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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What makes a good night’s sleep at Millbrook Contract Beds – Part 1

It’s one of the most important aspects of daily living and general health – sleep. Yet many people take their sleep for granted.

Millbrook Contract Beds has been in the business of sleep for over 60 years now, which makes us experts in the field. For industries that use our contract beds for guests, patients, residents, students etc. the following information is extremely important if you wish to provide a decent sleep experience to these people.

So what are the essential rules on making a night’s sleep a good one?

Well, being a contract bed supplier we can tell you; it’s ALL about the bed.

If you have tattered, lumpy, lopsided old mattresses with a rickety bed bases then you have to consider that the reason people are not sleeping well in them is because they are inferior products worn down by years of use. The first rule of bed maintenance is to flip once or twice every couple of months to keep the fillings even and to avoid creating unnatural grooves or dents in the bed material.

This should be standard operating procedure, particularly for a hotel or guest house. However, sometimes, it’s just not enough to flip your mattress if it is years past its sell by date! Yes, even beds have a shelf-life and once they get past the 7-10 year mark, it’s time to start thinking about trading up for a new model.

Contract bedroom furniture is designed to last, but nothing lasts forever, which means investment is key to sustaining a good business model if you are a hotelier, landlord, lettings agent, healthcare specialist, residency or guest house.

Ultimately, you are being judged on the quality of your contract beds and their comfort, durability, quality and maintenance. Your business can live or die based on the quality of the materials you use to treat and look after guests and residents of your premises.

So let’s address the key elements to give them that perfect night’s sleep…

Using 3 of our contract bed ranges as examples of how to get the effect you need to give;

• The Hotel contract bed has a proven popularity amongst hoteliers and works primarily because it has a deep mattress providing the classic firm option to people. It is practical and hardwearing, which is the perfect option for people on the move that just need a bed to crash in for the night for healthy, comfy sleep.
• The Therapy contract bed is the next level up that provides a fully-immersive experience via manual control so it can be adjusted to suit the specific needs of the sleeper. This is an ideal option for healthcare residences that require a degree of technological advancements to go with the comfort and quality. With its five way adjustable position and handset control it’s what all dream beds are made of really. You can do everything from the bed without having to move a muscle.
• The Campus contract bed is the final example on our list of what a bed should provide to give a good night’s sleep. It’s a smart but practical design that is essentially about economy of space and size. It’s not a contract bed for those seeking ultimate luxury but practicality.

These contract beds are very much the best examples of how to give people a good night’s sleep. Keep your eyes out for the next part in “What makes a good night’s sleep with Millbrook Contract Beds” where we go into more detail about techniques and products to help your guests sleep better.

Buying a Contract Bed could get you some tax savings

You could be forgiven if you’ve missed a few significant things over the summer.  Especially if you’ve been busy keeping guests happy and running your hotels.

We’ve seen many hoteliers have a reasonable summer and they have had good fill rates overall and some at least have had brand new contract beds, which the feedback so far is telling us has reduced their complaints from guests – so we’re glad to see things are working well.

However, while we like to see clients do well in their business, we also like to keep an eye on the industry and bring you news which we feel is of interest to clients – especially when it can save them money!

So, we’ve got some news which you may find has some bearing on what you spend on any upkeep or renovations at your hotels over the autumn period.

So what’s the news then?

Basically from April 2012, capital expenditure allowances for businesses will drop to £25’000, which for anyone who is planning to spend money on expensive refits etc. will want to know about.

If you take note now and integrate your spending in line with what’s going to happen, then you could actually still get a lot of benefit from it in relation to your tax relief.

If you’re a business looking for a combination of ‘autumn improvements’ while making some significant savings on the tax you pay on your (hopefully successful year) then it’s worth making some purchases before April this year for sure.

In 2010, many businesses were able to gain benefit from tax relief on the first £50’000 of their purchases, which was potentially very good for business and while that amount increased this year (2011) to £100’000 the drop in April could really make a difference as it’s quite a cut in the scheme of things.

Further Advice

For more information on this it will be worth speaking to your accountants for specific information as there is even talk of benefits to businesses who shorten their tax year – but obviously Millbrook Contract Beds specialises in contract beds and not tax, so we’re merely pointing out an opportunity which you’ll hopefully get a chance to make the most of.

So, if you are looking at reinvesting your money in to your hotel for Christmas and beyond and feel that contract beds will be something you’d like to look at updating, do Contact Us for some free and totally impartial advice on the matter and remember to speak to your accountants for advice on tax relief as it could be the best purchase you make in a while.

