Guide to Hospitality and Lodging Equipment News and Trends

Stay ahead of the competition by following hospitality and lodging equipment news and trends

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Stay current on hospitality and lodging equipment by reading industry blogs

Many of the hospitality equipment companies as well as travel professionals offer blogs that trace what's new in the business. By signing up for these blogs' RSS feeds, you can quickly find out what's new in the industry.

I recommend: Lodging Hospitality offers its “Front Desk” blog that features the latest hospitality and lodging equipment news and trends. The Tourism & Hospitality Diaries is a blog written by travel professionals. You can find out their impressions of a variety of hospitality suppliers.

Read hospitality equipment industry newsletters

These free newsletters offer you a chance to see what's new in the hospitality industry. You not only can find out what's new from hotel suppliers, but often you can find links to discounts and sales.

I recommend: Pineapple Hospitality offers free newsletters to keep you informed of news in the hospitality supply industry. Hospitality Internet Media offers daily news updates of the hospitality industry on its Hotel Online website.

See what's happening in hospitality equipment trade associations

Join the trade associations if you can. If not, at least read their trade newsletters if the periodicals are available. If you can't afford to join a national or international trade group, consider joining your state's hospitality association.

I recommend: The American Hotel & Lodging Association offers news and information on trends in the hospitality supplies and hospitality equipment industry. You can also read newsletters and press releases from the International Hotel & Restaurant Association. Whether you need motel equipment or luxury hotel supplies, this newsletter can help you find the latest trends.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While you can follow the steps listed here to keep up with the latest hospitality and lodging equipment news and trends, you may have a resource you're overlooking: your own franchise affiliation, if you own or manage a chain hotel. Your company may offer blogs, newsletters and other ways to keep you posted on what's new.

Guide to Hospitality and Lodging Equipment

Keep your lodging business running smoothly with hospitality supplies

By Lorri Mealey, Owner, The Boiler Room Restaurant

1. Furniture
2. Linens
3. Guest amenities
4. Cleaning supplies

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Add style to guest rooms with hotel equipment

There are several companies that offer quality furnishings for hotel and motel rooms. Bed frames, desks, tables, chairs and dressers should all match, for a clean, uniform look. Select bedding and curtains that go with the rest of the hotel décor.

I recommend: Hospitality Designs offers a variety of discounted hotel furnishing to fit any décor or theme. You can find more hospitality equipment at United Products, Inc., which carries hotel supplies ranging from beds and bedding to ice buckets and coffee makers.

Keep guest rooms welcoming with quality hotel supplies

A guest room should be a home away from home. Adding the little touches, like personal care items, small appliances and other guest amenities will make guests feel welcomed. Good quality bedding is also essential to guests' comfort. Look for high thread counts in sheets and towels and plump pillows and mattresses.

I recommend: Stock your guest bathrooms with personal care kits from Minimus.biz. Linen Company carries an extensive line of bed and bath linens for hotels and motels, guaranteed to stand up to heavy duty wear and tear. A&S Supplies is another vendor of fine hotel bedding and other motel supplies. Top Hotel Supply, Inc carries wholesale hotel supplies, from luggage racks to alarm clocks.

Keep hotel rooms safe

Nothing will deter return business faster than guest rooms that are not deemed safe. Ensure that your guests have peace of mind during their stay with secure door locks. Keyless locks and hotel card locks are a good step in preventing theft to a guest's belongings.

I recommend: Lockchoice.com and MagLocks.com are two leading hospitality suppliers of hotel card locks.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Simplify your purchasing hotel furnishings and linens in one style from hospitality suppliers. This is will prevent mismatched items from ending up in the same room.

Guide to Making the Most of Hospitality and Lodging Equipment

Stretch your budget by making the most of hospitality and lodging equipment

By Denise Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Reduce your hotel supplies budget by buying bulk housekeeping products

Even with today's impetus to use Earth-friendly products, you can still find efficient cleaning products at wholesale prices. While you can get by with some generic-type products you can purchase at your local big-box store, other cleaning solutions are specifically manufactured for use as hospitality supplies.

I recommend: Buy bulk housekeeping products from K M K Supply Company. It has a large selection of housekeeping hotel supplies designed specifically to make room cleaning easier and more efficient. It also carries vacuums and cleaning supply carts to help your staff clean more efficiently. Uline Shipping Supplies is a good source for basic cleaning materials. It offers motel supplies for cleaning in bulk, to save you money.

Buy amenity hospitality supplies in bulk

Hand soaps, shampoos, conditioners and other consumables can be a large expense in your budget. By purchasing these items in bulk, you can save quite a bit of money.\

I recommend: Buy green amenities and save money at the same time with hospitality supplies from Pineapple Hospitality. American Hotel Register Company offers wholesale hotel amenities. Some of its products are also green.

Purchase bedroom sets in groups as a way of making the most of hospitality and lodging equipment

Save yourself the hassle of shopping for beds, bedding and room furnishing at different stores or suppliers. Find hotel suppliers that sell complete room packages. While the initial cost may seem high, by the time you figure in the time it takes to locate the separate pieces and pay shipping on them, the case lots can seem like a bargain.

I recommend: Avenue B Group offers a variety of pieces of hotel equipment, including entire bedroom groupings, to help you make your furnishings budget go farther. National Hospitality Supply also makes it easier for you to buy furniture and motel equipment as a complete grouping.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you can convince your customers you are keeping their costs low and not just being 'cheap,' they are likely to help you stretch your hotel equipment budget. For example, save on water by asking customers to re-use towels. With the growing concern for the environment, many people are already doing this and understand the logic behind the request.

Guide to Hospitality and Lodging Equipment Key Terms

Make sure you're in the know about terminology concerning hospitality and lodging

By Andrea Townsley, Owner, Keystone Writing Services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Bellman cart

Also known as a bellhop's cart, this is one of the first things your guests will see in your hotel. Your bellman will help your guests with their bags by placing them on this rolling cart and transporting them up to their room.

I recommend: Bellman Cart Solutions reminds owners of a few questions they should ask themselves before buying a bellman cart.

Maglocks

Hotels commonly use door locks that utilize magnets to hold them closed. These are strong and give guests a sense of security. The vast majority of these come in the form of a lock that opens using a magnetic key card.

I recommend: You can find out more about these devices at Maglocks.

Murphy bed

Murphy beds fold into the surrounding cabinetry to save space when the bed is not being used. These are popular in extended stay hotels to give the guest some extra room.

I recommend: MurphyBedsNationwide.com and Murphy Bed Co. offer more information on murphy beds.

Memory foam

This is one of the popular types of mattresses as it forms to your guests' bodies and provides support. In the hospitality and lodging industry, repeat business can hinge on how comfortable your beds are.

I recommend: Find our more about memory foam at Healthy Foundations.

Egyptian cotton

Grown in Egypt, this unique type of cotton is known for being soft and of high quality. Any linen can be made from this luxurious fabric, from bedsheets to towels.

I recommend: Egyptian Cotton Tshirts and bid tv both offer more details on why Egyptian cotton is unique.

Hypoallergenic

Since so many people are highly sensitive to allergens, many hotels are creating rooms that can meet these consumer's needs. These rooms are hypoallergenic and are free of contaminants and irritants that may set off an allergy attack. Common allergens include dust, pet dander and mold, and there are supplies and equipment, including special pillows and washing machines, you can buy to help sensitive guests.

I recommend: Check out some of the procedures, offered by Pure Rooms, that contribute to hypoallergenic hotel rooms.