Hotel Mattresses
Oct 12, 2011, 6:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 35
Hotel Mattresses
I am an Indian on a sabbatical from my job as the CEO of India’s ITDC/ Ashok group of hotels, which used to be India’s biggest hotel chain but has now dropped to perhaps no.4. I am posting this article in the hope that you will correct me wherever I am out of date or am factually wrong OR have missed some important point OR if you have examples to illustrate or any information or experiences of any kind.
If you think that I have given irrelevant details, do please point them out. On the other hand if you would like to see more or my research on hotels across the world, I will be happy to post articles on flatscreen TVs in hotels, the cable channels that they offer, ...many more. (I have also started a thread called Hotel loyalty cards/ programmes by posting a very long [and, I hope, comprehensive] article on the subject)
[FONT="Garamond"]
by Parvez Dewan
Even the ultra-budget Tune Hotels have spring mattresses. Latex and other foam mattresses belong to the mid-20th century. However, a number of hotels have opted for tempurpedic beds (John Rutledge, Sanctum). These are made of a NASA-discovered and Sweden-developed material called tempur. Marriott’s B-list hotels use foam mattresses. East Hamburg gives guests the option of sleeping on waterbeds. The ‘sweet night’ mattresses of Ducs D'Anjou are made of bamboo fibre.
Spring mattresses:The coil count—the number of coils in a king-sized spring mattress—at select hotel chains is 800 (Crowne Plaza, Marriott’s A-list hotels), 848 (Four Seasons, Hilton), 899 (Sheraton), 900 (Westin) and 939 (Ritz-Carlton).
The ‘thickness’ or height of spring-mattresses is 11 inches (Marriott’s A hotels), 11Ľ inches (Ritz-Carlton), 11˝ inches: (Crowne Plaza [with foam “topper”], Sheraton) ,12˝ inches; Hilton [with pillow top], Westin), 13 inches (Hyatt) and 13˝ inches (Four Seasons [with pillow top].
Marriott’s B hotels typically have 7 inch mattresses. Its Residence Inn, Courtyard and Fairfield Inn brands have moved from four inches to nine-inch-thick mattresses.
The brands used are Jamison foam (Marriott’s B hotels), Sealy Posturepedic () (Comfort Suites in Tyler Texas, Day's Inn in Leeds Alabama, Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Westin), Sealy (Four Seasons, Mirage Resort , both custom designed), Serta Perfect Sleeper (Crowne Plaza, Hilton, Marriott’s A list) and Simmons (La Quinta Inn).
The hotels mentioned adopted the above specifications between 2005 and 2010.
In addition the hotel should ensure that there are air chambers in the mattress and that superior foam is used. The number of layers of foam also matters.
Custom-designed mattresses: Manufacturers design special mattresses even for 209-room, standalone hotels like Benjamin. Serta created ‘convoluted foam cushioning’ with layers of fibres quilted to the mattress to give the surface of the Benjamin Bed a sumptuous feel.
Pillow top mattresses: An extra layer, around an inch thick and made of a soft material is fixed above the—say 9˝”—spring mattress, over its entire surface. Because mattresses should be periodically turned over—and around—an identical layer is fixed below as well, making this particular mattress 11˝” high. Even budget Microtels use pillow top mattresses.
Posturepedic innerspring adjusts the mattress according to the weight of the person lying on it.
Dirty secrets: People generally hate hotel food. However, when it comes to the mattresses that hotels have been providing in the 21st century, almost every hotel (including ours) has diehard fans who swear on some website or the other that they ‘had the best night's sleep ever’ in that hotel.
