Rebranding the hotel sector – Advice from Millbrook Contract Beds

It’s called Hotel Rebranding and it is a program like hotel refreshment that is implemented by many hotels – sometimes on a rolling schedule every 7 years or alternatively whenever it comes due.

London in a snapshot

So what is hotel rebranding?

Rebranding is different to refreshment as it is a bigger job and involves a lot of work including reassessing marketing strategies, aesthetics, design and its sector positioning. Room rates are usually increased during a hotel rebrand, and you are more likely to see bigger chains go through this process. It is a much more corporate approach to refurbishment and it is on a massive scale.

The process can involve creating new guest rooms out of redundant or unused space, replacing facilities such as bathrooms and communal areas, changing layouts, introducing new guest facilities and services, updating technologies and new entertainment capabilities.

Basically, this rebrand starts from the contract beds on up!

In a hotel rebrand it is possible to see so much change occur that the brand itself is reborn leaving no corner of the property untouched, from bedrooms to public areas to restaurants and event spaces.

However, due to the nature of upheaval and the cost of time and money, huge rebrands are not as common as hotel refreshments. As we are looking at the arrival of 2012 sooner rather than later, many hotels don’t have time to rebrand themselves like this.

What are Green Refurbishments all about?

Green refurbishments are in keeping with green policies that many hotels are adopting around the world. 30 per cent of hoteliers are looking to install more energy efficient green technology using renewable power for their properties. Sustainability has emerged in the last decade as a dominant trend in hospitality and hotel refurbishments. Guests are getting into a mindset where luxury ratings are simply not enough. A hotel’s green credentials go a long way to sealing the deal.

Many design principles being used or flirted with in the UK hotel sector include recycling water conservation, energy efficiency and maintenance/longevity.

Hotels Go Green

How can Millbrook Contract Beds help?

We provide a service to our customers that helps provide quality contract beds and contract bedroom furniture of the highest ilk to their operations. Our design philosophy is uncompromising in terms of how the beds are made, so you know you are getting the best of the best.

Many hotels and businesses come to us for our advice and our quality of product. In the build up to the big boom or bad bust year of 2012, Millbrook Contract Beds wants to be at the centre of the demand and in the thick of the action. If you are planning a hotel refurbishment, whether it is a refreshment of guest rooms and contract beds, or a major rebranding overhaul on everything, we know we can help. Contact Us for some impartial advice or you can always follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Special Discount

If you order upto the 31st of October, you can take advantage of the current 10% discount available for online purchases!  Just quote mcb10%oct12 at checkout to take advantage of it and save even more money!

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.

Dressing down your hotel contract beds in time for the 2012 Olympics

Yes, the countdown has truly begun to the start of the ceremony of ceremonies! London Olympics 2012 is within reaching distance. It’s only a few months to go until it arrives. For all the hoteliers out there; there is still time to get prepared.

The guests started booking their places months ago and the big hotel franchises are already beginning to turn away customers as they are booked out. If you want to compete on this level you have to step-up to their level!

Provide your guests with the best you can possibly give them. Invest in your hotel facilities and accommodations in order to bring in bigger and better business. It’s really that simple. Our specialty is of course contract beds, but that in no way overshadows the other elements of a hotel that need to be maintained or improved upon.

That said, hoteliers know that the quality of their hotel contract beds can mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a complaint. Sleep is an important factor in everyone’s lives and it is especially important for the hotel industry where positive customer satisfaction is crucial to a successful business. The hotel contract beds make all the difference by providing a focal point for any room and assist in creating the perfect holistic experience for guests. Word of mouth spreads if you provide a satisfying enough experience.

There’s still time to get those tongues wagging!

Busy hotels often need contract beds that offer longevity, universal comfort and versatility. Millbrook’s International Collection predominantly caters to hotel businesses with a range of sizes and a variety of options that can be customised to suit the practical and aesthetic requirements of individual hotel brands. If you are willing to offer the best in your hotel rooms then guests will want to stay with you for the duration of the Olympic Games.

Millbrook supplies its contract beds to businesses large and small where the quality and value of our designs can suit high end hotel chains or smaller independent bed and breakfasts. We know what makes a good contract bed, how to tailor them to the hospitality industry’s needs and how to ensure that they give a good night’s sleep to its guests.

Millbrook Contract Beds has been in the bed manufacturing game for more than 60 years and we understand this industry more than any other hotel contract bed supplier. Trust us to help you bring in more customer satisfaction and up your street cred in time for the biggest event in the world this year!

