An important dimension of the built space, flooring takes on a different role in a hotel property. We look at some of the options to get that perfect backdrop to the ambience
By Rashmi Naicker
Like everything involved in hospitality design, flooring is expected to visually allure, communicate and embody a brand while addressing the functions of various spaces in a hotel. Add to this considerations such as uniqueness, eco-consciousness, cost-effectiveness and low hassle – as well as the need to bring in a hint of local flavour – suddenly the business of flooring commands a good deal of attention and detail.
Compared to in-room flooring, that is selected to exude warmth and cosiness, those in public areas need to be sturdier to withstand higher footfalls and, in some cases, weather conditions too. “Hotel flooring is no longer a functional requirement but an aspiration for great ambience and technology has helped to come up with better products which change the dynamics of interior designing and architecture in hotels. In outdoor wood, anti-skid decks are being introduced. Lacquer used for finishing is improving in quality. While in vinyl, sheet with better acoustic absorption properties and anti bacteria properties are being used,” observes Abhishek Saraf, joint managing director, Square Foot.
Adding to this, Hardeep Singh, managing director, Forbo Flooring India, states that, “Over the last few years more and more emphasis has been laid on what should be under the feet of people entering a building, hence “flooring” has become an intrinsic part of a property. The choice of floor coverings for hospitality projects has been always influenced by factors like durability, hygiene, aesthetics and functionality. While these factors are already being taken into account, the designers nowadays also focus on overall look and finish of the place.”
Carpets
Other than its known qualities like noise-reduction, insulation and feel, carpets act as the canvas for the hotel. Especially in a country like India, with its varying regional ethos, carpets allow incorporating a city into a hotel by reflecting its traditional motifs and patterns. Designers share their briefs with carpet manufacturers who then translate them into the carpet. This isn’t always a cake-walk as public-area floors involve many more complicated components than beds and couches, as is the case in guest rooms. Quite often the banquet halls and bars are littered with food and beverage which can leave a foul smell and affect the aura of the place, hence its advisable to install washable carpet for these areas. Forbo Flotex is a perfect answer as it is a sanitised carpet approved by Allergy UK, which never traps dirt and is truly hygienic and washable.
Tiles
It was only a matter of time before customisation also extended to tile-manufacturers, who are keen to create products specifically for the industry. Hotels are opting for tiles that look like natural materials such as marble or granite. Digital technology now permits one to print images on tiles too. Anything that can be captured in a photograph can be printed on the tile.
The sheer number of materials used in various parts of the hotel, related to each area’s traffic and requirements is impressive. At the Marriott Pune City Centre, at least five different flooring materials have been used across different areas – there is a mix of sandstone and marble on the porch, lobby and coffee shop areas, wooden flooring at the restaurants and banquet pre-function areas, unfinished granite at the swimming pool and some of the porch areas, and sleeper wood at one of the outside areas near the restaurant.
Faux natural
There is also a growing trend of giving a supremely natural feel to floors and walls that is catching up. This look can achieve the effect of bringing the outdoors in.
Tiles work well for hotels that want to save time as against natural materials. “When it comes to marble and stone, it may take time to source perfect matches. Very rare types of marble may need to be imported again resulting in time lapse. Tiles do away with all these hassles.
Laminated wooden flooring, although less exotic looking than its natural hardwood counterpart is better for public areas that are alfresco because natural hardwood tends to expand. Similarly, engineered wood is manufactured by binding wood particles together with adhesives, and are easier to assemble as well as maintain.
Different areas need different flooring treatment, addressing this Forbo Sarlon Vinyl provides anti-skid quality that benefits the occupants of the kitchen space while for the front office applications, Forbo Allura Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs) are one of the best suited option. The Allura LVTs can also be used as “faux wood” and “faux stone” product and that too with least maintenance as they are scratch and moisture proof.
For outdoor flooring options, Notion Flooring is the only company to offer over 20 SKU in solid outdoor decking systems, different species and different installation mechanisms. With six patterns and over 200 colours, the brand offers a variety of 1,200 options in engineered hardwood flooring
Square Foot’s Herringbone collection is a set of rectangular blocks so named for its fancied resemblance to the skeleton of a fish. Herringbone is a weave like solid oak parquet blocks available in a laminate collection; allowing one to have the look of wood with the ease of use of laminate flooring. Inspired from churches and congregation halls in medieval Europe, it is long lasting, doesn’t require waxing, polishing, detergent or abrasive based cleansing and is also easy to install.
A moisture resistant layer under a layer of HDF (high density fibreboard) in the product ensures durability. The top layer has a high resolution photographic image of natural wood flooring, which is then finished with an extremely hard, clear coating made from special resin-coated cellulose for protection. In their portfolio for engineered wood flooring, Chevron, which is handcrafted to lend parquet flooring for a timeless classic style, is suitable for any type of environment including installation over under floor heating. This product comes with slant edge and is maintenance friendly.
For clients that consciously want to move away from traditional wood colours, for them the brand offers graphite grey, ash arctic, oak warm white, heritage florence, heritage cognac and oak wenge to imbibe hues of grey, white, green, red and black. This compliments a formal office set-up and also breaks clichés.
“While designing flooring, factors such as choosing the right kind of wood varies from the humidity levels from one area to another. Also, one needs to keep in mind the colours. Dark colours in small rooms or in rooms with a lot of furniture would make the room even smaller; medium colour wood goes with most decors – light or dark. Light stained floors, even pure white, are in vogue. Grey stained, dark black with golden veins, all have their takers. As awareness about different products increases, customers want to move away from conventional material like stone, mosaic, ceramic tiles, carpets, etc. to newer more versatile material such as laminate and engineered wood floorings,” adds Anil Tyagi, business head for Brand Mikasa at Greenlam Industries Ltd. Bringing out the true character of the wood, Mikasa wooden flooring offers stability in every climatic condition and is carefully treated engineered with locks for proper installations and the right expansion gaps that do not get damaged during weather changes. Modern lacquer ensures that both planks remain clean and undamaged in regular use. A damp mop is all that is needed to keep them going good for years to come. Lastly, the thickness of veneer membrane is what defines its functional performance – flooring with a 0.6mm veneer would last about 10-12 years within in-room environment, but the planks would be short and narrow; while thicker veneers (up to 3mm) are usually drawn from older mature logs and thus show off the grains more prominently. The planks are longer, wider and the added advantage of the thick veneer is that it would last longer and are more durable suited for the wear and tear in public areas.
Brands such as Nitco target hotels looking at tiles for their public area flooring. Customisation to brand design and colours is an obvious promise: they are keen to make known that mosaics are possible with pre-designed formats or brand centric ones.
