A problem many hotel owners have with furniture and upholstery is maintenance. From a simple spill to soiling, there are many things that can ruin your great furniture in an instant or over time. Luckily, there are many simple techniques you are able to apply to your upholstery or furniture that will keep it looking fresh and new for a long time.

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This is very important for hotel owners to remember, because no guest likes being in a room that appears clearly used. Everyone knows it has been used before, but in that business, appearance plays a huge role.

One method is controlling the amount of soil that the upholstery brings. This can come from the arm and head part of the cushion, as well as the back and bottom of piece of furniture. This can be prolonged and avoided by constantly flipping the cushions around, much like rotating tires on a car. It reduces the amount of wear on one side, as well as evening out the cushions overall wear and tear. This can best be avoided by placing covers on these areas. This will greatly prolong the life of your furniture.

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It is also recommended that you vacuum your upholstered items. This may lift much of the dirt that is extremely difficult to remove with just spotting or blotching. However, spotting and blotching are both very good techniques, especially if it the dirt or spot is immediately taken care of. Most spills of this nature can be easily removed if taken quick action upon, even with just water or any neutralizing spotters.

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Every year or two, there should also be a scheduled time to get your upholstery professionally cleaned. This can give you a longer life span on your investment and have a great effect on your furniture.

Interior Design Trends of 2010

The interior design world is a very fast paced environment for most people in the industry. Keeping up with the latest trends are usually imperative to staying successful in the interior design world. Many people say that the year 2010 will encompass many colors that involve a connection with earthly, organic tones. They say that the inspiration from the fashion world usually flows into interior design around a year after they come out. In 2009, "going green" burst into the fashion scene and thus, bringing earthly tones to the interior design world in 2010.


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Some of the colors that have been brought into the interior design world in 2010 are beiges, browns, and greens. Striving for an eco-friendly, naturally processed dye, these colors bring out many neutral earthy colors. Mixing these tones with vibrant global tones can also compliment each other very well. Colors like purples, yellows, and blue's work well with this.


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Green is known to be a very calming color both physically and emotionally. The use of this color in interior design can lead to a great peaceful environment. Colors such as yellow are proven to be more stimulating and vibrant. Mixing greens with accents of yellow also goes well together bringing a unique blend to a room.


Photo Courtesy of: www.besthomegallery.com

Purples and orange also compliment earthly tones. Purple is known for resembling wealth, sensuality, and relaxation. Being more scarce in prior years, violets and purples are becoming increasingly popular in modern design. Purple also gives the illusion of depth, opening up rooms and creating and illusion of space. Orange can also be used subtly to produce unique statements in rooms. Stimulating social behavior, orange is highly used in children's rooms, but can also serve as a nice focal point in rooms with complimentary colors around.


Photo Courtesy of: www.julianinterior.com

Interior design will always remain an ever-changing industry. Hopefully we will continue to see more of these earthly tones in the future.

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Interior Design Lighting Tips

Many people look forward to redesigning various rooms in their house or apartment. Whether it be a simple remodel, revamping, or rearranging, it can always be fun and beneficial, especially for the individual who enjoys a change of scenery every once in a while.

One thing to remember when doing this however is lighting. Ever wonder why so many catalogs with various luxurious furniture always look so great in those rooms? Yes, they are expensive, but also coexist with the correct amount of lighting in different areas to make the furniture shine at its best. It’s seeing a picture of a great furniture set up in a catalog and purchasing it, bringing it home, and setting it up, soon realizing it doesn’t look half as great as it did in the catalog. Here are some tips to make your furniture set look just as good, or even than those in the high end catalogs, with the use of lighting.

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.luxtam.com

1. Place or expand windows to let more light into darker corners. This greatly opens up the room and allows it to feel more “airy” and open.

2. Determine where the most exposure of light is. For example which direction the sun rises and sets in relation to the windows in the house.

3. Arrange your furniture so as much of it gets in contact with the natural light. When sunlight hits furniture it tends to reveal its more natural vibrant colors.

4. Shine artificial lights towards the ceiling. This causes it to bounce off and produce a softer more pleasant light.

5. Add art glass or grilles to your windows for different effects of lighting.

6. See where you can add door/window combinations. This is a unique way of bringing in light in certain, unexpected areas.

Photo Courtesy of: http://freshome.com

Adding natural light to your house also carries health benefits. Sunshine and vibrant colors tend to brighten people’s moods, as opposed to dark, ominous rooms. This may lead to mood swings, depression, or seasonal affective disorder.

Best of luck on your interior design endeavors!

