What's Hot & What's Not
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"People think they can go to a department store and buy cheaper products and expect the quality and longevity of a commercial product. The product required for commercial accommodation is totally different from what is required for the domestic market."
For far too long many motel/hotel rooms also looked institutionalised lacking style, colour and ambience. Sometimes the room has not been the cleanest and other times the overpowering smell of bleach emitting from the old sheets and other cleaning agents drove guests away.
White bedding has been portrayed as being clean and crisp — it's transparent and you can see everything — even if it is labour intensive, time consuming in the case of quilt covers and it involves an overuse of chemicals at a much higher ongoing cost than alternative bedcovering.
"We have to produce everything the industry wants in bedcovering but it doesn't mean we agree with a particular product." said Mr Coman.
Research and technology is always on the move to produce a quality and cost effective bedding product offering superior style or comfort. There are many properties wanting something different for their guest's bedding. In the past there haven't been the alternatives that there are today.
"Everyone has to keep their eye on developments," said John Collins, managing director of the Collins Textile Group and Vellux blankets. "It's no good sitting in the executive chair and doing the same thing as you did yesterday, today and tomorrow."
Mr Collins has seen extensive change and developments during the 30 plus years he has been on the Australian Standards TX15 Textile Committee and when he was national president of the Australian Chamber of Commerce 1988-1991.
"Back in the 1970s there were no commercial blankets available in man-made fibres generally," said Mr Collins. "They were either wool or cotton and neither were perfect performers at that time in daily washing. The open basket weave cotton shrinkage rate was well known."
The Vellux blanket was developed and patented by an American technologist J P Stevens organisation in the early 1980's responding to demand for a daily commercial laundering blanket product. Over 160 million Vellux have been sold worldwide as accommodation houses and their guests around the world have welcomed them into their rooms. Due to consumer demand the blanket is now available for retail buyers.
"The central core is thermal that traps the body heat so you have warmth without weight. It is the lightest blanket in the world and is rated as one of the warmest," said Mr Collins.
"The blanket can be washed daily then thrown in the dryer and never need ironing. In fact, the more they are washed the better they are because the central core remains nicely soft and supple."
On a recent visit to a Cairns accommodation facility Mr Collins found they had the blankets in use after nine years — they have a five year guarantee — and are still in perfect condition.
The bed is usually the main feature of the room at most accommodation complexes. Your guest is there primarily for convenience and to purchase a good night's sleep. Besides a quality bed and mattress, superior bed comfort can include a suitable mattress protector, valances, underlay, topper, linen, blankets, quilts, bed covers, coverlets, bed runner, cushions and pillows.
Accommodation owners know that bed linen is an important part of their business but with so much to choose from it can be a real challenge to purchase a suitable product.
"Don't choose quilt bedding just because it looks good — think about its practicality, functionality, laundering and who is going to make the bed," said Mr Collins. "Are you going to wear out your staff by giving them time consuming and difficult to change quilt/doona covers?"
Some points to consider when researching and purchasing bedding articles, such as sheets, blankets, covers and pillows and identifying high quality products are:
- Ease of bed set up.
- Longevity.
- Quality presentation.
- Staff and workload awareness — what maintenance is involved and does it increase the workload of staff and product wear and tear? For example, quilts take longer to put into a cover whereas no cover is needed for a bedspread, runner, wrap, throw, blanket or coverlet.
- Maximise comfort and durability.
- Will it enhance guest's perception of your facility?
- Saving energy, conserving water and lowering laundry operational costs.
- The products life cycle under operational conditions. (How long will it last?)
- Will it retain its softness, crispness and/or colour?
- Is it wrinkle free?
- Less drying time, resulting in reduced operational cost and environmental impact.
Is it climate appropriate bedding?—taking into consideration that not everyone chooses to turn on the air conditioner if there is a fan or fresh air.
- Is the bedding light enough so guests don't feel trapped under weight and have limited movement?
"The bedcovering takes a lot of torture as opposed to the domestic situation, with people sitting, laying and doing all sorts of things on it," said Mr Coman. "It really is a piece of furniture that is sat on more than the sofa."
Guests have become more travel savvy; if there is cheap quality put into the accommodation environment the guest will not be impressed.
Accommodation providers are becoming more flamboyant and dressing up their guest rooms and apartments. Some decorate using larger attractive pillows with matching runner over the blanket envelope (a blanket strategically placed between a top and bottom sheet).
It is much easier and cost effective to replace a third sheet than a quilt cover.
Others are looking for something contemporary, inexpensive and a smart look. They don't want quilted or white so HotelHome has woven a special fabric that has increased in popularity.
"We are producing a lot of snazzy colours and are amazed at the number of properties who are wanting the bright colours, hence a whole series of colour combinations have been developed," said Mr Coman.
Then there are those who like the concept of sandwiching a blanket (third sheet presentation) or a quilt between two sheets but want something more cost effective, hence the bed wrap which replaces the third white sheet.
Personal experience of a great night's sleep in Dubai led Mr Coman into developing the innovative and extremely popular feather and down bed topper — The Cloud. "Australia's leading bedding manufacturers recommend The Cloud to their customers when a higher level of sleeping comfort is required." The Cloud is being used extensively both in the commercial and now domestic market, because of increased consumer demand.
Cotton blend sheets are commonly used in bedding. "In the past the blend count was what you call 20s, which is like a thin piece of string. Demand for smoother lighter sheets have seen two combed finer 40s yarns twisted together for softness and fineness, and a much nicer product," said Mr Collins.
As the price of cotton and other fibres increase there is always a search for new fibres and blends that make their way to the market as people try to economise.
"These increases in the cost of cotton fibre are encouraging new developments in weaving bamboo, which is practically an indestructible fibre," said Mr Collins. "It has beautiful softness and lightness. At the moment it is a bit expensive to put into the sheets but I see that as a development of the future as bamboo is blended with other fine threads. It is light and its strength is world famous."
"Our major focus and expertise is in all forms of bedcovering," said Mr Coman. "We produce in Australia, anything you can imagine that will fit on a hotel bed for all levels and conditions from the bush to the city. The hotel industry needs to start supporting Australian industries more for consistent quality and larger choice, because once these manufacturers are gone, that's it, and they will not come back."
The accommodation industry is at last focussing more on providing superior bed comfort for their guests.
Providing a better than home experience with quality sheets, blankets, toppers and selected bed covers, will entice guests to return again—even if it is just for a good night's sleep. Quality sleep is essential for survival.
Transform your property's stylish bedding to lure the guests with the 'come to bed and sleep' feel. Once they take the weight off their feet and lay down—the feeling of being enveloped by comfort takes over as they drift off into oblivion. Maybe a flickering thought quickly passes through their mind that they should have turned on the alarm beforehand but it's too late now—they're asleep.
Now that's quality comfort.
