Slipping Between The Sheets

I don't know about you, but one of the high points of my bed and breakfast stays is slipping between the sheets into a sumptuous, luxurious bed in a lovely room and letting my cares drift away. The more I talk with avid B&B goers over breakfast, the more I find a shared trait of enjoying physical comfort and even sensual luxury. I can’t tell you how many times I've heard a fellow guest exclaiming over our shared morning pancakes how well he slept on that firm but yielding pillow top bed, and how the pillows were just heavenly!

Beautiful white linen brightens every bedroom.
For some time now, I have been on a personal quest for fantastic sheets and have gathered several pointers to be on the lookout for. If you’re unsure how important the thread count really is, just remember that 300 is the magic number—anything above that is considered high-quality. Some super high thread counts can be very stiff, so a lower thread count will feel softer and stand up better to washing, but you shouldn’t settle for anything below 300. It’s important to remember that pliability counts, too; you can check a sheet’s pliability by simply folding the corner of the sheet in your hand if the crease feels sharp you might want to continue looking. Cotton sheets are less likely to stain and will release dirt easily when wet. If you stay with white, which is my preference and recommendation, it can always be bleached to remove any persistent stains and they will always look fresh.

Recently, I have started polling other B&B travelers and innkeepers about their favorite sheets and some of those that rose to the surface were Percale sheets. Offering an exceptionally crisp, cool, satin finish with a higher proportion of vertices threads result in a super soft fabric. Below I have listed specific examples:

* Grand Supima: 450-thread count, gorgeous lace trimmed boarder ($79.99 for a queen flat)
* The Private Essential: 412-thread count wrinkle free collection, 100% ultra fine extra long staple Egyptian cotton ($44.99 for a queen flat)
* Court of Versailles Palace Collection: Silky smooth ($40 at Sam’s Club)
* Target Home: Very soft 600-thread count with strong elastic corners ($70 at Target)
* Chris Madden: Wrinkle-free, cool and silky ($70 at JCPenney)
* Garnet Hill Scallop Percale ($110 for a queen set)
* Lands' End Easy-Care ($109.50 for a queen set)

And now it is time for breakfast in bed. Offer your guests a delightful night's rest on quality sheets—they will be coming back for more nights in your wonderful beds!

Best,
Pamela