What Makes a Great Hotel? A Good Night's Sleep!

I recently embarked on turning our little mountain studio into an Air BnB location and had to ponder, what makes a great hotel room? Since I travel quite a bit, I should know right? I knew an awesome mattress was a given, but what else makes my stay at any given hotel exceptional? Here is a short list of the top 4 things that make a stay remarkable whether for work or play.

A LITTLE ROOM PLEASE

Having enough space to spread out and relax, read, watch puppy videos on Facebook, or take in a great view, really makes a difference. Whether it's doing a little yoga or hanging out on a comfy couch, people need some room to feel like they are living a little more luxuriously. Being crammed in a small hotel room is not the best way to unwind. The bigger hotel chains have definitely taken note, with their "all suite rooms" like Vdara in Las Vegas and "roomy rooms" like Hyatt Place hotels nationwide. A view of something besides the parking lot, is icing on the cake.

A KITCHENETTE WITH THE TOOLS TO USE IT

My last visit to Las Vegas was an exercise in frustration. I was so excited to have a kitchen, since I usually have to be there for a whole week for a trade show twice a year. Making a healthy breakfast and a bag lunch helps me keep my sanity for a week of crazy. However when I brought back my 2 bags of groceries from Whole Foods, I searched the cupboards and found nothing but emptiness. No plate, no silverware, no pots or pans. When I called down, they said they only stock upon request, and then not very well I might add. If we are going to be tempted with a stove, microwave, refrigerator and dining room, please provide the tools to keep the maid busy cleaning for 2 extra hours.

IRON, HAIR DRYER, FULL LENGTH MIRROR, LUGGAGE STAND

I can live without a lot of things, but not wet hair, wrinkled clothes, or the ability to see how I look before I embark out into the world. As bed bugs take over our cities, a luggage stand is both practical and a safety measure. I could pack a steam iron and travel hair dryer, however suitcase space has become a precious commodity with airlines charging for everything from a carry-on to a bad cup of in-flight coffee.

AN AWESOME MATTRESS AND COMFY SHEETS

While this does go without saying, in my years of traveling, it still amazes me how these are overlooked. Since I'm in the business of providing awesome latex mattresses to hotels, I have a particular bone to pick on this one. A good night's sleep is tantamount to my success on a business trip or pleasure on a vacation. Rolling into one's partner into the abyss of a bad mattress during the night ensures a cranky morning. Speaking of sleeping with a partner, do hoteliers really think two adults fit on a full size mattress? Full size mattresses are for kids, to be crammed into one at a hotel, makes sleeping in the rental car seem like a plausible alternative. Need a great night's sleep on your next trip? Check out the Ace Hotels and sleep sweetly!

​Latex Truths, Half Truths, and Lies: Part I

When I had my retail store in 2000 - 2002, I had to explain to every customer what latex foam was – yes, it can be natural, yes, it comes from a tree, no there it isn’t an allergy risk, yes, it will last longer than most mattress materials. These days, everyone is an “expert” on latex and we tackle a new list of questions and issues. Over the years, I’ve heard many crazy tales about latex. Manufacturers claiming proprietary “powdered” latex, customers indoctrinated in Talalay or Dunlop, latex “memory foam” products. It’s hard for those of us in the industry to keep up, let alone consumers. Here a just a few common questions, we hear over and over.

• What’s the difference between Talalay and Dunlop?
• Is it organic? What does that mean?
• Are there allergy risks? What about off-gassing?
• What does blended latex contain?
• Does it “really” last longer than memory foam? Is there latex memory foam?

In order to tackle these questions for consumers, it raises a few new ones for the manufacturer:

• Is latex foam still an excellent choice for mattresses?
• How much has each process evolved?
• Which certifications really matter?
• What’s the environmental impact of rubber trees?
• Will increased demand create new environmental issues?

In this blog series, I will start to unravel the many unanswered questions and tackle the tall tales about latex rubber starting with a little background on the revolutionary commodity, then the health concerns that so often enter the equation, and finally the environmental impacts of increasing demand.

Latex: A Short History

Courtesy of Eco-Latex

This story begins in the early 19th Century, when the vulcanization process - making rubber or similar polymers into a more durable material using sulphur - was invented to stabilize the rubber by using sulphur. Although rubber has been used for centuries, dating all the way back to the Maya & Aztecs for their rubber balls, it wasn’t until vulcanization techniques were employed that it made it’s industrial debut. This discovery led to increased uses for rubber and as a result, plantations were planted in the most tropical regions of the world. Rubber plantations were replacing rainforests at an alarming rate. natives were forced to work in the plantations, tapping trees and collecting this new found “liquid gold”. While the rubber tree was native to Brazil(hence the name Hevea Brasiliensis) it was quickly transported to other tropical climates, most notably Southeast Asia, Southern India, and Southern China. 

Rubber is arguably one of the 3 most important raw materials to humankind in the world. Without natural latex, we would not be able to fly in airplanes, drive cars, make shoes, or have the myriad medical supplies our hospitals rely on today. The list of products using rubber components is more extensive than most can imagine, including mattresses and pillows.

So why exactly does this matter? Well, it’s important to understand where we’ve been to know where we’re going. Rubber has become such an important raw material in a relatively short time and technologies are constantly evolving. When I started my business over a decade ago, we had only two options for latex foam: Dunlop or Talalay processed foam. We now have more high-tech versions of Dunlop with the new addition of “continuous poured” Dunlop latex foam and the Talalay process gaining attention as the quality choice in latex foam. To further our choices, we have an organic standard designed specifically for latex. To help you as a consumer wade through the jargon, here is a primer on these new choices.

Dunlop and Continuous Pour Dunlop vs. Talalay

Dunlop Latex is the oldest method for molding latex into foam - invented in 1929. There are many facilities that make Dunlop latex, typically in the country of origin. Think about making a cake. First you have your wet ingredients (latex & soap) and then the dry ingredients (vulcanizing accelerators), which are mixed together. These are whipped up into a froth in a centrifuge and then poured into a giant pan. This pan has pins sticking up throughout that heat up to make an evenly cooked core (these pins create the holes in the latex). Then a lid is put over the pan, it’s pressurized and baked. Finally it’s rinsed and dried and ready to ship. Dunlop accounts for the vast majority of the all natural latex foam.

In the Continuous Pour Dunlop facilities, this all happens on a conveyor belt with moving pans and lids being filled and baked continuously. Continuous Pour uses infrared technology for even baking. This process can also forgo the pins and pour thinner latex sheets to create rolls for quilt-backing and toppers.* There are a couple of facilities in the United States and the majority of this latex is a synthetic latex blend, however more natural latex is being made as recently as last year with increased demand.

Talalay is the most high tech process and was developed in the 1940’s adding a few key steps to the Dunlop method. There are only a small number of plants worldwide that produce Talalay Latex - one being in Connecticut and the rest overseas. There are 2 key differences between Talalay and Dunlop. 1. The process employs a vacuum to evenly distribute the latex in the mold. 2. It flash freezes the mixture, suspending the particles throughout. This method gives an airy, soft feel to the latex and minimizes the settling of solids to the bottom. The majority of Talalay is synthetic rubber and/or a blend of natural and synthetic, however Natural Talalay is available. Talalay latex is more costly than Dunlop and is usually relegated to comfort top layers rather than support layers given it’s softer, springy feel.

* One often misrepresented fact about latex is the holes make it breathable. Latex is actually an open cell material that naturally breathes. The holes can change the feel of the foam - firmer or softer with bigger and smaller holes.