How to stay cool in bed during those summer nights Part 1

Ok, so it’s not the summer we all were hoping for, but we did get that very intense heatwave at the start of June. There’s still potential for there to be more of those summer nights. Tell me more, tell me more? Well, okay then…

Millbrook Contract Beds has decided to do the rundown of some helpful sleeping tips when it comes to man versus nature. How do you sleep in high heat and heavy humidity? Many people find themselves tossing and turning all night long, sweating through their sheets, itching to get comfortable but the closeness of the heat to the skin prevents it from happening.

There’s a lot to get through here so let’s break this whole thing down into 2 blog posts to cover everything properly.

In no particular order, here’s where you can get started:

Start by winding down the evening by taking a nice cold shower. This will help to cool you down and readjust your body temperature before bed. Try to do this an hour or so before you get into bed though. The residual moisture left on your body produces a cooling effect.

It seems obvious to say that you should leave your windows open at night too. However, some hot summer nights can produce no breeze whatsoever, or even worse, a warm breeze. If this is the case the best cure for this particular problem is the use of a fan. Try to place it at the foot of your bed so it cools your feet first.

If you are suffering particularly from the heat get a damp flannel or hand towel and place it on your forehead for a few minutes to help lower your temperature.

Another effective trick that they use in other countries with hot climates is placing bed sheets in a freezer bag and leaving them to chill in a fridge or ice box for the day. When you take them out and put them back on the bed before you go to sleep you’ll feel a big difference.

Consider the benefits of sleeping naked! Perhaps you sleep with a partner, in which case, that might either be a gibbon or a big no-no! However, sleeping naked helps to keep your body temperature down, especially if you leave parts of it exposed from under the covers. Two people sharing a bed will generate twice the body heat and it can be a very sweaty nightmare trying to get to sleep that way.

These are just a few basic tips to help you get a better night’s sleep in your bed during those long, muggy summer nights. We will be following this blog up with a second part to add a few more ideas to the mix that you maybe try out this summer.

Until then, this is Millbrook Contract Beds signing off and wishing you a good and cool night’s sleep.

Feng shui in the bedroom – completing the journey

Millbrook Contract Beds continues its exploration of the art of Feng Shui in this final part of our blog series.

In the previous blogs we introduced you to the concept of Feng Shui for businesses that use commercial beds and followed that up with a blog on how to create the right environment with contract bedroom furniture to the most positive, balanced and harmonious effect using this ancient Chinese method.

As stated before, feng shui is actually a mathematical science that deals in aesthetics designed to orient places and people in an auspicious and positive way. The reflection of a room reflects on the person, and that can often dictate their impression of the place they are staying in. If a hotel, care home or academic residence wants to make good impressions and provide peaceful, affirming surroundings and environments for their guests, then feng shui is a great place to start in accomplishing that goal.

As we have looked at contract beds and their effect on a room’s aesthetic, mood and feel, we thought it best to offer some ideas to what else contributes to making a room the right environment for sleep and relaxation.

1. Colour contributes to the atmosphere and energy of a room and in fact creates the biggest aesthetic impression. Use soft pastels in shades of beige, blue, green, white and yellow which are ideal for tranquil, peaceful sleep. Think of soothing colours for both the decor of the room and the sheets and pillows for the contract beds.

2. Consider adding a potted plant to the room on a desk or by the window, but not too close to the bed.  By observing nature it is easier to see that the rhythmic movement of plants and trees which are the foundation for cultivating essence and energy. While this may sound preposterous, it really does help people to relax, focus and feel good. Ultimately, that is what you want people to feel after a stay at your hotel or residence.

3. Keep the rooms aired when no one is staying there. If the air is stale, any chance at accomplishing feng shui in the room is already compromised. The same standard applies to having freshly prepared sheets everyday on the contract beds. This is a regular practice for most hotels in the hospitality industry anyway.

4. Choose the imagery for the room wisely. Make sure the paintings, photos and artwork (if you choose to have any) reflects positive, aspirational images, not sad, lonely or depressing images.

5. In an ideally designed feng shui bedroom, every item, colour, spacing and position should reflect clear intent for healing and relaxation.

Whether you believe in the healing benefits of Feng Shui or not, it can provide amazing aesthetic designs and ideas that help people to instantly feel at home.

If you are looking to find the right contract bedroom furniture or contract beds for you business, please contact us for more information.

Feng Shui in the bedroom – Creating balance in sleep

In the previous blog, Millbrook Contract Beds took you through the ideas and concepts behind Feng Shui for businesses that use contract bedroom furniture. You can read that blog HERE.

