According to hospitality authority, Conde Nast Traveller, a tourist’s quality of sleep is significantly influenced by their hotel’s mattress. In a recent article about why people struggle to fall asleep in hotel beds, the international travel brand points out that medium-firm or firm mattresses statistically provide the best balance of comfort and support for different sizes and shapes of guests.
Hoteliers have long since asked the question about whether to use plush or firm beds, latex, pocket coil, memory foam, or heavy duty mattresses for guesthouses or hotels… We’ve gathered some insights on how to choose a bed for your hospitality brand, and why heavy duty mattresses work so well for travellers.
Five mistakes hotels make when buying beds
From swanky city hotels to luxurious safari lodges and sublime ocean-front guesthouses, the South African hospitality industry plays a vital role in offering a world-class experience to both local and international travellers. For accommodation providers, offering superior comfort is non-negotiable. One key element of ensuring guest satisfaction is the quality of the furniture, personal comforts, and décor and lighting – but nothing is quite as important as the bed.
Lodges and resorts need beds that are both extraordinarily comfortable and tough as nails, which means finding a mattress of perfect softness or firmness, and heavy-duty durability for guesthouses and hotels, specifically.
You’ll want to avoid these common pitfalls when you’re shopping for your hospitality beds…
- Prioritising cost over quality: Choosing cheaper beds and mattresses to cut costs can lead to problems for hotels, as lower-quality options tend to wear out quickly. In the long run, frequent mattress replacements end up costing even more.
- Disregarding durability demands: Standard domestic-grade mattresses are often not durable enough to withstand the heavier use typical in travel destinations. These are prone to collapse sooner than a heavy-duty mattress for guesthouses and hotels would.
- Overlooking guest comfort and diversity: It’s impossible for hotels to guess what size, weight, and body type their guests will be. This makes it challenging to select a mattress that will provide rest to the majority of travellers with both firm support for heavier set people, and plush comfort for those who are lightweight.
- Not considering long-term maintenance: Because mattress maintenance is one of the most overlooked practices in hospitality, we believe that hotels and guesthouses benefit most from mattresses that don’t require regular flipping over.
- Ignoring noise and stability concerns: Let’s face it… there are few things as annoying as a flimsy mattress that “squeaks” and “pops” with every move. Hotel mattresses are subjected to heavier use, and cheaper mattresses tend to develop these noises, resulting in long nights of disrupted sleep for guests.
The answer: Heavy-duty beds for guesthouses and hotels
Technically, it may not be possible to find a one-size-fits-all mattress for hospitality purposes. However, some of South Africa’s leading hotel partners have tried and tested heavy-duty mattresses for guesthouses and hotels, and the general consensus is that these are one of the most suitable options.
As rugged as a rhinoceros
South Africa’s competitive hospitality industry calls on accommodation providers to invest in durable furniture that can withstand heavy usage. Heavy-duty beds are specifically built to last, thanks to their sturdy frames, high-quality materials, and robust consistency. Unlike standard beds, which may require frequent replacements or repairs, heavy-duty beds offer long-term durability, making them ideal for hotels and guesthouses with a high turnover of guests.
For safari lodges, where rugged elegance is often the aesthetic, heavy-duty beds are practical, helping to meet the need for both comfort and reliability in often remote settings.
Editorial credit: Gunter Nuyts / Shutterstock.com
Supporting a wider variety of weight capacity
Heavy-duty beds are designed to accommodate a broader range of body types, ensuring comfort for as many guests as possible, regardless of their size.
The reinforced structure and superior build quality of these beds allow for a greater weight capacity than standard options, reducing the risk of damage and ensuring long-term use without sagging or weakening.
Firm comfort with a soft touch
Comfort is critical in the hospitality industry, from creating the perfect ambience and setting the right temperature to choosing furnishings and mattresses that promote complete relaxation and indulgence.
That’s why heavy-duty beds make so much sense for guesthouses and hotels – robust nested pocket spring or durable re-inforced Maxi-B spring systems with reinforced edges prevent sagging and provide firm support for heavier set sleepers. But are innersprung and pocket coil mattresses good for back support? Mattresses comprising different spring systems come in a few variations, with coils carefully arranged to offer:
- Different types of support firmness
- Zones of comfort to cater for the body’s natural curve
- Ergonomic support for your spine
Meanwhile, carefully selected top layers of the mattresses allow for some plush comfort for those who prefer a gentler bed.
A smart investment saves costs in the long run
Heavy-duty beds are typically not the cheapest option for guesthouses and hotels, but long-term savings are significant. Having to replace cheaper beds more frequently – due to faster wear and tear – stacks up costs far quicker than investing in a robust, hardwearing heavy-duty mattress right up front.
Heavy-duty mattresses really are built to last and are particularly well suited to safari and country lodges, which face the additional logistical challenges and costs associated with remote locations. Investing in durable furniture that lasts longer not only cuts down on these costs but also minimises disruption to business operations.
Sustainability – one of hospitality’s latest buzzwords
The hospitality industry is under increasing pressure to embrace as many sustainable practices as possible. A single mattress reportedly takes up to 120 years to decompose, releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it breaks down.
For hotels and guesthouses, heavy-duty beds offer an eco-friendly alternative to frequent mattress replacements, helping hospitality establishments minimise their impact on local landfills, the environment, and the climate at large.
The Harris Hotel Heavy Duty for Guesthouses and Hotels
The Harris Hotel Heavy Duty was designed to cater to heavier set people who struggle to get comfortable on regular beds. What we discovered is that the Harris Hotel Heavy Duty is an excellent mattress for hospitality establishments, thanks to its durability and quality of comfort offering.
- The Harris Hotel Heavy Duty can accommodate people with a body weight of 150+kg, giving B&B and guesthouse owners the confidence to welcome heavier guests.
- It has a high coil count double tempered innerspring system, using tough 2,34mm spring wire and a 4.8mm border frame clipped to the coils. This bed is robust!
- The Harris Hotel’s spring system is topped with a 40mm layer of 45-density latex, which provides fantastic support and has natural anti-bacterial and mite-repellent properties.
- Although the Heavy Duty is a non-flippable mattress (much to every hotelier’s delight), the underside of the mattress is given extra support by a 30mm 55-density rebonded foam.
- To help ensure every guest’s wellbeing, the Heavy Duty is treated with Aloe Vera, to prevent dust mites and fungus mould. This reduces the likelihood of allergic and asthmatic reactions.
- Fit for Bed’s Harris Hotel range is proudly endorsed by the National Accommodation Association and the Kwazulu-Natal Bed & Breakfast Association. You’ll find Harris Hotel beds in selected Protea Hotels, Tsogo Sun Hotels, Hilton Hotels, and others.
If you’re considering the Harris Hotel Heavy Duty for your guesthouse, B&B, or hotel, you’ll enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that your beds are covered by a 2-year guarantee and a 13-year warranty. We understand that providing your guests with a heavenly night of sleep is pivotal to your business, and we’re excited to help you find the mattress to do just that.
Keen to find out more? You’re most welcome to visit any of our stores to sample a Heavy Duty for yourself, reach out to us via our fast and friendly website chat (no bots here!), or call us directly.
