Textile rental focus

Adding value for guests

1 February 2008



Linen quality can be an important factor in a customer's choice of hotel, reports Elizabeth Griffin


When considering the quality of a hotel or bed and breakfast stay, few factors are perhaps as important as a good night’s sleep. Consumer research shows that linen quality can be an important factor in a customer’s choice of hotel.

There is, therefore, a commercial imperative for quality provision in this area.

At London’s 205-room Hoxton Hotel, for example, classic high-quality white linen is used to great effect in rooms that also feature deep coloured furnishings, mood lighting and bright, distinctive cushions.

The subtle bedlinen is Frette Egyptian cotton from Tradelinens in the UK. The fabric was designed for the hotel, which also features duck down duvets, Hypnos mattresses and thick bath towels

“I think bedlinen is very important to all hotels throughout the sector,” says Sinclair Beecham, owner of the hotel “People sleep in it, sometimes naked, so it’s fundamental.”

Andy Jamshidzadeh, director of DG Textiles, agrees. He says: “Dealing both directly and through textile rental businesses, we are finding that establishments using top quality bedlinen in their premises are presenting a high class impression to their customers.”

Hoteliers may be tempted to diversify their linen offering, or to differentiate themselves from the competition through the use of colour, higher thread count or choices of pillow. Some hotels even offer “pillow menus” that allow the guest to choose the type that best suits them. Last year Travelodge introduced the Cuddillow – a “cuddling pillow” designed for customers who find it difficult to sleep on their own when travelling solo.

Products like the Cuddillow may catch people’s attention, but they may also carry a cost on top of that of initial purchase, or rental in terms of both laundering and replacement.

Decisions to change a linen range – whether by offering different pillow options, opting for larger sheets to fit different bed sizes or switching linen type – can have a significant knock-on effect for the laundry service provider or on premise laundry.

Machines and processes that were suitable for one type of linen may not be suitable for a different product and, in some cases, additional operator training may be required.

Many customers may also prefer the tried and tested standard offering, which although more mundane, is also more likely to make them feel at home than a designer or distinctive linen.

Classic whites, creams and subtle block colours can be very versatile, blending in with a hotel’s décor – as seen at the Hoxton Hotel – where patterned or brightly coloured linen might clash.

While plain white remains the firm industry favourite, Chris Moore, sales director at Richard Haworth says: “Some embellishment and colour are coming into the market as hotels across the country constantly strive to improve the guest offer and experience.”

Jamshidzadeh of DG Textiles says the importance of a material’s construction must be recognised.

Cotton constructions not only meet the expectations of the end user but are also easier for commercial laundries to process.

However, he does note variation in requirements within the hospitality sector.

“The bedlinen for places such as bed and breakfast establishments would be cotton linen, but not of the very top quality or so expensive. Four or five star hotels prefer 100% cotton or cotton linen – perhaps Egyptian cotton or maybe percale.”

Pointing out that most opt for white linen, Jamshidzadeh adds that: “polycotton bedlinen is not as good as 100% cotton.” There can be a static problem when polycotton is touched and the material is not very popular.

“Some might argue that polycottons lasts longer than cotton but, in my experience, nothing is better than 100% cotton bedlinen or towels as they wash nicely and can be ironed beautifully.”

The minimum lifespan of cotton, if properly treated through washing process, is about 24 months, says Jamshidzadeh, who adds: “While there are many sources and different grades of linen, the best quality has always been the Egyptian bedlinen. The majority of five-star hotels and prestige establishments would not compromise the quality of their bedlinen for the sake of cheaper prices.”

The Hoxton Hotel opted to buy rather than rent its bedlinen. Instead of using an on premise laundry, the hotel sends its linen to Royal Jersey Laundry, which Sinclair Beecham says provides a fantastic service.

The hotel, which offers its guests luxury surroundings at an affordable rate, has now been open for about 15 months.

Chris Moore at Richard Haworth, is more positive about the place of alternative fabrics in the market and has noticed a move to polyester-based products over the last year. “Cotton remains the main product in both bed and bath linen,” he says. “However, a blended polyester fabric offers benefits to launderer and hotelier alike.”

Middle of the market

Other companies are also looking for fabrics that can target the middle of the market.

