Custom Hotel Furniture vs. Catalog Furniture

You’ve made so many decisions by the time your hotel project nears the finish line. Over the course of months (or even years) you’ve successfully:

Navigated budgetary concerns
Chosen a “dream team” of vendors and suppliers
Hand-picked aesthetic elements from carpet/drape schemes to drink coasters
& Everything in between

With all those successes in the bag, selecting guestroom furniture shouldn’t keep you up at night, right? Well, often times your hotel’s design vision can be directly impacted by your choice of furniture and how it compliments the overall aesthetics.

Good news: Both customized hotel furniture and established catalog furniture collections carry distinct benefits.

The Benefits of Customized Hotel Guestroom Furniture

1. CRAFT YOUR UNIQUE DESIGN

You have something unique and beautiful in mind. Perhaps it’s an elaboration on an amazing hospitality design you spotted in a travel magazine, or better yet, a napkin sketch you designed on your own.

Customized furniture can achieve what you imagine – within reason, of course (you may need to seek out a specialty craftsman if you want a hand-carved chair that looks like an orchid).

In today’s world of emerging boutique hotel models and spin-off soft brands, you need that extra design edge to help you stand out among your competitors and peers. Be creative. Guest satisfaction, delight, and return visits often begin with designs conceptualized “outside the box.”

2. FLEXIBILITY WITH MATERIALS, ACCESSORIES, & DIMENSIONS

Along those creative lines, customized hotel bedroom furniture materials and dimensions can be mostly what you wish. You’re not tethered to certain furniture models, materials, or designs.

Opting for laminate vs. wood veneer, for instance, can bring functionality, durability, style, and cost savings.

You can pick and choose the accessories guests will need and enjoy. Today’s travelers require near-constant technical capabilities. So, your furniture should include elements and options for:

Wireless charging
USB/data ports
LED lighting

3. COMPETITIVE PRICING

There’s a common misconception in hospitality that custom furniture will break the bank. While it can admittedly be more pricey for various reasons, it can also be value-engineered to be the more economical option.

Thanks to advances in furniture manufacturing technology, less-expensive materials (mentioned briefly above) can actually meet, if not surpass, your quality and aesthetic standards. In essence, cheaper doesn’t mean cheaply made or cheap looking.

4. FOCUS ON GUEST NEEDS

Do your guests need some ornate design? Or do they need a stylishly understated aesthetic with zest and spirit for guests to achieve:

Wellness/fitness goals?
Work responsibilities?
Mindfulness/private reflection?

If custom hotel furniture history has told us anything, it’s that design will adjust and evolve, if necessary, to meet guest needs.

The Benefits of Catalog Furniture Collections

1. ELIMINATE THE GUESSWORK

In a world of infinite possibilities, it’s nice to sometimes know exactly what you’re getting. Especially when you can easily (and quickly) make a selection from an established catalog furniture collection.

2. SHORTER LEAD TIMES

A piece of case goods furniture from a collection has been constructed hundreds, maybe even thousands, of times. An experienced hospitality furniture manufacturer will store previously engineered drawings for access on demand. Its construction is second nature for a skilled staff once the order hits the factory floor.

A standard hotel furniture order takes roughly 8 weeks from design submission/approval to completion. (Download a more detailed hospitality furniture production timeline below.) Engineering custom furniture could take 1-2 weeks. The engineering process for furniture collections could take just 1-2 days.

3. NO ANALYSIS PARALYSIS

Unlimited options can feel overwhelming. What do you choose? The mahogany finish looks so classy, yet a more natural touch has a rustic appeal. Will it be adorned with brass or bronze?

Relax! Take analysis paralysis out of the equation. Catalog furniture collections feature beautiful tried-and-true designs you can return to time and again.

4. COMPETITIVE PRICING

What luck, this is also a benefit of customized hotel bedroom furniture. Expect China-made hotel case goods furniture to bring the most possible value for the price – whether it’s from a furniture collection or custom-built.

Both Custom-Made and Furniture Collections Have Great Benefits for Your Hotel

Neither stands out above the other anymore. Custom hotel bedroom furniture is great if you’re particularly excited about an out-of-this-world design you couldn’t accomplish anywhere else. Meanwhile, furniture collections are great for easily choosing the best models that have succeeded enough to merit mass production.