13 March 2017
 Categories: , Blog

If you're remodeling and renovating hotel rooms at your property, it's time to look at the little things that could make your guests happier and safer. Hotels already offer nice touches like cute soaps or extra portable amenities like hair dryers, but a few permanent additions can be just as welcome. These may seem small, but they are sure to positively impact how your guests see your hotel.

Handheld Showerheads

Give guests the literal flexibility to move the showerhead around by installing handheld showerheads, especially those that have pause buttons. Your facility can save water if guests are able to move the showerhead where they need it, rather than constantly contorting themselves to rinse themselves off; it's just faster that way, so they'll need the shower on for a shorter time. Plus, if the showerhead has a pause button, the guests can turn the water off for a short time without making the temperature change because they won't have to mess with the main knobs or levers.

Grab Bars

Keep your guests safe in the shower or bath by installing grab bars if you don't already have them. Place the bars vertically and horizontally, but not diagonally, as that's a slip risk -- if someone grabs the bar with a wet hand, he or she could find the hand sliding down and pulling them off balance. Grab bars are available in some nice colors if you want to coordinate with other bathroom decor.

A Minibar Warning Sign

This is no joke; you would do well to have a warning sign above the minibar if the bar has sensor pads. Many hotels now have special pads placed under each item in the bar (or minifridge, if it's easier for you to think of it that way) that note when the item has been removed. When the item is gone, the pads send information to the hotel's billing system, and the guest is charged for the item. However, the problem with that is that many items end up being charged simply because someone picked up the item to look at it or read the label. While there are systems that don't charge unless the item has been off the pad for a certain amount of time, many charge immediately and don't give refunds.

While a guest can go to the front desk and dispute the charges, it's a lot easier if you do two things. One is to have a staff member check the bar after the guest leaves, and the other is to place a warning sign by the bar, letting the guest know that there is a sensor pad that will charge the guest's card for any items removed, even if they aren't eaten or drunk. You should still be prepared for the occasional dispute (because the guest had kids who were playing around, or the guest didn't understand any of the languages on the sign, etc.), but a warning sign would go a long way toward reducing the times you have to adjust a guest's bill.

You'll find that adding all of these will make operations go more smoothly. Check with a hotel equipment and supply company to see what's on offer.