Less than a year after the first Huggah mattresses were delivered to homes across Malta, the locally developed brand has found its way into a five-star hotel suite and is preparing to introduce its products to customers in mainland Europe.The Maltese mattress brand, which uses a specially developed foam designed to provide greater comfort and support, has secured a placement at ME Malta in St Julian’s, part of the international Meliá hotel group.One of the hotel’s executive penthouse suites at Mercury Towers is now equipped with a Huggah mattress, giving guests the opportunity to try a product developed and manufactured entirely in Malta.The placement followed a personal experience by ME Malta General Manager Neal Debono, who initially purchased a Huggah mattress for himself before deciding to introduce it to the hotel.“Having experienced the comfort of the Huggah mattress myself, I wanted my guests to enjoy the same level of relaxation and restful sleep, especially after a day spent exploring Malta,” Debono said.For a brand that only began delivering mattresses to Maltese homes shortly before Christmas last year, the hotel placement represents an important step beyond its original customer base.But what makes Huggah different from a conventional mattress?The answer lies in a material called Zetic, developed over nearly a decade by Maltese company Smart Materials in collaboration with the University of Malta.Unlike conventional mattress foams, Zetic uses an unusual structure known as an auxetic metamaterial, which responds differently when pressure is applied.According to its developers, the material draws in towards pressure points, allowing it to adapt to the shape and weight of the person lying on it while providing support where needed.Smart Materials says the technology allows a single foam core to perform functions that conventional mattresses often achieve by combining several layers of different materials.The company also designed the mattress with breathability in mind, particularly for warmer climates, while customers have reported improvements in comfort and reduced disturbance from partners moving during the night.The technology is patented in several international markets, including the United States, Canada, Japan and China.Huggah has also attracted interest from the sporting world, where sleep and recovery are important parts of athletic performance.Among the Maltese athletes associated with the brand are Olympic weightlifter Yazmin Zammit Stevens and open-water swimming record-holder Neil Agius.Further afield, Huggah says its mattresses are being tested by international football teams and highly ranked professional athletes, with the possibility of developing formal partnerships.For CEO and co-founder Dr Keith M. Azzopardi, introducing the mattress to hotel guests provides a different kind of test.“Hotel guests don’t read the spec sheet. They just sleep,” he said. “If they wake up and ask what they slept on, that tells us more than any review.”The company is now preparing to expand beyond Malta, with plans to introduce Huggah to Rome and Denmark through local partners over the next three to six months.Meanwhile, the mattresses remain available in Malta, where customers can arrange sleep consultations or order directly through huggahsleep.com.Each mattress comes with a 100-night home trial and a ten-year warranty, giving customers time to decide whether the technology works for them.Having spent its first year establishing itself locally, Huggah is now looking to find out whether a mattress developed in Malta can attract the same interest in European markets.•