Business Guide to Hotel Furniture

The choice of furniture for your hotel can significantly impact your profitability. A hotel marketing plan relies heavily on the ambiance created by the integration of service and decor. Ultimately, your selection of furniture will determine the types of guests that your hotel attracts.

Hotel furniture is a key part of the guest experience. The quality of the furniture you select may determine if your guests leave happy and intend to return or leave unhappy and complain bitterly about their uncomfortable experience to everyone they know. You can choose between new or used furniture for your hotel, but cost, style, and condition should be considered before you make a final decision.

Benefits

Increased Guest Leisure

Buying the right furniture for your hotel can make the difference between a good stay and a great stay for guests. Although many people assume that business travel accounts for more hotel business than leisure travel, the PowerofTravel.org reports that 77 percent of all domestic travel is for leisure purposes. Putting comfortable beds, lounge chairs, couches and other leisure furniture in guest rooms will enhance the leisure travel experience for your customers.

Attraction of Business Clientele

Adding office furniture to your hotel rooms could help attract guests who travel frequently for business. The U.S. Travel Association reports that domestic business travel generates $246 billion in spending each year. If you want to benefit from this spending, you need to cater to business guests. Adding a solid wood desk to each guest room gives business travelers a place to check e-mail, review documents and do other necessary work during their stays. If you offer a conference room or business center, large desks and tables are ideal for computers, facsimile machines, printers and other business equipment.

Generation of New Business

With the increased use of technology around the world, travelers spend a lot of time researching potential hotels before they book their trips. If your hotel does not offer comfortable furniture and basic amenities, travelers may avoid booking with you and book with one of your competitors. If you purchase special furniture, you can use the furniture as a selling point in your marketing materials.

Improved Appearance

Purchasing hotel furniture can help you enhance the appearance of your property. One of the best things about hotel furniture is that there are many sizes, styles, colors, materials and textures available. You can find something for any theme, whether you are aiming for a refined contemporary look or want to add a touch of charm to a small boutique hotel. Using furniture to customize your hotel allows you to put your personal touch on the property.

Pitfalls

While there are many benefits to purchasing hotel furniture, there are some potential pitfalls to consider before planning your furniture shopping trip.

Finding Quality Items

Although you will come across some high-quality pieces, the majority of furniture you find will be average in quality. Purchasing new furniture is a huge investment for hotel owners, which is why they get as much use from their furniture as possible before selling it. If you plan to attend a hotel furniture sale or auction, get to the sales location early to increase your chances of finding quality items. If you plan to purchase your items from a liquidator, exchange numbers with the store manager or owner, and have him call you when high-quality pieces arrive.

Outdated Styles

Most hotel owners sell their furniture because they want to update the style and décor of their facilities. When shopping for hotel furniture, you are likely to find sofas and chairs with outdated checkered and floral prints. Most of the office furniture, dressers and table stands will be large and clunky. A few hotel owners sell contemporary items, but you will have to search extensively to find them.

No Delivery

If you purchase your furniture directly from a hotel, you will be responsible for transporting it to your home or place of business. You are likely to find the lowest prices on furniture during the hotel furniture sale or auction. However, you must keep in mind that if you bid on items and win, you are obligated to pay for the items and remove them from the hotel’s premises.

Too Many Users

To truly enjoy your furniture, you must be comfortable with the fact that hundreds of people from around the world have used it before you. If you decide to make a purchase, thoroughly clean the furniture and treat it with furniture disinfecting spray.

Pricing

You can purchase hotel furniture new from furniture dealers or used from hotel facilities or liquidators. The amount you spend furnishing your hotel depends on the atmosphere you are trying to create and the sum of money you wish to spend. New sofas and loveseats generally cost between $500 and $3,000. Unique, rare furniture pieces can cost much more. Desks, nightstands and coffee tables typically cost between $100 and $500 per piece, and you can usually purchase these items individually or in sets.

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend, purchasing furniture from a hotel furniture liquidator is a good option. According to the Universal Hotel Liquidator website, customers who purchase from its warehouse can buy furniture for up to 80 percent less than what the hotel owners paid for it.

Conclusion

The strategic selection of hotel furniture can ensure that your guests have the most comfortable experience possible and help attract certain types of guests, such as business travelers. Your hotel furniture selection can also distinguish your property from the competition. With the growing number of travelers posting about their good and bad hotel experiences on the Internet, it is more important than ever to maintain a level of physical comfort and visual attractiveness in your choice of hotel decor. It is often difficult to find quality furnishings at a reasonable price unless you are willing to investigate the market for used furniture. If you decide to outfit your hotel with used furniture, however, you will likely sacrifice certain amenities that are included with new furniture purchases, such as delivery.