When it comes to hotel bedding, there is often an emphasis on mattress comfort for getting a good night’s sleep, but what about mattress protection?
Central to creating an in-room oasis that elevates a hotel’s reputation and profitability is effectively safeguarding mattresses. Where guests relax at night must be clean in addition to cozy. The struggle is real…concerns about contaminants can turn guests into anxious, nervous hotel dwellers where they think every itch is a bed bug, ultimately preventing good sleep. This can snowball into a tarnished property image and decreased bookings.
Savvy hoteliers recognize the importance of making mattress protection a priority, and that not all bedding protection is created equal. Here are three key benefits of safeguarding hotel mattresses for the long-term.
Protect Your Assets
Bed bugs or other pest infestation, allergens (like skin cells and dust mites), mold, bacteria and fungus are genuine concerns to guests, whether they are staying in an economy-priced hotel or luxury property. The increase in pet-friendly hotels and inevitable human error (such as accidents, incontinence and spills) are other factors also impacting bed cleanliness that can weigh on guests’ minds.
Hoteliers looking to significantly diminish these worries while giving guests comfort and cleanliness are utilizing long-lasting waterproof encasements that envelope the mattress and box spring. For example, Protect A Bed’s AllerZip Smooth Mattress Encasement is a flexible, six-sided, waterproof, quiet and chemical-free product that guards against bed bugs, common allergens, pet dander and liquid damage.
Mattresses represent a substantial monetary investment, so ensuring their long life with the best protection in the marketplace (and avoiding premature mattress replacement) is crucial. Encasements last much longer than other solutions – approximately a decade before replacement needs to be considered – making them a cost-effective way to safeguard bedding assets. Selecting the right products does more than extend the life of the mattress. It minimizes housekeeping labor (the time spent sanitizing mattresses), reduces the costs of water and cleaning supplies, and decreases lost room revenue due to the down-time when mattresses are cleaned.
Prevent Negative Reviews
Social media’s ability to impact reputation and financial prosperity is unquestionable. The numbers speak volumes about the influence of negative reviews when it comes to bed bugs – a University of Kentucky survey of nearly 2,100 travelers in the United States found that a single recent review that mentions bed bugs lowers hotel room values by $38 for business travelers and $23 for leisure travelers.
Since customers spend nearly 40% of their stay in bed – and possibly more time online – mattress care is critical. Give guests something positive to talk about – protecting mattresses with the right kind of encasements can elevate positive interaction on social media and verbal praise among friends and family. Social media shapes travelers’ decision-making, and negative reviews, whether accurate or not, Protectioncirculate throughout social platforms and news outlets for years long after a bed bug report. And, the effect can touch a single-named hotel or, by association, a portfolio of properties. Undeniably, bed hygiene is serious business for a hotel because it can make or break a property’s reputation and power profitability.
Promote Functional Wellness
Focusing on how to improve the mind, body and soul is becoming increasingly important in our tech-heavy society where being “wired and tired” is a real issue, even on vacation.
According to noted sleep psychologist and Samina Founder Dr. Med. (h.c.) Gunther W. Amann-Jennson, “Guests spend about one-third of their vacation sleeping. Good sleep on a good hotel bed is one of the principle reasons for making a booking in the hotel business.” As a result, quality sleep has emerged as the cornerstone of functional wellness because it reinvigorates guests, ultimately driving higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Lulling guests into quality sleep is about more than a great mattress, high-thread-count sheets and luxuriating pillows. Encasements that protect mattresses against bed bugs, allergens and liquid damage give hotel guests peace-of-mind so they can rest easily, which cultivates a deeper loyalty to stay at that same property in the future. Protect A Bed’s encasements feature breathable fabrics that let air penetrate but keep contaminants out – and this encourages guests to unwind and sleep well after a busy day of work or play.
A smart strategy for mattress protection begins with making it a priority and ends with the right products. Chemical-free, waterproof encasements are a proven invaluable solution that saves hoteliers money, raises guest satisfaction levels, and safeguards a property’s reputation – all while making guest slumber safe and satisfying.