With the advent new technologies and materials, flooring and furniture design in the hospitality segment are fulfilling the highest standards of form and function. BY RASHMI NAICKER
One of the advantages of being an architect or interior designer in the hospitality sector in the 21st century is the extensive range of products one gets to choose from. This is particularly true when it comes to flooring. Though previously considered secondary, flooring design has become one of the most crucial aspects in the hotel industry. As Vikas Kesarkar, VP – sales, Classic Marble Company, rightly puts it, “Within the hospitality world, the floor is often called ‘the fifth wall’—an area that cannot be ignored and one that should receive as much attention as the four walls of a space.”
From the exotic stone flooring that embellishes the vast lobbies to the vitrified tiles that befit the working spaces, flooring has now taken the front seat. Abhishek Saraf, joint managing director, Square Foot, believes, “Floors play a very crucial role in making hotel spaces look elegant and sophisticated, considering they are premium spaces that need showcasing in terms of look and feel. Thus, the flooring needs to look superior to attract the customer segment the hotel is targeting for.” Echoing the same thoughts, Naresh Maheshwari , CEO, Pergo India, says “Hotels are expected to be beautiful, clean and presentable all year around. Luxurious hotels are fast catching up with designing surfaces to welcome thousands of guests while also looking into ergonomics. Given the footfalls, hotels look for options that are durable yet elegant and sophisticated. An adept combination of style and functionality, is what these properties are striving to achieve. An immaculate floor makes a good first impression and sets the stage for the entire facility. Durability, minimal maintenance, and the perfect look are the most important aspects that decision makers look at when it comes to selecting flooring solutions in the hotel industry.”
As this industry continues to evolve, users are spoilt for choice thanks to the surfeit of designs, finishes and materials available. Additionally, technology is enabling flooring giants to introduce some impressive innovations, thus adding to the variety. Commenting on this, Maheshwari adds that, “The flooring industry is being inundated with newer technology and styling trends than ever before. Technology has changed the look of the floor industry for the better. Newer technologies produce floors that are aesthetically attractive and highly durable and safe at the same time.” Conventional forms of flooring in stone, engineered stone, porcelain, etc, are the most preferred in India, with engineered wood and the likes catching up.
The forms of unconventional flooring may have an aesthetic appeal; but when it comes to durability and maintenance, conventional flooring reigns supreme. Deliberating on the trends and vogues in flooring design, Dr Prashanth Reddy, MD & CEO, FunderMax, says, “We’ve come a long way since the times where stone and tile were the only options one thought about. The right flooring creates the perfect base for any room; it can serve as a focal point or supporting role to the décor and ambience of the space. With a influx of the west in our designing, there has been a change in the materials as well, now there is a demand of engineered wood, laminates, bamboo, etc, to impart that contemporary and stylish look with a provision to change in few years timeframe.”
Unlike wall finishes and furniture, flooring is expected to last for an eternity. Hence, it has to be of best quality, long lasting, easy to maintain and able to easily promote a hygienic environment. Stone is one of the most preferred options in flooring, for its durability and strength to withstand high-impact wear and tear. Preferred worldwide and synonymous with luxury, natural stone will never go out of style. In addition to these qualities, Kesarkar points out that unlike products such as carpeting, vinyl, etc, which involves particleboard and adhesives that emit harmful fumes months after installation, marble does not emit any toxic smoke, fumes or organic substance throughout its life span. In its exclusive collection, Classic Marbles offers rich floorings options christened as Bronze Armani, Grigio Antigo, Classic Fino and Rizoni.
With the ‘green’ tide, taking over, more and more designers and architects are favouring the idea of adopting eco-friendly product. Engineered marble, made from natural marble powder, mined from quarries, is becoming the preferred choice due to its green qualities. Unlike natural stone, engineered stone can be recreated in exactly the same colour and a pattern repeating the original manufacturing formula; and it is uniform in its physical, mechanical and visual characteristics.
Initially dominant in the residential and commercial sector, vitrified tiles are now widely used in the hospitality sector. There is a variety of colours, textures and sizes available, making them applicable to any look and spaces. Moreover, India is a market where people want durable products. The life of vitrified tiles is high, and maintenance is the easiest. They are easy to clean, install and ready to use.
A notable breakthrough in the tile industry is the use of high-definition digital printing. While conventional screen and rotary printing technologies allow only 60 & 120 dpi resolution printing on tiles, high-definition digital printing technology enables 300 dpi resolutions – resulting in finer and more realistic natural and textural patterns. Manufacturers now provide a wide range of vitrified and ceramic tiles that replicate the beauty of natural stone. The revolutionary printing technology even enables designers to custom design their tiles.
Though stone and its variants may be the preferred option in India, laminate flooring is getting substantial acceptance these days. Maheshwari of Pergo India, states, “The ongoing trend these days is to opt for laminate flooring, which certainly enhances the décor and the aesthetic appeal of any interiors. Laminate flooring is built to survive the rigors of today’s active hospitality industry. Rustic colors and dark shades are popular choices for floors in the hospitality sector as they provide a sense of warmth and homeliness.” The company’s TitanX Advanced technology provides its products with scratch, fire and bacteria resistance; it also prevents it from staining and fading.
Technology has also enhanced its overall look and helped replicate the beauty of genuine wood, as laminate floorings aim to be the perfect substitute to wooden flooring at highly economical costs. They make the perfect option for guest and conference rooms in hotels. Most flooring manufacturers are aiming at making joints and grouts invisible to the naked eye. ‘Endless plank’ by Pergo does that successfully, creating an illusion that the floor is made up of one single board. The joints at the end of the panel line up in texture and grain, adding up to a homogenous appearance. Architects and designers seek out innovations like these as, over a period of time, the joints get dirty and make the size demarcations more obvious.
Greenlam’s Mikasa floors are a range of real wood floorings that consists three composed layers of real hard wood, a stabilising core and a balancing layer. Put together using the most modern technology, the product’s contruction provides solidity and stability to every plank while restricting the expansion and contraction of wood, giving floor the resilience to stand the test of time and climate.
Saraf also adds that engineered wood offers an anti scratch finish, which allows the look and feel of a real wood floor to last for a long time. Square Foot’s collection of laminated wooden flooring added a new texture to its portfolio named the Heritage range, an option that offers the look and feel of old worn out hill station floors.
Outdoor spaces are also an essential part of the hotel property. Dr Reddy points out that the functionality of flooring typically varies tremendously depending on where it is used. Given this, various considerations are put in to the manufacturing of outdoor flooring. Some of the essential properties provided for this category are abrasion and skid resistance, noise reduction technique, moisture resistance heat and flame resistance, etc. The Hexa Surface offered by Fundermax is a unique floor design that provides immense skid resistance and is available throughout the world in hundreds of shades inspired from nature, material, solid colours and more to match the overall decor. Pergo has also launch a new range of landscaping grass, which is four coloured and looks like real grass and in many cases even better than real grass.
With the advent of newer technologies and materials, flooring design has gained immense momentum in the past decade and continues to grow further.
