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 »
Take advantage of the Christmas period to refresh your contract beds
The approach of the new year means that you can look at your business with a fresh pair of eyes. You can start to consider how you might improve the accommodations and contract beds to attract more prospective tenants or guests. Millbrook Contract Beds believes that the hospitality industry and student accommodation can benefit from getting rid of any bedroom furniture to give a new lease of life to the room. You can take this opportunity to start replacing any contract beds that are near the end of their life; no-one likes sleeping on an old and uncomfortable contract bed! Continue reading »
If these walls could talk – the underbelly of hotel beds
The hospitality industry is based on providing the best in comfort for people staying at your hotel. People expect comfort and strong hospitality when they stay anywhere and that’s not an unreasonable request. When you pay good money to stay in a hotel, you want luxury and calm of high quality surroundings as you spend the night, the weekend or the week at a hotel.
Hotels and the hospitality industry are getting a bad rap at the moment. With criticism coming from all corners on the quality of service, bed bug infestations – even pressure from governments on how the hospitality industry could help Britain out of the economic quagmire it’s in. Some of it is undeserved; some of it is deserved. Certain hotels are growing lax in their standards of quality, even when it comes to their beds.
The bed bug issue could be one of the single biggest and rapidly growing problems in the hotel industry. Some hoteliers are not keeping up very basic standards of hygiene; they are allowing beds to go unwashed, mattresses are unclean and unturned. Beds then develop real problems for future guests. Once bed bugs get into a bed, they are tough little critters to get rid of. It’s a case of washing the bedding at high temperatures and steaming and vacuuming the mattress thoroughly to ensure that no eggs or bugs are left on there.
It’s imperative to keep beds clean and in good shape as a hotelier. If beds are on the way out, replace them with better contract beds. Replacing them and keeping the replacements in good condition will ensure that the new contract beds last for a very long time. Even something as basic as cleaning and turning the mattress can greatly extend the life of a contract bed and keep it at the top of its game for years.
Millbrook Contract Beds sells beds for healthcare industry, academic industry and the hotel industry. Our International Range is high quality and durable, meaning that you won’t find yourself having to replace your hotel’s beds every couple of years. Durability is key for extending the life of a contract bed and cleanliness is a huge factor in keeping your beds in prime condition year after year.
The Executive isn’t just strong and comfortable; it’s exceptional value. Twin beds can be a big selling point for any hotel room and these are very stylish. Provide the choice of different comfort levels so that your guests select which option best suits them. The zip and link model provides room flexibility as a double or a twin, so you can change to suit the needs of your current guests. 1400 individually pocketed springs in the 150 cm size, choice of comfort levels and sumptuous upholstery give your guests the very best night’s sleep possible. Don’t let the bed bugs bite; keep the bed clean and your guests will fall in love with The Executive time after time.
The Hotel has a proven popularity within the hotel industry. With open coil springs and a deep mattress it is the classic firm option bed. Hand finished and a fresh, practical hardwearing 100% cotton upholstery and a choice of leg and fabric options on the divan base.
Hotel beds have got a seedy underbelly, but they don’t need to. Keeping up basic standards of cleanliness can keep beds going and free from bugs and other problems. Don’t let your hotel rooms say bad things about you!
Changing rooms – Give your hotel a make-over with good quality contract bedroom furniture
In the world of hoteliers there should always be an emphasis on quality. As far as contract bedroom furniture goes, Millbrook Contract Beds likes to be at the top of the game. We decided to take a look at the hospitality industry and explore just what really constitutes genuine quality commercial beds and commercial furniture.
To thrive in these hard times a hotel needs to be different and have something ‘extra’ to offer beyond the standard trimmings. This is what gives a hotel the upper hand in very competitive times. So if you are looking to become a leader in quality, on whatever scale you are operating on, it’s time to face up to the state of your premises, the aesthetics of the place and its commercial furniture!
Individuality between hotels, B&B’s and boutiques should be a high priority and can make all the difference when it comes to profit margins. It’s vital to be able to stand out from the crowd – see our previous blog on Boutique Hotels HERE for more information on how uniqueness and niche qualities will be of great benefit in the coming months.
Hotel rooms consist of your standard contract bedroom furniture from wardrobes to desks to chairs to beds. Everything in these rooms should be thoroughly maintained without any excuses. Guests demand bang for their buck! As a contract bed supplier, Millbrook is an authority on this particular matter.
