Imagine guests checking in at the front desk. One is a weary traveler, here for a two-night stay to deliver his presentation to a local branch of his company. The other guest is the mother of a family of three, tired from driving and ready to start her vacation.
What do you want their stay in your hotel to be like?
Creating a great hotel experience requires attention to every detail. From the comfort of the bedding to the cleanliness of the bathroom, every aspect of their stay contributes to a guest’s impression. One critical but often overlooked touchpoint is water quality. Hard water is going to break hearts and the bank. A good water softening system creates the experience your guests crave, providing many benefits for travelers and hotel owners alike. Soft water is a must for the hospitality industry.
What is Hard Water and Soft Water?
Hard water is like a visiting family member who won’t leave. It’s familiar and can be tolerated, but it overstays its welcome and touches all your stuff. Any fresh water, like rain, that picks up high amounts of minerals as it runs through soil and rocks to underground water caches is called hard water. The most abundant minerals found in this type of water are calcium and magnesium.
Usually, hard water is not softened by your city’s water treatment plant. There are some select municipalities that may be able to lower the hard water levels slightly during the city treatment process, but over 85% of homes and businesses in the US still have some level of water hardness. Hotels operating in these regions have unique challenges that directly affect guest satisfaction and your bottom line.
Often, hotels make soft water using an ion exchange water softening system. In this system, hard water passes through a resin bed where calcium and magnesium ions switch places with sodium ions, softening the water. Ion exchange systems are designed to handle large volumes of water and, with regular upkeep, can deliver a continuous supply of soft water throughout the hotel.
Soft water improves guest satisfaction and hotel operational efficiency. Before diving into why your guests love a water softener, let’s first discuss the consequences of heartbreaking hard water hotels.
Signs of Hard Water
It’s important to recognize the signs of hard water problems. Many hospitality businesses may not know they suffer from hard water issues, but their guests and their operational budgets have taken notice. Common signs of hard water use in hotels include:
- Clouds and water spots on dishes and bathroom plumbing fixtures
- Dull, scratchy towels and linens
- Dry skin and limp, dry hair after showering
- Soap scum residue on hands and body after washing
- Frequent plumbing maintenance issues
- Calcium deposits
- An increase in energy or water bills
Guests are quick to notice the negative effects of hard water. Complaints focus on the harsh, dry feeling left on their skin and hair after showering, and rough, uncomfortable towels and bedding. Furthermore, visible signs like water spots or cloudy mirrors can make guests question the hotel’s cleanliness and standards for hygiene, even when the rooms are otherwise sanitary.
How Soft Water Improves Guest Satisfaction
Hard water can cause guests to break up with your hotel and drive up operational costs. How can a water softening system make your guests love your hotel again?
Better Bathing
A positive bathroom experience is a major component of guest satisfaction. Soft water means fewer hot water interruptions, leaving guests feeling clean and rejuvenated. Many hotels offer spa-like amenities, and soft water helps deliver on this promise because guests often associate soft water with luxury.
- Hard Water strips away the body’s natural oils, causes dryness, irritation, and a buildup of minerals on hair and skin. Dermatologists frequently tell patients with sensitive skin or eczema to avoid hard water, as it can exacerbate these conditions.
- Soft Water creates a richer lather and makes washing away soap residue easier, reducing skin irritation. It doesn’t remove the natural oils, making skin feel clean, smooth, and moisturized. Hair washed in soft water doesn’t have a build-up of damaging minerals, so hair becomes soft and workable.
Quality, Comfortable Towels & Linens
Every guest you have wants to feel comfortable and cared for. If your hotel can’t offer that, it won’t be in business too much longer. Part of being cared for includes getting quality sleep. Soft water helps provide this by caring for the high-quality bedding you invested in.
- Hard Water leaves a residue that dulls colors and makes fabrics abrasive, stiff, discolored, and scratchy. It also degrades linens and towels faster. All of this leads to more washing and drying, higher energy and detergent costs, frequently replacing fabrics, and an uncomfortable bed.
- Soft Water keeps fabrics plush, bright, and inviting. Because soft water is gentler on fabrics, hotels save money with linens that don’t need to be replaced often.
Clearly Clean Rooms & Dishes
A clean, sanitary room is the number one guest priority. First impressions matter, and fixtures with water spots and cloudy dishware denote a sense of disregard for the guests’ comfort and safety.
- Hard Water prevents soap and detergents from dissolving correctly. It also makes it harder to rinse. While your dishes and faucets may be clean, they don’t look clean. Your guests will notice the cloudiness, spots, and streaks.
- Soft Water leaves no residue, streaks, spots, or clouds. Items can be rinsed off correctly, so dishes are sparkling, and rooms give the impression of proper cleanliness and attention to detail. Soft water also creates a good lather, increasing your detergent’s effectiveness. Because soft water and soap work so well together, your spending on cleaning agents may go down as much as 75%.
Super Savings on Plumbing and Appliance Maintenance
Your guests may not see everything that goes into operating a hotel, but they can sense it. Damage to water-using appliances increases operational costs that may lead to a higher room charge, a lack of working amenities, and a general feeling of dissatisfaction with their stay. Additionally, social media has a tremendous effect on a hotel’s relevance, and bad plumbing and hot water problems don’t inspire positive reviews or brand loyalty.
- Hard Water causes mineral build-up (like limescale) to grow in pipes, damaging equipment and appliances, requiring frequent repair, maintenance, and expensive replacements. Plumbing and appliance hard water issues mean a decrease in the pipe’s water volume, which can affect water pressure. It also means increased costs as more energy is needed to change the water temperature through mineral deposits in the hot water heater. Hard water can also cause corrosion, leaks, clogged drains, and scaly shower heads. Your guests do not want to be inconvenienced while repairs are being made. Because hot water and working plumbing are the keys to cleanliness and guest happiness, it’s important to consider a water softening system.
- Soft Water doesn’t cause residue and can prevent mineral build-ups in your plumbing, coffee makers, sinks, and more. Soft water also increases the lifespan of your plumbing and appliances, usually doesn’t void the equipment’s warranty, and reduces maintenance and energy costs.
More Reasons to Invest in a Hotel Water Softening System
There are considerable benefits to commercial water softeners besides guest satisfaction.
- Cost Savings: reduced wear and tear on fabrics and appliances give big returns on investment over a short period of time.
- Brand Identity: make your hotel stand out in a competitive market by offering higher standards for guest experience.
- Positive Reviews: happy people are likely to share the small details of your hotel online, often detailing the soft towels or the luxurious feeling of the shower.
- Going Green: eco-friendly initiatives show you focus on sustainability, which a lot of travelers are looking for.
How to Implement a Water Softening System in Your Hotel
Investing in a water softener is straightforward and not something you have to do alone. Reliable Water Services can help you with:
- Assessment: evaluate your current need and gather your water usage statistics.
- Customization: build a plan just for your hotel’s needs.
- Installation: easy integration with your hot water heater.
- Maintenance: provide 24/7 customer service.
Once you have a working water softening system, be sure to gather employee and guest feedback to track the impact of soft water in your hotel.
Hotels must make many decisions to keep their business successful. Many of these choices affect a guest’s experience, and investing in a water softening system is a big, better choice. Soft water enhances guest satisfaction in many ways, like fluffy towels, spa-like showers, and shiny bathroom fixtures. Beyond guest benefits, soft water decreases hotel operational costs, offers a larger return on investment, and improves your hotel’s reputation and customer loyalty.
In the hospitality business, every detail counts. A water softening system will make your job easier and help keep guests coming back.
