A recent survey by the American Society of Travel Agents found that almost twice as many travellers go on holiday with the express purpose of relaxing, rather than sightseeing. This trend is reflected in the growing range of sleep-assisting options offered by accommodation providers around the globe. Pillow menus are now commonplace in high-end hotels, and Six Senses resorts in Oman, Portugal, Seychelles, Thailand and Vietnam offer a Sleep With Six Senses package to guests, which can cost upwards of USD$200 extra per guest per night. Guests are willing to pay more for a good night’s sleep.
However, not all hotels need to offer sleep packages with bamboo fibre pillows and lavender neti pots – often just a good mattress will suffice. Advances in technology mean that hotel buyers can consider much more than simply how soft or firm they are – these days products can involve memory foam, cooling gel and moisture-wicking fabrics, as well as variations on height, shape and size.
“Mattress preference is personal and subjective and how comfortable you find a mattress depends on a lot of factors such as whether you sleep on your side, back or stomach,” said Kristopher Beck, Hilton’s director of product management. “We put a lot of effort into creating a sleep environment that caters to as many guests as possible regardless of their sleep habits.” According to Beck, the most popular mattresses are relatively firm with a soft topper.
Accomodation providers have different needs to domestic consumers, and mattresses need to cater towards these. A key feature of the New Zealand-made Slumberzone commercial range are long-lasting strong sides of the mattress which won’t sag after repeated use, as well as a strong mid-section to accommodate for a large range of guest body shapes and sizes.
“We use special Tripedic Technology to provide enhanced support in the sides and central part of the mattress,” said sales and marketing manager Vikram Nagpal. “This means that the mattresses we are supplying to accommodation providers are the best they can be.”
It isn’t just the large chains paying more attention to the sleeping needs of their guests, with more independent accommodation providers taking less conventional approaches to beds. Custom-made beds are becoming increasingly popular, with some chains finding that these beds are so popular guests are wanting to buy them themselves. Hilton and Fairmont sell the beds found in their hotels, and the trademark ‘Heavenly Bed’ from Westin Hotels and Resorts is a big-seller.
For those who want to make sure their guest has an experience like no other, they can take note of the Savoy Hotel’s Royal Suite, which features a mattress stuffed with hair from an indigenous species of Yak from the Khangai region of Mongolia – with a take-home price tag of $135,000.
To find out how to give your guests s good night’s sleep visit http://slumberzone.co.nz/
