The importance of thread count and how it can enhance the guest experience in hotels, and B&B’s.
InnStyle has been in business long enough to have seen trends in the hospitality industry rise and fall. This is especially true for bedding in properties such as hotels, inns, and rental properties. However, one thing hasn’t changed: guests will always want comfort and quality.
That’s why those of us at InnStyle have decided to share rules for improving your return on investment in property bedding.
Percale and Sateen are the two most popular choices of weaves for sheeting. Each of these sheet types are woven from cotton and are available in multiple varieties of cotton; including Upland (lowest quality), Egyptian, and Pima cotton.
Percale weave is a plain weave fabric. In this weave process, the threads are tightly woven which creates a matte appearance with a fine, soft finish. It is always a good choice for your sheeting as it can be very durable since it goes through less stress during the manufacturing process. It is also a good choice for warmer climates.Continue reading →
There is something luxurious when you slip in between cotton sheets. We think it is because nature designed the perfect fiber for softness and comfort. The finer characteristics of cotton have been praised for thousands of years, and today cotton is synonymous with quality, comfort and beauty.
Our most popular sheet is one that we manufacture and have been offering for over eight years, a 600 Pima Cotton Wrinkle-Free Sheet that innkeepers and their guests both love! There have been many articles written praising this sheet. Guests will come to the innkeeper asking if she/he has been ironing the sheet when they, the guest, are out for the day. That is how nice the sheet looks and feels on the bed! There is nothing better than sleeping on a 100% pima cotton sheet and being wrinkle-free certainly adds to the attractiveness to both the innkeeper and to the guest!
Here is what our Innkeepers say about these sheets:
Fig Street Inn ~ We have missed the 600TC wrinkle free sheets.
Boathouse Bed & Breakfast ~ These are the best sheets. Our guests love them and glad that they are back.
The Inn Style Wrinkle Free Sheets always had a nice sturdy weight, never puckered, and kept their sheen. That weight contributes to the quality, wrinkle resistance, and makes these sheets unique among all I have tried.
I was very happy to see the return of this item (wrinkle free sheets). We received a sample pillowcase last week, washed it, then washed it again, ran it through the dryer each time. Each time it came out beautifully. Finally we have our sheets back!!
~Dennis Ynclan – Owner Daytona Ocean Front Rentals & Sales, LLC
Thank you . . .we love the sheets at a fraction of what we had paid. . .I greatly appreciate having you to talk with about our needs and then being able to to focus our purchases in a “one stop shopping” manner. Your personal attention to our requests is outstanding.
~Dan and Robbi Boone, Owners – Alamo Street Victorian Inn
To order these 600 thread count wrinkle free sheets, or any fine linens you see on our website, give us a call at 1-800-977-4667.
Customer attention and satisfaction is our hallmark.
When considering cotton sheets, you should consider more than just thread count. Thread count is a measure of the number of yarns woven into one square inch of fabric. Thread count is important, but is only one part of the story. The quality of a sheet is determined by other key components as well, but it all starts with the quality of the fiber itself and the yarn from which it is made.
One of the world’s finest cotton is grown in Egypt. Egyptian cotton is renowned because it yields a long-staple cotton. The quality of the yarn is largely a function of the length of the staple or cotton fiber. This is because long-staple cotton can be spun into a smoother, stronger, much finer yarn so that it is possible to weave more threads per inch into the fabric resulting in a higher thread count. Many inferior, short-staple cotton yarns can be jammed into a square inch to create a higher thread count, but the resulting fabric can feel heavy and coarse–compared to a soft fine hand of an Egyptian or Pima cotton.
Pima Cotton is another fine cotton. Both Egyptian Cotton and Pima Cotton are made from premium cottons known for softness and luxury. Pima Cotton is an extra long staple cotton grown mainly in the southwestern U.S. These fibers are woven into a softer and more durable fabric than shorter cotton yarns. Pima Cotton is also known as Supima Cotton (which is a brand name).
After the finest cotton has been selected, spun and woven into cloth of the very best quality, the process doesn’t stop there. Finishing it can also dramatically affect the feel and the quality of the final product. Attention to detail continues into the fabric finishing and sewing which can also dramatically affect the feel and the quality of the final product.
