NEW YORK— Merchandising bedding and other hotel furnishings is an important element in the growth strategy of Ian Schrager Hotels, and its a strategy the hip hotel company plans to develop in 2002. “Its a real opportunity to generate revenues while leveraging our brand,” said Ian Schrager, chairman/CEO of the company which has nine hotels in the United States and London, plus five more in development. Schrager is planning to open a store in the lobby of The Hudson here later on this year, with more shops to follow at other properties. “We dont mind if people take a little bit of the hotel home with them,” he said. “We may even do a free-standing store if it works, and we will also be doing a catalog” offering the bedding and furnishings. Currently, guests can arrange with the hotel concierge to purchase sheets for $40 and duvets for $360, according to Schrager. “In the future, they will be able to buy them at the hotel stores and through the catalog,” he said. Bedding at the companys properties conveys the feeling of an elegant residence “which is consistent with the sensibility of the entire hotel,” Schrager said. “We were the first in the industry to use all-white bedding, and we were also the first to take the bedspread off the bed.” The white bedding is “pristine and fresh,” he said. It requires frequent replacement “because when you use white, its unforgiving— you see the stains and the tears— so if anything is dirty or damaged we change it, which can be expensive, but we make up for it with our rates.” Schrager noted two properties use a somewhat different color scheme for the bedding. “At Morgans [in New York]we use a gray and white pinstripe, and at Sanderson [in London]we use pearl gray,” he said. The effect is the same, he added— “residential and refreshing.” The beds at Ian Schrager properties are king- and queen-sized. There are four pillows with pillow shams on the two front pillows, a top sheet, duvet, and cashmere or wool blanket at the foot of the bed. “We make a great effort with the sheets to have softness and sheen,” Schrager said, noting that 250-threadcount sheets are used at his properties. Care is also taken with the guestroom mattress, according to Schrager, which is a Sealy Posturepedic. “We never shop the commercial division [of mattress companies]; we go to the residential division and pay $6, $7 or $8 more” but the quality is worth it, he explained. “We go for a very firm mattress and put boards underneath it” to ensure maximum support. Some changes will likely be evident in the bedding selected for future Schrager properties, he noted. “The bedding manifests something about popular culture. The bedding going forward— the sheets, duvets— will be more decorative, and the beds will probably have more pillows to give a sense of comfort and security,” he said. Bedding will always get a lot of attention at Ian Schrager Hotels, he added. “At the end of the day, were selling the bed, so having a great bed is most important,” he explained.