May 14th, 2013 by TRT Blog

Since our inception in 1977, The Refinishing Touch has worked closely with hoteliers to ensure time-efficient, sustainable, on-site furniture renovations that save on budget while simultaneously helping to increase profit margins. We’ve witnessed numerous peaks and valleys during our time in the hotel industry, including working through the ‘golden years’ of 2007-2008, followed by the economic recession shortly after.

With our close ties to the lodging industry, we are pleased to share the latest market forecast from STR, the parent company of HotelNewsNow.com. According to STR’s early indications, US hoteliers will experience a busy and profitable summer season ahead, with both the average occupancy and daily rate rising compared to last year.

Revenue per available room is also forecasted to improve, with the average per night ringing in at $78.50, a substantial increase of 5.4 percent from 2012. And with advance booking rates filling up quickly, the predictions are already holding true for several hotel owners throughout the US. Florida’s Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort has begun to reach peak occupancy numbers that resemble the pre-recession hotel industry, some five years ago.

The predicted bounce-back can be attributed to many factors. One of which is the noticeable increase in both consumer and business confidence, as many hotels have undergone renovations to improve appearance and customer satisfaction, while increasing room rates – similar to our recent customer, The Inn at King of Prussia BEST WESTERN PLUS, who updated their armoires to fit new, plasma televisions and improve customer satisfaction. And such room renovations don’t always require breaking the bank – with cost-efficient alternatives like furniture refinishing, re-upholstery and remanufacturing, hoteliers can save up to 80 percent on budget costs while drastically improving on appearance by implementing furniture asset management solutions.

For more information on what is bound to be a successful summer for hoteliers, please read the full list of predictions courtesy of HotelNewsNow.com.

To see The Refinishing Touch’s before-and-after renovation work in action, please watch a quick video of a recent furniture refinishing project completed at The Inn at King of Prussia BEST WESTERN PLUS. Like what you see? Then please email us for a free quote at your establishment today.

Furniture before (left) and after (right) The Refinishing Touch’s furniture asset management services at The Inn at King of Prussia BEST WESTERN PLUS

furniture asset management, furniture refinishing, hospitality, HotelNewsNow.com, Hotels, STR, The Inn at King of Prussia BEST WESTERN PLUS, The Refinishing Touch

March 12th, 2013 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we’re continuously dedicated to upholding the highest environmental standards and, in turn, commending others who are striving towards the same goal. We do this through distributing Sustainability Awards to deserving businesses in the hospitality sector, and this quarter, 12 companies received our environmental recognition.

We want to take the time to congratulate this quarter’s winners, who have successfully executed practices that reduce carbon impact and the overall amount of landfill waste, by implementing green practices like The Refinishing Touch’s refinishing, remanufacturing and re-upholstery services during renovations.

The winners of this past quarter’s Sustainability Awards include Best Western Fort Walton; Best Western Jacksonville; Best Western King of Prussia; Best Western Ocean Reef; Best Western Plus Flathead Lake; Candlewood Suites Killeen; Hilton Garden Charleston; Hilton Garden Inn Columbia; Towne Place Federal; and Towne Place Tech. The Refinishing Touch is proud to have worked with each of these recognized establishments and hope to see their continued, sustainable success.

Typically, large-scale renovations in the hospitality sector create mass amounts of landfill waste and environmentally-damaging carbon emissions. However, by choosing to reuse furniture, re-upholster soft assets and refinish case goods using our non-toxic, low VOC lacquers, a restoration project’s carbon footprint can be reduced by nearly 90 percent – creating lasting, award-winning results without damaging the environment or one’s budget.

For more information on The Refinishing Touch, please visit the website at www.therefinishingtouch.com. To learn how your establishment can win a Sustainability Award from The Refinishing Touch, request a free quote today.

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December 4th, 2012 by TRT Blog

At The Refinishing Touch, we are constantly staying informed on the latest research findings surrounding the sustainability efforts in the hospitality, government and higher education industries. These statistics give us valuable insight into our clientele, as well as provide us with an overview of the long-term goals each sector is striving towards.

