Ava Innes is chosen as the luxury bedding brand for The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Edinburgh's most iconic luxury hotel, The Balmoral, A Rocco Forte Hotel, is embracing natural sleep wellness as a guest experience in 2026, selecting Ava Innes as its luxury bedding for 20 of its premier suites.

General Manager of The Balmoral, Andrew McPherson, comments: “We are delighted to continue evolving The Balmoral’s wellness offering through this latest partnership with Ava Innes, whose approach to craftsmanship, comfort and considered luxury aligns so naturally with our own. At The Balmoral, guest wellbeing is always at the forefront of the experience, and this collaboration brings together a shared commitment to creating deeply restorative moments rooted in quality, care and a strong sense of place.” 

Joan Johnston, founder of Ava Innes, said: “Sleep is the ultimate luxury. Weaving our two stories together, coastline to city, to create a considered Scottish sleep experience imagined in the pure air of the Highlands is a very unique and special hospitality offering. The Balmoral is the only hotel in Edinburgh where guests can sleep under cashmere. It’s a real-life, Scottish luxury story rooted in nature and our land. We’re delighted to be chosen to bring this new wellness service to an icon of luxury.”

Nestled on the edge of the Scottish Highlands along the Moray coastline, Ava Innes is an independent natural luxury sleep brand inspired by the land. Ava Innes makes the world’s first Cashmere Guard Hair duvets, offering an entirely unique and new deep sleep experience. The duvet has been named Best Luxury Duvet by The Telegraph, The English Home, and The Evening Standard, and featured in FT’s How To Spend It ‘Could a duvet change your life?’, and is a Country & Town House Editor’s Choice. Ava Innes is the choice of celebrities such as Claudia Winkleman, Jo Malone CBE, Kelly Rutherford, and Sharleen Spiteri, as well as Scotland’s grandest estates.

Wellness is an integral part of The Balmoral experience, with the Irene Forte Spa playing a central role in the hotel’s holistic approach to rest, restoration and wellbeing.

The spa offers a range of bespoke treatments using Irene Forte Skincare, alongside wellness facilities including a thermal suite, indoor lap pool and Technogym-equipped fitness space with Reformer Pilates. Guests can also enjoy in-room Pilates sessions with FOLD, extending The Balmoral’s personalised approach to wellbeing beyond the spa. Complementing the experience, the Wellness Bar and Forte Vita Bar offer nutritious dining, express beauty rituals, hair services and non-toxic nail treatments.

Natural, sustainable luxury

Ava Innes believes luxury starts and ends with good nature. Proudly reviving the forgotten luxury fibre of Cashmere Guard Hair, the thicker outer coat of the cashmere goat not currently used by the luxury industry, Ava Innes’ patented world-first Cashmere Guard Hair duvet provides the ultimate sleep experience. Weighter than wool, and with superior breathability and temperature regulation, reacting intuitively to body temperature, customers say the duvet is helping them sleep longer, more soundly, and with reduced disturbances. The natural science at play is the hair’s keratin-rich density and dry arid nature, allowing the body to breathe as it should, creating the optimal conditions for deep sleep.

Inspired by her desire to work with nature, founder Joan Johnston - previously a luxury textile expert working with luxury houses in the world - looked to create a sustainable luxury product for sleep, made here in the UK. Using her knowledge of exquisite noble fibres, Joan unlocked the secret of the ultimate luxury; deep, restorative sleep.

The signature ‘S’ stitch of the duvet is a core design feature, a homage to the flowing water of Scotland and the brand’s commitment to operate responsibly. All the bedding is encased in 100% organic cotton, using Cashmere Alliance cashmere guard hair, and made in a small UK family-run mill where it’s finished by hand.

Sleep is the new luxury

The sleep wellness sector is outpacing luxury, standing apart as a core portion of growing consumer spend. According to the Global Wellness Summit, the global wellness economy reached a record $6.8 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029.

The world’s leading sleep expert, Dr Matt Walker was signed by Estee Lauder as the brand’s first ever sleep expert, with an emphasis on sleep for skin health. Dr Walker has also partnered with Equinox Gym & Hotels to launch Sleep Labs, optimised rooms for sleep.

Visit Scotland named Sleep, or the Scottish version ‘Corrie’, as their top tourism trend in 2025. Discerning guests are increasingly looking for intentional interiors, unforgettable experiences rooted in escapism, enriching storytelling, and authentic provenance. Luxury sleep stands in a unique position within the hospitality sector.