Never change a winning team, is what they say, but sometimes the odds are against you and in my case: My go-to hotel for business trips was fully booked, so I needed to pick a new one.
I choose the one closest to my workplace, which also happens to be the newest one in town. Taking that opportunity as a chance, I put my explorer hat on and inspected this new hotel carefully. Who knows, it could potentially become my new go-to hotel?!
Right at the check-in counter was already the first thing that grabbed my attention: They had pillows stocked up behind them, and this made me wonder. Why pillows?
After the check-in, I went upstairs to my room. Undoubtly, the room was lovely, clean and modern.
We were on a promising path to get this hotel high up on my potentially new-go-to hotel list.
But what the heck was on my bed? An offer to buy a pillow, blanket and mattress at a reduced price printed on red paper?!
OK - Craaazy ... Yes, sure, I will buy a pillow in a hotel - NOT.
In my head, I gave the hotel a minus point on my imaginary value list.
Triggered by this offer to prove, I don´t know, its stupidity maybe, I immediately lay down on the bed to test this pillow. What can I say? It was a pillow. Not too bad actually...
Hours later, I went to sleep, and in case I didn´t mention before: I am one of these folks that bring their own pillow everywhere to ensure good sleep and avoid a stiff neck (yes, I tend to be a little control-ly). Well, with my pillow on top of theirs, my hat was too high, so one pillow needed to go. I kept theirs. To test it.
The following day, I realised I had slept well. Based on my Oura ring, pretty well actually, with no awake time and no significant movement during my sleep and a solid sleep score of 90:
Interesting.
My neck was ok as well; also: No headache or any other symptom that could say anything bad about the pillow. Fair enough, I thought, maybe, and only maybe, this pillow is worth something.
But what was it? Becoming increasingly curious, I removed the pillowcase to search for the brand: airfect.
Ok, googling it...
Summary:
Bedding manufacturer from Germany
Specialised in providing bedding for hotels and working together with them (obviously..🙄)
Offering "an exclusive selection of high-quality sleep products with innovative technologies for more comfort and restful sleep", as I could read on their page
Besides pillows, they also offer blankets, mattresses (which I already knew from the offer found on my bed)
After reading through their website, I was a bit smarter and clearly on my way down a new rabbit hole.
In the evening when going to bed, I was eager to test the effect of this pillow on my sleep again - and the blanket. Would it really set a new standard for sleep and would I experience a "sleeping comfort of the highest level" as they advertised?
I was about to find out.
The following day, my Oura ring told me I had slept a whopping 91. Even better than the first night, and subjectively, this number made sense. I felt good. Secretly, I began to find their marketing strategy genius.
If they hadn´t put their offer on my bed in the first place, I wouldn´t have wondered, I wouldn´t felt triggered to test, and I would most likely put their pillow to the side, just using the one I brought to this -and every other- hotel before.
Ultimately, I had five nights to trial their pillow - and blanket, and after this week, I was tempted to take their offer. But I didn´t, as I was travelling and thus limited with how much I could carry. However, I asked the receptionist about the price of the pillow: It was cheaper than the original price on the airfect webshop.
Back home, I was testing my private pillow setup and realised it wasn´t as good as the damn pillow in the hotel. Argh...
Guess what: I went online, bought the pillow for the not-reduced price and waited excitedly on my delivery, which came a few days later. Hello, and welcome good sleep!
Meanwhile, I noticed that my blanket could get an upgrade as well 😬 I was missing the "extremely soft and feather-light sleeping pleasure" they advertised.
So - yes, I went back online, bought a new blanket and waited excitedly again. Hello even better sleep!
Clearly, their marketing strategy got me - and I salute the mastermind behind it: Well done, airfect!
Let´s see how it goes for me, but there is still a mattress and a new travel pillow to be bought...🤗 Unless I start to research every time I travel to get into one of their partner hotels to sleep on my new favorite pillow every night.
Anyways, I think I have a new go-to hotel.