Refreshing the hotel sector for 2012 – Advice from Millbrook Contract Beds

With the 2012 Olympics on the way a recent survey conducted across UK hotels has helped to quantify the anticipation for it as a good year for the British hospitality industry. What it seems to represent is the chance for building up and bringing back business to a fluctuating economical climate. The hospitality industry has been suffering from these shockwaves over the past few years. Continue reading »

Comfort zone – a guide for the hotel sector

It’s been a while since we covered the basics of comfort in hotels and hotel contract beds. Our main interests lie in helping people find their comfort zone when it comes to sleep. In the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics we think the pressure on hotels meeting the demands of service and quality is going to be pretty huge, so our back-to-basics advice on contract beds is probably timely. Continue reading »

Are you upgrading your hotel contract beds for the London 2012 Olympics?

The Olympics are coming to London!  The world’s most revered sporting event is being hosted here in the UK for the first time since 1948, and we at Millbrook Contract Beds think every potential 400m runner or long jumper out there deserves a comfortable place to rest those tired legs after an exhausting practice session.  We spotted an opportunity for all of our customers, especially in the hotel industry, to make the most of this… Continue reading »

Tips for the hospitality industry on preparing for the London Olympic Games 2012

In the previous blog we began exploring the hospitality industry’s role in regenerating and reinvigorating the UK economy in the build-up to London 2012 Olympics.

This is the perfect time for UK hoteliers to start thinking about how to approach the coming influx of business to the country, particularly the nation’s capital, and the best ways to maximise capacity potential and optimise aesthetic and practical considerations. Continue reading »

Preparing for London Olympics 2012 – the hospitality industry

Last year we explored the coming of the 2012 Olympic Games and the potential impact on hotels across the hospitality industry. Now that we are officially in 2012 it makes sense to start thinking about this in more detail.

The London Olympics has been triumphed as the much needed economic boost to the nation’s capital, the UK tourism industry and local businesses. UK hoteliers are expecting to discover new markets and new opportunities that will have long-term reverberating effects for quite some time to come. Continue reading »

Hospitality industry may be the key to economic recovery – Millbrook Contract Beds

Millbrook Contract Beds has had a vast experience in dealing with the hospitality industry for many years now. We keep our finger on the pulse of this sector and the developments within in it in order to stay ahead of the future demand. Recently, we’ve been following the hospitality industry’s prominence and growing significance during the economic downturn.

According to reports in the media and from government studies, the hospitality industry is currently leading the way in aiding economic recovery in the UK. During 2011, there was a tremendous growth seen, particularly around the time of the Royal Wedding in April. Since then the figures have only increased with a positive effect on hotelier operations nationwide. With 2012 proving to be a very big year for the UK in general courtesy of the upcoming Olympic Games and the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, the hospitality industry is extremely well-positioned to begin taking the economy in the right direction.

One of the main hindrances at current is the lack of competitive prices on offer. The higher VAT rate has been a major factor in this problem. A majority of EU states have reduced the VAT rates on accommodations and attractions in their respective countries, which makes the UK a lot less competitive than our friends across the channel.

Millbrook has been doing its part to help reduce the burden of cost for hoteliers with our contract beds and contract bed options. Through giving them the very best in contract bed quality for bargain prices it will hopefully offer an alternative solution to those businesses that engage with us and use our products. Commercial beds are a huge part of this process and hoteliers cannot operate without them, for obvious reasons.

Considering that the UK hospitality industry contributes over £46 billion in wages and profits to local economies every year, it’s time the industry got cut a break by its suppliers. That includes those of us that supply them with their commercial beds! It’s been documented through research and studies in the last year that many local authorities in the country are highly dependent on the industry as a whole and its contributions to economic prosperity.

Through the creation of new employment opportunities and a wealth of new business transactions, this industry is one of the supporting pillars in the contemporary era of British economic recovery. It needs to be championed as such. What is good to see is the encouragement coming through from the government and local authorities to see the hospitality sector grow and generate as many new jobs as possible.

2012 looks set to be a collective success across many industries as long as we can hold it together and keep prices competitive, standards high and growth steady.

Millbrook Contract Beds is dedicated to being a solid friend and business partner to the hospitality industry in the coming months and years, and we hope that everyone is ready to show their support come 2012 in the new year.

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