Sure, a stunning view or a world-class spa can make a hotel stay memorable, but for me there’s nothing better than sinking into a luxury hotel bed. And nothing makes me sigh with delight more than a plush hotel pillow, the kind you slowly melt into as it molds around you in a cloud-like cocoon.
I’ve been lucky enough to lay my head down at some of the world’s most spectacular hotels, from Hôtel Royal Evian at the foothills of the French Alps to Fairmont Banff Springs in the heart of Banff National Park, and while it’s always sad to leave, it’s comforting to know anyone can recreate hotel-like slumber at home, all the way down to the pillow. It turns out, many luxury hotels make their very own pillows (and conveniently sell them right on their website), while others turn to top bedding brands to outfit their guest rooms.
To help you upgrade your bedroom setup, I spoke with hotel experts leading the charge in regenerative sleep—powerhouse brands like The Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, Equinox Hotels, and Mandarin Oriental—to learn how they create a luxury sleep experience for their guests. Below, you’ll find the exact pillows that some of the best hotels in the world trust to provide five-star sleep, along with my favorite consumer bedding brands to use at home. Sweet dreams!
In this article:
Top picks:
Equinox Hotels
Hotel Set-Up pillow
I awoke from my first night’s sleep at Equinox Hotel New York a changed woman. I am now the proud owner of its goose-filled pillow and duvet set, which continue to make going to bed one of my favorite pastimes. While the Equinox Hotel team is meticulous and thoughtful about every detail when it comes to guest sleep, its hypoallergenic signature pillow is where literal dreams are made. Filled with 56% goose down and 44% goose feathers, it’s not only plush, but also impressively regulates temperature, allowing you to stay cool throughout the night. For my fellow hot sleepers, it’s a true game changer.
Fill material: Goose down and goose feathers
Cover fabric: 100% cotton shell
Standard dimensions: 20″ x 28″
Support: Medium, firm
If you’ve recently gotten married or moved into a new home—or shopped the registry of someone who has—you’ve almost certainly heard of Brooklinen. The brand’s sheets have long been a cult favorite, but I am here to tell you not to sleep on its pillows (by which I mean, absolutely sleep on them immediately). Specifically its Down Pillow, made from premium, certified Canadian down which comes in three different support levels. The plush down texture cradles your head without feeling compressed, as if to say, “Go ahead, sleep so good you drool.” And because the pillow is machine washable, feel free.
Fill material: Canadian duck down and down feather fibers
Cover fabric: 100% cotton sateen shell
Standard dimensions: 20″ x 26″
Support: Soft, medium, firm
Waldorf Astoria Boutique
Down pillow
“A great pillow should feel almost effortless; it should cradle you without feeling heavy and provide support without sacrificing softness,” says Luigi Romaniello, managing director of the Waldorf Astoria New York. And the brand’s signature down pillow does exactly that. Stuffed with premium duck down fill, its medium loft offers the perfect neck support for back sleepers. Its reinforced double-needle piped edge stitching helps the pillow maintain its shape and reduces fill from escaping, even when you toss it into the washing machine.
Fill material: Duck down fill
Cover fabric: 100% cotton
Standard dimensions: 20″ x 30″
Support: Medium
Mandarin Oriental
Firm feather & down pillow
When it comes to Mandarin Oriental, the brand’s holistic approach to sleep is part of what keeps travelers returning again and again. “In every guest room, we provide a thoughtful selection of two hypoallergenic down-alternative pillows and two feather pillows to suit different sleep preferences,” says Marcel Thoma, general manager of Mandarin Oriental, New York, and area vice president of operations for Mandarin Oriental.
The hotel sources most of its pillows from Ploh, a brand renowned for exceptional craftsmanship and luxurious down and feather bedding—and this is exactly what you can expect when you experience Mandarin Oriental’s signature Firm Feather and Down Pillow. A blessing for side sleepers, its firmer support helps keep your head elevated, preventing a collapse in the space between your neck and shoulder to promote proper spinal alignment throughout the night. One thing to note, though—professional cleaning is recommended.