In this second part of the Feng Shui blog series we want to take you through what can be achieved through implementing Feng Shui techniques and ideas. These methods can apply to hotels, care homes, academic residences and even private homes. In part it can be used as a form of interior design. The idea behind Feng Shui is that its about finding and maintaining a healthy balance through aesthetics in an environment which helps to orient places and people.

Most commercial bed buying businesses want to create a guest experience for the people that stay with them.  So, how can you make a normal bedroom into a really good feng shui bedroom that helps to improve the guest experience?

You have start with the most important feature of a bedroom – the contract bed. Everything else is designed to fit around the bed from the wardrobes and desks to the carpets and general decor. The goal is to promote a harmonious environment that lures people in to excite and to calm them.

First of all, a pleasing aesthetic is crucial. Design, style, appearance are highly beneficial to attaining good feng shui. Light colours, practical design. A good looking and well-balanced contract bed that is comfortable and attractive helps set the right tone for the room.

A good mattress and supportive base make all the difference to a guest’s mood and sense of refinement. Make sure that the bed is easily approachable from both of its sides with two symmetrical bedside tables on each side too.

One of the biggest feng shui tips is to never have the bed in direct line with the door as it unconsciously promotes a feeling of uneasiness in the sleeper.

Contract beds with headboards make a big difference. Firmly affixed headboards represent protection. A solid fabric headboard is your best choice.

Purchase contract beds that are comfortable but also “feel” right for a room. Contract beds should help guests to achieve a restful night’s sleep so they can wake up feeling refreshed and renewed. Sometimes you can tell when a certain bed doesn’t belong in a room.

Many of these things operate on an unconscious level, but can make a guest experience better for having tried them out.

Millbrook’s contract beds have been designed to optimise better sleep, and the International Collection’s Executive and Hotel bed ranges are the ideal choices to suit a feng shui tailored environment. Take a closer look at the collection choices to determine for yourself, or alternatively, contact us for further information and advice.

Feng shui in the bedroom – The mathematics of comfort

Millbrook Contract Beds has been doing some reading up on its Feng Shui history. We’ve been wondering just how important the positioning and spacing of your contract bedroom furniture really is. As it turns out; it’s very important. This blog is an introduction to the concept of Feng shui being used for businesses that use commercial beds and other contract bedroom furniture.

In a nutshell; Feng Shui is a mathematical system of aesthetics designed to orient places and people in an auspicious and positive way. Over the years this ancient method has been westernised into a pseudo-philosophy that many have mistaken for something that it isn’t. Feng shui teaches that finding a precision in distance, positioning and space is key to creating the right environment, atmosphere and aesthetic. This “right” environment helps relax, focus and leave a positive effect on the body and mind.

So how does this apply to contract bedroom furniture you may ask?

For any hotel, hospital, care home or academic residence that use contract bedroom furniture, particularly contract beds, they often arrange their rooms by placing the furniture in any old position just as long as it fits in. If the essential necessities are in the room then very little thought goes into what can be achieved through improving the positioning and spacing between objects. As a method for creating aesthetically pleasing rooms, Feng Shui is a successful interior design technique; as a method for improving a person’s state of mind it can and has been known to generate positive effects on the people who practice it. It’s all about finding a balance.

Imagine the guests at a hotel or the patients in a care home or students in a residence being in this kind of balanced, healthy environment. It can do wonders for them in terms of their attitude when they are in their respective rooms whilst also improving their quality of sleep.

Here’s some basic tips to help get you started with changing up the “feel” and “mood” of your rooms:

1. Clear some space from the rooms that seem too cluttered. Excessive debris and objects scattered about the place lead to a scattered mind.

2. Try to get the right lighting, avoiding the harshness of fluorescents bulbs or strip lights. Softer lighting reflects a softer and more peaceful environment.

3. Brighten up those walls with lighter tones. Dark, drab walls make people reflect that in their moods.

4. Any potted plants and greenery will help promote a natural feeling environment. Plant are unconsciously soothing to people.

5. When it comes to the placement of your contract beds and bedroom furniture within the room it may come down to factors such as the room’s shape, size and the number of items that need to be in it. This is not always such an exact science.

In the next, follow-up blog, Millbrook Contract Beds will take you through the process of Feng Shui for contract beds and contract bedroom furniture with some more examples and ideas of what you can do to improve the mood and feel of a room.

For general information on our ranges contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Size matters? A Millbrook Guide to Contract Bed Sizes

So there’s a lot of different contract bed sizes out there, which can make it hard to determine just which is which and what type you need. So we’ve written you a bed size guide to help you figure out what’s what!

At Millbrook these are the available Sizes:

090cm (3’0″) x 190cm (6’3″) – Single

135cm (4’6″) x 190cm (6’3″) – Double

150cm (5’0″) x 200cm (6’6″) – King Size

180cm (6’0″) x 200cm (6’6″) – Super King

180cm (6’0″) x 200cm (6’6″) – Zip & Link

However, we also can tailor non standard sizes to suit your individual requirements.

