Sleep comfort: 'Good hotel bed is everyone's friend'

Sleeping comfort consists of much more than just a good bed, according to Rijndert Fluit, owner of Nilson Beds. "From the moment you get into bed at night to the moment you get up in the morning, you want to be completely relaxed. You need to be ín the bed, not on the bed." Flute takes us through the full experience of ultimate sleep comfort.

Nilson Beds stands for wonderful sleeping comfort and luxurious customisation for the hotel industry and interior designers. "We've been doing that for 20 years," Fluit explains. "Before I founded Nilson, I owned a bed shop. But I had my own vision of sleeping comfort. One thing led to another, and so Nilson was born. We now supply our sustainable Dutch beds to hotels, projects and private individuals worldwide."

 Working with the hotel industry began 18 years ago. "It is a fun industry with a distinctive dynamic. It is an entrepreneurial environment where purchasing, sales, hospitality and attention to detail are key. Those are many similarities with how we work. Meanwhile, we have already helped more than 50 hotels improve their sleeping comfort. We are happy with the hotels, and they with us."

"Good reviews are based on comfort and quality," according to Fluit. "But of course a bed also has to look good. That's why we work with renowned interior designers, such as Wolterinck, Hans Kuijten and Monique des Bouvrie.

From the collaboration with Hans Kuijten, the new Nilson bed Aspen was born. "The name says it all: combining rugged materials and pleasant fabrics, the bed has the look of winter wonderland Aspen. We have a double-thick headboard with integrated, hanging cupboards. Sockets and lights are also incorporated into the design. Hotels thus place the bed against the wall in one go."

Every hotel has its own look and experience. Therefore, the wants and needs are often different. Fluit also noticed this: "Boutique hotels have more space for furnishing. But large hotel chains have to furnish their rooms efficiently. Of course, there is always room for a bed, but you also want to leave room for decoration. We keep that in mind when we design a bed, by mounting the cabinets, lights and sockets in the headboard. This leaves more space for beautiful decoration. The bed has to complement the character of the hotel."

"We have helped many hotels by now, and we are proud of that," Fluit says. "What really stood out for me was the Amstel Hotel. A beautiful hotel, with a nice historical background. During the major renovation, we fitted all the rooms with beds in the hotel's distinctive stylish ambience. A fantastic experience."

But whatever hotel it is, for good sleeping comfort, it is important anyway that the bed is an all-rounder. "Guests' sleeping preferences are very diverse: some like a hard mattress, others like a soft mattress that you sink comfortably into. So how do you still make sure your bed is an everyman's friend? This has been an evolution of years. Metal springs, for instance, provide good support. And cold foam provides a fine comfort layer. The base is firm thanks to the springs, yet you sink nicely into the cold foam. After all, you want to lie ín bed, not on bed."

The meaning of true sleeping comfort? "That has everything to do with relaxing and resting. From the moment you get into bed at night to the moment you get up in the morning. That starts with the bed, and the support of a box spring base, a mattress and a top mattress. But it also has to do with the bedding. I believe you should use natural bedding made of 100 per cent cotton for optimal climate. Also consider a lovely down duvet with cotton sheets. It is an investment in optimal sleep experience."

Finally, appearance is important. "The trick is to provide a nice big duvet, four pillows with choice of firm or soft filling. And all super tightly made up, so that when you enter the hotel room, the bed exudes that ultimate hotel luxury. That, in our opinion, is the meaning of sleeping comfort."