Clean. Streamlined. Efficient. These are the hallmarks of pandemic-driven hotel guestroom design.
“As designers, we are being mindful of choosing items that are durable and easy to sanitize,” Lisa Rapp, hospitality principal at the Hawaiian architecture firm AHL, tells Travel Weekly. “Design is leaning toward clean lines and less clutter. Things like room service menus and brochures are being removed.”
Decluttered is one thing… but guests don’t want their rooms to be empty. Certain guestroom amenities are essential for comfort and convenience. Which ones do you need? And where should you put them?
Guestroom Must-Have: In-Room Fridge
Preferred location: Inside a cabinet
More than ever, in-room refrigerators are in high demand. One big reason: Guests are getting meals delivered to their room. Hotels have turned away from in-house room service and instead are partnering with food delivery services and local restaurants to provide meals to guests.
“Among the latest in room service alternatives is a partnership between Hyatt Place and prepackaged snack delivery service Gopuff,” Market Watch reports. Hyatt Place guests get free delivery of prepackaged snacks and (at some locations) fresh food like breakfast sandwiches, coffee drinks, and pizza.
Guests expect a fridge… but they don’t need a freezer (which, as we all know, rarely works well anyway). Enter the durable, Energy Star-rated, compact in-room refrigerators from Hamilton Beach Commercial. Two sizes, no defrosting, understated good looks.
Guestroom Must-Have: Single-Serve Coffee Makers
Preferred location: Desk or dedicated table. (not the bathroom!)
Convenience and cleanliness: That’s what hotel guests are looking for in their in-room coffee experience. Hamilton Beach Commercial offers two solutions: single-serve pod coffee makers and K-cup-compatible coffeemakers. Which is right for your property?
We’re seeing continued high demand for K-cup brewing. It makes sense, because these ultra-simple coffeemakers let guests choose their preferred brew and require minimal contact. The downside for operators: K-cups are expensive and not environmentally friendly.
The HDC311 Single-Serve Coffeemaker addresses both these problems. We call it the “A- to Z-cup coffeemaker” because it’s compatible not only with Keurig, but other makers. This means hotels can offer less expensive K-style cups or biodegradable, plastic-free brands.
An even more affordable, more sustainable option is a single-serve pod coffee maker. The HDC200B and Deluxe HDC200S series feature a reusable brew basket or a recyclable version. Not only that, but the HDC200 series is designed to maximize coffee extraction, brewing strong, flavorful coffee with significantly more dissolved solids than the competition.
Here’s one proposed guestroom layout using Hamilton Beach Commercial equipment.
Guestroom Must-Have: Bedside Clock
Preferred location: Nightstand
The humble alarm clock has become surprisingly controversial in the hospitality world. For a long time, the trend was moving toward more complex, hi-tech guestroom alarm clocks with multiple functions and USB charging ports.
But in 2021, Marriott hinted that it might be getting rid of its guestroom clocks entirely. One executive actually referred to them as “some of those things that are historic in nature.” Younger travelers might agree: Doesn’t everyone just wake up to the alarm on their phone?
Well… no. Many older guests are accustomed to using a traditional alarm clock. And people of every age can agree that it’s nice to know what time it is without having to interact with their phone.
We’re actually seeing a surge in purchases of simple, affordable hotel clock radios. The Hamilton Beach Commercial HCR330 Hospitality Clock Radio is everything guests want: easy to read, easy to use, and easy to clean. If your guests ask for a place to charge devices, the HCR410 Hospitality Clock Radio is just as intuitive but includes a USB charging port.
Guestroom Must-Have: Hair Dryer
Preferred location: Bathroom
Some hospitality experts predicted the demand for wall-mounted hair dryers would decline, but we’ve found they’re more popular than ever. Because they require no counter or storage space, they fit well with the streamlined guestroom design aesthetic. They’re theft-proof, easy to find and easy to use.
Read more: How to Buy the Best Hotel Hair Dryer for Your Property
Guestroom Must-Have: Air Purifier
Preferred location: Corner of the guestroom
In the early days of COVID-19, every hotel (and restaurant, and gym) scrambled to reassure guests by disinfecting surfaces. We now know that surface transmission isn’t the problem; air transmission is.
Portable air purifiers can improve indoor air quality by removing airborne particles. The new Clorox True HEPA Air Purifiers, made by Hamilton Beach, use 3-part filtration to effectively captures allergens, harmful particulates, bacteria and viruses from indoor air. The true HEPA filter captures 99.97% of particles .1 microns or larger and 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, while active carbon helps reduce VOCs and unpleasant odors to keep air fresh. The Whisper Quiet™ setting helps guests get a good night’s sleep.
For more good thinking in hospitality, see Hamilton Beach Commercial’s full line of products for guest rooms, extended-stay suites and breakfast bars.
