A Good Nights Rest

[Dexter-and-Marilyn0]

Being Superhosts to us is such an honor, we believe that every one of our guests deserves to be honored too.  And when we travel one thing is always on the top of our list, a good bed and good rest.

we have stayed with Airbnb Superhosts several times and have had, for the most part, a marginal night.  Oh yes we have had the conversation with hosts  and most have said that they had plans to buy a new mattress.  We are average retirees with good backs and like a somewhat firm bed so why can’t we sleep well? Even hotels buy new beds and they aren’t expensive mattresses.  

Here’s a idea,  go spend a night or two on the bed that your guests sleep on and if it ain’t right go to Costco(or similar)and buy a $400 mattress, then sleep on that one.  You don’t need a $1200 Mattress, trust me.  Ask your guests for feedback.  When we travel one of my first questions is, how is the bed.  It’s nog worth it to pay $150/night and not get good rest.  The bed is one of our top priorities.

[Sarah977]

@Dexter-and-Marilyn0  I agree, the bed is really important. I don't use regular mattresses- I use foam mattresses. What I have both on my own bed and the guest bed is a good quality 4" firm foam, with a 2" softer foam on top, then a nice thick mattress pad. All my guests have said the bed was really comfortable, and yes, I've slept on it myself, many times.

The reason I prefer foam mattresses is that they aren't heavy- I can move them myself, as well as slide the entire bed over to clean underneath.

[Emilia42]

@Dexter-and-Marilyn0,  I hear you. I have stayed at two separate Airbnbs now (both Superhosts) where the mattress and linens were extremely uncomfortable and I don't think I ever slept. It has honestly made me reconsider staying at Airbnbs when traveling. I wish there was a "comfort" rating when reviewing.

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  It would definitely be a good idea to rate the bed comfort. But what about the fact that some people like a really firm mattress and some like a softer one? I've stayed places like that as well, but not Airbnbs. Cheap polyester sheets and flat rat pillows, big sag in the middle of the mattress. Not nice at all.

[Emilia42]

I like softer beds but once (in an Airbnb) I slept on a super firm Murphy bed that was actually very comfortable. It also helped that the sheets and pillows were very nice. So I think good quality mattresses and bedding can be a surprise even if not your preference. But like the entire Airbnb review process, everything is subjective.

[Ann72]

@Emilia42 @Dexter-and-Marilyn0 I had one of my most demanding guests last year and was worried about her review.  It ended up being very long, but 5 stars, and included this note:  "The mattress is soft. But even as a person who prefers firm mattresses, I found it comfy and had no problems with my back in the morning."  Before that I wanted to smack her; after that I wanted to kiss her.  

Comfort is everything, and it comes not only from mattresses, pillows, and sheets, but from everything - comfortable seating, well-organized kitchens and bathrooms, clean surfaces, plenty of drawer and closet space.

My drive to provide ultimate comfort to my guests came from one experience renting a summer cabin.  It was really cute and in a great location, but was filled with cast-offs, like a hideously uncomfortable futon/sofa that was the only place to sit outside of the beds in the bedrooms.  I spent two weeks standing up.

[Ann72]

@Emilia42 A "comfort" rating!  That would be so much better than the "location" rating!

I stayed at an Airbnb in London last month.  It had a little worn green velvet sofa in the sitting room, not even long enough to fully stretch out on.  And do you know, I had no fewer than three solid power naps on that sofa during the course of the week?  You could have knocked me down with a feather.  The bed was also ridiculously comfortable.  As a result, I didn't complain about the dingy carpeting or anything else.  🙂

[Sandra126]

I have had guests tell me the bed was amazing, and others have hated it and told me so. Hence a bed is something you cannot win. Firm, soft, medium? Foam, sprung? Impossible.

But I CAN win with the sheets.

[Ann72]

@Sandra126 As a self-confessed sheet freak, YES!  Great sheets can make them forget all about what they think they need in a mattress.  🙂

[Robin4]

@Ann72  @Sandra126  

Fortunately I have never had a complaint about the bed, but as @Dexter-and-Marilyn0 say you have to 'road test' it yourself. I would say 70% of my reviews make a specific mention of how good the bed is, so it does lead to good reviews!

I actually love that suggestion of a 'comfort rating' instead of the location rating @Ann72  . In fact I would go further than that and call it a 'slumber comfort' rating so that it specifically refers to the bed not just the comfort of the general space. 

A good nights sleep is the principal objective of any traveller, and the bed really is the hero of the listing....why can't we be rated on that instead of whether we stuffed enough perceived value into the listing!

Good one Ann!

Cheers......Rob

[Ann72]

Thank you, @Robin4, but it was Emilia's idea.  Also I would be worried about one rating just for the comfort of the bed, since tastes vary, as we see with @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0's post.  But an overall comfort rating would be great!

[Yulianna0]

@Dexter-and-Marilyn0, interesting topic. I would say that comfort is something very personal. For example I have three different pillows for myself, for very firm to very soft, and each of them can be very comfortable/uncomfortable depending on ... don’t know what:) 

For the time being all my guests were very happy with mattress and pillows. But once one person sent me an inquiry specifically asking about mattress. Is it comfortable? I have answered: for me yes, but I don’t have your back so can’t give any warranty. 

[Dexter-and-Marilyn0]

Yes, absolutely, every back/body differs along with personal preferences.  We have used most all types of beds over 45 years and it’s not easy to find the best, thus a Illini mattress stores.

 We believe that buying a just above average firm mattress with plans to replace it within 5-7 years(based on our 20 night/month occupancy rate)should work. So far, 2 years in we’re ok, but we will also sleep there at least a week each year to assure ourselves.  Our guests are most important to us and we want them to rest well.  After all, Superhost does have a definition.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

We have good matresses throughout the house and I would be quite happy sleeping on any of them, however - we had one group...

This group, well one member actually, requested whether we had a matress topper because the mattresses were not what they were used to. Happy to oblige we raided our matress toppers in the cupboard to then be asked could everyone have one, so we managed to oblige there too.

On departure we discovered that the mattress toppers were used as duvets (comforters?) and the guest suggestions on feedback was it would be useful if we were to be able to offer a range of matresses ranging from Foam, Sprung, Pocket to provide for each guests' preference !

I'm not sure what hotels these people were used to but I'd certainly like to find it and stay there!

[Christopher-and-Elisa0]

We’ve had someone a few months back ticking the complaint box that there “wasn’t bedding” on every bed. We have only one bad and her complaint was that there were duvets and not a top sheet ans she would have preferred a top sheet because she was hot. The night before I’ve had guests who pulled blankets out of the cupboard because it was a cold night. I can provide duvets in the cooler seasons and top sheets in the warmer but I can’t really anticipate every single guests needs and whims. I have tried to explain this. Having said that, had she asked after the first night for a top sheet I would have given her one. In her opinion we should provide (additionally to the single duvets we already provide) a choice of one big duvet and top sheets. Since we didn’t do that she ticked the box “no bedding”. Sometimes you can’t do anything but sigh...