2010 Hotel Trends

What is the number one reason why people stay at a hotel? Most of the time it is because they are staying in the area for a vacation. They’re either hoping to relax or escape the realities of their world at home which are full of cell phones, computers, work, and the stress that comes with it all.

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So the end solution to the equation is, a hotel guest is looking for fun. Many hotels are catching on to this and creating an environment that is not entirely filled models scattered between a number of high class bars and restaurants, but a more simple type of fun. Many hotels are starting to open up avenue’s of different kinds of fun that many hotel guests can enjoy that aren’t so taxing to your wallet. Games like Xbox, Wii, ping pong, bingo, and sometimes even relaxing Sunday games such as Chess or Scrabble. Not only this, but many hotels are scaling down the restaurants they are opening up to more affordable food that still maintains a decent quality. Keeping some of these open twenty-four-seven, hotel guests don’t have to worry about when room service closes, or going out of their way to find food outside of the hotel after certain hours.

Photo Courtesy of: www.chew.hu

I think this idea is genius. Many hotels feel their standard of luxury must be at its highest for guests to enjoy it. The truth of the matter is not everyone is looking for the same kind of fun, and a hybrid mix of high class bars and restaurants with simple fun would be the perfect combination for hotels. It would cover a range of demographics, as well as be less taxing on wallets, especially in this economic downtime.

Renovating Hotels in this Economic Climate

As mentioned in the previous post, right now is the best time to invest in electronic renovation. As much as furniture, design, and upholstery are all great, they’re too expensive to renovate right now correct? Wrong.

According to recent hotel articles and posts, right now it is the BEST time to invest in things such as hotel furniture, case goods, and upholstery as well. Why? Because of the economic climate.

photo courtesy of: www.tophotelsphuket.com

Right now nobody is really making any money, and the first thing the economy hits when it plummets is hospitality. Things like hotels, restaurants, and services. People cut back on these luxuries to save money. Instead of vacationing, they spend those hours working for more money. Instead of going out to eat in restaurants and feeding money back into the economy, they go grocery shopping in attempts to save as much money as they can.

Then the economy starts hitting other highways of businesses. One of these businesses is eventually the makers of hotel furniture, hospitality furniture, and businesses of that nature. Because of this, they lower their prices and thus, making it “more affordable” for the hospitality industry to afford these new renovations.

photo courtesy of: www.ecosea.com

The factor that offsets this entire scheme is the fact that many businesses right now say they cannot afford to renovate. They say that they cannot afford to spend money on revamping their business right now. That makes sense right? Why would you spend money upgrading your hotel when its barely floating on the revenue stream you are getting from just being in business? My answer to that is how can you afford not to. With prices lower than they have been in a while, and giving your business an opportunity to catch up to the rest of the hospitality leaders, while giving your business a huge temporary competitive advantage, the investment might pay for itself.

Future of Hotel Renovations

It seems that within the hospitality industry many renovations are being in progress. During many hotel conferences and expos, renovation talk have been circling around panels and forums.

Many hotel businesses had design wars such as furniture, beds, and bathrooms. They all compete on the best designs, level of comfort, and efficiency. Renovations are usually highly expensive due to the changing out of many expensive furniture pieces, redoing bathrooms and design. However a new wave of renovations have hit the hotel industry.

Image Courtesy of: www.chipchick.com

Technology. It has swept the nations hospitality industry. I usually visit hotels from time to time, and the other weekend I ventured out from my modest home in southern California to Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas, known for its high end expensive hotels, never ending night life, and casinos, had to have the latest in hotel technology, however I was thoroughly impressed with not only the interior designing, furniture, but also the upgraded technology I had not remembered in my last visit to a hotel.

At my stay, there was a bedside electronic control panel. This would control things such as the curtain, lights in every room, the room temperature, the television, and bathroom functions, all from a control panel from the bedside! Laying in bed, I could draw the shades, shut the bathroom lights, turn the television on and browse channels while I dim the lights next to my bed. This eliminated the hassle of having to get out of your comfy bed in your pajamas and manually executing these things. Highly impressed, I realized the truth in hotels renovating their electronic components as well.

I feel like not only with exceptional furniture and design, but technology the hospitality industry just opened up a new chapter in the history books.

New Hotel Trends!

Some pictures of new hotel trends:


Loft-style Living


Going costal: Beach front Hotels



Aquatic Life

Photos Courtesy of: www.gayot.com/

Buying White Furniture for your Hotel

Purchasing furniture is usually a pretty hefty investment. You want to be able to buy it with the confidence that it will fit well in your home, as well as serve its purpose. Whether you are a single bachelor with a two bedroom apartment, or a family living in a suburban house, buying furniture is usually a big deal, and there are many factors to consider, especially if the furniture is white.