Fill material: Goose feather and down fill
Cover fabric: 100% cotton sateen
Standard dimensions: 20″ x 30″
Support: Firm
Boll & Branch
Down Alternative pillow
Filled with a luxury down alternative that mimics the weight and cloud-like support of a classic down pillow, this allergy-friendly Boll & Branch sleep essential comes in three different densities to help you recreate your preferred type of hotel-quality rest. You can also snooze soundly knowing that every machine washable component of the Down Alternative Pillow has been tested against a list of over 1,000 harmful substances, a proud pledge Boll & Branch makes as part of its Standards and Impact commitment.
Fill material: Down alternative fiber
Cover fabric: 100% organic cotton
Standard dimensions: 20″ x 28″
Support: Soft, medium, firm
The Ritz-Carlton
Feather & down pillow
If you’ve been lucky enough to sleep in a Ritz-Carlton bed, chances are you slept on its signature Feather and Down Chamber Pillow. “When selecting guest pillows, our team focuses on several key factors: comfort, support, quality, and longevity,” says Tiffany Ryan, market director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón. “And they must maintain their shape and performance over time.” So you can rest assured that its dual chamber pillow, featuring an outer chamber filled with down and an inner chamber filled with denser feathers, offers a super-surface to rest on without collapsing come morning. Its durable design also means you can toss it in the washing machine, making it a luxurious, hassle-free addition to your sleep routine.
Fill material: Down and feather fill
Cover fabric: 100% cotton
Standard dimensions: 20″ x 26″
Support: Balance between soft and medium
Saybrook
Adjustable pillow
Is pillow shopping frustrating because some nights you like a good side-sleeping curl and others you fall face-first onto your bed? If this sounds like you, Saybrook’s Adjustable Pillow offers the nightly customization you need. Designed so that you can adjust your pillow’s loft to any height, simply unzip and remove the hypoallergenic blend to your desired thickness, give it a fluff, and snuggle down for the perfect Goldilocks sleep.
Fill material: Blend of memory foam and microfiber
Cover fabric: Bamboo
Standard dimensions: 18″ x 26″
Support: Adjustable
FAQ:
What kind of pillows do most five-star hotels use?
You’ll rarely find a single pillow type at most five-star properties. Instead, they tend to offer a layered experience with pillows that vary in firmness and loft. The most common fill types are down or down alternatives to accommodate allergies. A few luxury hotels take it a step further, like the Waldorf Astoria New York or Cheval Blanc Paris, where guests can peruse a Pillow Menu to further personalize their sleep experience. At the Waldorf, options include the Yana 360-degree body pillow or a specialty pillow with micro-encapsulated CBD that is released throughout the night.
What should I look for when shopping for a new pillow?
The best pillow is one that keeps your head, neck, and spine in neutral alignment. Because your sleep position is one of the most important factors in managing your alignment, stomach sleepers should consider a low-loft, soft pillow; back sleepers should consider a medium-loft, medium-firm pillow; and side sleepers tend to do best with a high-loft, firmer pillow.
Marcel Thoma, general manager of Mandarin Oriental, New York, and area vice president of operations for Mandarin Oriental, also makes sure that his team tests for durability and ensures their down alternative and feather guest pillows maintain their shape throughout a full night’s rest.
How long do pillows last?
Most feather pillows last one to two years, while down alternative or foam pillows should be replaced every two to three years. Down pillows, when properly cared for, can last up to five years before needing a refresh. To extend the lifespan of your pillow, fluff it daily to maintain its shape. To avoid flat areas, wash it regularly based on manufacturer’s instructions, and invest in a washable pillow protector to block moisture, oils, and allergens.
What makes hotel beds feel so comfortable?
“The body doesn’t recognize luxury, it recognizes conditions,” says Katie Tardif, head of marketing and communications at Equinox Hotels. These conditions are precisely engineered to create a welcoming sleep environment with focus on temperature control, high-quality mattresses and mattress toppers, premium freshly laundered hotel bedding, and thoughtful design choices that eliminate ambient light and sound. “The pillow is one of the final pieces of that equation, designed not to be noticed, but to help your body recover at its highest level,” says Tardif.
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