| I have been waking up with back pain for a few years, thought it was just from getting older. Didn't think it was our 6-7 year old S&F pillow top mattress until recently. We were on vacation in China of all places. On 2 particular nights we stayed in 5 star hotels and it was amazing, no morning back pain! I was so impressed I actually asked the management if they could find out anything about the mattress for me. They did try, but not surprisingly, they could only say they are custom-made for the hotel chain. It seemed quite firm and was definitely not a pillow top. Does anyone know what type (not brand) of mattresses high-end hotels generally buy? I'm starting to do research on the best specifications for me and I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the possibilites. For example, are hand-made mattresses any better than machine-made? I want to avoid making a mistake so I'm trying to get educated! |
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There were 2 different chains. The best mattress was at the Shangri-la Hotel in Guilin. It is a brand new facilityand is probably the best hotel I've ever stayed in. It was there that I asked if they might be able to tell me anything about the mattress. A week after I got home I received an email apologizing for the delay and for not being able to tell me more than it is custom-made. The other good mattress was at the Sofitel in Xi'An. Both felt much firmer than our S&F. I think when hotel chains contract for new mattresses, they must tell the suppliers their specs. It seems that's what I need to know rather than who makes them, or am I wrong? What about the hand-made vs mass-produced argument? Are the hand-made ones actually better quality, enough to make a difference? Since returning I was in a furniture store which sells Shifman. Although I was there for something else, I did look at their mattresses. The construction of the hand-made is different -- more springs, different padding -- and they cost a lot more. I'm willing to spend more if the product is a better solution. Thanks so much for your advice! |
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Hand made has its distinct advantages, in certain areas. However the materials that the bed are made out of is still overall more important too the overall build quality. Such as latex based foams outperforming polyurethane based foams, or sheeps wool out performing polyester. All fabrics are woven by machine, and they are stitched by machine (hand guided). Most mattress upholstery layers (foam in particular) are laid by hand, even in cheap beds. So in essence just about any brand can claim that they hand make their mattresses. Things that are typically not done by machine. Side stitching - essentially it is like using twine to reinforce the edges of a mattress, Hastens, Savoir, and Vi-Spring all do this by hand, this is a very labor intensive process but leads to a more comfortable seating edge that cannot be replicated using different materials and cannot easily be replicated by a machine. Full mattress tufting - (although this is one that in theory could be done by a machine to a higher level of accuracy and consistency than a human, Lavital has a special machine to do this for them and it is brilliant). Hand tied boxsprings / 8 way hand tied bonnell springs - this is another thing that cannot be done by machine with the same level of precision as a human hand, and it leads to a more durable more bouyant and luxurious feeling boxspring than regular bonnell springs would. Hand sorting and layering of natural fillings, like animal hairs and vegetable fibres. Individual pocket coils are far more flexible and durable when tied together by hand rather than glued together by machine as they are in mass production. Again not a lot of companies do this because of the expense and the simple fact that most mattress companies buy their innerspring systems rather than make them on their own. This message was modified Aug 1, 2011 by budgy
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Thanks, sipngoc, for directing me to manufacturers websites. After a bit of trolling, I discovered that Sealy's website lists the chains they supply and the specific hotels in the world. Low and behold, there was the Guilin Shangrila! I sent a note to Sealy customer service but so far no reply. I will try to find out what is different about mattresses made for hotels vs their consumer line and whether I can buy a hotel one. And thanks budgy for your tutorial on hand-made vs machine, I really appreciate the information, I never would have found it elsewhere. This board is terrific. |
| whoops, I goofed, I meant Simmons, not Sealy!! |
| Surprised its a Simmons! shows my ignorance on how many factories they have around the world. Even after checking out the Chinese website their products over there are essentially the same that we have here. |
| I bought a pillow-top hotel style mattress for only $1099 for a king. The mattress is unbelievably comfortable. The company I got it from is an online company called saatva. |