Most all cotton sheets are mercerized-a process that helps plump the fibers, giving the fabric greater luster. When using a state of the art finishing process, it will bring out the subtle sheen of a sateen, the softest nap of cotton, the richest longest-lasting colors and enhances both the feel of the fabric and the quality of the weave.
When purchasing a luxurious Egyptian Cotton or Pima (Supima) Cotton sheet, you will notice the difference from a sheet claiming to be a high thread count. Again, the true quality of a cotton sheet is how it is grown, it’s construction and finishing process. Many sellers of sheets may claim on their packaging that it is a high thread count, Egyptian cotton, etc., beware of the small print as there are products with false labeling in the marketplace. In the small print, you will see that it states “feels like Egyptian Cotton “ and list a high thread count but in most cases, it is an all polyester product – not cotton.
Remember, you get what you pay for and when you pay a little more for your cotton sheets you get a much better quality!
Excerpts from Online Shopper
The New York Times
By MICHELLE SLATALLA
Published: March 22, 2007
E-mail: Slatalla@nytimes.com
“To get to the bottom of the mystery of wrinkle-free fabric that stays wrinkle-free, I phoned Cotton Inc., a trade organization, which researches fiber as part of promoting the interests of cotton growers.
“To get wrinkle-free sheets, the fabric should be finished the same way as for wrinkle-free khakis or wrinkle-free cotton shirts,” said Lee Snyder, the associate director of technology implementation, who has been working on specialized wrinkle-free finishes for Cotton Inc. since 1974.
He said you treat the cotton with resins so that the hydrogen bonds in the fabric stay flat, instead of getting all wrinkled up.
“Does the chemical treatment wear off?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “It should last as long as you’re using the sheet.”
That’s all I needed to hear. Eagerly I rushed to my computer, typed Innstyle.com into the keyword search box and prepared to elevate my bedding to the next level.
“The source for innkeeper supplies and linens since 1952,” the site announced, and the rest of the text on the site — phrases like “innkeepers only” and “wholesale supplier” — made it clear that retail orders weren’t encouraged.
I decided to investigate anyway. That’s how I stumbled upon a product description of 300-thread-count wrinkle-resistant sheet sets, 100 percent combed cotton with a sateen weave, available in four colors (sage, white, blue and cream).
I phoned Susan Sternthal, the site’s co-owner, and told her my story.
“This happens to people all the time,” she said. “I had my own nephew just stay in a hotel. He said, ‘I want those sheets.’ I said, ‘If you don’t tell me the name of the hotel, I won’t know what sheets they used.’ ”
“If I tell you the name of the inn where I stayed, will you sell me the same sheets?” I asked.
Ms. Sternthal said: “We had a retail linen store for 53 years in Pennsylvania, but we closed it last year, and now we’re not looking to sell to the general consumer. I will tell you that now.”
She paused.
I felt a glimmer of hope.
“But we will still take retail phone orders,” she said.
Then she added: “No returns. That’s because my manufacturers aren’t going to take it back unless it’s really damaged.”
Before she could change her mind, I said, “The inn where I stayed was called Cornucopia at Oldfield.”
Ms. Sternthal said, “Let me see what she buys.” She looked up the information. “She buys the 300-count sheets for the twin beds and the 600-count sheets in king size.”
“I slept in a king-size bed,” I said.
“Then the 600,” she said.
“I don’t see them on the site,” I said.
Ms. Sternthal said: “There was a change of who was manufacturing them, and for some of our customers, if the color didn’t match, they had issues. So we still stock some of the 600-count sheets for people who ask. But they aren’t shown on the site.”
I said, “While I have you on the phone, can you tell me what blanket they had on the bed at Cornucopia?”
“She bought the waffle blanket cover, the 60-40 cotton blend,” Ms. Sternthal said.
“I’ll take that, too,” I said.
“I’ll have one of my sales reps call you with retail prices,” she said.”
Our best selling 600 thread count ‘wrinkle free’ sheets are available in limited quantities, but more are on the way. Get your orders in now to be assured of shipment on “innkeepers’ most popular wrinkle free sheet style”. To order , please contact us at 267-354-6020 or toll-free at 1-800-877-INNS (4667).