What is the best flooring for hotel rooms?

When it comes to commercial flooring, most businesses choose easy-to-maintain options that can be kept clean with minimal effort. Retail establishments tend to favour tile, vinyl, laminate or wood, as do many restaurants or other leisure businesses; however, hotels are slightly different. Many people like to treat their hotel room as a home from home, whether they are on a short business trip or a lengthy holiday; therefore, comfort and ambiance must be considered along with the practical aspects of different types of flooring installed wihtin a hotel.

Carpet

Carpet is the traditional option for hotel rooms. Although it is less popular in other businesses and in homes these days, it is still a common sight in hotel rooms. It is warm, comfortable and comforting, and has the benefit of being great for soundproofing. Combined with suitable underlay, it can muffle a lot of the sounds of guests in other rooms, allowing everyone to get a peaceful night’s sleep. It is often considered less hygienic than other types of flooring, such as wood; however, as hotel rooms are generally vacuumed and cleaned every day, this does not really apply. A major disadvantage is that it can be tricky to remove stains from carpets and the whole carpet will usually need replacing if an area is damaged.

Wooden Flooring

Although timeless and attractive, wooden floors are not always a suitable choice for hotels. While certain underlays can muffle a lot of noise, footsteps can be very noisy on wooden floors, as can the sound of heavy or hard items being dropped. The high levels of foot traffic and suitcases being wheeled about can also cause scratching and dulling of wooden floors, meaning the level upkeep is high; however, wood is a great luxury choice.

Vinyl/laminate Flooring

A popular option in some budget hotels or hostels laminates and vinyl’s are generally affordable and hardwearing. They also have the advantage that they are available in an almost limitless range of styles and colours, meaning they can fit in with any design or look. Another major plus point is that if one area of flooring is damaged, it is often possible to simply remove the damaged tile or plank and replace it with an identical one.

Ultimately, the ideal flooring will depend on the class of hotel and the kind of travellers it caters to. While laminates and vinyl’s are great for budget hotels, they are likely to look out of place in a luxury hotel in which hardwood or plush carpet would be more in keeping.