Style Counsel with National Hotel Supplies
Want to make your resort, home or Airbnb feel world-class? Access the advice and products of one of the best in the biz! We ask April Kennedy of National Hotel Supplies for the lowdown on the latest luxe trends.
What are the emerging trends in accommodation this winter?
This winter we expect to see accommodation providers embrace the culture of their local area and incorporate it into their décor and guest experience. This could be in the form of art or homewares from local artists, or collaborations with businesses and suppliers to allow guests to take in the culture of the surrounding region.
It’s a great way for properties to create a point of difference while showcasing what their local area has to offer. Another trend we think we’ll see more of this winter is merging the outdoors with the indoors. It’s time to bring the outdoors in with a flurry of greenery, accessories, water features and décor that embraces nature and all its elements.
On a more practical level, connectivity will still be high on the agenda this winter, ensuring guests have access to all their technology while staying away from home. This includes creating designated docking stations, Wi-Fi connectivity and giving guests access to streaming media such as Netflix and Stan.
How do you make your home or room a haven for guests?
Personalise the space with flowers, candles, boutique guest amenities, slippers and luxury towels and bed linen. Finishing touches like ice buckets, luxury bathrobes and organic tea and coffee will add a hint of lavishness and create a haven for your guests during their stay. Honestly, it’s all about designing a space where guests can escape reality, but at the same time feel right at home. Get this right, and your guests will never want to leave!
What’s your best decorating tip for beginners when it comes to decorating their Airbnb or accommodation?
Our number one styling tip is to ‘keep it simple’. We believe simplicity is the key when styling for the first time and we live by the saying ‘less is more’. Ultimately your Airbnb property or accommodation needs to be comfortable and liveable and decorated with your guests’ needs in mind.
What makes your service unique?
We see ourselves as more than just your standard hotel supplies company. With years of experience under our belt, we understand the desires of your guests, and your guests’ experience is just important to us as it is to you. We’re a family-owned and operated business based in Australia supplying guest amenities, bedding, towelling, room accessories, artwork, perishables and housekeeping supplies to small Airbnbs and luxury holiday houses, motels and guesthouses and larger hotels and resorts. We cater to everyone.
What’s on trend at the moment – what are customers asking for?
Our customers range from small Airbnbs, to boutique hotels and larger resorts, so it varies. But one thing they all have in common is that they want to create the ultimate guest experience. Right now our environmentally-friendly products are trending, from our collection of eco-friendly bathroom amenities to biodegradable and certified compostable rubbish bags.
What do you love about your eco-friendly range of products?
There’s been a strong movement towards buying environmentally friendly and Fairtrade guest amenities and hotel supplies and we are right behind this positive shift that’s taken place across the hospitality industry.
We want to help customers help the environment, so we stock a huge range of eco-friendly guest amenities. Our customers love it because they know their guests feel pampered during their stay and leave with a clear conscience knowing they’ve used responsible products to reduce the footprint they leave behind. It’s also a great point of difference for accommodation providers when advertising the features of their property.
We stock Barkly Basics, a stunning range of cleaning products and handwash that is eco-friendly, biodegradable, paraben free, SLS/SLES and not tested on animals. Not to mention our eco.logic Fairtrade hair and body range that is not only officially certified, but the bottles are made from 100% recycled milk bottles.
We are strong advocates for the environment and are always on the lookout for new eco-friendly products to hit the market. Keep an eye on our website because something spectacular is coming soon and it will be the answer to one-use plastics!
Tell us about bedding – what makes for a great presentation?
It’s all about the bedding! Bed linen needs to be taken seriously, and if nothing else, it’s important to get this right. We’re a big fan of clean, crisp white or satin striped sheets and it’s a trend that is here to stay. White sheets scream sophistication, not to mention they make life easier when it’s time for laundering.
We recommend layering with blankets and throws, and this winter we’re loving the oversized doonas.
Oversized bedding is practical and means no-one is fighting for their share of the doona or getting a cold back. It also allows you to create a feeling of luxury on top of your bed and can turn an ordinary looking bed into something lush and inviting. Add a couple of cushions in this year’s PANTONE colour of the year Living Coral, and you have a bed fit for a king, or queen.
What are some tips for decorating a guest bathroom (products, towels, presentation)?
We recommend keeping a simple colour scheme in the bathroom and accessorising with luxury towels, guest amenities and flowers or indoor plants to bring colour and the outside in. Try and create that ‘spa experience’ in your bathroom so your guests leave feeling pampered and relaxed.
Guest amenities have come such a long way in the past few years and the packaging is so beautiful it can be easily incorporated into your décor. It’s so much more than just shampoo and conditioner these days. Little extras such as body balm, bath salts, make-up wipes, bathrobes and slippers all go a long way
to create a luxury bathroom experience.
Anything else you would like to share?
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and add a little personality to your rooms. It’s so important to understand your guests and what they want. Treat them and know that every enhancement you make to your property enriches your guests’ experience and will return in the form of repeat bookings, reviews
and recommendations.
At National Hotel Supplies we have all the guest amenities and hotel supplies you need and if we don’t have it, we’ll find it. Email us at info@nationalhotelsupplies.com.au for more information on our products.