Photo Courtesy of: www.greatinteriordesign.com

White furniture is usually deemed stylish and contemporary. If you own a piece of white furniture, it usually stands out whenever someone enters your home or room. This is also true with white office furniture. If you add more things on it such as pillows, bold colors such as bright reds, blacks, and blue’s can make the piece of furniture look even more stylish and modern. White furniture also can match anything, from hardwood floors made of bamboo, textiles, or carpet. It is difficult to have a non aesthetically pleasing room with white furniture.

White furniture also opens and brightens up a room. The color scheme creates an illusion of openness and space, as opposed to darker colors. Dark colors seem to portray the illusion that it takes up more space than it actually does.

A downside to owning white furniture, however, is that it can become dirty very quickly. Any dirt or marks can rub off on any material and appear very easily, especially on a white canvased piece of furniture. This becomes detrimental if you have children. The white furniture is just waiting to be masked with an array of crayons, markers, and dirt from your backyard.

Whatever your circumstance is however, white furniture looks great in any setting, and will surely impress your house guests.

Police search for stolen virtual furniture from Habbo Hotel

Police in Finland have reportedly searched homes in five cities, confiscating computer equipment in a hunt for items stolen from a virtual world.

Habbo Hotel's virtual furniture, known as "furni" by players, are purchased with credits and traded in the online community to furnish the virtual hotel rooms. The credits are bought by members with real money.

According to Detective Sergeant Marko Levonen, Finnish authorities are looking into up to 400 cases of theft, with some players of Habbo Hotel reporting that they have lost up to 1000 Euros worth of virtual furniture.

Using phishing pages and keylogging spyware, hackers are able to steal the usernames and passwords of online game players, and then purloin their virtual goods and attributes to sell on to others.

It may seem petty to complain about something being stolen that never physically existed in the first place, but remember that this virtual furniture has been purchased with real cash.

And this isn't the first time that the authorities have investigated thefts from the virtual hotel. Back in 2007, we reported on how Dutch police arrested a 17-year-old teenager for allegedly stealing almost $6000 worth of virtual furniture from users of the Habbo Hotel.

It's not just a Habbo Hotel problem, of course. Last year we saw a man arrested for robbing Runescape characters, and the "chief executive" of a virtual bank in a sci-fi online trading game stole 200 billion "kredits", which he then used as a deposit on a real-world house.

In an evil more bizarre story, a Japanese woman was arrested in October 2008 after killing her virtual husband's avatar in the virtual game MapleStory after their relationship went sour.

Whether you're playing online games, or doing online banking, you still need to keep security high in your mind and protect your username and passwords from snooping hackers.

Posted on June 1st, 2010 by Graham Cluley, Sophos

Some great interior design / furniture work for modern hotels:








Photos Courtesy of: www.homehousedesign.com

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Going green with Flexible Love

Many aspects of today’s world is growing so fast due to technology and new innovative ideas. New high speed computers are coming out everyday, hybrid cars, and gadgets have incredible artificial intelligence. Another aspect of new innovative ideas aside from technology is “going green.” Many companies, individuals, and business industries are “going green.” This means they are either creating products that are environment friendly, or being conscious about it and doing things on a small or large scale to help the environment.

Going green is always good, and is a huge plus in today’s world, especially with limited resources. A company called Flexible Love is a unique furniture company selling flexible furniture that is also green. It is primarily made out of paper and can be manipulated into different things.

Using an accordian-esque style, the Felxible Love products can be collapsed or expanded and manipulated to your liking. Since it is has the ability to collapse as well, it can be stored away in convenient places.

I think this idea and concept is one of the most innovative ideas in the business. This might revolutionize the way people create and think about furniture as well. Of course I doubt people would pay a ton of money for a paper bench or chair, but I feel if you are going green or are an advocate of such notion, this product could be a great addition to your living room, bedroom, or any other area in your house.

Photo Courtesy of: www.ohgizmo.com

Going green is a huge plus in today’s world, and Flexible Love is doing a great job at carrying that message in new innovative ways.

Stumbling through hospitality and hotel forums, I came across the most intriguing idea and concept. The Thomson Holidays, a London based hospitality company, hosted a “Future Holiday Forum,” in which they gather the top innovators of travel, technology, and design from anywhere and everywhere. The most interesting part of it all was that they predicted in the year 2024, there will literally be movable hotels.

