Running A Hotel? When Was The Last Time You Checked Your Contract Beds?

If you run a hotel, you’ll know that comfortable beds for your guests are extremely important.  Even if you offer the most up market experience to guests, rest assured if they don’t get a good night’s sleep they will complain very quickly.

So what is the best way to ensure that you’re offering quality on all counts?

If you’ve not yet done it, then it’s important to run regular checks of the beds you provide for your guests.  Whether that’s a Kings Size of luxury or a moderate double, there’s no excuse for allowing your beds to become overly worn and old. Bed maintenance is not just about the bed itself, it includes all related additions from bedding to pillows to headboards.

There are many things to look for as well that you should consider implementing as a plan for on-going maintenance and quality control.

1. Always check your feedback.  If you’re continually getting guests who aren’t happy after sleeping in a particular room, it’s definitely time to evaluate things.
2. Are the bed frames or mattresses looking worn?
3. Do you have fraying on the edges of the mattress?
4. Do you have any dips or lumps in the mattress?
5. Are the headboards getting worn or dirty?

If you can’t say for certain a big fat NO then it’s definitely time to check your bedrooms and contract beds!

In summer you could be forgiven for thinking you’ll just leave it until the end of the busy season – but this will end up being a false economy if you do nothing now.

Far better to make amendments while you can and then benefit from repeat business through recommendations in the future then suffer the consequences of bad feedback (think Trip Advisor) and risk losing trade.

Contract beds are surprisingly good value if you know where to buy them and needn’t eat in to your budget too much. Some bed suppliers will include additional items like headboards as part of a deal.

After all, if you buy now, you’re making an investment – with the average contract bed lasting seven to ten years, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

So, if you’re struggling with what to do next, follow our simple plan below and you will find that integrating a good maintenance plan at your hotel to include the beds will make life a while lot easier!

1. Do you have a general maintenance check list?  If you don’t then perhaps you work on a reactionary basis. As we all know, prevention is much better than cure.  Therefore, put a list together of the things in the guest rooms that you feel should be checked regularly.  This can include electrical settings, TVs and bulbs etc but it can also include the bed frame, headboards, divan base and so on.  If you discover a loose screw somewhere, simply replace it immediately and you will never have a guest complaining about it! So, again, prevention is far better than cure!
2. Get housekeeping to add checking of the mattress to their lists too!  Instead of simply replacing sheets, they could easily check that the mattress looks and feels fine.  Get them to turn each mattress every single month, once a month in all the rooms.  That way you’re getting even wear and guaranteeing the best night’s sleep for guests.
3. Consider creating a feedback form for guests.  It can be very simple and may ask a few basic questions, but always remember to ask them how they slept!  You can even ask them specifics about the quality of the bedding and the positioning of the headboards. If you get an early indication of anything amiss, then this is a great way to nip it in the bud!

We know that keeping everyone happy all of the time is actually not the easiest thing to do in the world and sometimes no matter what you do you’ll find that someone doesn’t like it.  However, if you just follow some very simple rules and check lists you will find that at least for the majority, happiness when they stay will be a breeze and you’ll feel better that you offer such a great service!