At first, the brightly colored strip of fabric across the hotel bed must look superfluous–many guests take it off for their comfort. But this decorative touch has a practical purpose; it is a bed runner that works quite a lot.
These runners are found in hotels all over the world, and they are typically kind of one-half meter wide strips of fabric (often dark) applied horizontally to the bottom end of the bed. The runner complements the entire bedding ensemble-the pillows, the blankets, and the sheets-but goes beyond mere decoration.
Besides sending polish vibes and upscale Stevens, it also saves the bedspread from dirt being brought onto it by guests’ luggage, shoes, or whatever guests prefer to place onto the bed. Some hotels also use the bed runners to increase branding, where logos or signature colors are worked into the design. Thus, while a tiny detail, a bed runner is very much part of the deliberate hotel design and operation.
As useful as the bed-runner may be, here are some classic activities performed with it.
Dining
Most traveling souls love to idly munch in bed! To protect the sheets, some guests have a habit of putting small food items on their bed runner or even a tray.
Unlike sheets and comforters, bed runners are often made in darker shades like black, helping hide stains and making them more practical for messy snacking.
Professional Item Nesting
Other times, bed runners have contact with personal items like jackets, purses, or backpacks that tend to deposit some dirt or bacteria. Thus, they are both practical and an easily washed barrier to retaining your bedding.
This preserves some semblance of cleanliness so that the two can be used for their relaxing functions. The runner is placed just perfectly at the foot of the bed, rendering-all the more- an easy spot for tossing such items.
Hitching Up Feet
After all that travelling, nothing feels better than to just fall onto the bed and relish all feelings of comfort-shoes, socks and all. The bed runner, courtesy of this transient moment, works as a barrier preventing disseminating dirt and dust all over white, fresh linens underneath it.
A Washcloth for Love-Play
A bed runner provides some extra room for protection in love play and saves blankets or linens from shameful stains or spills that can be cleaned up easily afterwards.
