Imagine this: You're on vacation, and you've had a great night's sleep. Better than you'd have at home. Sound familiar? I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that you're away and escaping your regular life, but a lot of it also has to do with the mattress itself. A lot of high-end hotels have great quality mattresses that provide the right support for your back but also relieve pressure, providing you with optimal comfort. We've tested our fair share of mattresses throughout the years, so we know exactly what makes a mattress feel luxurious.
And without further ado, let's just get right into our list for the best hotel mattresses.
What's the best hotel mattress overall?
The WinkBed mattress is the epitome of a luxury hotel mattress. It has a plush, fluffy pillow top and a durable, thick hybrid construction that supports all body types. WinkBed even offers three firmness options to accommodate all sleeping positions. It also doesn't hurt that the WinkBed looks like a bed straight out of a magazine.
Best hotel mattress: Video
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The best hotel mattresses in 2023
The main defining feature of the Wink bed mattress is its nice, fluffy pillow top. I think it will feel similar to a lot of beds you'd find in a high-end hotel. And according to WinkBed, it designed this mattress to emulate a hotel style mattress.
Another standout feature of the WinkBed mattress is that you can choose your firmness level, so it suits all sleeping positions. You have three firmness options to choose from -- the Softer model, Luxury Firm and the Firmer model. The firmest option you can choose is the WinkBed Plus, but it's really a separate mattress altogether and specifically geared for the needs of heavier individuals.
Based on how nice and luxurious it is, it's not as expensive as you might think. After discounts, you're looking at only $1,500 for a queen-size, and the company often throws in a few extras like sheets and pillows.
Pros
- Multiple firmness options available
- Specifically designed after hotel mattresses
- Suitable for all body types
Cons
- No split king option; you'll have to buy two twin XL beds
- Shorter trial period than other brands on our list
Additional details
- Type: Hybrid mattress
- Firmness: 3 firmness levels | Softer: Medium-soft or 3 | Luxury firm: Medium or 5 | Firmer: Medium-firm or 7
- Trial: 120 nights
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
- Price scale: $$
The Helix Lux mattress does a good job of emulating hotel-style comfort at home. The brand has six different beds to choose from, which honestly a little overwhelming. Luckily, Helix has an easy-to-use sleep quiz on its website, which matches you with the bed that's right for you.
I suspect that the majority of people who take the quiz will wind up with either the Moonlight or the Midnight mattress because they are more generally accommodating mattresses that are great for accommodating different sleeping positions.
Regardless of the Lux model you're matched with, all of them come with a great pillow top. They add a zone support coil structure and you can even get it with a cooling cover, which is nice. There's a ton to like about the Helix Lux lineup of mattresses.
The Helix Lux mattress is a bit more expensive than your average bed in a box. I think you can expect that just by looking at them. You're looking at about $1,900 for a queen size after factoring in discounts, but I think it's still a solid value, considering the amazing quality and construction of the bed.
Pros
- Easy Helix mattress quiz matches you with a bed that best fits your needs
- There are five firmness level options to choose from
- Accommodates all body types
Cons
- It's one of the more expensive beds on our list
- Shorter trial and warranty period than other brands
Additional details
- Type: Poly foam hybrid mattress
- Firmness: 5 or medium
- Trial: 100 nights
- Warranty: 15-year limited warranty
- Price scale: $$$
The Saatva Classic is kind of similar to the WinkBed in that it has a really nice pillow top as its primary comfort layer and it's pretty supportive. The Saatva Classic has two separate layers of coils for extra support, so I think it'll be a really nice option for people with back pain, heavy sleepers or anyone who wants those additional reinforcements.
You can also select your firmness level with the Saatva Classic. There's a Plush Soft model, a Luxury Firm and Firm. The Luxury Firm is a nice pick for back, stomach sleepers and some combo sleepers. The Plush Soft is closer to a medium and good for side sleepers. The Firm model is a truly firm bed, and only recommended to strict back sleepers who want little to no give. You also have the option to buy it in a 14.5-inch profile or an 11.5-inch profile.
Like the WinkBed mattress, the Saatva Classic is a great deal for what you're getting. A queen-size mattress will cost you about $1700. Instead of showing up inside of a box, this mattress comes with complimentary white glove delivery.
Pros
- Multiple coil layers make this bed ultra durable
- Three firmness levels to pick from
- Two height profiles to choose from
- Multiple zoned layers for targeted support and relief
Cons
- It's more expensive than other beds on our list
Additional details
- Type: Hybrid mattress
- Firmness: 3 firmness levels | Plush Soft: Medium or 5 | Luxury Firm: Medium-firm or 7 | Firm: Firm or 9/10
- Trial: 365 nights
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
- Price scale: $$$
The Nolah Evolution 15 Mattress is another nice pillow top hybrid that's supportive and luxurious. The mattress contains the unique proprietary Nolah Air Foam that you'll only find in Nolah mattresses
With the Nolah Air Foam, you get the cradling sensation of memory foam, however, the foam is also responsive. That said, it has more of a memory foam feel compared to the other beds mentioned in our best hotel mattress review. It has a zoned-support coil structure like the Helix Lux does, and it also has three different firmness options you can pick from when you're checking out.
