A varied amount of materials, textures, colors, designs and shapes represent the different trends that are presented for hotel floors. You can find woods, marbles, tiles, carpets, hard floors, among others, which give the different establishments a special touch.
by Ana María Restrepo
Floors are another element that make up the interior design of a space. The good lesson of these will make guests feel comfortable and will facilitate the work of the collaborators of the establishment.
Before selecting the type of floor that will be conditioned in the hotel, it is necessary to take into account the space where it is going to be located, the needs of the place, the characteristics of the floor and the new trends, as well as the advantages and disadvantages that come with that material.
In Latin America most hotels use carpets, wood, ceramics or laminate floors. Many of these elements are imported and some are made with woods such as teak, oak, pine, chestnut, guadua, bamboo, maple, ash, eucalyptus, olive, holm oak, guayacán polvillo, among other species.
According to the specialized portal Datamyne in 2008 (between January and August) imports of carpets were made for more than 300 thousand dollars, imports of wood, tablets, friezes for parquets and unassembled bamboo invoiced more than 100 thousand dollars and those of wood with tongues, ribbed conifers exceeded US $ 200,000 (in 2007 these were above 600 thousand dollars). On the other hand, imports of glazed ceramic plates and tiles approached US $ 200 thousand.
However, it should be borne in mind that some Latin countries are producers of tiles and ceramics, and others are exporters of wood. In 2008 (January-August), exports of wood with tongues, ribbed conifers exceeded 32 million dollars and those of wood, tablets, friezes for parquets and bamboo exceeded US $ 800 thousand.
Staple
Taking into account that the choice of soil is paramount, because it must withstand high traffic and that it will also remain unchanged for many years, it is important that the heads of maintenance, projects and as such the designers and architects of hotels carry out a previous study of the needs, as well as the aesthetics and interior design of the establishment.
Myriam Restrepo, project manager of the Crown Plaza Tequendama, assures that the use of different materials in the floors is important, since these help to consolidate the environment, generating a feeling of permanence, rest, relaxation and comfort.
Currently the floors are modulated according to the space, looking for functionality and beauty. However, a balance must be made between cost, efficiency, maintenance, durability, respecting the standards and specifications for each place.
From nature to the hotel
Woods are very desired by designers when it comes to floors, since these, depending on their tonality, texture and finishes give a different style to each area.
These elements can give a warm air to the space, any type of wood, whether solid, soft or laminated adapts to the different decorative and architectural styles. Some woods such as bamboo are being implemented both in the elaboration of furniture and in the creation of new trends of floors, most of the floors created based on this type of tree are located inside the hotels, although they are very resistant to humidity. It should be noted that many floors of this type of wood are being used in order to preserve the environment.
Laminated wood can be implemented indoors and outdoors, as it is ideal for residential and commercial use, where human traffic is medium, it is also designed so that it does not lose its brightness and color in many years, and supports sunlight. Parquets and floating floors are another alternative for the interior, they have the advantage that they are durable and above all they have a variety of colors, woods and textures that look good anywhere.
Wood subjected to the sun and water requires special treatment. The teak and the guaiac polvillo are some of the best to withstand the inclemency of the weather, as explained by Alejandro Trujillo, architect and designer and partner of Artepisos.
Natural stones are also being framed within the structure of the decoration of many hotels because their formats allow to further customize the spaces.
The varieties of ceramics and tiles present different textures and appearances such as wood and marble, as well as designs and colors that offer many possibilities for the creation of some environments. One of the ceramic floors that is being used the most is porcelain with high resistance to breakage, making it ideal for high traffic areas.
On the other hand, the carpets, in addition to having several textures, designs and colors, provide comfort and tranquility because they absorb the noise of the environment. Myriam says that for example in the hotel, different types of wood are used such as purple flower, sapan, also marble and porcelain, and the carpets are flameproof and with a height of 10 mm.
Tailored to the needs
Hotels are spaces where a large number of people converge. The different areas must have special floors that are in accordance with the interior design as well as the traffic that that area has.
Although it was not believed, the issue of the resistance of a floor is of vital importance, since the less damage of this implies that the floor is installed again in a certain area, carrying a new cost. For this reason, it is essential to know the different types of soil resistance. Type three resistance is applied to lower traffic surfaces such as private areas, four is ideal for active traffic and five for spaces with high circulation.
In the lobby and at the entrances of the hotels you can place marble or porcelain floor, since they are places that must look impeccable and, as Alejandro assures, the transparency of the porcelain grows the spaces.
In the corridors, where there is a high circulation, carpets are placed, which can be customized with the corporate image, these are mainly used in three, four and five star establishments. Additionally, the use of carpets in circulation areas minimizes noise, because if they are in marble or other material the sound intensifies (especially the echo of the heels of the ladies).
Floors in wood, laminates and carpets are installed in the rooms, where the maintenance of such floors can not be carried out constantly. These floors are ideal for cozy environments where the rug becomes indispensable for the comfort and tranquility of guests.
Trends for the general public
In addition to the rooms, the lobby and the corridors, the floors must be installed in the other spaces of the hotel and meet the requirements of these.
The busiest places such as lounges, restaurants and terraces also need a special floor that does not require constant maintenance, that has a long useful life and above all that does not interfere with the daily activities of each area.
Each of the types of flooring must complement the design and fulfill a special function.
In the case of rooms for events and meetings, it is best to place carpets throughout the space, because the use of sound equipment requires special wiring that is easily camouflaged under the mats, also this type of floor allows there to be no reverberation of sound.
The wood is implemented for the most intimate environments where a higher level of comfort is needed, however it is also used in business centers or VIP lounges, because the traffic is lighter and as such is not constant.
Restaurants have always been characterized by being clean spaces with a high traffic of people, so what is ideal is the installation of marble, porcelain or ceramics of resistance five.
When restaurants are located in spaces in the open air, on terraces or next to the pools, it is best to have outdoor floors such as tiles or hard floors such as granite, also the floor used for the pool area can extend to the restaurant.
Alejandro explains that for terraces hard floors and repellents at high temperatures are ideal. It is very important that reflective materials are not installed or that they retain heat in this area. In spaces dedicated to rest such as decks, wood is the most used type of material, although it must be given a special treatment so that the inclement weather does not deteriorate it.
Each of these types of floor adapt to the needs of a hotel, the important thing is that they are chosen according to the areas and the style, color and design of each one so that they do not distort the image that the hotel wants to project.
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