July 31st, 2012 by TRT Blog

As the summer continues drawing to a close, The Refinishing Touch has kept busy during the past few months.  The team recently made their mark in hot and sunny Palm Beach Gardens, FL, by beginning a three phase project at The PGA National Resort & Spa, scheduled to be completed towards the end of the year.

Since 2007, The PGA National Resort & Spa has been a designated Florida Green Lodge by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, meeting luxurious standards while remaining environmentally-friendly.  The Floridian resort invests in numerous green initiatives, including energy efficient appliances, water conservation systems, along with recycling of paper, cardboard, oil and batteries.

With sustainability and brand standards in mind, The Refinishing Touch completed phase one of the 379-room renovation project earlier this month.  The team will undergo phase two in August, as we plan on reupholstering 144 king-sized and 190 double-sized bed headboards.  Along with the reupholstering, we will also refinish 325 dressers and 470 nightstands, all requiring a color change, glass installation and hardware replacement.

Our furniture asset management services will decrease the project’s carbon footprint by over 400 tons, an enormous drop for such a large-scale project.  Instead of the estimated CO₂ impact of 474.9628 tons to replace the existing furniture with all new pieces, The Refinishing Touch will help keep the PGA Resort & Spa’s carbon footprint at a minimum – with an estimated final calculation of only 4.6996 tons.

The next time you find yourself in the Palm Beach Gardens area, be sure to book a stay at the PGA National Resort & Spa to experience luxury, comfort and sustainability – the definition of a championship experience.

This headboard is part of the first round of projects completed at The PGA Resort & Spa. The renovations were divided into three phases.

Example of completed room set to be unveiled in Fall 2012

armoire modification, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, furniture asset management, hospitality, Operational Update, refinishing, renovations, reupholstery, Sustainability, The PGA Resort & Spa, The Refinishing Touch, Travel

July 27th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Property improvement plans – three words that make most hoteliers shriek.

But even with the burden traditionally associated with PIPs, renovations are returning to the forefront of the hospitality industry’s agenda as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to a top-down hotel makeover.  The increasing number of travelers this year has not only helped hotel owners rebound, but has also caused a rise in property investments – one PIP at a time.

This year, construction companies are keeping busy with two to three PIP projects per month – a stark contrast from the two or three per year in 2011, according to HotelNewsNow.com.

The increase in completed PIPs can also be attributed to the many strategic decisions and tactics (as well as stronger brand / hotel owner relationships) that have surfaced to ensure a smoother, more efficient renovation project.  We thought we’d share some of the most important:

- Invest in furniture asset management services instead of buying new.  Not only does it save on budget, but it also reduces a PIP’s estimated carbon footprint while still meeting brand standards.

- Decide ahead of time whether to keep the hotel open, closed, or partial occupancy during PIPs.  Remember: most guests are turned off by the sight of renovations, so deciding to deploy multiple renovation stages may be key.

- If keeping a hotel open during PIPs, notify guests of any inaccessible areas beforehand.  For example: if the hotel’s pool is closed for construction, inform guests of the nearest public pool right as they check in.

- Price PIPs quickly. It’s not unusual for a project to take between three to four months to complete.

- Communication is critical. Remain in constant contact with project teams and hotel management to ensure a seamless process.

For more information on PIPs and the hospitality industry, watch the Hotel Interactive webcast ‘Pressure Free PIPs’, sponsored by The Refinishing Touch, here.

armoire modification, furniture asset management, hospitality industry, Hotel Interactive, HotelNewsNow.com, Pressure free PIPs, property improvement plans, refinishing, renovations, reupholstery, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch, webcast

July 24th, 2012 by TRT Blog

As a leader in sustainable furniture asset management for the government, hotels and higher education, we are always pleased when we hear local, state and federal governments are moving to enact a law or regulation that would decrease overall environmental impact.

Most recently, we are watching a law that, in some states, would require plumbing fixtures that carry water to contain a maximum .25 percent lead – a large decrease from the existing eight percent requirement. This reduction would allow for manufacturers to seek out alternative materials that are more sustainable and cost-effective.

In addition to the new lead regulation, expected to hit law books in 2014, we’ve seen our hospitality customers embracing other environmentally-friendly alternatives, including fluorescent or LED lighting, recycling programs, and low-flow water fixtures. Many are utilizing these simple changes in conjunction with our furniture asset management and refinishing services, which save our customers on average, 80 percent in costs and 90 percent in carbon emissions, when compared to buying new furniture.

And don’t just take our word for it – hotel guests are holding their choice of lodging accommodates to even higher standards. An Expedia and MindClick study, released this year, found that of the 5,000 US respondents, 80 percent of guests were aware of hotels’ sustainability efforts and 90 percent said they would choose to stay at a hotel that implements sustainable purchases, as well as sustainable operations.

