Buyers guide for guestroom toasters & kettles

By Sarah Davison,

Industry Reporter

For guests, having the amenities they need in a kitchenett e area is key to a comfortable stay.

From a hot cup of coff ee in the morning with a slice of toast, to a calming mug of chamomile tea in the evening, having a modern kett le and toaster available to guests can help elevate their experience. However, with a saturated market, it is easy to get overwhelmed when looking to upgrade your appliances. To help, AccomNews reached out to a market-leading industry supplier Weatherdon, to help put together a ‘buyers guide’ for guestroom toasters and kett les. Weatherdon Managing Director, Robert Weatherdon said that selecting appliances for a guestroom was vastly diff erent than buying for your own home, and that is oft en where buyers get stuck. “It’s important to keep in mind that a guestroom is not a home,” he said.

“When you purchase for the home, you get to know how to use the appliance, as you use it every day. In a guestroom, a guest might only stay one night so it is important the appliance is easy to use. “There’s no point if they fi nally work out how to use an appliance on the day of check-out!” It is also important that hoteliers consider the space when purchasing new appliances, Mr Weatherdon said that many guestrooms will overestimate the size required. “There is no point putt ing a four-slice toaster in a hotel guest room,” he said. “It just takes up space when it is most likely that just one person will use it. “However, larger self-catering apartments may need larger capacity items due to the number of guests. “It’s simple really, but surprising how many properties forget this when purchasing.” When considering an appliance upgrade, Mr Weatherdon advised against going with ‘trendy’ or fashionable colours or designs, and instead opt for classic tones. “It’s important for the property not to be fi xated with retail colour trends as they can change quickly,” he said. “The red kett le and toaster set that you bought today might look great, but when you try and get replacements that colour may have been discontinued. For that reason, matt e black and stainless steel are the safest options.” As guests become more environmentally conscious, ensuring that appliances are also eco-friendly is certain to impress, and helps to minimise the water bill.

Mr Weatherdon recommended opting for smaller appliances, rather than searching specifi cally for low-energy options. Again, keeping in mind that guestrooms have vastly diff erent needs than family homes. “Many guestrooms do not need a 1.7L domestic kett le as typically there are just one or two guests in a room,” he said. “A smaller kett le will easily suit their needs. People tend to fi ll the kett le, irrespective of the need. It’s just habit. The smaller kett les save power by boiling less water.” Also, essential when in the market for a new toaster or kett le, is the safety of the appliance. Mr Weatherdon said it was imperative that any appliances were certifi ed for use in Australia and met all safety requirements. To help increase safety, the latest technological advances at Weatherdon include a kett le with a ‘double wall’ to prevent accidental burns and decrease the risk of fi re. The new kett le design is cool to the touch, minimising the risk of any nasty accidents. For hoteliers who are looking for a cost-eff ective option, Weatherdon has a range of toasters in their Nero range that cater for all accommodation star ratings. The more cost-eff ective kett les tend to be plastic and with fewer features but are still perfect for guest needs.

As a fi nal word of warning for those in the market for a new kett le or toaster (or two), Mr Weatherdon said that it was essential that hoteliers thoroughly test out any appliances with the guest in mind.

“Some items might look good but are totally unsuitable for the needs of the particular property,” he said.

“It is imperative that a hotel trials a product like a guest would do, and you would be amazed how many don’t do this. We get examples where the kett le or toaster can’t even reach the power point.”

“Many hotels hide the kett le or toaster in a cupboard as they feel it looks nicer that way. However, for the guest, it can be a frustrating experience trying to locate the appliance and then fi nd where to position it near a power point.

“And then they try and fi ll it up and the kett le won’t fi t under the faucet! This is where smaller kett les really come into their own.”