Getting into a smooth clean comfortable bed is one of the joys of staying in a top class hotel. Why not recreate that experience every night at home.
1. Choose a quality mattress
Double Bed Mattress
Hotels would not survive for long if their beds had the reputation for giving guests backache. A firm mattress is best. If you prefer a softer mattress add a mattress pad which molds itself to your body for comfort.
2. Keep Your Mattress in Good Condition
If you have a good mattress but it hasn't been flipped or cleaned in a while then now is a good time to do that. To clean the mattress sprinkle it liberally with baking soda (you may need more than one pot) leave for a few hours and then vacuum up the baking soda. Spray the bed with fabric freshener to freshen it up too.
Flip your mattress every few months so that it wears evenly. Mattresses are designed to last about 10 years - but not if you leave them on one side all the time.
To protect your mattress and keep it clean get a mattress cover - they are quite cheap to buy and can be laundered in the washing machine (far easier than cleaning your mattress).
3. Smooth Clean Sheets
Most hotels don't go in for fancy bedding ensembles but they always have quality sheets. These are the kind made of super fine cotton with a high thread count which feels smooth to the touch. Only quality sheets can survive the high temperatures of commercial laundries and come out looking good wash after wash.
Make sure your sheets are fresh, crisp and smooth - launder as soon as they lose their crisp fresh feel and make sure you iron them nice and smooth.
Plain white will give you the authentic hotel feeling. Colors don't survive the rigors of the hotel laundry either.
4. Plump Pillows
If your pillows have seen better days, and are stained and lumpy, replace them. If they are just a bit flat, running them through the tumble drier with a dryer sheet to freshen them and plump them up a bit may help. (Check the care instructions first). If all else fails try two pillows in one pillow sham to give a plumper look.
Pillow shams like sheets need to be smooth crisp and clean. Just imagine your cheek laying down on that cool smooth surface as you sink into a great night's sleep.
5. Duvet or Comforter
A duvet placed in a washable crisp cover to match the sheets (i.e. pure white) is all you need to keep you warm and cosy. Alternatively a crisp top sheet and comforter will do the same job.
6. Top Cover
Cover the bed with a decorative cover that you remove before you get into bed - this will mean that the cover does not need to be constantly laundered. Some hotels do not use a top cover for hygiene reasons - there is no time to launder between guests - and just leave the bed with a pure crisp white look. If that suits your room décor than that's great too.
So those are the elements that make a bed in a top class hotel so comfortable. Now all you need is someone to turn back the sheets before you get into bed and leave a chocolate on your pillow. Sweet dreams!