Sleep need not be just a necessity, it can be a luxurious experience too. A good night’s rest requires comfortable bedding that is pleasing to the eye as well as the touch, says Sapna Kulshrestha.
Hoteliers would agree that one of the most important elements of a guest’s comfort is the quality of bed. The prevailing concept is that a comfortable bed is one that is firm on the inside, but has a soft exterior.
Mattress thickness, coil count, pillow tops – all work together to make a quality bed. Further, RV Rao, executive housekeeper, Sahara Star, Mumbai, says: “Factors such as type of foam, number of layers, and whether a mattress has air chambers are equally important.”
As for sheets, although thread count is a key component (220 or more per square inch), experts say what’s more important is the fabric – pure Egyptian cotton always trumps a cotton-polyester blend.
The basic hotel guest bed consists of a box-spring also referred to as a bed base, of wooden or metal frame covered in cloth, containing springs which sit on the floor and act as a brace.
Parimal Agashe, deputy housekeeper, Novotel, Mumbai, says: “Spring box beds are the most preferred beds in hotels as they offer a high degree of support to the user.”
The box-spring is mostly the same size as the much softer mattress placed above. Working together, the frame, box-spring, and mattress, make up a hotel bed. It is also common to find a box-spring and mattress together mounted directly on castors standing on the floor.
While the standard height of the box spring remains 13-inches, the height of a mattress ranges from 6-to12 inches. Anil K Gopinath, all India marketing manager, Raha India, says: “The thickness of mattress depends upon the height of the bed base, as also on the look the interior designer wants to achieve.”
Some hotels such as Le Royal Meridien, opt for custom made bed frames. While some Mumbai guest beds are made of solid teak wood frames with ply in between, others, like The Park, Kolkata, prefer Burma teak wooden frames. Namrata Menon, executive housekeeper, Hyatt Regency, New Delhi says: “To complement our respective room styles the hotel’s new rooms feature bed frames made of veneer, while in the older rooms, the beds are made of wood.”
Furthermore, hotels as a sustainable approach are choosing alternative materials for bed frames. For example VITS Ecotel properties use eco-board for the base and back rest, while a few other hotels use wood from renewable sources for their furniture and beds.
As hotel room beds should not only make the guest feel at home but give an experience of luxury too, mattress selection becomes an important component to consider to achieve a quality level of sleep.
Most guests tend to prefer a moderately firm bed offering complete support to the spine. A small percentage prefer soft beds using an additional topper, or hard beds using a hard board, say hoteliers.
There are two types of mattresses used in hotels today – innerspring and pocket spring mattresses.
The innerspring mattresses are the most common type, constructed like a sandwich with insulating material and padding on both sides of a coil unit. The number of springs in a coil can range from 150-1000 (the standard being 250-300), depending upon the degree of firmness required.
The Sealy Posturepedic innerspring mattress is one of the most popular models on the market right now; other brands in use include Snoozer Posturepedic 10-inch mattress and ‘Slumberland’ mattresses.
Unlike innerspring, where coils are interconnected, the pocket spring mattresses have individual springs encased in a pocket which ensures that bed movement by one person does not disturb the companion.
As these are higher range mattresses, they are mostly used in premium category rooms. Raha pocket spring mattresses with UniCased Edge Design, and Springwel pocket spring mattresses, are some of the brands being used in Indian hotels.
Hollandia ‘Morpheus’ mattress, that is antimicrobial and hypoallergenic, is crafted from some of the world’s finest materials, including breathable Vita Talalay multi-layered latex and specially milled aloe vera fibres for a baby-soft feel.
The latest innovation by Simmons is the ‘HealthSmart’ Bed with a unique removable top to solve once and for all, the cleanliness issues for hotel beds.
Irrespective of the type, all good mattresses should also confirm to fire safety standards. While some manufacturers have introduced mattresses that do not produce toxic fumes, others have developed products that will not support direct flame. Additionally there should be ventilators on the sides of the mattress to ensure a fresh airflow into the coil unit.
