Solutions for hotel interiors: from resilient and wood floors to soundproofing systems

From ceramic, resin and wood floors to wall coatings and rooftops: Mapei experts tell us about what the company has to offer for this sector

Mapei experts share insights on innovative solutions for building and renovation works in the hotel sector, including systems for resilient and wood floors, soundproofing materials, resin floors, wall coatings, waterproofing, sport surfaces, ceramic and stone coverings, and cleaning products. Learn how Mapei products enhance hotel interiors with durability, aesthetics, and high performance.

Wood floors

Are the comfort and aesthetics that only wood flooring can provide often chosen for the interiors of hotels? Which Mapei products guarantee higher durability in these kinds of surroundings?

Wood flooring is generally used in medium to high-level hotels in which it is very important to preserve the beauty of the floor over time, thereby helping to guarantee the healthiness of the surroundings. I would suggest two products to help maintain this type of flooring: the first one is ULTRACOAT CLEANER, a hygienising detergent that removes dirt without removing the finishing treatments applied previously. When used neat it removes the most stubborn dirt, whereas diluted with water it forms a detergent ideal for daily use in areas where you need to guarantee the maximum level of hygiene.

A second specific product for maintaining floors is ULTRACOAT OIL CARE SILVER PLUS, a waxy resin-based watery emulsion with added nanometre particles of colloidal silver to protect against viruses, mould and bacteria: it is, in fact, able to interrupt their metabolic and enzyme cycle.

Angelo Giangiulio. Corporate Product Manager, Wooden Flooring Line, Mapei Group

Resine e adesivi per parquet Mapei all'Hotel Fontenay Amburgo - Stoermer & Partners - Thun & Partners - Kuehne Nagel Logistics (5)

The wooden floor with hexagonal patter was installed in the bedrooms with ULTRABOND ECO S955 1K.

Resin floors

What are the advantages of seamless resin flooring in a hotel and what does Mapei propose for this sector?

Mapei resin flooring systems are the ideal choice for any area of a hotel ensuring quality, resistance and design. In communal areas and lobbies, the "Terrazzo alla Veneziana" floors created with an epoxy resin binder - MAPEFLOOR SYSTEM 35 F – combine traditional aesthetics with cutting-edge performance. This system creates attractive surfaces that enhance the environment with elegance and sophistication, personalising every space with a wide range of colours and natural aggregates.

For hotel kitchens, the MAPEFLOOR CPU+ range in polyurethane-cement provides chemical, mechanical, and thermal shock resistance, an essential feature in highly stressed environments. These floors comply with the strictest safety and hygiene standards, supporting daily food preparation activities with exceptional durability and strength over time.

For carparks areas, Mapei proposes the MAPEFLOOR PARKING SYSTEM with rigorously certified polyurethane and epoxy-based solutions. These resin floors guarantee waterproof and non-slip surfaces, ensuring safety for guests in any condition and contributing to maintaining a safe and well-kept environment.

Numerous international projects testify the success of Mapei solutions, confirming the versatility and excellence of seamless flooring, perfect for meeting the needs of exclusive hotels worldwide.

Giovanna Novella. Corporate Technical Assistance, Resin & Cementitious Flooring Line, Mapei Group

Resilient coverings

Which resilient floor and wall coverings are most widely used in hotels? Which Mapei systems are used for installing these materials?

Resilient and textile floor and wall coverings are often used in hotels, both in new builds and in those undergoing renovation: their incredible flexibility, enables renovation work to be carried out quickly without limiting the services available for guests. It is possible to work in any area of a hotel and install materials with a low thickness, such as LVT or decorative fibreglass and wallpaper, on existing floor and wall coverings, as long as they are bonded firmly to the substrate. Thanks to the new installation systems it is possible to operate in both dry and damp environments.

LVT tiles and planks are becoming more and more widely used as an alternative in guest rooms and require less maintenance compared with textile floors. These new flooring materials replicate the look of wood, stone and ceramic tiles and have the advantage of being relatively thin, which means they can be used to overlay existing flooring. Mapei solutions for installing LVT and textile materials stand out from the rest for their completeness and their high performance characteristics.

To renovate bathrooms Mapei has developed SHOWER SYSTEM 4 LVT, a complete waterproofing and installation system for LVT and SPC in damp environments and showers, including overlaying existing ceramic tiles and stone, without having to remove and dispose of them beforehand.

For the wallpaper and decorative fibreglass sector Mapei proposes the DECOR line, which is made up of complete solutions which can be applied without having to demolish or remove the existing substrate and covering.