And yet the dirty secret is that i) except for some of the chains mentioned (and ours) most hotels use cheap mattresses. Posturepedic or foam, they go for the bottom-end. They add a topper—normally a cotton topper and sometimes a pad made of down–to give guests the ‘best sleep’ of their lives.
ii) Many of the best-known mattress manufacturers, because of their oligopoly, are not upfront about their prices. (E.g. ‘We do not publish mattress prices on our web site because the mattress companies have asked us not to.’) They modify existing models slightly and sell them to hotels under new names to make sure that people who want the same models for their homes cannot buy them easily. Domestic users have to settle for what they think is the nearest equivalent model, and pay more. (E.g. [This model is] ‘comparable to the Westin Hotel “Heavenly Bed”.’)
iii) Meanwhile, many hotels sell their ‘unique’ models, through their hotel shops and websites, at between $1,500 and $2,000 apiece (2009 prices). To make things worse they are likely to sell the topper separately.
iv) There are three broad types of foam: memory, latex and polyurethane. Latex, in turn, can be natural or artificial. Memory is overpriced for what it delivers. Polyurethane is the cheapest and is the one used by many hotels, including one of the chains mentioned, because that chain can then afford to change mattresses after a few years. Besides, like latex, polyurethane feels good.
v) Hotels (including ours) replace only some mattresses at a time, typically around a third. Manufacturers deliver even those in lots spread over a period. Therefore, different rooms are likely to have mattresses of different vintages, even models. [/FONT]
If you think that I have given irrelevant details, do please point them out. On the other hand if you would like to see more or my research on hotels across the world, I will be happy to post articles on flatscreen TVs in hotels, the cable channels that they offer, ...many more. (I have also started a thread called Hotel loyalty cards/ programmes by posting a very long [and, I hope, comprehensive] article on the subject)
[FONT="Garamond"]
Mattresses
by Parvez Dewan
Even the ultra-budget Tune Hotels have spring mattresses. Latex and other foam mattresses belong to the mid-20th century. However, a number of hotels have opted for tempurpedic beds (John Rutledge, Sanctum). These are made of a NASA-discovered and Sweden-developed material called tempur. Marriott’s B-list hotels use foam mattresses. East Hamburg gives guests the option of sleeping on waterbeds. The ‘sweet night’ mattresses of Ducs D'Anjou are made of bamboo fibre.
Spring mattresses:The coil count—the number of coils in a king-sized spring mattress—at select hotel chains is 800 (Crowne Plaza, Marriott’s A-list hotels), 848 (Four Seasons, Hilton), 899 (Sheraton), 900 (Westin) and 939 (Ritz-Carlton).
The ‘thickness’ or height of spring-mattresses is 11 inches (Marriott’s A hotels), 11Ľ inches (Ritz-Carlton), 11˝ inches: (Crowne Plaza [with foam “topper”], Sheraton) ,12˝ inches; Hilton [with pillow top], Westin), 13 inches (Hyatt) and 13˝ inches (Four Seasons [with pillow top].
Marriott’s B hotels typically have 7 inch mattresses. Its Residence Inn, Courtyard and Fairfield Inn brands have moved from four inches to nine-inch-thick mattresses.
The brands used are Jamison foam (Marriott’s B hotels), Sealy Posturepedic () (Comfort Suites in Tyler Texas, Day's Inn in Leeds Alabama, Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Westin), Sealy (Four Seasons, Mirage Resort , both custom designed), Serta Perfect Sleeper (Crowne Plaza, Hilton, Marriott’s A list) and Simmons (La Quinta Inn).
The hotels mentioned adopted the above specifications between 2005 and 2010.
In addition the hotel should ensure that there are air chambers in the mattress and that superior foam is used. The number of layers of foam also matters.
Custom-designed mattresses: Manufacturers design special mattresses even for 209-room, standalone hotels like Benjamin. Serta created ‘convoluted foam cushioning’ with layers of fibres quilted to the mattress to give the surface of the Benjamin Bed a sumptuous feel.
Pillow top mattresses: An extra layer, around an inch thick and made of a soft material is fixed above the—say 9˝”—spring mattress, over its entire surface. Because mattresses should be periodically turned over—and around—an identical layer is fixed below as well, making this particular mattress 11˝” high. Even budget Microtels use pillow top mattresses.
Posturepedic innerspring adjusts the mattress according to the weight of the person lying on it.
Dirty secrets: People generally hate hotel food. However, when it comes to the mattresses that hotels have been providing in the 21st century, almost every hotel (including ours) has diehard fans who swear on some website or the other that they ‘had the best night's sleep ever’ in that hotel.
