Reasons Why Properties Should Replace their Pillows

Can you remember how long you’ve been using your personal pillow for? Has it been two years, four, years, six years, or even longer? People grow very comfortable with their pillows and like to use them for as long as they retain decent quality.

Obviously, circumstances are different in the hospitality industry since people are just staying there for limited periods of time and aren’t becoming attached to them like they would with their own. Hospitality properties also have a lot more beds and will be using a much higher amount on a daily basis. That brings the question of how often hospitality properties should replace these popular linen items. This blog will explain why it is important that properties replace their bnb and hotel pillows, how to know when it’s time to replace them, and how to care for them.

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Which Offers More Comfort: A Hotel, B&B or a Vacation Rental?

When the first economy hotels opened years ago, they catered to people whose top priority was price not comfort.

Their clientele were families on a budget, or business travelers moving from town to town and needing little more than a clean bed and bath.

But as time went on, these hotels began to upgrade. They provided free breakfast, bought better bath towels and duvets and – when the time came – began offering free WiFi. That’s why today’s traveler is expecting more, and often getting more for their money.

And it’s not just hotels. InnStyle has been advising their bed and breakfast customers for years that they must step up their game to compete.

B&B and country inn properties have always offered amenities, clean and well-put-together rooms, terrific breakfasts, and concierge services. (Innkeepers are very knowledgeable about their towns).

But as time has passed, hotels have also begun to offer breakfast and some amenities. (Although InnStyle has noticed this doesn’t always extend to bath amenities other then soap & shampoo, unless you ask for them specifically).

So if hotels are offering some of the same comfort amenities as bed and breakfasts, what’s the difference between a hotel and a B&B?

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What’s On Your Pillow Menu?

A few years ago, I was at a conference for innkeepers, camped out at my booth showing some of InnStyle’s products.

A colleague of mine – a former innkeeper who had become an industry consultant – stopped by the booth to ask if I could give her some pillow samples to show during her seminar.

Of course I was happy to oblige, and to act as a sort of teacher to a few of her aspiring innkeeper “students” who wanted to learn about our pillows and other products.

It was a pleasure to meet these upcoming innkeepers, allow them to try out our products – by touching and even laying on the pillows – and to explain some of the choices they had when it came to buying new pillows.

And I learned something as well that day at the conference: My former innkeeper colleague suggested I create a pillow menu for our website.

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How to Make the Perfect Hospitality Bed

Whether you’re running a three-room bed and breakfast from your quaint seaside cottage or a bustling 50-room boutique hotel in a trendy urban locale, making the perfect bed is one of your most important tasks.

Large hotels understand the importance most travelers place on getting a good night’s rest in a comfortable and luxurious bed, so much so that hotel chains have spent millions of dollars in recent years in what industry insiders have dubbed “the bed wars”.

Thanks to research conducted by large hotel chains, we know that, in general, guests tend to associate white bedding with comfort, luxury, and calm. Do remember, though, that such a simple color palette need not be boring. You can really let your creativity shine by layering and mixing textures and accessorizing with tasteful pops of color.

Here, we’ll show you not only how to protect one of your most important investments, your mattresses, but also how to make your hospitality bed in a manner that will be most appealing to your guests.

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Purchasing Pillows For Your Inn

Since there are so many choices out in the marketplace on pillows, innkeepers are always concerned about purchasing the correct and best pillows for their Inn. We usually can solve these concerns by speaking to them about their options and budgets and sending them samples to try. The truth is that everyone has different likes and dislikes when it comes to pillows. So we will always advise to have a few different styles of pillows in each room and extra styles/sizes on hand.

Size of Pillows

The size of bed pillows you choose will depend on the size of the bed and the preferences of your guests and how they sleep. In general, for a twin size bed, a standard pillow would be the correct size. For a queen bed two queens is a preference and for a king bed two king pillows would fit best on the bed. We always suggest having 2 pillows in the room for each guest. It would be best to have a soft (down-like) pillow and a medium firm pillow. It is always good to have available a few down pillows and a few firm pillows (in standard, queen & king) on hand for those guests who prefer “real down” or very firm pillows. Also, guests sleeping on a king bed may prefer a smaller pillow then a king. Having these extra pillows on hand in different fills and sizes is a thoughtful accommodation for your guests who will appreciate your consideration of their sleeping needs. On our site we have a pillow menu that may help with making pillow choices for your particular property. Guests appreciate it when they can have the pillow of their choice to ensure a good night’s sleep.

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