Single

Single beds are generally one of the more popular choices for single occupancy rooms. This is simply for the fact that they take up less space and are easier to fit into the smaller rooms. While some hotels may opt for double beds whether it’s a single room or not, it can be a cost effective solution and a great space saving alternative. Used very often in budget accommodation.

Double

Doubles are the traditional choice for most hoteliers as they can act in both the capacity for single or double room occupancy. Double beds do give the impression of a hotel with higher standards that caters to people who are looking for luxury and comfort more than anything else.

King Size

Speaking of luxury and comfort, the more decadent hotel interior design choices lend themselves to a rather more demanding clientele. The big chains tend to use these contract beds more than any other. You’ll find King Size beds not just in hotels but in most houses and bedrooms across the UK. It’s a very popular choice for the home. The little extra width and length that is offered can make a big difference to a night’s sleep. It allows the guest to spread out and move around during the night. In other words; no more feet hanging out of the bed!

Super King Size

It’s the upgrade on the King Size and presents a pretty impressive amount of square footage! This is the type of bed that is most likely found in high end hotels and provides maximum comfort. Some hoteliers may find that it’s harder to find as many styles, build materials and colours. Super King Size is much more specialised.

Zip and Link

A Zip and Link bed essentially increases the flexibility of sleeping arrangements. It basically can increase or decrease in size according to the situation. Hotels find these bed types particularly beneficial when trying to adjust for space. Zip and Link is an option that comes with all contract beds from Super King to Double. You can split them into two single beds or simply store the second single and leave it as just the one single. They are suitable for Guest Houses, B & B, Hotels and Home accommodation.

Non standard Sizes

There’s always the need for bespoke solutions sometimes as every hotel is different. With bed sizes we here at Millbrook Contract Beds can always tailor our sizes to suit specific requirements and need.

For more information on contract bed sizes please Contact Us.

Sleep yourself healthy? Millbrook investigates…

Look anywhere in society these days and you’ll find a wealth of advice about what to do to stay healthy – what to eat, what to avoid, what exercise to do… These certainly play a large part in your general health, but we at Millbrook Contract Beds would like to point out how great an impact a good night’s sleep can play.  Getting your 40 winks every night could help you shed an extra pound or two, or help stop you putting it on!

Obesity is generally considered to be a bad thing, health-wise.  It has been suggested to be a risk factor in developing all kinds of conditions and problems – and regular exercise is generally considered to be a good way of keeping your weight relatively under control.

Have you ever tried going for a morning jog after an unfulfilling night’s sleep?  It’s not easy to work up the motivation to, especially if you’re just starting out and aren’t used to a regular exercise regime.  In addition, the risk of developing many sleep-related conditions (such as sleep apnea and insomnia) is increased in overweight individuals.  In essence, the more weight you put on, the more at risk you are of having a bad night’s sleep, and the less motivated you will be to exercise in the daytime due to tiredness, which exasperates the problem.  It’s a vicious circle, a hard one to break.

Since it’s so difficult to begin and stick to an exercise regime when your sleep patterns are so substandard, many experts recommend targeting the sleep difficulties first and foremost.  Millbrook Contract Beds would recommend speaking to a healthcare professional (such as your GP) about the available options.

Once your sleep quality is improving (this may take a little time so don’t be disheartened!), it’s time to make a start on a beneficial exercise routine.  You may think that exercising right before bed will lead to you being more tired out and therefore sleep well – that’s a common misconception.  After exercise, especially if you are not very physically fit, your heart rate will stay higher than usual for quite some time.  Your body temperature will rise, and may take anything up to six hours to start to drop again.  If you’re trying to get to sleep within this time, you will find it difficult – the body has a natural daily rhythm of rises and falls in temperature, and sleep is generally associated with a cooling down.  For this reason it would be recommended to exercise early on in the day – late afternoon is ideal as you will begin to cool off around the time you’ll be sleeping!

We do hope you get the very best night’s sleep you can – but if you are suffering from difficulties, perhaps our Healthcare Collection could help.  With a great deal of individual customisation available on all of our orders, Millbrook Contract Beds really is the ideal option for an unsurpassed sleeping experience.

A hoteliers guide to the 2012 Olympics Part 2

In the previous blog Millbrook Contract Beds took you through the future of the UK hospitality industry as it stands in the shadow of the fast approaching 2012 London Olympic Games next year.

The question was stated; Are we ready?

The answer resoundingly seems like yes from the hotel sector. Other sectors of the tourism industry are looking to reap dividends from 2012. Estimations see restaurants and caterers will be providing over 18 million meals to athletes and visitors. That’s a lot of goods and services that will need to be prepped and ready to go in time – in turn it means that there will be a lot of revenue generated in return. The hopes of the UK hospitality industry are that this will reinvigorate and revitalise the UK economy.

