November 2019 – Decor UK

Winter is most definitely on its way, but if you are a hotelier the show must go on. So how can you prepare your hotel for winter?

According to Eurostat: Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy and Austria were the most popular EU destinations for EU tourists travelling outside their own country in the 2018-2019 winter season.

So if you haven’t already, it’s time to prepare your hotel for the winter months to ensure your business is running smoothly during this season.

Extra Exterior/ Interior Effort

Cold weather generally keeps travellers indoors for longer periods of the time, so make sure your business is a visual delight for the festive season. Play around with wreaths, dry scented fruit and even pine cones. You can even explore outside of seasonal foliage on hand by garnishing your rooms with artificial plants.

No watering …no problem!

Yes, it may be cold, but there are plenty of ways to bring the cosy to your outdoor space. Consider adding external heating, you can even explore a cosy fire pit. Couple this with super warm blankets, ambient lighting and voile! A perfect space to drink your mulled wine underneath the stars.

Stockpile

Bad weather can ultimately lead to issues on the road. And that can lead to delayed or cancelled deliveries to your hotel. You don’t want to be caught out, so it’s time to put your forward-thinking, preparational hat on.

Over the weeks start to stockpile:

Toiletries
Linens
Stationary
Food
Shovels
Rock salt

And in case of a power outage:

Torches
Batteries

Keeping a stash of inexpensive umbrellas for the guests can also be a nice touch.

Safety First

Flooring should be one of your top considerations for many reasons. The carpeting inside public spaces are a heavy expense and need to be maintained as customers trudge snow and mud inside and out. A non-carpeted or tiled floor can be a slippering accident waiting to happen. Lay down heavy-duty rubber mats with large grooves in them at the entrance to catch the moisture and salt before it’s brought into the hotel. In addition, place longer walk-off mats at some of the entrances to ensure guests can wipe off slush, snow and salt.

Utility Check

If your utility providers have not contacted you to carry out their checks – then it’s time to contact them. Especially in terms of heating facilities like boilers and thermostats. It’s especially great to take advantage of these visits if your utility contract includes a free maintenance check and if it doesn’t, it may be time to revisit your utility contract.

On top of this, consider the preventative measures you can take to ensure guests have a delightful mid-winter stay free from disruption. For example gutter cleaning, checking for drafty windows. As the for the exterior, do your lightbulbs need replacing and it might be time for car parking and pavement repairs.

Change to the Food and Beverage Menu

It’s the moment you have all been waiting for… Your team have been busy developing an exciting menu with tastes and colours to comfort and brighten the darker days of winter. Time to release your new hearty winter menu!

Winter can be magical as long as you are prepared.

It is imperative that you are operationally running during this season as it’s a competitive market out there. So make sure you don’t lose your customers to another hotel around the corner because you weren’t prepared.

Planning now will help ensure that you and your guests experience a great cold-weather travel season without a hitch.

As we fight to improve our impact on the planet, environmental issues have never been more important. All industries are taking a long hard look at their business models and how they can make improvements in order to lessen their carbon footprint.

The building and construction industry is no exception.

What is a Sustainable Building?

By its very nature, the building and construction industry is a big drain on natural resources.

According to The World Green Building Council, buildings and construction are responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions.

So, the aim of sustainable building is to carry out activities without depleting natural resources and reducing the industry’s impact on the environment

How Can Construction and Building be Sustainable

So what can the industry do in order to build sustainably:

Explore the refurbishment of existing buildings, reusing/recycling materials.
Carefully deconstruct green buildings once they have come to the end of their use and reuse the materials in further constructions.
Design with sustainability in mind, aiming for longterm energy efficiency and emission reduction.
Make considered choices on the construction of buildings, procuring green and responsibly-sourced materials and taking into consideration their transportation to site.
Ensure buildings are energy-efficient, using less water and creating minimal waste.

Examples of Sustainable Buildings Around the World

Sustainable does not have to be boring. In fact, this is the perfect time for innovative thinking to really come into play. Here are some examples of sustainability that will drop jaws as well as carbon emission.

Bosco Verticale (Milan, Italy)

Fighting air pollution has never looked so awe-inspiringly beautiful.

Opening 2014, the Milan’s Bosco Verticale, or “vertical forest” comprises two 27-storey residential high-rises, planted with almost 900 trees and more than 2,000 shrubs and bushes.

Equipped with solar panels and greywater recycling, this extensive greenery provides residents with shade in the summer and filtered sunlight in the winter. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, the botanical life also provides cleaner air and reduced noise pollution.

Bahrain World Trade Center (Manama, Bahrain)

This unprecedented design, featuring 42-storey wind turbines, has won several awards. Designed by the architect Atkins, it incorporates renewable energy into its large-scale building design.

Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media (Nanyang, Singapore)

Completed in July 2006 and officially opening in April 2009, the university is regarded as a sophisticated icon in design.

The spectacular sloped grass roofs of this four-storey building go beyond aesthetic. It not only doubles as a communal space but keeps the environmental temperature low, reducing heat in the day.

The building and construction industry is forever pushing innovative boundaries. Reaching for a way to reconnect with nature may inspire the industry to find a greater appreciation for the environment thus putting sustainability at the forefront of every design.

How to prepare your hotel for winter