The Richard Haworth Blog

Hoteliers know that there is a constant balance to be maintained between quality, guest satisfaction and cost management, especially when it comes to operational and utility costs. One key example is laundering. Most hotels will have sizeable laundry requirements and require exacting finishes and a timely turnaround of the service. This is vital to get right, as guests view a clean and attractive bedroom as one of the most important aspects of their visitor experience.

So with this in mind, should you take the job in-house or outsource it - and what are the pros and cons of each approach? Continue reading →

When you think of the ideal hotel room, does it look the same as the ones you visited when you were a child? The chances are that it doesn’t even look like those you loved five years ago. Interior design trends are always changing, and if you want the rooms you provide to please customers, you’d better keep up. Here’s what’s hot in 2018.

A warm welcome

People looking for hotel rooms today are all about that cosy, home-away-from-home feeling. They want somewhere that looks stylish and clean but is all about comfort and relaxation. Interestingly, that doesn’t mean warm colours Continue reading →

According to the latest figures, overall consumer spending has continued to drop in the first months of this year, but the hospitality sector has continued to buck the trend.

Visa’s February 2018 UK Consumer Spending Index is based on Visa card spending and put together by economists from financial information and analysis firm IHS Markit.

A strong performance by hospitality sector

The falls in overall spending seen throughout 2017 continued into this year, with nine out of the last ten months recording negative figures. But after the usual quiet January for restaurants, hotels and bars, with growth falling to 3.7% from December 2017's 4.9%, the sector was the strongest in February. Hospitality saw a strong increase of 4.4%, comparing February 2018 with the same month last year.

Continue reading →

Richard Haworth, the leading supplier of bed, bath and table linens to the hospitality sector, is proud to announce they are the recepient of the Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award 2018. The award recognises businesses that deliver exceptional customer experiences. Feefo is an independent feedback platform that only collects ratings and reviews from verified customers – that means they are always genuine. With 89% of all reviews being 5 stars over the last 12 months, Richard Haworth thanks each and every customer for their feedback and assisting the company maintain its high levels of service across all areas of the business.

Our industry leading sustainable table linen Signature Plus has reached an incredible milestone, the REPREVE fibres used in the making of the fabric have been involved in recycling 10 billion bottles during manufacturing process.  To commemorate this milestone, Unifi, Inc. has announced the recipients of the inaugural REPREVE® Champions of Sustainability awards. These annual awards celebrate Unifi’s brand and textile partners around the world that share in its commitment to sustainability and vision for a better tomorrow.

January 2018 - Manchester-based linen manufacturer and supplier - Richard Haworth - has recently been awarded the latest ISO 9001:2015 certification, the internationally recognized benchmark for quality within an organisation.

By achieving the ISO 9001 certification, Richard Haworth are able to demonstrate to customers and suppliers that the systems in place meet the high standards set out by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).

To gain the ISO 9001 certification, the company demonstrated the dedication and commitment to meeting the needs of customers, operating efficient management processes and delivering consistent, good quality products and services. Continue reading →

As 2017 heads towards its conclusion, we are nearly ready for another year in hospitality. Anyone who keeps an eye on the industry, or who dines out on a regular basis, will know that every year new trends and fads emerge, and in this article we take a look at what we could see more of in 2018, judging by this year's restaurant developments.

Restaurant groups

If you can do something well once, why not do it just as well again? Successful British restaurants are eyeing the success of brands which are headed up by big-name chefs. They know the importance of a good reputation, and how it can be a wise business move to expand as soon as possible, Continue reading →

PWC has released its predictions for the progress of the hotel industry as we transition from 2017 into 2018. The overall outlook is positive. There is no getting away from the fact that shock factors such as terrorist incidents have had a dampening effect on the leisure industry as a whole. The UK economy is continuing to grow, but at a slower rate, which is putting pressure on business and restricting their spending on corporate travel. That being said, the overall message is that the knock-on effect of these factors has been much less damaging than would have been expected. The outlook for 2018 is, therefore, a positive one. Continue reading →

Every hotelier wants their customers to leave feeling relaxed and satisfied with their experience, but nobody’s perfect, and there are always things to improve upon.

The Hotel Guide 2018 will be out on 9 October, and we’re looking at some of the statistics and issues from the guide to give you an overview of the most common customer complaints, and what you can address to have every guest leaving with a smile.

Bedrooms

One of the biggest areas for complaint, according to The Hotel Guide, is the bedroom, with 59% of complaints about the bed being saggy or uncomfortable, and 48% of comments about poor-quality bedding. Continue reading →

Cautious hoteliers are being reminded not to wait for the Christmas period to update their facilities as the number of late-year bookings has soared.

Experts believe this could be the start of a larger trend of “fifth season” travel where British families are rediscovering the UK as a holiday destination. Many of these may have enjoyed similar adventures when they were young and they are now passing the same experience onto their children.

The evidence for this is that the period between summer and autumn, sometimes called "Sortumn", has seen a 61% increase in reservations. Continue reading →