mattress. Check the stitching and see if it’s consistent or torn or if the mattress is dirty. How thick is the padding on the top of the mattress — Is it thin to make it look nice, or is it thick enough to make a difference?
Sit on the end of the bed, too. How does it feel? If it feels like you’re going to fall off, this should give you an idea of the mattress’s general quality and how well you’re (not) going to sleep on it.
Make some adjustments to your room.
Some people sleep better in a hotel because they’re away from distractions. There’s no disturbance from pets. There are no thoughts of taking out the rubbish or what might happen at work (unless you’re travelling for work). Still… you might sleep better if you make minor adjustments to your hotel room.
If you have space for your pillow in your luggage, bring it so that you feel not only comfortable but also as if you’re a little more at home. Turn down the air conditioning a few degrees, too, so that you’re not feeling cold. Hotel rooms sometimes have bright LEDs, so why not cover them with packing tape?
How to achieve the luxurious hotel bed feel at home
Hotel beds are terrific to sleep in, but that doesn’t mean you can only experience that comfort level in a hotel. You can recreate the sensation in your home. Follow the tips below on how to give yourself the five-star treatment when it comes to your bed:
Invest in a better mattress
If you want to get luxurious, then you’ve got to have a good mattress. The mattress lays the foundation for a comfortable bed. Hotels understand this, so they invest much money in their mattresses. If you’ve been using the same mattress for more than seven years, then the chances are it’s time to buy a new one. Tossing and turning on a mattress all night and waking up aching is hardly what you’d call a luxury experience!
Add lots of pillows.
In a hotel, you don’t just get one or two pillows; you get a host of them! That feeling of sinking your head in between them is gorgeous. If you’re sleeping on a double or king-size bed, choose four or five pillows. You can easily stand a couple up to create that decorative feel. Often, hotels include a down or a down/feather pillow amongst the pillows, so make sure you have one on your bed, too.
Buy good sheets
How much easier do you sleep between clean, crisp sheets, right? Hotels know this, and they don’t use a standard fitted sheet on their beds. Instead, they often provide a flat sheet, tucking it into the mattress using hospital corners, and then lay another sheet underneath the duvet or the comforter. This saves the cleaning staff time, allows the hotel to stock the same sheets, and, in the bargain, keeps the beds tidy.
Hotels typically use Egyptian or Pima cotton, which has a 300-thread count. Three hundred is high enough to achieve that luxury you desire. Anything higher isn’t essential. Note that you get what you pay for when buying bed sheets. If you think you should splash out more to achieve the luxury feel, it’s okay.
Use white sheets
Choose white linen. Hotels go for white linen because it adds a sense of coolness and crispness to the room. The room feels fresh and new. Ensure that the rest of your bedroom doesn’t feel too cool and uninviting, however. Warm it up by placing some cosy accents around it.
Final thoughts on the comfort of hotel mattresses
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that hotel beds are so comfortable. After all, a large part of the hotel’s reputation and success depends on whether guests enjoy a comfortable stay. Harsh mattresses that leave them sore and aching won’t persuade the guests to return and stay anytime soon, if at all.
Hotels go to a lot of effort to make their beds ultra-comfortable. Some hotel beds are so comfortable that the hotels have their mattresses, which they sell to the public for use at home. You don’t necessarily have to stay at a hotel or buy a mattress from a hotel chain, though. You can forge an equally relaxing experience by observing how the hotels create comfort for their guests and then recreating it in your bedroom.
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