FRENCH LICK, IN— A restful night is usually at the top of the list for a positive guest experience, and while a comfortable bed is one thing, achieving a hotel sleep that’s on par with one at home is quite another.
After receiving a No. 2 hotel ranking from USA Today last July as having one of the country’s top-rated sleep experiences, the West Baden Springs Hotel, located here, received inquiries about its mattresses, and lots of them.
“Hotel guests and consumers immediately began contacting Bowles Mattress wanting to know how to purchase,” said Scott Armstrong, VP of Bowles Mattress Co. “Discussions started in early August as to how to take this opportunity to a retail environment.”
With the flurry of requests, the hotel, along with Bowles Mattress Company, is finally giving guests the chance to cozy up in hotel bedding at home. The West Baden Springs Hotel is moving its mattress collection—produced by Bowles in Jeffersonville, IN—into the retail space, so guests can experience a resort stay in a bed of their own.
Previously, Bowles designed and handcrafted the mattresses for the West Baden Springs Hotel exclusively, but now, the partnership expands beyond the hotel’s walls.
“Interestingly enough, the West Baden Series is closer to what you would find in upper-end residential mattresses. The answer to consumers choosing the new series is the fact of how comfortable and supportive they are; there are three options to fit the individual preference of the customer shopping for a better night’s sleep,” Armstrong said.
After receiving the positive feedback, the property hosted a “test drive” event earlier this year (Jan. 21-Jan. 25) for those who haven’t had the chance to sleep on the mattress. Guests could try them out in the hotel’s atrium, with all three types available from the upscale West Baden line—Classic, Premier and Presidential.
Bowles produces and sells more than 40 mattress models, but what sets the West Baden series apart are its materials and build. The series was designed in cooperation with the hotel’s executive team to include multiple layers of performance materials on top of a hotel-grade spring unit and gel-infused memory foam. Armstrong said that the typical spec from hotel or hospitality spaces would have less or even none of the performance materials in the build of the mattress.
Additionally, each of the mattresses in the series are hybrids, meaning they have a spring system with additional steel, latex or memory foam. Armstrong explained that this is part of what makes the mattresses so popular with today’s consumer: They combine coil springs and pressure-relieving materials for increased durability.
“‘Best sleep I’ve had in ages’ is among the many compliments we’ve received about our mattresses over the years,” said Steve MacKinnon, operations director for West Baden Springs Hotel. “We have always had people wanting to purchase the Bowles mattresses after experiencing them at West Baden Springs Hotel. We obliged, but it was a cumbersome process and guests had to pick them up at the mattresses resort warehouse.”
Inquiries about the mattress began back in 2015, at the start of the West Baden/Bowles partnership. But, as MacKinnon explained, the process needed reworking. The companies needed a way to fulfill all of the orders efficiently and make the process easier for consumers.
“At that time, all inquiries were sent back to West Baden Springs Hotel to fulfill the purchase. We are confident well over 100 mattresses have been sold to guests through the hotel,” Armstrong said.
According to Armstrong, there will be 25 store locations initially for the series in Indiana and Kentucky.
“We were thrilled when Bowles Mattress Company wanted to sell the product in their retail locations,” MacKinnon said. “It’s a win-win for both companies and for our guests.” HB