Hospitality Case Study
Hilton Sorrento, Italy
Application: Hosptiality Flooring
Product: Bolon®
When the designers of the Hilton Sorrento Palace Hotel in Sorrento, Italy, considered their flooring needs, they settled on one of the newest and most innovative flooring options available: Bolon® woven vinyl from Mats Inc.
More modern looking than carpet and more colorful than natural sisal, the variety of design options available with Bolon and its ability to stand up to heavy traffic conditions are what make it such an appealing flooring alternative. This unique floor covering comes in a diverse palette of colors and weaves, enabling designers to create custom designs for ultimate variety and originality.
The Hilton project started small and grew exponentially.
“As Bolon was an entirely new product, the hotel’s designers wanted to test Bolon’s durability, so the initial order was for only 600 square feet -- just enough to cover the floor in a small office,” said Jim Cave, vice president of Mats Inc. “They lived with it and they liked it, so the next step was to recover all of the hotel’s corridors with Bolon. Again, they were so pleased with Bolon’s performance that in the final design, all of the hotel’s 380 rooms and suites were covered in Bolon – some 7,000 square meters – or more than 75,300 square feet.”
Bolon comes in both sheets and tiles and is dimensionally stable, so it can be cut in any direction without fraying or tearing. In addition to simplifying installation, this feature gives designers the ability to incorporate non-traditional curves and artistic shapes into their designs, which would not be possible with natural sisal or carpet. Custom-cut seams, inlays and borders add interest and are easy to create, and joints are invisible after installation.
A rich, distinctive appearance is just the beginning. With woven vinyl sisal, safety, acoustics and maintenance aren’t causes for concern either.
Because it is constructed primarily of vinyl, Bolon provides exceptional comfort underfoot, dries quickly and features a non-slip surface. High levels of sound absorption keep ambient and footstep noise to a minimum while chairs roll smoothly over the surface without scratching.
At a time when sustainability and “green” products are gaining in importance, woven vinyl sisal also provides a much longer life cycle than natural sisal. Its maintenance makes it naturally environmentally responsible: Bolon can be cleaned quickly and easily with a hose or hot water without any of the soap and chemicals typically used in carpet cleaning. The product is Class I fire-resistant, stain resistant and has a high degree of colorfastness. There is also never a need to wax, strip or buff this floor covering.
It has been highly acclaimed in Europe for some time where it is used in retail, hospitality and office applications including Armani’s flagship store in Milan and shops across Italy, Cartier’s premier store in Monte Carlo, and Le Meridian Hotel along the French Riviera. The product can also be seen in Loewe’s Hotels worldwide and Audi’s offices worldwide.
1-800-MATS-INC
© 2006 Mats Inc. All rights reserved.