How to Keep Your Hospitality Furniture in Great Shape

Published by: Northland - July 19, 2017

Those in the travel industry know well that hospitality furniture must be kept in excellent condition. Guests staying at an establishment expect to spend the evening in a well cleaned and maintained room, and anything less would be considered a customer service issue.

There are a few things any hotelier can do to keep furniture in excellent condition and to keep guests perpetually happy.

1. Buy Durable Products

Buying high-quality goods may seem like common sense, but many are surprised to learn how many hotel chains buy cheaper hospitality furniture to save money in the short-term. Quality furnishings don’t have to cost a fortune, but it’s worth investigating which brands will stand the test of time.

Hoteliers must remember that furniture needs to withstand significantly more use in a hotel than furniture meant for the home. By selecting high-quality products in the first place, hotels are less likely to experience customer complaints or negative reviews down the line.

One way to guarantee durability is to purchase products made in the USA. This way hotels have more control over the design process, more visibility on the quality control measures being taken, and far shorter lead times. If anything does go wrong problems can be resolved quickly and replacements can be shipped promptly.

2. Keep A Written Maintenance Policy

Teams are always changing, so it’s important that there be a written policy documenting how to assemble new furniture, how to fix common issues, and how to clean various surfaces properly.

Most furniture will come with assembly instructions. Keep it on hand for new hires or rotating staff members who may have no experience with the furniture that has been purchased. If there are items that occasionally need to be fixed or refurbished, note how those should be handled as well.

Finally, make sure to document how to clean furniture properly (as per the instructions outlined for each item). If someone accidentally uses a bleach-based product on wood-grain furniture, that item may be ruined permanently and require immediate replacement. A costly and time-consuming mistake.

3. Keep Extra Parts On Hand

Keep note of those pieces and parts that may break or become unsightly over time. Plan for each surface or part that may need to be fixed or replaced at the drop of a hat.

This includes varnish for wood surfaces that may become scratched, screws and nails for metal parts that may become damaged, and any wheels or knobs that may need to be replaced. By keeping these items on hand, rooms can always look their best without having to replace an entire piece of hospitality furniture.

4. Care For Furniture Properly

Separate steps need to be taken for various surfaces. For example, wood furniture will last longer if placed away from windows, sunlight and any heating or cooling elements. Phones or lamps are placed on a wood table, rotate them periodically to keep the table from developing discoloration. Felt should be added to the bottom of anything sitting on a wood surface to prevent scratching.

Similarly, upholstery and leather do well away from the sun and will likely require specialty cleansers to remove any stains. Always keep in mind that different fabrics and treatments may require different care.

5. Make Sure To Have A Ten-Year Warranty

This will protect hoteliers against all infractions that may occur at the expense of the furniture. And since most quality hotels upgrade their furniture every five to ten years, a ten-year warranty provides plenty of coverage.

All of Northland’s furniture comes with ten-year warranty to ensure your furniture is protected against misuse and damage. For over 40 years, Northland Furniture has been manufacturing high quality commercial furniture for hotels, timeshares, senior living environments, college dormitories and other facilities. Using domestically sourced materials, including many materials from the Pacific Northwest, our experienced team of craftsmen design and build furniture that can withstand high traffic and other challenging environments. Give us a call regarding your upcoming projects and how we can help.

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How to Choose the Best Hospitality Furniture

Published by: Northland - May 3, 2017

The priority for any hotelier undertaking a guest room renovation is to choose the best hospitality furniture. For some, it can be a daunting task, however, knowing what to look for in a hotel furniture manufacturer will put minds at ease. During the economic recession, the wholesale furniture industry experienced tough times just like many other industries—discretionary income for construction and remodels was scarce. During this period, hospitality interior designers, architects, and hoteliers looked to overseas hotel furniture manufacturers for lower costs.

Thankfully, the economy continues its upswing creating opportunities for hoteliers to update their properties with the latest hotel design trends in the hospitality industry. Most often, the hospitality furniture in your hotel, restaurant or conference space gives visitors their first impression of your business. Many guests may base their initial opinions about the service they are going to receive on the hospitality furniture. Setting the tone for their visit, be it for dinner or a whole week of vacation, ranks as a high priority for companies in the hospitality industry.

