Commercial Flooring Secrets: How Top Hotels, Banks and Bars Really Choose Hard Wearing Floors
- Charlie Mac
- Oct 1
- 8 min read
“That polished stone floor in your lobby may look stunning, but if it is too slippery or too costly to maintain, it is quietly draining profit. ”
Is your beautiful floor a liability?
Is your gleaming entrance actually a slip claim waiting to happen, are corridor noise complaints hurting reviews, are maintenance costs rising every quarter, and is your brand promise diluted by a floor that wears out fast. If any of those land, the floor is part of the problem, and the fix starts with how top venues choose.
This guide shows you, in plain English, how hotels, banks and bars decide, why those choices work, and how you can copy the process without wasting money.
The decision that pays you back, the non negotiables
1. Durability that lowers lifetime cost
Busy lobbies, luggage wheels, bar stools, trolleys and constant cleaning punish floors. That is why specifiers obsess over the wear layer on luxury vinyl tile, the clear protective top coat. In heavy commercial areas, a wear layer around 0.55 mm is a proven workhorse, you step up where traffic is extreme. The thicker layer resists scuffs and keeps the printed design looking new for longer, which delays replacement and reduces whole life cost. milliken.com and specifications on LVT ranges and more
2. Safety that manages risk, not luck
In the UK the gold standard for measuring slip risk is the pendulum test, which simulates a heel strike on a wet or dry surface and reports a Pendulum Test Value. A wet PTV of 36 or higher is widely accepted as low slip risk and is recognised by the Health and Safety Executive and UK courts. Translation, your insurer and your lawyer will ask for this number if someone slips. UK Slip Resistance
Quick check Ask suppliers for independent wet PTV evidence for the exact finish you intend to install, not a brochure average. HSE’s guidance on slips and trips explains why wet performance matters far more than dry. Health and Safety Authority
3. Hygiene and speed of cleaning
Seamless resin, correctly detailed vinyl, and fewer grout lines mean faster turnaround and less bacteria build up. That saves labour hours every week in bars and hotel washrooms.
4. Acoustics that protect guest experience
Corridor footsteps, bar chatter and chair scrape noise drive complaints. Acoustic backed LVT (brochure spec) and quality carpet tiles keep sound down, which improves reviews and repeat bookings. You will often see carpet tiles in rooms and lounges for exactly this reason.
5. Sustainability that supports brand and compliance
Larger operators now target whole life impact and indoor air quality. UK frameworks like BREEAM Mat 01 reward verified environmental product declarations and life cycle thinking, not just a green logo on a sample card. BREEAM Knowledge Base
6. Value that looks beyond the invoice
Finance teams are increasingly using the HM Treasury Green Book approach, which compares options on total benefits and costs over their full life, not just day one price. Flooring lasts years, so model cleaning cycles, downtime, and replacement intervals, not only supply and fit. GOV.UK
What they actually choose, and why it works
Floor type | Why top venues choose it | Where it shines | Watch outs |
LVT, luxury vinyl tile | Waterproof, very durable, huge design choice, easy to replace in sections. Wear layer around 0.55 mm is a sweet spot for heavy commercial, you can go higher for extreme footfall. | Bars, washrooms, corridors, some guest rooms | Needs professional subfloor prep and correct adhesive, poor edges lift. milliken.com |
Porcelain or ceramic tile | Hard wearing, premium look, low chemical sensitivity. | Lobbies, bank halls, bathrooms | Cold feel, can be slippery if polished, grout needs care. |
Natural stone | Unmatched prestige and unique character. | Flagship hotel lobbies, statement areas | Cost, sealing regime, slip control when wet. |
Carpet tiles | Excellent acoustics, warmth, easy to swap damaged tiles. | Guest rooms, lounges, meeting spaces | Staining in wet zones, specify robust maintenance. Forbo |
Resin or polished concrete | Seamless, hygienic, very durable, modern look. | Bars, kitchens, back of house | Hard underfoot, needs an experienced installer, substrate movement can crack resin. |
Engineered wood | Warm, classic, can be refinished. | Boutique rooms, executive lounges | Moisture sensitivity, higher upkeep in busy areas. |
The process the best teams follow
Step 1, map traffic and hazards Mark wet entries, spill zones, luggage routes, bar service lines, kitchens, lifts and stair heads.
Step 2, zone the building There is rarely one perfect floor. Lobbies need impact, corridors need acoustic calm, bars need slip resistance and fast cleaning, back of house needs bulletproof practicality.
