One of the very best things about traveling is those lovely comfortable hotel beds that we can sink into each night, and have a truly blissful sleep experience. I’m not talking about budget travel, where you might end up sleeping on a thin mattress on a rickety bunk. I’m talking about four or five-star hotels, where you pay a high price for the absolute peak of comfort.
At the end of a long day of work, travel, or simply having fun on the beach or exploring a brand new city, what a pleasure it is to slip into your hotel bed. You anticipate that deep and satisfying sleep that only seems to come from sleeping on a first-class bed. Soon, you are heading off into the land of dream, and in the morning, you wake up totally refreshed, having had one of the best nights sleep of your life.
But have you ever wondered exactly what it is that makes those hotel beds so exquisitely comfortable? After all, you’d think that if you are away from your home, in an unfamiliar place, and maybe even in a different time zone or climate from the one that your body clock is used to, it would mean that you would experience a very difficult night’s sleep. But time after time, on my travels around the globe, I have marveled at the wonderful night’s sleep I’ve had in a perfectly delightful bed that seems to have been especially designed for my sleeping preferences.
So what is it that makes for this magical hotel sleeping experience? After all, it doesn’t really make too much sense that a bed chosen by a hotel to accommodate the needs of many different strangers of all shapes, sizes, and weights would be so very comfortable every time.
Here Are the 10 Reasons Why Are Hotel Mattresses Feel So Comfortable
1. Hotels buy top-quality mattresses.
It’s the mattress that makes a bed feel comfortable, although, of course, a very good supportive frame is essential too. Because hotel mattresses are subject to a lot of heavy use, hotels don’t skimp on buying the best, because the better the quality of mattress, the longer life it is going to offer the user.
Top-rated hotels know that a good sleep experience is one of the things that experienced travelers look for when they are booking a vacation or holiday trip. You only have to look at hotel reviews on any travel site to realize that after noise and a lack of cleanliness in rooms and public areas, uncomfortable beds are one of the top things that travelers complain about. No one wants a bad review, so bed comfort comes high on the list of housekeeping requirements for those classy hotels that we all love to visit.
Large chains are in a position to buy the very best, and of course, they can negotiate great prices as they buy hundreds, if not thousands of mattresses each year. So you are very likely to experience a mattress that is a great deal more expensive than you are prepared to pay for your mattress at home. Yet feel the difference! Isn’t it worth it?
2. Hybrid Mattresses Are The Choice For Hotels
Hotels buy hybrid mattresses that use a combination of springs and memory foam to provide maximum support combined with pampering softness. It’s almost like an iron hand in a velvet glove! Your first impression when you kick off your shoes and fling yourself down on your hotel is cossetting comfort. This comes from the memory foam that immediately shapes itself to fit the contours of your body.
But beneath that soothing softness is usually a robust sprung interior that supports you gently but firmly. Sprung mattresses use a series of independently suspended springs that respond to the weight of your body as you move in your sleep. Springs combined with memory foam allow for excellent ventilation so that you feel neither too hot nor too cold. (As many people will be using that mattress, good ventilation is very important for hygiene.
Ordinary memory foam can get rather hot, so the top-quality foam that you will experience in your hotel will contain perforated foam or gell beads that work to regulate air circulation and temperature.
The combination is so comfortable that you will have a wonderful sleep experience. Most hotels select a medium-firm mattress, as this tends to suit the majority of guests. Rather like Goldilocks, the bed is neither too hard, or too soft; it’s just right!
3. Hotel Mattresses Are Well Maintained
The housekeeping staff in top hotels are trained to inspect mattresses every time the bedding is changed – and this may well be daily. They also turn mattresses regularly to ensure that wear takes place evenly across the whole surface. Mattresses are also vacuum cleaned and sprayed with anti-bacterial spray on a regular basis, making sure that the mattress is both comfortable and perfectly hygienic.
Looking after a mattress not only extends its life, but it ensures that the guest has the very best of comfortable sleep experiences every visit. Mattresses that are well maintained perform better and last a lot longer.
4. Great Sleep Hygiene.
In order to get a good night’s sleep, it’s important that everything in the environment is just right. Hotels generally have air conditioning or heating that you can control to get the exact temperature that you like. Curtains are specially designed to block out light, and are often several layers thick. Windows are double or even triple-glazed to prevent noise pollution – especially important at airport hotels. Lighting is adaptable, so you can get exactly the lighting level that you need.
Even little things like the ability to set a wake-up call from the front desk mean that you aren’t tossing and turning, worrying that you will wake up in time. You can relax and sleep, knowing that you won’t oversleep.
