Interview: YouBed CEO Mattias Sörensen talks hotel beds
Following the bedding feature in issue 75 of Sleeper, which highlighted the innovative, hotel-specific offer from Swedish bed specialist YouBed, we spoke to the brand’s CEO and Founder Mattias Sörensen about how his product helps guests rest easy and make the most of their stay.
How does a good night’s sleep benefit guests?
Hotel guests are primarily buying a good night’s sleep, and studies show that a comfortable bed is the most requested item by hotel guests at all levels. We believe the quote of John Timmerman, Ph.D. and chief scientist at Gallup, about sums it up: “Given that almost one out of three guests are willing to pay extra for an enhanced bed experience, hotel brands should first evaluate if they are consistently delivering a comfortable bed experience before upgrading far less critical product attributes.”
How does YouBed help guests rest well?
The Swedish YouBed is the first bed in the world that provides adjustable firmness without interfering with its superior comfort features. The firmness of the mattress is easily adjusted by using a hand control. The user can also fine tune different comfort zones of the bed – shoulders and hips – to achieve a perfect personalisation. A display at the hand control provides every user with their unique comfort profile, which means that they always can return to the same comfortable bed, wherever there is a YouBed.
What are the challenges in designing beds for the hotel market?
The YouBed technology brings a practical solution to the hotel industry’s biggest challenge: providing a good night’s sleep for every unique guest. A comfortable hotel bed is not only crucial in being able to provide that, but also what the guests value the most from their hotel stay.
The biggest challenge in designing beds for the hotel market is that no matter how high the quality of the bed is, it has until now been impossible to produce a bed that suits every guest’s unique preferences. While some guests like firm beds others prefer them very soft or anything in between – and no static hotel bed can satisfy all guests different preferences at the same time.
However, with the new YouBed technology hotels can, for the first time ever, offer all their guests a guaranteed comfortable bed and sleeping experience, completely based on their individual needs. This exclusive one-bed- fits-all solution finally makes it is possible for hotels to reach their full potential, and truly start to deliver on the promise of a good night’s sleep.
How does YouBed approach the convergence of design and technology?
Apart from its adaptable functionality, YouBed is also a sophisticated frame bed construction that better absorbs the body shape and weight of the user. Meaning, the double layers of pocket springs are fully integrated within one single mattress. This construction enables the whole spring system to work independently over its total length, and not being prevented by fabric between two mattresses that are placed on top of each other.
Also, the bed surface and topper are made from high quality stretch fabric to really optimize its ability to absorb every contour of the body and create the perfect balance between comfort and support.
However, despite the fact that the adaptable YouBed is a patented, high-tech product, we have been very careful not to compromise with its look, since we believe that it is utterly important to offer a bed with an attractive and contemporary design. Although frame beds with an integrated mattress are more advantageous compared to a double mattress continental bed, we would say that most people appreciate the look of the latter. This is why we have applied the continental look to the YouBed design. In other words, YouBed is the perfect blend of outstanding high-tech functionality and elegant continental bed looks.
What’s next for YouBed?
YouBed is making fast progress in Europe where over 150 hotels already are experiencing positive reactions from their guests as well as thriving on totally new business opportunities. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, for example, launched a world unique room category “Sleep Individually Different” in all their European hotels. YouBed was also recently introduced in the Middle East, where the innovation already has been referred to as one of this year’s most anticipated launches.
After these successful launches, the next step for YouBed is to expand into India, Singapore, Hong Kong and several other Asian countries within the next coming months. The introduction and roll-out will be supported by Business Sweden (The Swedish Trade & Invest Council), that has identified YouBed as a groundbreaking, Swedish innovation with huge potential on the global market.