How Furniture Repair Can Improve Hotel Profitability
Posted by Jody Raines on Fri, Jun 10, 2011 @ 08:30 AM
Wood furniture refinishing and hotel furnishing repair are important to the economic health of the hospitality industry! It's true - having a well maintained hotel, motel, country club, resort or other establishment means more than cleaning.
Selecting a hotel or motel these days for travel? Many guests are using online services to evaluate their choices, and one huge factor in making a determination where to book are the online reviews.
Vacation time is here, and when traveling, the impression as you enter the hotel lobby will color the way you feel about your stay. Whether you consciously or sub-consciously realize, the colors, the furnishings and the placement are usually meticulously designed to create an impression of hospitality.
But even the best hotels are subject to heavy use by the customers. If the furniture is frayed, the wood scuffed and scratched, the tables lopsided and unstable, this can create the perception that the hotel is not well maintained.
Most hospitality industry companies are meticulous about the standards for cleanliness, yet the furnishings, while typically subject to a replacement program after a span of pre-determined time, are only attended to when broken. This can leave a bad impression on the guests, and when asked to review the hotel, the guest may not be complimentary. You've seen this when someone stays at the hotel and the plumbing didn't work? Well the same thing happens when the chairs wobble or the furniture is broken by the previous guest!
Keeping the furniture looking new can be a challenge for hotel management, yet it's important. One poor review can influence many potential guests, who may decide to book their stay elsewhere. Repairing broken furniture, reupholstering chairs that are frayed or restoring the finish to wood tables is just as critical to the success of the resort as keeping it clean.
In the long run, it's an important component for any hotel, motel, or guest resort to assure their guests have beautiful furnishings that are functional and in good repair.
What do you think? Do you agree that damaged hotel furniture may color your perspective when you check in? Have you ever been to a hotel where the furnishings were in need of attention? How did that make you feel about that hotel?