Trash or Treasure?A Second Life for Hotel Furniture

Posted on August 16, 2010 by admin

I love hotel remodels—the gleaming bathroom fixtures, the springy pillow-top mattresses that feel improbably cushier than any I’ve owned. But as someone who gets guilty throwing out a paperclip when it could be reused, I’ve always wondered: What happens to the original (perfectly good) furniture when a property decides to revamp?Are the superfluous fittings recycled, or tossed in a landfill where they’ll form en suite mounds of trash?

According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, there are nearly five million hotel rooms in the U.S., and most have their mattresses and couches updated every 6-8 years (it’s every 12-13 years for less worn-and-torn “casegoods,” like headboards and dressers). When they do get replaced, the majority of hoteliers sell their old furniture to liquidators, who then hawk it to the general public (In the market?Try Hotel Surplus Outlet near Los Angeles for glass-paneled armoires from the Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows, and Chicago’s Fort Pitt Modern  Hotel Furniture Liquidators for Four Seasons headboards).

Thankfully, though, more and more properties are combining décor overhauls with philanthropy. Recently the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, Connecticut, remodeled and gave holdover furniture to local charities. They donated over 300 beds, 285 sofas and chairs, and 500 floor and table lamps to people living without them. Now, doesn’t that help everybody rest easy?

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Some of the Things to Consider When Buying Hotel Furniture

Posted on August 13, 2010 by admin

Selecting the most ideal kind of hotel furniture is just one ingredient of the overall design that you want to present your hotel. This can be indubitably challenging work, particularly when you bear in mind that furniture for hotel come in numerous colors, patterns, materials, and styles.

However, you ought not to worry too much, as long as you start off with a clear mind, so that you could move along in a constituted manner. Once you decide on an overall style, start choosing furniture by focusing on each individual sector, and not the hotel as a whole. For example, the right question to ask is what piece would fit for the lobby or the dining area, instead of what chairs are needed for the entire hotel. In conjunction with that, have in mind the target customers in that hotel. If you expect customers who will be with young ones, then you better think of including furniture that is suitable for the young ones.

If you are considering having a bar in the hotel, then get the most ideal pub tables, bar stools, and other bar furniture. As you have decided on the over-all style of the design, you can now look for the furniture of a particular style or upholstery. Whether is traditional or modern contemporary, whether it is fabric or leather, you have already narrowed down your ideas by following the overall design scheme. If you want to make it more interesting, you can even mix and match the styles or upholstery. A little bit of contrasting colors can bring differences too. For modern contemporary themes, do not afraid of using sharp style statement. Even for traditional designs, you can consider something unusual for accessories or minor items.

There are as many different designs available out there as you will need. For example, for bar furniture, you can choose classic oak bar stools or a modern setting of leather and stainless steel, or even the ultra contemporary acrylic bar stools, which can also be used outdoors when the occasion comes up. It might take you a little bit more time to find the right pub tables, as there are in general less design options for bar tables. You want the tables durable and sturdy, as well as good looking. There are actually a large amount of designs online nowadays, and you can find exciting collections if you spend a little time to do the homework. In fact, if you do not have the extra time or mood for resourcefulness, you can simply go with pub tables that are originally designed with their own set of chairs or bar stools.

In essence, it is not as intimidating as you might have thought to furnish a hotel, once you have a good idea of the style of the overall design and what kind of furniture you want. After that is decided, the next step is to split the hotel into smaller areas and work on the areas one by one. When it comes to actual purchase of the items, you will want to think about buying all the furniture from one store if that is possible, in order to have the best price. Do not forget to check out vendors online too, who can very often offer a better deal than brick and mortar stores, as online stores always have a lower fixed cost than brick and mortar stores. You can also consider working with wholesalers when you have large quantity orders. Take into account that you may have to wait eight to twelve weeks for some of the big orders if the manufacturer is located outside of the US.

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Modern Hotel Furniture – Form Or Function?

Posted on August 12, 2010 by admin

Putting up a hotel can be one of the most lucrative business ventures there is. But while its high profitability makes it an attractive business opportunity, the extensive work and effort, huge capital and complicated dealings and transactions you need to get through, will somehow make you think twice about establishing one.

Starting from the modern hotel furniture alone, it already entails serious planning and labor. However, if you really are convinced that a hotel business is indeed the right direction for you then the only suggestion for you is to go for it. There is nothing wrong with taking chances. After all, businesses are all about that.

To get you started with your hotel business venture, there are some things you need to consider. Aside from having to deal with the things mentioned above, another important aspect of putting up a hotel involves investment on modern hotel furniture.

While those who are unaware of its importance look at furniture simply as pieces of inanimate objects that fill up an empty hotel room. However, those who are expert in businesses know that it is more than that.

Furniture contributes to the overall physical appearance of the hotel as well as to the efficiency of the service it brings to guests. modern hotel furniture includes (but is not limited to) chairs, tables, beds, desks, lampshades, headboards, reception counter, couches, dressers, decorative ornaments and so many more.

