ATLANTA, GA— When hoteliers these days talk of big bedding ideas, perhaps it should come as no surprise that one of their main topics of discussion of late has been about big beds. “It seems more guests are now asking for larger beds,” said Fred Cerrone, Day Hospitality Group (DHG) President/COO. However, he did not attribute these requests to the reported supposition that Americans are getting larger than ever, but rather contended the desire for a bigger bed accurately reflects— to a great extent— what’s happening in the American home. “You see people driving bigger cars [SUVs, etc.] and watching their favorite shows on larger television sets,” Cerrone noted. As such, he explained this gravitation toward larger TV’s at home has been felt within the industry, where larger-screen sets have routinely replaced smaller ones. As such, a large number of guests choose to watch television in their rooms from the comfort of their beds, and so seek even greater comfort via a larger bed. In response to this “need,” Cerrone said DHG has been getting away from providing double-doubles in favor of offering double queens and kings— whenever and wherever possible. Of course, when it comes to bedding, size is not the only thing that matters. According to Cerrone, guest comfort starts at the top, and that means offering a good-quality, top-line pillow. To this end, he said his company recently came up with its own specifications for what it has earmarked as its standard pillow. The result was the introduction of the Fossfil by Creative Bedding: a firmer, non-allergenic (non-feather) pillow that Cerrone claimed “holds up —and fluffs up— nicely. “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback on these pillows since we introduced them to our properties,” Cerrone said. “A lot of our guests have come to us asking about buying them… and not a few [of the pillows]have turned up missing.” Working his way down the bed, he addressed the subject of “turning” the mattress. “It’s imperative that hoteliers rotate their mattresses regularly; it can easily increase the life of their bedding by some 18 to 24 months,” he maintained. “If you don’t [rotate the mattress regularly], you’re just spending money foolishly while impairing the quality of the overall guest experience.” As for the make-up of the mattress itself, Cerrone said DHG utilizes the product of several of the better manufacturers, opting for a firmer mattress rated at least “one or two levels above the specifications for our [limited-service] lodging tier.” Also on mattresses, Cerrone acknowledged that there has been an industry trend evident regarding the raising of the mattress’ height— a trend he said seems to work well. “By raising the height of the bed, we’ve found it dresses better, offers greater eye-appeal and generally makes for a better presentation. Of course,” he added, “guests have also remarked that it’s easier to get into and out of these [higher]beds.” Wrapping up his views on the subject of bedding, the DHG chieftain added the company has come to use a bottom sheet that is fitted. Although it costs more, Cerrone emphasized “guests appreciate it.”