Known for supplying quality terry cotton towels and bathrobes, Floringo is now offering a cost effective range of sheeting to the hotel sector. As its contract sales manager, Joe Molloy, explains. “It has been apparent for some time that there is an increasing gulf in the market between the cotton 60/60 20’s commodity rental sheet and the growing number of companies offering a premier range as an alternative.”

This premier range of percale sheeting has to date been supplied as 100% cotton, 200 thread count and, more often than not had the tag of Egyptian. Molloy says his company has spotted a middle ground that had not been filled. “In identifying this void, Floringo is offering an attractive and viable alternative – something to enable both hoteliers and launderers to tick a few boxes, if you like.

“Hotels can appreciate a noticeable superior percale product for little more than the cost of their “bread and butter” cotton sheeting. Launderers, on the other hand, can look forward to benefiting from the longer-term savings afforded by reduced processing costs associated with a physically more robust product.”

Molloy adds: “Far from re-inventing the wheel, all Floringo is doing is offering, from stock, in volume, a product widely used in the USA rental market, at a price substantially lower than one might expect. What may well develop is a more balanced approach available to launderers wishing to offer more than a top and bottom end product to the hotels.

“The quality middle alternative offered by a polycotton 180 thread count sheet teamed with a 220 thread count jacquard duvet cover has arrived in time and on budget.”

Whatever the quality and style of linen a hotel uses, launderability remains key to promoting the right image; linen must be spotlessly clean and well pressed. Factors such as ease of stain removal, linen weight and whether or not to opt for easy-change duvet covers, must all be considered.

Some companies offer technical support to guide their customers through the selection and maintenance of linen.

Linen Connect has a skilled team that has a great deal of experience in supplying a wide range of products to diverse markets and sectors, including hotels, restaurants, cruise lines and health and leisure clubs, as well as commercial laundries, healthcare and nursing homes.

The company’s core product range includes bedlinen, duvet covers, blankets, bedspreads, towels, bath mats and robes and table linen.

From his standpoint in the laundry and linen hire industry, Jamshidzadeh at DG Textiles says the past 25 years have seen steady growth in the supply of towels and bedlinen to hoteliers by textile rental companies.

Moore at Richard Haworth says: “We provide help at laundry and hotel level to ensure that all customers are getting the best from our products.”

Moore also notes significant expansion in the market: “The larger groups are continuously opening new properties to target various market segments. The independents are expanding through new build, expansion and room refurbishment.”

He adds: “The majority of the growth in room numbers is at the budget end of the market with significant competition to offer a room at low cost.”

In addition to the growth at the budget end of the market, Moore notes an expansion in the “hand picked” hotel segment.

He says: “The era of the boutique property commenced a few years ago and has seen a large number of openings across the UK and Ireland. With the redevelopment of many UK city centres, the boutique hotel has developed on the back of the large number of apartments being built and the “loft living” culture.”

Another important market niche is the destination or resort hotel. As Moore says: “With people now more inclined to take a weekend break, golf, spa and leisure hotels are more in demand.”

With so much expansion in the market, are user expectations and requirements changing? Moore says the market requirements remain the same as they always have been, “albeit they have not always been delivered!” He adds: “Hotels want great service and great product at a price.”

He notes that the demise of Brooks last year has left UK laundry capacity stretched. “Hotels have a reduced choice of operators and therefore less opportunity to obtain a bespoke, high level of service,” he adds.

The individual hotels will manage better than the groups as they will work on a local level, generally with an independent laundry. This enables them to be more precise in terms of their product requirements and enables them to work more closely with the launderer to establish and maintain quality and service, says Moore. “However, the larger groups still work hard to not only maintain but also to improve their quality.”

Moore identifies quality, service, price and innovation in terms of new product design and construction as the main requirements of rental laundry customers.

Richard Haworth supplies both the UK and Irish laundry industry and on a direct basis to hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and other hospitality operators. The company serves the market by dealing both directly with the end-user and through textile rental operations, says Moore.

“We will either supply on a direct basis those properties that operate an on premise laundry, or they will nominate our fabrics as sheeting and duvet covers and then either purchase these directly and obtain a wash contract from the laundry.

“Alternatively, the laundry will purchase the stock and offer a rental contract,” Moore adds.


Tradelinens  at Hoxton hotel Tradelinens at Hoxton hotel
Travel Lodge Cuddling Pillow Travel Lodge Cuddling Pillow
Linen Connect Linen Connect


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