The hotel industry is a competitive sector, with hundreds of different establishments all competing to capture the attention of a finite number of travellers every year. As a result of this high competition, many hotels have found they have only one option: they have to go above and beyond what their competitors are offering, in as many different areas as possible.
This conclusion leads hotels to focus on the core basics of their service, aiming to provide the best customer service, the comfiest beds, and the best all-round experience for their guests. However, with these basics in place, hoteliers have to began to branch out and consider other ways that they can stand out from the crowd and distinguish their establishment as the place to be – all without impacting the overall efficiency and profitability of the hotel itself.
It’s fair to say that the above desire – to offer the best possible experience to customers and improve the overall running of the business – is a big ask, but there are a few ways of achieving a two-for-one; satisfying both goals in one fell swoop. While there are a variety of different ways to do this, we’re going to focus on one seemingly small, but undoubtedly significant, change that can hugely benefit any hotel: the installation of a commercial water softener.
What Is a Commercial Water Softener?
The water that is supplied to any business or household is the product of a long process of storage and purification to ensure it’s fit for use. During this process, water can become infused with a number of different minerals, such as limestone and chalk. When this happens, the water becomes “hard”; a term used to describe water that has high mineral content. While these minerals are harmless to human health, they do cause some problems – as we’ll discuss in more detail soon.
A commercial water softener seeks to remove these minerals from the water, so that all the water coming from taps and outlets in a hotel is “soft”. Here’s why soft water is so beneficial to hotels.
Soft Water Ensures Outstanding Cleanliness
As mentioned, hard water contains additional minerals. For the most part, these minerals are harmless due to their low volume – or at least, they’re harmless to human health.
Unfortunately, the minerals found in hard water have a number of downsides, the most obvious of which is their residue. These mineral deposits, for example, are responsible for water spots and brown marks – both of which can be very difficult to remove, and the presence of which will no doubt elicit a number of complaints from hotel guests. Soft water, on the other hand, contains no additional minerals, so there’s no need to worry about having to remove these deposits from tiles, flooring, and shower screens.
As a result, soft water means an easier job for cleaning staff, and fantastic, clean bathroom areas that guests are sure to appreciate.
Soft Water Makes Warewashing and Laundry Easier
The mineral deposits as described above don’t just impact tiles and flooring; they can also gather on fabrics, such as bed sheets and pillowcases and of course glasses plates and crockery.
While one would think a standard laundry process would remove these deposits, this sadly isn’t the case; in fact, further washing in hard water can make the problem worse. Over time, this can essentially ruin the fabric, creating stiff, uncomfortable bed linens that no guest is going to want to sleep on.
Likewise with consistent dishwashing. The effects of chlorine and limescale can cause clouding and streaks on glassware and crockery. Soft water running through your dishwashing equipment will provide first class, clean, crystal clear, crockery and glasses that will impress your guests.
By installing a commercial water softener, the issue of mineral deposits is immediately removed. This results in a better experience for guests, lower laundry costs, and saves money by ensuring all fabrics are able to last for as long as possible
Soft Water Helps to Create a Superior Experience For Guests
There are four ways in which soft water via a hotel water softener can help to create a superior experience for guests:
An Improved Bathing Experience
As well as creating mineral deposits, hard water also changes the chemical composition of the water ever so slightly. This change is most apparent when using shampoo or shower gels; in hard water, these products will not produce much lather. Given that lather is often seen as a luxury when bathing, its absence can adversely affect a guest’s opinion of the bathroom facilities of the hotel.
A More Pleasant Hair-Washing Experience
When a guest rinses their hair after shampooing, the mineral deposits in hard water can cling to the hair strands rather than rinsing clear. When this happens, the result is far from ideal; the deposits can make hair seem stringy and greasy, even though it has technically recently been washed. However, when rinsing their hair with soft water, guests will experience light, bouncy, clean hair that looks and feels fantastic.
More Comfortable Bathing
Studies have found links between hard water and skin conditions such as dry skin or eczema. By installing a water softener, hoteliers can be sure that their guests will be able to bathe comfortably, with no risk of these common skin issues being exacerbated during the bathing process.
A Preferable Drinking Experience
If the water is hard, many guests will find that hotel drinking water is rather unpalatable; hard water has a distinctive taste due, once again, to the minerals it contains. By installing a water softener, hotels can be sure that their hotel tap water will be free of any such issues, ensuring guests are able to adequately quench their thirst with highly drinkable water that suits their palate. Your hotel Barista will be serving up great tasting coffee too, using only the best ingredients – your water!
In a highly competitive industry, hoteliers have to go the extra mile for their customers and – wherever possible – ensure the running of their hotel is as smooth and hassle-free as it can possibly be.
As we have seen, installing a commercial water softener is more than suitable for achieving both aims, allowing for quicker and more efficient cleaning, boosting the guest experience, and even helping to save money on replacement linens. As a result, if you run a hotel, choosing to install a water softener is truly a no-brainer, and a choice that your establishment will benefit from in a multitude of different ways.
