See if this sounds familiar to you: You’re away from home, whether for business or pleasure, and you’re staying in a hotel room that’s beautifully decorated. The room’s appointments are lovely in every way, but it’s the bed that is clearly the centerpiece. It is inviting to look at, and once you settle in for the night you are astounded by the sense of comfort and luxury that envelops you once you crawl under the covers. This is true in almost every luxury level hotel room. Is it magic? Is the answer all about an incredibly expensive mattress? Or is there some kind of formula that can be replicated in your own home to provide the same kind of experience?
As it turns out, there’s no mystery to creating a comfortable bed. Though there is no question that having a high-quality mattress can make a very big difference, and every mattress should be replaced every several years in order to ensure that you are getting the appropriate level of support and comfort, there are things that you can do for yourself to give your bed that same vacation-level of luxury that you find in brand name hotels.
The Mattress
There’s no doubt that your mattress is going to make a very big difference. Seven out of ten industry experts will tell you that if you want a better night of sleep, start with a brand new mattress. But if you want to show a little bit of restraint, you can take the time to ask yourself how old your mattress is and whether you’re waking up with any kind of aches and pains. If your mattress is more than eight years old, or the answer is yes, then a new mattress may be in order. The high-end mattresses that are being used in luxury hotels are often for sale, so if you are having trouble with your mattress at home and find yourself loving a hotel sleep experience, don’t be shy about asking at the front desk whether the mattress is for sale.
Sheets and Blankets
A big part of the comfort of a hotel room bed comes from the material that the sheets and blankets are made of. Look for 100 percent cotton, and to access the secret that many hotels use in making their beds, buy an extra flat sheet and put it between the fitted sheet and the top sheet. According to the senior vice president and global brand leader for Westin Hotels and Resorts, “We discovered that adding an extra layer better allows people to regulate their body temperature.”
Pillows
A lot of people think of pillows as being unimportant additions. They make the mistake of using the same pillows they’ve been sleeping with for years, when the truth is that the quality of your pillow can make an enormous difference. Look at luxe pillows that are made of Japanese igusa grass or buckwheat hulls to make your sleep experience as good as it can possibly be.
