‘Mattresses play an important role in hospitality industry’

Sealy has a long history of making quality beds. The first Sealy mattresses were made in 1881, in a small town called Sealy in Texas, USA. In 1950, Sealy introduced its first Sealy posturepedic brand mattress, the only in the industry that focussed on the importance of correct back support, designed in cooperation with orthopaedic surgeons. 

The company ventured into India in 2012 and 2022, says Vinod Khatri, National Manager – Contract Sales, Sealy India, is shaping up to be a milestone year for Sealy India team as the business celebrated its first decade of activity. “These 10 years have been incredible. Mattress, as a category, is not very matured in India and we did face lot of challenges in the initial years while we were taking some baby steps. The entire team of Sealy India along with the dealers are truly proud to be part of this journey and each one of us is determined to take the organisation to new heights,” he says. 

Talking about the change in consumer demands over the last 10 years, Khatri says, “Not many hoteliers earlier were keen to invest on quality bedding but for the last four-five years, the trend started changing. Now bedding comfort and quality sleep experience are considered more important while designing the hotel rooms even by international designers. Second, we have witnessed a surge in small boutique serviced apartments, especially in south India and the project owners are keen on investing quality bedding.” 

When questioned if the hospitality industry forwarded a demand for more environment-friendly, sustainable and healthier products in the pandemic phase, Khatri shares, “Mattresses always play an important role in the hospitality industry as the guest’s prime requirement is comfort. Guests always look forward to a comfortable stay and the mattress play a major role in their overall satisfaction since a good night’s sleep helps rejuvenate the body. In this way, for hotels, selecting a right mattress is very critical as it enhances the overall hotel brand experience through the satisfied guests’ feedbacks. During pandemic, the guests’ preference for quality bedding has increased. For instance, they look for hotels which have good quality beds/ mattresses which are upholstered with healthier ticking/ damasks which can be easily disinfected/ cleaned.” 

Khatri informs the company knows that the posturepedic principles of support, comfort and durability define what makes the best bed. “It is these principles that drive our R&D. The products we develop need to be simultaneously supportive, comfortable and durable. Their performance can be defined in words, measured in numbers, and compared against individual sets of criteria,” he puts in, adding that Sealy has recently introduced the “cool-to-touch” technology in their retail collection and has been launched as the Anniversary Edition. “The fabric used in this mattress comes with cool-to-touch technology. It takes away body heat and provides comfortable cooling effect,” Khatri shares. 

In near future, Sealy India plans to service more hotel properties, introduce more innovative products in different categories and put-up local production facilities and factories in India.