Sleep tourism: 5 best hotel beds you can actually buy for your home
With sleep tourism on the rise, hotels are getting in on the act, kitting out guestrooms with their own special brand of bed. And you can take one home too.
Sleep tourism is a niche travel product on the rise, with many hotels and resorts promoting special programs to promote good-quality shut-eye. But a good night’s sleep has always been a key requisite for corporate and leisure travellers. It all begins with a comfy bed, and for years hotels have been working to fashion the Goldilocks mattress.
Several international hotel companies have tapped professional mattress-testers (it’s a thing) and focus groups to help develop branded beds, often available for sale to guests. Of course, opinions will differ depending on whether you are a side, back or stomach sleeper. Side sleepers will prefer a softer mattress, back sleepers something firmer. Here are five of the best.
1 The Great Dane House, Point Lonsdale, Victoria
Stockholm-based company Hastens is said to make the best beds in the world, and they don’t come cheap. The Grand Vividus model retails from $1.3m and there are several in Australia, says Matthew Lucas, a group director at Great Dane Furniture, which represents the brand in Australia. Handmade with horsetail hair, flax, wool and long fibre cotton, and typically wrapped in a charming Scandi blue-and-white checkered fabric, Hastens beds can be found in a select few hotels across the world, including The Langham London and The Chedi Andermatt in Switzerland. The only place you can experience the bed in Australia is at the self-catering Great Dane House on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula. It’s the 2000T model, says Lucas, retailing from $120,000. Be sure to bag the master bedroom.
2 Westin Heavenly Bed
Last year, Westin Hotels & Resorts rolled out the next generation of its Heavenly Bed, first launched in 1999. Following years of research, testing thousands of samples with input from sleep experts and focus groups, the new iteration looks more streamlined (the bed ruffle has been banished) and the mattress includes a silver fibre weave (apparently silver has antibacterial properties that help to prevent odours, mould and mildew). Layers of gel-infused memory foam help to regulate temperature and provide targeted support. The Heavenly Bed, which retails for between $4278 to $8400, has legions of fans, with more than half a million sold to appreciative guests. Also available are hypo-allergenic linen sets in a blend of cotton and Tencel Lyocell fabric, including a blanket, duvet and choice of hard or soft pillow.
3 The Baillie Bed, Baillie Lodges
The family-run AH Beard has been making beds in Australia since 1899. It began with tufted horsehair mattresses, but these days the company is credited with introducing an Australian-designed “Reflex” system, which involves a secondary coil to provide more support. Mattresses are handmade in Australia and New Zealand, and found in all Baillie properties, including Southern Ocean and Huka lodges. They use a wool-blend fabric that wicks away moisture and regulates temperature, keeping sleepers cool and comfy. Gel-infused latex helps provide support and relieve pressure; $1848 for mattress only from That Hotel Bed.
4 Sofitel Hotels’ MyBed
This trademarked bed is found in more than 200 hotels worldwide. Mark Mewburn, director of marketing, Pacific, says it is akin to “sleeping on a cloud”. For the detail-oriented, the specs are as follows: bed size is the Italian-twin configuration (200cm x 210cm); the box spring has a thick layer of high-density foam to provide uniform support; the mattress springs are distributed to provide balanced support (more springs in areas subject to more weight pressure); the over mattress (or topper) is plump, with 1750 grams of feathers per square metre. Pillows are large and down-filled (other options available), the duvet is light (even lighter in tropical destinations) and has stitched squares, so there are no pesky feather lumps. Bed linen is 100 per cent cotton. Bed only from $2078; up to $6347 for complete set with duvet, pillows and linen.
5 Four Seasons Signature bed
The Four Seasons Signature bed is made by US-based Simmons Bedding Company. Mattresses feature several layers, including a gel-infused foam for temperature regulation. A channelled design allows air flow, while independently flexible pocket springs provide good support and minimal disturbance from your partner if they toss and turn. Fans of this bed have to get their fix while travelling overseas as it can be shipped only to the US and Canada. Available from $US3200 ($5010) plus linen from $US1695.
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