Pillow Fight

By Dody Tsiantar

A full-fledged pillow fight is under way in the hotel industry, with one chain after another firing shots to claim the title for the industry's most comfortable bed. The latest challenger: Marriott International, which announced last month that it was spending $190 million to replace 628,000 beds in 2,400 hotels with plusher mattresses and 300-thread-count sheets. "It's the biggest makeover in the history of the industry," says J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO, who (with his sons, below) donned flannel jammies for the announcement. The mattress war began five years ago, when Westin launched the "Heavenly Bed," a pillow-top mattress with crisp white linens. Since then, virtually every hotel chain has joined the battle. Last fall, for instance, Radisson Hotels began installing 90,000 Select Comfort firmness-adjustable beds. And Four Points hotels (Westin's sister brand) is adding new 11.5-in. Sealy plush-top beds. --Dody Tsiantar