The luxury firm model is their most popular, and that one's actually closer to a medium, so it should work pretty well for everybody. The cover of the Nolah Evolution 15 hybrid is slightly cool to the touch. I wouldn't necessarily put it in the active cooling category as our threshold for active cooling beds is high, but does a nice job at sleeping temperature neutral in most environments.
After discounts, you're looking at $1,600 for a queen-size Nolah Evolution Hybrid, which in my opinion makes it a great value.
Pros
- Suits all sleeping positions (multiple firmness options available)
- Good for all body types
- Good at regulating temperature
Cons
Additional details
- Type: Memory foam hybrid
- Firmness: 3 firmness options available
- Trial: 120-night trial
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
- Price Scale: $$
Nest Bedding Sparrow
Best hotel mattress with generous company policies
Not surprisingly, we have another luxurious pillow top hybrid on our roundup of best hotel mattresses. It's the Nest Bedding Sparrow, and I actually slept on the original version of this mattress for a long time. If you unzip the pillow top, you'll find a thick layer of what it calls eject foam. This foam has a nice balance between sink, comfort and support. It doesn't feel much like a memory foam, and most people will find it comfortable.
Like most in our best hotel mattress review, you can pick and choose your firmest level with the Nest Bedding Sparrow. But I would recommend most people go with the medium model. It should work pretty well for all sleeping positions, but you also have the Plush option as well as a Firm.
One novel feature of the Sparrow Hybrid is the lifetime renewal exchange program the brand offers, where you can get a free pillow-top foam replacement at any point in owning the mattress. Price wise, you're looking at about $1,600 for a queen-size after discount, which puts it in a similar pricing tier to the beds we've talked about so far.
Pros
- Unique lifetime renewal exchange program for the top-layer foam
- Multiple firmness options to choose from
- Suits all body types
Cons
- It's a bit expensive if it's not on sale
Additional details
- Type: Poly foam hybrid
- Firmness: 3 firmness levels available
- Trial: 365 nights
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
- Price scale: $$
The Aurora Luxe from Brooklyn Bedding is the best cooling mattress that also feels like something you'd find inside a hotel. Most brands claim that their beds sleep cool, but most of the time that proves not to be true. However, the Aurora Luxe is an active cooling bed with a cool-to-the-touch cover.
This bed doesn't have that traditional pillowtop feel like the majority of the beds on this list. It has more of a soft neutral feel, which just means you're not going to get that fluffy feeling that you would expect from a pillow top. But Brooklyn Bedding recently announced they're adding a Cloud Pillowtop option for the Aurora Luxe, and we'll be trying it out very soon.
You have the option to choose your firmness level. Again, I would just recommend going with that medium model first. It works pretty well for everybody, but you also have a Plush model that'll be softer, and a firmer option as well.
After discounts on the base model, you're looking at about $1,400, which makes it a nice value for this bed, and the most wallet-friendly bed in our best hotel mattress review.
Pros
- A good pick for hot sleepers because of its cooling tech
- Different firmness options to pick from
- The most affordable pick on our list
Cons
Additional details
- Type: Hybrid mattress
- Firmness: 3 firmness levels | Soft: Medium-soft or 3 | Medium: Medium or 5 | Firm: Medium-firm or 7
- Trial: 120 nights
- Warranty: 10-year warranty
- Price scale: $$$
How we tested the best hotel mattresses
CNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
Our CNET mattress team has tested over 200 beds, and within that collection, a handful of mattresses stood out as the best hotel mattresses. Hotel mattresses are typically thick, durable and accommodating so they are comfortable for any type of guest who stays, from a petite side sleeper to a heavy back or stomach sleeper. The criteria for finding the best hotel mattress includes:
- Accommodating firmness options
- Strong, hybrid construction to accommodate all body types
- Luxurious pillow top in the comfort layer
Factors to consider when picking the best hotel mattress
Firmness: Most hotels have mattresses with medium to medium-firm firmness levels because a medium profile provides a good balance in between supportive and pressure relieving. For a true hotel-like feel, opt for a bed with medium or medium-firm firmness level. Though, choose a soft mattress if it accommodates your specific needs better.
Feel: Most hotel mattresses have a neutral feel that won't turn off guests when they sleep in them, like dense memory foam might do. They also often include a pillow top, which gives a mattress an extra plush and soft feel. For that ultimate five-star hotel mattress experience, try to buy one with a pillow top.
Construction: The best hotel mattresses are built to last and support all body types. That's why we suggest a hybrid mattress that combines foam and supportive coils if you want to achieve that hotel-mattress feel.
Hotel mattress FAQs
What kind of mattresses do hotels use?
Hotels often use hybrid mattresses that combine foam and coils because they are supportive for all body types and longer-lasting. High-end hotels typically furnish their rooms with pillow top mattresses that add an extra layer of comfort and luxury.
Why are hotel mattresses so comfortable?
They are typically quality-built mattresses with accommodating features so they suit all kinds of different guests. If you sleep better on a hotel mattress than your own, it's possible yours isn't accommodating for your sleeping position, body type or it's outlasted its lifespan.
What is the best hotel mattress to buy?
After testing many different beds, our team found these mattresses emulate the feel of a hotel mattress most:
- WinkBed mattress
- Saatva Classic
- Helix Lux mattresses
- Nolah Evolution 15
- Nest Bedding Sparrow
- Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Lux