Read about some precautions you can take to avoid allergic reactions in your restaurant while delighting your guests.

While hotels must be able to cater to a number of different customer groups, business travelers are a particularly lucrative segment that you want to be sure to target. While many travelers might look for ways to stretch their dollar, guests who travel for business tend to be more liberal with their spending. By understanding the types of amenities that business travelers look for, you can better target these valuable guests and attract business travelers to your establishment.

At Source1 Purchasing, we understand that you need to provide amenities that will appeal to a wide variety of guests. Be sure to contact our group purchasing organization today to learn how we can enhance your buying power and improve your supply-chain costs.

Fitness Rooms

Many business travelers enjoy the ability to maintain their fitness routine while they are away from home. This seems to be especially true for millennials. While hotels with fitness rooms may have an advantage over hotels that don’t, you want to make sure that you offer the type of equipment your guests want. If all your fitness room offers is a treadmill and a few hand weights, then you might want to consider adding in some newer aerobic and weight machines. If your hotel is not in a position to update your fitness area, then consider partnering with a nearby gym to give your guests access to the type of equipment they want.

Laundry Services

Business travelers need to make sure that their clothes are pressed and ready for the meetings they have planned. While many hotels offer laundry services, they are not always adequately advertised. When targeting business travelers, be sure to promote the specific laundry services that your hotel offers. Same-day dry cleaning services can help put your hotel ahead of the pack.

Technology

Technology has changed the way we interact with the world around us. Today’s business travelers have high expectations when it comes to the digital services that your hotel offers. You must do more than simply offer free access to high-speed internet. Business travelers want to engage with your hotel digitally, which means that amenities such as mobile check-in, mobile keys, and a digital concierge are all convenient ways to allow your guests to access the services they need.

A great customer experience starts with a stable supply chain. Source1 Purchasing can help you save money on all of your hospitality needs. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.

Source1 Purchasing is a proud supporter of the GO Fund, a non-profit organization that helps women and children throughout Africa.

One of the best ways to help your guests start their day off right is by providing them with a great breakfast. In fact, many guests site quality breakfast options as one of their main reasons for re-booking a particular hotel. Creating a standout breakfast bar, however, can be difficult. While you want to make sure you have plenty of options to please your guests, you probably also have a limited amount of space in which to accomplish that. Not to worry! With some careful planning, you can put together a great breakfast spread that your guests will be sure to rave about.

At Source1 Purchasing, we are proud to be one of the top procurement service companies. Whether you need food, linens, or cleaning supplies we can help you get the best services at the best prices. Contact us today for a free supply-chain analysis.

Start With the Basics

You will want to provide a good assortment of nutritious breakfast staples. Whole grain cereals are always a popular option, as well as an assortment of different types of bread, yogurt, and fruit. These items allow your guests to create a satisfying and well-balanced meal should they choose. Some guests also love the option of having a hot meal in the morning. If possible, provide some traditional hot items including, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, and pancakes. These can be made ahead of time, which will make your breakfast service as easy and efficient as possible for your staff.

Dietary Needs

While having traditional breakfast items available is important, it’s also important to consider the dietary needs or restrictions that other guests may have. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to accommodate guests who are sensitive to dairy, gluten, or nuts. Most food suppliers will be able to offer you these types of items. It’s important to remember that not only should everything on your hotel breakfast bar be clearly labeled, but you should also make sure that food is prepared without any cross-contamination issues. You want your guests to be able to eat with the confidence of knowing that their food is safe.

Consider Your Guests’ Schedules

The amount of time that each of your guests wants to spend while eating breakfast will vary. Some guests may want to sit down and enjoy their meal at a leisurely pace while others will need to grab something and go. Make sure to offer the types of food that will best serve both of these types of schedules.

At Source1 Purchasing, we can help you save money on everything you need to stock your hotel breakfast bar. Sign up for your free savings analysis today for more information.

LED lighting is one of the fastest-growing interior design trends in the hospitality industry. LED lights are long-lasting, economical, and can be used in a multitude of ways throughout your property. Most people are aware that LED bulbs are among the most eco-friendly lighting choices. However, there were several reasons why hotels were reluctant to adopt them into their design elements until now.

Continue reading today’s post to learn the benefits of LED lights for hotels, and contact Source1 Purchasing to learn more about how our group purchasing organization can provide the services you need. Call for your free supply-chain analysis.

First, the limited choices when it came to fixture designs made it difficult for hotels to find LED lights that worked for them. Further, the high cost of LED lighting fixtures was a huge deterrent to hotels that had to be mindful about their budget. Today, neither one of these issues are a concern. There are more styles of LED lights than ever before. Plus, with their popularity continuing to grow, they are substantially less expensive than they once were.

Benefits of LED Lighting

Lifespan

Unlike the incandescent bulbs of the past, LED lights will never burn out. Instead, they simply begin to slowly dim over a long period of time. In fact, they can last up to fifty times longer than an incandescent bulb depending on the fixture. This unique feature will help save both time and money for your maintenance department.

Energy Savings

Another benefit of LED lighting is that these bulbs are much more energy-efficient than fluorescent, incandescent, or halogen bulbs. It is estimated that this type of lighting uses about half the energy as the other lighting options, which can lead to significant savings on your energy bill over time.

Improved Safety

One of the advantages of LED lights is that they are typically made up of shatter-proof material. If they are dropped, there is little to no risk of shards of glass scattering throughout the area. What’s more, there are many options for fixtures that can operate on a backup power supply. This can create an added level of safety for lighting hallways and potentially hazardous areas in your hotel either at night or in the event of a power outage.