Paola Di Silvestro. Corporate Product Manager, Resilient Line, Mapei Group

SHOWER SYSTEM DECOR allowed to install vinyl wallpaper on the wall next to the bathtub.

Soundproofing systems

How important is good soundproofing in hotels? Could you give us a brief description of the Mapei portfolio?

In hotels, acoustic comfort is very important: guest rooms must be well soundproofed. Mapei has a range of certified products for soundproofing floor slabs and flooring to combat the noise of footsteps, including for buildings undergoing renovation work. We have two proposals: MAPESILENT is a soundproofing system in sheets and panels for floating screeds: a compact and easy to install solution. For underfloor soundproofing, on the other hand, we propose MAPESONIC CR, made from from cork and recycled rubber granules. It may be applied over cementitious substrates and old ceramic or stone flooring before installing ceramic tiles, stone, wood and resilient floorings. Both have very low emission of volatile organic compounds (EMICODE EC1^PLUS) and help to earn creadits for LEED certification thanks to high content of recycled and recyclable raw materials.

Antonino Munafò. Technical Services, Mapei SpA (Italy)

Wall coatings

Which Mapei interior coatings are recommended for the hotel sector to create pleasant, healthy surroundings not only in guest rooms, but also in bathrooms and kitchens?

Various different needs have to be fulfilled in internal environments in a hotel: wall coatings must have an attractive appearance and guarantee surfaces remain healthy, and particular attention needs to be paid to indoor air quality and the durability of the materials employed. For this type of application, Mapei proposes professional water-based paints from the DURSILITE range, which may be used in guest rooms, bathrooms and communal areas. The coatings from the DURSILITE line have very low emission level of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and ensures a good standard of living comfort and indoor air quality, as guaranteed by its A+ classification.

Colour is also a key feature and, thanks to the ColorMap® tinting system, it is possible to reproduce an extensive range of colour shades and enhance any room to the maximum.

Because of their requirements in terms of hygiene, cleanliness and resistance to viruses and bacteria, for gyms and spas we recommend MAPECOAT ACT acrylic-based interior enamel paints (available in a MATT or SATIN finish) which comply with HACCP protocol requirements, which means they are also suitable for kitchens and dining rooms. These enamel paints contain special biological protection agents with a broad spectrum of action able to counteract the deposit and proliferation of moulds, viruses and bacteria on surfaces, even when frequently washed and disinfected.

Barbara Viero. Marketing Specialist, Coatings Line, Mapei SpA (Italy

Sport surfaces

Could you tell us something about the Mapei proposals for outdoor tennis courts in the hotel sector?

The Mapei Sport Flooring Line has an extensive range of solutions, specifically created to meet all requirements for the sports sector, whether professional or for recreational purposes. Amongst the bespoke solutions developed for tennis, MAPECOAT TNS COMFORT is the perfect system for both professionals and lovers of the game: a multi-layered, highly elastic system made from acrylic resins in water dispersion and selected fillers. This characteristic is achieved thanks also to a high performance, prefabricated mat made from granular rubber that creates a comfortable, high-performance surface for players, softening impacts and allowing players to make quick changes in direction safely. MAPECOAT TNS COMFORT is the ideal solution for the hotel sector because it may be applied over existing courts that had been previously coated, or on new bituminous conglomerate or cementitious floors. This makes it easy to adapt to any space, whether renovating an old court or changing the function of an area. The system, originally designed for the surfaces of tennis courts, both indoor and outdoor, is suitable for all racket sports, accommodating the new sports now taking a foothold.

MAPECOAT TNS COMFORT allows hotels to have maximum flexibility, giving them the possibility of using just one single solution for the classic, timeless sport of tennis and new sports such as padel and pickleball.

Elisa Portigliatti. Corporate Key Account Manager, Sport Flooring Line, Mapei Group

Waterproofing solutions

More and more often we find rooftop bars and restaurants in hotels. Which are the most suitable products for waterproofing these areas?

Mapei offers various products for this type of application which enable the terrace of a building to be accessible, safe and waterproof while, at the same time, respecting the choice of style specified for the project. More and more often we are faced with mixed solutions, that is, settings where there is both a dining area and a relaxing garden area. However, because of the incredible versatility of Mapei waterproofing products, we can provide an exhaustive answer to any request. In fact, in the case of dining areas where external floor coverings are installed, it is possible to use a cementitious membrane from the MAPELASTIC ZERO and MONOLASTIC ZERO ranges or even a PURTOP EASY polyurethane membrane for waterproofing the substrates. The latter may also be used in settings where a raised floor or a garden area is to be installed. Another possibility, such as in the case of roofs extending over a large area where different spaces with specific types of use are integrated with each other, there are polyurea membranes from the PURTOP range, which guarantee immediate waterproofing and a long service life.

