NEW YORK— With interest in upgraded mattresses and bedding packages continuing unabated post the launch of Westin Hotels’ Heavenly Bed in 2000, vendors in both segments of the category are aggressively promoting their latest product lines this year. They see new beds and bedding as a way for brands and individual properties not only to satisfy guests’ expectations but to set themselves apart from the competition.
“Guests more than ever have become focused on the entire bed experience. It started with brands like Westin and Sheraton taking the initiative. Other brands have followed suit— including a couple of recent high-profile roll-outs,” said Philip Haness, marketing director for San Diego-based KOJO Worldwide, which is marketing a line of bed ensembles at IH/M&RS.
Once upgraded signature beds were the province of upper-upscale and deluxe chains, but the trend has now filtered down to the select-service tier with brands such as Hilton Garden Inn and Four Points by Sheraton boasting their own branded beds. Earlier this year, for example, Marriott International introduced a new bedding program across all its brands, including midprice Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, and SpringHill Suites, that will see over 600,000 beds in all its U.S. hotels upgraded by year-end.
“As guests’ expectations have risen, hotel brands and owners have responded by making the bed— and the bedding package— the focal point of the guestroom,” Haness said.
Taking her lead from this larger trend, KOJO head designer Koni Kim has supplemented the usual bed linen and duvets with design items such as accent pillows and bed scarves, which are draped across the foot of the bed. In addition, she is branching out to include towels and bathrobes under an expanded KOJO brand.
“Traditional bedspreads have largely fallen out of favor, with designers increasingly preferring to show the linen and pillows,” Haness said. “What’s more, white is now the most popular color choice for the linen. Why? It appears crisp and clean. Guests perceive it as sophisticated. Consequently, there’s more attention to items like accent pillows and bed scarves because they allow for a touch of color and texture to offset the white.”
When it comes to the mattress itself, vendors such as Sealy are expanding their luxury lines to meet guests’ demands for a higher quality product. Travelers increasingly sleep on a premium quality mattress at home and the expectation is that the mattress they sleep on at a hotel will equal— if not surpass— that one in terms of comfort and back support. Sealy’s move toward higher-end products is reflected this year in both its Stearns & Foster and Posturepedic lines.
For 2006, Sealy is promoting the Stearns & Foster Ultra Luxury Sleep System, which is part of the larger Hospitality Collection. Sealy Posturepedic, meanwhile, has two lines it is promoting as part of its Specialty Collection: True Form, which is 100% latex foam, and Spring Free, a visco product that comes with a foam-encased inner spring.
Hotel owners are prepared to pay more because they understand the high return on investment they’ll see from the dollars spent, according to Leo Vogel, Sealy director of sales and marketing for contract sales. This applies equally to new construction and for hotels either being converted to a new flag or simply entering their regular renovation cycle.
“The luxury segment these products are intended for has come back especially strongly in the rebound,” Vogel said. “And part of these hotels’ brand promise is that the mattress and rest of the bed experience will be in a class by itself.” They’re also aware that lower-priced hotel categories are barking at their heels, offering signature beds of their own. Consequently, they feel more and more that they have to work to preserve their competitive advantage.
