From a hot cup of coffee in the morning with a slice of toast, to a calming mug of chamomile tea in the evening, having a modern kettle and toaster available to guests can help elevate their experience.
However, with a saturated market, it is easy to get overwhelmed when looking to upgrade your appliances.
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To help, AccomNews reached out to a market-leading industry supplier Weatherdon to help put together a ‘buyers guide’ for guestroom toasters and kettles.
Weatherdon Managing Director, Robert Weatherdon said that selecting appliances for a guestroom was vastly different than buying for your own home, and that is often where buyers get stuck.
“It’s important to keep in mind that a guestroom is not a home,” he said.
“When you purchase for the home, you get to know how to use the appliance, as you use it every day. In a guestroom, a guest might only stay one night so it is important the appliance is easy to use.
“There’s no point if they finally work out how to use an appliance on the day of check-out!”
It is also important that hoteliers consider the space when purchasing new appliances, Mr Weatherdon said that many guestrooms will overestimate the size required.
“There is no point putting a four-slice toaster in a hotel guest room,” he said.
“It just takes up space when it is most likely that just one person will use it.
“However, larger self-catering apartments may need larger capacity items due to the number of guests.
“It’s simple really, but surprising how many properties forget this when purchasing.”
When considering an appliance upgrade, Mr Weatherdon advised against going with ‘trendy’ or fashionable colours or designs, and instead opt for classic tones.
“It’s important for the property not to be fixated with retail colour trends as they can change quickly,” he said.
“The red kettle and toaster set that you bought today might look great, but when you try and get replacements that colour may have been discontinued. For that reason, matte black and stainless steel are the safest options.”
As guests become more environmentally conscious, ensuring that appliances are also eco-friendly is certain to impress, and helps to minimise the water bill.
Mr Weatherdon recommended opting for smaller appliances, rather than searching specifically for low-energy options. Again, keeping in mind that guestrooms have vastly different needs than family homes.
“Many guestrooms do not need a 1.7L domestic kettle as typically there are just one or two guests in a room,” he said.
“A smaller kettle will easily suit their needs. People tend to fill the kettle, irrespective of the need. It’s just habit. The smaller kettles save power by boiling less water.”
Also, essential when in the market for a new toaster or kettle, is the safety of the appliance.
Mr Weatherdon said it was imperative that any appliances were certified for use in Australia and met all safety requirements.
To help increase safety, the latest technological advances at Weatherdon include a kettle with a ‘double wall’ to prevent accidental burns and decrease the risk of fire. The new kettle design is cool to the touch, minimising the risk of any nasty accidents.
For hoteliers who are looking for a cost-effective option, Weatherdon has a range of toasters in their Nero range that cater for all accommodation star ratings. The more cost-effective kettles tend to be plastic and with fewer features but are still perfect for guest needs.
As a final word of warning for those in the market for a new kettle or toaster (or two), Mr Weatherdon said that it was essential that hoteliers thoroughly test out any appliances with the guest in mind.
“Some items might look good but are totally unsuitable for the needs of the particular property,” he said.
“It is imperative that a hotel trials a product like a guest would do, and you would be amazed how many don’t do this. We get examples where the kettle or toaster can’t even reach the power point.”
“Many hotels hide the kettle or toaster in a cupboard as they feel it looks nicer that way. However, for the guest, it can be a frustrating experience trying to locate the appliance and then find where to position it near a power point.
“And then they try and fill it up and the kettle won’t fit under the faucet! This is where smaller kettles really come into their own.”
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