08 March 2023 | NEWS
« It’s not hyperbole to say this mattress just makes me feel exponentially better on so many levels in life »
Erika M.
Erika is an intellectual property attorney and senior director at a leading technology company in the Silicon Valley. She tells us about her "encounter" with an Elite bed at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne last summer, and her determination to have the best bed in the world in her San Francisco estate.
How did you discover Elite ?
I discovered Elite by sheer serendipity! Over summer, I traveled from home in San Francisco, California to London on a week-long business trip prior to a long-scheduled family holiday in Europe. The work week was extremely productive, however, not at all restful. By the time I left London for the first leg of our holiday in Switzerland, I was exhausted. My family and I stayed at the beautiful Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne for two nights primarily to visit close friends in the region. I awoke after the first night feeling totally energized and thoroughly refreshed following a deep, wonderful sleep in the hotel bed. I felt brand new.
So much so, I audibly exclaimed, “That hotel bed is extraordinary!”, over breakfast with my friends the next morning. At that point, I was motivated to learn more: literally, right before checking out of the hotel suite, I removed all of the bedding from the bed to uncover (no pun intended) the mystery of who made this incredible bed. I removed the final bed sheet to reveal the name sewn into the mattress: Elite. In an instant, I snapped a photo of the Elite logo with my iPhone vowing to continue my research later. This was my first introduction to Elite.
Eventually, I returned home and was reminded how poorly my existing bed fared in comparison to what I’d experienced in Switzerland.
I went to Elite’s website and learned all about its commitment to environmental and supplier responsibility and its use of locally sourced, sustainable wood and other raw materials.
By this stage, I composed an email through the “Write to us” link on the website hoping to discuss the potential of purchasing and shipping to the United States. To my great surprise and delight, I received an expeditious email reply directly from Elite’s CEO who further helped me explore the many wonderful options available. I was really blown away by this level of personal care from a small craftsman company thousands of miles away in Switzerland.
Now, I sleep in what is arguably the best bed on the planet, and in my own home, no less, consisting of a superior Elite mattress, gorgeous divan and handmade leather headboard. It was the happiest of accidents, to say the least !
As a businesswoman you often travel and experience many beds/mattresses, how was this one different and what motivated you to take the mattress references ?
For nearly 20 years, I have worked for a leading tech company in Silicon Valley where I manage a team based all over the world. I have the great fortune of traveling to far away places overseas for work which has enabled me to stay in myriad luxurious hotels and resorts. What I’ve observed is that many such hotels have decent beds with lots of accoutrements, like extra fluffy bedding, oversized pillows, and so forth, but these added components seem designed to overcompensate for a mattress that’s just OK, not amazing.
On the contrary, the Elite mattress was a solo standout. It didn’t require any enhancement from the high-thread count bed sheets or European duvet cover. When I lay in bed for the first night, I was instantly comfortable. The mattress was as firm as it was supportive. No sagging like too-soft mattresses, and not the feeling of sleeping on concrete, as with some mattresses that are too hard for my taste. Even as I moved about in my sleep throughout the night, the mattress accommodated my every position. By morning, I just felt so wonderfully refreshed. It’s precisely what motivated me to proactively search Elite’s website where I learned background on its excellence.
What attracted you to this brand, was it only the comfort of the mattress that motivated your interest ?
My honest first impression of Elite came the very first moment I lay in bed. I was instantly struck by the sheer comfort of this mattress. It had the perfect balance of firmness and support for my weary joints.
The mattress was a solo standout; it didn’t need any enhancement from the high thread count bed sheets or European duvet. I just felt so wonderfully refreshed after sleeping on it for a night. It’s exactly what motivated me to do a quick search of Elite’s website where I learned about the brand’s excellence: the attention to each and every detail of its craftsmanship products, the fierce commitment to using high quality, raw materials for its mattresses and divans and hand sewn headboards made from exquisite materials... it’s also how I learned of Elite’s ground-breaking Woodenboxspring made from sustainable, organic wood sourced locally in Switzerland.
If you’ll forgive a terrible pun, you could say my initial impression was literal - the impression made when I lay down on the bed - but, as I became more educated about the company ethos and values, my impression was far more about comprehending how deeply Elite subscribes to the highest standards of excellence on a level than many other companies in its industry don’t even strive for.
Did you appreciate the brand's values ?
Emphatically so, yes. The more I learned about Elite, the more I was blown away by the brand. I have great admiration for companies like Elite that don’t take shortcuts or cut corners to achieve the best products.
Were you not worried about ordering online without seeing the final product ?
