We have a friend who fills her home with sheets and bath towels from Restoration Hardware. Whenever we stay over, we start to understand why. We have got to say that while the 250 thread count on the Hotel sheets are a lot lower than we would have thought (we always shoot for at least 300), they are the softest and most crisp cotton we have ever slept on. They wear like a really good shirt, every wash making them that much yummier.
And then there are those 



I have a set of their 460tc sheets and they are the best thing I've found in bedding. I highly recommend them.
Ummm I have only seen Restoration Hardware only charge $28 for bath towells. Still a little pricey but way worth it and a far cry from $50.
I just got back from spending Christmas with my brother, the one who works for RH. He said that even part time help get the 40% discount so a few people have worked a night or 2 a week on top of their normal jobs just to get the discount to load up on sheets and towels. And he said that the discount continues up to 2 weeks after the job is over. I may do the same thing. I could use some things from RH and 40% off sounds good to me.