Jamison The Marriott Mattress Review

Ever since Westin Hotels introduced its Heavenly Bed, in 1999, the major hotel chains have engaged in an all out "bed war" trying to win the all important business traveler segment of the market.

This is great news for the traveler, but it may be even better news for the consumer who is looking to buy a new mattress.  You see, the hotels not only feature their beds on their properties, they are willing to sell them to us.  A pretty good idea don't you think?  I certainly do.

Who offers what?

Westin Hotels offers it's Heavenly Bed, while the Hilton organization offers its Cloud Nine Bed in its Hampton Inn and other business traveler properties.  Radisson offers the Select Comfort Sleep Number Bed at many of their hotels.  And not to be left behind in this battle of the beds, Marriott offers a bed of their own in properties such as The Fairfield Inn and Courtyard by Marriott..

The Marriott Bed by Jamison

Okay, so the name isn't as sexy as The Heavenly Bed or The Cloud Nine Bed, but what's in a name?  When it comes to beds, it's all about what you find under the sheets.  And, from my experience sleeping on The Marriott Bed, I'd say that it has a lot going for it.

Although the Marriott organization still offers up to four different beds on its various properties (three manufactured by Jamison), what has become known in the industry as the Marriott Bed since 2005, is a 9 inch foam mattress made of high density poured polyurethane.  This new 9" mattress replaces the 7" mattress that was in service at Marriott properties from 2000 - 2005.

The comfort of the Marriott Bed is not solely due to the mattress.  A high quality bed needs a high quality foundation and Marriott and Jamison didn't choose to skimp here.  Made of kiln-dried yellow poplar (a hardwood), the box springs are very substantial providing superb active support to the mattress.  To give you an idea of how substantial the springs are, the pair of twin box springs used to support the King Size mattress weigh in at a total of 150 pounds and are 10 inches in height.. 

Who are these Jamison guys?

Though they're not the household name of Simmons, Serta or Sealy, Jamison Bedding has been making high quality beds since 1883 and has a network of approximately 400 retailers throughout the Southeast.  The Company is headquartered in Franklin, TN.

Since their inception they have specialized in supplying hoteliers around the world.  While the name  "The Marriott Bed" is quite a recent invention, Jamison has been making Marriott's beds since 1966.

In addition to the Polyurethane Foam mattresses made for Marriott, Jamison offers a full array of mattress technologies including Pocketed Coil, Laced Innerspring, Talalay Latex and Memory Foam.

My Experience

A while back during one of my frequent trips to Fort Myers, FL, I checked into The Fairfield Inn.  Dog tired when I arrived it wasn't 5 minutes before I fell into bed.  And, as soon as I landed there I knew I was onto something special.  It was firm without being hard.  It yielded to my body without seeming to smother me and it didn't seem to radiate any heat back at me which is often a complaint with visco-elastic memory foam.  I woke the next morning feeling fresh and rested without any of the mysterious aches or pains I associate with a poor mattress.

Since my first experience with The Marriott Bed, the Fairfield Inn in Ft Myers has become my regular hotel of choice in that town and it all has to do with the bed.  If you are in the market for a high quality foam bed you'd do well to check into a Marriott property and try one out for a night or two.

How Much and Where to Buy

The Marriott Bed is available in sizes ranging from Twin to California King Size for a price ranging from $800 to $1,400 for either the King or California King.  The mattress is sold with the matching box spring.  Shipping adds an additional $300.  The bed can be seen on shopmarriott.com but must be ordered by phone at 1-800-311-0708.  Delivery time is estimated at 7 -9 weeks.  The mattress is warrantied for 10 years. 

My Viewpoint

Those of you who read me here and elsewhere know I that I regularly write, read and rate bed and mattress reviews.  It never ceases to amaze me how many of us spend as much as $5,000 on a bed with as little as a five minute try-out in a bedding showroom.  Some of us go directly from a middle of the night infomercial to the purchase of a very expensive air-bed without ever having seen it.

Often the result is a angry rant left on a review site about "this torture chamber" of a bed we bought.  And while mattresses may be warrantied, the warranty doesn't cover your perception of comfort.

The beauty of hotel bed programs such as Marriott's is that we consumers have an opportunity to try out the bed under realistic conditions.  Considering that this is a purchase decision that will affect a major portion of our lives, hopefully for years to come, the investment of spending a night or two at a decent hotel seems pretty reasonable to me.

Now go get a good night's sleep.

Rudi