Hästens Sleep Spa is the perfect destination for those looking for a one-of-a-kind immersive wellness experience. Set in the quaint Portuguese city of Coimbra, every aspect of this unique hotel’s rooms was designed to offer the best possible sleep. The centrepiece of each of these rooms are some of the most luxurious beds to ever be made.
The Sleep Spa is a joint venture between Portugal’s Grupo O Valor Do Tempo (Value Of Time Group) and Sweden’s Hästens – specializing in handcrafted beds, bed linen, pillows and lifestyle accessories.
Hästens is a fifth Generation family-owned Swedish business, which handcrafts each of its beds with the same natural materials as when their first beds were made, over 160 years ago. Every material used in the manufacture, according to the brand, has been selected to help clients get the highest quality sleep. These natural materials work together to absorb the warmth and humidity generated by the body, keeping it cool when it’s hot, and comfortably warm on cooler nights.
Hästens also claims that its beds are free of chemicals, static electricity and “any substances that can harm one’s sleep.” As a result, clients “fall asleep quicker and enjoy deep, uninterrupted, rejuvenating sleep at the perfect temperature.”
Chief among the natural materials found in every Hästens bed is horsetail hair. These natural fibres are transformed into millions of tiny spirals, which act as micro-springs. This arrangement makes the horsetail hair fluffy, such that air can easily circulate around the body, thus transporting any excess heat and moisture away while sleeping. The ease of air circulation allows the body to better regulate the temperature around it, which in turn increases the possibility of having a deep, uninterrupted sleep.
The horsetail micro-springs are complemented by the other natural materials found in a Hästens bed. Cotton and wool contribute to an optimal sleeping climate. Flax diverts and prevents static electricity from occurring and also provides a quiet sleep environment. The slow-growing northern pine gives stability that lasts for generations.
Crafting a Hästens bed requires several special skills, including mid-stitchers, fabric-rackers, cotton-tassel tiers and horsetail-hair-rufflers, among others. Each of these specialist skills is taught in-house by the company. The horsetail hair is bedded entirely by hand, and then all the other materials are hand-layered by the specialist craftsmen.
Hästens claims that its beds are “crafted with environmental awareness and meet the most stringent requirements.” This proviso applies to both when the bed is made and when it is no longer needed. “All the natural materials used in a Hästens bed are naturally biodegradable,” and thus, “can be recycled, upcycled, or safely returned to nature’s own natural cycle.”
Given that each bed is custom-made to a customer’s specific requirements, it generally takes Hästens about 10 to 12 weeks to get the bespoke bed delivered and installed at a customer’s residence. Several of these Hästens beds have made their way to the Hästens Sleep Spa.
The pillows are also imperative to the Hastens Sleep Spa experience and come in five versions – soft high, medium-high, firm high, medium extra high and firm extra high. These pillows are made of 100% cotton and filled with goose feathers. These remarkable pillows offer essential benefits, including optimal neck and spine support, improved breathing, enhanced relaxation, and overall, a significantly improved night’s sleep.
Commenting on the sleep spa concept, Jan Ryde, the Executive Chairman and fifth-generation owner of the brand, said: “With Hästens Sleep Spa, we, together with the hotel, want to make people around the world feel how important it is to let the body get really good sleep, through good conditions and the right means.
“Our sleep expertise is unique, and we want everyone to experience the rarity of our beds. That is what makes this hotel concept so fantastic, and we hope that more and more people will be able to take part in it in the coming years with the hope of additional hotels.”
Each of the boutique hotel’s fifteen unique rooms either overlooks the Mondego River or the hotel’s private garden. The decor draws inspiration from the nearby UNESCO-listed library Biblioteca Joanina, as a result, the rooms are adorned with 1,200 hand-carved and gold-plated marble book spines. The books – which took four months and 18 people to create – have been engraved with titles from both Portuguese and international authors.
Among the list of curated guest activities centred around sleep is Bed Talks, a conversation led by sleep expert Dr Edie Perry, where various topics are discussed to help educate and guide guests for the ultimate sleep experience. In addition to achieving the fullness of well-being through a quality night’s sleep, guests can experience what a good sleep routine can do with light sleeping, acoustic insulation, sleep recommendations and, of course, an inspirational environment where books can make one dream away.
Hästens has come a long way since its early days as a court-appointed Master saddle-maker. Today, it is a top brand in the manufacturing of beds and bedding accessories by combining traditional know-how with the latest science to manufacture truly exceptional beds. With the Sleep Spa, Hästens has taken the next step with a holistic approach to the science of slumber.