And yet the dirty secret is that i) except for some of the chains mentioned (and ours) most hotels use cheap mattresses. Posturepedic or foam, they go for the bottom-end. They add a topper—normally a cotton topper and sometimes a pad made of down–to give guests the ‘best sleep’ of their lives.
ii) Many of the best-known mattress manufacturers, because of their oligopoly, are not upfront about their prices. (E.g. ‘We do not publish mattress prices on our web site because the mattress companies have asked us not to.’) They modify existing models slightly and sell them to hotels under new names to make sure that people who want the same models for their homes cannot buy them easily. Domestic users have to settle for what they think is the nearest equivalent model, and pay more. (E.g. [This model is] ‘comparable to the Westin Hotel “Heavenly Bed”.’)
iii) Meanwhile, many hotels sell their ‘unique’ models, through their hotel shops and websites, at between $1,500 and $2,000 apiece (2009 prices). To make things worse they are likely to sell the topper separately.
iv) There are three broad types of foam: memory, latex and polyurethane. Latex, in turn, can be natural or artificial. Memory is overpriced for what it delivers. Polyurethane is the cheapest and is the one used by many hotels, including one of the chains mentioned, because that chain can then afford to change mattresses after a few years. Besides, like latex, polyurethane feels good.
v) Hotels (including ours) replace only some mattresses at a time, typically around a third. Manufacturers deliver even those in lots spread over a period. Therefore, different rooms are likely to have mattresses of different vintages, even models. [/FONT]
Oct 12, 2011, 6:40 am
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
My own experience is that the secret to a very comfortable and memorable bed is a feather/down topper (the composition is tricky and quite important). Sofitel has managed to come up with a bed that is superior to Four Seasons, RC, Westin etc. and I think it is primarily due to the topper composition.
Oct 12, 2011, 12:07 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: US-CP, UA, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Avis,
Posts: 4,549
I'm not sure what the point of the article is, so OP if you could make it a little more clear what the end goal is, that would help. Are we just comparing hotel mattresses here so the traveler can choose a hotel based on the bed? Comparing how much each hotel spends on the beds? I am missing the point.
Hilton Garden Inn uses an "air chamber" bed system akin to Select Comfort/Sleep Number bed (and there is a chain that uses actual Sleep Number beds but I can't recall which). The concept/construction is heavy-grade foam "rails" that form the shape of the mattress, with a large empty space inside, into which a latex/vinyl/??? "bladder" is placed. The bladder is inflated with air, then a layer of foam laid on top, and the cloth mattress cover zipped into place. I have a select comfort bed at home and love it; I find the HGI bed to give a wonderful and refreshing sleeping experience but find it uncomfortable for lounging in bed, especially if one wants to sit up to read, watch tv, etc. I also find HGI's implementation to be a bit flawed, as the guest can adjust the firmness of the bed using a knob that can let air in or out of the bladder (more air = firmer bed) but the knob itself is located on a top corner of the mattress, meaning the guest must un-do the fitted sheet to access the knob. It's also not really intuitive so if you're in the room after someone who accidentally threw away the instructions tent, it won't be easy to figure out how to adjust the bed unless you've had one before.
Hilton Garden Inn uses an "air chamber" bed system akin to Select Comfort/Sleep Number bed (and there is a chain that uses actual Sleep Number beds but I can't recall which). The concept/construction is heavy-grade foam "rails" that form the shape of the mattress, with a large empty space inside, into which a latex/vinyl/??? "bladder" is placed. The bladder is inflated with air, then a layer of foam laid on top, and the cloth mattress cover zipped into place. I have a select comfort bed at home and love it; I find the HGI bed to give a wonderful and refreshing sleeping experience but find it uncomfortable for lounging in bed, especially if one wants to sit up to read, watch tv, etc. I also find HGI's implementation to be a bit flawed, as the guest can adjust the firmness of the bed using a knob that can let air in or out of the bladder (more air = firmer bed) but the knob itself is located on a top corner of the mattress, meaning the guest must un-do the fitted sheet to access the knob. It's also not really intuitive so if you're in the room after someone who accidentally threw away the instructions tent, it won't be easy to figure out how to adjust the bed unless you've had one before.