It’s true that just about all hotels have a TV in the bedroom, but if you want a good night’s sleep, it’s a good idea not to watch TV in bed. On the other hand, it can be soothing for some people to drop off to sleep with the soft chatter of their favorite TV station in the background.
5. Hotel Mattresses Are Well Supported
Hotel beds generally have three elements :
- #A top quality foam mattress topper for softness and immediate comfort
- #An interior sprung medium support mattress that offers the correct level of support for the sleeper
- #A box spring base for additional structural support and also to raise the bed up a little higher than the average domestic bed.
The box spring base may seem as if it isn’t really doing anything, but it is much superior to the classic wooden frame. It helps distribute the sleeper’s weight evenly, and allows the mattress springs to work independently and correctly. Having a higher bed can make it easier to get in and out, and it also gives an appearance of luxury and comfort.
6. Wonderful Luxurious Bedding
Oh, the lovely feeling of slipping into a bed with cool, crisp, 300 count cotton sheets, crisply laundered and smelling sweet. The dreaminess of soft pillows, as many as you need, supporting your neck in exactly the right position whether you are reading in bed, watching tv, or settling down to sleep for the night. The pleasure of a huge fluffy comforter to snuggle up in on a cool night. Yes, lovely bedding is a big part of the comfort and luxury of a beautiful hotel sleeping experience.
Good hotels pay a great deal of attention to their bedding, and usually will change sheets automatically every day if you want – although environmental issues tend to make us feel that these days this isn’t such a smart idea. Really good hotels even provide a fluffy toweling robe and slippers, so you can lounge on your bed and watch TV before you actually slip between the sheets.
Sheets and pillow slips in hotels are generally white, which gives a feeling of cleanliness, and comforters and blankets come in neutral colors that are sophisticated and soothing. It all goes to create a pleasant and encouraging sleep environment.
7. Supersize Me!
Hotel beds tend to be a lot bigger than you really need. If there are two beds in a room, they will generally be Queen Sized. Single beds designed for two people will be King Size or even the giant California King Size.
I remember checking into a hotel quite late in the afternoon with my sister-in-law. We had been walking the pilgrimage route in Spain, the Camino de Santiago, and the long day’s walk had extended into the early evening. When we finally reached our hotel, we found that there had been a mix-up with our booking.
Full of apologies, the hotel staff explained that they only had a room with a single bed that we would have to share. This was no problem for us, and we are sisters after all. We were so tired after our long day of walking that we were just ready to eat something and crash into bed. We would have slept on the floor. When we were shown our room, honestly, the bed was so large and comfortable, with what seemed like an acre of crispy white sheets and soft as a feather pillow, that we had no problem with the idea of sharing it. We each had a wonderful bed space of our own, and had one of the best night’s sleep of our lives.
Not only beds, but bed linen; comforters, blankets, and pillows also tend to be oversized in hotels to give that special luxury feeling. Both longer and wider, so that even if you are sleeping in a double bed, there is no fighting over the blankets! Beautiful bedding enhances a top-quality mattress.
8. Going To Bed Tired
When we are traveling and staying in a hotel, it’s very likely that we are going to bed really tired. We have had all the stress of travel, we have been in a long and difficult business meeting. Maybe we have spent the day in activities outside – swimming, walking, bicycling, skiing, fishing, bird watching – there is no end of good things to do that keep us more active than we might be on an ordinary day. Or perhaps we have just lounged on the beach and then danced the night away.
However, we have spent our day, it’s very likely that we hit that hotel mattress feeling pretty tired. At home, we tend to be rather slaves to routine in our sleeping habits, and sometimes we go to bed just because it’s bedtime – not because we really need to sleep. On those nights, a less-than-comfortable mattress will have us tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. Or perhaps we are worried about the day that has just passed, or the day that is to come, and sleep can be very elusive.
A comfortable mattress, with the correct support, a soft mattress topper, beautiful bed linen, and good ventilation, the kind of mattress you experience in a first-class hotel, plus being prepared and ready for sleep, is the guarantee of a night of good quality sleep and pleasant dreams.
9. Room Aesthetics
It’s no coincidence that hotel rooms are often described as looking rather bland. When it comes to bedroom décor, bland is best. Soothing neutral colors, luxurious fabrics, soft, deep carpets, pleasant pictures of flowers, seascapes, woodland, and the like, and a minimum of fussy detail put the traveler into a restful mood.
At home, in our sleeping quarters, we tend to surround ourselves with clutter. The pile of books we intend to read. The TV, our tablet or laptop, our e-reader, and more cluster around the room, providing a distraction. We may have chosen bright and vivid colors, lively patterns, and startling pictures for the décor of our bedroom, none of which are really ideal for creating a restful atmosphere.
