How to choose bedding like a luxury hotel buyer

A good night’s sleep can make or break the guest experience, which is why luxury hotels invest time and money in getting it right. From the mood lighting to the crisp white bed linen and fluffy towels, every element of a five-star hotel room needs to strike the perfect balance between style, comfort and practicality. It also needs to offer long-lasting luxury to ensure a more sustainable stay.

 

 @thefoxatoddington

Understanding Luxury Hotel Bedding Standards

High bedding standards are important for hotels, and comfort, appearance, durability, and quality (THE most essential ingredient for a good night’s sleep), will all impact their choice of luxury hotel bedding.  Cost per wash and lifespan, e.g., how well the bedding can withstand frequent washing (this is usually between 400 – 1000 washes for bed linen), are also important to the luxury hotel buyer as this can significantly affect profits.

 

Selecting the Right Bedding Materials

Cotton is far more than a style statement. Soft and breathable, cotton bedding looks as beautiful on the bed as it feels against the skin. Add to that its ease of maintenance and it’s easy to see why cotton bedding is favoured by five-star hotels. Other luxury bedding materials have gained popularity in recent years, including pure linen and silk. Elegant and lustrous, silk bedding is expensive but can require a saint’s patience when laundering, especially if it acquires fake tan or other stains. Similarly to cotton, pure linen is breathable, and has an intentionally crumpled look unlike cotton’s smooth timeless appeal. However, some people find linen bedding a little rough and scratchy on the skin. It can also be prone to shrinking in hot water.

 

Thread Count and Fabric Density

Thread count (tc) is often touted as a measure of bed linen quality. However, factors such as yarn quality, fabric construction and finish are just as important when evaluating overall quality. The term thread count refers to the total number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch of fabric. In general, the higher the thread count the softer, and more sumptuous the sheet. Most hotels prefer their luxury bedding to sit under 600tc as this provides the perfect balance of bedding durability, luxury and practicality. Creep higher and the fabric density - the number of warp and weft yarns arranged per square inch - can make the bedding less breathable and harder to launder due to the tightly packed threads.

Find out if your linen is more low quality than hotel luxury by clicking the buyers’ guide link on this page.

 

Weave and Texture

Pure cotton is the most popular choice for a luxuriously soft sleep experience. However, the way the threads are woven together will influence its look and feel. The most common bedding weave types are percale and sateen. Both can create a luxury bedding texture, but sateen offers additional elegance due to its subtle sheen.

Cotton percale is a plan weave in which a single horizontal thread passes over and then under a vertical thread. This basic construction gives the fabric a fresh, crisp feel that’s soft to the touch.

Cotton sateen is a more intricate weave that creates a fabric with a soft, flowing look. Its luxuriously smooth and silky appearance creates a luxury bedding texture favoured by 5-star hotels.

The Tielle percale and sateen range includes:

• Cool & Crisp - a 200tc cotton percale set for a fresh, contemporary look.
• Classic Hotel – a 300tc sateen range loved by top hotels and retreats.
• Soft & Strong – a 400tc sateen bed linen set with a soft, luxurious feel.
• Smooth & Silky – a 600tc sateen range often used in premium hotel suites.

 

Understanding Fill Materials (Pillows and Duvets)

Luxury bedding fillings for duvets and pillows fall into two camps: natural, e.g., virgin or recycled (aka reclaimed) feather and down, and man-made fillings made from materials such as microfibre, recycled plastic bottles or sustainable botanic fibres. All of these fill types can create a desirable product if ethically sourced and made to the highest standards. However, many five-star hotels prefer natural pillow and duvet fill materials.

Which duvet or pillow fill material is best for you is largely a matter of choice.  There are many factors a hotel buyer will consider when choosing a luxury duvet, including:   

Tog rating: Different fill materials have varying insulation properties which can affect the warmth provided by the duvet. Natural fill materials, depending on the ratio of down and feather, tend to offer excellent insulation and can result in a higher tog rating. However, a good quality synthetic duvet can be just as comfy as a natural fill. 

Weight: Natural fill duvets tend to be weightier compared to synthetic duvets. This is because feather and down duvets and pillows are generally denser and heavier than synthetic fills. However, weight is also dependent on the fill power and the amount of fill used. All Tielle down pillows have a higher-than average fill power to help keep sleepers snug and warm.

Anti-allergy: While allergies can be kept at bay with a duvet or pillow with a tightly woven cotton cover, a hypoallergenic anti-allergy duvet will have been chemically treated to discourage the growth of bacteria and bugs. Such hypoallergenic pillows and duvets can be a better choice for asthmatics and those wanting an allergy-free night’s sleep.

See our guide to finding the best duvet for the perfect night’s sleep.

 

Bedding Sizes and Dimensions

Your bedding needs to perfectly match the bed dimensions for a dreamy night’s sleep. While non-UK mattresses can vary in size, our luxury bedding is expertly crafted to fit UK beds. Tielle bed linen is also generously cut to allow for a little shrinkage in the first wash.

 

Bedding sizes

Size of bed linen	Flat or fitted sheets to fit mattress size:
Single	90 x 190cm
Double	135 x 190cm
Kingsize	150 x 200cm
Super Kingsize	180 x 200cm
Emperor	200 x 200cm

 

Size of bed linen	Duvet covers to fit duvet size:
Single	135 x 200cm
Double	200 x 200cm
Kingsize	225 x 220cm
Super kingsize	260 x 220cm
Emperor	290 x 235cm

 

Pillowcases to fit pillow size:

Standard: 48 x 74cm

Superking: 50 x 90cm

Cot bed: 36 x 58 cm

 

Styling and Accessories

The bed is the star of the show in any hotel bedroom, but there’s no reason you can’t create that hotel bed look at home. An upholstered headboard in a lovely ribbed or winged shape and cushions that pick up on the colour, pattern or style on top of square and/or standard pillows* can go a long way to creating a cosy hotel-esque space to snuggle up in. In our article how to make a hotel bed interior stylist, Emma Hooton, recommends draping a white bedspread over the entire bed to create an elegant blank canvas that draws the eye to those bold statement pieces. Luxury bedding accessories such as a textured or coloured throw across the end or corner of the bed can also help you add more style. 

@manoirdejouralem

For the latest bedding styling trends, see what Ben Spriggs, Editor at Elle Decoration has to say about headboards and mix and matching bedlinen in bedroom décor and bedding trends to inspire. You can find more inspo on Instagram @tielleloveluxury 

* two standard/square pillows on a double/king size bed, three on a super king/emperor

 

Conclusion 

A buyer has many factors to consider when procuring bed linen for a hotel, but ultimately it needs to provide long-lasting luxury at the right price. High-quality bedding – bedding made by artisans using superior materials - is engineered to withstand regular use and will provide the perfect balance of luxurious comfort and exquisite style. This enables hoteliers to elevate the guest sleep experience night after night.