Guest expectations have been driving hotels across all chain scales to keep pace with evolutions in mattress technology, as sleep quality remains a core area of the guest experience and a basis for many hotel reviews. “In recent years, we’ve seen a major shift in how hotels think about their beds. Comfort isn’t just a luxury anymore; it’s part of the guest experience that defines a stay,” said Karen Goossens, digital marketing manager at Furniture Row, which owns its own factory and supplies Denver Mattress products. “Across every segment, guests are expecting a better night’s sleep, and hoteliers are responding. Comfort has become a core part of guest satisfaction—and in today’s digital world, those good nights turn into great reviews.”
With superior comfort comes health benefits, which is also a reason guests—especially those who spend a significant number of their annual nights on hotel beds—are focused on quality bedding. “Sleep is one of those pillars that you need to be able to regulate your weight, regulate your stress, regulate all the things that [are imbalanced for] people that don’t sleep well, and the unfortunate impact that can have on one’s health,” noted David Wiles, vice president – hospitality, Tempur Sealy International. “So, people are spending more money on their mattresses. They’re doing more research on their mattresses, and they are very much comparing, ‘How did I sleep at home versus at this hotel’? So, the hotels that are investing in a good sleep system are the ones that are benefiting most by the consumer saying, ‘Not only do I want to maybe take this bed home with me, but I’m sleeping well when I’m going to those properties,’ which helps with repeat business.”
However, selecting the mattress features that will promote sound sleep is not a straightforward matter, because “good sleep is such a subjective thing. We all sleep differently, we all feel differently, we all ache differently,” Wiles added. Since hotels cannot cater to the individual sleeper’s preferences, they need to focus on mattress features that have proven conducive to most people’s comfort. Tempur Sealy’s acquisition of Mattress Firm—the largest mattress retailer in the United States—last year positions the company to track consumer preferences on a broader scale and design mattresses accordingly. “With that information, we’re able to better understand consumer insights … to make sure that we are essentially building and engineering the products that are going to be most sought after by consumers each and every day,” Wiles explained.
Gel-Infused Memory Foam
According to Wiles, the foam of choice to meet the rigorous demands of the hotel industry is pre-compressed, gel-infused memory foam, which provides a higher degree of both durability and consistent comfort than polyfoam. “A standard polyfoam may work really well for three to five years, but hoteliers don’t want to change their mattresses every five years,” Wiles explained. “The high density [of memory foam] gives a solid foundation for comfortable sleep, and the gel in those foams adds approximately 30 percent more durability than standard polyfoams. That means you get a more consistent feel from day one to year 10 in that product. We actually own three foam-pouring manufacturing facilities. … Through all that R&D we’ve done as a manufacturer of foams, we truly believe that the gel-infused foam is the way to go.”
Chill Technology
Cooling features can be very desirable for home mattresses, particularly in hot climates. However, it’s not a “must-have” for most guestroom mattresses, Wiles held. “The humidity near the body is what creates the sweat, and the chill technology essentially helps wick moisture away. It’s a benefit, but it’s negated as soon as you put a topper or encasement on the mattress for protection of the asset. So, I would say that about 70 percent of the hotel market doesn’t use cooling technology, including ours or any of our competitors’. … When I’m talking with clients about the product, I usually say, ‘Look, this is something that I would peel back to then put money elsewhere within the bed.’”
Open vs. Pocketed Coil
Mattress springs with pocketed (individually wrapped) coils, as opposed to open-coil constructions, have gained a following in both the hospitality and home markets. “Individually wrapped coils have really been a game-changer,” Goossens said. “They contour to the body, help reduce pressure points, and minimize motion transfer—so guests sleep more comfortably, even when sharing the bed.”
Wiles noted that Tempur Sealy has hotel brand clients that only use open coils and report a guest satisfaction comparable to clients who deploy pocketed-coil mattresses. “What I would say is that you can get a really great sleep experience with an open-coil unit, as long as you’re using the proper foam and you’re building an inner spring that is not real bouncy,” he maintained. “In my opinion, there is minimal difference between the two, as long as they’re built equally [in terms of quality]. The problem is that open coils, back in the day, were considered cheap; they would [cut corners] on everything, including the inner spring, and then therefore you wouldn’t get as good a sleep experience as you would with a pocketed coil where they put more money in the other items.”
With both types of coil construction—and particularly with the heavier all-foam mattresses—hoteliers do well to consider local union requirements on product weight and the impact on housekeeping staff who have to lift the mattress.
Value Options
While Goossens observed that “even economy and midscale properties are now investing in upgraded bedding,” these hotels’ more limited budget for guestroom amenities mean they are keenly focused on value for money. “To us, real value means comfort and quality that hold up over time, not just a lower cost,” she said, adding that Denver Mattress’ Value Line is a choice for many hoteliers in those segments. “Our Value Line helps meet that demand by giving hotels quality sleep solutions that fit comfortably within their budgets.”
Tempur Sealy’s value-oriented brands include Sealy and the recently acquired Sherwood Bedding, the largest private label mattress manufacturer in the United States. These more “entry-level” mattresses may have reduced coil counts, fewer handles, less plush fabrics, etc. However, “even at that entry level, whether our economy line, which is Sealy, or Sherwood, we essentially use a lot of the same foams throughout, primarily because that’s where you see failures,” said Wiles. The foundation of nighttime comfort—a key aspect of the guest experience—is thus preserved.