Choosing the Best Hospitality Furniture for Your Hotel Property

Hospitality furniture should pair with your targeted clientele. Determine what type of guests your boutique or large brand name hotel caters towards. While many companies want to be inclusive to all demographics of people, certain restaurants and hotels may only want to draw in adults, children, people seeking luxury accommodations, eco-friendly and more. Choose hospitality furniture that brings in your desired clientele.

Hospitality seating must coincide with maximum occupancy. The highest number of occupants and the hospitality seating you choose must meet ADA requirements and fit precisely within your space. Plan for walkways and aisles when selecting the hospitality seating, tables, and other furniture.

Plan for hospitality furniture that falls within your budget. While this may seem like a no-brainer, seek out hospitality furniture manufacturers within your budget. Looking for furniture without a budget in mind could wind up with you falling in love with something far beyond your price range. Researching hospitality furniture manufacturers and their price points before seeking out the furniture itself puts you ahead of the game.

How Hotel Interior Design Influences Your Guest’s Experience

When a guest walks into their hotel room for the first time, their senses are on alert and three things happen almost simultaneously: How does the room smell? How does the room look? Are there any noise issues? Guests also determine pretty quickly whether or not the furniture aesthetically pleasing, and if so, does it look comfortable? These are all questions whose answers create the first impression for your guests. It is often the first impression that remains a lasting impression; it will determine customer loyalty to your hotel’s brand. Hotel property owners can improve their guest experiences in many different ways. Having a fantastic design with pleasing color schemes starting at the lobby and carrying through the entire property is a sign that a design concept is carried out.

Multifunctional, versatile furniture is a growing trend in the hotel industry. For example, the business traveler is accustomed to having built-in charging stations and good-quality lighting for late night computer work. We live in a technology-driven society, and to the degree that your hotel furniture designs can accommodate the need for convenience by marrying hotel nightstands and desks with devices will meet the needs of guests.

Many factors come into play when choosing the right hospitality furniture for your hotel, senior living facility, or university dorm rooms. Ensure you have enough space for walkways and for setting your desired ambiance. Choosing furniture that appeals to the aesthetics of your targeted clientele makes the biggest difference. Keep in mind budget restrictions when choosing hospitality furniture.

Northland Furniture offers hospitality furniture in a variety of collections to please different demographics of patrons. Consider Northland when selecting the hospitality furniture for your hotel, senior living facility, or university dorm rooms.

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3 Reasons to Update Senior Living Furniture

Published by: Northland - March 22, 2017

Senior living furniture continues to play a significant role in shared housing communities as more baby boomers march towards retirement age. This sophisticated demographic carries with them higher expectations for their living environment.

One current trend in senior living communities takes its cue from the hospitality industry. Design elements that feel less institutional and more hotel-like will appeal to future residents and their adult children who frequently help their parents decide where to live.

Increase revenues by enhancing your facility’s reputation

senior-living-furniture

First impressions only take a moment to create. By updating old furniture, senior living operators will improve the look and feel of their premises. Moreover, old furniture may not have been designed and built to meet today’s exacting standards for safety and durability.

Northland manufacturers senior living furniture collections that are aesthetically pleasing, durable, and functional. By incorporating new furniture designed to meet both the visual and practical needs of their residents, senior living communities will enable older adults to feel more at ease.

Reduce maintenance and repair costs for senior living furniture

Furniture represents a substantial capital investment for all senior living communities. On average, furniture in public, high-trafficked spaces needs to be replaced every 5-7 years due to regular use. When deciding between repairing or replacing furniture, there are several factors to consider.

The benefits of replacing worn, outdated senior living furniture include reducing maintenance costs and attracting new residents. Moreover, purchasing durable, well-made senior living furniture will minimize the cost of replacement down the line.

