Key considerations for hotel textile selection

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With pandemic-induced slowdowns behind us, travel and leisure are back with a vengeance, and the hospitality industry is undergoing a true renaissance. As hotels, spas and resorts continue to experience an uptick in guests, professionals must cater to a clientele whose needs and priorities have shifted significantly. Concerns for health and safety, demand for cleanability and a strong desire to see leading brands commit to equity, social justice and reducing environmental harm are at the forefront. While management should exude these values through operations and guest service, designers must also pull the message through the interior and exterior material selection.

Sourcing mindful and sustainable materials

The hospitality sector puts many demands on the environment, especially given the average hotel receives a renovation every five to seven years to keep the interior current. Analogous to other industries, interior designers often focus on an aesthetic at a budget to meet today’s needs while ignoring lifecycle costs. This is why many hotels are home to massive amounts of materials, such as PVC, which is virtually non-recyclable. “Sustainable” products aren’t created equally. As the public increasingly demands accountability from corporations, misleading and unsubstantiated claims about green initiatives and products are becoming more commonplace, making it harder for people to tell fact from greenwashing.

Transparency and third-party certification can bridge the gap between artificial and genuine claims about the environmental attribute of a product. Choosing materials associated with independent companies and labs that test, audit, measure and optimize products and manufacturing processes is a surefire way for designers to make responsible choices. Carnegie Fabrics is proud to be recognized for its responsibly-made materials by third-party certifications such as B Corp, Declare, Cradle to Cradle, LEED, WELL and Living Building Challenge.

Creating an indoor/outdoor connection 

Since the pandemic, many properties are adding or expanding outdoor spaces, giving guests more options to connect with nature and feel safe and protected. Designers are beginning to blur the line between these inside and outside spaces, creating continuity and pulling through the same feeling and ambiance no matter where guests are on the property.

The tricky part of designing outdoor communal spaces is sourcing textiles that can withstand extreme weather and are durable and easy to maintain. Products like the Xorel Biobased Indoor/Outdoor are perfect for outdoor communal spaces. Made from sugarcane and with no added finishes, coatings or chemistry required to perform, it is inherently wear and stain-resistant, colorfast and antibacterial. It can be wiped, hosed, scrubbed and aggressively cleaned with bleach without degrading in quality.

Accounting for cleanability

The pandemic has transformed the views of sanitation and cleanliness, especially in hospitality settings. Because hotels are high-traffic, walls, upholstery and other surfaces require regular maintenance and vigorous cleaning protocols. Specifiers should understand how the fabric will be cleaned and maintained, how it will age over time, where it will be used and how much abuse it will need to withstand.

A firm commitment to Materials That Matter™ 

Carnegie spent the last 70+ years championing responsible innovation through Materials That Matter™, proving that beautiful, high-performance solutions can be delivered sustainably. Guided by this philosophy, the company is introducing its latest collection of textiles designed for the hospitality industry. The Endeavor Upholstery and Craft Biobased Xorel collections meet the challenge of delivering sustainable performance while honoring a return to communal and shared leisure, creating soothing, beautiful and elegant hospitality environments. To learn more about Carnegie’s latest hospitality launch, visit https://carnegiefabrics.com/23-01-creative-collection.