We can help you through the options and also advise you on how to dispose of your old contract beds and you can always look through our blog to get information on looking after your contract bed too!

Hotel contract bed range – The President

The ranges of hotel contract beds that Millbrook Contract Beds offer to hoteliers or hospitality based clients in the UK and beyond, are manufactured to meet the increasing demand for comfortable, durable and economical hotel contract beds. In this new series of blogs we will detail the hotel contract bed ranges available and the benefits they offer to the hospitality industry. We’ve been doing this for over 60 years and we like to think our holistic approach to the supply of contract beds allows us to offer clients an unrivalled service that offers fully support and impartial advice.

Our range of hotel contract beds comprise of three areas.  For this new series of blogs we are focusing on the International Collection. This collection includes high quality pocket sprung beds that are specially designed and crafted to be responsive to the contours of a body, offering an amazing level of comfort. The collection includes contract beds such as The President, The Executive, The Club Class and The Hotel.

Each new blog will focus on just one of these contract beds so the details and benefits can be defined and elaborated upon as every contract bed varies slightly. Today we are profiling The President.

The President is a top of the range hotel contract bed, hence its name! Presidential indeed. It has earned its stripes as one of the most sophisticated contract beds in our International Collection. Why? Let us take you through it;

The President has 2000 individually hand nested pocket springs and a choice of comfort levels. Its extravagant fillings include pure cotton, durable polyester and luxury pashmina. It comes with a choice of base, leg and fabric options and mattresses that are available in Standard and Firmer Comfort to give a range of sleeping experiences that can tailor to your guests’ specific needs. It has been crafted with great care and attention. This is one of the best hotel contract beds available.

The President hotel contract bed

It comes in a variety of sizes with an option for a non-standard and there are a number of drawer options too, making it great for guests that are likely to stay a long time. It helps you to save on storage and space.

For more information about The President hotel contract bed or some impartial advice on hotel contract beds in general, please do contact us.

In the next blog in this series on Hotel contract beds, Millbrook will take you through and profile The Executive contract bed. Until then, sleep tight…

Out with the old, in with the new

The previous blog discussed issues that were raised by the findings of The Sleep Council’s research regarding beds needing to be replaced after seven years, rather than the ten we are all accustomed to. We identified what you would need to check in regards to wear and tear with your contract beds and also ways of identifying how old they might be.

In today’s blog we are going to discuss how to resolve the issues of dealing with contract beds that you have categorised as now needing replacement.

The contract beds that exceed the seven year cycle, bearing in mind that commercial contract beds will see a lot of use during their lifespan, will need to be thrown out and the new contract beds moved in. This can create a dilemma in terms of running the day-to-day business of the hotel and moving out old contract beds and then bringing in the new. So how do you avoid losing the ability to achieve maximum room capacity and still maintain high standards of quality control?

There are several possibilities of how to tackle this situation:

1. You can negotiate an agreement with your local council to unburden you of the responsibility but it can be a complicated, sometimes downright frustrating, process. See our previous blog on disposing of your old contract beds.

2.  A local waste disposal expert is usually on hand to offer their services but you can never be sure of how they will eventually dispose of the bed itself. Bearing in mind the environment, it is important to ask these independent disposal experts, if you are so inclined to use one, just how exactly they dispose of their waste. If your hotel is particularly conscious of the environment or is an eco-friendly brand, this might not be the best option to take.

However, going through a local council or an independent source can cost you more time and money than is necessary. There is a better way. If you’re chucking out a used contract bed, you’ll be looking to buy a new one anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone and save yourself a whole lot of time, effort and money?

3. Millbrook Contract Beds offers a service that picks up your old beds and replaces them with your brand new contract beds, making it cost effective and time efficient. This saves the cost and worry of negotiating with the council or using independent disposal specialists. It speeds up the process and saves the business from having to suffer with rooms not having beds in them at all.  This service offers you the chance to buy the new contract beds you need and at very reasonable extra expense, arrange for the collection and disposal of the old ones. This way you streamline the process, cut out any middlemen and save yourself having to liaise with two or more companies to get these jobs done.

The next blog in this series will discuss the possible options open to hoteliers on what specific contract beds are available to buy and ways of keeping better, more effective quality control with the contract beds, but also do look out on our series of blogs coming up that focus on developing in-house quality control checks that will cover your beds and overall quality of sleep for your clients.