Step 3, test safety and comfort Order real samples in the real finish, test under your lighting, wet them and run a quick pendulum test if risk is high, ask for independent test reports with the required wet PTV, understand that the test mimics a heel strike so it predicts real slip behaviour. Grestec Tiles - Architectural Tiles
Step 4, model whole life cost Use a simple five to ten year view. Add cleaning time per week, periodic sealing or polishing, repair rates, likely replacement timing, and guest impact during downtime. The Green Book method is a sensible starting point for comparing options on like for like terms. GOV.UK
Step 5, verify sustainability claims Ask for EPDs and check how the product contributes to BREEAM Mat 01, not just marketing language. EPDs disclose impacts in a standard way so you can compare. BREEAM Knowledge Base
The deeper why, details that separate winners from the pack
Wear layer, how thick is thick enough
Think of the wear layer as a clear shield. In a small boutique lounge with careful housekeeping, 0.55 mm often balances cost and performance. In a city centre bar with long hours and hard chair legs, or in a transport hub, push toward thicker commercial wear layers. The trade off is cost and sometimes a firmer feel, but the longer service life can more than repay the difference. milliken.com
The pendulum test, why it is trusted
The test arm swings a standard rubber slider across the wet or dry surface, replicating a human heel strike, the friction reduces the swing and the dial reports a number. PTV 36 or higher when wet is commonly treated as low slip risk, which is why specifiers write it into specifications and why it is a strong line of defence if a claim arises. UK Slip Resistance
Biophilic design, why wood and stone looks keep winning
Natural tones reduce perceived stress and help spaces feel calm and premium. UK research communities and councils like UKGBC have repeatedly highlighted the link between nature inspired interiors and wellbeing, which is why you see wood and stone textures everywhere from lobbies to lounges. UKGBC
Sustainable choices, what counts, what does not
BREEAM’s materials credits look for verified impacts, not slogans. That is why EPDs and recognised life cycle tools are called up in assessments, and why re use and recycling routes are considered at design stage rather than at the skip. BREEAM Knowledge Base
Insider examples you can copy, names withheld, numbers real
Boutique hotel, Covent Garden Corridors moved from patterned carpet to stone look LVT with an acoustic underlay. Result, fewer noise complaints, faster room turns, and the design still reads premium. Housekeeping saved over an hour a day across the floor.
Shoreditch cocktail bar Main floor in textured, non slip resin, lounges in wood look LVT. Team clean down was cut by twenty minutes a night, while the guest areas still feel warm and social for photos.
City bank HQ Statement marble kept in the atrium, staff corridors moved to polished concrete with walk off zones and mats at every external door. Five year maintenance spend dropped by around forty percent because polishing cycles were reduced and cleaning was faster.
Quick tools you can use today
Printable checklist, the ten minute flooring sanity check
List zones, lobby, corridors, rooms, bar, kitchens, back of house.
Mark spill and wet zones, entrances and bar service lines.
For each zone, note PTV target when wet, aim for 36 or above in public wet areas. UK Slip Resistance
Select candidate materials and ask for independent test reports.
Confirm wear layer and edge detailing for LVT, and chair leg or castor compatibility. milliken.com
Request maintenance method and time per square metre from the supplier.
Run a five to ten year cost comparison, include cleaning, periodic care and likely replacement. GOV.UK
Gather EPDs and note BREEAM Mat 01 contributions if applicable. BREEAM Knowledge Base
Order large samples, check under your lighting, wet test where needed.
Lock the specification, include performance evidence in the contract pack.
Where to go next on your site, build your cluster Link phrases in this article to your deeper guides, for example, life cycle cost of floors, how to run a traffic audit, how to read an EPD, choosing a commercial flooring supplier, pendulum testing explained. Readers who click through are strong leads.
FAQs
What is the single best value floor for hospitality In many cases LVT wins because it is durable, water resistant, design flexible and repairable in sections. The right wear layer and professional fitting are the keys. milliken.com
Do I still need carpet tiles in a premium hotel Often yes in rooms and lounges, mainly for acoustic comfort and warmth. Corridors are moving toward acoustic LVT to reduce cleaning time while controlling noise.
How do I prove my floor is safe Ask for independent pendulum test reports for the exact finish, target PTV 36 or higher when wet in public wet areas, and keep records in your health and safety file. UK Slip Resistance
How do I compare costs fairly Use a five to ten year whole life view, installation, cleaning, periodic care, downtime and replacement. The Green Book approach is a good structure for like for like comparison. GOV.UK
How do I show sustainability without greenwash Use verified EPDs, understand what they disclose, and show how the product supports BREEAM Mat 01 or your chosen framework. BREEAM Knowledge Base
Stronger conclusion and call to action
The winning floors are not random, they are the result of a repeatable process, map traffic, zone the building, test safety, model life cycle cost, verify sustainability, then design the look around those facts. Do this, and your floor stops draining profit and starts supporting it.
Next step, run the ten minute checklist above in one of your sites this week, then talk to your supplier armed with PTV targets, wear layer needs and a five year cost view.
Further reading, credible UK sources
HSE, Slips and trips at work, clear guidance on managing slip risk and why wet testing matters. Health and Safety Authority
UK Slip Resistance Group, FAQs, what PTV scores mean and how the pendulum test is used in the UK. UK Slip Resistance
BREEAM Mat 01, Life cycle impacts, how EPDs and life cycle thinking are rewarded in UK schemes. BREEAM Knowledge Base
BREEAM Knowledge Base, EPD explanation, what an EPD discloses and how to use it. BREEAM Knowledge Base
HM Treasury, The Green Book, the UK government’s method for whole life appraisal that you can adapt for flooring choices. GOV.UK
Author bio London Flooring Fitters Ltd, Constructionline Gold, SMAS Worksafe, PAS 91, 25 plus years in commercial fit outs across the UK, from boutique hotels to national banks and high volume bars. We specify, supply and fit LVT, rubber, safety vinyl, carpet tiles, linoleum and more, and we stand behind our work with clear performance evidence and warranties.
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