After 30 Years, a Beloved Hotel Couple Is Closing Their Doors for Good
Robert and Linda Mercer turned a small luxury hotel into one of America’s most quietly beloved linen brands. As they retire, they’re opening their final inventory to the public — once it’s gone, it’s gone.
By Eleanor Hughes
June 8, 2026
Robert (left) and Linda (right) Mercer at the front desk of their hotel. Picture by Thomas Reilly for The New York News
For more than thirty years, Robert and Linda Mercer made their living off a feeling most people never think to name: the quiet relief of sinking into a perfectly made bed, wrapped in a towel so soft it feels like it was warmed just for you.
They ran a small luxury hotel — the kind with no chain logo on the door, where the staff knew your name by the second morning. And almost every week, a guest would stop them at the front desk to ask the same question.
“People didn’t ask about the view or the breakfast,” Linda said. “They asked about the sheets. They asked about the towels. They wanted to know where we got them, and whether they could take that feeling home.”
For years, the Mercers simply smiled and kept their suppliers to themselves. Then, slowly, an idea took shape — one that would outgrow the hotel entirely.
Robert and Linda (opening their hotel) in their thirties, outside The Mercerly Hotel in its early years — decades before their linens would find their way into homes across the country. Picture from the Mercer family archive, circa 1994.
From the linen room to the living room
What began as a personal pursuit became Mercerly: a small brand built on one stubborn belief — that the comfort of a great hotel shouldn’t end at checkout.
The towels came first, and they remained the heart of it. Woven from long-staple Egyptian cotton, they were made to do the one thing most towels quietly fail at: stay soft and drink up water, wash after wash, year after year.
“A cheap towel feels wonderful in the store and disappointing by the third wash,” Robert said. “We refused to sell that. Ours had to feel like the hundredth night in a hotel, not the first.”
We never chased trends and we never cut corners. We chased the way a towel feels at the end of a long day.
— Robert Mercer
The bedding followed the same rule, though it took the Mercers down a different path. Searching for something cooler and softer than ordinary cotton, they landed on Eucalyptus Lyocell — a naturally breathable fibre that wicks heat away and feels smooth against the skin. Sheet sets, duvet covers and pillowcases were curated for one purpose: to help people sleep through the night and wake up refreshed.
Word spread the way it does when something simply works. No celebrity endorsements. Just thousands of families, across the country, who started looking forward to the moment they climbed into bed.
Robert and Linda inspecting the towels in one of their hotel suites, the everyday ritual that became the standard for every Mercerly product. Picture by Thomas Reilly for The New York News
Why critics rated them among the best
Mercerly’s towels were never the loudest on the market, but among reviewers who test linens for a living they earned a quiet reputation. In a 2024 round-up of household textiles by an independent home-goods panel, the Mercer bath towels were named among the year’s top-performing options, praised in particular for their absorbency and how well they held up over repeated washing.
The reasons, testers noted, came down to how they were made rather than how they were marketed.
★ Editor’s Note · What Testers Praised
Why reviewers rated the Mercer towels above ordinary ones
- Absorbency. The long-staple Egyptian cotton lifted water off the skin in a single pass, where lighter towels left testers feeling damp.
- Durability. After dozens of wash cycles the weave stayed soft and intact — no thinning, fraying or that stiff, scratchy feel cheaper towels develop.
- Weight and feel. A dense, genuine hotel weight that panels compared to the towels found in high-end suites rather than department-store shelves.
- Gentle on the skin. Soft enough for sensitive and delicate skin, a point older reviewers in particular singled out.
It is the kind of recognition the Mercers say they never sought. “We just made the towel we’d want in our own home,” Linda said. “If others noticed, that was a bonus.”
What Made Them Different
Egyptian Cotton Long-staple fibres for a denser, softer, more absorbent towel.
Hotel Weight Plush, heavyweight feel — the same standard used in luxury suites.
Built to Last Designed to stay soft and absorbent after years of washing.
Curated, Not Mass-Made Every towel and sheet set selected to a single quality bar.
The decision, the Mercers admit, was not an easy one. After a lifetime of early mornings and late check-ins, they are stepping into retirement — and choosing to close Mercerly rather than hand it to someone who might cut the corners they never would.
“Writing this is harder than we expected,” Linda said. “These products carry our name and our standards. We’d rather they end up in homes that care about them than survive as a logo on something cheaper.”
So they are doing it themselves, one final time. The remaining inventory — towels, bath sheets, and bedding bundles — is being released to the public directly. When it sells through, there will be no restocks and no future collections.
Once these are gone, they’re gone. No restocks, no new collections. It’s been the honor of our lives.
— Robert & Linda Mercer
Robert and Linda packing the final orders by hand, determined to see the last of their inventory off to homes that will treasure it. Picture by Thomas Reilly for The New York News
This is the final collection
The last Mercerly collection — the same Egyptian cotton towels and cool, breathable Eucalyptus Lyocell bedding their guests once begged to buy — is available now, while inventory lasts. After that, the doors close for good. Readers who want to see the remaining collection can visit the Mercers’ shop directly.
See Robert & Linda’s Final Collection
The last of their Egyptian cotton towels and Eucalyptus bedding — available while inventory lasts.
Visit Robert & Linda’s Shop →
✓ Free Insured Shipping✓ While Inventory Lasts
From Their Customers
★★★★★
These are the thickest, softest towels I’ve ever owned. They actually dry you off and still feel like new after months of washing. My whole bathroom feels like a spa now.
Patricia M.
✓ Verified Customer
★★★★★
I ordered the bath bundle in charcoal grey and could not be happier. They feel exactly like the towels at the lovely hotel we stayed in last summer. Beautiful quality.
Robert & Joan T.
✓ Verified Customer
★★★★★
I bought a set for myself and two more as gifts before they sell out. Everyone has called to thank me. You can feel the difference the moment you pick them up.
Linda S.
✓ Verified Customer
★★★★★
I’ve bought expensive towels before and been let down. These are the first ones that actually feel like a hotel and stay that way after washing.
Margaret H.
✓ Verified Customer
★★★★★
The Eucalyptus bedding is extraordinary. So cool and smooth that my husband and I finally sleep through the night without overheating. Worth every penny.
Carol Whitfield
✓ Verified Customer
★★★★★
I read Robert and Linda’s story and ordered the bath bundle the same evening. The towels are thick, soft, and beautifully made. So glad I didn’t wait.
Diane R.
✓ Verified Customer
★★★★★
It feels like owning a little piece of a wonderful hotel. The quality is the kind you can’t find in stores anymore.
James P.
✓ Verified Customer
Before the Doors Close
When the last set ships, Mercerly closes for good. Readers can view the remaining collection here.
Visit Robert & Linda’s Shop →
✓ Free Insured Shipping✓ While Inventory Lasts
