Hospitality requires a certain ambiance and atmosphere. Discover the best hospitality flooring in this fulfilling overview.
You want to wow your customers.
As a business in the hospitality industry, you want them to feel welcome and at home as soon as they walk in the door. You also want a durable floor that doesn't require much maintenance. Nothing throws a wrench in your business like frequently having to find time for maintenance and repairs.
The good news is that there are a few options out there that are a shoo-in for hospitality flooring. Let's take a look at a couple of the best choices.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Perhaps one of the most versatile, durable options you can choose for hospitality flooring is luxury vinyl flooring. The floor is easy to install and not too expensive when compared to other flooring types.
Luxury vinyl takes vinyl flooring to a whole new level. The system is a bit newer than other flooring materials, but its popularity has soared. It isn't difficult to see why.
Since this is such a great option for hospitality floors, let's look at a few benefits.
Aesthetics
Luxury vinyl is extremely versatile when it comes to aesthetics. As a synthetic material, it's possible to produce it in a nearly endless variety of colors, textures, and patterns. It's even possible to produce extremely realistic looking imitations of natural stone, tile, and hardwood flooring — without the expense.
With the variety of styles and options to choose from, it's a simple task to find a floor that will provide the look you're going for in your business. While people may not necessarily notice your floor right off the bat, it will add a lot to the whole aesthetic of your business — which is exactly what you want.
Durability
Vinyl flooring has traditionally been quite durable, but luxury vinyl is even better. The flooring sports a heavy film of UV-cured urethane over the top that provides resistance to scuffs, scratches, and stains. You will often see luxury vinyl flooring in commercial environments because of its impressive ability to stand up to heavy traffic day in and day out.
Luxury vinyl is highly resistant to water and makes a good flooring option even in bathrooms or other 'wet' areas.
The flooring itself comes in a few different thicknesses. Thicker floors tend to be more durable and comfortable but also will be more expensive.
Maintenance
Luxury vinyl is quite easy to take care of. Regular sweeping and mopping are all that is necessary to remove debris, spills, and dirt. The flooring has proven to be quite resilient to chemical cleaners as well, so if you need to do a deep clean you don't have to worry about damaging the floor.
Comfort
Because of its thickness and flexibility, luxury vinyl is softer than other types of flooring. This thickness also helps to absorb sound and provides an extra layer of insulation.
The softness and insulating factors give the floor a warmth that stone or tile floors simply don't have. If you plan to use underfloor heating, this flooring is an excellent heat conductor.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate is also a great flooring choice for your hospitality business. Before you start conjuring up images of the yellowed and faded floor in your grandmother's kitchen, wait. Gone are the days when laminate was a less-than-desirable flooring option.
With technological advances and innovations, the process for creating laminate flooring has improved greatly.
Let's take a look at a few key benefits of laminate flooring for your business.
Cost
Probably the biggest benefit of laminate flooring is that it is inexpensive. Thicker, better quality laminate will be a little pricier, but any type of laminate offers a great value.
This can be helpful if you don't have the biggest budget for flooring, but need a durable, attractive option for your business.
Aesthetics
Laminate flooring can also be made to look like stone or wood. With luxury vinyl, however, you would have to look closely to see the difference and most people probably wouldn't even notice. Laminate, while it does a good job imitating these natural materials, is a little easier to detect that it's not real.
Comfort
Laminate itself is not as soft and doesn't have the same luxurious feel as luxury vinyl. However, it is often installed with a foam underlayment that gives it a little bit of give as you walk across it. The foam also takes care of the hollow sound/feel that is often associated with laminate.
Maintenance
Laminate is also quite easy to maintain. Sweeping and mopping will suffice in most cases. There are seams between the boards that do allow water to seep down into them. Avoid using a dripping wet mop to clean or the water could get down inside and cause swelling.
The Best Hospitality Flooring for Your Business
The right hospitality flooring for your business will depend on a few factors. If your budget allows for it, choosing a luxury vinyl option is usually the best bet. You can get a great deal on a durable, water-resistant floor and you can even have it made to look like hardwood or stone if that fits your aesthetic!
Laminate flooring is a great option when you need to save money. It's also a great floor to use in areas where the aesthetics might not be as important, such as rooms behind the scenes that your customers won't see.
Want more fun flooring tips? Be sure to check out other posts on our blog! We have lots of great content explaining the benefits of different types of flooring.
Have more questions or ready to install? Feel free to contact us. We'd love to help you choose your new floors!
