Got money? Sleep like a Republican President on a $33,000 mattress

By Dian Vujovich

To me, there’s nothing like a good night’s sleep. Nothing. In fact, I think that the person who invented the mattress ought to get some kind of Nobel Prize for sleep. One of the challenges of getting a good night’s rest, however, is finding the perfect mattress. And since mine had seen better days and nights, I went on a hunt.

Before explaining, here’s a little background: I’ve just returned from a trip to Panama where I spent a few nights at the Bristol hotel in Panama City and Bristol Buenaventura on the Pacific coast. One thing I’d heard was that Bristol’s guests raved about how great the hotel’s beds are and based upon what I experienced, the raves were right on. Yes, Frette Egyptian cotton 300-thread count sheets, goose feather pillows from the Downtown Company on top of a Sealy Posturepedic combined do make for good sleeps.

So when I returned I started looking.

Last week, I think every store in the universe was having a mattress sale. That doesn’t make shopping for one easy as flopping from one to another to another in search of the perfect feel gets old real fast.

But when I wound up at Bloomingdales, all of my mattress dreams came true. There, right smack dab when you walk into their bedding department , is a Kluft Palais Royal Plush mattress that’s part of the company’s Beyond Luxury Collection.

The salesman suggested I try it. “It’s what beds are supposed to be,” he said. And he was right. It was/is dreamy comfy.

I figured I must look very wealthy because the price tag on that hand-tuffed baby was $33,000. Shocked I said, “That’s the price of good new car.”

“But people don’t sleep in their cars,” he responded.

“These days some do,” I said then asked him where their least expensive mattresses were located.

Turns out they are tucked way in the far back corner of the showroom. So I walked back, looked, laid and bought a comfortable Stearns & Foster at a decent price. Plus, experienced some very good personal service both at the store and from the delivery guys. Good service matters to me.

What also matters is that I couldn’t help but wonder why in the world anyone would spend $33,000 on a mattress? So I went back the next day to learn more about this E.S. Kluft & Co. brand.

Turns out it’s a made in America company—California, in fact. And President Reagan had a Kluft mattress in the White House when he was president. Thirty-three thousand bucks also isn’t the most one could spend on one: $44,000 is.

Apparently it’s the little things that make a Kluft a Kluft such as an outer cover that’s a blend of mohair, silk and cashmere on a top of latex, wool and cotton felt. And a hand-coiled inner spring etc., etc. But it’s definitely those with the big bucks who buy them. I’ve heard that Bloomies has only sold one so far this year.