It would be a “foldable pod on stilts,” says Thomson Holidays. The pods will be self sustainable, and can literally be moved around in different locations. Guests can also choose what kind of images they want projected on their walls. More importantly, when a destination falls out of fashion, or the hype of a certain area dies down, the hotel can be picked up and moved to a different location.

Photo Courtesy of: msnbcmedia4.msn.com

Thomson said the design and technology is all there. It is a feasible project that can actually be accomplished with today’s technology and innovation.

The idea behind it all is that the pods will have minimal effect on the environment. They do not require things such as roads to reach the destination. This way, natural beautiful habitats can be visited, observed, and explored without any harm to its nature.

I think this is a brilliant idea if it can be done. I feel many financial calculations must be put in place to see if the cost exceeds the benefit of it all. However, it is a highly innovative design and concept, and would be great to see one day. It could take people places no roads lead to, without disturbing the beauty of the natural landscape.

Caring for your hotel furniture

As many of you know, Hotel furniture will probably be one of the largest investments you make in your hotel. You are going to want them staying as fresh and new looking as possible to avoid purchasing more. When's the last time anyone went to a hotel and saw a warped chair, or a dryed out unfinished bedstand? Absolutely never ever ever. Keep your furniture looking fresh and clean! Below are a few steps to make that happen.

1. Clean wooden furniture regularly by dusting the surface several days a week with a clean, lint-free cloth to prevent dirt build up.

2. Never expose these furniture to direct sunlight for this can dry up the wood and cause the colors to fade.

3. Avoid extremely moist or dry air to prevent drying or warping

4. NEVER place furniture near air vents.

5. Clean surface once a year using clean soft cloth dipped in mild soap. Rise with damp cloth and dry with a soft lint- free cloth afterwards.

6. Always put coasters under glasses and protective plates under flower bases to prevent water marks on the surface of furniture.

For other surfaces such as marble, metal, leather, and wicker, these surfaces should be cleaned regularly with solutions that cannot harm your furniture. Many cleaning solutions come with harsh chemicals. Be sure to check and make sure they are safe before applying them! Often times hotel furniture is overlooked and maintained. Care for your furniture and it will surely look its best!

Beauty of Interior Designs

Interior designing seems to come in many different shapes, sizes, and forms. I find it fascinating that so much sleek artwork can be put into everyday use such as tables, desks, chairs, shelves, etc. One great example I found of this is interior designs of the hospitality industry. Many hotels have their own style and furniture that sets it apart from everyone else. It creates an environment and an experience, rather than just a place to stay.

Many contract furnishing places also sell towards offices, and high end rooms. I feel the creativity and color coordination can sometimes be compared to music and paintings. Interior design is an art, using free flowing curves and straight edges, lighting, and accents on certain things to make them stand out or dim away.

I believe every structural unit should have its own fingerprint and place in its industry, Finding the right one may take a little time and effort, but its lasting impressions will be well worth it.

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Hotel Conventions!

One thing I had no clue that existed were Hotel Conventions and Expos, usually held in Las Vegas or another hot spot. The benefits of going to these are endless, especially if you are a furnishing contractor, hotel, interior designer, architect, and much more. With over 7000 attendees, it is the perfect opportunity to network, get your name out there, and hopefully partner with people and companies.

I feel it is imparative that business owners in the hospitality department, such as hotels, motels, and restaurants really take advantage of these opportunities and try to stay current with the latest hotel interior design and the upcoming hotel furniture's that are being created everyday. Similar to the fashion industry, buying hotel furniture can become such a challenge due to the everchanging industry.

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Hotel Myths Article!

It is really amazing how easily myths are born -

One possible origin of many myths about hotels is the reality that legend and myths play on our fears, our insecurity and our perverse pride in knowing all details of how life works on the road.

Add here word-of-mouth advertising and then there are those hotel myths which are sometimes fanciful and sometimes truth-based.

So, take some time to learn the truth about myths that revolve around hotels. Here are seven of the most enduring myths about hotels along with some clear-eyed facts. Check them out before checking in.

Myth #1

Hotel key cards contain personal information such as your credit card number and your address and anyone with a scanner can decode it and rack up a big bill.

That is one of the most enduring hotel myths that refuses to die. This legend was born when hotels switched from traditional metal room keys to plastic key cards.

A lot of people believe their home address, phone numbers and credit card numbers programmed on their key cards. The truth is that a little magnetic strip of the key card just can't hold so much information anyway.

