Radisson
Hotels & Resorts to
Feature the Sleep Number Bed
Offering
Customers A New Level of
Personal Choice and Comfort in Bedding
 |
Carlson
Hotels Worldwide and Select Comfort Corporation announced an exclusive partnership
to have SLEEP NUMBER® beds available in all Radisson Hotels & Resorts®
in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Plans call for the national introduction
of a custom-designed Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort™ at 249 Radisson
properties in 2004, with the majority of Radisson's 90,000 beds to be upgraded
to Sleep Number® beds in 2005 and 2006.
"We are very excited
to join with Select Comfort in this exclusive agreement which brings hotel bedding
to a new level of comfort and choice in our industry," said Bjorn Gullaksen,
executive vice president and brand leader of Radisson Hotels & Resorts and
Carlson Hotels Worldwide Full Service Hotels. "Radisson's mission is to become
the leading brand of choice of frequent travelers who are seeking an upscale hotel
experience because we meet their individual needs for comfort and service."
"The Sleep Number bed is a great fit for Radisson because it uniquely
allows guests to adjust mattress firmness and support to their liking at the touch
of a button," Gullaksen said. "Based on our extensive consumer research,
the bed is one of the critical 'guest experience' touch points that is highly
valued at a full-service upscale hotel. We believe the Sleep Number bed exclusively
designed for Radisson by Select Comfort will be a key brand differentiator that
will distinguish Radisson from its competitors."
Gullaksen added
that the Sleep Number® bed has been tested in selected Radisson properties
in the past two months and was exceptionally well received in consumer research.
"Having Sleep Number beds in Radisson hotels is a great way for
consumers to get a better night's sleep away from home," said Keith C. Spurgeon,
senior vice president of sales for Select Comfort. "In addition, it represents
an extension of Select Comfort's mission of improving peoples' lives by improving
their sleep."
Spurgeon added that while Select Comfort expects the
hospitality channel to provide a modest boost in sales and profit in 2005 and
2006, it more importantly represents an unprecedented trial opportunity that will
help increase awareness of the Sleep Number® bed among the thousands of guests
who stay at Radisson hotels each night.
Personalized bedding comfort
for travelers Radisson
will accessorize the new custom-designed Sleep Number bed by Select Comfort™
with upscale customized linen sets, designed to provide each guest with luxurious
comfort. The linen set includes white 250-thread-count sheets, plush feather and
down sleeping pillows and cases with dark navy piping, a duvet, coordinated bed
skirt and throw blanket. The Sleep Number® bed is currently available in select
rooms at U.S. Radisson hotels in Minneapolis; Chicago and Moline, Ill.; Miami;
Cleveland; Augusta, Ga.; Corning, N.Y.; Research Triangle Park, N.C.; San Antonio,
Texas; and Palm Beach, Aruba, in the Caribbean.
Unlike traditional innerspring
mattresses, the firmness of a Sleep Number® bed can be adjusted at the touch
of a button, allowing individuals to find their personalized SLEEP NUMBER®
a number between zero and 100 that represents each person's ideal level of mattress
comfort, firmness and support. In a study conducted at the Stanford University
Medical Sleep Disorders Center, researchers found that 87 percent of those who
slept on a Sleep Number bed experienced a greater percentage of REM sleep with
fewer sleep disturbances. King- and queen-size beds at the Radisson allow each
guest to independently control their Sleep Number® on their side of the bed. |
