Yes, traveling can be gruesome. In fact, it is very tough on your stamina and energy, and the best thing you’ll want to do after a day of exploring is to crash into a nicely made plush king-size hotel bed, with a dozen or so soft pillows in different degrees of firmness, and just enjoy some highly-needed relaxation. Sounds enticing, right?

Well, that is if you booked yourself into the right hotel. Do this in Germany or Austria, for example, and you’re doomed to sleep on individual mattresses with a gap in between, on a single flat pillow (one per person!) and a small individual blanket that covers either your toes or your chest – but never both. Oh, and don’t stretch out your hands too far.

Many hotels in Europe, but mostly Germany and Austria, don’t realize that the primary and most important reason to stay in a hotel – for most people – is actually the bed. Sounds like rocket science? To these people, yes! So be careful where you stay. Look at images of the actual room on booking platforms, and see if there are individual mattresses and blankets. If yes, stay away. You’ll know what I mean if you do decide to try those.

Luckily enough, there are American hotels everywhere. And you might think about the U.S. hospitality industry whatever you like, but they sure do one thing very well: Beds. Frankly speaking, the only reason I check myself into a hotel room. So why not make it perfect?

In most U.S. hotels (and in international outlets of U.S. hotel chains like Marriott, Hilton but also other global chains like Sofitel) you will maybe not find the fanciest room design or the biggest bathroom. But you very surely will sleep well. Boxspring mattresses started their popularity globally because of this, and usually there is a selection of different-size pillows in different hardness. At least, there’s two per person. Oh, and a nice large blanket to snuggle yourself into.

Some hotels are so proud of their beds, they even branded them and offer them for sale: Sheraton is famous for its SweetSleeper bed, Westin has the Heavenly bed (and it even flies on Delta flights), Sofitel has one and the iconic W Hotels have their version of the W bed (which is very similar to the Sheraton’s). Including linen and pillows, of course. Now that’s another level of serious!

Which one is your favorite bed?