BCFA Member of the Month, Hypnos Contract Beds
As we enter the new year, we have a lot to look forward to and plenty to work towards, turning a new leaf and wiping the slate clean. For many, however, the January blues are beginning to set in, and this can often take a lot to shake off. In light of this, we welcome our first Member of the Month for 2022, Hypnos Contract Beds, with a warming conversation with Carolyn Mitchell, Sales and Marketing Director at Hypnos and second time Chairwoman of The BCFA. We discuss the importance of a good night’s sleep and how Hypnos addresses wellbeing throughout production and within the team.
[Find Hypnos on the BCFA Product Finder]
Can you introduce our readers to Hypnos Contract Beds?
Hypnos is a British, fifth-generation, family-run mattress and bed manufacturer, with over 100 years of bed-making experience and insight into a great night’s sleep. Leading the way in sustainability, Hypnos has been proudly carbon neutral for over 10 years.
Hypnos Contract Beds is the largest provider of hospitality beds in the UK, supplying large hotel groups – as well as boutique and independent hotels, and serviced apartments – in the UK and around the world. We offer a wide range of mattresses, bed bases, headboards, sofa beds, bedding and sleep extras to suit all hospitality properties.
We provide tailored and versatile contract bed solutions for each individual hospitality property, to help maximise occupancy, revenues and profits, whilst minimising housekeeping costs. Our hassle-free service solution includes in-room installation and disposal and recycling of old beds.
What is your role within Hypnos Contract Beds?
I joined Hypnos in 2020 as the Sales and Marketing Director, leading the commercial development of business as it continues to deliver its award-winning sustainable sleep solutions. I am currently servicing a second time as chairwoman of the British Contract Furnishing Association and have spent my career over 30 years in the commercial interiors sector. I’m proud to be part of the Hypnos team, which has achieved so many accolades over the years, including its longstanding Royal Warrant, proudly held since 1929, and more recently The Planet Mark Carbon Neutral Certification.
How important is addressing wellbeing in hospitality?
Guest wellbeing has always sat at the heart of the hospitality industry, but with consumers becoming increasingly conscious of their own health and wellbeing, it’s more important than ever that hospitality providers put guest wellbeing at the forefront of their guest experience. With dedicated wellness destinations popping up across the globe, it’s clear that wellbeing will remain a priority.
A good night’s sleep is central to every guest experience. At Hypnos, we pride ourselves on working with our hospitality partners to ensure they have a premium sleep solution which offers their guests the ultimate night’s sleep, to keep them healthy, charge their mind and body, and ensure a happy and contented stay.
How does the quality of someone’s sleep impact their wellbeing?
Providing an excellent night’s sleep for guests is essential – without a good night’s sleep, overall wellbeing is impossible. A bad night’s sleep can lead to irritability, lack of concentration and anxiety, none of which make for a great stay.
As such, it’s important that hospitality providers show that they’re going above and beyond to help their customers get the best night’s sleep possible when away from home. By providing high quality, comfortable sleeping solutions, and ensuring that sleeping areas are as dark and as silent as possible during the night, hospitality providers will help improve the overall experience and improve guest wellbeing.
How do you consider wellbeing when selecting materials for your products?
Material selection is central to wellbeing and can make all the difference when it comes to getting a good night’s rest. We believe that a great night’s sleep starts by responsibly sourcing the highest quality, sustainable materials – throughout our entire supply chain.
For example, here at Hypnos we have recently launched our pioneering Hospitality Origins Collection, which features a comprehensive choice of sustainable fibres with unparalleled traceability credentials, including ethical cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative and 100% British wool from Red Tractor assured farms. The handcrafted and hand finished Woolsleepers range of mattresses have been designed for an ultimate sleep experience and with the utmost care for our environment. This not only provides unrivalled comfort, but also peace of mind for hoteliers and their eco-conscious guests, who can have confidence in the fact that Hypnos are committed to working only with likeminded ethical partners to ensure the provenance, authenticity and traceability of all materials.
When designing a space with a focus on wellbeing, what else is important for interior designers to include?
There is no stronger influence than nature and the outdoors when it comes to creating a sense of calm and tranquillity and as such, many hotels are taking advantage of the benefits that biophilic design offers to further shape and enhance the experience they offer to their guests. A truly effective biophilic interior integrates the outside with the inside in a seamless, soothing and most importantly, sustainable way.
Opting for natural fibres that are 100% biodegradable or recyclable at the end of their life, particularly when considering dining tables, beds or sofas, can help to ensure a sustainable approach is taken throughout the entire design process. Furniture or décor made from FSC certified wood and natural, ethically sourced materials are free of harmful and allergy-related materials or chemicals, and also contribute to creating a healthy and happy stay.
Hypnos is proud to offer hoteliers eco-sleep solutions including low-carbon sustainable designs, meaning all our mattresses and beds are recyclable and never need to go to landfill. We use wool from Red Tractor assured farms, and cotton from the Better Cotton initiative, emphasising our acceleration to traceable and responsible sourced material.
How important is wellbeing to Hypnos as a company?
Hypnos has been proud to offer comfort with integrity for over 100 years, with the wellbeing of our customers and their guests driving our continued commitment.
We’re on a mission to help everyone sleep well, whether it be via sustainably designing and making stylish, handcrafted beds and mattresses, or providing the peace of mind to sleep well knowing we embed sustainability at every touchpoint of our design process to ensure the wellbeing of the planet.
As a fifth-generation family run business, we also take pride in our strong focus on the personal wellbeing of our colleagues and teams, offering many initiatives and rewards for forward thinking ideas on how we can improve and progress.
What do you think the future is for wellbeing in hospitality?
Already a huge focus for the industry, moving forward sustainability will be key to the future of wellbeing within hospitality – offering customers the more sustainable experiences they desire, and with that peace of mind and an improved overall experience.
Consumers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious and are demanding guest experiences that meet their standards – research has shown that a growing number of guests are willing to pay up to 75% more to stay in a hotel that demonstrates authentic green credentials.[1]
At Hypnos, sustainability has been at the core of the business for over a decade. We became the world’s first bed company to be carbon neutral and utilise 100% recyclable packaging made from sugar cane – in the past nine years, we have offset a total of 9,550 tonnes of CO2e, including 802 tonnes in 2019/20 alone. We’ve also recycled over 235,000,000 plastic bottles using eOlus fibresTM inside some of our mattresses.
For more information visit https://www.hypnoscontractbeds.com/uk/
[1] https://operto.com/green-hotels-consumer-report/
Contact Hypnos through the BCFA Product Finder.
The BCFA Product Finder is a unique search engine created especially for interior designers to source contract furnishing companies. Utilising this platform will support your findings for upcoming projects, with over 200 members profiles showcasing the latest product launches, new materials available, industry news and design trends.