Hotel bedding: How to create the utmost comfort and style at home

Few things in life feel as fabulous as a stay in a beautiful hotel. Interestingly, it’s not the food, the bar, or even the service that most guests name-check when asked about what they enjoy the most about a hotel break. Rather, it’s almost always the bed – which really means the hotel bedding – that scores the best and biggest plaudits. The good news is it’s easier than you think to replicate the feeling of a five-star hotel bed at home. That process begins with investing in new bedding: think sheets, pillowcases, pillows, duvets, duvet covers and blankets.

 

White bedding is the best choice to replicate the feeling of a five-star hotel bed at home – but why not add a dash of colour with our Lexington Sateen Two Line collection shown here with a Fuchsia stripe?

All white hotel bedding

The allure of a luxury hotel bed begins well before we even lie down on it. As with so much in life, appearances matter. Most luxury hotel bedding is white, not brightly coloured. There’s a variety of reasons why.

First and foremost, white bedding is a versatile, timeless classic. It’s a neutral that allows hotels to be creative and colourful elsewhere in the room scheme. White is an enduring basic that can be refreshed seasonally with cushions and blankets. It also gives the impression that a bed is clean and fresh (and genuinely shows up any dirt or grubbiness if it’s not).

Furthermore colour psychology suggests that a neutral colour palette promotes feelings of calm and serenity – vital within a bedroom setting that’s conducive to sleep. So your first priority when recreating the comfort and style of a hotel bed at home involves swapping any brightly coloured bedding for cool, crisp, welcoming shades of white.

Our Biarritz 320 thread count Egyptian cotton collection includes a range of fitted sheets to help your bed look and feel smart and neat

Materials matter

Where hotel bedding is concerned, substance is just as important as style – so materials matter. Your sheets and pillowcases, which have direct contact with your skin, should feel soft and luxurious. The materials we offer include Egyptian cotton, organic cotton, and cotton sateen.

As its name suggests, Egyptian Cotton is grown exclusively in Egypt’s Nile Delta. This region’s soil and climate ensures that cotton plants grower slower for longer. This results in exceptionally long, fine fibres that are picked by hand, not machine, a process that keeps these fibres straight and intact. They are subsequently used to make luxurious textiles such as high-end hotel bedding.

Many people skimp on a top sheet, but a high-quality flat sheet, such as our Vermont 200 thread count option, really will help to create a hotel-worthy bed

If sustainability is your priority, choose organic cotton. This uses no chemicals, fertilisers or pesticides to produce, and also uses less water, preserves soil quality, and limits soil erosion.

The term sateen refers to a weave pattern, rather than a material, which gives this type of bedding a heavier feel that some people find more luxurious (and can be warmer, too). All sorts of materials, including cotton, polyester and rayon, can be used to craft sateen sheets. They typically drape well, resist wrinkles and sport a silky sheen finish.

Always pay special attention to the bedding that has direct contact with your skin, such as pillowcases

Hotel bedding thread counts explained

Another key element to consider when recreating the comfort and style of a hotel bed is thread count. This is a way of measuring the number of horizontal and vertical threads per square inch of your bed linen. The best thread count depends on personal preference: we offer thread counts from 200-600. Higher thread counts tend to be associated with high-quality hotel bedding, however, the quality of the yarn used is equally important.

Hotelier tricks and tips

Fitted sheets lay the foundations (literally!) for a great night’s sleep. Pair with a flat top sheet for that luxe finishing touch. Layers can also make a huge difference. “Triple sheeting” is a clever way to create a great hotel-worthy bed. This insider secret involves layering a thin blanket or comforter between two starched sheets, to create a bed that feels extra-crisp and clean.

For the ultimate luxury hotel-style duvet, explore our Hungarian goose down collection, available in a range of different togs

Picking pillows

While there’s no substitute for high-quality hotel bedding, the world’s best pillowcases and duvet covers can’t compensate for any inferior pillows or duvets inside them.

Luxury pillows are a must-have investment if you’ve set your heart on a five-star sleep – as is a premium duvet. Size and pillow quantity matter of course, but the right filling is crucial too, as this will affect the firmness and loft (compressed height level when your head is resting on it).

Most luxury hotels offer a range of different sizes and types of pillows. We also offer a range of different dimensions and fillings, to suit all pockets and preferences, including the finest Hungarian goose down, wool, and pure silk. Our collection even includes an eco-friendly vegan pillow.

Our eco-friendly vegan pillows simulate the luxurious loft of natural down, without any animal components or derivatives. They’re easier to launder too!

The low-down on duvets

Just like our pillows, our luxury duvets are made from the highest quality materials, and feature a range of both natural and synthetic fillings, from silk to goose down (and we have vegan down duvet options too).

It sounds obvious, but make sure your duvet is big enough for your bed. In addition to your filling, pay careful attention to the tog rating (which measures warmth, not thickness). The higher the tog, the warmer the duvet. Most high-end hotels adjust their bedding according to the season, ensuring guests don’t swelter in summer and shiver during the winter.

Our Brooklyn button hem duvet cover – available in five different sizes – is one of our best-sellers

The finishing touches for hotel bedding

In addition to a duvet cover, luxury hotel bedding will often include a blanket or throw. These are usually smooth, super soft, warm to the touch, and made from a material that won’t shed or “pill”.

 

Why not complement your hotel-style bedding with a pretty machine-washable cotton throw, such as our Madison, available in four versatile pastel shades

The best blankets and throws aren’t just pleasing aesthetically, but are tactile too. They are a clever way to introduce an accent colour to a bedroom scheme, and add a layer of extra cosiness and warmth when needed. Opt for a weightier wool version in winter, and ring the changes with cotton in spring/summer.

Click here to learn more about how hotels refresh their rooms as the seasons change.