Interior designers, architects, and senior living community owners can look to Northland when deciding where to purchase their casegoods. Northland offers a longer than industry average 10-year warranty. Northland furniture can help reduce maintenance costs and can be custom designed to meet a broad range of requirements.

Customize your furniture to create spaces that work

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all. Senior living communities can enhance the quality of life for their residents by creating a sense of community while respecting the need for privacy. For example, dining facilities with a restaurant-like feel encourages social interaction, while resident rooms featuring beautiful furniture designed to maximize space will be more inviting

Incorporating the comforts and amenities of home will surely be more attractive to prospective residents, and can be achieved by choosing furniture that is beautifully crafted and designed for safety and durability.

Northland manufacturers casegoods for hospitality, senior living, and healthcare. Freestanding collections can be previewed at our online project portfolio and catalogs. Northland also works closely with designers to create custom designed furniture. Applications for Northland casegoods include resident rooms, dining, and activity spaces, and common areas.

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Boutique Hotel Design Trends | 2017

Published by: Northland - March 15, 2017

A winning combination of beautiful boutique hotel design and well-crafted custom casegoods gives small hotels an advantage over larger hotel chains. How? A small hotel typically has between 10 and 100 rooms, which means these operators can respond faster when it comes to updating their guest rooms to reflect the latest hotel design trends than large multi-national chains.

What Trends are the Hospitality Industry Following?

The big question on every boutique hotel owner’s mind is what are the trends this year? However, boutique hotels are usually located in a unique setting that informs their brand. For example, the Joie de Vivre Hotel chain includes more than 30 boutique hotels, each reflecting the neighborhoods that surround them.

Knowing what travelers are expecting informs the style of guest rooms. For example, a small hotel located near Pier 39 in San Francisco may have a nautical theme. A boutique hotel in the heart of Portland may decide to emulate the industrial vibe of the Pearl District or feature the Pacific Northwest craftsman-style by choosing furniture made locally in its guestrooms.

1. Shared Spaces
The emphasis on collaboration and community is all around us— we see it in everything from social media to volunteering. In 2017, hoteliers are planning for even more emphasis on communal areas that are designed to bring people and shared experiences together.

One of the many advantages boutique hotels have over home shares like Airbnb or HomeAway, is their role of being a place for people to gather, and located in a neighborhood. Whether in a metropolis like New York or in Portland, Oregon, hotels by nature bring a diverse group of people together under one roof.

2. How Guests Feel
Whether your boutique hotel is luxury, budget, or something in between, guests expect rooms to look and feel good. Design plays a crucial role in hospitality, especially when defining that hotel’s brand or persona. Today’s guests are intuitively attuned to interpret design to fit their conceptions of what a hotel is really like, and if it’s the right fit, or lifestyle, for them.

3. Sustainability and Emission Reduction
Soon after green building became a national movement, hotels started taking a more holistic approach to the overall guest experience. The hospitality industry continues to focus on reducing their carbon footprint by implementing technologies such as automatic light shut-offs and asking guests to reduce water consumption during their hotel stay.

Supporting locally handcrafted and sustainable furniture is the latest boutique hotel trend

Green interior designers always strive to support locally owned and operated businesses for things like hotel furniture and art. Doing this creates an emotional tie between a boutique hotel’s customers and the community. Hotels featuring local craftsmanship and artists also give guests an insight into the local culture and its history.

While hotel design trends in 2017 continue to take shape, business travelers and tourists still want the comforts of home in addition to the luxury experience that comes with top-of-the-line beds and casegoods in guest rooms.

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How Hospitality Interior Designers Create Beautiful Hotel Guest Rooms

Published by: Northland - March 8, 2017

Interior design is both an art and science. The role of hospitality interior designers is unique because they must consider how public spaces connect with the variety of people who use them. The best interior designers create beautiful hotel guest rooms and spaces that appeal to the emotions of hotel guests while anticipating their needs.

Professionals who design commercial interiors specify everything from carpets, paint colors, and light fixtures to furnishings, casegoods, and more. Northland understands the important role of interior design and how it influences the way people live, work, play, and even heal.

