Monday, August 24th, 2026
July and August 2026 will be remembered for the extreme and relentless heat that we all experienced in many parts of the UK and Europe. The overhead fan that I had installed last year in our East Wing (the hottest part of the house in summer) really came into its own. When a recent set of guests had gone, we found to our horror that they had completely removed our layers of mattress protection in the mistaken belief that it was they, and not the ambient temperature, that was causing them to feel too hot.
We found it hard to believe that guests could be so thoughtless and selfish. On a blistering summer night, human bodies naturally perspire more. Without that specialised, breathable barrier, all that moisture goes straight into the mattress core, which ruins the bed and creates a breeding ground for bacteria. Mattress protectors are most critical during hot weather. They act as a hygienic shield against sweat and allergens, ensuring that the mattress remains pristine for all future guests. We wouldn’t have minded so much if they had said something after the first night. I could have given them a cotton towel to use as an underblanket. I could have swapped over their duvet for just a single top sheet. I could have explained that our mattress protection is hotel-grade and made of breathable fabric. It is standard practice, all over the world, to use mattress protection, and guests should not be sleeping on a new, expensive mattress with just a thin cotton sheet between it and them. Had they sought my permission it would not have been granted, which is presumably why they did it. They were found out because they hadn’t thought to put the protection back on before checking out. In eight years of hosting, this was a first! I thought these guests from the south of France would know better.