When it comes to making your customers feel appreciated and valued, nothing says it more than a beautifully decorated hotel. If you are new to the business or have been welcoming guests to your establishments for many years, you will love the following ideas for redecorating on a budget. Rejuvenating a bedroom, reception space, or bar area needn’t mean excessive expense, and our ideas could be just the nudge you need to revitalize your lagging hotel.
Assess what you’ve got
Before you begin a massive refurbishment project, take a good look at what your hotel looks like right now. Certain areas may only need a simple touch-up, while others may require a complete overhaul. Go through each room meticulously and note any damages, peeling wallpaper, worn carpets and lack of amenities. Once you have it all written down in black and white, you can begin to plan where you need to make changes, and what areas are perfectly satisfactory and can, therefore, remain the same. Taking the time to do this will save you money in the long term. Assessing what you have got also applies to the state of your finances as you don’t want to spend beyond your means. If your credit is bad and your establishment desperately needs refurbishing, you may want to consider researching how to get a credit card with bad credit. Ensure you always keep on top of payments, however, so you don’t accrue any more debt and can work on building your credit.
Be clever with design
You may not be aware that most hotels use a little trickery to make guests comfortable and to ensure they remain in some areas of the hotel longer than others. The reception area should be welcoming, but also needs to be functional and not a place that staying guests will want to linger. After all, you don’t want to cause a long queue! Making sure the bar area is visible from reception is one way to get guests to move along after check-in, or after they have enquired about something. A designated waiting area is perfect for when guests are leaving and are waiting for transport to the airport or homes. Keep these waiting areas close enough to reception to be easily accessible, but far enough away so that guests that are checking-in can stand at reception comfortably. As the waiting area is not a place you want guests to stay for long periods, don’t feel the need to invest in super-comfortable chairs.
Lighting
This is an important element in hotel design and is an essential part of your budget. However, lighting can be a cheaper way to differentiate between a relaxation area such as the bar or lounge, and an efficient area, such as reception. A brightly lit reception area shows that this space is where guests can access information and check-in. When guests see the more subdued lighting of the bar area, they will be more likely to move along quickly to this area. Lighting is also important in hotel rooms, as, if a room is too dark, it can irritate guests and on the opposite end of the spectrum, bright lighting makes a room less comforting. The solution is to provide a main light and several lamps so that guests can adjust the lighting to their liking.
Mirrors
If you have small guest rooms at your establishment, there isn’t much you can do beyond embarking on an expensive renovation project. However, something as simple as adding mirrors to the space can make the room appear much larger. If your hotel is quirky, why not pick up some old mirrors from thrift shops in all different styles? If yours is a much more uniform establishment, choose frameless mirrors that can be bought in bulk to save money.
Colors
One of the most important aspects of a hotel for most guests is cleanliness. Neutral, bright colors on walls and fabrics serve to highlight the cleanliness of the room and also tend to cost less than other colors. If you are keen to make your rooms appear more luxurious, use splashes of textures and colors to do this. Purple is a popular color as it has connotations of luxury and is also said to have calming properties. An ornately patterned throw on an otherwise plain bed can add luxury, as can intricately painted backdrop behind the bed. Investing in a headboard could be a cost-effective idea in the long term as this will be the focal point of the room and can distract guests from noticing the lack of furnishings in a room.
Thread-count
A high thread-count is often perceived as an expensive option, but it isn’t actually that expensive to give your customers a luxurious night sleep. A simple change from a 200 thread-count up to a 300 or 400 thread-count can truly make all the difference with guests enjoying a softer experience. It is only when you start moving up to a 600 thread-count that you will incur the obvious expense, and this will only be expected in the most luxurious of establishments.
First impressions
The very first thing guests will notice about your hotel is its exterior. This is why it is perhaps surprising that many hotel owners neglect the outside of their establishment as they are too busy worrying themselves with the interior. A quick lick of paint could be all that is needed to freshen up the appearance of your hotel walls and is a very cheap method of revitalizing your hotel. Assess the appearance of your hotel exterior regularly and make sure that any damaged signs are taken care of, and that all outdoor lights are in working order. Outdoor lights below plants and above signs give an air of luxury and are not that expensive to purchase. Something that costs nothing at all is ensuring your hotel is clear of litter both inside and out, so be sure to instruct staff to keep the hotel rubbish-free with regular inspections of the property. If you are a hands-on hotel owner, make it your job to do it yourself!