Radisson Blu Jammu launched AccorHotels Showcase set to arrive in India The Gateway Resort Damdama Lake, Gurgaon launches ‘The Picnic Table’ Nitin Rajappan is appointed as Associate Director of Sales at Crowne Plaza Jaipur Tonk Road Varun Goel appointed as Meetings Director at Crowne Plaza Jaipur Bhawna Verma is General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott Gurugram Downtown Godrej expands portfolio to enter chest freezer segment Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa launched Jeewan Singh Rawat is Executive Chef at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Hinjewadi Rishabh Jain is Director of Sales at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Hinjewadi You Are Here: Home OPS & SERVICES High-density pocketed spring technology, super-soft foam mattresses or a coco latex mattress, goose down feather pillows, pristine white bed linen of a thread count of 500, fluffy duvet and silk runners for that aesthetic feel – these are a few of the trappings in a hotel room today to ensure a guest gets a good night’s sleep.
Guests travelling to a hotel often decide to repeat their visit based on their sleep experience. Bed and linen offerings in hotels have thus begun to be taken a lot more seriously than before. A restful sleep experience is the cumulative effect of many things and not merely the quality of the bed. The 13-inch box-spring also referred to as a bed base is just the beginning. It is the mattress which is of foremost importance and transforms the sleep experience. In recent years, the biggest change is the focus on the quality of sleep and the use of more space-age materials like memory foam, latex and gel.Mattresses offer relief for health ailments like stress, spine problems, helps to relax the person and improve blood circulation. Hotels are thus sparing no efforts in procuring the best. Umamahesh Rao, executive housekeeper, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, says, “The average person spends approximately one third of their life in bed. Yet, when it comes to where we sleep, we often do not consider how our mattress can affect our backs.
No other piece of furniture in the hotel is used as often or affects your overall health more than the bed. Moreover, the sleep decides the flow of actions the next day.” Nitin Gupta, director, Springfit, elaborates, “The better the mattress, the better you sleep. A good night’s sleep helps reduce stress, body pains and all kinds of other health issues. It is scientifically proven that a good night’s sleep gives you much better blood circulation, which, in turn, improves the working capability of an individual.” He adds, “The mattress business has changed drastically over the years. There has been an evolution from cotton mattress to coir to latex and finally, now, the spring mattress. Hotels are now more particular about the quality of sleep of their guests. As per international standards, hotels should change the mattress every five years. We need to spread more awareness about this.” With the evolution of mattresses, hotels are keeping abreast of trends, as guests are getting more demanding.
Salar Khan, executive housekeeper, Vivanta by Taj – Fort Aguada, Goa agrees. “Guest preferences have evolved over the years owing to lifestyle changes. Earlier, hotels offered little or no choice of mattress or bedding. However, over the past decade, hotels realise that guests now want the comfort of home when it comes to their sleep experience at hotels. At the Taj, mattresses that are firm with medical benefits are the preferred choice. Customisation is the current trend across facilities and housekeeping is no exception. We pay great attention to our guests’ needs and are able to customise the mattress requirements in accordance with them.” Manufacturers and suppliers of mattresses are conversant with hotels’ needs and being experts, often offer professional advice. Archit Gupta, MD, King Koil India, says, “80% of guests sleep on hotel mattresses for less than three days in a row. We need to make sure that guests should get a sound sleep and a feeling of luxury during their stay.”
So, hotels are going all out to provide a variety of mattress offerings to their guests. Taj uses the posturepedic mattresses designed to provide maximum support and comfort. Rao says, “We use mattresses from Hush. These are highly durable fitted with a Bonnell spring structure and ideal for those looking for some ‘bounce’. Its foam encasing avoids edge breakdown and sagging, while a heavy insulator prevents upholstery material from sinking into coils. Hence, it is ideal for hotels.” Similarly, The Leela Palace, Bangalore uses mattresses from King Koil, Dubai. These are measured to match international standards capable of accommodating various adult physiques and include built-in suspension. This evenly distributes weight while the foam and spring bring the mattress to its original sturdy shape after use, ensuring sound sleep. As hotels settle for the best mattresses, newer and advanced ones are already underway. Gupta says, “We are launching electrically operated beds called ERGOLIFE which are remote-controlled and can take any shape.
We are introducing this at an attractive price for the suite rooms in hotels.” If mattresses are something hotels fuss about, pillows, too, are carefully selected and hotels offer a vast array. Namrata Menon, executive housekeeper, Hyatt Regency Delhi, elaborates, “We normally use two types of pillows – the down feather and super microfiber pillow. Super microfiber make pillows extremely soft with a firm core in the centre. Hypoallergenic white duck feather pillows are generally recommended for people allergic to dust.” Dhivakar, laundry manager, The Leela Bangalore adds, “As a standard, we provide goose down feather pillows, ideal for insulation, retaining a fluffy feel. We also offer over eight varieties, from neck supporting cushions, to horse hair and non-allergic pillows.” Khan says, “Pillows have a huge effect on the quality of sleep and how well rested guests feel. The right pillow can do a lot of good for the body, mind and soul. At Taj, guests have a variety of 12 pillow types to choose from.”
Equally important in ensuring a good sleep is the linen. Typically, bed linen comprises bed sheets, duvet covers and pillow slips. Selecting appropriate bedsheet fabric and bed covers is crucial. Bed sheets may be of different types of fabrics such as cotton, spandex, linen, or various blends of cotton and polyester. However, 100% cotton sheets are the favourite although some prefer polyster, owing to its durability. “Bedding fabric patterns and bedroom colours dramatically influence our mood and health. Hence, stimulating and relaxing shades are often recommend for linen. Hence, white linen is always the preferred choice,” Menon reflects. Soft cotton white linen is the industry norm for most beds. At The Leela Palace Bangalore, white linen is used with a 250 thread count in the form of combed cotton – a delicate fabric often used for dress materials due to its silky touch. “Aesthetically, such fabric is perfect due to its luxurious feel, and practically managing combed cotton is ideal as it can withstand a fair amount of washes,” reveals Dhivakar.
Khan adds, “We only use white linen in the rooms across all hotels. White is the colour of serenity and calm, making sure our guests have a peaceful and soothing experience.” Maintaining white linen is a challenge, but Hotels are adept at doing that. Quality of laundry machines, chemicals used, regular maintenance, thus contribute significantly. Rao of Renaissance Mumbai informs, “Apart from daily wash, we do treat linen with stains separately. Also we have experts from Ecolab to test the chemical effects on linen and also the quantity of chemical being used is closely monitored to increase the life of linen.” In their bid to give their guests the best, Hotels challenge themselves and follow best practices with regard to beds too. Menon of Hyatt Regency Delhi informs, “As a regular practice we maintain glossometer readings for judging our linen whiteness. We ensure that all the linen which are in circulation for guest usage, retain a 90% whiteness. This is just an internal practice that enables us maintain the standard of service for our guests.”