Recently, three different surveys narrowed in on hospitality’s shift towards a greener and healthier lifestyle for guests. As providers of cost-effective, sustainable refinishing and re-upholstery solutions for many world-leading hotel brands, such as Hilton, Marriott, Starwood and more, we’ve witnessed the gradual change first-hand, and the research in these surveys offer a look into probable sustainability trends of the future:

- According to a Deloitte poll of 1,000 business travelers in the US, 95% of respondents believed all hotels should be implementing green initiatives

- The same Deloitte poll showed that 35% had taken steps to determine whether a hotel was green – through online research, requesting information over the phone or other forms of research

- A 2012 Canadian Travel Intentions survey found that 42% of business travelers said that recycling and energy efficiency matter to them when making hotel accommodations

- The Canadian report also found that 42% would be willing to pay $1 or more to offset their carbon footprint during a stay at a hotel or inn

- Euromonitor listed Marriott as the most eco-friendly brand among all global hotel chains, based off of the company’s recent pledge to reduce water and energy consumption by 20% in 2020 and initiatives to reduce its overall carbon footprint

The Marriot brand demonstrated its environmental preservation efforts when calling on The Refinishing Touch’s furniture asset management to renovate existing furniture at Marriott hotels and resorts across the US, including its Renaissance Hotels and Residence Inn subdivisions. Our services helped the hotel giant save 80 percent in renovation costs, and over 90 percent in carbon emission output, when compared to buying new.

For more information on how to increase cost savings and lessen the carbon footprint at your own hotel, university or government office, request a free quote today. If you’re curious about your personal carbon emission production, then access our carbon footprint calculator here. The results may surprise you!

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November 30th, 2012 by TRT Blog

After 35 successful years in the furniture refinishing business, we have seen our fair share of industry trends and shifts. However, one trend we are happy to see gain serious momentum and traction over the past couple years is sustainability. As a furniture asset management company that offers hotels, government bodies and universities a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to purchasing new furniture, it’s great to see organizations across so many industries embracing wide-spread sustainable initiatives, ranging from linen reuse programs to planting trees to combat deforestation.

One industry in particular that has continued to advance its efforts in sustainability is hospitality. Recently, we’ve even seen a number of non-profit organizations spear-heading such initiatives. Some of the most notable include:

-  Green Hotels Association: this 20 year-old non-profit brings global hotels together for a common commitment of environmentalism and sustainability. The association offers hotels affordable environmentally-friendly products such as linen reuse placards, toilet tank fill diverters, and hygiene product dispensers.

- World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): a group with a mission to improve the quality of tourism around the world, and tourism’s positive effects on sustainable development. The WTTC has lead the way in carbon emissions mitigation through its partnership with the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the creation of the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative.  To date, twelve major hotel chains have committed to the initiative, including Hilton, Marriott and Starwood.

- 10 Million Trees Initiative: An initiative to combat deforestation and global warming, this was launched by the Four Seasons, which committed to planting ten million trees across 34 countries in celebration of its 50 year anniversary.

While these are only a few associations and initiatives aimed to improve sustainability, we hope all organizations, regardless of industry, will continue to implement solutions designed to save money and our environment.

For more information on how The Refinishing Touch’s furniture refinishing services can help your organization decease your carbon footprint and money spent, go to our website at www.therefinishingtouch.com, or request a free quote here.

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November 20th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Guest author: Mary Ann Hart, General Manager of Hampton Inn Batesville

Throughout my 24 years of working in hospitality, I’ve seen the industry persevere through many obstacles by changing its key practices and overall approach, and most recently, ultimately overcoming the aftermath of the 2008 recession.

Even today, as general manager of Hampton Inn Batesville, a position I’ve held for nearly 16 years, I am still witnessing the gradual upturn in business. During the last half of 2012, I’ve seen more leisure traffic than in many years’ past, with more people wanting to venture farther away from home as the economy slowly recovers.

This increase in business has also fueled a fundamental shift in business practices – moving more towards finding ways to satisfy the consumer’s needs, while remaining conscious of bottom line. One business practice in particular that we’ve begun implementing is sustainability – a venture that comes with many benefits, including appealing to green lodgers, preserving the environment and saving on costs.

An example of these benefits came into play when The Refinishing Touch completed a large-scale refinishing project at our Batesville location. At the time, we were looking for a solution to preserve our locally purchased case goods. We didn’t want to replace them, since they’re well liked amongst our guests and staff, and are very high-quality assets. After hearing positive feedback from a Hampton Inn corporate representative (whom The Refinishing Touch has worked with before), I was convinced – furniture asset management was the right solution for our hotel.

The Refinishing Touch team restored numerous wardrobes, desks, nightstands and luggage benches in 80 of our guest bedrooms, back to their original, like-new condition. Scratches and common wear were erased, all in a quick and seamless process. One of the best aspects of working with The Refinishing Touch was the fast on-site refinishing process, which helped us avoid completely shutting down the establishment. The production team was very conscious of our business operations, and when a block of rooms were occupied, they would only renovate them as they became vacant.

By investing in The Refinishing Touch’s furniture asset management services, we saved thousands of dollars, or about 80 percent in budget costs. Our case goods look new again, and we continue to receive positive feedback from guests and staff members alike. Not only did we save money, but we also saved an estimated 90 percent in carbon emissions, when compared to buying new furniture – helping reduce negative impact on the environment.

