What Bed Sheets Do Luxury Hotels Use?

It’s hard to find a more luxurious and decadent experience than snuggling up beneath the sheets of a luxurious hotel bed. A first class hotel bed is a place of pure extravagance; a place where you inevitably enjoy the best night’s sleep you’ve had in a long time. The restorative feeling of sleeping in a five star hotel is something that we all strive to recreate in our own bedrooms at home. 

But why are hotel beds so luxurious? What bed sheets do hotels use? They’re just beds, after all. Why is it that we can’t always experience the wonders of a hotel bed in our own home?

It’s entirely possible to buy exactly the same bed sheets as five star luxury hotels. You just need to know what you’re looking for.

What bed sheets do five star hotels use?

Although we will break down the individual elements of choosing the very best bed linen further along in this article, ultimately luxury hotels are using the very best quality bed sheets they can get hold of. Hotel bed sheets are washed often, therefore they have to be the finest quality, crafted from natural materials which only get softer with every wash. Many of us judge a hotel by its bed sheets, so it is more than worth them investing in beautifully crafted linens that will stand the test of time.

You will never find synthetic materials on a bed in a luxury hotel. Instead, you will find the highest quality cotton, or sometimes linen sheets. Natural materials will always be softer and more pleasant to the touch than synthetic materials, they wash better, last longer, and guarantee a superior night’s sleep. They are also a much more sustainable option – both for hotels who advertise their sustainable ethos and from the point of view of lasting much longer than synthetic sheets. 

You will often find hotels stating that their bed linen is crafted from 100% Egyptian cotton. Egyptian cotton is grown on the banks of the River Nile, where ancient irrigation systems channel a stream of nutrients towards the plants, which grow for longer than other cottons at a slower pace, producing incredibly fine long and extra-long staple fibres. However, it is important to remember that not all Egyptian cotton is created equal. Egyptian cotton plants can also produce regular staple fibres, which do not produce high quality sheets. For exceptionally soft and strong bed linen, the fibres need to be long or extra-long; the very best Egyptian cotton boasts such fibres. Look out for bed sheets that state ‘Gold Seal Egyptian cotton’ on the label – 100% extra-long staple Giza 87 Egyptian cotton is the very best. This is the quality of Egyptian cotton which you are most likely to find in luxury hotels – although excellent quality long and extra-long staple cotton is also grown elsewhere in the world, such as Supima cotton from America.

Another important factor to ensure your sheets feel as luxurious as the finest hotels is to source sheets that are woven in Italy or Portugal, areas of provenance for cotton weaving and textile finishing. These countries have unrivalled heritage for weaving the very best quality cotton bed sheets. Over centuries, generations have passed information such as finishing technique expertise down to one another, and many factories are still owned by the same families. These finishing techniques enhance the cotton’s natural properties and may offer additional longevity, softness and lustre to your sheets. 

Luxury hotels will also consider the weave of the cotton that is used for their bed linen. Hotels will almost always insist on single-ply woven sheets and long or extra-long staple cotton, and more often than not, a percale weave over sateen. Percale cotton has a one-over, one-under weave, resulting in a more lightweight, crisp and cool feel to the fabric. Sateen has a four-over, one-under weave, creating smooth and silky sheets that are less prone to wrinkling. Percale isn’t ‘better’ than sateen (it is all about personal taste), however percale offers that signature, crisp feeling that we often associate with hotel sheets and has greater longevity purely based on its weave structure. 

Finally, hotels are also more likely to opt for white sheets, perhaps with subtle embroidered details. Crisp white sheets conjure visions of cleanliness for hotel guests, while also making it easier for hotel staff to spot any stains. White sheets are also practical as, if they have been crafted by artisan weavers and finishers to the highest quality, they won’t fade or discolour over time with the frequent washing that hotel bed sheets have to be able to handle. White sheets are also the perfect base for any hotel room; they will complement any decor, with colour and pattern being added through quilts, cushions and upholstered headboards.

What thread count do hotels use for sheets?

When researching bed sheets, you’ll read a lot in regards to thread count. Thread count does contribute to the quality of bed sheets but not to the extent that is emphasised by bed linen marketeers. The advice that the higher the thread count, the better the quality of the bed sheets is not always true, as it doesn’t take into account the quality of the actual cotton – only the amount of it.

It’s possible to buy bed sheets with a thread count of over 1000, yet luxury hotels usually opt for thread counts of around 200-300. If higher thread counts made for better bed sheets, why don’t five-star hotels prioritise higher thread counts for their bedding? This is because thread count is not the only factor which makes bed linen feel truly luxurious.

The quick answer is that too many threads can make sheets too thick, reduce breathability and make them uncomfortable to sleep in. They also have twisted yarns which make for bed linens that wrinkle more easily, and are harder to launder.

Instead, hotels focus on choosing bed sheets woven from single-ply and long-staple cotton, usually with a percale weave. A thread count of around 200+ for a percale weave or 300+ for a sateen weave feels suitably luxurious, and is often the weight that high-end hotels will use. Sheets of these specifications will feel super soft and incredibly breathable, which serve the dual purpose of being luxuriously comfortable for guests as well as being long lasting and less prone to wrinkling, which is ideal for commercial purposes.

