Emma’s Sleep Hotel Showed Me Just How Powerful the Right Bedtime Routine Can Be

We humans are rather sleep-obsessed. Take a quick glance at the number of articles we’ve published about improving sleep quality, and you’ll find it difficult to argue otherwise. This obsession is rooted in the fact that so many of us struggle with this nightly routine and stumble through life feeling wobbly and tired all the time. That’s why when Emma Sleep offered me the opportunity to try its Sleep Hotel experience at The Strand Hotel in Sydney, I jumped at the opportunity.

Real Life Reviews: Emma Sleep Hotel

So, what the hell is a sleep hotel?

It sounds redundant because, well… a hotel is a place where you hopefully sleep (at some point), just by the very nature of the experience. But the Emma Sleep Hotel is an experience that is completely, and thoughtfully, tailored to help you achieve the perfect sleep.

When you consider that, according to the Sleep Health Foundation, about half of Aussies report struggling with at least one chronic sleep condition, you can see precisely why something like this might capture peoples’ attention.

Emma Global’s resident Snooze-ologist (yep), Emma Merritt, shared in a statement on the offering that the sleep health brand has found in its own research that “Australian adults are missing out on at least thirty-six minutes every night of critical snooze time. That’s more than 200 hours a year!”

Enter the Emma Sleep Hotel experience.

The sleep hotel was a complete takeover of The Strand Hotel in Darlinghurst, Sydney, and it saw Emma create 10 custom Sleep zzZ-uites (that’s the official name) using the expertise of sleep experts and psychologists.

It also included a pillow-pairing session, a one-on-one sleep advice session with a Snooze-ologist and a sleepgustation, which is basically a degustation designed by scientists to promote healthy sleep.

Here’s what the experience was like.

(A) Good night

The whole sleep-cation started off with a 2:00 pm check-in at The Strand Hotel, where I was greeted by the door person (cleverly rebranded as the snoreman on this occasion). They kindly walked me through the experience, took my bags to my room and directed me to my personal sleep session with Emma Snooze-ologist Emma Merritt.

I walked into the Strand Hotel’s library, and the whole area had been transformed into a cosy sleep haven. Pillows were everywhere, as were adorable fake clouds and soothing music tracks.

Merritt welcomed me into a private room, and we began to chat through my sleep issues. She listened carefully and offered practical pieces of advice on everything from the layout of my bedroom, to my morning routine and my pillow of choice. We also discussed my sleep position (i.e. my need to try and work on sleeping on my side) and my occasional (or, if you’re my partner, my regular) snoring.

I’ve had a few sleep consultations before, and I always find them interesting, but I will say that Merritt offered some fresh ideas that I’ve implemented into my daily routine, and I actually have noticed some changes (I’ll write something on this separately).

The Emma Sleep zzZ-uites

Moving on to bedtime.

Stepping into my sleep suite I was instantly struck by how much care had been taken in setting up the space.

Each room was fitted with two different kinds of Emma Sleep pillows, so you had the opportunity to try out both options before committing, and a small booklet filled with meditation guides and sleep playlists was also left in the room for us.

We were treated to a sleep assistance pack, complete with a Kobo (say no to blue light before bed!), a small sleep tonic, an eye mask, slippers and an Emma-branded robe. The bed was also fitted with an Emma Sleep Zero Gravity Mattress and duvet.

It was super cosy, and just screamed rest. A night in a nice hotel usually spells great sleep, but this setup went beyond.

Sleepgustation menu

The final element of the stay was our sleepgustation dining experience. This was easily the most memorable part of the stay.

The whole menu was designed around ingredients said to promote better sleep (like cherries, potatoes and tuna). And while the rooftop dining space was certainly a calming environment to be in – complete with cute sheep lamps on the table and floating clouds – the best part was that the food was damn tasty. I haven’t stopped thinking about the gnocchi since.

The cocktails were also super memorable. The Pyjama Colada and the Melon-tonin Marg (lol) were two of my favourites from the list. While I’m sure booze isn’t exactly the best thing to consume if you want a restful night’s sleep, the flavour choices paired with the general ambience of the sleepgustation meal really did leave me feeling calmer.

Emma Sleep Hotel: The verdict

I didn’t really know what to expect when signing up for a night at the Emma Sleep Hotel, but every element of the experience felt like it had been designed with careful thought. Each part of the stay was very clearly pointing towards a good night’s sleep, and I left with a better understanding of how to improve on my snooze sessions.

Overall, the most powerful part of the experience was that it taught me the value of paying attention to not only the place you rest your head at night, but the foods you eat and the activities you wind down with each night. It was an exercise in developing the perfect bed-time routine, really.

My only piece of feedback? I would have loved a later check-out. I didn’t want to leave that bed!

You can read more about the Emma Sleep Hotel experience and what it was all about here.