Hotels usually encrypt your key card with your room number, check-in date, check-out date and check-out time or simply a code that is randomly chosen upon your check in.

So, please stop asking front desk personnel about this; they are really sick of explaining this myth to paranoid travelers who aren't going to believe them anyway. Quit worrying about non-existent problem.

Myth #2

When choosing a hotel to stay people are only looking for the lowest rates.

This myth is actually false. Very few people look for the lowest rate alone, most travelers search for the best deal, which usually includes the location of the hotel, hotel amenities, special packages and upgrades.

Moreover, hotels with the lowest prices within a chosen market area are often considered as - bad choices; among tourists; they prefer to interpret low rates as "unbelievable or too good to be true".

Myth #3

All the bedding in hotel rooms is changed after each hotel guest.

It is actually untrue. While the bed linen may be changed after each stay, the blankets and top covers aren't changed unless they are spotted or soiled.

So, think twice before lying down stark naked on your hotel bed.

Myth #4

Bed bugs are only found in cheap hotels and accommodations.

Pest control experts state that it is untrue. Despite the myth that these unpleasant insects only hole up in cheap hotels and lodging, bedbug infestation can occur even in luxury, highest-priced hotels.

That's because bed bugs can get transported in and out of the hotels in the guests; clothes and luggage. It is also easy to bring them home in your bag. Beware!

Myth #5

It is unusual to find a hotel with a designated and clearly marked 13th floor.

Even in the XXI Century there is a fear of the number 13 and some hotels don't have the 13th floor because of superstition. It is amazing that this practice got started and continues to these days.

Myth #6

There is money in Gideon Bibles found in hotel rooms.

Rumor has it that you can find money in Gideon Bibles, which are usually kept in bedside table drawers in almost any hotel room in the world.

For nearly 100 years an evangelical Christian organization has been distributing copies of the Bible in hotel and motel rooms. People believe that money is left between the pages as reward for reading them or as charity for those who might be in need.

A friend of mine, who travels a lot said that he had checked a lot of Bibles and he had never found any cash there. It is hard to believe that Gideons that depend on charitable donations are distributing money.

Myth #7

The bathroom/shower is the dirtiest place in the hotel room.

This myth is false. Most hotels instruct their housekeeping staff to spend the most time on bathroom/shower and pay special attention to bathtubs, sinks and toilets.

So, these items are all cleaned thoroughly each day and can be considered as the cleanest parts of most hotel apartments.

Hotelscompare is a trademark from GloRes bv located in Netherlands. Hotelscompare is built using the latest Microsoft Dot.Net technology ensuring a very userfriendly, up to date site which works fast and reliable. The booking process is fully secured ensuring that your information is heavily encrypted as it is sent over the internet.

from www.4hoteliers.com

New Level of Hospitality Experience

There are many hotels that seem to have similar designs, furniture, casegoods, and architectural designs. Whether your in your hometown, or five thousand miles away, you're bound to find a hotel with similarities. For people who travel alot, it might be more refreshing to find a new, sleek, and innovative yet ambient place to stay.

The Omphoy hotel in Palm Beach Florida is one of these. Based on the pictures of the hotel furniture, design space, and magnificent color coordination, Leslie Schlesinger, owner and interior designer, managed to pull off one of the most beautifully designed hotels. Combining elements of her own with Asian influences, she created a unique tranquil environment with a stress free aura. It makes it difficult to not awe at this beautifully constructed hotel.


For those traveling, hopefully you will be able to stay a night or two at this place. It might be a refreshing experience than all the other bland hotels. Hopefully this inspiring hotel design will spark a new medium for the next generations of hotel interiors.

Photos Courtesy of: http://2.bp.blogspot.com

It's amazing how far the power of media can accelerate someone into their industry. Because of the transitioning effect into everything being internet based, many factors such as visual appearance play a much greater role in retaining your customers.

Ive found this to be true with hotels and hospitality venues. Many hotels are designed great, but portrayed poorly. It takes a great photographer and the know how to really accentuate the beauty of a well constructed room, as well as the interior design and all its components.



One aspect that is highly underrated is the amount of effort put into the furniture of the room. Every hotel has its own unique style, and "fingerprint," that makes it desirable to the occupant. Small, simple or complex subtleties can add just the right amount of flavor to a room or bedroom. Things such as the hotel chair, interior, pillows, shelves, and dressers can attribute to this factor. This is the reason for many gasps of awe when entering a high class hotel.


Hopefully one day we may all be able to stay in one and enjoy the refreshing creative getaway someone put so much effort into making.

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