'Will never stay again': The hotel room detail literally keeping travellers up at night
Somewhere with a nice view, in a good location, at a decent price, with a good breakfast buffet - these are all things plenty of travellers consider when booking a hotel room.
But it turns out there is another tiny, yet crucial detail that Aussies prioritise above all else when selecting accommodation.
Quality pillows and bedding rank as the most important room feature for 45 per cent of Aussies that's higher than the global average according to SiteMinder's Changing Traveller Report 2026.
READ MORE: Affordable beach paradise that's the perfect place to visit in January
Hotel bedding, especially pillows, are the most important part of a room for many Aussies. Getty
Indeed, when we asked around the Nine.com.au office about hotel pillow preferences, it was clear we have strong opinions on the matter.
"If a hotel only has one pillow per person, and no spares, I will never stay there again," April tells us.
This idea of having choice was the key takeaway - but what do people prefer? Soft or firm?
"Three options would suffice... soft, medium and firm. Firm is the go for me and most hotels these days pillows are way too soft," Theo shares. "For the most part pillows [at hotels] have been average at best and horrible at some."
Nick agrees he would prefer a pillow that is "not so big and soft that my head disappears into it."
READ MORE: Virgin Australia announces major security change for passengers at Aussie airports
Most of our colleagues preferred a firm pillow at a hotel. Getty
To offer guests as much choice as possible, many new hotels offer pillow menus (whether digital or in a booklet), something Chantelle is a big fan of.
"I've only ever stayed in a hotel with a pillow menu once and it was an absolute game changer. Being able to order the exact pillow I wanted, or even a selection of pillows to choose from was ideal," she raves.
Kahla also agrees having different options is great.
"I find hotel pillows are generally way too firm and I feel like I'm sleeping on a water tank it's so hard. Even if they had one firmer and one softer option, it would make a big difference."
While most were likely to opt for a firmer pillow, Jess says she isn't a fan.
"I find many hotel pillows to be too thick and firm, and as a result have slept without a pillow at all at a bunch of nice hotels," she admits.
"I sleep on a pillow at home that is sad and flat so anything thicker is an issue. In the past I have also used a folded blanket as my pillow."
Some hotel pillows have stood out so much that guests ended up tracking them down afterwards to recreate the comfort at home.
"I liked the pillows so much at the Kimpton Margot Sydney recently, my husband emailed them and bought some (they were not cheap)," says Sarah.
And Carina did the same, preferring a pillow that is in between firm and soft.
"I need to be able to sleep on my side and roll on to my stomach without hurting my neck. After staying at Crown Sydney I bought their pillows, I can't sleep on anything else."
Carina now only uses the same pillows as the Crown Sydney. Crown Hotels
Of course it's not all about comfort when it comes to hotel bedding, with others pointing out they also judge based on cleanliness.
"My priority preference is no decorative pillows that don't get washed between guests," Serena says.
And Karishma adds: "I like having a few different options available to me... and they need to be clean. Nothing worse than a stained pillow peeking out of a rumpled pillowcase in the morning."
Beyond pillows, the report also highlighted that Aussie travellers value room quietness (39 per cent), WiFi speed and reliability (38 per cent), temperature control (29 per cent), and coffee/tea facilities (28 per cent.).
Views matter to 26 per cent, while shower pressure and TV/audio systems also make the list.
Less important are baths, blackout curtains, mini bars, power socket locations, and workspaces.
