With less than two weeks until it explores ‘wellness post-pandemic’ in Hotel Designs LIVE, Hotel Designs asks The Fine Cotton Company to explain what hoteliers and spa managers should consider when purchasing sustainable linens…
When choosing linens for luxury hotel spas, there’s a lot more to consider than just colour and quantity.
In an environment with oils and creams, pool water and frequent washing requirements it’s crucial to select the right towels and blankets that will perform well and last. That’s why leading luxury hotel spas like The Newt in Somerset Spa and The Spa at Carden come to hospitality linen suppliers The Fine Cotton Company to source sustainable bath robes, towels, throws and blankets that work for the demands of a spa environment.
The challenges when choosing spa linens
The linens used in spas need to be practical, as well as sustainable, but crucially for luxury hotels, emulate the same qualities as the luxury bath robes and towels found in their suites. No mean feat when they have to go through far more rigorous use in a spa than a bathroom.
And with aesthetics key to many hotel spas’ guest experience, hotels will often want linens in a bespoke darker colourway to match their brand, so when washed regularly at high temperatures, must retain their colour for as long as possible.
The solution
1) Lighter-weight cottons to save energy and laundry time
Bearing in mind the high turnover and use of spa linens, The Fine Cotton Company’s team recommend a lighter-weight robe and towels. For The Newt in Somerset Spa this was engineered to match the design of the towels and robes they supplied to the hotel guest rooms for a consistent guest experience.
A huge cost and time saver, the specially designed lighter-weight robes mean laundry time is reduced as the laundry team can fit more robes into a single wash and a lighter-weight product will dry quicker too meaning less stock is required with faster turn-around times.
2) Washable coloured linens at higher temperatures
Traditionally, coloured bath robes and towels generally can only be washed at 40°C to keep them colour safe.
Working with their expert dye house in Portugal, The Fine Cotton Company used a newly formulated dye which had been specially engineered for use in Spas in Europe to enable spas to wash towels and bath robes at 90°C
In a spa environment, where linens are exposed to treatment oils and creams being able to wash them at a higher temperature from time to time will help remove residual oils and keep the towels feeling fresh, soft and looking good for far longer.
The products
Bath Robes designed to last
Image credit: The Fine Cotton Company
The Dark Grey Rimini cotton velour robes The Fine Cotton Company supply luxury spas are the same design as the company’s Luxury Ravenna 420gsm robes used in boutique hotel rooms, but specifically created in a lighter 380gsm.
These robes are a generous fit, mid-calf length with a shawl collar and an integrated towelling lining which offers great absorbency and a gorgeous cosy feel.
All seams are flat-felled welted which give a very neat finish and adds to the strength and durability of the garment, which is especially important when investing in linens for any business.
Treatment towels that stand up to regularly hot washes
From jumbo spa towels for the treatment beds, bath mats to spa mitts, Th e Fine Cotton Company team supply lighter weight Amalfi 100% Cotton Spa Collection towels for spas which have been designed and engineered to withstand the rigours of spas use.
A simple narrow edge border design and lighter 450gsm weight contribute to a faster drying time and double stitched side seams strengthen and maximise durability in industrial laundering.
Light-weight spa pool towels
So that the design of pool towels match the rib detail of The Fine Cotton Company’s Como towels that are used in hotel bathrooms the team created a bespoke pool towel range, as they needed to be a lighter-weight than the Como 700gsm hotel towels, and are available in a popular dark grey colour which is forgiving in a spa environment.
The Como 550gsm pool towel with the rib edge is a combed 550gsm cotton with double stitched side seams for extra durability and are soft, strong and made to last.
Supplied together with a Como Dark Grey 800gsm bathmat they give pool and spa areas a consistent feel and are easy to maintain.
Cotton throws for treatment couches
For treatment couches, comfort and quality are at the forefront of hotelier’s requests when it comes to blankets. The Fine Cotton Company team create bespoke sizes of their white Kensington Floral Trail Matelasse designs, a light-weight and reassuringly tactile cotton blanket.
Made in Portugal, stonewashed for extra softness, they are pre-shrunk and washable to 60°C which reassuringly is the recommended temperature to wash hospitality linens to kill dust mites and allergens.
Portofino washable cotton throws
A popular new addition to The Fine Cotton Company’s spa range are their cotton waffle stone washed throws. These lightweight blankets have been designed specifically for use in Spa’s and Hospitality relaxation areas like The Spa at Carden.
Image credit: The Fine Cotton Company
Made with a fine cotton yarn to guard against snagging and designed with neat hemmed edges, these are no fuss throws that can be folded and put straight back into use as they come out of the dryer.
Being washable means it doesn’t matter if they get wet so they are ideal for use around pools, outdoor hot-tubs, or for use in relaxation areas both indoors and out.
“The Portofino waffle throws are an absolute joy to have in the Spa,” said Stephanie Parry, spa manager at The Spa at Carden. “Our clients love the soft cosy feel of the stone washed waffle and because the throws are washable it doesn’t matter if they get wet so they are ideal for use around the swimming pools, vitality pools as well as our outside seating areas, in the pods or around the firepit.
“The throws are wonderfully easy to care for. There is no creasing and they maintain their shape so can be folded and put straight back into use as they come out the dryer.”
The Fine Cotton Company is one of the brands that has taken advantage of our Industry Support Package. To keep up to date with supplier news, click here. And, if you are interested in also benefitting from this three-month editorial package, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Main image credit: The Fine Cotton Company
