Hospitality Flooring 101: Creating a Comforting Experience

The hospitality and service industry is big on branding, but now — whether dining in a restaurant or walking through the halls of a major hotel — consumers have come to expect a high level of luxury along with a certain level of safety. A critical component needed to create this safe and comfortable experience starts with installing the right type of hotel flooring.

Similar to retail environments such as supermarkets and clothing stores, the type of flooring used in hotels must strike a careful balance between style and durability — and must also adhere to brand guidelines.

However, unlike the retail world, in which the brand almost always comes first, the flooring used within the hospitality industry should be all about creating a comfortable and inviting experience — and flooring selection can have a big impact on of safety and cleanliness.

Ensuring Safety with Hotel Flooring
How to Select the Right Hotel Flooring
Benefits of Hardwood & LVT Hotel Flooring
Hotel Flooring FAQs
Parterre’s Hardwood & LVT Hotel Flooring Solutions

Ensuring Safety with Hotel Flooring

People traveling for work make up a large share of hotel occupants. Hotel occupancy rates in the United States, which stood around 65% in February 2020, dropped to a low of 22% in April and rose to around 46% at the beginning of July, according to STR, a hospitality industry market research firm.

“When asked what it would take for them to travel again, most U.S. leisure travelers want additional health and safety measures,” according to the McKinsey Consumer Leisure Travel Survey.

There’s where sanitary flooring solutions like LVT and hardwood come in. Unlike carpeting, LVT and hardwood can be cleaned quickly and efficiently multiple times a day, if necessary, without special equipment and minimal disruption to operations.

The goal in hospitality is to create a welcoming, comfortable “home away from home” experience and atmosphere for guests. LVT and wood flooring provides the right aesthetics and promotes a restful, relaxing environment.

How to Select the Right Hotel Flooring

If you want to keep the customer experience in mind while simultaneously selecting flooring that is durable and stylish, your best bet is to go with either LVT, hardwood, or a mix of both. Here are a few places where these flooring options make the most sense within the hospitality industry:

Hotels — Hotels are filled with common areas that experience heavy foot traffic, and hotel design over the years has encouraged guests to congregate in spaces that are not ideal for social distancing. Even hotel lobbies, many of which were built or remodeled to encourage mingling and community, may require a rethink. The modular characteristics of LVT make it a great choice for redefining spaces, while hardwood flooring promotes that home-like atmosphere hotels aim to achieve. Also, the durability of hardwood and LVT makes them resistant to scratches, stains, and indentations — plus they can weather repeated cleaning better than other flooring options.

Restaurants — Dining in a restaurant, whether it is a fast-food chain or a fine dining establishment, must be comfortable and hygienic. With a vast variety of design options, restaurants can employ LVT and hardwood to define and accommodate well-spaced seating arrangements.

Other businesses within the hospitality industry that would find value in with these flooring materials include spas, salons, clubhouses and bowling alleys.

Benefits of Hardwood & LVT Hotel Flooring

The following are a few of the reasons why LVT and hardwood are the best types of hotel flooring available today:

• Maintenance is minimal: Restaurants and hotels are incredibly busy places, and as such require continual care and upkeep to ensure that they remain clean and presentable. It goes without saying that patrons expect cleanliness at all points in their experience. LVT and hardwood allow for an ease of maintenance unlike any other hotel flooring available today. Resilient enough for almost any spill or mess, they are easy to clean and simple to maintain.
• Easy repair options: Flooring that experiences a high amount of foot traffic will undoubtedly sustain some wear in the form of scratches, scuffs and occasional gouges. It is just the nature of the hospitality business, and of flooring in general. This is why selecting the right type of hotel flooring is crucial. LVT is both durable and versatile, meaning it can withstand most wear issues or can be easily replaced tile-by-tile if needed. Hardwood is also naturally durable, and engineered hardwood is even stronger underfoot. This level of durability and ease in repair means establishments won’t have to close or cordon off spaces in need of upkeep.
• Versatile design options: LVT offers a wide array of bold and dependable designs, textures and colors, while hardwood comes in a number of diverse species and a variety of shades. These qualities make LVT and hardwood perfect assets for any restaurant, hotel, entertainment venue or cafeteria setting. Not only should the design and décor of hotel flooring be aesthetically pleasing, it should also coordinate well with surrounding branding efforts.
• Long-lasting comfort: In no other industry does creating a “homey” feeling make more sense than in the world of hospitality. Comfort is key, not only for customers, but also for people who work in the hospitality industry. Often times, hardwood flooring is the ideal way to achieve the look and feel of a residential atmosphere. If hardwood isn’t the right solution, LVT also comes in a number of wood-look designs that will warm up any designed space.

Hotel Flooring FAQs

Q: What are hotel floors made of?
A: Hotel floors can be made of many materials, including ceramic tile, vinyl or even concrete. What is more important, however, is the durability of the chosen hotel flooring. With the amount of heavy foot traffic it will likely experience, materials like LVT and hardwood are better suited for hotel flooring.

Q: What is best flooring for hotel rooms?
A: The best hotel flooring should be versatile, beautiful, durable, easy to maintain and easy to repair. Of all the flooring options on the market today, nothing checks all of those boxes quite like LVT or hardwood.

Q: What’s the best flooring for hotel lobbies and high-traffic areas?
A: Hotel lobbies should make a statement, both about the brand and the type of experience you provide. To illicit that warm and welcoming vibe, a hotel should select hotel flooring with warm tones and calming designs, that also will be durable and moisture resistant.

Q: Can LVT be installed on other hotel surfaces?

A: Yes! Certain LVT options are Class A fire rated and can be creatively incorporated into accent walls, bar facades and more eye-catching installations.

Parterre’s Hardwood & LVT Hotel Flooring Solutions

Parterre offers an eclectic mix of LVT and hardwood hotel flooring options. The following are some ideal flooring options for use within the hospitality industry:

• Our Vertu collection features contemporary wood looks ideal for a place that looking for a more upscale, sleek, modern appearance.
• Our Fused collection combines the look and feel of concrete, steel and glass and is an excellent choice for modern contemporary environments.
• Our InGrained collection reflects the pallet of traditional wood grains in darker hues.
• All of our three hardwood flooring collections — Wooded Habitat, Nurtured, and Deeply Rooted — feature unique cuts and rich natural tones that add vibrancy, warmth, and sophistication to any space.

Contact us for more information and to learn more about our full selection of flooring applications and styles.