Take a fresh look at your hotel and recognise where its weaknesses lie. A majority of the problems begin with design and facilities, but the one aspect of a hotel that should never be subpar is the quality of the furniture. If your contract beds are lousy, your guest experience is lousy too, no matter how much you pride yourself on good service. Real good service begins with making it a place fit for people to sleep!
So take that look around and imagine yourself as a customer coming in to book a room. Ask yourself; “Would I want to sleep here for the night?” Try out the rooms, sit and lie down on the bed, experience your hotel from the other side. We can’t stress enough how much difference a bed makes to a hotel room.
Our contract bed ranges have been developed and manufactured to suit a variety of industries from healthcare to academic. The International Collection is very much targeted towards the hospitality sector and the International contract beds very much reflect that in their function and design. What makes our contract bedroom furniture superior to our competitors is that all beds are hand-crafted with individually wrapped springs and are made from the finest materials. Due to our design philosophy our beds such as The Hotel contract bed, The Executive, The Club Class and The President are tailor-made for hotels looking to offer that extra “something.”
For hotels on tight budgets it may come down to a choice of only being financially able to replenish or improve certain aspects of the hotel. Think about what you can accomplish on the budget you have and what would create a better guest experience. Style, comfort and cleanliness are top considerations to take into account. There’s nothing worse than an institutional hotel so don’t underestimate layout and colour scheme either.
Give your hotel a make-over with new contract bedroom furniture, experiment with colour, keep it immaculate and put an emphasis on providing the best guest experience you possibly can. That’s the secret to making a hotel stand-out.
Contact Us for more information on our contract bed ranges and don’t forget you can follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
A Contract Bed Guide – Millbrook Blog Recap Part 6
Millbrook Contract Beds has been blogging for a long time now. We thought that it would pertinent to recap what we have covered in order to create a index for readers to use as a contract bed guide. Our blog is more comprehensive than any FAQ section you could ever hope for!
This series has provided an insight into how we operate, who our products are designed for and what benefits they can offer different industries from hospitality to academic industries. To catch yourself up on where we are at in the series you can read PART 1 HERE, PART 2 HERE, PART 3 HERE and PART 4 HERE.
So to continue where we left off from Blog Recap PART 5:
33. A Contract Bed Guide for Hoteliers: Establishing Need
This blog provided an insightful guide into how best to use contract beds for hotel industries that are required to meet high standards all year around. This was Part 1 of a 2 part series.
34. A Contract Bed Guide for Hoteliers: Meeting Demand
The sequel to “Establishing Need” required a deeper investigation of how to identify problems and assess quality control within the scope of a hotel and leisure business. The conclusion drawn from what was important to test and check on contract beds was ultimately their degree of comfort, age and suitability.
35. Hotel contract bed range – The President
The start of a new blog series began by tackling the inherent importance of each contract bed offered in the Millbrook range. We got the ball rolling by addressing the International Collection and putting one of our most popular contract beds at the forefront – The President. The bed was profiled and its features explored. While we have covered the Millbrook ranges before, we never had gone into as much detail before.
36. Hotel contract bed range – The Executive
And so the series continued… in profile this time was The Executive contract bed. A high quality design with benefits that could only be effectively optimised by Millbrook’s handcrafted design philosophy.
37. Hotel contract bed range – The Club Class
Next on the list of International Collection contract beds in profile was The Club Class. This blog discussed the flexibility and the materials of this bed and why it was so special.
38. Hotel contract bed range – The Hotel
The Hotel contract bed was next under the Millbrook blog microscope and was studied exhaustively in detail to find out why it’s apt title was so… well, apt. The profile on The Hotel bed rounded off the first part of this blog series and in so doing brought the exploration of our International Collection to a grand close for the final time.
39. Rising costs and their effects on hotel contract beds
This blog addressed the current economic climate and went on to assess the effects of a downturn on the hotel and hospitality industry. The goal was to provide advice on how to keep a business’ costs down.
And that is where we leave you for this part in the Millbrook contract beds blog series. We’ve thrown down the gauntlet here and there is still much to cover across our blog spectrum.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our blog feel free to Contact Us for further information or alternatively you can follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. Don’t hesitate to ask for our help.
Feng Shui your contract bedroom furniture: Creating the right environment
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.
The Hotel contract bed
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.
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.
Improve your fill rates with contract beds
Experienced hoteliers know that the summer ahead is where their businesses will begin to boom. The sunshine and good weather brings travellers from all over the country and even the world. As the bookings increase and you begin to reach maximum capacity, what do you do when you need to book extra people into a room share, but there isn’t enough contract beds for everyone?
