'Colours and materials are essential to guest experience'

Design hotel accessories and locks has big impact

In the hotel industry, besides functionality, it is increasingly about experience. Duco Salomons knows this better than anyone else. As CEO at Hotek Hospitality Group, he sees up close how hotel guests are becoming increasingly critical of every interior detail. "It is often small aesthetic choices-such as use of colour, finishing and visual unity-that make the difference in how a guest experiences a hotel," he states. "From tissue box to waste bin: everything contributes to the overall experience."

Hotek has long been the Dutch market leader in smart access solutions for hotels, but also distinguishes itself with a broad and innovative range of hotel accessories. In this respect, design is taking on an increasingly prominent role. "Colour use is all-important these days," says Salomons. "We work a lot with architectural firms and notice an increasing demand for warm, natural tones such as beige and brown. These colours create tranquillity, comfort and a luxurious feel, which suits modern hotel interiors exactly."

More than decoration

Hotek proactively responds to this with a growing range of design accessories and locks in current colour schemes. "Because colours are not just decoration," he says. "They determine how a room feels: luxurious, soothing and inviting. Our new hotel accessories in beige and brown perfectly match this desire for natural, warm tones. They instantly give a room a premium and comfortable feel."

Hotel accessories are often overlooked, even though they are crucial to the overall experience, Salomons knows. "From tissue box to waste bin: only when all elements are perfectly matched in terms of colour and material does the room exude luxury and consistency. Guests feel that, especially in the high-end segment. It is precisely those details that make the difference. Take something as simple as a waste bin, for example. It used to be an understated, plastic thing. Nowadays, hotels specifically ask for stylish variants in leatherette or other high-quality finishes, so that even the pedal bin contributes to the luxurious feel of the room."

Useful bundles 

To further unburden hoteliers, Hotek is introducing complete accessory bundles, tailored to different interior styles and price points. "We find that hoteliers like it when they don't have to find everything together themselves," says Salomons. "With our bundles, which are carefully put together by our own designers, they can purchase the right combination of accessories that match each other perfectly in terms of style in one go."

At the same time, Hotek offers maximum flexibility. "Standard solutions are not leading with us. If a customer wants accessories in a specific colour - red, green or purple, for example - we realise that. We think in solutions, not in limitations."

Smart webshop solutions

Besides design and ease of use, ordering convenience also plays an important role. Hotek offers hotels and chains smart online solutions that simplify the purchasing process. "Every hotel gets its own webshop account with us, with insight into order history and access to exclusive deals," Salomons explains. "For hotel chains, we even set up a personalised 'shop-in-shop' within our webshop, with a range that is fully tailored to the chain."

This has since proven itself, including in its collaboration with one of the Netherlands' leading hotel chain. "For that company, we developed its own online environment in which each hotel can easily order accessories within a fixed budget per month. That saves them a lot of coordination and time."

All in all, the hotel industry is visibly shifting from purely functional to fully experience-oriented, Salomons stresses. "A safe has to be user-friendly and stylish at the same time. A lock should be safe, but also radiate design. For instance, we can print or wrap locks in the style of the room. In this way, the guest experience starts at the touch of a door handle. This philosophy also extends to our accessories. Everything has to contribute to the bigger story of the hotel experience."