Flexibility

No matter what type of area you need to light, there is a fixture that is perfect for the job. Unlike some of the other lighting choices, LEDs provide pleasant lighting for any application. Whether you need bright lights for a guest’s bathroom or soft lighting for lounge areas, you can easily find the perfect LED fixture to match your hotel’s aesthetic.

At Source1 Purchasing, we are here to help you get the best prices on lighting and other design and maintenance supplies that you need in your hotel. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.

Every hospitality professional dreads the thought of bed bugs making their way onto their property. Not only can bed bugs ruin a guest’s experience, but they are also a legitimate health concern. These persistent pests are difficult to get rid of once they’ve found their way into your guest rooms. What’s worse is that they reproduce quickly which means that once you have bed bugs, you could quickly find yourself with an infestation on your hands.

At Source1 Purchasing, we know that having the right cleaning supplies is a big part of maintaining your reputation. Be sure to contact our team so that we can help you source the right supplies for your organization. Our procurement service company is here to help your business run smoothly. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.

Checking for Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can thrive anywhere that people sleep. Hotels and resorts are ideal places for these pests to settle in and wait for their next meal. The incredibly small size of this pest, and its tendency to hide in small crevasses, make it difficult to spot a bed bug infestation until someone is bitten.

Bed bugs tend to search for a meal people are asleep in bed. Victims of bed bug bites will often have large patches of red welts from being bitten multiple times. These bites can be itchy and painful. Needless to say, waking up to find you’ve been attacked by bed bugs is not a pleasant experience.

Due to their small size, bed bugs have the ability to spread through a property at an incredible rate. They can easily hitch a ride on people, luggage, or cleaning carts, which makes it easy for them to travel from one guest room to the next.

Bed bug mitigation depends on attentiveness. It is very important that your hotel’s cleaning staff is trained to perform periodic checks for any signs of bed bugs, and respond to reports of sightings quickly.

Common areas where bed bugs hide include:

• Bed Sheets
• Pillow Cases
• Mattress Tufts
• Bed Frames
• Couch Cushions
• Luggage
• Walls and Baseboards

Treating and Preventing Infestations

Bed bug infestations must be handled in a specific way. If you simply spray a guest room infested with bed bugs, then you risk scattering them to other parts of your property. Bed bugs must be targeted with very specific pesticides or steam treatments.

Hotel bed bug prevention can be tricky. No matter how diligent you are about cleaning your guest rooms, bed bugs can make their way into any hotel. There are steps you can take to help reduce the chances of an infestation. Make sure that you limit the number of places where they can hide. Cover your beds with mattress protectors, and make sure that any crevasses behind baseboards, in plumbing, and window frames are properly sealed.

Make sure that your maintenance staff is prepared with the right tools to combat bed bugs at your hotel. Source1 Purchasing can help you secure the most competitive prices on bed bug pesticides and other hotel bed bug treatments from top-rated suppliers like HD Supply. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.

Due to customer demand, pet-friendly hotels are becoming more common than ever. If your hotel isn’t already in the practice of welcoming four-legged guests, now may be the time to start. You may be concerned that opening up your hotel to pets will bring more complications than it’s worth. However, there are several benefits to operating as a pet-friendly establishment. Continue reading today’s post to learn about some of these benefits, and contact Source1 Purchasing for all of your procurement service needs.

Pet Lovers Are Big Spenders

The pet industry is a huge market, with pet owners spending tens of billions of dollars on their animals each year. Pet lovers are known to be big spenders, which is especially true for those who want their pet to travel with them. This means that you can charge premium room rates for guests who want to bring their pet. More often than not, you will likely discover that your guests will happily pay for this feature.

Upsell Opportunities

There are plenty of opportunities to upsell guests staying at your hotel or resort with their pet. You might consider adding pet-friendly items to your room service menu. For example, treats, bones, and toys are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Many pet owners would jump at the chance to offer their pet a special treat during their stay. If you have an on-site convenience store, then make sure you stock pet-friendly items.

Tips for Making Your Hotel Pet-Friendly

There are a number of amenities that you can offer to guests who are traveling with their furry companions. While these extras probably won’t seriously impact your budget, they are likely to make a big impression!. Providing water and food dishes as well as pet beds can enhance your guests’ experience during their stay.

If you want to take your commitment to pet-friendliness to the next level, consider building a fenced-in dog run. This will give your four-legged guests a safe place to enjoy the outdoors. If you’re able to create a positive experience for your guests and their pets, then you will probably gain a customer for life!

Guidelines for Accepting Guests With Pets

Although you want to do everything in your power to make your guests feel welcome, it’s okay to set some guidelines to make sure that the presence of pets isn’t disruptive to your other guests. Dogs should be required to be in a carrier or leashed when they are outside of their rooms. If a guest has to leave their pet alone in their guest room, then it’s a good idea to require them to kennel their pet while they’re away. Once the guest checks out, your cleaning staff should take extra care to make sure that the guest room is properly sanitized and free of any pet hair.

Should you choose to become a more pet-friendly hotel, then you’ll want to consider the additional cleaning supplies you’ll need to address pet odors and stains. At Source1 Purchasing, we can help you enhance your purchasing power to get the most benefit from your budget. From hospitality supplies and cleaning products to food and furniture, we can source what you need. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.