As sleep remains an important aspect of guests’ experiences and the basis for hotel reviews, hotels have adapted to meet guest expectations. In recent years we have seen a significant shift in the way hotels view their beds.
Karen Goossens is the digital marketing manager for Furniture Row. The company owns its factory and provides Denver Mattress. Hoteliers and guests alike are striving to provide a more comfortable night of sleep. In today’s world of digital reviews, good nights are rewarded with great reviews.
The health benefits of superior bedding are also evident.
This is why guests, especially those who stay in hotels for a large number of nights each year, pay attention to quality. Sleep is one of the pillars you must have to control your weight, your stress and all other things. [are imbalanced for] David Wiles is vice president – hospitality at Tempur Sealy International. He noted that people who don’t sleep well can suffer from ill health. People are now spending more on mattresses. The people are doing more research about their mattresses and comparing if they slept better at home or at the hotel.
The hotels who invest in good sleeping systems are those that benefit the most from the consumers saying “Not only would I like to take the bed home, but when I go to these properties I sleep well.” This helps to increase repeat business.
It is difficult to choose the features of a mattress that promotes sound sleep, as “good sleep” is a very subjective matter. Wiles said that we each sleep in a different way, feel differently and have different aches. Hotels cannot accommodate the preferences of each sleeper, so they must focus on features in mattresses that are most comfortable for everyone. Tempur Sealy acquired Mattress Firm, the largest mattress retailer of the United States last year. This allows the company to monitor consumer trends and create mattresses that are tailored for them. Wiles said that with this information they can better understand the consumer’s needs and wants.
Gel-Infused memory foam
Wiles says that pre-compressed gel-infused memory is the best foam to use to satisfy the demands of the hospitality industry.
It offers a greater level of durability as well as a more consistent degree of comfort, compared to polyfoam. Wiles said that a standard polyfoam mattress may last three to five year, but hotels don’t like to replace their mattresses each five years.
The high density [of memory foam] The gel added to these foams gives them a 30 percent greater durability than polyfoams. This means that you will get the same feel in this product from day 1 to 10 years. Three foam pouring factories are owned by us.
We are a foam manufacturer and we have done countless R&D projects.
Chill Technology
In hot climates, cooling features are very useful for mattresses. Wiles said that cooling features are not necessary for many guestroom mattresses. The sweat is caused by the humidity around the body. Chill technology helps to wick away moisture.
This is a great benefit but you can negate it by adding a mattress topper, or an encasement. We and our competitors do not use any cooling technology in the hotel industry. I’d say about 70% of hotels don’t. “When I talk to clients about the products, I say that this is something I would remove and then spend money somewhere else within the bed.”
Open vs.
Pocketed Coil
As opposed to the open coil constructions of mattress springs, those with individually wrapped (pocketed) coils have become popular in both hospitality and domestic markets. Goossens stated that individually wrapped coils had been an important innovation. They contour to the human body and reduce pressure points. This allows guests to sleep comfortably even if they are sharing a bed.
Wiles said that Tempur Sealy clients use only open coils in their mattresses and that they report a similar level of guest satisfaction to those who have pocketed-coil mattress. He said that an open coil unit can provide a great sleeping experience, provided you use the right foam and build an inner spring which isn’t too bouncy. In my opinion, the difference is negligible, provided they are both built equal.
[in terms of quality]. Open coils were cheap back then. [cut corners] “They put more money into the coils and other products than they did in the pocketed coils.”
With both types of coil construction–and particularly with the heavier all-foam mattresses–hoteliers do well to consider local union requirements on product weight and the impact on housekeeping staff who have to lift the mattress.
Choose Value –
Goossens noted that even “economy and midscale hotels are investing now in upgraded bedding,” but these hotels are more focused on the value of money due to their limited budgets for amenities. She said that for her, “real value” means comfort and durability that lasts over time. Not just lower costs.
Denver Mattress Value Line, she added, is popular among hoteliers of these segments. Our Value Line provides hotels with quality sleep solutions within budgets.
Tempur Sealy offers value brands such as Sealy, Sherwood Bedding and Sherwood Bedding (the largest mattress producer in the United States).
The “entry level” mattresses are likely to have fewer coils, fewer handles and less plush fabric. Wiles said that “even on the entry-level, be it our Sealy economy line or Sherwood’s, we use many of the same materials throughout. This is mainly because this is where failures occur.” This ensures that the foundation for nighttime comfort, a critical aspect of guest satisfaction, is preserved.