Are you curious how The Refinishing Touch’s services can minimize costs and environmental impact at your property? Email us for a free quote or to discuss how we can transform your property today.

environmental impact, furniture asset management, Government, hospitality, refinishing, reupholstering, The Refinishing Touch

July 20th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Like many around the world, The Refinishing Touch team is counting down the days until the 2012 Summer Olympics, and we have officially reached the one week mark!

The summer event – which is held once every four years – means more to us this year than ever before.  That’s because the 500-acre Olympic Park venue, based in London, has earned the honor of hosting the ‘first sustainable Olympics’, and we are thrilled.

The efforts from the Olympic planning committee are proof of the increased importance placed on sustainability, especially in today’s world.  Designers of the Olympic Park took many measures to create the greenest stadium possible, including:

- Constructing the Park out of recycled materials

- Building the velodrome (track cycle arena) using sustainable wood

- Cleaning up any contaminated water and soil on the Park’s site

- Planting more than 300,000 wetland plants and nearly 4,000 trees

- Hiring food vendors that only utilize compostable packaging

- Testing a new waste management system that, if successful, can make its way into every future sporting event

As a sustainable furniture asset management company, we believe eco-friendly initiatives are critical to reduce our carbon footprint and preserve our environment, especially at events as widely influential as the Olympic.  So this year, not only will The Refinishing Touch be cheering on the United States as they compete for the gold, but we will also be applauding the historic behind-the-scenes sustainable efforts that are also making an enormous mark on the 2012 games.

armoire modification, furniture asset management, London, Olympic Park venue, Olympics, refinishing, reupholstery, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch

July 19th, 2012 by admin

Which of the following sustainable higher education initiative do you think is most important?

July 17th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we place tremendous value on customers’ and readers’ feedback.  Whether it’s a simple blog comment from one of our readers or a ‘thank you’ from our clients in the hospitality, government, or higher education industries, we take pride in the continuous communication we share with all of our involved parties.

That’s why we were more than excited to start our ‘Take Our Survey’ blog questionnaire series, asking our readers a series of environmentally-driven questions, on The Refinishing Touch blog page.  And to keep the communication cycle flowing, we thought we would share some of the initial findings from our survey questions, with you, our loyal readers.

About a month ago, we asked: ‘Which sustainable government initiative do you think is most important’.  And the results were surprising, as all of those who answers were equally divided: 33.3% of respondents claimed zero energy goals were crucial; another 33.3% agreed that sustainable biofuel was the most important; and a final 33.3% of readers choose public transportation initiatives to be placed first on the nation’s agenda.

The even split is proof that many factors must come into play to lessen the world’s carbon footprint.  Energy and oil consumption, pollution, carbon emissions, and other environmental concerns are all important to create a more sustainable world – which is our ultimate goal here at The Refinishing Touch.

For more survey results, be sure to sign up for The Refinishing Touch’s upcoming quarterly newsletter, InTouch, by filling out the subscription form at the bottom of our homepage.  We’d also like to remind our readers to keep the feedback coming – we post a new survey question every Wednesday.  Also, tweet us your thoughts by following The Refinishing Touch on Twitter: @RefinishTouch

blog, furniture asset management, government initiatives, InTouch newsletter, poll, public transportation, Sustainability, sustainable biofuel, The Refinishing Touch, zero energy goals

July 13th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we are greatly anticipating our upcoming Hotel Interactive webcast: Pressure Free PIPs, on Tuesday, July 17, 2 PM EST.  Watch us as we team up with experts from the industry to discuss a costly issue that has been plaguing our hospitality customers – Product Improvement Plans (PIPs).

As we discussed in an earlier blog post, PIPs are mandatory renovations and updates required by corporate brand owners for franchised owners.  As if PIPs weren’t enough of a burden, major lodging brands are now pushing last minute hotel renovations in order to increase room prices and profit from this summer’s increase of travelers and tourists.

This leaves many hoteliers asking the same question – what’s the solution? How do we meet customer and brand satisfaction, without breaking the bank?

The answer and various solutions will be discussed during the live webinar, as the expert panel gives advice on smart and savvy ways to maximize renovation impact at a cost that will minimize debt.

So don’t let PIPs become a problem.  Join us on Tuesday, July 17, at 2 PM EST for all of the solutions, and don’t forget to register for the webcast today!

furniture asset management, hospitality, Hotel Interactive, Pressure free PIPs, Product Improvement Plans, The Refinishing Touch, webinar

July 10th, 2012 by admin

Which of the following environmental developments of the last 35 years concerns you the most?

