Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008 - (Page 22)

22 Design FLOORING H&MM April 21, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition BY HEATHER GUNTER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Protect clean and Natural stone ﬂooring needs to breath. “Don’t use polishes or waxes,” said Richard Dasch, president, Rose Restoration International. “They can make it slippery because there’s nowhere for the water to go—it’s a hydroplaning effect.” The company uses industrial diamonds to maintain marble. “They are to stone what sandpaper is to wood,” Dasch said. “As you use ﬁner sandpaper, you keep closing the pores with everincreasingly ﬁner paper.” How often the ﬂoors should be polished depends on foot trafﬁc and the hotel’s location. “At the beach, where sand is being dragged in all the time, it will dull the surface,” Dasch said. For some ﬂoors, the company polishes a different section every night. Areas in front of Expert tips for ﬂoor maintenance In high-trafﬁc areas, polished stone should be cleaned daily with a clean rayon or cotton string mop with hot water and quality neutral cleaner. Neutral cleaners have a pH of 7. Acidic and alkaline cleaners should not be used; they will dull the polish of the ﬂoor. The most important maintenance procedure is drying the marble after cleaning. Change the cleaning water and rinsing water often because dirty water leaves streaking and dulls the appearance of the marble. For a polished marble ﬂoor, dust mop periodically during the day to prevent dirt and gravel from scratching the ﬂoor. Walk-off mats placed outside and inside entrances eliminate a good portion of sand, dirt and grit. Vacuum the dirt and grit out of these mats daily. Source: Stephanie Merkel, v.p., national accounts & marketing, Stuart Dean face LIFTS The Indianapolis Marriott Downtown completed a $9.5-million renovation in February of 622 guestrooms and suites and public meeting space. Vivian | Nichols Associates used a proprietary creative process called Spatial Mythology to create a distinctive storyline for the space. The Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and history of the city served as inspiration for their Art of the Mix theme. Artwork deﬁnes each guestroom with reproduction textiles by artist Michael James, whose work is on display at the IMA, serving as headboards. An additional focal point includes new deep-toned, stylized carpeting in a checkerboard motif inspired by the IMS checkered ﬂag. Sphere and circular patterns in the textiles are indicative of the city’s landmarks. The Village at Squaw Valley USA in Olympic Valley, Calif., opened its new Mountain Stream Room, adding 1,900 square feet to its existing 5,500 square feet of meeting space. The room can be divided into three separate rooms via air walls. It features a large patio for outdoor seating and receptions. stone ﬂoors elevators or doors might be done monthly to weekly, he said. To care for polished ﬁnishes, hire experts for the restoration process, said Stephanie Merkel, v.p., national accounts & marketing, Stuart Dean. “Experience plays a substantial role in enabling the marble restorative technician to know precisely what methods to employ to quickly and effectively service a marble ﬂoor,” she said. Marble, such as the ﬂoor at The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco [above], is composed primarily of calcium carbonate, is relatively soft and can be scratched by dirt tracked onto ﬂoors from outside. “Polishing is an abrasive technique which creates a ﬂat, lustrous surface and also seals the stone,” she said. STUART DEAN Quotable “ SIKA INDUSTRIAL FLOORING Stone alternative “Polymer ﬂooring has become more decorative over the last 20 years, and is being used more in commercial applications, including hotels,” said Brad Weil, senior product marketing manager, Sika Industrial Flooring. These products can be a good alternative to terrazzo or other stone ﬂooring. “Sikaﬂoor Verrazzo and Versacolor produce a highly durable and attractive surface at a third of the cost of terrazzo,” Weil said. “They also offer faster installation for reduced downtime and, because grout lines and surface waxing are eliminated, have lower maintenance costs compared to tile or conventional terrazzo.” “Sikaﬂoor decorative systems produce a seamless marble or granite appearance at a fraction of the cost,” said Tim Price, regional sales manager. “Even though these systems are designed to last many years, facilities have Dry bufﬁng with a white pad under a ﬂoor machine with a speed of not less than 175 rpm will greatly extend the justpolished look of a quality marble ﬂoor.” STEPHANIE MERKEL, v.p., national accounts & marketing, Stuart Dean For more info Company Circle No. AlphaStone Solutions . . . . . . 278 Decostone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 International Marble . . . . . . . 280 Rose Restoration International . 281 Sika Industrial Flooring . . . . . 282 Stone Resource . . . . . . . . . . 283 Stuart Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Tropical Stone . . . . . . . . . . . 285 the ﬂexibility to economically change the look after only a couple of years by simply grinding the surface and reapplying. This can be done to match new carpet or furniture, or to achieve a totally new color palette.” Splashtopia is the new water complex at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Its debut is the crowning touch of a $35-million renovation. Ringed by a 425-foot lazy river, Splashtopia is almost two acres and features two 100-foot water slides, a cliffside Jacuzzi, expansive swimming pool and a sandy beach and water-play zone. The resort also has a family pool and two pool areas for relaxation. Compiled by Heather Gunter, hgunter@questex.com http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008 Contents Vista Affirms Fair Franchising Doctrine HOTEC Panel Explores Green Procurement Spa Revenue Drives Overall Profitability Perspective Legal FAQ Sales Clinic Travel Trends Guest Column Trends & Stats Owners and Operators Feel Pressure to Switch to HD Protect and Clean Stone Floors Coffee On Demand Fitness Equipment Experts Weigh New Builds Vs. Conversions Transactions Ad/Edit Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008

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