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.

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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!

Are you thinking of getting a rating in 2012?

For many hoteliers, having the very best in terms of star classification ratings is extremely important.  And during what is a tough economic time for many businesses, it is now more important than ever for you to maintain your level of customer service and comfort to guests.

The star rating system is an extremely effective way of telling potential guests about the standards that you have as a hotelier and can be the difference between what is considered ‘okay’ to what is deemed as ‘luxurious’.

Of course décor is extremely important along with the very best service and food, but the contract beds will also be important as that’s where your guests will be sleeping and indeed, any reviewer will be getting some shut-eye.

In terms of comfort, you can opt for lower budget contract beds, which will offer a quality of sleep that will be welcomed and certainly with Millbrook Contract Beds you will find the quality at this level to be extremely good.  But for superior levels of ratings and luxurious guest comfort, you will need to invest to get the best.

The good news is that should you be thinking of improving your contract beds in your rooms, a mid to high range contract bed from Millbrook has longevity and is therefore a very good investment if you’re seriously looking at improving your star rating.

Ratings look at pretty much every aspect of what you do and how you do it, right down to the type of towels that you use, but surprisingly perhaps while many hoteliers maintain a high level of service across most aspects of their hotel, they often forget about the beds.

It seems that there is an assumption that a new bed and mattress (especially if it’s really cheap) is going to suffice. However, there are safety implications between using commercial beds and the types of beds purchased by the general public.  It is these tiny details that hoteliers at times can get lost with, but that does not mean they should be ignored.

So, if you’re in the market for a contract bed, try not to opt for the cheapest if you’re serious about getting rated during 2012.  Go for real comfort as an investment in your establishment’s future and you will be surprised at the difference it will make to what you achieve.

We all like a good night’s sleep and expect it when we stay in a hotel, as every little detail is important to us.  We do not expect a bad back or neck ache, from an old contract bed and mattress that is past its use by date.

This will be even more important as we head towards the Olympics this year, when you can really optimise on people visiting the UK to watch the events, especially if you see it as a chance to really prove what you are and how you really excel against your competitors.

If you want advice on contract beds or you are preparing for updates in readiness to the Olympics or a star rating, do contact us for some impartial advice.

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 »

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.

Follow Millbrook on Twitter and Facebook to join in with our discussions and community.

The boom of boutique hotels – Millbrook Contract Beds

Millbrook Contract Beds has been looking to the future recently in terms of the hospitality industry to try and determine if it will be looking at a real boom period in the coming months and years. We took you through what to expect from the 2012 Olympics next year in London in a previous blog series, which can be read HERE, but what of the immediate future? What can the hotel industry in particular look set to expect?

According to recent projections and studies carried out, the boutique hotel sector is set to lead the way as the UK hotel industry lurches into recovery. The research has revealed that boutique is the fastest growing hotel segment in London right now and is set to nearly double in size by 2013.

The emergence of boutique hotels became common in the 1980’s within major cities like London and New York. Their purpose was to offer an intimate, unique hotel experience and environment that was as good as anything a franchise could offer but with its own flavour and sense of character.

Accommodation was personalised as was the services and facilities, sometimes with themed or stylish qualities to them. For many years the boutiques battled it out with the big brands until they themselves became enfranchised, losing some degree of that uniqueness that made so popular to begin with.

Somewhere along the way, boutique hotels have began to return to their roots. Since the economic climate shifted, boutique hotels have actually gone through a period of expansion not recession. They are more popular now than they ever were before, which begs the question; will it last?

According to reports the answer is very much definitely “Yes!”

As a contract bed supplier, Millbrook Contract Beds is incredibly supportive of these developments. Boutique hotels can be a more accurate representation and ambassador, come the 2012 Olympics next year, to a place and time than the large franchises.

Maintaining that degree of uniqueness for each boutique means having its own identity. Due to strong competition (what else is new in hospitality?), the boutique hotel sector needs to work harder to separate their services and alternative guest experiences from the mainstream hotel markets. This seems to be of greater appeal to travellers, tourists and guests in this day and age.

Millbrook Contract Beds has always kept its finger on the pulse when it comes to customer satisfaction and delivering products and services that ultimately benefit and reward them, which is why as the demand for boutique hotels increase, so too will boutique hotel standards of quality become of greater importance.

To prosper in 2013, boutique hotels, especially in the capital, need to nurture quality as if the future depended on it. People are asking if the boutique hotel sector can live up to this “boom market” hype and if it can really perform in the big leagues.

Millbrook Contract Beds believes it can! And will. Just you wait and see…

Fuelling the demand for UK hotels – Millbrook Contract Beds

A drop in overseas travel this year has seen an increase in the demand for UK hotels. Millbrook  Contract Beds has been keeping an eye on the goings-on of the travel and hospitality industry in order to stay in step with what the needs are from people and businesses for this year and next.

