'Hotel industry is forerunner in terms of sustainability'

Bed expert identifies trend shift in hotel rooms

There was a time when he was on a plane just about every day for a business trip. Consequently, few people have seen the inside of as many hotel rooms as Rolf Das, managing director of Pollux Furniture. As a manufacturer of durable quality furniture - including beds, box springs and sofa beds - he closely follows all trends in hotel rooms. But what never changes, according to him, is the importance of excellent sleeping comfort. "If I go back to a hotel again, it's not for a tennis court or a swimming pool, but mainly for the bed," he says.

As a seasoned business traveller, a comfortable bed has always come first for Das. "A good night's sleep is essential to reduce the fatigue of travelling and to start the next day fresh and sharp. So a comfortable bed is not just a luxury, but rather a necessity, and for me it has always been a deciding factor when selecting a hotel for my next business trip. And that was also so long before I entered the bed industry in 2003. Previously, I worked in the plastics processing industry. From 2003 to 2014, I held various positions for a leading Norwegian bed manufacturer in the premium segment. In 2014, for the parent of this company, I continued this in the so-called DACH region - consisting of Germany, Austria and Switzerland - until spring 2017. In the following years, I was able to achieve a substantial market share in the European bed and furniture sector for Lithuania's Dominari Group, from which Pollux BV also emerged in 2020."

Sofa beds

One of the important trends in hotel beds that Das, as managing director of Pollux BV, observes is the increasing demand for sofa beds. "After all, with a fold-out sofa bed, a hotel can easily increase bed capacity and, for example, allow families to sleep together in one room. There is a growing need for this. Another clear trend we are seeing is the return of the slatted base with mattress on an upholstered bed; because in terms of design, that often looks just a little nicer than a box spring anyway; that is more or less on its way out."  

Sustainability booster

Whatever type of bed a hotel chooses, in terms of sustainability Pollux leads the world, assures Das: "Our production process is fully vertically integrated; that is, we make everything in-house, from the pocket springs to the foam to the wooden frames. Moreover, we work mainly with certified wood and all our packaging material is 100 per cent recycled. All in all, this makes our carbon footprint extremely low." According to the director, not only his own company, but also the entire hotel industry has traditionally been a forerunner in terms of sustainability. "As early as some 20 years ago, for example, many hotels were already working on eco-friendly laundry processes. Another well-known example are keycards that you insert into a slot to automatically switch the light in the room on and off at once. Not only important for the environment, but of course also for energy and cost savings. Either way, the hotel industry has been a major driver of this whole sustainability development. For that, this sector deserves kudos."

Television redundant

Besides in terms of sleeping comfort, Das also sees hotel room design slowly changing on other fronts. "In most hotel rooms, you still have a TV, but who watches that anymore? I myself haven't turned on a TV in a room for years. After all, with the laptop, iPad or smartphone, everyone always has their own TV with them these days. Our streaming apps are on there so I can well imagine that the TV will slowly but surely disappear from the hotel room. The same goes for the landline phone; in the past you sometimes still needed it to reach the hotel reception, but nowadays you reach it faster and just as easily with your mobile phone."

However, Das says a high-quality bed will always remain invaluable, including for promoting repeat visits and receiving positive customer reviews. "And such a bed really does not have to be expensive. For the business traveller in particular, in addition, functional amenities such as a desk, comfortable chair, sufficient sockets and good lighting are decisive." To finally add: "These days, as a driver of an electric car, I additionally always choose a hotel with a charging station."