How do Hotels Decide What Furniture to Use?
Hospitality furniture is not typically designed, manufactured, or purchased like residential furniture. This means hotel owners and interior designers don’t discover it in the same way. Hotel owners don’t just walk into a random furniture store and pick out pieces for their rooms. Instead owners and designers will often look to a distributor or even directly contact a furniture manufacturer to ensure they get the pieces that will meet the needs of their guests.
In this blog, we take a look at what kind of furniture hotels are looking for. We’ll also overview the criteria for selecting the right furniture for their rooms.
In the hospitality industry, furniture is often classified in two ways: moveable or fixed.
Movable furniture might also be referred to as “loose.” It generally means things that can be moved around (even if they are not moved often). Another category that moveable furniture falls into is “modular” which is furniture that can be used for multiple purposes. Think of a table that can separate into two desks. Movable furniture might include a bed, dresser, bedside tables, luggage racks, TV cabinets and hutches, sofas, coffee tables, desks, chairs, etc.
Fixed furniture is often custom-designed to the space and permanently installed in place, either to the wall, floor, or ceiling. Fixed furniture is also referred to as built-in sometimes and might include storage or serve multiple purposes. This generally includes wardrobes, minibars, TV wall backgrounds, bed backs, doors, fixed cabinets, etc.
A combination of both movable and fixed furniture helps complete a space. Both kinds of furniture have unique advantages and disadvantages. The best option will ultimately depend on your specific needs and budget.
As you consider what kind of furniture pieces to purchase, there are five main criteria for selecting what will be right for your hotel.
5 Main Criteria for Choosing the Right Hotel Furniture
- Functionality
Today’s guests expect that hotel and their furniture can function effectively. Whether it’s in living rooms, waiting areas, cocktail lounges, business centers, and private getaways. To create these different zones, hotels need to invest in the furniture that best allows guests to function in those zones. For many, this means finding furniture that is both comfortable and partitioned, to help guide the guest experience. For example, a highly functional piece of furniture is a console stand that can support a television with a built-in mini fridge and shelving for an in-suite bar.
- Style
The style and design of a hotel’s furniture are crucial to how a designer and/or interior planner create zones. It also helps to reinforce a hotel’s personality and brand. This means ensuring that every piece aligns with the overall aesthetic. For instance, in a mountainside ski resort, the style may be very cabin-like and all of the furniture should complement that. Each individual piece should be designed so that it makes the most sense for the guest experience. For example, make sure a side table is the right height so that a guest sitting on an adjacent lounge chair can easily lean over and rest their drink on it. This is all part of the call to stylistic design that impacts choices overall.
- Durability
Quality and durability are crucial considerations in choosing the right hotel furniture. Pieces should be designed and manufactured in such a way that lasts the life cycle of a hotel. That is typically between seven and 10 years. This means hotel furniture needs to not only last stylistically but stand up to a tremendous amount of wear and tear. Designers will need to choose the right type of material, texture, grade, and more to balance aesthetics and durability. It’s important that durability not detract from the overall look and feel of the furniture or the space. This may also mean considering the economic and environmental impact of the furniture chosen and considering more sustainable materials. - Technology
Another expectation of today’s guests is technology and the integration of smart furniture. Hotels need to be able to accommodate guests who need to live and work away from home. The challenge is building pieces that incorporate technology can still fit naturally into the design. This may mean concealing plugs and ports or building charging pads into side tables or speakers into headboards. But not so much that guests can not locate them. Designers will need to get creative with the kind of technology that can enhance the guest experience. Now is the time to explore designs that incorporate Bluetooth capability, wireless charging, and more. - Comfort
Guests’ comfort should be a top priority. Comfort is one of the main factors that travelers are looking out for in a hotel. This means, when hotel owners and designers are looking at different hotel furniture styles, they often opt for selections that ensure the most comfortable experience for guests through high-quality material, design, and adaptability.
Purchasing Furniture for Hotels
Purchasing furniture for hotels must be an intentional, well-planned process. The furniture chosen could be one of the most influential factors in how guest perceive their experience at a hotel.
By working with an experienced manufacturer, like WoodgeniX, you can rest assured knowing you’re going to hit the mark. Whether it’s excellent customer service to in-house manufacturing, competitive pricing, superior quality and construction, and more. Contact us for more information about how WoodgeniX can help with your next hotel furniture project.
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