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The situation may be glorious, the cuisine divine, the service immaculate: but from the hotel guest’s perspective, all the five-star trimmings in the world won’t make up for a lumpy mattress. Sleep, then, is the primary selling point of any hotel – the single aspect upon which the entire guest experience hinges.

As with anything else of value, there are no shortcuts in providing a good night’s slumber. The investment begins, of course, with specifying a mattress. Among the most highly regarded supplier for the hospitality industry world-wide is Simmons Hospitality. A firm (or not-so-firm, if required) favourite among guests is Simmons’ ‘Beautyrest Signature’ collection, which boasts such sleep-enhancing features as pocketed coil springs to reduce motion transfer, edge support coils to maintain outer firmness, and a unique ‘Triton’ foundation that can bear loads of up to a thousand pounds.

As well as being comfortable and utterly durable, Simmons’ top-of-the-line mattress can also be more conveniently cleaned with the addition of the brand’s innovative new ‘HealthSmart’ mattress cover system. Consisting of a thick, cosy pad, ‘HealthSmart’ is composed of a blend of fabrics that wick away sweat and moisture whilst trapping other fluids and particles. Importantly, ‘HealthSmart’ can be easily removed and laundered using a large front-loading washing machine (or alternatively dry-cleaned), resulting in a mattress top that is always crisp, fresh and inviting. As an additional benefit, ‘HealthSmart’ will also reduce surface wear on the mattress itself, considerably enhancing the useful life of a major guestroom furnishing.

The pillows that go on top are nearly as fundamental as the mattress itself. Suppliers like Germany’s Hanse offer a bewildering array of contour, orthopedic, and even aloe vera-treated models that are valuable options to keep on hand for guests with exceptional sleeping needs. But for the average guest, the ideal place to lay one’s head is simply a reasonably soft, reasonably springy, not overlarge ‘regular’ pillow. A fine example is Hanse’s ‘3 Chamber’ model. Measuring 50x70cm, it consists of an outer layer of 233 thread-count 100 percent cotton, an inner of poly-cotton, and successive fillings of new white goose feather and new white goose down.

A similarly effective ‘all-round’ medium firmness pillow is the ‘Touch of Down’ by Pacific Coast Feather Company. Available in 20x28 or 20x36-inch sizes, this features an outer cover of 230 thread-count 100 percent cotton with ‘BarrierWeave’ for extra durability, and inside, a ‘pillow-in-a-pillow’ structure of a firm inner feather core surrounded by soft down.

Sensation is the final, telling touch for the fine hotel bed: the look and feel of beautifully designed, painstakingly crafted bedlinen not only eases one into sleep, but is also one of those small details that tends to leave a lasting impression of an establishment’s quality. On that score, guests are unlikely to be disappointed by the latest offerings from Anichini. New additions to their current catalogue include the superb ‘Ara Stripe’, a quarter-inch, tone-on-tone 300 thread-count sateen. The eye-catching ‘Palladio’, meanwhile, is a 200 thread-count percale with a simple design featuring attractive narrow cord borders.

Frette have introduced Claudia, with new stylish patterns in cotton satin.  The Claudia designs go beyond the usual stripes and checkers, with new weaves for linen. Light gauzes and textured mixes, contribute to this new look, as well as new options in higher thread count (up to 600 t.c.) and additional colours for sheeting beyond white.

Their new Fiandra Bedlinens are 500 thread count Egyptian cotton yarn-dyed jacquard satin in a variety of classical and geometric patterns with a range of soft pastel colours creating beds unlike any other for comfort and look.

The choices are endless – but ultimately, nothing is ‘right’ in any hotel until the bedding is.

It’s a decision worth sleeping on.
 

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