Creating signature sleep expeirence
A combination of comfortable linen and some set sleep rituals can change the way a guest remembers the experience. Taronish Karkaria, Director of Rooms, Taj Lands End, Mumbai says, “A bedtime ritual can build the experience around sound sleep.” Factors such as correct mood lighting, a personalised pillow menu, various pillow types, turndown preferences, luxurious linen finish, and regular training to the housekeeping staff who make the beds contribute towards creating the perfect sleep experience. For instance, at Alila Diwa Goa, Akshay Dimri Executive Assistant Manager, reveals that they have created a special sleep experience for children, which includes separate amenities and bedtime story cards.
Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore eschews standardisation for customized beds. According to Sumender Kumar, Housekeeping, Manager, Hyatt Centric MG Road, Bangalore, they try and personalize every bed based on the profile, age, history and mood of each guest, using different runners, pillows, linen, towel-art, bedside amenities, etc. He says, “What helps us to be able to do this is genuine engagement with the guest and the observation of their likes and preferences. For instance, a child’s bed is made differently from a corporate guest, who prefers quality and perfection over decoration.”
The right bedding
Restful sleep experience is the cumulative effect of several factors, including the quality of the bedsheet, the mattresses and pillows. Quality linen adds to a positive experience, especially, Lumb adds, if they have a higher thread count. Having said that, imported mattresses from a foreign brand which claims ‘high quality’, does not mean that they are necessarily better. Manu Malhotra, Business Head – Snoozer Bedding Limited. says, “Sturdy beds and mattresses that have been proven to outlast the standard lifecycle of five to seven years should be considered like Snoozer, which are still being used at hotels all over India for 10 to 15 years.”
Hotels and resorts now offer pillow menus as a way to cater to individual needs and indulge their guests. On offer are offbeat options such as buckwheat pillows filled with buckwheat hulls, and aromatic pillows. The Oberoi, Mumbai offers a duck down pillow, while the Hilton Mumbai International Airport offers goose as well as mallard duck feather and down pillows. The Zuri Kumarakom, Kerala, Resort and Spa’s green bamboo fibre pillow is anti-bacterial and has a cooling effect. Taj Krishna, Hyderabad offers pillows with different herbs to quell headaches.
Ravi Mehta, Director of Rooms,Grand Hometel Hotel contends that when it comes to choosing mattresses, hotels can’t cater to one individual preference. A mattress designed for home use may not help them notch up high guest satisfaction scores. A mattress, then, should tick boxes such as comfort, plushness and support for the back. Also, while a hotel cannot customise a mattress for guests, they can add those personal touches.
The size and weight of the bed are the main aspects to be considered while buying a mattress, says Jain. The foam of the mattress should be responsive without being too soft, pocket springs should not creak or dig in when you lie down and the surface of the mattress should be even. Umamahesh Rao, Director of Housekeeping, The Westin Mumbai Garden City contends, “We have orthopaedic memory foam mattresses and hydraulic mechanic storages in the bed to the thread count of bed linen. Our Heavenly Bed experience ensures that our guests become our patrons.”
Quality sheets are a necessity rather than a luxury. A 100% cotton bedsheet is the most popular choice owing to its soft and natural feel. But cotton/polyblends are a hit too, as they are more durable, less prone to wrinkling, and less expensive.
Hotels are engineering a better night’s sleep. When it comes to a hotel’s ability to woo new guests and wow them to the point that they simply must return, the quality of the bed is just the beginning, but a very crucial beginning.