Hotels have this exactly right – the bedroom should be a place of rest and sleep – and that is why not only having a sumptuous mattress, the best that you can possibly afford, but ensuring that it is placed in an environment that makes you feel ready and able to relax, to get away from the cares of the day, and to sleep sweetly every night.
Most large hotel chains have sleep consultants to help them design their bedrooms. They may even use feng shui with its emphasis on balancing energy. You can find information on feng shui online, and doing it yourself might improve your bedroom environment.
10. Change Your Mattress Regularly
Hotels naturally have a very fast turnover of mattresses, as it is important for them to maintain a top-quality sleep experience for their guests.
Domestic users are not likely to change their mattress quite as often, but generally, you should think about changing your mattress every six years or so.
So, which are the best mattress brands to choose? Here we review some of the mattresses that are regularly selected by high-end hotels to please their guests – we think they will please you too.
3 Best Hotel Bed Mattresses in 2022
1. The Saatva Classic – Most Comfortable Hotel Mattress
This is one of the best comfortable hotel mattresses in 2022. Saatva was one of the first companies to sell interior sprung mattresses online, and the company has an excellent reputation for both quality and value.
Made in the USA, it comes in three different versions, depending on the firmness that you want from your mattress. You can choose from Firm, Luxury Firm, and Plush Soft. The Saatva Classic is made from the best materials, with a soft and dreamy mattress Eurotop mattress topper for immediate ease and comfort. Two layers of independent pocketed coils ensure excellent support whatever your body type.
The cover of this mattress is high-quality organic cotton that many people prefer for its natural anti-allergenic properties and coolness. The Saatva Classic comes in an elegant off-white color that enhances the look of your pale-colored bed linens.
It comes with a 180 day trial period, so you can make sure that the mattress you have invested in is exactly right for you. It also carries a fifteen-year warranty so that you can sleep at night!
The Saatva Classic enjoys the reputation of offering the best value for money on the market, and for the consumer, it does set the standard that other mattresses have to match up to.
2. The Idle Sleep Hybrid
This is an extremely popular hotel mattress with a very sophisticated construction. It has some unique features that make it the mattress of choice for many four and five-star hotels and luxury resorts.
This mattress can be flipped over so that you have even wear on both sides. That is quite a plus for a mattress that can work out rather on the expensive side.
The Idle Sleep Hybrid has seven layers. The top and bottom layers are clouded soft foam for immediate comfort. The second and sixth layers are layers of airflow foam for cooling and temperature control. The third and fifth layers consist of a so-called Transition layer of foam especially designed for cushioning and support of the body, and finally, the fourth and central layer consists of pocket springs for support and balance.
There is a choice of two support levels – the medium and the luxury firm. How soft the bed feels will depend on your weight; the heavier you are, the more you will sink into this mattress. Whichever one you choose, you will find that it feels pretty soft, but that it still supports you and doesn’t leave you stuck in a hollow, finding it difficult to turn over at night.
If you sleep on your side, the medium version might be the best choice for you, as the firmer version might be more difficult to match with the contours of your body. For those who sleep on their back or their front, then the luxury firm option is a good choice if you or your partner are tall or heavy.
Incidentally, if you are choosing a bed for two, you need to make sure that it has firmness and support all the way to the edge. Cheaper beds can fall down in this area. The Idle Hybrid scores well in this feature, and although the coils mean that you may feel your partner moving around at night, the movement transfer is not really excessive.
Although this bed is designed to keep you cool, it doesn’t have any active cooling elements as such. Most people find that it is simply comfortable, and that the mattress doesn’t heat them up excessively.
As this mattress offers free returns, and a hefty eighteen-month trial period, you should really have no hesitation about giving it a try. Although it is a bit on the pricey side, if you check around you can usually find some good discounts and offers, that each the price pain a little!
3. The Bear Hybrid
This attractive mattress is a favorite of many five-star hotels. It has some excellent features that make it a great choice for the person seeking comfort as well as offering decent value for money.
This hybrid bed offers a spring and foam combo that is a real people pleaser. One of the things that we really like about it is the way it offers support that goes right up to the edge of the mattress. (As a person who often sleeps half hanging out of bed, for some unknown reason, the writer really appreciates this feature!)
The Bear Hybrid Mattress has been awarded the GREEGARD GOLD and CERTIpur-US certifications, and these are by no means easy to get. They are a guarantee of very high production standards and consumer quality.
