Have you ever wondered why the pillows at a hotel feel so much better than the ones at home. Let us be the first to tell you it’s not because of the brand of pillows that hotels buy. Hotels choose their pillows the same way they choose their mattresses and towels. They look for pillows that provide the perfect balance of comfort, cleanliness, and cost. These pillows must also stand up to a lot of use, as hotels severe hundreds of guests each year. Once you understand how the balance works you can make your home’s pillows just as comfortable.
Natural fill versus synthetic fill
The first group of pillows is natural fill. This includes feather, down, or a blend of the two. Down is the soft, fluffy layer found underneath a bird’s outer feathers. It is what gives pillows that plush, sink-in, cloud-like feeling. Feather is firmer and springier, so it gives pillows more structure. Many high-end hotels use a two-chamber pillow that uses feather in a central core for support and down in the outer layer for softness. The goal here is to deliver the best of both fills in one pillow.
Next you have synthetic fill, like microfibre or hollowfibre. These are very fine polyester fibres designed to trap air and mimic the loft of down. Synthetic fill costs far less than natural fill and is naturally hypoallergenic. They can handle being washed repeatedly in hot water and keep their shape even under heavy use. So it makes sense as to why synthetic pillows are found in so many hotel chains.
Neither group of pillow is “better”. Natural fill is more luxurious and moulds beautifully, but it costs more, needs careful washing and isn’t suitable for people with allergies. Synthetic fill is practical, washable and allergy-friendly, but it doesn’t feel as soft as feather or down.
What pillows do Hilton hotels use?
Hilton’s pillows are natural fill. In almost all of their rooms you will find a feather and down pillow built with the two-chamber design. These pillows offer an inner core packed with duck feather for support with an outer chamber of soft down for a soft and breathable surface. The pillows are offered in both a softer and a firmer version so guests can pick their pillows based on how they sleep. This makes for a plump pillow with great bounce-back and a slightly old-fashioned feel that many people associate with a proper hotel bed.
Some suites and higher end rooms offer a memory foam option. These pillows contour to the head and neck and a favourite of guests with neck or shoulder discomfort. Hilton also sells its bedding directly to the public, so the pillows on the bed are close to what you can buy for home. The only difference is the pillows used in guest rooms are made to survive commercial laundering.
What pillows do Premier Inn use?
Premier Inn takes the opposite approach. They use synthetic pillows filled with layers of low-denier hollowfibre and super-fine fibres. These pillows are designed to feel down-like but are completely hypoallergenic. This is important for a hotel chain that serves a large number of guests as it keeps dust mites and bacteria away and allows for frequent machine washing at forty degrees.
Guests can choose from soft or firm pillows. Each room is stocked with a mix of both so you can create your preferred pillow setup. The two firmness levels use the same kind of fill but use different amounts. This is why the firm pillow is noticeably heavier than the soft one.
Rooms also include a long, firm bolster or roll cushion for sitting up in bed. Each pillow sits inside a quilted cotton-polyester protector that zips off for washing. Staff fluff the pillows between guest stays to help maintain their loft. Trade ranges like Ottoman Textiles hotel bedding sell similar pillows in soft and firm options. It’s an easy way to bring the hotel feeling into a spare room.
Why the two chains use different pillows
A luxury hotel like the Hilton can justify the cost and the specialist cleaning that natural down requires. Plus their luxurious feel is what a lot of people expect for the price of the room. A high-volume budget chain must take into account the cost of washing thousands of pillows repeatedly. They have to think about their about guests with allergies and about a fill that won’t clump or flatten after countless washes. Synthetic fill is the answer to every one of those things, which is why so many UK hotel chains rely on it rather than on feather and down.
What is the pillow layering trick?
Hotels use a protector under the pillowcase that keeps the fill clean and adds a little extra cushion. They also tend to make the bed up with more than one pillow per person. They also store spare pillows in the wardrobe, so guests can stack for height. If you sleep on your side, you want a firm pillow that is high enough to fill the gap between your shoulder and head. Back sleepers still want a firm pillow, but its needs to be a little lower than what side sleepers use. People who sleep on their stomach need a soft, thin pillow, if they use one at all.
You can’t get the right layering without a pillowcase; nobody sleeps on the pillow protector itself. A standard UK pillow measures roughly 48 by 74 centimetres, and Premier Inn’s sit close to that at around 44 by 76 centimetres. So you want your pillowcase to be as close to that size as possible.
Getting the hotel feel at home
It’s not about recreating the perfect hotel pillow look, it’s more about choosing a fill that works with your sleeping style. Use a washable protector underneath your pillowcase, and wash your pillows a few times a year to keep them fresh and lofty. Fluff your pillows every morning to restore their shape, and replace them every couple of years. You will know it’s time for new pillows once the bounce-back begins to fade.
