New Research By Hotel Fresh Finds Dated Décor Directly Related To Poor Reviews

LONDON - Sept. 8, 2013 - PRLog -- The study, which was completed this week using reviews from TripAdvisor, found in no uncertain terms that first impressions pack a real punch with guests. When walking into a hotel the first thing most took note of was the décor, and even hotels that were generally clean fared poorly when it came to reviews if the overall look and feel was one of a dated interior.

Hotel Fresh is a dedicated hotel decor maintenance company that works hand-in-hand with hotel maintenance teams, owners and managers to implement preventative maintenance schedules. It helps to ensure hotel decor is always kept to the highest possible standard, leaving hoteliers to concentrate on the running of their business and guests more likely to leave positive reviews.

Thanks to websites such as Trip Advisor, potential guests are able to get a pretty accurate idea of the state of a hotel before they book making positive reviews essential to maintaining occupancy rates. The HotelFresh research studied a number of TripAdvisor reviews, looking at contributing factors and common complaints with critical feedback was left. In addition to the expected staff friendliness and location, it found that many guests were put off if the hotel décor was poorly maintained. Even if the location was good and food of an acceptable standard, poor maintenance was found to increase the likelihood of a bad review being posted online.

A recent study of the reviews of one particularly dire establishment showed that 67% of the negative reviews mentioned the décor and the upkeep of the hotel in some way, underlining just how critical a rolling maintenance schedule it. In the case of this residence, staff friendliness and the quality of food were found to be other contributing factors.

Additional complaints left on sub-standard reviews for other properties cited cheap looking furnishings, carpets and walls in poor condition, paint scraped off doors, scuff marks on doors and walls, old and outdated furnishings, worn out carpets, dilapidated furniture, bathtubs with enamel worn off, dripping showerheads  velvet furnishings that collected dust and dirty curtains amongst other issues.

Micah Mullings, founder of HotelFresh said, “It is clear that guests put a lot of store in the décor of their room and public areas such as the lobby and even details which can seem inconsequential such as scuff marks on the doors can lead to a very public bad review being left. This is a deterrent for those considering booking and creates a poor image which can quite easily lead to a substantial loss of bookings. Our research shows that keeping on top of room appearances is essential, from the obvious such as maintaining fixtures and fittings like the shower in good working order to things that can easily be overlooked such as smudges on walls and taking care to ensure furniture and linens are kept up to date.”

Hotel Fresh has a dedicated team of skilled craftsmen that can work with in-house staff to offer tailor-made, cost effective recurring hotel décor and maintenance solutions (http://www.hotelfresh.co.uk/). Mullings added, “Our research showed that poorly maintained hotel decor adversely affects guest impressions, leading to negative reviews and lower guest retention.  We, like the hotels we work with, want to sustain favourable impressions, so guests come back for more. Whether it’s in the lobby or the hallway, the stairwells or the bedrooms, the standard of hotel decor is paramount in creating and maintaining a five star guest experience.”

Based in London, Hotel Fresh offers an extensive range of professional services including French polishing, plastering, dry lining, carpentry, wall papering, grouting and flooring. The dedicated team has years of experience in the hotel and hospitality industry, giving it a unique understanding of what it takes to maintain a hotel to the highest standard possible, whatever the budget.

For many hotels, the key to success is not only getting guests through the door, but also ensuring that those guests return the next time they are in town. With the aesthetics and general upkeep of a hotel playing such a big part in customer satisfaction, Hotel Fresh can give hotel owners the edge over the competition when it comes to securing repeat bookings.

About Hotel Fresh

Hotel Fresh is a dedicated hotel decor maintenance company that works hand-in-hand with hotel maintenance (http://www.hotelfresh.co.uk/index.html) teams, owners and managers to implement preventative maintenance schedules that ensure hotel decor (http://www.hotelfresh.co.uk/index.html) is always kept to the highest possible standard.

By employing skilled craftsmen with in-depth experience of working in the hotel sector, Hotel Fresh assures the highest quality of workmanship and minimal disruption to hotel operations.   Your maintenance and housekeeping teams can focus on all the other maintenance matters while we care for your decor.