The 8” pocketed coils are a real feature of this bed. They provide so much more support than the usual 2 ½” coils, especially for the larger framed person.
This mattress feels a little like an old-fashioned springs-only mattress in that it has a certain amount of bounce to it, which many users really like. The foam topping responds quickly to your movement, getting back into its original position fast. This means that when you turn over in the night, the bed is quick to give you the support and cradling that you need, making it very comfortable.
The Bear Hybrid has a gel layer, and this really does work to ensure that you don’t overheat at night. The Celliant cover is particularly well-liked by users, and gives a very attractive finish to the mattress.
If you are choosing a bed for a couple, you want to make sure that movement transfer is minimized. In other words, you don’t want to feel every single movement that your partner makes. The Bear Hybrid, despite those springs, does well in this respect, with only very minimal movement transfer being experienced by most couples.
In terms of price, the Bear Hybrid is roughly in the mid-range, making it pretty affordable for most people, and good value for money, especially if you hunt around for an offer.
Made in the USA, and coming with a 20-year warranty, this is a mattress that you can feel real confidence in. There is a trial period of a hundred nights, along with free shipping and returns, to give you that extra level of confidence.
FAQ’s About Hotel Mattresses
Q. Are hotel beds mattress safe and clean?
A. Hotels in the vast majority of countries are held to high standards of hygiene. Mattresses are deep cleaned regularly, and also cleaned between guests. Household name chains are always a safe bet for high standards of cleanliness, as they have a reputation to uphold.
Check out reviews online and see what other travelers have said about the cleanliness of the hotel that you plan to stay in. This is a very reliable source of information.
If you have doubts, you can buy an ultra-lightweight traveling sleeping bag that is designed for the purpose. You can just slip into it, and then into bed.
Q. I always need more bedding than hotels supply. I’m a very chilly sleeper. Can I get extras?
A. You can usually find extra bedding in the wardrobe at your hotel, but please don’t be afraid to ask for more – some of us are just chilly sleepers!
Q. I’m very tall/large. Will my hotel bed be comfortable?
A. In all probability, you will be more comfortable in a hotel bed than you will be at home! Hotels generally supersize their beds for maximum guest comfort. But if you have any doubts, explain your situation to the hotel management well before you arrive, and they will make sure you have a bed that will be very comfortable for you – which might involve upgrading your room at your cost.
Q. I have allergies – will I be allergic to the bedding?
A. Most reputable hotels are very aware of the issue of allergies, and use products that will be kind to everyone, even those with allergies. However, if your allergies are severe or unusual, it will pay you to get in touch with the hotel you have chosen to ensure that they can offer you what you need to make sure that you don’t react badly to any products that they might use.
Q. What size bed should I choose when I’m booking a hotel room?
A. Remember that hotels tend to be very generous with their bed sizes, so unless you have a special need for a very large bed, you should choose a bed size that reflects what you usually use at home, for a treat. Try a larger bed size by all means.
Q. I have a bad back. How can I make sure my hotel bed will be comfortable?
A. If you need very firm support, most good hotels will have a backboard that they can place under your mattress. Just ask when you make your reservation. You may find, though, that your hotel mattress will give you the support and comfort that you need without any extra help.
Q. I’m going to a very different time zone. How can I ensure a good night’s sleep?
A. That cozy hotel mattress is going to help, but an old travelers’ trick is to start living in your destination time zone as soon as you step on the plane. Set your watch to your destination time, and try to eat and sleep at the appropriate time for that destination. If you feel you might need a sleep aid, there are many good over-the-counter options available these days that are absolutely not addictive.
Q. I loved my hotel bed so much, and I just want to have one exactly like it at home. As an ordinary consumer, can I buy hotel-quality beds?
A. Yes, you certainly can. Just ask the hotel manager the brand that they use – he will be delighted to tell you. After all, it’s a big compliment for him.
Q. How can I make my home sleep experience more like a hotel sleep experience without changing my mattress?
A. If you aren’t ready to buy a new mattress right now, you can improve your sleep experience with a few simple tips:
- Unclutter your bedroom – make sure that the décor is cool and calm.
- Hang an extra set of drapes to ensure complete blackout when you go to sleep.
- Choose good quality bed linen in pale colors or in white. Organic cotton is wonderful, if you can afford it.
- Invest in some really good quality pillows that offer both softness and support.
- If you are chilly at night, get an extra-large comforter so that you don’t have any chilly drafts creeping in to wake you up.
- Turn your mattress often (if it’s the kind that is the same on both sides.) Dust and clean the bedframe or base frequently.
- Invest in a brand new mattress topper to give your bed a new lease of life.