Read more about thread counts in our dedicated blog post: Rebecca’s Guide to Thread Counts.

How to make your bed at home feel like a hotel bed

Before you consider your sheets, first pay attention to the base of your bed. Hotels will invest in supportive mattresses, comfortable pillows and warm duvets. Your mattress, duvet and pillows may not be the most exciting purchases, but they can make a huge difference to your quality of sleep. 

Hotels will usually opt for mattresses with a medium firmness that are made to stand the test of time and suit a variety of sleepers. Some large luxury hotel chains have their own signature mattresses, but others may use hybrid mattresses or pocket spring mattresses, which cater to a variety of sleeping needs. However, when buying a new mattress, it is more important to try out different options in person and to choose the mattress that is right for you.

Some luxury hotels offer ‘pillow menus’, allowing you to choose your preferred type of pillows. Otherwise, they are likely to use down pillows, stuffed with the softest parts of goose or duck’s plumage. Synthetic options will also be available for guests with allergies. Down pillows are known to be soft and supportive, but need to be plumped daily to retain their shape. For duvets, five-star hotels are likely to opt for down and feather filled options, with a fill power rating of around 650 which will keep guests warm during the colder months.

As detailed previously, hotels will usually use single-ply, long-staple percale bed sheets with a thread count of 200 or perhaps higher. If you want the highest quality sheets, ensure you are buying bed linen crafted from Gold Seal Egyptian cotton or an equally high quality cotton such as long or extra-long staple Supima. However, we would recommend beginning by choosing the weave that you personally prefer and that suits how you sleep. Percale cotton is the best option for warm sleepers, summer months and hot climates as it feels crisper and cooler against your skin – however, some people dislike its matt touch and it is more prone to creasing than sateen. Sateen cotton feels buttery smooth and silky to the touch and is less prone to wrinkling – but some people may find it too warm or dislike its sheen. It is also a little less durable than percale due to its weave. Bed linen that is crafted from long-staple cotton will last for many years, regardless. You can read more about the differences between percale and sateen cotton here.

Where to buy hotel-quality bed sheets

Rebecca Udall exclusively sells fine quality, European artisan manufactured bed linen. We work directly with prestigious mills and expert tailors who craft bed sheets for world-renowned hotels – therefore, the bed linen that we sell is of the quality found in five-star hotels. All of our bed linen is sourced from heritage Italian and Portuguese makers, as we strongly believe this is where the very best, hotel quality bed linen is made.

We have two offerings for our bed linen:

1. i) Our Atelier bespoke bed linen collection.
2. ii) Our core ready-to-buy range of bed linen.

REBECCA UDALL ATELIER partners with the most prestigious mills and artisan makers in northern Italy for truly exceptional bed linen – the best globally. Our Atelier bed linens span almost limitless designs with a wide choice of fabrics and colour choices available. Our cotton fabrics are exclusively woven by prestigious mills in Italy, using long or extra-long staple fibres. This range is available in any size, including European, American and Australian bed sizes. Find out more and discover our Atelier bed linen here. 

We have a wide range of styles available in our core stocked bed linen collection. This collection offers something for everyone, whether you sleep hot or cold, and if you prefer a more whimsical, contemporary or traditional design. 

Our percale cotton bed linen range includes:

Annabelle: scalloped trim, 200 thread count, long-staple Gold Seal Egyptian cotton.

Evora: two-cord design, 400 thread count, long-staple Gold Seal Egyptian cotton.

Georgiana: ladder stitch hand embroidered trim, 600 thread count, extra-long staple Supima cotton.

Thea: hand-embroidered scalloped trim, 600 thread count, extra-long staple Supima cotton.

Our sateen cotton bed linen range includes:

Alexandra: hand-applied cotton bias scalloped trim, 400 thread count, long-staple Egyptian cotton.

Frame: two-cord design, 400 thread count, long-staple Gold Seal Egyptian cotton.

Porto: hemstitch trim, 400 thread count, long-staple Gold Seal Egyptian cotton.

You can read more here about how to choose the right Rebecca Udall bed linen for you. 

Ready to upgrade your bedding and spend every night in hotel-level luxury? Browse our core range of beautifully crafted bed linen and our bespoke Atelier bed linen. 

How to maintain hotel-quality bed sheets

Although hotel-quality bed linen is designed to stand the test of time, they do need looking after. Here are a few basic pointers for how to maintain your hotel-quality bed sheets.

• Always check your care label prior to washing, or ask a member of our team if you are unsure.
• Avoid using detergents that contain optical brightening agents or chlorine. 
• Avoid chemical fabric softeners. Your cotton bed linen will naturally get softer with every wash, but if you wish to use a fabric softener we recommend distilled white vinegar as a natural alternative combined with a few drops of diluted lavender essential oil.
• Wash natural fibres together and don’t place synthetic materials in your washing machine alongside your bed linen.
• Never use bleach.
• Place delicate, hand-embroidered linens inside a cotton or linen bag prior to washing.
• Wash your sheets once a week. 
• Air dry your sheets if possible, stretching them out flat over a laundry maid or washing line to avoid creases.
• Iron on the reverse to make embroidered details pop. 
• Ensure air can get to your sheets at all times. Never store in airtight plastic containers. 
• We recommend storing your bed linen in cotton dust bags.