Water quality has a huge impact on your hotel’s coffee and beverage offerings. Here in the Midwest, we have particularly hard water. Milwaukee is at 7.6-8.2 GPG, which qualifies as moderately hard to hard. Indianapolis has notoriously hard water at about 17.5 GPG, considered very hard.
So it makes sense that the hard water would impact the taste and feel of your water. It can also build up and clog equipment and lower water efficiency. Hard water isn’t something to ignore or just live with in a commercial industry. It can have a significant impact on your bottom line.
Key Takeaways:
- Water quality impacts your beverage program’s taste, consistency, and the extraction of coffee and tea.
- Hard water is prevalent in the Midwest, and high hardness can accelerate equipment wear and impact product flavor.
- Guests notice in-room coffee and poor quality can impact repeat bookings.
- Take a property-wide water treatment approach to address beverage quality, equipment longevity, and guest experience.
Water Quality and Hotel Beverage Service
Water quality is one of the most overlooked variables in hotel beverage service, and yet, it is one of the most impactful. Your lobby coffee bar, in-room brewers, and full-service restaurant are all impacted by water hardness.
The mineral content of hard water directly affects the taste, consistency, and equipment performance. For hotel Food & Beverage Managers, it’s worth a closer look, especially in the Midwest, where hard water abounds.
Mineral content in hard water interacts with the coffee extraction process. This can alter bitterness, acidity, and overall flavor in ways that are distinct and measurable. Hard water doesn’t just slow pipes and leave deposits on equipment. It actively changes the taste profile of coffee, tea, and other beverages.
A few decades ago, the taste of hotel coffee wouldn’t have been such a big deal. But guest expectations for beverage quality have risen significantly, and so has the competitiveness of the industry. A subpar cup of coffee is beyond a minor inconvenience; it’s a reviewable factor that can show up in guest experience.
If your hotel invests in premium coffee, specialty teas, and craft beverage offerings, the investment could be undermined by bad water quality.
How Hard Water Affects Coffee Specifically
Calcium and magnesium are prominent minerals in coffee extraction. If the Calcium and magnesium content is too high, coffee will taste bitter and flat (think gas-station coffee). In contrast, if the mineral content is too low, the coffee can taste sour and thin.
Scale buildup inside your coffee equipment causes variations in the water temperature consistency, too. Even when the coffee is a gourmet blend, temperature fluctuations can impact extraction quality, leaving you with a disappointing cup of Joe.
Chlorine and other water treatment chemicals in most standard municipal water supplies can also impart off-flavors. No amount of premium coffee can stand up to water that has a chemical aftertaste.
The biggest factor to consider is consistency. Inconsistency is the enemy of any beverage program. Guests might love their coffee on Monday, and they will take note if they get a distinctly different cup on Thursday. It might seem like a small touch, but it’s one that gets noticed.
First Impression of the Hotel Lobby Coffee Bar
Lobby beverage and coffee service greets road-weary travelers with a comforting cup of java or refreshing hydration. Often, the hotel lobby coffee service is your guest’s first real interaction with your hotel following check-in.
Water quality can shape that very first impression.
High-volume coffee brewers used in banquet and lobby areas cycle through a significant amount of water volume each day. Even if the coffee is complimentary, guests will notice mineral buildup and taste variation.
For hotels operating branded or premium coffee programs (such as Starbucks licensed, local roaster partnerships, or specialty tea and espresso), they are wasting money on these premium services if the water quality is compromised.
In-Room Coffee is a Critical Touchpoint
How important is coffee to your guests? Surprisingly, much more important than one might think. 75% of hotel guests rate their in-room coffee service as poor to average quality. Even more telling, 30% of the participants in the UCC Coffee Survey said that poor quality coffee would be enough to prevent a repeat visit to the hotel.
In-room coffee is one of the most noticed and commented-on amenities in hotel ratings and reviews. Guests pay attention when something is off.
Unfortunately, small in-room brewers are particularly susceptible to scale build-up. They may rarely get monitored and descaled, and it can be hard to maintain all the in-room coffee makers in a large property.
A wise approach is to consider a property-wide water treatment solution. This can keep all your water quality consistent in rooms. It can also help equipment wear and age at the same rate.
Restaurant and Banquet Beverage Service: Water Quality is Essential
Your full-service hotel restaurant faces the same water quality challenges as any area’s standalone restaurants. Then add on the complexity of banquets and events, and you have a critical reason to make sure water quality is good.
When guests attend an event or banquet at your hotel, it means high visibility for your establishment. Attendees may not necessarily be guests of the hotel. But when they’re seated, listening or watching an event, that cup of coffee is part of their overall impression. While they might not notice if it’s an outstanding cup of coffee, they will definitely notice if it’s subpar and associate that with your establishment.
If your hotel has a bar or beverage program that includes specialty cocktails, water quality can impact those flavors as well. Housemade syrups and craft non-alcoholic drinks call for water as an ingredient, not just a utility.
Make sure that all guests, whether there for lodging or just for drinks, have an A+ experience at your hotel bar. You never want to be known for your bad-tasting drinks.
Hard Water and Equipment Longevity vs. Beverage Quality
There are two separate arguments for commercial water softeners in hotels. The reality is that hard water is hard on equipment. From your laundry service to room service, hard water can cause wear and tear, which can cost your hotel significantly over time.
While equipment preservation is an important consideration for hotel water softening, the beverage quality argument stands independently. Even if your equipment appears to function as expected, poor water quality results in an inferior product.
Treating water for beverage quality and treating it for equipment protection are different, but complementary goals. Higher quality, softened water will both taste better and improve the efficiency of your establishment. It’s a win-win.
So what does the right water treatment look like for hotels that are concerned about their beverage programs?
It typically starts with softening to address the hardness and prevent scale. Scale (a buildup of minerals from hard water) leaves telltale white residue on equipment that can clog up the works. Scale is also the primary culprit for mineral taste interference.
A commercial water filtration system helps to address the taste-affecting compounds that softening itself doesn’t remove. These can be additives like chlorine and sediment, especially associated with city water systems.
Generally, it’s best to take a property-wide approach to your water treatment. Look at the water everywhere in your establishment—the lobby, the restaurant, the banquet kitchen, and of course, guest rooms. Don’t limit your water treatment to just one area of your hotel, because water impacts literally every aspect of hotel management.
The right solution will also depend on your local water chemistry. Municipal water in Milwaukee and Madison looks different from that in Indianapolis. Treatment should reflect that, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Quality Water Improves Both Guest Experience and Revenue
Beverage programs at your hotel might not be considered revenue drivers, but at the end of the day, your hotel restaurant, lobby bar, and banquet coffee service all contribute to your F&B margins.
They also contribute to guest satisfaction. Online reviews and ratings often reference coffee and beverage quality—especially if it’s poor. Water is the silent variable between a good guest experience and an excellent one.
Savvy hotel managers and owners recognize that an investment in water treatment helps protect the guest experience and the program revenue that those experiences can generate.
Reliable Water Services specializes in commercial water heating, softening, and treatment solutions. We can help you make sure your equipment meets hotel demand. A professional commercial water equipment sizing is crucial for ensuring that your hotel has the water guests need, when they need it, at a quality they expect.
Our leasing and rental plans help you work with your budget to ensure you can get the equipment you need, including installation, service, and 24/7 support. We’re there for you no matter the time of day or situation, because we know that water is an essential part of creating a home-away-from-home experience.
Assessment of your current equipment is a good starting point. Reach out today to find out how your hotel’s water is performing and how that may be impacting your coffee, bar, restaurant, and beverage program.