JETTy

Guest Input
Clark, Spivak and other manufacturers
have refined their products by responding
to feedback from end users. In a similar
vein, hoteliers can make the task of choosing
appropriate seating easier simply by
paying close attention to guests’ habits.
That’s one of the ways Natalie Cherry, general
manager of Sleep Inn Regina East, makes
purchasing decisions. “I’ve long ago
steered away from making decisions
based on my own experiences as a traveller,”
she says. “For example, when I’m booked
into a hotel I love lying on the bed to watch
television. But most of my Sleep Inn guests
have told me they prefer sitting in a chair.
That’s why we’ve provided extra-comfortable
armchairs in all our suites, the type you can
curl up in to read a book if desired.”
Cherry’s Sleep Inn suites also boast
ergonomic desk chairs: “They replace the
standard table and chair that people of my
pre-laptop generation are accustomed to.”
One of Cherry’s purchasing decisions has
met with unexpected success. “A while ago I
decided to invest in high-back bench seating
for our breakfast area, simply because it
would distinguish us from other Sleep Inn
breakfast areas,” she says. “Today, although we
have four different types of seating options
for the breakfast crowd, they immediately
flock to the benches. They’re a huge hit.”
In terms of satisfying guests’ seating
preferences in general, Cherry abides by a
simple rule. “We provide as many different
options in our public and private spaces as
possible,” she says.
East Versus West
For the most part hoteliers may have
rebounded from the recession, but that doesn’t
mean they have money to burn — especially
when it comes to bulk furniture purchases.
But they exercise caution when it comes to
procuring `affordable’ seating from offshore.
“We admittedly have done business with offshore
suppliers in the past, but we have an
unofficial rule: we don’t use them for wood or
steel products,” says Anderson. “That’s because
the wood from Asian countries is grown in a
far more humid environment than that of
North America, so when it’s shipped here it
tends to crack over time. As for the steel used
to make patio furniture, it just doesn’t stand
up to our weather: it corrodes.”
True Key does, however, use offshore suppliers
for textiles. “We’ve taken our time to
find the right suppliers, and the quality of
their product is very good,” says Anderson.
Melamed takes a philosophical view
about offshore sourcing.
“Domestic manufacturing
has definitely increased in
recent years, which is
good news for our job situation.
“But doing business
with offshore companies
still makes sense in
some cases: for example,
for a new build it would
make economic sense to
fill a container.”
So, what constitutes
quality seating, in Melamed’s
opinion? “It’s not rocket science,” he replies.
“The frames should be hardwood, with
show woods being kiln dried and everything
assembled properly. Maintenance
costs are of paramount importance to
hoteliers, which is why many of our products
don’t have any mechanics other than
For Accro Furniture Industries
the hallmarks of their
manufacturing capabilities are
durability and ergonomics.
swivel abilities: there’s less to wear down
and repair.”
Quality for Melamed also means
encouraging clients to participate in the
creation of new seating. “By selecting the
upholstery, they put their mark on the final
product,” he says.
Other seating manufacturers are more
outspoken in describing the quality of offshore
goods. “We looked at wood frames
from China, and they’re garbage,” says Dan
Taylor, sales manager at Adria Contract
Seating Inc. of Calgary. “Instead, we get all
our frames from Italy, and the quality as
well as durability is superb. We do the
upholstery and finishing here in Calgary,
and when our hotel clients learn about
where our materials are sourced they’re visibly
relieved. They appreciate the fact we
build a battleship of a chair, complete with
high density foam, that can more or less last
forever as long as you
occasionally tighten the
bolts and do other minor
touch-ups.”
Kevin Sandler, vicepresident
of ISA International
Inc. (which recently
installed over 700 banquette
chairs on behalf of
Edition Miami co-owned
by Ian Schrager and Marriott),
says his familyowned
firm limits its offshore
procurement to cast
iron bases and desk chairs. “For wood products
we use domestic and European companies,
partly because they understand that
North Americans are far rougher on their
seating than Asians are on theirs and build
accordingly. Frankly, the Europeans have
become much more aggressive in terms of
pricing and far more accommodating in
their business dealings. Fifteen years ago you
couldn’t talk to anyone over there unless
you had an order for 500 units. That’s not
the case today, and this means hoteliers have
easier access to terrific European designs
and craftsmanship.”
Walter Gross, manager of the River Hills,
Manitoba custom manufacturer Whiteshell
Chairs, remarks, “We’ve had plenty of
clients come to us after buying chairs made
in China. I’m not saying offshore products
are no good, I’m just saying North American
furniture is better.”
Whiteshell’s commitment to quality is
such that it uses foam injection rather than
foam slabs for its seat cushions (it was the
first company in the North American
industry to do so). Its warranties are also
unmatched: 10 years for the foam and
frame. “Plus, we have an in-house powder
coating plant and a metal shop that produces
premium outdoor furniture for hotel
restaurants and patios,” says Gross.
Spivak used to bring in shipping containers
of material from Asian countries.
“But frankly the transportation fees have
risen to the point where it costs our clients
too much,” he says. Because of Spivak’s
preference to work hands-on with hotel
clients, Modern Line late last year opened a
brand new production facility in New Jersey;
it offers clients an enhanced level of
quality control, production efficiency, shipping
options, and `Made in USA’ products
at factory-direct prices. “We can now fulfil
custom orders of any size, operate on
much shorter lead times, and provide a
massive variety of leather and fabric
options,” says Spivak.
It falls upon Jeremy Phillips, vice-president
of sales & marketing for Contract
Furniture Solutions, to make a case for offshore
procurement, and he argues that it’s
a good business strategy at a time when
many hoteliers are still trying
to make ends meet. “For one
thing, many hotels are directed
to use preferred suppliers
from southern parts of the
United States and pay ridiculous
charges just for shipping
product,” he says. “We, on the
other hand, have our furniture
made offshore, in order
to deliver competitive cost
savings. Not only can we save
Canadian hotel operators
charges on shipping, in most cases we offer
savings on specified product too.”
In Your Face
The experts may use different words to
describe it, but the biggest design trend for
seating continues to be contemporary-sleek.
But contemporary-sleek furniture is usually
accompanied by classic colours — such
as grey — that are intended to last until the
next re-design five to seven years down the
road. This is definitely not the case for a lot
of new seating; instead, bold, in your face
colours is the order of the day. “This is especially
true for loft hotels and new builds,”
says Melamed. “The extended stay Home2
48 Western Hotelier Magazine
Western Hotelier Magazine 49