We work closely with interior architects and designers to custom design hospitality furniture for a wide variety of applications. Northland’s commitment to excellence is demonstrated in the quality and beauty of its hospitality, student housing, and senior living furniture.

4 Popular Hotel Styles

The number one goal of every hospitality designer is to create functional and appealing spaces. The most popular design styles that influence and inspire interior design for hotel guest rooms are as follows:

  • Contemporary—Uses negative space to convey the feeling of basic and bare. Hospitality interior designers use contemporary furniture design when they want simple shapes with smooth edges.
  • Craftsman—Strives to harmonize with the environment by the use of natural materials such as wood and leather. Craftsman interior design is very popular in the Pacific Northwest for boutique hotels and National Parks.
  • Industrial—Aims to create vast spaces with open floor plans. The industrial interior design style incorporates materials such as brick, rough wood, and metals.
  • Mid-Century Modern—Is well suited for small spaces and is often used in boutique hotels.
  • Traditional— Reproduces furniture from early historical periods. Traditional interiors have a comfortable, homey feel with soft edges on furnishings and often include floral patterns.

Hospitality Interior Designers: Creating Durable, Well-designed Casegoods

It is important for hospitality interior designers who specify for hotels, senior living facilities, and student dormitories to choose durable, well-designed casegoods for their guest rooms and public spaces.

Northland casegoods are designed to last and are both functional and aesthetic, making them an appealing choice for hoteliers and designers.

Hospitality interior designers can turn to Northland, a hospitality furniture manufacturer, to help them create spaces that are inviting, aesthetically pleasing, comfortable, and enduring. Northland artisans have been designing and building high-quality furniture for more than 40 years.

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Northland Furnishes Yellowstone’s Canyon Lodge Facelift

Published by: Northland - February 1, 2017

Even as we move into February, with winter literally all around, it is still difficult to not think ahead to spring and summer. Thanks to increased rain and snow, we can expect nature to put on an amazing display after the spring thaw. This may be a good time to visit our national parks, especially Yellowstone.

Last fall, Yellowstone National Park completed an ambitious construction project, focused around Canyon Lodge. Canyon Lodge, the largest of the park’s nine lodging facilities, underwent a major facelift. Five large modern lodge buildings, each with approximately 80 guest rooms, replaced all 350 of the Frontier and Pioneer cabins. With the completion of the project, Canyon Lodge now has 590 guest rooms.

Canyon Lodge’s project resulted in over 400 new rooms

They needed furniture for the project, and that is where Northland came into the picture. Located on the east side of the park, near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Canyon Lodge’s two-year redevelopment project resulted in over 400 new guest rooms. For the project, we shipped over 9 fully loaded 53’ semi-trucks of blanket-wrapped furniture. The furniture was custom-designed, hand-distressed Alder. We sent the following pieces over to Canyon Lodge:

– 758 Headboards with down-facing puck lights
– 443 Nightstands
– 411 Activity tables
– 340 Refrigerator cabinets
– 20 Three-Drawer desks
– 20 End tables

Northland finished 2016 on quite a high note. We also found ourselves busy with several projects in the Yellowstone Park vicinity. In addition to the furniture we produced for Canyon Lodge, we also produced pieces for:

· Grand Canyon Railroad Hotel
· Old Faithful Lodge
· Lake Yellowstone Hotel
· Swift Current Motor Inn & Cabins
· Lake Yellowstone Sandpiper
· Grant Village Lodges
· Apgar Village Lodge

Northland creating comfort for over 40 years

Northland has been an industry leader for over 40 years. With thoughtful design and quality manufacturing paramount to our mission, you can count on Northland to deliver, no matter how large the order. If you are seeking help to create a wonderful experience for your guests, look to Northland for your guest room furnishing needs.

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The Rise of Co-Living

Published by: Northland - January 25, 2017

Interesting things happen when you watch trends. One hospitality trend Northland is currently watching is co-living. With an emphasis on collaboration and community, there’s a noticeable shift taking place towards co-living.

