Between the sheets

Why do we stay at a hotel? Because we like to eat in a 5-star restaurant? Because the lobby is luxurious? Because we want to spend $50 per night for parking or we want to see a love movie with someone? Maybe sometimes😉. NO! We go there to sleep. The worst experience for a guest is to have their bed not done perfectly or even worse, to find that their sheets are dirty (is this still happening?). Today, we dive between the sheets to investigate this topic 😉 but first, let’s start with a bit of history…

A Bed Story

Early beds were little more than piles of straw or some other natural material (e.g. a heap of leaves or animal skins). An important innovation was raising them off the ground to avoid drafts, dirt, and pests.

Fast forward to medieval times. In Europe, sleeping arrangements were dependent on your position in life. If you were wealthy, your bed was an opportunity to show off your status. Typically made of heavy wood, the beds of the affluent were often ornately carved or encrusted with gold or jewels and raised high off the floor, sometimes so high that a step stool was required to reach them. As these beds were very expensive, they were treasured belongings passed down through generations. It even became common for royal or wealthy owners to remain in bed to receive visitors, eat meals and do business. In sharp contrast, if you were poor you would likely sleep with your family on a hay-stuffed bag on the floor or on a simple platform. Before turning in for the night, you would have to “hit the hay†to dislodge bugs from your mattress.

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