Hotel Bedding

Three things, in this order. The fabric. The finishing. The fit. Hotel bedding is woven from long-wear cotton, finished to a specific crisp or silky hand, and cut so the duvet covers fit the duvets and the sheets fit the mattress without sagging.

Most home bedding fails on the third point. The fabric can be right, but a flat sheet that slides off the corners ruins the picture before you have got into bed.

The widest answer is percale, a tightly woven cotton with a crisp, matte finish. It launders well, holds its shape and gives the bed the slightly cool, slightly snapping feel that good hotels are known for.

Sateen appears in higher-end hotels for the silkier drape and the gentle sheen under bedside lighting. Both have a place. Both are in Marshmellow's range.

No, although white is what most travellers picture. White looks crisp, photographs well and signals clean linen at a glance. The cotton itself, not the colour, is what makes hotel bedding feel like hotel bedding.

A deep navy, a soft grey, a hotel-style stripe, all of them work if the fabric and the fit are right. White is the default, not the rule.

Yes, with three reasonable choices. A percale or sateen duvet cover in a true crisp white. Two queen or king pillows, sized to the case, not a tired standard pillow stretched into a queen case. And a fitted sheet that fits the mattress depth, not the next size down.

The whole picture changes within one bed-make. The fabric does most of the work.

Every piece is sized for EU, UK and US beds. Fitted sheets, flat sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases, from single up to king. The three king sizes are not the same, and a US king bed needs a US king cover.

Each product page lists exact measurements before checkout.

Wash cool to warm with a normal amount of detergent and no fabric softener. Tumble dry on low or hang dry. Iron only if you want the full hotel-press look. Most beds look right without ironing, as long as the bedding comes off the line promptly.

Rotate two full sets so neither one ages on the bed for years between washes.