In a nutshell, co-living is about community and developing connections between those who occupy that space. It’s group living, with shared kitchens and living areas and social programming.

Responding to shifts towards home sharing and other communal living concepts, hospitality companies have taken action. During 2016, companies like Airbnb and HomeStay watched their share of the hospitality market grow. While private hotels have different concepts and thus cannot directly compete with the Airbnbs and HomeStays, they can offer alternatives based around similar ideals.

 

Co-Living enters the mainstream

Last year, the co-living concept entered the mainstream for hospitality with AccorHotels’ newest brand: Jo&Joe. According to AccorHotels, Jo&Joe “…blends the best of private-rental hostel and hotel formats,” and calls it a “totally reinvented and disruptive experience in terms of design approach, catering, service, and customer journey.”

In 2017, there will be more emphasis on communal areas, as well as spaces that bring people together. This is true not only for hospitality but other sectors of society as well.

Companies are beginning to bridge gaps by creating shared spaces that blur the lines between work and home. Residential housing is growing in prevalence, especially on the US east coast.

Companies such as Common, PureHouse, WeWork/WeLive and NeueHouse have all developed ways to bring their employees together. There are a variety of concepts around the co-living/co-working theme. While each differs in some details, emphasis on shared space and communal experience remains.

Northland Furniture has long been a leader in the hospitality industry. For over forty years, we have survived trends and industry changes through responsive action, thoughtful design and quality manufacturing. While we are excited to watch how the industry changes, you can also count on Northland to not just be on the sidelines. We will be right there, doing what we have done for nearly half a century, creating quality furniture for you.

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Soldier Life Made More Like Home With Northland

Published by: Northland - January 18, 2017

Life in the military, while rewarding for its opportunity to serve our country, has its difficulties. For many soldiers, living on base comes with its own set of challenges.

One of these challenges comes with living in the barracks. Outdated furniture that’s in need of replacing can make day-to-day living uncomfortable for the modern soldier. For those men and women separated from their families, having some comforts of home can soften that distance.

While seemingly simple, new furniture for military applications shows the soldier living in the barracks a genuine concern for their well-being. As part of enhancing morale, an infantry division recently worked to improve the quality of life for its soldiers by bringing in new furniture and other amenities to the battalion barracks. Following the install, a soldier stated “I wasn’t aware they were going to do this for us. You can tell that they really care about our well-being.” Sometimes, even the simplest acts can have profound effects.

Bases Are Often Looking to Improve Quality of Life

Military bases are often looking to improve quality of life for their soldiers and families. Also, furniture improvements go a long way towards that goal, and Northland Furniture can help.

Whether you’re looking for an extra long table for a new conference room, furnishings for offices or beds for the barracks, Northland can build the furniture you need. Don’t be concerned if you don’t see something you want in the collections we offer.. Our designers and craftsmen can create furniture uniquely designed for your specifications. We enjoy being creative and are excited to expand on our custom commercial furniture options.

Custom Furniture for Military Housing

Contact Northland for more information about custom furniture design for military housing. Whether you want to customize items within our collections or work with us to create something truly unique, we have the skill and creativity to build furniture that your soldiers will love for many years to come.

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Northland Brings in the New Year with a New Look

Published by: Northland - January 4, 2017

After over forty years of creating custom, quality furniture, Northland is not slowing down. As times and designs may change, as do our experienced craftsman and team. We’re excited to announce the launch of our revised brand and website later this month.
 
The new Northland will feature a rebranded logo and an all-new on and offline presence. It was important to us that the brand embody both our heritage and who we are today, while retaining the same commitment to quality you’ve associated with Northland throughout the years. Let’s take a look at some of our history, and what makes Northland “Northland”.

Custom built in Central Oregon

The Northwest has a style all its own. Just as our name implies, we are indeed a part of this land. Our 42,000 square foot office and manufacturing facility, located in the heart of Central Oregon. Our furniture is also designed, built and shipped from our 42,000 square foot facility in Bend, Oregon.
 