As a contract bed supplier we are very much interested to see the outcome of all the build-up, supply and demand, but we also need to anticipate it. Contract bedroom furniture will be in ever greater supply come the start of the Games.

What can hoteliers expect from 2012 Olympic Games in the UK?

Well, the Olympics are set to strengthen the UK hotel industry by fostering more public-private partnerships. The long-term effects of such partnerships will have a powerful knock-on effect throughout 2012 and beyond; increasing tourism and perpetuating a long-term legacy of the Olympic event for years to come. It will be a boost to the economy and the UK’s international image.

Prime Minister David Cameron pledged his support to making this event a success, placing the hospitality and leisure industry at the forefront of the country’s economic recovery. The government’s view is that the Olympic Games will act as a catalyst for this new business environment, particularly with substantial investments made to infrastructure and regenerating areas of London.

The end game here is to strengthen “Brand Britain,” which means opportunity will be knocking for almost all hoteliers.

How can hoteliers maximise this opportunity?

As with any opportunity, to take it with both hands requires work; striving to uphold the quality and finest standards of customer service. If the 2012 Olympics is to be a global event about the quality and hard work apparent in international sportsmanship, then the hospitality industry must measure up and reflect those same standards.

Millbrook Contract Beds has been supplying contract beds to this sector for the better part of 60 years. Our experience has taught us that quality has a trigger effect on everything that comes after it. If we as a nation of industry wish to be held in high regard, then we must continue to aim for the very best.

Hotels need their facilities and amenities to match-up to this. Contract beds and contract bedroom furniture are essential ingredients to this success. The quality of our contract beds and contract bedroom furniture measure up to expectations every single time, so if you’re looking to create the right aesthetic and comfort levels for the approaching waves of Olympic visitors – Contact Us to ensure that 2012 is just as big a success for your business as it will be for the country’s economy.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

A hoteliers guide to the 2012 Olympics Part 1

The first question we have to ask is;

Are we ready?

The 2012 Olympics are only a blink of an eye away and the UK hospitality industry will be caught up right in the middle of events. It’s going to be a big year for the UK economy.

As a contract bed supplier, we here at Millbrook Contract Beds thought it was time to delve into matters by addressing the expectations and possibilities of next year’s radical shake-up of approaching trade. As demand for more space, rooms and beds goes up, so too will our responsibilities. We have a duty to our customers to deliver the finest quality hand-crafted contract beds in time for this boom.

As far as research into matters are concerned, studies and predictions have yielded positive results. UK hoteliers will need to position themselves in order to capitalise and meet the large demands ahead. Those based out of London from the small independent hotels to the large franchises will be in the thick of it, although the Olympic Games will spread far and wide around the country.

Current projections have speculated that London should expect 350,000 foreign visitors per day during the Olympic period.  At this point in time the UK hospitality industry is well-equipped to absorb this increased demand thanks to the creation of an extra 13,000 rooms in the region.

To help meet this demand there will be need for beds. Lots of beds.

That’s where Millbrook comes in.

Our mission has always been to equip hotels and residences with all the contract beds they can handle. It’s been our speciality for over 60 years. 2012 will be just another notch on our belt. For those area specific hotels, guest houses and B&B’s that will be looking to reap the dividends of such a prosperous influx, they will be needing quality contract bedroom furniture.

Our International Collection was tailor made for this kind of situation with The President and The Executive providing fine quality sleep experiences for tourists, guests, visitors and even competitors. In a previous blog we even addressed the 2012 Olympics revelation that beds were being custom built for athletes in order to provide them with the ideal night’s rest!

The Executive contract beds

What makes a hotel worth satying in is how good the guest experience is. What makes a guest experience so satisfying is the quality of the services and facilities and the comfort of the beds. It’s a no-brainer really and it’s not like we haven’t covered this in detail in the past.

Operators are quite rightly preparing themselves for a long, hard but ultimately profitable summer next year. Estimations predict that caterers and restaurants will be providing over 18 million meals to athletes and visitors during the event. That’s a lot of people making plans to come and stay with us here in the UK.

Optimists think that the 2012 Olympics is very likely to strengthen the UK hotel industry and the overall UK economy due to its fostering of more public-private partnerships. If all goes according to plan then we should be looking at a more robust, government-backed business environment for operators in general.

It looks set to be a very busy, but very successful 2012. Just make sure that you have covered your bases and that you are supplying the right contract beds so that you optimise your guest experience for one of the most important years in the hospitality industry for a very long time.

Part 2 in this Olympic blog series is coming soon. In the meantime follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.