Choosing Seating for Hotel Operations

Chairs are a critical aspect of hotel marketing, patron retention and staff operations.

It goes without saying that you select chairs for their cosmetic look but woe betide the publican that neglects comfort.

Hotel SA spoke to one hotel owner who said “the biggest mistake you can make is letting an 18-year-old decide because sometimes older patrons have more challenging body shapes and more aches and pains.

“I always avoid having young staff selecting chairs for comfort. They need to fit every demographic.”

There are many others factors to consider when choosing chairs for your hospitality venue.

These include:

DURABILITY

• A critically important factor. We’ve all seen hotel chairs that look great on opening night but start breaking within weeks as they are handled roughly by patrons and staff alike.

CLEANING

• Choose chairs that are easy to clean – and fast to clean so you can turn around a room asap.

STACKABILITY

• “The mistake so many interior designers make is not thinking like the publican thinks. Chairs have to be easily stacked and stored.

• “Some of the prettier looking chairs are impractical when it comes to moving them for an event or a function.”

GAMING STOOLS

• “Gaming customers are different to food and beverage customers. Stools that the gaming customer feels comfortable in and that the older demographic can easily move.

• “Sometimes you have gaming stools that are really cumbersome for young staff to move and to clean, let alone a gaming customer to move.

• “Arm rest can be terrific but if you are a larger person, they can be quite threatening because they can’t get the chair to feel right.”

COLOUR SELECTION

• Hotels are a semi-industrial situation so the perfect piece of furniture for the front room at home won’t replicate in a pub.

• High end foyer chairs at a five-star hotel will be very different to the chairs chosen for a front bar of a pub.

• The last thing you want to be doing in 18 months’ time is realise your fancy chairs were a fad and will soon need to be replaced.

AESTHETICS

• Chairs are high on the agenda when it comes to a hotel refresh. Everything has to flow together.

• You probably want the furniture to be timeless, unless you are decking out a theme pub.

There is a good selection of AHA|SA sponsors who specialise in hospitality and have considerable experience to assist you in your decision-making process.