And Hampton Inn Batesville’s green initiatives do not stop there. We offer a towel and linen reuse program and have installed water aerators on our faucets, reducing water consumption. The free daily breakfast bar is equipped with ‘Enviroware’ plastic ware, a product that is easily compostable. We have also changed our light bulbs to become more energy efficient and provide recycling bins throughout the hotel.

If you are ever in Southeastern Indiana, why not book a stay at Hampton Inn Batesville and discover a balance of luxury, comfort and sustainability. We are conveniently located between Cincinnati and Indianapolis, right near golf courses, parks and water ways. To reserve your room today, visit our website.

For more information on The Refinishing Touch’s large-scale refinishing project at Hampton Inn Batesville, read the entire press release here.

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November 16th, 2012 by TRT Blog

“Sustainable practices navigate successfully through time and space, while others crack up and vanish.” – Bruce Sterling

Last week travel operators, hospitality organizations and professionals celebrated Responsible Tourism Day, an event introduced five years ago by the World Travel Market (WTM) Responsible Tourism Day and supported by UNWTO. Its vision includes several key elements: bring the travel and hospitality industries together to educate travelers on responsible behavior; explore how travel destinations can be more sustainable; and best practices to encourage the debate and drive change of key environmental-related issues.

One of the most interesting aspects of this event and movement is it provides different individuals and groups the opportunity to drive a range of positive messages, helping take the tourism and hospitality industry forward.  To show the breadth of these messages, each driven by an individual interpretation of ‘responsible’, here are a few items that caught our eye:

- An interesting post from Harold Goodwin, professor of Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Metropolitan University and founding member of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, created at the first World Responsible Tourism Day.  Professor Goodwin discusses how the responsible tourism movement has developed to cover all forms of tourism – including individuals with disabilities or limited financial means – and has worked to “escape the tiny ecotourism niche”.

- In a news story titled ‘Responsible Tourism Day: Ban plastic bags for a healthier environment’, Pakistan’s The Express Tribune, associated with the International Herald Tribune, wrote about high school students in the region who went around to local shops asking them to stop using plastic bags. The students also joined local government officials in a walk, holding placards which said: “Say No to Plastic Bags”.  According to The Tribune, 500 million plastic bags are used each year, and it takes between 60 to 100 million barrels of oil to make those bags. It’s estimated that it takes 10,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose.

- In a passionate blog post on The Travel Word, Ethan Gelber encourages individuals to get involved and take action, highlighting how sustainable, responsible practices are common across so many industries. Gelber notes that while there are still challenges, unsustainable practices are frequently being replaced in the travel industry.

As a team that has been encouraging, challenging and enabling sustainable practices across the hospitality, government and education sectors for the last 35 years, we couldn’t agree more with the sentiments of these articles and the mission behind Responsible Tourism Day. We hope that individuals and organizations alike will continue to embrace responsible, environmentally-friendly actions, and that sustainable education remains at the forefront of change.

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November 13th, 2012 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, our innovative, award-winning refinishing solutions have not only decreased carbon footprints at organizations around the world, but have also helped our clients save, on average, 80 percent in budgets costs when compared to buying new furniture.

One of our most recent examples of these cost-efficient and environmentally-sound practices was at the Hampton Inn Batesville, a Southeastern Indiana subdivision of the Hampton hotel brand. In a matter of days, our production crew refinished and restored numerous case goods, including wardrobes, desks, nightstands, headboards, bathroom vanities and luggage benches, back to modern, like-new condition.

The refinishing project was completed on-site using non-toxic lacquers with low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), maintaining indoor air quality and ensuring the safety of guests and hotel employees. Through our clean and non-toxic practices, Hampton Inn Batesville could remain open during renovations – satisfying clientele while avoiding costly shut-down expenses.

Here’s a closer look into the numbers for this large-scale refinishing project:

- The Refinishing Touch team worked on a total number of 66 guest rooms during this project.

- By investing in our services, Hampton Inn Batesville saved 92.5% in budget costs when compared to buying new furniture.

- The estimated total cost for a project of this magnitude would be more than $330,000, but The Refinishing Touch’s refinishing solutions dropped it down to just over $25,000.

- The hotel decreased its estimated carbon footprint, or amount of projected greenhouse gas emissions, from 96.4964 tons of carbon dioxide to a minimal 0.9548.

In a press release, Mary Ann Hart, general manager of Hampton Inn Batesville, said: “We were looking for an alternative to replacing our furniture, since the case goods were high-quality and liked amongst our staff. The Refinishing Touch was the perfect choice, preserving our existing assets while saving over $300,000 in budget costs.”