All these have an impact on two things: ambience and functionality of the hotel. This is why the question of “which of the two aspects of form or function weighs more value?” often surfaces during furniture buying.

Disputes have long been made regarding this issue. Those who favor form argue that the physical appearance of the furniture is very important in the sense that elegance and style are definite factors that will attract and draw potential guests to your hotel’s doorstep.

On the other hand, those who believe that function is more valuable explain that even the most beautiful pieces of furniture can turn off guests when they are not satisfied with its service or efficiency.

The truth is there is no need to argue because both sides are correct. In reality, form and function works hand in hand in virtually all types of furniture. Without form, function will hardly be experienced; without function, form is futile.

This is why the best way to deal with this concern is to strive for a perfect balance between the two values. In your quest to find the perfect furniture for your hotel, it is imperative that you always try to achieve both form and function.

For example, when buying a bed for the hotel’s bedroom, you have to make sure that it is both aesthetically pleasing as well as comfortable to use. Its colors and design should please the guest’s eyes and should contribute to the soothing ambience of the room while its cushion and pillows should provide utmost rest and relaxation.

If either one of these two is missing, skip the bed and go on to the next one until you find the bed with the combination of both form and function. This is the trick to finding the right kind of furniture that will serve the guests most efficiently.

Same is true for tables, chairs, and couches that will be placed in the hotel lobby or reception area. These pieces of furniture even if they have the most stylish and most elegant appearance, if they are uncomfortable to use, no guest would like to use them.

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Characteristics of High Quality Hotel Furniture

Posted on August 4, 2010 by admin

If you are trying to make a very expensive statement with your hotel and you want the best furniture possible, you need to be able to spot high quality furniture and distinguish it from lower quality furniture pieces. I have created sort of a checklist or high point of ideas to look out for when you are shopping for your hotel furniture to ensure that your vendor is not substituting lower or medium quality hotel furniture and trying to pass it off as the top of the line.

When examining the hotel furniture samples, the first place we look are the joints and how they are connected. High quality furniture is built to last and eventually your property should be able to resell it to other properties or definitely on the secondary market. The best type of construction would involve doweling first then the frames being glued and screwed together. If you see mortise and tenon joints, which are the most labor intensive types of joining, that are a bit tip off to overall quality of the piece. The next best in joining is dovetails or even mitering is better than just shoving two boards together. In dressers, if we see there is floating construction where the bottom of the drawer is not tacked or glued in and it “floats” so when humidity changes, that is another sign of care of construction.

For high quality hotel furniture we like to see kiln dried woods that remove as much of the moisture as possible so later the wood will not split when humidity conditions change. We also like to see some of the more expensive woods like cherry, maple or oak on the outside with visible grain. The pieces will look like the wood on the outside was specially selected just for that item rather than just a random grain pattern. We also like to see if all of the grain matches around the entire piece that is visible.

Some of the more vague measures for the hotel furniture are the overall feel. If I put a television on top of the dresser or piece there should be no shifting or creaking. The drawers should glide in and out easily and there should not be any gaps between drawers if they are not part of the design. If there are doors, they should close smoothly and be perfectly aligned. The drawer pulls and knobs should be the best quality possible. A final test is if you look at the back, is it completely finished and even though the wood on the back should be of lower quality, did they take the time to finish the item properly instead of just stapling the back on.

You should know and feel quality when you see it in great hotel furniture. Please feel free to use my guide as a starter for additional research on your part.

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Choosing Traditional Hotel Furniture

Posted on July 28, 2010 by admin

It doesn’t matter what your choice is beyond that. Whether it’s a comfortable home away from home ambiance or a completely larger than life, out of the ordinary look, you can play around with hotel furniture to better accentuate that feeling.

You can choose from an extensive variety of traditional or modern chairs, table tops and bases, booths, pub tables, podium, cabinets, service islands, lounge and stacking chairs, and all-weather patio furniture in a variety of colors and materials.

You can also rope in exclusive interior designers specializing in hotel furniture to create some custom outdoor and indoor furniture that would complement the hotel’s décor, clientele and location. However, keep in mind to furnish the hotel in sync with the distinctive layout and function of each room that is being furnished.

I strongly believe that interior designers of this generation must think outside of the box while designing. There is no need or reason for hoteliers to fit ready-made pieces of furniture made offshore. They can just as well get it freshly made to cater to their requirements or function, price, and fit.
You can also combine excellent craftsmanship, the innate beauty of wood, and the technology of a hard coat finish to create the best hotel furniture for your hotel.

One valuable suggestion is that you can combine veneers and hardwoods in your hotel furniture in order to give your hotel the look and ambiance you are aiming for. The tables can be built and finished to bring out the character and natural beauty of every single piece of wood. Each of these characteristic give every table its own unique and individual charm.

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The Best Options When Choosing Hotel Furniture

Posted on July 23, 2010 by admin

When you are to look for the right hotel furniture you may want to consider a lot of things before spending your money on it. There are so many styles and designs to choose from, if you opt to gain access to elegant, simple or modern furniture, you can definitely find the right kind that will best for your hotel needs.