Actually, I wasn’t at all concerned about placing an online order for a bed, even one made so far away. In the U.S. I’ve grown accustomed to the reality that online retail extends to just about everything. This includes online mattress companies that have cropped up throughout America in recent years though these companies tend to become popular more for convenience than quality. Most of the American mattress companies heavily market enticements like ‘free shipping' and ‘100-night sleep trial guarantees’ over actual product excellence.
Of course, I did have the benefit of the two-night stay on an Elite mattress which only offered a further testament that I was in for something far superior than the expensive yet sub-par mattress I owned at the time.
Did you opt for a Woodenboxspring, which implies that you are sensitive to natural and sustainable products ?
I fell in love with the Woodenboxspring when I first read about it and saw images on the website. It is so next level! As an intellectual property attorney, I tend to geek out about new product innovation. The company I work for is fairly famous for revolutionizing existing products that change the world. So, I have a quiet appreciation and admiration for companies like Elite that do the same in their own right.
How was the delivery and installation of the bed ?
The entire process was seamless. Not one hiccup. Elite’s customer service was stellar. I was provided frequent status updates from the very first instance when my mattress went into manufacturing right down to the last stages of receiving advance notice of shipping and delivering the final product. Thanks to consistently excellent communication, I felt intrinsically part of the process of my bed being born. All manner of logistics was flawlessly executed, which is impressive when you consider the numerous handoffs that had to happen to bring my order to fruition. The mattress arrived to my home as beautifully and securely wrapped as it was constructed. The installers were kind and professional. They worked quickly, but not hastily. They handled the installation with extreme care and they made certain we were completely satisfied with every minute detail of installation before they departed. All in all, things moved swiftly from the time I placed my order to the time of receiving the bed, even with trans-Atlantic transport. I actually received this mattress faster than I’ve gotten some Amazon packages from within the U.S!
Now that the bed has been installed, have you rediscovered the first feelings ?
Yes, I feel like I picked up right where I left off in Lausanne. Only this time, instead of the dismay I felt leaving that bed in a 5-star Swiss hotel, I have the pleasure of enjoying it every night in the comfort of my own home. This mattress is made of the highest standards. Not a single corner cut. It was entirely worth the effort. Every morning I wake up and bound out of this bed, I am elated with my decision.
What does this new bed do for you, do you feel better rested after a night on an Elite bed ?
Sleep for me is a mood-changer: if get better sleep, I’m in a better mood. So, getting great sleep each night has a collateral effect on my entire day. When I sleep well, my mind is lucid. My mood is centered. I’m better to and for the people around me. It’s no accident that good sleep has been the basis for so many other improvements in life.
Each morning since my Elite mattress arrived, I wake up feeling so rested and ready for the day. I have tons of energy. I’m motivated to exercise, eat well and drink plenty of water. At work, my days are often busy, even hectic, but I’m inspired to tackle big challenges . I am even finding that I’m more buoyant and pleasant to passersby throughout the day! It’s not hyperbole to say this mattress just makes me feel exponentially better on so many levels in life.
« It’s not hyperbole to say this mattress just makes me feel exponentially better on so many levels in life. »
Would you recommend Elite to your friends ?
I already have! My friends nearby and abroad have heard me rave about my Elite mattress, and they are seeking the same for themselves. These past few years with the pandemic have been surreal for everyone. In particular, they have prompted many of my friends and me to talk much more openly about our health and candid ways to improve it.
And, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more attuned to the importance of good health habits generally. I care greatly about things like eating right, cooking simple dishes with the freshest ingredients I can find. And not just for me: I also try to educate my teenage kids about keeping their mental and physical well-being intact.
Great sleep is the cornerstone of this dynamic although it seems oddly underestimated, or maybe just under-discussed in society, especially considering how much of our daily lives we spend doing it; we literally can’t function without sleep. If sleep were a business, it would be recession-proof! Still, it’s not a topic we seem to direct enough attention to, in my humble opinion.
For me, it’s important to know that each night when I go to sleep, I am resting on a mattress made with the utmost care and highest quality materials rather than laying atop some poorly constructed, mass produced option rife with harmful toxic chemicals because they are cheaper to use.
Please don’t misunderstand: I’m not suggesting all things that cost less are inherently bad. But, I am willing to pay a little more for top quality products that have knowing, material and positive long term effects for living a healthier life.
Also? My bed is simply a work of art. It is beautifully designed and looks just stunning. I’ve gotten so many rave reviews from friends who have come over and seen a glimpse of it. It’s the kind of bed you want to show off, not shut the door on.
I’m so grateful for my accidental discovery of Elite. And, I will be thrilled to see Elite expand its footprint more formally to the U.S. market when that day comes. This country is full of so many more consumers who sorely need it !
