Beauty and luxury draw us to a 5-star hotel, but the great night’s sleep we enjoy during our stay is what brings us back again and again. A great night’s sleep is essential to health and well-being and comfortable and hygienic bedding is essential to a great night’s sleep. Down Etc is purpose driven to provide the bedding that will allow you to create the same relaxing atmosphere you would enjoy at your favorite hotel.
We have spent innumerable hours over the last twenty years discussing sleep and sleep habits with our hospitality clients, which include five-star hotels, casinos, and cruise ships throughout the world. We asked a lot of questions and listened to the answers. We also listened to the guests of our hospitality clients who contacted us following their stays to inquire into purchasing the bedding they had enjoyed for use in their own homes. We launched our website in response to these conversations with the idea of helping these guests repeat their hotel experiences at home. Here is some of what we have learned.
Cleanliness is Key
A 5-star hotel must be spotless. Bed hygiene goes beyond what you can see on the top of the bed. Hotels build their beds from the bottom up by protecting their mattresses and pillows through the constant use of protectors. Quality mattresses and pillows are an investment. They should be protected from the inevitable sweat, drool, and accidents that will occur whether in use in a hotel or at home. The concern with hygiene has only been heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic. We recommend (strongly!) the consistent use of waterproof mattress pads and zippered pillow protectors. “Why You Need a Pillow Protector” For the same reason hotels do, they provide a barrier against wear and tear, moisture, and stains.
Let a Pillow Butler® Assist You
Luxury hotels provide a Pillow Butler® complete with a pillow menu from which discriminating guests can choose the perfect pillow. At Down Etc, we offer “The Pillow Butler® Program—Five Star Treatment at Home.” The Team at Down Etc is always available and delighted to discuss everything about the way you sleep to help you pick the perfect pillow. Are you a side sleeper, stomach sleeper, or back sleeper? Do you like to sleep on down or down alternative pillows? Do you need a pillow to prop yourself up to read or to watch television? Maybe, you need more than one pillow to meet all your needs. It is our pleasure to talk you through our pillow menu.
Make the Bed Like a Professional
We have spent 20 years working with some of the best professional housekeepers around the world. We share their secrets in “How to Properly Make Your Bed.” In bringing our sheets to customers at home, we made things simple by creating sheet sets. You can select a prepackaged sheet set (flat sheet, fitted sheet, pillowcases) or sheet set with duvet from any one of our eleven lines, or you can create your own set by mixing and matching individual items from several lines.
One of the secrets we learned is the “foot pocket.” A luxury hotel will go the extra foot, literally, by creating a foot pocket for its taller guests. It is a way in which the bedmaker can place and fold the top sheet to create extra room for the tall guest to stretch or to lie with their heels down and feet up. You can read all about foot pockets in our book Roll Into a Perfectly Made Bed: All You Need to Know About the Art of Bedmaking. Read more about how to “Sleep Like a Guest in 2021 (Under New Sheets)” in our STORIES. “Why Do Hotels Use White Bed Sheets?” For a variety of reasons including ease of laundering. These same reasons apply at home.
Every Day Is a Spa Day
High-quality resort robes, slippers, and bath products from Down Etc turn any bathroom into a luxurious spa retreat. They create a warm and relaxing mood sure to rejuvenate from head to toe.
From head …
No matter the style, celebrities, as well as those of us who follow them, want healthy hair. Rough towels can contribute to breakage, tangling, and flyways. That is why we recommend Wash Me Tender™ Organic Cotton and Silk Towel Sets. The natural non-dyed toweling is perfect for sensitive, damaged, or newborn hair. It is also eco-friendly. A favorite of our spa clients, this towel set includes a mitt, wash cloth, and head towel, and comes in a jersey drawstring bag with a drawcord and a wood bead trim with an instructional hang tag. In addition, Down Etc includes a soothing gel pack to cool irritated skin, treat injuries, and reduce inflammation and swelling through the use of natural cold therapy. This ultra-soft toweling is perfect for sensitive skin, too.
Celebrities protect their styles and keep their hair from breaking while they sleep by resting on silk pillowcases. You can do the same with our Tiara Silks® Pillowcase. Silk is prescribed for people who care about their skin and hair. The pillowcase is made of whisper-soft silk charmeuse. It comes with a beautifully packaged organza sachet filled with premium aromatherapeutic lavender potpourri that tucks neatly into a hidden pocket inside the pillowcase. The pillowcase folds neatly into a color coordinated cut velvet fabric bag. It is the perfect gift to give yourself or someone else who cares about their hair and skin.
At Down Etc, we keep our eyes open for ways in which we can incorporate new discoveries and age-old wisdom into our products with the single goal of providing our customers with a great night’s sleep. Aromatherapy is one of those age-old practices in the news for its potential to reduce stress, ease pain, and improve sleep. The Team at Down Etc has enjoyed aromatherapy for some time, creating the Tiara Silks® Collection of aromatherapy pillows. Read about “Aromatherapy for Sleep” in our STORIES.
… to toe …
Swapping shoes for slippers is not just for Disney princesses or hotel guests. Think about the slippers waiting for you in your room when you check into a hotel. Provide your family and your guests with the same VIP service by keeping our pre-packaged, one-time use, hotel quality slippers handy. Place them at the front door for each member of the family and a few extras for guests. Be sure to keep a variety of sizes to fit men, women, and children. Learn about the ritual of slippers and slippers of note in our STORIES.
… and back to head again.
Do not wait until you next visit a hotel to treat yourself to a sleep mask. It is not simply the duration of sleep, but the quality of sleep that is at issue. The goal is comfortable and restful sleep without disturbances. One of those disturbances is ambient light, whether it is natural light coming through windows or artificial lights present in your bedroom. You do not need to be at a luxury hotel to sleep like a star with a silky eye mask.
Create the Atmosphere
Luxury hotels attempt to appeal to all your senses. Our five senses guide us throughout our day, but they can also support healthy sleep each night. Our sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch are all critical ways that we experience our surroundings before bed. By focusing on each of these and finding the combination that works best for you, it is possible to create the right environment for the rejuvenating sleep that we crave. You can start with sight by taking five to ten minutes to envision the scene while lying in bed, focusing on the visual elements and colors in the scene. Soon you will begin to feel relaxed and ready to sleep. Incorporate this into your bedtime routine each evening for a better night’s sleep. To learn about incorporating your other senses into a luxurious night’s sleep, read “Improve Your Sleep by Focusing on Your Five Senses.”
Did you know about the power of flowers? Luxury hotels do, which is why you may have noticed flowers in the bathroom during your last stay. That is not an accident. Flowers can improve emotional health according to behavioral research conducted at Rutgers University. Seeing flowers first thing in the morning can influence the rest of your day. Read the ways you can “Bring the Power of Flowers into Your Bedroom and Bath” in our STORIES.
Bottom Line, Sleep Health and Wellness Is Your Health and Wellness
You will notice hotels focusing on health and wellness, particularly sleep health and wellness. There is a reason for that; sleep health and wellness are critical to your overall health and wellness. It is the reason the Team at Down Etc stays current with what is going on in the field of sleep. Since “knowledge is power,” we try to share that information. We are not doctors, but we want to share what doctors are discovering. Topics have included everything from the advantages of replacing one large comforter with two twin comforters when you share the bed with your partner to the benefits of “pillow talk” before sleep and everything in between. You can check out our recent blog posts on the negative effects of lack of sleep on our immunity and the ways we can improve our sleep and our immunity. Sleeping like a guest at a 5-star hotel is good for your health.
Updated Links July 29, 2022