July 10th, 2012 by TRT Blog

As a sustainable furniture asset management company with a strong focus in the hospitality, government and higher education industries, we’ve been reading and hearing a lot about the three pillars of sustainability and how to properly encourage and achieve sustainable development.

The three pillars of sustainability are social, environmental and economic – and many sustainability experts believe that all three pillars must be developed and strengthened simultaneously, as a whole, to combat the sustainability problem successfully.

The most recent Rio+20 Earth Summit, held June 20-22 in Rio de Janeiro, focused on two main themes: “a green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and an institutional framework for sustainable development.” One of the Summit’s side events, ‘Tourism for a Sustainable Future’, discussed these themes in great detail and concluded that tourism can be a key contributor to the three pillars.

Maurice Strong, former Earth Summit Secretary-General, said: “[Tourism] has a real interest in protecting the environment and a huge potential for the green economy as its assets are the ones we need to preserve and enhance.”

This sentiment resonates with The Refinishing Touch team, as our primary goals focus around reducing tree harvesting, reducing landfill waste, and preserving our natural resources. Having worked with some of the world’s largest hotel brands, including Starwood, Hilton, and Marriott, we understand how tourism can not only promote local jobs and economic growth, but also encourage greater care and appreciation for local environments and natural resources.

We hope that tourism, as travelers become more environmentally-conscious, will continue to be a driving force in increased sustainable development and awareness.

For more information on the Rio+20 Earth Summit, go here. For more information on how furniture asset management can help your organization save money and the environment, visit our website at www.therefinishingtouch.com.

economic, environmental, Government, higher education, hospitality, Rio+20 Earth Summit 2012, social, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch

July 6th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Guest Author: Robyn A. Rocco, Community Association Manager of The Dover House Resort

The hospitality industry is constantly changing. As a five-year licensed manager for the Landex Resorts International Inc., a company specializing in the time share, condominium, homeowner association, and the real estate industry for 50 years, I have witnessed the evolution firsthand.

The good news is that the industry is changing for the better, with more hotel chains and time shares investing in environmentally-friendly technology and sustainability. Those two sectors, through dedicated work and collaboration, have begun to pave the way towards a more environmentally conscious future and an outcome that benefits everyone.

Here at The Dover House Resort, a timeshare condominium resort based out of Delray Beach, FL, we have also taken part in the sustainable revolution. This Landex Resorts International, Inc., property took one of the easiest and most energy-efficient changes by directly by partnering with The Refinishing Touch and investing in their furniture asset management services.

As leaders in sustainable furniture re-upholstering, refinishing, and furniture asset management, The Refinishing Touch helped us renovate furniture in every area of our timeshare condominiums. Everything from headboards, dining tables, nightstands, armoire conversions, dressers, built in’s, and furniture hardware, The Refinishing Touch worked with us to transform our condos to an updated tropical oasis, making it more modern, sleek, and most importantly, sustainable.

The overall experience and outcome was exceptional, and something The Dover House Resort would like to do again when our rooms are up for remodeling, which occurs every five to seven years. The amount we saved on our bottom line and the way The Refinishing Touch were able to refinish and reuse existing furniture, greatly exceeded our expectations.

But our steps towards a more sustainable resort do not end with The Refinishing Touch. The Dover House Resort has also upgraded lighting to energy-efficient metal halide and compact florescent bulbs, installed all new water sense plumbing fixtures, and use a majority of green-certified cleaning products. Because we are a week to week timeshare condominium we also only initially provide samples of toiletries and kitchen supplies, enough a guest may need for a day or two, and towels are only exchanged once a week. For visitors wanting bi-weekly or daily room cleaning, changing sheets, and additional towel exchanges, an extra fee applies. Not only do we cut operating costs and waste, but we reduce energy consumption which positively impacts the environment.

We are also planning our own long-term future here at The Dover House Resort, which will combine technology and sustainability. Soon, we hope to invest in solar heating for our pool, and for the individual water heaters and HVAC handlers. Along with the solar power, we also want to adopt controllable temperature and ambiance lighting gauges to improve energy-efficiency. And to top it all off, we will soon be going paperless by using a combined wireless computer software program for our accounting, reservation system, and client database / property management needs.

These sustainable actions, fueled by The Refinishing Touch and their furniture asset management services, have helped The Dover House Resort transform into a more Eco-friendly lodging place. We hope our efforts will earn us a LEED (Leadership in Enrgy Efficiency and Design) accreditation and set an example for other hotels and resorts to follow.

customer communications program, education, furniture asset management, Government, hospitality, Hotels, Landex Resorts, Robyn A. Rocco, Sustainability, The Dover House Resort, The Refinishing Touch, timeshare condominiums