This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I iron all sheets too. I do it myself and have learned to enjoy the process in kind of a Zen way. A set of sheets takes 1 hour.
My listing includes that the sheets are Boll and Branch, I use sateen with embroidered edges.
I have a hypothesis that my guests like our place because they get a good night’s sleep, but they don’t put that in their reviews. Instead they mention the first aid kit or something. But really, it’s the good sleep.
I agree that a comfy bed is paramount in the hospitality business. People spend a third of their lives in bed, so it’s a very important thing to concentrate on. And for sure, people are in a much better mood if they get a good night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation can make even a nice person nasty.
I don’t know that I would spend an hour ironing a sheet set, though 
I was actually surprised that a lot of my guests do comment on the bed, telling me they sleep like a baby in there, and have mentioned it in their reviews. It’s nothing special, I don’t use expensive bedding, but it is comfy. As I only host for 1 guest in a small private room, there is only a single bed. It is just a simple wooden frame, with a 4" firm foam mattress and a 2" softer foam topper. A nice quilted mattress pad and good pillows. Sheets are 400 thread count cotton, whatever I find on sale. Only ironed if they come out of the wash really wrinkled, lightly ironed on the bed if not badly wrinkled, otherwise just a touch up ironing on the fold down edge of the top sheet.
So it seems a bed doesn’t need to have an expensive mattress, luxury bedding, or crisply ironed sheets to get compliments and happy guests, it just needs to feel comfortable.
Okay I am a bit late to this but I had to get involved in this one! In the last year, I replaced all of my sheets, one bed at a time. I enjoy decorating the house and so this was fun, despite the expense. I did a bed at a time and once I got to the final bed, I was keen to try something different (the other beds I went for pure white linen with a minimum of 300tc).
I love the way you put this - has anyone been so brave and reckless as to purchase real linen bedding! Haha. This is exactly how it felt - that this would be a very brave, possibly reckless, thing to do. I have a lady who comes in to help me with cleaning, so as part of my research I asked her if she worked for anyone who had linen duvet covers and how did they look. She felt that looked far too messy/ crumpled. Based on this I could not bring myself to be brave and reckless enough to try them out. BUT, I must say, I think that could be personal. Maybe some people will appreciate the natural affect?
As I don’t iron the sheets, and 300tc can be quite crumply, I put kanthas on top of the beds to cover the creases, which gives the beds a nice neat look for when guests arrive. They usually remove the kanthas after the first day but I don’t think the crumples are really noticed after the first night. And if they do bother people, they can put the kanthas back on.
As someone else with 1000tc said, she has had no complaints. I agree with that - good quality sheets are the priority. I have never had complaints either. That said, I have yet to see with my own eyes what a linen duvet cover looks like once washed and on the duvet. Another poster said too much on a king size bed - too much mess on a big expanse…makes sense. But there in comes ya kantha! Also, it has made me think if I do try linen at some point I will try on the single bed.
I have to admit that sheets that are not 100% cotton would be a deal breaker for me. I wouldn’t complain or anything as that would be unfair, but I would not pick a room that might have mixed cotton sheets! Does that sound awful? Anyway, I know many people are the same. We are in London, so as someone said …it might be a city folk thing!
Thanks everyone for the different perspectives on comfy, linens, etc. I house/pet sit for two couples (neighbors) who both have stunning homes. One has an Ikea type bed with very old pillows and (gasp!) synthetic sheets. I absolutely adore everything about being in their home but I secretly bring my own pillow and sheets when I stay there. Ha! The other neighbor has an equally stunning home but their tastes are slightly different. Top of the line mattress, Pottery Barn (a famous totally overpriced home goods store in the U.S.) linen duvet cover with high end sheets. It’s like sleeping in a puffy cloud. It’s a good reminder how we all like getting a good night’s sleep–guests, hosts, and everyone in between. Also @Bosty64 I had to look up the word kantha!
I never heard of a kantha either. And microfiber sheets, if that’s what you mean by synthetic, are disgusting and environmentally unsound. I don’t understand their popularity.
Word for the day: kantha
I had to look it up.
Thank you.
I’ve been using these for about 2 years and am very happy with them.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BSWKEXQ/ref=redir_mobile_desktop
Any links to Amazon that people share on here (maybe Shiny Lizard?)don’t actually apply if you are in Canada - the sheet set recommended by someone has over $50 import duties and of course the price was much higher ordering from Canada , $130 (on sale) plus the import fees.
