There are many ways to deliver comfortable sheets and a good sleeping experience to hotel guests. Our basic recommendation is to provide quality, clean sheets that are fairly uniform in similar rooms. A business should also have backups, including hypoallergenic options.
In addition to the tips outlined below, you may also find the piece we’ve written on hospital linen best practices to be helpful.
How to Give Hotel Guests the Comfortable Sheets They Expect
The following are some good ways to provide guests with the comfortable sheets they have come to expect from a hotel:
1. Provide Quality
A hotel should provide high-quality sheets to its guests. The “ideal” thread count for sheets will depend on your business. Higher thread counts can come with higher price tags, and not every hotel can afford 800+ thread count sheets for every bed. At the very least, choose sheets that are soft. A thread count of 200 to 300 is arguably a good minimum.
It’s also OK to equip rooms differently. Although rooms of the same price tier should generally provide similar experiences, a guest’s expectations are going to rise significantly with the cost of a room. Any room marketed as an “elite” or “luxury” option should have sheets to match, even if it requires spending more.
2. Maintain Uniformity
Sheets don’t need to be literally identical, but uniformity is important. Within the same room, it’s a good idea for all sheets to be the same or complementary colors. A hotel can also benefit from having its sheets branded. This branding doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Even a small logo can remind guests who is delivering the experience they’re receiving, and it can help reinforce the hotel’s image.
Branding becomes more important for repeat customers. If someone comes back to a business, there will typically be a reason for it. Although it sometimes might be a matter of price or location, often what brings the guest back is their experience sleeping in an inviting environment. Much like the saying, “Don’t fix what isn’t broken,” it’s usually best to deliver a similar experience to repeat customers unless they request otherwise.
3. Prioritize Hygiene
Hygiene is king in any service industry. Even if an experience is otherwise perfect, a hygiene issue can destroy a guest’s perception of a hotel and lead to reviews that could deter potential customers. Obviously, sheets and other linens need regular inspection and replacement so anything dirty, stained or torn can be thoroughly cleaned.
It’s important not only to run a hygienic operation but also to give customers the perception that this is the case. Pay attention to how sheets look and smell. Even if you know they’re clean, they should also look nice and have a pleasant or at least neutral scent. Keep in mind, however, that some guests can be sensitive to certain scents, so you’ll likely want to avoid any that are too strong.
4. Have Backups
Even if a hotel uses high-quality sheets and keeps them clean and well maintained, they may still sometimes need to be replaced. Some obvious scenarios where this might be the case are when a guest spills something on their sheets or accidentally tears them. Although a hotel may charge a customer extra for such incidents, guests shouldn’t be left with inferior sheets.
In some cases, sheets that have nothing inherently wrong with them may also need to be replaced. Some guests may have allergies that make your standard sheet option uncomfortable or completely unusable. Obviously, a hotel needs to be prepared for such cases. Although hypoallergenic sheets don’t need to be your default choice, you should always have at least a few hypoallergenic sets ready if a guest requests them.
5. Ask Questions
Although it’s important that hotels respect privacy, most guests will appreciate an employee occasionally checking in on them to see if they need anything. This nicety can provide valuable information to help improve the guest experience. Even if a certain request can’t be fulfilled, it can alert hotel management to how they might be failing to meet customers’ expectations.
6. Address Complaints
Not all guests will be reasonable, but a hotel should, whenever possible, address complaints that will improve the guest experience, particularly when they are unlikely to affect business or the experience of other guests. If a guest complains about their sheets, they should be replaced. If you’re unsure why they are unhappy with their sheets, feel free to ask. If it’s still unclear, you can have an employee bring multiple options to the guest and let them choose the sheets.
Addressing the complaint may only take a few minutes, but it has the potential to turn a negative guest experience into a positive one. This can reap major benefits for the hotel if the guest mentions their good experience in an online review, particularly when compared to the potential for a negative review if the situation isn’t remedied.
Let Alsco Manage Your Hotel Sheets
Comfortable sheets are an important part of providing a relaxing place to rest and sleep. Low-quality sheets can ruin a guest’s experience, and high-quality sheets can elevate it. It isn’t the only thing a hotel needs to pay attention to, but it’s an important enough element that it needs to at least be considered.
If you’d like help sourcing quality sheets for your hotel, check out how Alsco can help. When you work with us, you can rent your hotel linens, including sheets, so you don’t have to worry about maintaining the quality of your inventory. We’ll ensure you always have clean, fresh and high-quality sheets on hand. If you have any questions about the specifics of what we offer, feel free to contact our team or explore our site to learn more about what it is we do.