Buzz
From various shades of gray, red, and blue, to different fabric choices, bedsheets and bath towels come in numerous options. You might have a few in your own collection or perhaps someone you know enjoys adding a bit of color to their linens.
However, when staying at a hotel, variety is usually limited. While the comforter may showcase some color, the sheets and towels are almost always a brilliant, high-contrast white. Given that hotel whites endure frequent use, it's an intriguing decision. Though it might help detect bedbugs, that’s not the main reason behind it.
Hotels prefer white sheets because they instantly convey cleanliness. Imagine slipping into a bed with dark-colored sheets—there might be concerns about things hidden away. With white linens, you can be confident that they've been freshly laundered.
This wasn’t always the case. The Westin hotel chain is credited with popularizing the use of white linens in the 1990s. Their choice went against the common trend of colored sheets. But Westin believed a simple change like this could elevate the room’s appeal.
“The all-white bed created this halo effect,” Erin Hoover, former vice president of design for Westin and Sheraton Hotels, told HuffPost in 2014. “People thought a room had been renovated, even if it was just the bed that had been changed. It had a huge impact.”
From a practical perspective, white linens simplify cleaning. Instead of sorting colored sheets separately, both sheets and towels can be thrown into the same load without worrying about color bleeding.
As for the striking whiteness of hotel linens: Hotels take advantage of the latest laundry technology, including ultrasonic machines that effectively remove stains. Multiple wash cycles also contribute. So while you can buy white sheets for your home, the “halo effect” is something you’ll likely experience only in a hotel room.
