Textile rental focus

Worth the weight

1 July 2008



Hotel customers expect more luxury and more comfort, David Goymour discovers how textiles suppliers are responding


Today’s five-star hotel customers expect more luxury, more comfort and, definitely, richer, softer towels. According to the hotel operations people, the towels must be cotton and preferably Egyptian. There is a definite trend towards heavier weights of towelling products in the hotel and spa sector, say suppliers – up to 650gsm terry towelling, for both towels and bathrobes.

Of course weight has an impact on laundry costs and the time taken to process goods. “People who specify heavier products in hotels probably don’t understand that,” says Mark Lockwood of Hilden.

The high-grade hotels, which are sticking to the 650gsm standard for bedroom towels and bathrobes don’t have to address that issue, since many have in-house laundries. For the majority of the market, which relies on contract laundries and linen hire companies, it may be time, some say, to settle for a lighter weight.

Joe Molloy, of Trade Linens, who works closely with Floringo, points out that the quality of towelling depends on more than “gsm count” – the quality of the original yarn and manufacturing skill both have an impact. He believes the industry may need to re-evaluate standards.

“Does cotton have to be combed rather than carded, for example?” Molloy asks.

“Combed cotton yarn is more even and consistent, but the combing of the yarn reduces the absorbency. How does this compare with carded?”

While refinements of yarn and processing are significant, added weight can still offer a softer, richer feel. However, heavier towels take longer to dry and need more tumbling, which shows up in wear and tear, as edges start to fray.

Perhaps, says Molloy, it’s time to strike a balance – at somewhere around 550 to 570gsm.

Mark Lockwood of Hilden confirms that there is a trend towards heavier towels: “We now offer up to 650gsm under the name Van Gogh. These are 100% cotton, in white only, with a single header bar, and they are aimed at five-star hotels and possibly spas. Spa towels are traditionally 400 to 450gsm, with a blue header bar to distinguish them from the hotel stock.”

But white is still the most popular colour for the hotel market. Hilden says this sector is still 90% white, and that’s driven by the laundries.

Phil Jackson of Linen Connect, says “There is no sign, of any change in the fashion for white towelling in hotel bedrooms. “People tend to go for white colour schemes in their bathrooms at home now, perhaps with a light grey feature, and the same trend shows up in hotel bathrooms (where years ago we might have found avocado and other unlikely colours).

Demand for white also extends to hotel bathrobes. Linen Connect continues to attract demand for its bathrobes, which come in 450 or 500 gsm white terry towelling. and the fashion is now for a shawl collar robe with belt and patch pockets, rather than the kimono style.

Jackson also notes the move to heavier weight towels. He reports that the norm for hotel pool stock has increased from typically 450gsm a few years ago to about 500gsm now.

“We had a period when people were using 450gsm Turkish towels. Some went for cheaper options, but they were disappointed and came back to us.”

Turkish manufacturing standards are the benchmark for towelling, which was introduced to Europe from Turkey in about 1750.

Cheaper alternatives probably use a lower quality yarn and the quality of make-up tends to be poorer.

A hand towel at 80p could be expected to fray at the edges more quickly than the Turkish equivalent, which would cost £1.10.

Cost pressures affect all hotels, and Jackson says that some businesses are reducing the number of lines they use rather than choosing cheaper stock.

“Some hotels are now tending to go just for a hand towel and a 100cm x 175cm bath sheet”, says Jackson. “Pool stock tends to include a 100cm x 150cm towel, but in places even pool stock is being rationalised to a hand towel and a bath sheet.”

Barbara Cooke, of BC Softwear, says: “People are going up-market more than ever before. We came out with 650gsm towels in 2003 – in those days our niche client base was supplying direct to country house hotels. It took a little time but the laundries are now catering for this.”

BC Softwear’s 650gsm towel has a slightly longer pile than some alternatives. Cooke acknowledges that this presents a slight disadvantage in that the pile can be snagged. “That doesn’t mean you have to discard it – it can be trimmed,” she says.

Laundries are looking for a combination of longevity and customer satisfaction, and she maintains that a 650gsm towel with a shorter pile may become harder with wear.

The company still makes its towels in Turkey, from 100% Egyptian yarn. BC Softwear is staying away from hybrid, part-synthetic yarns: “Housekeepers trust 100% cotton. It lasts longer and washes well.”

The company also finds waffle towels are the popular choice for spas.

Towels are used more quickly in spas than in hotel bedrooms and the volume of stock can more easily be handled in the laundry if the waffle texture is used rather than full terry towelling.

“Spas like to have a different look from the hotel bedrooms, and the waffle pattern helps,” says Cooke.

She also reports that hotels are increasingly interested in coloured bathrobes, though white is still the main choice. Colour-fast dyes are improving all the time. Cliveden Hotel, for example, has been using royal blue towels from BC Softwear, and customer feedback suggests they last far longer.

At the Lowry Hotel, Manchester, which moved its linen hire contract early in 2007 to Chester Textile Services, there was no question of compromising quality.

“We told them we would accept nothing less than 650gsm,” says deputy head housekeeper Stuart Coope. This was not a problem for Chester Textile Services, which is set up to supply three-star to five-star hotels.

The Lowry wanted a supplier in its own region, which was a key reason for moving to Chester, although the company supplies clients throughout England and Wales.

The Lowry has its own exclusive stock, held and managed by Chester Textile Services. Hand and bath towels and bathrobes are all badged with the hotel logo. The Lowry specifies white for bedrooms (“It’s got to be white,” insists Stuart Coope) and dark blue for the leisure centre.

For some hotel housekeepers, the issue of the impact that the weight of towelling stock has on laundering time and costs, is secondary. These are the housekeepers working in the hotels with in-house laundries.

The Midland in Manchester is a good example. Executive housekeeper Sandra Dixon uses 500gsm towels for most of the hotel’s 312 rooms, but she recently bought 650gsm towels, from BC Softwear, for the 14 suites.

She comments: “People’s expectations are far higher nowadays. If you're hiring linen there are cost constraints. Our new 650gsm towel gives real luxury, and I don’t know any contract laundry that would do that.” Sandra is also happier in the knowledge that she has her own dedicated stock, rather than sharing pool stock with other local hotels.

In-house laundries may run counter to the market trend, but it seems that the Midland won’t be changing any time soon. The hotel invested £100,000 in a new ironing machine two years ago and will probably spend another £100,000 on washers and dryers within the next twelve months.


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