This is a situation that’s easy to find yourself in. In some cases, unfortunately, you simply have to turn away the extra business, purely for the fact you have no contract beds available.
However, with Millbrook contract beds there is a zip and link option provided with many of our ranges. This gives you great flexibility when you are faced with the need to increase your fill rate and achieve maximum capacity. Room changes become less of an obstacle, the ability to accommodate larger numbers of people efficiently and swiftly is suddenly possible and short-notice bookings no longer seem a daunting task.
Zip and link contract beds are linked together by bars through which the mattresses are attached and linked up via a zip. These are fantastic alternatives to the usual bed types available and become economical space savers. Zip and link contract beds work for luxury hotels, guest houses, B&B’s, hostels and even for homes that take in student boarders during the summer. They can be applied to almost any situation where contract beds are needed to fill space and make room for additional guests and visitors. The main goal is to increase your revenue over the busy periods.
The zip and link option with contract beds is cost effective too!
Contract beds that suit hotels and also come with zip and link options are in supply of plenty. Choice contract beds from Millbrook contract beds’ International collections are;
The Hotel – a bed that has proven tremendously popular in the hotel and leisure industry. It is the classic firm option bed that’s practical and hardwearing.
The Executive – is a set of stylish twin beds, which enhance any room they are put in. They provide different levels of comfort so that your guests have the option to select which level best suits their needs. The zip and link model allows for flexibility as a double bed or as a twin.
From the Academic collection the most suitable zip and link options are;
The Conference – an open coil mattress on metal skid leg base. The mattress has a wipe clean breathable cover that can be cleaned time and again. Zip and link option available to suit your requirements.
The Campus – a smart design featuring open coil springs with an easy to clean stichbond covered mattress. The bed frame is available with fixed or detachable legs. The zip and link option allows for generous economy of space when you need it.
This summer is looking like it will be a booming one for the hotel industry. If you are a hotelier or if you are in the leisure industry, looking to find contract beds that offer flexibility in their range and applications, Millbrook Contract Beds can steer you in the right direction, so your business can flourish in the busy, coming summer months.
Improve your star rating with the finest contract beds
For hoteliers, the star rating is of vital importance when marketing the business to potential guests. The star rating is a general indicator and reflection of the quality of the hotel itself, although individual circumstances must be taken into account.
The mainstay of any star rated hotel is the contract beds that are available to suit guest expectation and requirements.
The Five Star seal of approval
The Economy class of one-star hotels is essentially a no-frills deal. The rooms are usually small, the decor is functional and they generally cater to the budget travellers.
The Value class of two-star hotels are again, basic accommodation, perhaps offering private bathrooms and television, but all in all, limited amenities.
The Quality class of three-star establishments begin to take on a greater emphasis on a satisfying guest experience with on-site dining, additional hotel services such as baggage assistance and the guestrooms are certainly more extensive in what they offer to the guest.
The Superior class of four-star hotels offer concierge services, conference rooms, valet parking etc. But their stronghold are their luxury rooms with the added benefits of stylish furnishings, an extensive variety of amenities and most importantly of all, fine quality, high standard beds and bedding.
Finally, the Exceptional class of five-star hotels are considered the finest hotels in the world. They offer the highest possible standard of service with the embellishments of interior design stylistics, grand architectural aesthetic, an abundance of gourmet cuisines for fine dining and a fast track, 24-hour room service. The recreational facilities can be anything from friendly tennis courts to sprawling golf courses while the luxurious spa centres exemplify relaxation. But the guestrooms are the real prizes at five-star hotels. They are comprised of premium bedding with everything from high-speed internet access to widescreen TV’s and DVD players.
The hotels that do not manage to attain a star rating are often referred to as half-star hotels, which classify the hotels that have differing levels of amenities, property type and property-class characteristics, and varying degrees in the quality of service.
However, the class system does not mean that hotels below par with four and five star luxury hotels cannot provide fine quality contract beds for their guests. After all, contract beds are the most crucial element of any hotel room.
Millbrook contract beds offer a wide range of contract beds that have a proven track record for supplying comfort, luxury and pleasing aesthetics to the hotel and leisure industry. These contract beds help to provide the right holistic experience for guests. This guarantees to provide personal recommendations, which is the strongest arm of advertising available.
The star rated system for hotels factors in, in a very big way, the quality and comfort of the contract beds in each room. Guests expect and demand that more than any other aspect of their hotel stays.
If you are a hotelier looking to increase your bookings, or if you are indeed looking to climb that hotel star ladder and improve your quality of service, amenities and overall excellence, start in the guestrooms with the contract beds.
