Bed wars proliferated at hotels in 2005, and now, thank heavens, we can sleep more soundly. Marriott International and Hilton and its brands (like Doubletree) are among those hotel chains that upgraded their spiritless sleeping platforms into comfortably padded mattresses, softer higher thread count sheets and choices of pillows. Now USA Today reports the trend has taken to the high seas with cruise ships providing plusher mattresses and more luxurious towels.
Happily the onshore hotels are now better for moderate-priced business travelers but they're not yet at the quality of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, who launched the bed wars at Westin and W Hotels a few years back and have brought new sleeping life to their less-plush brands like Sheraton Four Points, or Ritz-Carlton hotels, who have held their firm but pillow-topped-feeling ground for a long while. All in all, the Starwood Hotels and Ritz-Carltons still win for me, snuggly under layers of ultra-soft fabrics and sinking into form-fitting mattresses.

