Posted 10/7/2007 - 12:36:10 PM
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BEVERLY HILLS, CA— With the rollout of the first phase of its Embassy Essentials bedding package nearly complete, Embassy Suites is now forging ahead with additional components to create a more luxurious sleep experience.
The original bedding initiative for the all-suites brand was centered on the Serta Suite Dreams mattress and box spring, which is now in place in approximately 45,000 suites, according to Kris Beck, the director of brand operations support for Embassy Suites. “We began the rollout of the mattress about three years ago and our goal is to have it completed by the end of the year. We are about 95% done, so we should actually be finished ahead of schedule.”
Now the brand is concentrating on the aesthetics of the bed. “Once we started replacing the mattresses, we got great feedback. But you don’t really get the ‘wow’ from guests until you get the top of the bed done because that’s what they see first,” said Jim Holthouser, senior vp of brand management for Embassy Suites Hotels. “So that is now our focus.”
“When we first started thinking about redesigning the top of the bed, we knew we wanted something that was fresh, crisp and inviting and also on par with other world-class hotel bedding packages,” added Beck.
Because the brand wanted to provide the ultimate comfort, it selected a new mattress pad it’s calling the “super topper” to make the new mattresses even more luxurious. “It’s really fluffy and creates a plusher appearance. You just sink into it,” Beck said.
Holthouser added Embassy Suites sees the mattress pad as a key differentiator in the segment. “We are a brand with an ADR of $150, so expectations are very high. We knew the new bedding couldn’t just be about better linens, thread-counts, etc. The topper really sets us apart. It creates a very high-end look to the bed,” he said.
The Embassy Essentials Bedding Collection also now offers upgraded sheets and has eliminated the traditional blanket in favor of a duvet.
“We did a tremendous amount of research regarding the overall weight, the pocket sizes and the amount of filling per pocket,” he said. “We were initially concerned with how to meet the needs of our hotels in different climates. But what we found was regardless of where they are, guests generally like their rooms cold, so we were able to select one duvet for the brand.”
Beck added the brand made the decision to eschew the industry-wide trend of all white bedding. “We’re probably going to offer a choice of three to five different colors for the duvet cover,” he said. “Everybody is doing all-white, so we figured, why would we want to be like everyone else? All the colors will likely be part of a light palette. There is often so much color in other parts of the guestroom, that people look to the bed to be more neutral.”
In addition to the more upscale duvet and linens, Embassy Suites will also begin offering two different types of pillows to guests— one with down filling and one with a synthetic filling.
As is often the case with new bedding collections, serious consideration needs to be given to the potential of additional work for the housekeeping staff. However, Holthouser noted Embassy Suites wasn’t overly concerned as a result of parent company Hilton’s thorough research on the subject. “That’s one of the great things about being part of a large family of hotels. We can borrow research on laundry, labor, etc.,” Holthouser said.
“What you usually find with new bedding is that there is initially a little bump on the laundry and housekeeping side, but it levels out once you get used to it,” added Beck.
While Embassy Suites is aiming to have the new bedding components rolled out brand-wide by June 2008, the brand believes it has been able to keep up with its competitive set despite being focused on other areas. “We were not at a disadvantage at all and it’s not that we were ignoring the trend, we just had other focuses. You can’t throw in 25 changes to your brand all at once,” sa