Yes, for sure the prices are much different. I don’t actually live in Canada, although I am Canadian. I live and host in Mexico. And I have almost never ordered anything online, I prefer to shop in person.
Plus I won’t support Jeff Bezos.
Thank you for posting this link! I haven’t posted links b/c I figured there was some kind of affiliate program link to online products that the board used to generate profit for operating expenses.
I know a lot of people don’t like Amazon, Jeff Bezos isn’t my favorite person either. I can’t see well enough to drive (which makes running two AirBnBs REALLY fun) so Amazon is really invaluable for me. We have and use the Amazon credit card for everything, and the points earned from that go specifically towards the very expensive food for our elderly ferrets. I always use the Smile site to ensure my pet charities get a cut of my spend. Gotta do what you can to make your life work for you.
There is one thread the forum owner has with affiliate links. The rest of us don’t and shouldn’t post affiliate links. Any link is looked at carefully and anything spammy looking is usually quickly flagged. In particular we don’t want links to blogs and sites that are basically competitors to this one. For example someone will post “here’s an article about long term bookings” and link to an ad laden blogger’s article that doesn’t say anything that hasn’t been said here a million times. I’ve seen other sites that have information that looks like it was taken from here. So we aren’t going to help those guys make money.
I’ve gotten over my animosity toward Amazon and Walmart. Like you, the money and time I save shopping with the corporations whose unethical practices are known (as opposed to the ones whose unethical practices are unknown) more than makes up for the downsides.
I agree it’s overpriced, but it’s not the most expensive available. I have a Pottery Barn duvet cover and blanket. I got them on ebay for a fraction of the price of in store.
I think Frontgate is the most overpriced.
However, their pool floats are great. They are foam, so they last forever, except they look shabby after awhile. They stick to each other and the covers peel and they get cracks.
So I buy their float covers for about a third of the price of a new float and those last a couple of years even in the Caribbean.
I’d say Restoration Hardware is the most overpriced. Though I do HIGHLY recommend one product from them if you can catch it on sale. The Luxe Faux Fur Throw in Wolf. We’ve got six total in all sizes, all 6+ years old. They get year-around use and are as good as the day we got them. Cold wash, air fluff, line dry, then a quick air fluff again. When it’s cold out, there’s nothing like curling up under one to sleep in.
Reporting in on the linen duvet cover experiment. Believe it or not, I’ve managed to press out most of the wrinkles by hand and I think the bedding looks quite nice with a thick blanket at the base to break up the color. No one has commented on the bed yet but given the concern about the wrinkles, I consider this a win! Thanks again to everyone who weighed in.
linen sheets sound nice until you find guests who dye their hair and then bleed the color all over your sheets, or take their makeup off on your pillowcases. save the linen for your own bed.
I adore a making a lovely bed for my guests. This is definitely the one place that, I feel, hosts can make such an impact. I’ve gotten so many sheets at TJ MARSHALLS, over the years, and only use 100% cotton. Linen is soooo expensive, however I found some at my local Tuesday Morning store,on sale. LOVE using good quality sheets. Personally, I love that linen wrinkles & linen has that beautiful hand and quality to it. No one has ever complained about my beddinging being wrinkled, which sometimes it just is. 
Good quality sheets, can be found if you spend the time & it’s so worth it!! Thanks for sharing this.
Hi all, here with another update on the master bed/ linen situation. I now have two linen duvet covers (one is 100% and the other, which I kind of like better, is a blend with cotton.) I’ve had to iron the pillowcases but I can press out most of the wrinkles in the duvets by hand. Looks so cozy if I do say so myself. Maybe one day I’ll try linen sheets but I’m not ready to go there quite yet. But anyhow, here’s the real kicker! As a reward to myself for another wonderful but long rental season, I splurged and bought myself a cashmere sheet set and duvet cover!! This will stay in the closet unless I’m the one sleeping on the bed but just wanted to check in and say…cashmere makes everything like a big puffy cloud and I highly recommend it! For yourself of course. Ha ha.
I have linen doona cover/pillow cases (for me and on one of my abb listings). i don’t bother to iron them. there is a “trick” where you spray them with water when they are on the bed, and as they dry the wrinkles disappear. I think this works a tiny bit, maybe 30% better. honestly, I don’t mind the wrinkles in linen, it has such a heavy “real” texture, it’s got the wholesome vibe that I love.
The place where i buy my linen sets from does a cashmere blend, only 8% cashmere with organic cotton. I’ll see if they ever go on special and maybe try them.
Yes it’s usually less than 10% cashmere but it makes a huge difference! So soft and cloud like. Ha ha.