Hostel bunk beds? or not?

Hostel bunk beds and buildings - When you finish your travels; "I want to open my own hostel" is only second to acquiring the travel bug! Yet opening a hostel can be a costly exercise, not only is there costs of acquiring an appropriate building in the right geographical area but you also have to fill it with hostel bunk beds, associated equipment and of course travellers.

It is widely known that London is the capitol of backpacker hostels with more hostels than any other city on earth! However, backpacker hostels are springing up all over the world, even in far remote regions such as San Andreas Island in the Caribbean or even The Purple Camel hostel in Marrakesh!

It pays to understand that when opening a backpacker hostel you are entering into 'The hospitality industry', this industry is regulated in most countries; regulations will include safety at the highest level because you are taking in paying guests. Your hostel must be issued with a fire regulations certificate usually issued by your local authority. Did you know that there is a minimum gangway clearance between bunk beds? well 700mm is the norm, this allows enough clearance for a quick exit if there was a fire in the building. it is important to remember this when planning how many bunk beds you can fit into each room. There are many other things which research is essential when planning to open a hostel.

So great, research done and you have found the ideal building that is to become your hostel, now you have to find a supplier of hostel bunk beds, mattresses, pillows, and maybe even under bed storage lockers or privacy curtains which give that little extra to your guests who will blog about your hostel. So no matter where you are in the world your bunk bed product source will more than likely be at a local furniture store. OK so what is the problem with that?

As much as 90% of furniture supplied from furniture stores are not designed for the hospitality sector, rather they are designed the home domestic market. These domestic products are ok for little 12 year old Johnny and his younger brother who retires to sleep every night in the same bunk bed. A true contract backpacker hostel bunk bed will have to endure the constant changeover of guests, withstand the onslaught of merry backpackers who have been playing various drinking games around the communal table then pulling harshly sometimes in a drunken state on the bunk bed components just to mount the top platform of the bunk bed!

You have invested heavily into all those beautiful metal hostel bunk beds; it is the saddest sight in the world to see them piled up on the front lawn awaiting to be collected by the scrap metal merchant! Timber bunk beds from such places as IKEA really do fit into the domestic bunk bed market sector, timber is a live, living, breathing material which shrinks in summer and swells in damp winter, this constant movement of expanding and retracting timber cause joints to open and close which brings on early wear, squeaking and groaning when used.

Yes what a minefield it can be when choosing or even finding true contract quality hostel bunk beds!

A traveller with an engineering back round realised this issue for would be starters and even well established hostel owners and set out to develop the perfect hostel bunk bed as well as associated equipment. The result was a range of bunk beds named The Dallas, this name was chosen because of a huge sturdy battleship of the same name in the United States naval fleet, this mighty war ship benefited from strength and robustness and was indeed the once flagship of the US navy!

The Dallas range of hostel bunk beds range from the D1 - the baby of the Dallas range, a single contract bed that boasts the strength of it's bigger brothers of the Dallas range. Then there is the D2, a typical single over single bunk bed that is popular within hostels of the world. The D3 was designed for the BIG CITY boys, in big cities we build up such as sky scrapers as room is valuable space, the D3 boasts 3 sleeping platforms yet only takes the space of a single bed, it is said that the D3 is a revenue builder and used in cities such as London; a typical example of the D3 can be seen (and used) at 01 Hostels in central London. Last but not least is the D4, this is more for that 'Family room' a single bed over the top of a double bed that can comfortable sleep two adults below and of course like all the Dallas adult bunk bed range, sleep an adult on top.

To see details of these purpose designed contract quality bunk beds, water resistant mattresses and amazing under bed storage lockers visit the founders website www.heavydutybunkbeds.co.uk

You are somewhere other than the UK? No worries!!! ESS Sleep Systems are in:

The USA serving the America's and Canada www.heavydutybunkbeds.com

Scandinavia serving Iceland, Greenland, The Faroe Island, Scandinavia and mainland Europe www.heavydutybunkbeds.is

African continent from Ghana www.heavydutybunkbeds.org

We hope you have picked up some handy tips here, if you have any questions relating to setting up a hostel please feel free to ask, our advice is free and we are happy to help and stick behind you for as long as you like!