Why is it that when you crawl into a hotel bed for the night it feels more comfortable than your bed at home? Strange enough the answer is not what you would expect as it’s the duvet the hotel uses. Most people mistakenly assume that the duvets hotels use are thick, expensive, feather-filled ones. In reality, the duvets used in most UK hotels are chosen for far more practical reasons, including cost and the ability to survive an industrial laundry hundreds of times.
Synthetic filling wins on practicality alone
From chains to luxury resorts, almost all of them use synthetic duvets instead of down or feather ones. Premier Inn is a good example of this. Microfibre and hollowfibre are two man-made fillers that are mixed to make the duvets in their rooms. Each one does a certain job. Microfibre is spun very thinly, which makes the handle soft, smooth, and almost like down. Hollow fibres are made of hollow strands that trap air to give the fabric loft, warmth, and springiness.
There’s a good reason why hotels choose synthetic duvets. The mould and dust mites that grow in natural fillings can’t get into synthetic fillings because they are hypoallergenic. For the thousands of people who use the same room, this is very important. To make them last longer, wash them in hot water. They are also easier to clean and replace. Natural fillers, like down, get lumpy and lose their loft after being washed a lot.
Why hotel duvets are lighter than you expect
The tog rating measures how well a duvet insulates, and hotels pay very close attention to these ratings. Many people assume hotels purchase the warmest duvets. They do the exact opposite. Premier Inn uses a 4.5 tog duvet for summer and switch to a 10.5 tog duvet for the rest of the year. It’s worth noting that the 10.5 tog in hotels is the warm option and in homes it’s a 13.5 or 15 tog.
The logic is that hotel rooms are heated and temperature-controlled, so a duvet with a moderate tog rating is best as it works for a range of sleepers. Hotels receive more complaints about guests getting too hot than about guests feeling cold. This is why a lighter, breathable duvet is the better choice.
Built for the laundry room
What separates a hotel duvet from a personal one is how it’s made not what it’s filled with. Premier Inn’s duvets use straight channel stitching. This holds the filling in even columns to stop it from bunching up after washing, which also helps stop warm and cold patches in the duvet. Their duvets also come with overlocked edges for durability. They are designed to be machine washable at 40 degrees Celsius. This allows the housekeeping teams to clean and dry them quickly between uses.
It’s also good to know that the inner part of the duvet isn’t washed after every guest. The sheets and the duvet cover are changed each time, while the inner is laundered on a rotating schedule. To further protect the inner duvet, hotels often add a washable protector. The bedding made for the hospitality industry is made to be tougher, more colour-stable, and easier to clean than bedding made for homes. This is why a hotel duvet holds its shape long after a home one would have gone lumpy.
The real source of the “hotel feel”
Despite what you might have heard, that cloud-like sensation you experience in hotel beds is not from the duvet. It’s how the bedding is layered. Hotels start with a soft mattress and a plump topper. Then add crisp cotton percale sheets and a well-fitted cover. The duvet adds loft and a clean, even drape. This is why when people try using the same duvet at home they are disappointed.
People in the UK who want a hotel-style duvet for their own home no longer have to guess or squint at the label. Premier Inn now lets people buy the same microfibre and hollowfibre duvet that is used in its hotels. As well as single, double, and super king sizes, these duvets come in 4.5 tog and 10.5 tog weights. With the right topper and freshly ironed percale sheets, you can get closer to the look and feel of a hotel bed at home than you used to be.
