Hotel pillows

How to choose a hotel pillow

Start with how you sleep. Side sleepers usually need a fuller, firmer pillow that fills the space between ear and mattress. Back sleepers tend to suit a medium pillow, and stomach sleepers a soft, low one. Our guide to soft, medium or firm pillows goes through it position by position.

What hotels actually use

We checked the published pillow specs of 42 hotels and hotel brands. Two fills dominate: a feather and down blend and a down alternative fibre, each offered by about half of the hotels that state a fill. The most common stated blend is 75% feather and 25% down. Read the full findings in what pillows do hotels actually use, and compare fills in down vs feather vs down alternative.

Firm usually means more fill

In hotel pillows, a firm version is usually the same pillow with more fill inside, which keeps its height through the night. A pillow that has gone flat is often just compressed: here is how to fluff a pillow, and how to tell when it is time to replace one.

Sizes differ by country

A standard pillow in the US is not a standard pillow in France, Germany or the UK. Check the size of your pillowcases first, then see pillow sizes by country.

Pick your pillow like a hotel guest

Many good hotels let you pick your pillow from a pillow menu, soft or firm: 13 of the 42 hotels we checked publish one. Side sleepers usually pick firm, back and stomach sleepers soft. People often use one or two pillows, whichever suits them, so start with the one you sleep on.