A European vacation may not be in the cards anytime soon, but why not use the time at home to turn your bedrooms — particularly your master suite — into the five-star hotel experience you’ve been dreaming about?
Teresa Cross, vice president of Between the Sheets and general manager of its El Paseo store, told us exactly which sheets, comforters, pillows, towels and robes measure up to the luxe accoutrements found in the suites of the world’s best hotels.
The exceptional look and feel of hotel linen and pillows that seem to know how you sleep are among the seven elements essential to recreating a world-class getaway at home.
1. Premium sheets. The namesake of the shop, Cross notes, is the most important part of the sleep experience. “It’s all about your sheets,” she says. Specifically, she means the store’s finely sewn Egyptian cotton sheets, woven in Italy to a desirable 600 or 1,020 thread count.”That’s where you spend most of your time and that’s the fabric that’s against your body for, hopefully, eight hours a night.” Cotton sheets wash well and are the best for breathability. Another tip: “They do need to be pressed for them to be luxurious when you get into bed.”
2 and 3. A down comforter and a duvet cover. “Everyone loves a fluffy down comforter to snuggle up in,” Cross says. The store carries two weights, including an ultra-lightweight comforter, ideal for the desert climate. Browse hundreds of duvet covers in silk, linen, and embroidered patterns, or let the staff guide you through the possibilities, from romantic florals to modern refinement.
For an optional layer of luxe, Cross recommends an Italian cashmere throw. You’ll find nothing softer to toss over your feet while watching TV or to carry to the armchair when you curl up with a book.
4. Down pillows. Because the comfort of your pillow determines how well you sleep, the store stocks three sizes in three fills. Give the hug test to the Gentle (soft as a cloud), Medium (supportive but giving) and Firm (for serious support). “Few people really want or need a firm pillow,” Cross says. “The medium is the most preferred by far, yet we do have quite a few people who really like the super soft pillow so they can squish it up” before they drift off.
Create your own pillow menu with some of each on the bed. The pillow you prop under your feet, rest your arms on, or tuck behind your head while texting isn’t necessarily your No. 1 for sleeping.
Photograph by Neil Husvar
5. Plush robes. Big, fluffy spa robes — the highlight we find hanging in every elegant hotel room – are stocked in men’s and women’s sizes. All are made in Turkey of 100 percent Turkish cotton. Wear yours in white, beige, or gray.
6. Thick, thirsty towels. The store’s private label line of Turkish cotton bath towels and complementing washcloths, hand towels, and oversized bath sheets are generously sized and available in 15 soothing colors. “As 770-gram towels, they are one of the thickest on the market,” Cross says. “Hotels know everyone wants a towel that actually dries them.”
Photograph by Neil Husvar
7. A pair of Champagne flutes. Complete the hotel fantasy with Champagne room service. Start with a bottle chilling on ice in a beautiful ice bucket on a tray. A pair of the Italian crystal Dots Flutes add metallic glimmer without breaking the bank ($69.50 each). Cheers to a five-star night in.
Ultimately, if you have the sheets plus a good down comforter, good down pillows, and a duvet cover, that’s what you need to sleep well and that’s what you’d find in a hotel,” Cross adds. “Because we use the best cotton, the best down, and the best people to sew them, they will last up to 10 years. It is an investment — they’re not disposable and will not wear out after a year. You’re going to have these a long time.”
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