YOTEL has entered into a brand-wide partnership with mattress company Serta, to develop a unique mattress that will serve as YOTEL’s new signature sleep standard.

The new mattresses are a critical element of YOTEL’s ‘SmartBeds,’ to be incorporated into their ‘cabins’ worldwide, as the company rolls out its next generation cabin design and delivers on its ambitious global expansion plans.

‘The heart of YOTEL’s mission is to provide an elevated level of comfort for business and leisure travellers and flexing to their needs. Since sleep and comfort are undeniably top priorities for our guests, we researched and developed an exciting and unique solution that fits the YOTEL brand and delivers the best experience,’ explains Hubert Viriot, CEO of YOTEL.

‘We are delighted that the ‘SmartBed’ by YOTEL will mean better sleep and cabin experiences for our guests while building upon YOTEL’s reputation as a hospitality innovator.’ Added Viriot.

The new Serta mattress is designed exclusively for YOTEL, to work with the existing automated ‘gliding’ bed mechanism for which the hotel’s cabins are known. The ‘SmartBed’ converts at the touch of a button from a fully flatbed to a sofa/couch to create extra space for relaxing and working. The new mattress was extensively tested and installed in select cabins at YOTEL’s flagship hotel in New York City where discerning guests are providing overwhelming levels of excellent feedback. 

To support the ultimate sleep experience, YOTEL is also launching an artistic and innovative campaign designed to induce sleep. The 30-minute feature, aptly named ‘YAWN,’ promises to promote sleep even to the most restless of guests. ‘YAWN’ is the brainchild of Creative Director Floyd Hayes, produced by award-winning documentary filmmaker Scott Elliott, and is accompanied by a sleep-inducing soundtrack by Tom Middleton, YOTEL’s music curator and Sound Professor. The campaign combines research, technology and an injection of playfulness to create a unique, functional experience that guests have come to expect from YOTEL. 

YOTEL collaborator Dr. Chris Idzikowski of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service notes; ‘No one is sure what a yawn does. Originally a yawn was thought to occur when there was too much carbon dioxide or too little oxygen in the air, causing breathing to occur faster and more deeply than usual. Then it was thought that it was a signal by a leader of a group to settle down and rest or go to sleep. When the leader yawns, others follow and the group settles. More recently in humans, research suggests that a deep yawn may help cool the brain.’ 

The video will be available for guests on YOTEL’s in-house TV channel and online and is also available to view at www.yotel.com/about-us/YAWN. The ‘SmartBed’ by YOTEL will be available to all guests at YOTEL New York immediately, and it will roll out to all YOTEL properties in the near future.