Hotels: Is it time to reconsider your flooring?
During the last couple of years, cleanliness and a homely feel have been the top two priorities for most hotel guests when choosing a hotel. If you haven’t already considered making the switch to the much more easily cleanable LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) in your hotel, this may be a great time to consider it. Carpets can quickly become drab and look soiled from set-in stains, they can require huge amounts of time-consuming care, and are also the perfect host for unwelcome guests like viruses or pests.
While it still requires cleaning and care, LVT is the much more sanitary solution for hotels these days. It will stand up to the wear and tear of the comings and goings of guests, is less easily scratched by luggage wheels, cleaning trollies as well as being far less likely to soil or stain from any spillages that are likely to occur. While being practical, these luxurious tiles really create an elegant and inviting atmosphere, and can help your guests feel more comfortable and at home. You will most likely be amazed at the designs and styles that are available these days as the technology aiding your design wishes for these tiles has advanced considerably in the last few years… so much so that they are barely distinguishable to natural wood, real stone or ceramic tiles! At the same time LVT carries many advantages… namely being more cleanable, durable and … a big plus in a hotel…quiet!!
LVT comes in almost any colour-way you desire and can mimic Moroccan, Mexican, Victorian and Italian marble and ceramic tiles as well as a wide range of woods from honey coloured and highly polished pines, on-trend dark walnuts, to rustic oak with all the textures, grains and ‘knots’ you would expect in the real deal. Of course you might just plump for a solid colour or create your own bespoke design by combining a variety of colours and shapes to fashion your very own look.
A great way to create designated spaces in a hotel with LVT, hardwood or tile is to use area rugs. Area rugs can be used to define common spaces and while you might not want to repeat the same size rug or pattern all through your hotel, the options to keep within your design scheme are huge. Well placed areas rugs will create a comfortable feeling, as well as help your guests to understand your new or improved layouts, especially in a more open-concept hotel.
Area rugs are a fantastic addition too because they are much more affordable than wall to wall carpeting. A good area rug can last a very long time…but when it comes time to change you do not have to replace the whole floor. You can change the look of your hotel dramatically by changing up the rugs, adding pops of colour and texture wherever you need. In a bedroom setting they give a very ‘boutiquey’ feel and with the rugs and LVT tiles combined you can individualize each room giving each one a personality of its own. If you do decide to do this why not go one step further and personalize the bed linens and wall hangings and instead of giving each room a number give it a name! Guests absolutely love this. It’s fun, whimsical and very personal.
Area rugs in your hotel will allow your guests to have that cushy at home feeling without having to worry about cleanliness…and if you’re worried about the sanitary aspect of rugs then they can easily be rolled up and brought to a professional carpet cleaner when soiled.
Remember area rugs can also be used to transform the spaces in your hotel, they are the designer’s friend and can be used both to make a room feel larger or alternatively smaller depending on your needs. In general, its best to keep your rugs proportional to the furniture which is placed upon it.
If you really are not in love with LVT or it is not the time for you to change, you can also play with the idea of layering a smaller rug on top of a larger one, which is interesting and fun, or place on top of an existing carpet which will instantly create a very different look and freshen a room.
Over all your goal should be to introduce flooring that is beautiful, easy to clean and that will work for you for a number of years. With your area rugs you should choose a colour and a pattern which harmonizes with your new or current colour palette to make for a warm, inviting and clean looking atmosphere that will delight your guests!
- 16th September 2021