Bring Them Back With a Hotel Feather Down bed Topper
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Many issues affecting an occupancy downturn are beyond our control; however, when these scenarios do occur, one philosophy that has been around for a long time within all business sectors is still, "Our business must keep the regular clients we already have".
There are many obvious ingredients required to hold on to an existing accommodation client and although sleep comfort was naturally considered to be in the equation somewhere, it was always seen to be just part of offering quality beds in good condition, crisp clean sheets and a premium blanket or quilt.
During the last 12 months in Australia, the phrase 'guest sleep comfort' in accommodation has been taken to a whole new level. The 'feather down bed topper"' phenomenon has finally kicked in here where it has been hugely successful in other parts of the world for some years now.
I have experienced various bed toppers in hotels within the US, Europe and parts of Asia. While some were quite good, many were just retail versions like those we see in some Australian properties where the true hotel bed-topper experience is not being offered. However, it was not until I was on a trade mission in the UAE when their business was booming and I stayed in a sister property to the world famous 'seven-star' Burj hotel in Dubai that I experienced the most magnificent hotel feather down bed topper I had heard about but never seen.
I was fortunate enough to meet with senior management of this hotel group at a function, which helped me to find out a lot more about the specifications of this remarkable bed-topper quality they were using. Twelve months and 15 prototypes later, my own brand of this genuine hotel feather down bed topper was born and it is now proving to be a huge success in customer focused properties around Australia.
While bed toppers in all sorts of different forms have been available through retailers for some years now, none of them are made to the same specifications as that of a true hotel feather down bed topper, as seen in these magnificent hotels. Some retail styles are made with a thin compartment of down on a separate top layer, so they can be promoted as having a high percentage of down content; however, this percentage only refers to this very thin layer and not the whole topper. Others are made from polyester derivatives that are soft, but are nothing more than a thick mattress protector and they do not offer the experience of a hotel feather down bed topper.
The key ingredient to a hotel feather down bed topper is the down, which is very expensive and a good reason why this product cannot be bought on price alone. Some manufacturers try to produce endless variations to sell a cheaper product; however, they are most often short-lived and they do not work.
The down must be mixed in with the total fill of extra small feathers within each gusseted compartment because they both trap air collectively and perform as partners. The down traps more air than the feathers; however, the small and soft feathers (many hundreds of thousands) provide the mass required to support the weight of a body. Too much down percentage can also be a negative because it may seem super soft to touch, but without the heavier mass it will not give the correct feeling of being suspended for a certain period of time, which accelerates that totally relaxed feeling and makes sleeping easier.
The correct overall volume of down and feather is also important, like a feather down duvet; however, these two products have almost nothing in common except for the fill contents and the high count japara cover. The duvet can be an eighth of the weight of this bed topper and, while the duvet lies on top of the body trapping air and body warmth, the bed topper also traps the air for a totally different function – body support and comfort, not warmth. The tall internal gussets required for this high quantity of fill and the particular compartment sizing, are all part of what makes this product work perfectly and rise to well over 10cm when prepared quickly and correctly by housekeeping staff.
Everyone in this industry in Australia recognises that the comfort level of hotel beds produced by the quality manufacturers in the country have improved enormously in recent years. Some manufacturers have extra- comfort pillow tops like the retail styles; however, the most supportive and lavish mattress can still be taken to a much higher level of comfort with the addition of these genuine hotel feather down bed toppers. In some instances, the leading bedding manufacturers have even recommended them to their more discerning clients.
Seasoned world travellers who frequent premium hotels in certain countries, know this higher standard of hotel feather down bed topper very well and when they experience it back home in Australia, most are extremely pleased it is finally available here and often they want to purchase one for their own home. Local Australian travellers who are now experiencing hotels here that have indulged in spoiling clients with this high level of sleep comfort, are also very vocal in their praise for the product and the property. They also have no doubt where they will be staying on their next visit to the area.
It is fair to say that the hotel feather down bed topper has stolen the thunder from many of its unrelated competing products in the hotel room that are on the waiting list in the next CAPEX.
This may include favourites such as larger flat screens and the latest mod cons, because there is a very important issue here called guest sleep comfort that just cannot wait. Hotel groups both large and small that have now invested in these quality feather down bed toppers have seen excellent responses first hand and they are experiencing accolades from both new and old clientele. It does not take long before all properties in the group are being considered for a fit-out with this hugely successful must- have product.
With the increasing awareness and growing success of this product globally, it is quite possible that in the very near future, the majority of accommodation properties of different levels and locations will feature this luxury product on their beds as standard. A genuine hotel feather down bed topper is destined to become a must have, not a might have. Those properties that do get in early can reap the benefits of using this product inclusion within their own promotion/advertising to increase their clientele and bring them back before someone else does.
Gary Coman
HotelHome
