Forget the mini bar, the room service and the king-size bed. There’s one hotel luxury we’d all raid the bank to have at home: the fluffy towels.And don’t shops know it. Linen aisles are awash with towels that promise wonderful fluffiness wash after wash.But what exactly makes a super-fluffy towel? It’s partly to do with the weight — or grams per square metre (GSM) of the towel. The higher the number, the heavier and more absorbent it is. There are some hotel luxury's you just can't replicate at home but now, thanks to these brands, towels isn't one of them (stock image)Manufacturers have also been dreaming up clever techniques to make towels feel luxurious, such as not twisting the cotton (Zero Twist) to make the towel extra soft or using hollow fibres for extra absorbency.Other factors include the cotton used. Egyptian has particularly long, thick loops for extra luxury, while Indian Suvin cotton is prized for being silky soft.Tessa Cunningham checked out the best towels the High Street has to offer.

She washed each one, then hung it out to dry for two hours before tumble-drying to get fluffy. Christy Luxury Royal Turkish bath towel, 100 per cent Premium Turkish cotton, 700gsmBritish company Christy’s has made luxury Turkish towels since 1850 when founder Henry Christy stumbled across terry towelling on a trip to Istanbul. The cotton loops are longer in terry towels, making them more absorbent than traditional towels.Thrilled, he rapidly got his Manchester factory producing looped pile ‘Turkish towels’ which went down a storm — fans included Queen Victoria.With a whopping 700gsm, these ooze vintage luxury from the discreetly embroidered logo to the gently rounded piped edges. However, it takes an age to dry. It was still damp four hours after my morning bath. John Lewis Cotton Suvin Blend bath towel, 55 per cent cotton, 30 per cent modal, 15 per cent Suvin cotton, 650gsmMy dear old mum’s favourite place — next to church — was the John Lewis home department. She would have loved this towel — once she’d got over the shock of the price.

The packaging promises ‘superior luxury’ thanks to the use of Indian Suvin cotton. Spun to create a hollow fibre, Suvin cotton is designed to trap extra air during tumble drying to give super-absorbency.It’s so soft, I feel like I’ve been wrapped in whipped cream. At 70 x 140cm, it’s one of the largest I tried. It washes brilliantly, too. The White Company Hydrocotton bath towel, 100 per cent hydrocotton, 500gsmThe fancy ribbing gives this towel serious wow factor. But, although it looks fantastic, it’s disappointingly lightweight. Perhaps that’s because it’s a miserly 500gsm.And, at just 70 x 125cm, it’s barely bigger than a hand towel. The website promises that clever ‘low twist’ technology, which hollows out the core of the cotton yarn, will make the towel feel thicker and softer than normal. Apparently the yarn is treated with poly vinyl alcohol.After manufacture the alcohol dissolves, leaving a cotton yarn with no twist and a hollow core — thus making it extra absorbent.

I wrapped it around my head after washing my hair and my hair was practically dry in minutes. But it’s so skimpy I certainly wouldn’t want to be caught answering the door to the postman in it. Marks & Spencer Luxurious Egyptian Cotton bath towel, 100 per cent Egyptian cotton, 650 gsm,M&S boasts its towel benefits from StayNew technology. It sounds scarily scientific but just means they’ve used mature cotton fibres which last longer than normal fibres to keep the towel feeling new. blackout curtains spotlight nzThis towel is so light, my partner jumped at the chance to tote it to the gym for a week. khalidiya curtains abu dhabiSix washes later, it was every bit as soft. mercedes w126 curtains

It’s also one of the largest we tried — a generous 68 x 137cm so no danger of an embarrassing moment in the changing room. It feels like twice the price.House of Fraser Luxury Hotel Collection, Zero Twist cotton bath towel, 100 per cent cotton, 500gsm, £35, houseoffraser.co.uk House of Fraser Luxury Hotel Collection, Zero Twist cotton bath towel, 100 per cent cotton, 500gsmI just know anyone who spots this in my bathroom will think I pinched it from some swanky five-star hotel.jenica curtainsAt 70 x 140cm, it’s so big it almost fills the bathtub. curtains ict mainstageAnd, although it’s only 500gsm, it boasts Zero Twist cotton, designed to make it soft and quick-drying. curtains john frusciante reviewJust 30 minutes after my bath it looked brand new again. ready made eyelet curtains 90x90

However, while it’s beautifully fluffy and washes well, £35 is too steep.Yves Delorme Etoile, 83 per cent cotton 17 per cent modal. Yves Delorme Etoile, 83 per cent cotton 17 per cent modal, 700gsmYves Delorme has been the epitome of French luxury since its first store opened in 1845. Posh Parisian mothers still pop in for their daughters’ wedding trousseaux. You can see why.If it meant I could stock up with these silky soft towels, I might even be tempted down the aisle again myself. The pile is so luxuriously deep and soft, it’s like being swaddled in a sheepskin rug.On the negative side, the towel is so thick it needs a good five minutes longer in the tumble dryer than its rivals. And — despite my best efforts to air it — the towel is still slightly damp four hours after my bath.Given, I could fly to Paris for the same price, I realise I won’t be stocking up on these towels any time soon. Aldi: Zero Twist Bath TowelThis is the towel equivalent of booking into a Travelodge and being upgraded to the penthouse suite at the Dorchester.