Spoiled Rotten

Spent two nights at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville VA this weekend and we enjoyed the stay there with one exception. The hotel has a great location, its clean and well-managed, and the breakfast buffet is outstanding. The exception is the lousy upholstery in the rooms and dining areas, and the miserable bedding. I know very well that hotels buy contract-grade furniture- but I have to wonder if the buyers ever sit on it, or just buy from pictures? It's made cheap, sits horrible and I simply gave up and sat on the floor rather than in the torture-rack lounge chair in the room. Then there was the mattress....OY......some mushy-soft memory-foam bedding that slept hot-as-heck and had no support. My wife and I groaned about it, as both say "It's not a Royal Pedic" and made do. Then I asked my BIL and his wife who had a room in the hotel as well, and they said it was "just fine", but they sleep on a no-flip foam bed at home. I thought that was curious, because they are very much top-tier consumers and can buy anything they want, but its pretty classic to hear that. For some reason, many folks just don't know good bedding or how to buy it. My BIL said "We paid $ 4,000 for that, so it has to be good, right?" No....not necessarily. Not if you think the hotel bedding feels OK.

I will tell folks once again - a supportive bed (firm) will change the way you sleep and rest. The firmness needs to be in the mattress, if you need/want more plushness, then you put a softer, lofting type topper on it. You spend so much time on your bedding, its the one place you don't want to cheap out. Buying bedding can be very confusing and nearly impossible to price shop. Don't listen to Spring Count numbers, guarantees, assurances, etc. Get a firm bed. Once it stops being firm, get replace it. Simple formula that will do you well to get a good night's rest. Be aware that in my experience, if you have been sleeping on a mush-bed and go firm, it may take you up to a month to acclimate.

I am spoiled by good, properly made furniture and bedding!