Hotel Pillows in the UK: Sizing, Safety Labels and Supplier Red Flags
The comfort and sleep experience you enjoy at a quality hotel can feel miles apart from a typical night in your own bed.
We often get asked, ‘how do hotels do it?’ and ‘why are hotel pillows so comfortable?’ While it might seem like some kind of witchcraft, the answer is usually pretty simple. It all comes down to the quality and design of the bed, bedding and linens.
Plush mattresses, crisp yet soft white linen, and sumptuous bedding create a winning combination, providing guests with a comfortable, luxurious and relaxing haven away from the pressures of day to day life to truly relax and reset.
With this in mind, it’s perhaps not surprising that more people are trying to recreate the experience with hotel-style bedding and pillows at home.
Yet, when it comes to creating the ideal sleep sanctuary for your hotel guests, finding the perfect hotel pillows can feel like a daunting task, especially when preferences vary so much from person to person. And, with all the jargon and a sea of suppliers promising different USPs, bedding choices can be hard to navigate.
In this blog, we explore why hotel pillows are so comfortable in the UK and what makes them feel so luxurious. Whether you’re a guest curious about that perfect night’s sleep or a hotelier looking to upgrade your bedding, you’ll find all the insights you need to understand and recreate that cosy experience.
Why are high quality pillows so important?
Hilton’s latest trends report found that the number one reason people want to travel is to ‘rest and recharge’.
Bedding is not only essential to help guests get a restful and restorative night’s sleep, but it’s also a key quality indicator. In fact, 93% of hotel guests said the quality of towels and bedding would affect their decision to return to the hotel - 58% of which said this would be a significant factor.
Finding the perfect hotel style pillows: key considerations
Sizing
UK hotel pillows usually come in normal (48cm x 70cm) and extra long (50cm x 90cm). Extra long pillows are often used for king-sized or super king-sized beds, or where hotels want to create a more luxurious, indulgent feel.
Weight
A pillow’s weight indicates how soft or firm it is. While weights can vary somewhat by filling, on a typical scale a super soft pillow is usually around 400g, while a firm pillow ranges up to 1000g.
Bear in mind that extra long pillows will contain more material and therefore weights differ. As an indicator, our extra long Clarence soft pillow weighs 1200g, while the firm pillow comes in at 1700g.
Pillow covers
Not to be confused with a pillow case, the pillow cover refers to the material encasing the filling. Our cover materials include:
-
Cotton - Typically at the higher end of the price scale and used across luxurious hotels. Cotton covers are essential for feather pillows to stop the filling poking through the surface. They’re also breathable, moisture wicking and soft and cool to touch - a great choice for regulating temperature naturally.
-
Microfibre - A fantastic mid-range option, microfibre gives pillows a smooth, cool outer and a bright white finish.
-
Polycotton - A durable, long-lasting and cost-effective option. Polycotton covers are super soft and often machine washable, making them a great low-maintenance choice.
Pillow fillings
Pillow fillings are either categorised as ‘natural’ materials, like feather or down, or synthetic, like polyester and microfibre.
Historically, five-star establishments have opted for luxurious hotel pillows with a natural fill, while budget and mid-market hotels have favoured synthetic fills. However, as synthetic technologies become more advanced, we’re seeing more luxury hotels venturing down the microfibre route, especially where they need a hypoallergenic or vegan-friendly option.
We go into more detail on pillow fillings and how they compare here.
Guest preferences and sleeping positions
It’s important that hotel pillows feel comfortable and supportive, keeping the head and neck aligned with the spine. Guests should not be waking up with stiffness, aches or pains as a result of an unsupportive pillow arrangement.
Yet, with pillow preferences and positions varying so much from guest to guest, it’s not possible to find a ‘one size fits all’ solution. According to sleep educator, Dr Doug Cary, even ‘normal’ sleepers change their sleeping position 15-20 times on average per night, while for ‘poor’ sleepers that could be twice as high.
While some five-star hotels offer a pillow menu so guests can create their own perfect sleep set-up, budget and mid-market hotels often provide memory foam pillows that adapt to the user, or synthetic, hypoallergenic pillows. Providing each guest with a soft and a firm pillow allows them to choose their favourite, or order them in the way they prefer.
Maintenance
When shopping for the right hotel quality pillows, you’ll understandably go to consider comfort, materials and price points first. But before committing to your choice, be sure to check the care instructions to ensure your housekeeping team has the resources to look after them properly to prolong their lifespan.
Care labels should outline whether pillows should be spot cleaned, machine washed or dry cleaned only.
We also usually recommend that pillows are shaken and plumped daily to redistribute the filling and prevent the build up of dust mites and bacteria.
Supplier red flags
With so many different providers on the market, it can be tricky to know where to start your search. While there are lots of great hotel bedding manufacturers out there, there are some ‘red flags’ to be wary of.
Look out for:
-
Unsubstantiated sustainability claims - If a provider or manufacturer makes vague claims about being ‘eco-friendly’ but can’t provide the evidence to back it up, it’s likely not there in the first place.
Don’t be afraid to ask about their sustainability goals, which recycled products they offer, and how they promote the circular economy. If they have any of these in place, they should be able to shout about them loud and proud! Even better, look for providers with Carbon Neutral or B Corp accreditations, as these mark high and independently verified standards.
-
A Jack of all trades, master of none - Are hotel bed products a core product offering, or an afterthought? A company with a vast inventory across multiple sectors can be a great go-to for lots of products, but for hotel bedding it often pays to use a specialist. Look for a manufacturer that has experience and expertise in the sector, a real passion and knowledge for what they offer, and a commitment to ongoing development and innovation.
-
Vague or unethical materials sourcing - If it’s not evident in their marketing or product information, your chosen manufacturer should be able to tell you where and how they source their materials.
It’s not only important that they offer high quality materials that stand the test of time and justify your investment, but that they’re sourced ethically, responsibly and sustainably too. This should span everything from supplier processes to the way they treat their employees.
The quest for the perfect hotel pillows
The importance of bedding and sleep experience to guest satisfaction is not to be underestimated. Your offering should be designed to give guests a peaceful and restorative sleep, night after night, ensuring they leave feeling refreshed and raring to leave a glowing review!
Need a hand finding the perfect pillows for your budget, guest offering and price point? Take a look at our buying guide or speak to our friendly team today.