In Transit Blog: What, No Teddy Bear?

Photo "Good Night Sleep Stretch" at the Park Hyatt Tokyo.Credit Park Hyatt

One of the biggest luxuries in a time-pressed world might just be a good night's sleep, and now hotels are offering new ways to help their guests get the best rest possible, often with a dose of wellness before bedtime.

The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, N.C., for example, has a "Goodnight Wishes" turndown amenity: a reflexology salve, a temple balm, a lavender pillow sleep spray or dark chocolates with ginger and passionflower, which supposedly induce sleep.

Hotel Vermont in Burlington, Vt., has a bedtime menu with sleep-friendly amenities such as aromatherapy oils ($18), a flannel pajama set ($95) and complimentary storybooks. At the Park Hyatt Tokyo, guests can take part in a free 30-minute "Good Night Sleep Stretch" every Saturday and Monday night in which an instructor leads them through slow stretches and breathing exercises to relax the body. The session is capped off with herbal tea.

At the Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe, the suites and junior suites are equipped with NightCove technology; LED lamps emit light sequences said to help the production of sleep-inducing melatonin. The Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, reopening in September after a restoration, will have these lamps in guest rooms on the seventh and eighth floors.

Valerie Wilson, founder of Valerie Wilson Travel, a New York consulting firm, said that these amenities are a way for hotels to connect with guests.

"Properties want to make their customers feel at home, and ways to help you have a good rest feel very personal and thoughtful," she said. "Of course, to sleep well, there is nothing better than having a top-quality mattress and pillows, but these options certainly are creative."