What actually is a five-star hotel bed? I remember an episode of Oprah a long time ago in which she asks Julia Roberts about her secret to a perfect night’s sleep. Julia’s answer is quick and simple “A Four Seasons bed”. Oprah: “But what is the secret?” “Is it the sheets or the bed?”. They both agree “It’s the combination”. Most of us define a night in a five-star hotel bed as the ultimate sleeping experience. A bed so comfortable that you do not want to get out of it. And rightly so, because these beds are a category of their own. So what is the secret? The truth is that it is not just the sheets or the bed on their own. The main reason guests prefer one hotel over another is the bed, especially among business travellers. That is why the bed had better be fantastic. Every layer of these beds is thicker, softer and more memorable. If you want to create this unrivalled night’s sleep at home too, keep reading.
Get an oversized bed
The first thing you notice in luxury hotel rooms is the bed. Bam, there it is, a super king-size bed with an extra thick mattress of 25 or even 30 cm. You do not step into these beds. No, you have to take a little hop to get in. Which of course we do with a certain elegance. On top of this extra thick mattress you will find a super soft feather and down mattress topper, which forms an extra layer of supportive comfort. The duvet is extra wide so that it can be tucked under the mattress and of course there is also the astonishing number of pillows for an ultra lavish result.
The pillow menu, please
When we say “less is more”, we are not talking about pillows. A hotel bed is equipped as standard with two to four down pillows and two microfibre pillows, supplemented with two body or reading pillows. But it does not stop there. Hotel pillows are wider, as standard 90cm or even 100 cm. These pillows not only look better and more lavish, as they take up the full width of the bed. They are also more comfortable and offer support where it is really needed, thanks to the smaller height of 50 cm. The distribution of the filling in pillows measuring 50x90 or 50x100 cm makes sure your neck is supported in the right place. To be honest, I gave up standard-size pillows a long time ago. Think about it, your head only covers a small part of the surface. You do not need all that space in height. But the length cannot be long enough. When I turn over, I want my pillow to still be there in all its restful glory.
Why sleep when you can float
Have you ever heard anyone say, “this bed is too cosy”? A high-quality mattress in your hotel room is essential for a good night’s sleep, but even the best mattress can still be upgraded. To make the guest’s sleeping experience even more memorable, the featherbed as a top layer is the icing on the cake. The authentic hotel bed experience. If you are interested in such an upgrade, you can read another blog I wrote about featherbeds here and here .
Heavenly white
White is by far the most used colour for hotel linen and bed linen. It not only looks fresh and clean, it also makes sure the bed gets all the attention. As if it invites you to forget that you were going to explore the city and instead have to jump in to wallow in the sheets that invite you to dream. Does that sound familiar?
Crisp sheets
Oh yes, those crisp, fresh sheets every day. Every day housekeeping makes them up perfectly and you get a little chocolate, which makes you completely forget your keto diet. This is so easy to recreate in your own bedroom. Just treat yourself to sheets of 100% woven percale cotton, with a high thread count. Woven percale cotton gives that crisp feeling and a high thread count makes the fabric feel soft and subtle on the skin. If you are someone who strives for absolute perfection, go for Egyptian cotton with a thread count of at least 300TC.
Soft down
For that ultra-soft, truly heavenly feeling of a hotel bed, a duvet in extra soft down (or an alternative to down) is an absolute must. Duvets of 100% down are the lightest and airiest but still keep you comfortably warm. Look for a tuck-in strip that is about 5 cm wider and longer than your duvet for an extra fluffy result.