If you are new to this, you may find it a bit challenging at first when it comes to deciding which furniture is best for either your hotel rooms or lobby. There are few things that you have to prepare first before purchasing. First, you should be able to get an accurate number of the furniture that you will be needing. Let us say you will be acquiring the standard furniture needed for hotel rooms such as bed sets, TV cabinets, dressers, guest chairs and tables. It is important that you know how many furniture sets you need for every type of room.

The next thing to consider is the type of furniture that you will be purchasing. More often hotels have different types of rooms for accommodation. For every type of room, you will probably have to choose the appropriate type of furniture. Some wholesale suppliers would be able to provide you options for every type of hotel room like for instance hotel furniture for standard, deluxe, or executive rooms. From here you will now have an idea of what type to look for.

Then, you will have to choose for the right supplier that is capable of providing you not only high quality furniture, but also be able to offer a reasonable price. Since you will be needing furniture sets here and not individual replacements for your furniture, it is recommended that you look for online wholesale furniture suppliers, because they are capable of delivering furniture in bulk through flight service and may even provide you a lower cost.

Try doing some research online for the possible options you have when purchasing furniture in bulk. Through research you will be able to come across reputable online furniture shops that will be able to assist you find the right hotel furniture you need. You will just have to keep in mind that when you purchase furniture it should be worth the value of money that you will be spending.

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Purchasing Hotel Furniture

Posted on July 22, 2010 by admin

Owners or interior designers may need to shop around for hotel furniture for a lobby or hotel rooms. Shopping for these furnishings can be an easy task if the consumer knows what suppliers to contact about the project. There are many hotel furniture suppliers in business today and hotel owners can find a great bargain by buying their furniture wholesale with one of the suppliers. While a great bargain on hotels furnishings can be tempting for a designer or hotel owner, he or she should first make sure the design of the furniture is satisfactory enough to be present in the hotel for years to come. Creating a timeless look in the lobby and in guests’ rooms is important for the hotel owner. If he or she is able to buy hotel furnishings that are trendy, progressive and will be considered classic for many years, he or she will not need to invest in more hotel lobby furniture or hotel room furniture again for quite some time.

When looking into hotel furnishing suppliers, it is important for a hotel owner to know the return and replacement policy for the furniture. It is possible for hotel room furniture to get damaged when moving it into the rooms. After wear and tear, some of the furnishings may also need to be replaced. If a hotel owner has plenty of storage space, he or she may want to consider buying extra pieces of furniture to store in case the hotel lobby furniture or hotel room furniture gets damaged and needs to be thrown out. If the owner does not have the room or the capital to initially buy extra pieces of furniture, he or she may need to ask the hotel furniture suppliers how long they will be manufacturing these particular pieces of furniture and how hard it would be to get replacement pieces in the years to come.

Simple, basic and classic pieces that are used as hotel room furniture are more likely easier to replace if needed with the same or similar styles of furnishings. More complicated and intricate pieces can not only cost more money to begin with but can be hard to replace with similar pieces that will match a complete set of furniture. Hotel furniture that is used in the lobby or rooms is important to make guests feel comfortable and to portray the atmosphere of the hotel.

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Plaza Furniture Show set for Aug. 1-5

Posted on July 21, 2010 by admin

LAS VEGAS — The Plaza Furniture Show, sponsored by CM Expositions in the downtown Plaza Hotel here, is set to take place once again during the Las Vegas Market.

Exhibitors will display product in the 30,000-square-foot Plaza Furniture Showroom, located on the third floor convention area of the hotel.

The show will run Sunday through Thursday, Aug. 1-5. Hours will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, said Chris Meecha, an organizer of the event.

New exhibitors to the show include Amelia Home by Coe, Elliott Bay and Monsoon Pacific.

Returning exhibitors include: Bella Esprit by U.S. Tamex, Cambridge of California, Furniture Factory, Katelyn Trace, Masterguard, Oceans Distributing, Robert Michael and USA Premium Leather.

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Dining Tables for Small Spaces

Posted on July 19, 2010 by admin

The first thing to do before bringing a new furniture item to the house is measuring the available space. Planning can be done properly if correct measurements regarding dining tables for small spaces are available. The most important thing to consider after getting all the measurement is to reserve at least 2-2½ feet space between walls of the room and table edges. A round-shaped table may not be always useful for small spaces. In the rooms which are narrow and have an awkward length, a bench-like dining table would be suitable. The information provided below would be useful in the selection of dining room furniture for small spaces.

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Welcome to Discount Furniture Warehouse

Posted on July 15, 2010 by admin

Thank you for visiting the Discount Furniture Warehouse and Metropolitan Design online furniture stores. We carry high-end furniture products at some of the best bargains and lowest prices that you will find at a furniture store, online or offline. Please browse our collection of fine bedroom furniture sets and individual bedroom pieces; dining room furniture, tables, dinettes, seating and kitchen furniture; living room sofas, chairs, love seats, sectionals, leather seating and occasional tables; bar furniture, bars, bar stools; accent pieces, accessories, rugs, lamps mirrors, and more. We carry some of the most sought after furniture manufacturers in the industry.

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