King Koil: 125 years of mattresses, chosen by the world's best hotels

Who actually is King Koil and why are their mattresses found in the bedrooms of five-star hotels worldwide? The story of a brand that started with six employees in Minnesota, and the three mattresses from the Switzerland series that we import from them.

The year is 1898. In Saint Paul, Minnesota, Samuel Bronstein opens a small workshop with six employees and begins manufacturing luxury high mattresses and beds. He has no marketing department or distribution network; he simply has the idea that a bed should be the finest item in the house. One hundred and twenty-five years later, guests at the Ritz Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and Atlantis the Palm sleep on mattresses bearing his logo. King Koil Mattress Meanwhile, they are produced in 39 factories on five continents, and the brand has a presence in 80 countries worldwide. Few companies in the sleep industry have such a long and uninterrupted track record.

From private bedrooms to hotel suites

Samuel Bronstein's original intention was more modest than it appears today. He wanted to manufacture luxury mattresses and high box spring beds for private customers – for families who could afford furniture that would last a generation. It wasn't planned for him to become a supplier to the world's most luxurious hotels. It just happened, because the quality of workmanship and design spoke for themselves.

The hospitality industry is, after all, a ruthless testing ground. A mattress in a hotel room has to endure hundreds of different bodies, with varying weights and sleeping positions, over the course of a year and must not sag or creak after that time. When a brand endures this environment, it's a different level of proof than a thousand satisfied reviews. Among King Koil's customers today are leading four- and five-star hotels – in addition to those already mentioned, such as Le Meridien, but also chains like Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, and Crowne Plaza.

Besides hoteliers, the brand has another important group of partners: architects. This is because a high mattress and a continental bed are elements that determine the proportions of the entire room in the bedroom. They are not accessories – they are building blocks.

King Koil today

From six employees in Minnesota, it’s now the largest branch network in the world in this segment. Thirty-nine manufacturing plants on five continents, with commercial representation in 80 countries. What’s interesting, however, is what has happened during this time NoKing Koil still builds on spring mattresses combined with natural materials. At a time when the market has been flooded with foam mattresses compressed into suitcase-sized boxes, it is a position the brand consciously maintains.

Honest craftsmanship and proven materials play the main role — cotton, sheep's wool, camel wool, horsehair, silk, and natural latex. Not because it sounds good in a catalogue, but because natural fibres can do what synthetics struggle to match: wick away moisture and let the mattress breathe.

In the Czech Republic, we, Royal Comfort, represent the King Koil brand. We are its exclusive importer and the only ones in the Czech market authorised to use the trademark of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), with which King Koil cooperates in mattress development.

What makes a King Koil mattress a King Koil mattress

More brands have a long history. History alone won't see you through the night. So let's look at the construction.

Zoned pocket springs. The heart of every King Koil mattress. Individual springs are wrapped separately in connected pockets and divided into five zones according to body parts. The result: the springs are interconnected but move independently. Your shoulder sinks in where it should, your hips get support where they need it, and when your partner turns over in the night, you won't know.

Chiropractors in development. King Koil collaborates on mattress development with leading chiropractors from the International Chiropractors Association (ICA). This isn't just a certificate on paper – it’s about the shape and zoning being created in collaboration with professionals who work with the spine.

A mattress that breathes. This is a feature that a foam mattress will never quite replicate. The space between the pocket springs acts as an air channel. The special foam used on both sides of the mattress provides firmness, helps the mattress ventilate, and creates an antibacterial sleeping environment. Add to this the natural materials in the cover and comfort layers – and you have a bed that won't turn your bedroom into a sauna in the summer.

Foam case with reinforced side. Reinforced edges maintain the mattress's shape, allow comfortable sitting on the edge, and effectively extend the usable sleeping surface right to the edge of the bed.

Switzerland Range: three stages of one concept

From the King Koil portfolio, we import the Switzerland range to the Czech market, among other products, with a design and origin befitting King Koil. These are three mattresses built on the same foundation: a five-zone pocket spring system (416 springs in a 200 × 100 cm size), double-sided use, a foam encasement with reinforced sides, and covers made from natural materials. They differ in the amount of comfort lying above the spring core – and how distinctly you feel the mattress in the first minute.

Switzerland Original — the hardest in the family

Switzerland Original Mattress It is the most straightforward member of the series. No additional layers - the core is made up of a 12 cm high, five-zone pocket spring system, a 500 g/m² felt distribution layer, two layers of cold foam on the sides, and a cotton cover with handles and air vents.

ULTRA HARD firmness (very hard), height 28 cm, weight recommendation up to 150 kg, double-sided use. It is designed for back sleepers, for medium and firm sleeping — and we recommend it for athletes, children, and for hospitality operations. If a soft mattress causes you back pain in the morning, this is the direction to go.

Switzerland Premium — solid support, gentler onset

Matrace Switzerland Premium it's new to the range and changes two things. The first is the cover: as well as cotton, it includes wool and the mattress has summer and winter sides. You turn it twice a year, and with it the microclimate of the bed changes – wool keeps you warm in winter, and the cooler cotton side in summer. It's the closest a mattress can get to air conditioning without a plug.

The second thing is hardness. While Original is very hard, Premium is a classic hard — still firm support, but the initial entry into the mattress is a little softer. Height 27 cm, weight recommendation up to 150 kg, double-sided use, same spring core as the Original.

Switzerland Premium Plus — with detachable bamboo topper

Switzerland Premium Plus Mattress It is the top of the range and also the most versatile piece. Compared to both siblings, it adds Bamboo topper with a natural filling, which is detachable and washable. This is a detail you'll appreciate after five years: the top layer, which you have direct contact with, can be removed and washed, while the rest of the mattress remains untouched.

The Premium Plus also has a summer and winter side and the same five-zone pocket spring core. Firm hardness, 36 cm height, weight recommendation up to 150 kg, double-sided use. At 36 centimetres, it is also a mattress that, when combined with a continental bed, will create a hotel-height bed.

Comparison in one table

How to choose between them

The choice of hardness isn't a matter of taste, even if it often seems that way. Three things are decisive:

1. Sleeping position. If you sleep on your back or stomach, you need a straight spine alignment – and that's where the Original helps. Side sleepers need their shoulder and hip to sink in more; then the Premium or Premium Plus with a bamboo topper makes sense.
2. Mass. The five-zone pocket spring system can handle higher weights precisely because it distributes pressure. The Original and Premium have a weight recommendation of up to 150 kg, while the Premium Plus is up to 130 kg.
3. Bed temperature. If you wake up sweaty at night, the summer and winter sides on the Premium and Premium Plus models aren't a marketing detail, but a feature you'll use 365 nights a year.

And another practical point: mattresses from the Switzerland series can be placed on a non-adjustable slatted base, bed bases, box springs, solid slatted frames, solid perforated boards, or directly on the floor. They are not suitable for adjustable bases – the spring core should not be bent.

Try it yourself

Choosing a mattress is a very personal matter, and no description can replace it. Ten minutes lying down will tell you more than ten pages of specifications. In our showrooms at Vinohradská 37/13 in Prague 2 and in Hradec Králové, you can try out all three mattresses from the Switzerland range side by side – and you'll notice the difference between the Original and Premium Plus in no time.

We are happy to advise by phone or email as well. Our specialist in beds and mattresses Petr Žák is available at 725 708 777 or on zak@royalcomfort.cz.

The full offer can be found in the category high mattresses.