It’s not just the gorgeous décor, enviable locations and gourmet restaurants that make some of the UK’s finest hotels a success, they wouldn’t be on anyone's hot list if they hadn't nailed the ultimate hotel sleep experience, too.
Related: Could this new bedding be the simple solution for a perfect night's sleep?
Bedding experts, Tielle Love Luxury, know a thing or two about creating the perfect boutique bedroom as suppliers of luxury bedlinen to many of the world’s five star hotels.
So we’ve enlisted their co-director, Robert Lancaster Gaye, to tell us how to recreate the hotel room experience at home, inspired by some of his favourite rooms at The Pig, The Ned and Artist’s Residence.
Three tricks behind the ultimate hotel sleep experience
1. Create a calm and quiet haven
The use of textiles, such as an upholstered headboard, heavy curtains, rugs or a good quality carpet underlay will absorb noise, keeping the room a quiet and relaxing retreat. For a restful and restorative sleep, it’s important the room is as dark as possible, even in early summer mornings, as any light will disrupt melatonin levels. Heavy curtains will not only add to that hotel atmosphere but the addition of black out lining to curtains or blinds, will also help to ensure the bedroom stays completely dark.
2. Invest in good quality, comfortable pillows
As we spend around a third of our lives on our pillows, it’s important to get it right. Pillows are probably the single most important item in a hotel, so making sure that you’ve got pillows at home that work for you, is a worthwhile investment. Natural-filling in pillows make for the best night’s sleep because they breathe more easily. Tielle’s guide below, advises on how to pick the right pillow for your sleeping style.
- Back sleeper: choose a soft pillow that won’t push your head forward and put stress on your neck.
- Side sleeper: choose a high firm pillow to support spine and neck alignment, consider putting a pillow between the knees to prevent pain in the lower back.
- Front sleeper: choose a soft pillow with gentle support to protect back and neck, you can also tuck a pillow under stomach to prevent lower back strain
- Allergy sufferer: Choose a hypoallergenic pillow with a quality micro-fibre filling
3. Choose hotel-standard thread count bedlinen
You can’t go wrong with classic white sheets – rest assured they will never go out of style and it’s the simplest way to add boutique chic to a bedroom – that’s why they are used at all of the best hotels. It’s easy to layer on throws or cushions if you want to add an accent colour or statement pattern.
Related: Too hot to sleep? Here's how to stay cool in bed
Many people assume the higher the thread count, the better the quality, but it’s not that simple. 300 thread count or 400 thread count, woven from a good quality cotton is the perfect level of luxury.
For example, the Classic Hotel 300tc Bed Linen set, from £95, are same as the silky soft sheets enjoyed by five star hotels, such as The Pig and Firmdale Hotels.
Sweet dreams, all!