Key tourist destinations in the UK such as London have welcomed the stronger demand from within the country for internal holidays from British travellers.  The Office for National Statistics stated that holidays to the UK had hit their highest levels since the early 1960’s. This is not just from British residents but also from overseas visitors, which is a very positive thing.

Millbrook Contract Beds has taken a closer look at the figures from 2010 and listed them here…

The countries who visited the UK the most in 2010:

• France 3.6 million
• Germany 3.0 million
• USA 2.7 million
• Irish Republic 2.6 million
• Spain 1.8 million
• Netherlands 1.8 million
• Italy 1.5 million
• Belgium 1.1 million
• Poland 1.1 million
• Australia 1.0 million

These statistics have continued a positive growth into 2011, and are set for an even bigger increase when the London Olympic Games begin in 2012 (see our Hoteliers Guide to the 2012 Olympics HERE). The nation’s capital, London, attracts a large majority of the overseas visitors, making it the most visited city in Britain. The next most popular holiday hotspots in this country are Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.

These encouraging signs for British tourism show that we are still very much open for business.

But how do we meet this demand effectively? The events of the London Riots tarnished this good news somewhat by projecting a negative image of the UK to the rest of the world, but that image is recovering as we head towards the end of 2011 with the aspirations of 2012 being a booming success for the country, in particular the hospitality industries.

Millbrook Contract Beds believes that the answer in living up to the expectations and continuing a prosperous growth into the future is quality. For sixty years we have been delivering quality to all of our customers with our contract bedroom furniture which goes a long way to creating a great guest experience. If you’re a hotelier looking to capitalise on what’s ahead, reflect on what can be improved and optimised within your business.

If it ever comes to a problem with your hotel beds, you know who to contact to get them replaced. Millbrook Contract Beds has a fine selection for you to view HERE, or alternatively, Contact Us for some free, impartial advice. You can always like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to join our community too.

Size Matters – Custom Size Hotel Contract Beds for the London 2012 Olympics

The 1990s marked a momentous point in the history of the humble bed, as for the first time ever, Queen-size beds became more popular than the standard double. Ever since then, a bigger hotel bed has come to be almost seen as the norm, and nowadays a luxury hotel without a King-size contract bed option can hardly be called a luxury hotel at all.

For some though, it seems even the most generous standard-sized bed doesn’t quite cut it, which is why Millbrook Contract Beds has maintained its 60 year + design philosophy to meet this kind of demand.

A recent news article claims the Jamaican team for the London 2012 Olympics will be lucky enough to enjoy specially-ordered supersize contract beds to give them the best possible chances in the largest sporting event to hit the UK for decades.

London 2012 Olympics

Spokespeople say a comfier night’s rest is not the main reason for the gigantic beds however; instead their first priority was to protect the team’s unusually tall competitors from nocturnal injuries acquired from falling out of too-small beds!

If this idea catches on with other Olympic teams, the UK hospitality industry could see a massive increase in the demand for bigger-than-ever hotel contract beds, and will need to plan ahead to make sure they have the facilities to accommodate such prestigious international guests.

Luckily, all of Millbrook’s dedicated range of contract beds from our International Collection have been designed especially with hotel rooms in mind and come in a huge range of sizing options. What’s more, not only do our massive 6’0’’ by 6’6’’ Super King size styles start at the incredibly competitive price of just £299, but we also offer the option of custom sized contract beds to cater to every guest, no matter how tall. Contract bedroom furniture can always be tailored to suit individual requirements at Millbrook.

Millbrook's International Collection hotel contract beds

In addition, we even supply a zip and link variety on our Super King beds, which gives you the ability to quickly convert a Super King room into a twin room and increase the flexibility of your room hire options. Hotel beds need to be flexible for a wide variety of guests after all.

Once you’ve decided on the size requirements for your new contract beds, the only choice left is the style; from the sumptuous President model right down to the high-quality yet economical Hotel model. If you have the most distinguished Olympic guests specifically in mind, we recommend either the Executive or President Contract bed, as each can be made in a range of firmness levels to perfectly suit the physical requirements of even the most sensitive bodies.

The Executive contract beds

A choice of base, leg and fabric options also means there’s a style to suit every existing hotel room decor scheme to give each suite a more cohesive, elegant feel. With a multitude of high-profile international guests set to jet in next year for this huge sporting ceremony, clearly the need to present a superior-quality image becomes even greater given the effect it could have on your hotel’s international reputation.

In an industry where a good night’s sleep could make all the difference to the performance of each competitor, now is the time to ensure your hotel leaves the right impression by furnishing your rooms with hotel contract beds of the perfect size. If you would like more information on our ranges or just some general bed buying advice please Contact Us.