For more information on the refinishing project completed at Hampton Inn Batesville, please read our press release here. To discover ways to simultaneously save on carbon emissions and your bottom line during renovations at your own hotel branch, email us for a free quote: sales@therefinishingtouch.com.

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October 16th, 2012 by TRT Blog

In last week’s blog post, The Refinishing Touch team discussed the importance of environmental preservation, especially in the revitalized, booming hospitality industry. A great example of green leadership and implementation of sustainable practices were found at Marriott’s new TownePlace Suites located in Denver Airport at Gateway Park – and now another eco-friendly competitor has made its own mark.

Congratulations are in order to the Wyndham Worldwide, as the hospitality company recently revealed its 2011 Sustainability Report and it saw a five percent reduction in its carbon footprint since last year.

This is a big step in the right direction toward Wyndham’s corporate goal – achieving a 12 percent total carbon footprint reduction by the year 2016. A large part of the program’s success is due to the 2010 implementation of the Wyndham Green Toolbox, a cutting-edge software program that allows all of Wyndham’s worldwide businesses to centralize and report sustainability tracking and measuring.

The Refinishing Touch’s award-winning furniture asset management services – which include refinishing using low VOC lacquers and reupholstering with top of the line Touch Textiles fabric – have also been implemented at various Wyndham Worldwide locations. Our on-site production team has completed renovation projects at the Wyndham in Baltimore, MD; Harrisburg, PA; and Morrisville, NC.

Through the use of its Green Toolbox, our furniture asset management services and other eco-friendly strategies, the Wyndham brand is ranked as one of the top 100 greenest companies in the US by Newsweek – coming in at number one among hospitality and restaurant companies.

For the latest green happenings in the hospitality, government and higher education industries, be sure to sign up for our quarterly newsletter, InTouch. You can do so by visiting our homepage, and entering your contact information in the right-hand panel.

Along with the latest in sustainability news, we’ll also uncover the most popular answers to our weekly blog polls and fill you in on some of the team’s most recent renovation projects. You don’t want to miss the next issue of InTouch when it arrives at the beginning of November!

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September 28th, 2012 by TRT Blog

As providers of on-site sustainable furniture asset management services, The Refinishing Touch is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of renovation projects around the world.

With this goal in mind, we had to share with our readers a new report from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research that analyzes how hotels can uniformly calculate the environmental impact of their carbon footprints. Surprisingly, the report reveals that less than 5 percent of hotels’ carbon footprints are generated from coolant and vehicle fuels.

The report is released in the midst of industry efforts to become more transparent to guests in regard to the carbon footprint of hospitality organizations. Many hotel managers are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that consumers are interested in sustainable hospitality options, a trend that has manifested in towel and bed linen reuse programs.

Hotels are also choosing to utilize furniture asset management services to renovate existing furniture through refinishing, reupholstering and remanufacturing, as opposed to purchasing brand new. The environmental benefits to choosing this alternative method include:

- Refinishing furniture saves an estimated 124.08 tons of carbon dioxide per property, when compared to buying new

- The carbon footprint caused by furniture asset management is .009% of the total of furniture manufacturing’s carbon emissions – a significant drop

- It takes 1,000 times more carbon dioxide to make a new piece of furniture versus refinishing it

If you’re interested in learning more about furniture asset management and ways to lower your business’s carbon footprint, visit The Refinishing Touch’s website at www.therefinishingtouch.com. While there, check out our carbon footprint calculator on the homepage to estimate your own environmental impact.

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September 18th, 2012 by TRT Blog

As suppliers of on-site, safe and sustainable furniture asset management services, The Refinishing Touch commends businesses that invest in environmental preservation, especially when undergoing renovations. To commemorate such companies, The Refinishing Touch distributes its quarterly Sustainability Awards to deserving hospitality organizations all across the nation.

Today, The Refinishing Touch is pleased to announce the latest batch of winners to receive its Sustainability Awards. This past quarter, The Refinishing Touch proudly distributed the awards to 29 eco-conscious companies in the hospitality industry that demonstrated green initiatives during restoration.

To qualify for the awards, businesses in the hospitality sector must demonstrate a commitment to eco-friendly efforts, including refinishing, remanufacturing, and reupholstering. These strategies reduce a renovation project’s carbon footprint and minimize landfill waste. The Refinishing Touch’s furniture asset management services alone have reduced clients’ carbon emissions by nearly 90 percent, resulting in a three-million-ton total reduction in emissions.

To read the complete list of winners, please read the press release here. The Refinishing Touch congratulates all of the businesses that received awards, and encourages the winners to keep up with the great work!

For more information on The Refinishing Touch’s services, or to get a free quote for the services at your business, visit the website at www.therefinishingtouch.com.

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