When you are investing in furniture for a hotel, it’s important to consider the sustainability implications. And we’re not just talking about whether or not your furniture is produced with the environment in mind. We’re talking about furniture that is sustainable for your business. That, with the proper care and maintenance, will allow you to purchase better quality furniture up front, and less quantity of furniture overall—saving you time and money in the process. Here’s some advice from our hotel furniture manufacturers on the matter.

Advice From Hotel Furniture Manufacturers | A Business Minded Approach to Sustainability

Whether you own one small boutique hotel, or several large hotel chains, taking a lean management approach can help you minimize expenses and maximize profits. The ethos of such an approach is simple and can be likened to the capsule wardrobe phenomenon that is currently sweeping the nation: By purchasing better quality clothing items, with a classic silhouette, clothing items will last longer and can be purchased less often.

The same approach can be applied to the hospitality industry. Though it can be tempting to purchase trending or temporary decor items, the more sustainable method is to purchase the best quality—and most classic—furniture pieces up front. By taking proper care of these items, furniture will last for years and even decades to come and replacement furniture will need to be purchased less often.

Determine the Sustainability of Hospitality Furniture

According to hotel furniture manufacturers, the best way to determine how sustainable an item is is to apply the following equation:

(Total furniture cost + monthly maintenance costs) / months in service = cost per month

The cost per month will tell you exactly how much you will be spending each month on your furniture items. Inexpensive pieces that can’t stand up to the wear and tear of a hotel environment will need to be replaced more often and are thus more expensive over time. That doesn’t mean quality hospitality furniture has to be expensive to last, but you should check the cost per month to ensure that what you are getting is a sustainable investment for the long-term.

If you are unsure how long a piece will last, check the warranty. Northland Furniture offers a comprehensive 10-year warranty on all of our furniture pieces insuring you it is free from defects in materials, workmanship and construction, given normal use and care. In fact, you’ll be able to rest assured knowing that the pieces you have purchased have been constructed to not cost you profits down the line.

Keep Hospitality Furniture in Good Shape

Not only does a sustainable hotel business require the purchase of durable products up front, but it requires proper maintenance of those products over time. If a caretaker accidentally uses a bleach cleaner on a wood grain desk, for example, that desk could require immediate replacement, rendering your sustainability efforts ineffective.

Keep a written maintenance policy on hand and train your cleaning and maintenance staffs on how to use it. Include how pieces should be cleaned and repaired and keep extra parts, varnishes, screws, and knobs on hand just in case. Make note of what items should not be placed in direct sunlight or near heating and cooling elements and decide upon a schedule to rotate those items that are periodically.

Make sure felt is applied to the bottoms of all desks, chairs, and other items that move to prevent scratching of the floor or tearing of the carpet. Also, include how to clean (and how not to clean) each of your furniture items individually. So long as your team is aware of how to care for your hospitality furniture items, they should last you for many years to come.

Northland Furniture is a team of hotel furniture manufacturers based in the pacific northwest. Not only do we provide quality hotel furniture that is sustainable for its usage, but yes, it is sustainable for the environment as well. We manufacture all of our furniture in the United States using materials sourced from North America. Contact us for more information.