Millbrook contracts beds’ International collection is tailored to hotel services specifically;
The President is top of the range. It has individually hand nested pocket springs and a choice of comfort levels. Mattresses come available in standard or firmer comfort while there is a choice of base, leg and fabric options. The materials consist of quality fire retardant woven damask upholstery and extravagant fillings which include pure cotton, durable polyester and luxury pashmina. It’s not called The President for nothing. It’s fit for one.
The President contract bed
As a hotelier, of course, budget must be a consideration. If you have thirty rooms to fill with thirty new beds, you need to make an investment. The only way to increase star rating is by upping your game and the standard of the hotel, and that costs money. When it comes to the contract beds, Millbrook deals so regularly with the hotel industry that the prices and deals are incredibly reasonable. There is no need to worry about accentuated or spiralling costs if you know who to come to.
The Hotel contract bed is a popular choice for many hotels, hence its name. It has open coil spring and a deep mattress. It is the classic firm option bed with fresh, practical hardwearing 100% cotton upholstery and a choice of leg and fabric options on the divan base. Mattresses are available in the custom style of standard comfort. It is practical, comfortable and affordable.
The Hotel contract bed
A star rating means status, it means standards, it means quality, it makes people want to stay with you. If you’re a half-star looking to become a one-star or a one-star looking to become a two-star and so on, you can achieve this only by starting by developing what is at the heart of your business, and that is the guest experience. All guests measure their hotel experiences by the quality of sleep they had and the quality of the contract bed they slept in.
Maintaining quality control over your contract beds
In the last two blogs, The Sleep Council’s suggestion that beds should be replaced every seven years, gave us an opportunity to discuss the impact of that particular information on the hotel and leisure industry.
In this third part of the series we will be looking at the best contract beds on offer to implement once the old ones have been moved out, followed by suggestions for improving and maintaining the quality control over the contract beds.
The first thing a guest may do when they arrive in their hotel room is to try out the contract bed; its softness and bounce. Any reputable hotel should be able to give the information on the mattresses and linens being used in the rooms. This information should be easily available and it’s a good idea to make sure your staff know! The best way to ensure this is by purchasing the best quality contract beds you can find for the finest economical value so we’ve basically put together a little list of what we consider to be good choices when buying a contract bed from our range.
Our International Collection gives you variety and economy and you may want to check the prices out here.
- The President 2000 is a contract bed that is used quite often in the hotel industry. It is a bed crafted with great care and is available in two different contract mattress types and a variety of sizes that offer comfort, versatility and longevity. Once you factor in the guest experience it should be clear that contract beds are the only way to go.
- The Executive Contract Bed comes with a zip and link option in a variety of different sizes from single right through to super king. This particular contract bed is very aesthetically pleasing indeed, which can be of importance to a hotel’s overall image and branding.
- The Club Class is durable and offers long-term reliability. It has a wide range of choice in terms of the base, leg and fabric options so there is a lot more opportunities available to make the contract bed directly reflect the branding of your hotel.
- The Hotel isn’t called The Hotel for nothing! It has a proven track record and is incredibly popular within the hotel industry. It is the classic firm option bed with open coil springs and a deep mattress.
Compromising on price does not mean compromising on quality if you buy contract beds from a legitimate and reliable source such as Millbrook contract beds. The difference between an independent B&B and a boutique hotel in the four star range need not be so different when it comes to the contract beds that they have. The B&B needn’t worry about immense cost in order to obtain great quality and the boutique hotel needn’t be concerned with losing any sophistication in style or luxury just because the cost is low. Contract beds are made to last and designed for maximum comfort at affordable prices to fit anyone’s budget.
Guests want to sleep in comfort and in order to give them that level of luxury and satisfaction, all the contract beds need to be considered, looked after and replaced before they become too unsuitable for use so perhaps it is time to introduce a “contract bed quality control” in the management scheme of your hotel. Overall policy could be amended to set-up a new system where beds are turned regularly each month and quality checks are carried out for wear and tear regularly. You could hold a 12 month review which includes guest feedback, if any, that could help to further identify or highlight any problems involving the beds.
The Replacement Cycle that The Sleep Council has suggested will help to increase customer satisfaction and limit complaints handling. Look at the best available contract beds, particularly the ones aimed at the hotelier and leisure industry. Millbrook Contract Beds provide a very choice selection that could help to elevate hotel standards to new heights and make it much easier to manage quality control.
For more information on the ranges of contract beds available please contact us.