If you need a new mattress, one way to “test drive” them is to stay in a hotel that uses a brand you’re interested in. Today, even midscale hotels have delightfully comfortable beds, big screen TVs, and a work desk with an ergonomic chair. Yesterday’s hotels went for durability over comfort, but today, new materials mean that comfortable beds can last a long time.
1. Marriott Hotels. Marriott uses Jamison foam mattresses. In fact, you can order a “Marriott Bed” from Jamison and get your own. This is a 9-inch foam mattress, and it’s made out of high density polyurethane. It’s designed to respond to your body shape, and it is less likely to radiate body heat and become uncomfortably warm. Jamison sells mattresses and box springs at outlets throughout the southeastern United States. They cost $800 to $1400.
2. W Hotels. These pillow top mattresses have specially engineered innersprings that provide excellent support to any size person. These mattresses are noted for their excellent back and spine support with the coziness of a pillow top. In some surveys, the W Hotel pillow top bed is ranked number one in hotel beds in the US. You can buy them online from $1100 to $1900.
3. Ritz-Carlton Hotels. This upscale chain uses Sealy Posturepedic plush beds that are specifically made for the hotels, but you can order them from their hotel shops for $830 to $1600. Guests give this type of bed high marks for the right balance of firmness and plush comfort. The 400 thread-count Egyptian cotton linens that Ritz-Carlton uses don’t hurt either.
If you stay at a hotel and love the mattress you sleep on, go ahead and ask about it at the front desk. They’re usually happy to share this information with you, and quite often identical mattresses are available to the general public.