Oct 12, 2011, 12:52 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 167
The raw data presented in paragraph form (spring count, thickness, etc) would probably be more useful if presented in tabular format or if possible in graphical comparison format.
Table format would be like:
That's significantly easier to parse out and/or compare various data lines, than having to pick them out of prose.
A graph (x=Spring Count, y=thickness) might demonstrate something else, such as comparing spring/thicknesses with a third axis, such as price of room or perceived value of the hotel chain.
Table format would be like:
Code:
Spring Count Thickness Pillowtop(?) Manufacturer 500 3" No Thintress Inc 700 8" No Medium Manufacturing 860 12" Yes Heavenly Sleep Inc
A graph (x=Spring Count, y=thickness) might demonstrate something else, such as comparing spring/thicknesses with a third axis, such as price of room or perceived value of the hotel chain.
Oct 12, 2011, 2:20 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 35
mattresses
dcpatti: I am doing this research to see what the prevailing 'best practices' are in every aspect/ detail of hoteliering. The data compiled by me is intended to help travellers as well as inexperienced hoteliers who do not have standard manuals like the big chains do.
Byron: Thanks for the ilustration and the effort, I get your point. I have arranged the counts in ascending form. If the meaning is not clear to the reader I will adopt the tabular form
number_6: Gracias!
Byron: Thanks for the ilustration and the effort, I get your point. I have arranged the counts in ascending form. If the meaning is not clear to the reader I will adopt the tabular form
number_6: Gracias!
Oct 12, 2011, 2:23 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
I am an Indian on a sabbatical from my job as the CEO of India’s ITDC/ Ashok group of hotels, which used to be India’s biggest hotel chain but has now dropped to perhaps no.4. I am posting this article in the hope that you will correct me wherever I am out of date or am factually wrong OR have missed some important point OR if you have examples to illustrate or any information or experiences of any kind.
If you think that I have given irrelevant details, do please point them out. On the other hand if you would like to see more or my research on hotels across the world, I will be happy to post articles on flatscreen TVs in hotels, the cable channels that they offer, ...many more. (I have also started a thread called Hotel loyalty cards/ programmes by posting a very long [and, I hope, comprehensive] article on the subject)
[FONT="Garamond"]
by Parvez Dewan
Even the ultra-budget Tune Hotels have spring mattresses. Latex and other foam mattresses belong to the mid-20th century. However, a number of hotels have opted for tempurpedic beds (John Rutledge, Sanctum). These are made of a NASA-discovered and Sweden-developed material called tempur. Marriott’s B-list hotels use foam mattresses. East Hamburg gives guests the option of sleeping on waterbeds. The ‘sweet night’ mattresses of Ducs D'Anjou are made of bamboo fibre.
Spring mattresses:The coil count—the number of coils in a king-sized spring mattress—at select hotel chains is 800 (Crowne Plaza, Marriott’s A-list hotels), 848 (Four Seasons, Hilton), 899 (Sheraton), 900 (Westin) and 939 (Ritz-Carlton).
The ‘thickness’ or height of spring-mattresses is 11 inches (Marriott’s A hotels), 11Ľ inches (Ritz-Carlton), 11˝ inches: (Crowne Plaza [with foam “topper”], Sheraton) ,12˝ inches; Hilton [with pillow top], Westin), 13 inches (Hyatt) and 13˝ inches (Four Seasons [with pillow top].
Marriott’s B hotels typically have 7 inch mattresses. Its Residence Inn, Courtyard and Fairfield Inn brands have moved from four inches to nine-inch-thick mattresses.
The brands used are Jamison foam (Marriott’s B hotels), Sealy Posturepedic () (Comfort Suites in Tyler Texas, Day's Inn in Leeds Alabama, Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Westin), Sealy (Four Seasons, Mirage Resort , both custom designed), Serta Perfect Sleeper (Crowne Plaza, Hilton, Marriott’s A list) and Simmons (La Quinta Inn).