The new-age foam mattresses as manufactured under a number of labels including the well known Tempura brand, is a NASA certified foam mattress that uses space age visco-elastic memory cell materials that are temperature sensitive, and will confirm to the individual sleeper. However, due to their high cost, they are definitely only for luxury properties.
Ramanuj Pathak, sales manager, western region, Springwel concurs: “These mattresses promise the sleeper a lack of pressure points often found in other mattresses, however, as they are quite expensive, their demand is limited to luxury suites of high-end hotel chains.”
The next important thing in a bed is selection of appropriate bed sheet fabric, bed covers, and pillows. Bed sheets may be made of different types of fabrics such as cotton, spandex, linen, or various blends of cotton and polyester, however, 100% cotton sheets remain the hot favorite in hospitality.
Companies providing quality linen for hospitality include Welspun, Bombay Dyeing, Professional Enterprise, and Portico, among others.
Deepak Prabhakar, director ProLinen, says: “As there has to be a balance between comfort and durability, we advise percale cotton sheets that are stronger, denser, and softer fabric. They are also the standard sheets being used by Oberoi Hotels in all their properties.”
Jayshree Sharma, executive housekeeper, Le Meridien, Mumbai, agrees: “The bed sheets we use are 300 thread count cotton percale weave sheets and long staple cotton is used, else, the sheets can soon have a pilling effect.”
For better mattress protection and comfort, housekeepers generally use both the fitted and flat sheet together.
Says Rao: “The fitted sheet has cotton spandex ends and full elastic to guarantee a snug fit on standard and pillow top mattresses, to keep it from slipping off the mattress while the bed is in use.”
On top of the flat sheet comes the bedspread, which can be a printed/woven sheet of fabric, or quilted with cotton/polyester batting. In some cases, the bedspread set comes with a decorative bed skirt that covers the box spring and legs of the bed.
However, in these days of minimalism, people prefer the less cluttered look. Arun Nawani, general manager, Grandeur Interior, says: “Even the beds are less fussy, with straight lines, no carvings or ornamentation, but with a combination of different textures.”
Therefore, bed spreads are fast being replaced with bed runners, considered the modern equivalent of the heavily quilted bedspreads. Another reason they are fast replacing bedcovers in high-end hotel properties is because the latter are bulky and need more storage space as well as maintenance, also, bed runners provide quicker turn-down service.
As Menon says: “We do not add any decorative cushions on the beds; instead, silk runners are placed on guest beds to add a special touch.”
In keeping with the minimalist style, the bedspreads too are tucked around the mattress, showing the platform of the bed. Similarly bed ruffles are being done away with for the ease of housekeeping and quick turn-around time.
Another element in fashion these days is the cashmere, chenille, or soft throw – a small blanket typically placed at the foot of the bed.
A properly chosen decorative throw or rug can impart a very novel and fresh feel to the sleeping area. Sharma says: “The concept of having a bed cover is now outdated and the bed throw has taken precedence, which should blend well with the upholstery colours used in the room.”
Blankets are the next important ingredient in providing a positive sleep experience. A good quality blanket snuggles around the body and creates a positive sense of well being.
Blankets made of wool, chenille, mink, or other materials that are soft-to-touch yet warm, are usually matched to the overall colour scheme and décor of the room. Additionally, linen comforters cover the top and sides of a mattress but not the bed pillows or entire box spring.
Mandar Karnik, marketing manager, Portico says: “Comforters for beds generally feature a 100% cotton cover for maximum breathability and comfort. Moreover, comforters with varied designs like florals, plaids, and stripes, can brighten and update any interior.” In some hotels, the comforter is a mixture of 70% down and 30% duck down feather, while others prefer 90”x 90” polyfil comforter or feather comforter.
Apart from all these features, nothing contributes more to a comfortable sleep than a good pillow. Raja Mustafi, executive housekeeper, The Park Kolkata, says: “A high-quality bed pillow creates perfect support for the head and neck, and comes in sizes corresponding with the bed size.”
Pillow sets are generally made using hypoallergenic materials and can be stuffed with polyfil, feather, micro fibre, or foam rubber. Usually, most hotels offer a combination of feather and synthetic pillows.