Northland has been manufacturing high quality commercial furniture for hotels, senior living environments, college dormitories and other facilities for over 40 years. Using domestically sourced materials, many from the Pacific Northwest, our experienced teams of craftsmen design and build furniture that can withstand high traffic and other challenging environments.
 
From hotel case goods to dormitory desks, we take pride in providing the expertise and service we know you expect from a furniture provider. All our machinery and finishing systems are top-of-the-line. Moreover, our strict quality control measures ensure that we check each piece of furniture  before it’s packed in damage-resistant packaging to leave our facility and arrive in perfect condition at your destination.
 
Your furnishings are a reflection of your establishment. Therefore, we want these pieces to match your style and be just as distinctive as you are. Northland has supplied furnishings for niche markets ranging from small, local seaside properties to national chains.  Design, quality and high durability characterize each Northland collection.
 

Dedicated craftsmen making happy customers

Many of our dedicated craftsmen have been with us for years. Our culture is one of community and appreciation. Northland is committed to a safe, reliable and injury-free workplace. We believe the benefits can be seen in our consistent products and happy customers. They include Marriott, Wyndham, Hampton Inn, Best Western, Shilo, Hilton and BHG as well as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Glacier national parks.
 
We often develop new collections and can customize most standard collections to fit any unique needs. We also manufacture our comfortable, durable and distinctive collections to ensure that your furniture maintains value.
 
Whether you’re looking for an extra long table for your conference room, pews for your church, or more, Northland can build what need, at a price you can afford. We can help anyone seeking stylish, sturdy furniture for their organization, and furthermore, are not bound by industries.
 

The new Northland

Look for the new Northland brand on our online channels this January. We’ll also be rolling out across our offline channels through spring, as we phase out offline inventory.
 
Contact us for more information about custom commercial furniture design. Whether you want to customize items within our collections or work with us to create something truly unique; we have the skill and creativity to build furniture you will love for years to come.

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How Does LEED Relate to Furniture?

Published by: Northland - December 21, 2016

There’s been a lot of discussion on LEED and LEED-certified buildings recently. But what exactly does that mean and how does it relate to furniture? This is reasonable question and certainly one worth exploring.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is a globally accepted third-party certification program for sustainable building design and construction. While the US Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the program almost 20 years ago, LEED is now the world’s most widely used third-party verification program for green buildings.

The USGBC developed LEED to consider all aspects of buildings at any point in their development. Buildings seeking LEED certification earn points by addressing sustainability issues in several areas. Based on these points, projects can earn one of four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

LEED-certified buildings use resources more efficiently, saving water, energy, and ultimately, money. This is why in less than twenty years’ time LEED has grown to become the global standard for sustainable building.

LEED v4

Recently, USGBC marked the release of LEED v4. LEED v4 aims to improve the overall community experience through its “bolder” and more flexible design.

LEED v4 achieves its mission through design. While thorough and far more comprehensive than we can report, here are four areas where LEED v4 improved upon LEED:

  • Increased focus on materials, what they contain and how they affect the environment
  • Offers a clearer picture on water efficiency, while estimating building use
  • Takes a more performance-based approach to indoor environmental quality to ensure improved occupant comfort
  • Emphasizes smart grid thinking by offering credits to projects participating in demand response programs.

Northland Furniture doesn’t only provide long-lasting, functional and practical pieces; we also recognize that as a member of the global community we have a responsibility of sensibility. With this in mind, here are a couple examples of how Northland uses LEED-friendly practices.

Low-VOC

From our low-VOC, LEED-applicable water-based stains and finishes, to the local woods we source to limit our footprint and our use of blanket wrapping to limit packaging, sustainability is key at Northland.

Sustainable Woods

Northland uses both solid and engineered woods sourced from the Pacific Northwest, utilizing as much from the tree as possible while minimizing waste.

These are just a couple of more reasons to specify Northland on your next project, and how to potentially qualify your project for LEED credits.

 

Resources:
http://leed.usgbc.org
http://www.leed.net
http://www.usgbc.org

 

 

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