Dino Vasquez. Corporate Product Manager, Waterproofing Line, Mapei Group

Ceramics and stone

Large format ceramic tiles and natural stone slabs are widely used in the hotel sector. Could you tell us about some of the solutions for installing them?

The use of large format ceramic tiles is pretty widespread in the hotel sector, particularly in large areas, such as lobbies, or to cover walls in showers. In this sector Mapei has numerous solutions, such as for installing tiles on anti-fracture membranes. This type of application is required when you have to install new flooring over existing flooring with cracks or, in the case of new flooring, when it has to be installed on screeds with control joints that cannot be reproduced in the new flooring because cutting the tiles would affect their aesthetic impact. These problems can be overcome by using MAPEGUARD UM 35, an uncoupling membrane with the ability to prevent the transmission of substrate cracks to the flooring.

When it comes to installing large format tiles in showers we propose MAPEGUARD WP 200, a waterproofing membrane in polyethylene coated on both sides with a nonwoven polypropylene fabric. With this system the effectiveness of the waterproofing is less dependent on the quality of the installation work compared with a cementitious or acrylic-based waterproofing solution because the continuity of the sheets and the waterproofing are guaranteed by an automated manufacturing process. What is more, ceramic tiles can be installed immediately after installing MAPEGUARD WP 200 without having to wait for the adhesive to cure.

Natural stone is also becoming more widely used in the hotel sector. In this case the adhesive must be chosen very carefully because many types of stone, especially if they are large format or thin, could be subject to deformation and staining by absorbing water mixed with the adhesive. Mapei has a wide range of special adhesives available for installing natural stone that do not cause staining or deformation of the stone such as GRANIRAPID, the forerunner of this range, or ELASTORAPID, specific for quick installation of large format tiles or slabs, and KERAQUICK MAXI S1, when thick layers of adhesive are required.

And lastly, to guarantee extended durability of surfaces in ceramic and natural stone, Mapei has developed the ULTRACARE range of cleaners and protectors, making maintenance operations on surfaces much simpler.

Francesco Stronati. Corporate Technical Services Director and Corporate Product Manager for Ceramics and Stone Materials, Mapei Group

Drains and profiles

Could you tell us about some of the items Profilpas proposes for use in hotels?

For bathrooms in newly built hotels and hotels under renovation Profilpas proposes several solutions for floor-level (also called “walk-in”) showers. This type of shower is one of the most widely adopted features in contemporary bathrooms. They are chosen mainly for their large size and because they don’t have a shower tray. They are particularly appreciated for their design and because they can be customized.

PP DRAIN AQUA linear shower drains by Profilpas, for example, are designed for walk-in showers and can be personalised by choosing from a range of covers; they are also easy to install and clean, thanks to their removable siphon in antibacterial ABS.

Part of the Profilpas portfolio for bathrooms is GLASS PROFILE, a line of stainless-steel profiles with a 2% slope to house glass panels and finish the sloped floor-level shower tray.

For outdoor spaces around hotels, such as the edges of swimming pools, Profilpas offers PP LEVEL DUO MAXI, a complete range of adjustable supports for raised floors to compensate for small and large slopes of up to 5%. A complete range to meet all installation needs for different self-supporting raised floor coverings, such as ceramic tiles, single or multi-format ceramic planks and decking.

Giulio Curti. Technical and R&D Manager, Profilpas

Cleaning surfaces

In a hotel, cleanliness in the kitchen is fundamental. Which are the most appropriate products?

In an environment such as a kitchen cleaning is a fundamental aspect for various reasons, from those more obvious to maintain a healthy environment, to the health and safety of those who work there. And we shouldn’t forget, either, that these environments are amongst those that have to comply with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) regulations, a mandatory self-certification system aimed at guaranteeing a high level of food safety.

For unscheduled maintenance operations Mapei suggests ULTRACARE HD CLEANER, a concentrated detergent with CO₂ emissions offset for its entire life cycle*.

ULTRACARE HD CLEANER is a high performance, concentrated, pro-grade detergent and degreaser for removing dirt of organic origin and for deep-cleaning surfaces. It is also effective in removing water-based and metallic wax and may be used at different concentrations according to specific needs.

There is also a specific product in the ULTRACARE range for cleaning joints: ULTRACARE GROUT CLEANER, which can be used on both cementitious and epoxy grout.

Enrico Geronimi. Corporate Product Manager, Grouts and Ultracare Line, Mapei Group