As theme plays a very important part in hospitality, decorative pillows are perfect accessories to complete the decor. Often, motifs used in the design elements are woven into the cushion fabric and sham pillows to enhance the richness of the bedding.
Various types of cushions include boudoir pillows, euro pillows, bolsters, and the latest addition – New York pillows. Boudoir pillows which are small rectangular decorative pillows, are also known as breakfast pillows, while the euro pillows are larger, square cushions that add an extra touch of class to the bedding and are mostly coordinated with bed runners.
Used primarily for décor, they are stuffed with inexpensive polyester fibrefill, feathers, down, or feather blend. Fabrics vary from lightweight to heavy upholstery material, while vintage euro shams are usually made out of cotton or linen.
Bolsters are usually placed at the head of bed and function as head or back support. The bolster is very compact, and not super soft, due to an oversize inner which helps keep it looking like an upholstered bed accessory rather than a floppy soft log cushion.
Agashe explains: “Bolsters and throw pillows are essentially an accessory. They add colour and life to an otherwise white set of bedding in the absence of a bed cover. They are also easier to store and require less effort and therefore man minutes to complete turn-down service.”
A recent addition is New York, which is the elongated cushion seen in high-end rooms. This cushion takes command of any bed where a strong statement is required. The New York is more suited to larger beds, and features a foam core inner which is wrapped in soft polyester that ensures it retain its shape. Bel-Air is a smaller version, but with the same quality inner.
By and large, the hottest trend in hospitality these days is to transform the sterile, cookie-cutter rooms into comfy homely spaces, as designers are again using the bed as the focal point to plan their selection of colours and fabrics.
As interior designer Mohan Bhopatkar adds: “The wow factor doesn’t necessarily come entirely from the fabric itself, but from what it adds to an architectural or art element of the room.”
Krsna Mehta, design director, Zeba, says: “Fabrics with big, bold patterns and bright colours, especially in bed coverings which provide large-sized visual palettes, are making a splash in interiors says.
Luxurious velvets, silks, satins, and sleek fabric continue to be in high demand as an accent feature, as also solids and textures that are in vogue in exciting colours like classic red, dandelion yellow, oranges, and purples, while traditional is making a comeback.” Sunil Kumar, executive housekeeper, Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, agrees: “Solid colours are a very popular choice because of how easily they can blend into room décor.”
Although whites are preferred in hotel linen as it ensures spotless cleanliness, bed sheets with prints and patterns are also being selectively used in certain categories of rooms such as suites, say hoteliers.
Mustafi says: “Though white sheets reflect the best standards, plain coloured bed sheets and pillowslips are used to match with the theme of guest rooms, especially in boutique hotels.”
Also, natural fibres that are recyclable and manufactured from green materials such as organic cotton and bamboo, as well as sustainable, solution-dyed fibres, are becoming important.
Vivetique is one of the renowned names in eco friendly beddings, while mattresses featuring soy-based foams, natural latex, and wool, are eco friendly too.
In fact, to stay ahead, hotels today are rolling out full-scale sleep initiatives. A host of new programmes to personalise beds is under way.
Starwood Westin hotel and resorts have developed their own signature bed system called the Heavenly Bed. Says Kumar: “The beds have custom-designed 12 ½ inch thick Simmons mattress with 900 individual coils and 250 to 300, 80/20 cotton blend, 40’s yarn count triple sheeting.”
Other hotels offer elaborate pillow menus, such as orthopaedic, bead, herb, and even bamboo pillows to choose from. Sahara Star offers long pillows to its guests in the suites including a do-it-yourself pillow.
The Park, Kolkata provides contour pillows while Le Meridien will soon introduce lavender pillows which will smell of the fragrance, thus inducing a good night’s sleep.
The hotel industry has realised that both business and leisure travellers covet a good rest, and a great bed is the best form of pampering.
What’s more, the concept that customers perceive the overall quality of the room that has a more luxurious bed, to be higher, is now filtering to lower-priced hotels too. This is clearly the first step in a new trend where hotels are beginning to view sleep not just as a necessity, but a luxury.