The hotels mentioned adopted the above specifications between 2005 and 2010.
[/FONT]
If you think that I have given irrelevant details, do please point them out. On the other hand if you would like to see more or my research on hotels across the world, I will be happy to post articles on flatscreen TVs in hotels, the cable channels that they offer, ...many more. (I have also started a thread called Hotel loyalty cards/ programmes by posting a very long [and, I hope, comprehensive] article on the subject)
[FONT="Garamond"]
Mattresses
by Parvez Dewan
Even the ultra-budget Tune Hotels have spring mattresses. Latex and other foam mattresses belong to the mid-20th century. However, a number of hotels have opted for tempurpedic beds (John Rutledge, Sanctum). These are made of a NASA-discovered and Sweden-developed material called tempur. Marriott’s B-list hotels use foam mattresses. East Hamburg gives guests the option of sleeping on waterbeds. The ‘sweet night’ mattresses of Ducs D'Anjou are made of bamboo fibre.
Spring mattresses:The coil count—the number of coils in a king-sized spring mattress—at select hotel chains is 800 (Crowne Plaza, Marriott’s A-list hotels), 848 (Four Seasons, Hilton), 899 (Sheraton), 900 (Westin) and 939 (Ritz-Carlton).
The ‘thickness’ or height of spring-mattresses is 11 inches (Marriott’s A hotels), 11Ľ inches (Ritz-Carlton), 11˝ inches: (Crowne Plaza [with foam “topper”], Sheraton) ,12˝ inches; Hilton [with pillow top], Westin), 13 inches (Hyatt) and 13˝ inches (Four Seasons [with pillow top].
Marriott’s B hotels typically have 7 inch mattresses. Its Residence Inn, Courtyard and Fairfield Inn brands have moved from four inches to nine-inch-thick mattresses.
The brands used are Jamison foam (Marriott’s B hotels), Sealy Posturepedic () (Comfort Suites in Tyler Texas, Day's Inn in Leeds Alabama, Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Westin), Sealy (Four Seasons, Mirage Resort , both custom designed), Serta Perfect Sleeper (Crowne Plaza, Hilton, Marriott’s A list) and Simmons (La Quinta Inn).
The hotels mentioned adopted the above specifications between 2005 and 2010.
[/FONT]
Oct 12, 2011, 6:35 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,637
I find the mattresses in Asia in general to be quite firm and the mattresses in Korea to be rock hard. Western hotel chains have mattresses only marginally softer than local hotels. They make me even more happy to arrive home.
Oct 12, 2011, 11:05 pm
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
A friend of mine was consulting for a bedding company, whose mattress was on trial at hotels..
Hotels are looking for the mattress that gives a perfect sleep for their customers; a mattress that is inexpensive and easy to maintain..
That is part of the recipe for success..
Hotels are looking for the mattress that gives a perfect sleep for their customers; a mattress that is inexpensive and easy to maintain..
That is part of the recipe for success..
Oct 18, 2011, 9:59 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 35
@dc patti: Thanks for <<the knob itself is located on a top corner of the mattress, meaning the guest must un-do the fitted sheet to access the knob. It's also not really intuitive so if you're in the room after someone who accidentally threw away the instructions tent,>> Really useful infmn. Hope HGI reads it
Oct 18, 2011, 2:15 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
Maybe this will be a loyaltry program feature - pick your bed hardness / softness on your profile, so they will be ready when you arrive! (well, they did it with pillows!) They could use the dial-a-beds and set it for you!
Oct 18, 2011, 2:18 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,740
The Fairmont Waterfront (Gold Floor) has nice, firm mattresses that offer just the right amount of "give" and softness.
Other Fairmonts that I've been to (Gold Floor and otherwise) have mattresses that are just plain soft and worn out.
Other Fairmonts that I've been to (Gold Floor and otherwise) have mattresses that are just plain soft and worn out.
Oct 18, 2011, 8:11 pm
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
Makes a big difference for a good nights' sleep.. and goes well with the down duvet..