As the owner of a resort, everything comes down to providing the best service for your guests for the highest return on investment. Especially during a pandemic year, the margins that come from pool management can make or break your bottom line. But the reality is that your hotel’s pool has a finite amount of real estate available. What you decide to do with that space will have an immense impact on your profits. So, how do you utilize your pool deck to its fullest? The debate generally boils down to your property’s main revenue generators: pool cabanas and lounge chairs.
If you have enough space to place multiple lounge chairs or a single cabana, which should you choose?
We explore this topic below:
Value Per Seat
Finding the answer to this question takes a little bit of math. Every person you can comfortably squeeze into that space is going to provide you with potential revenue. Profits from drinks, food, and other services are what keeps the pool afloat, after all. So, maximizing that available space is going to be the key to successful resort management.
Let’s do the Math
Let’s assume you’re a resort located in Las Vegas, with a 15ft x 15ft segment of the pool deck available, for example. A typical lounge chair has dimensions of 6.5ft x 1.7ft. Within that allotted area, you can realistically fit around 16 lounge chairs comfortably spaced apart. That’s 16 people with the potential to take advantage of your pool services. Assuming that each guest spends on liberal average $50 on drinks, etc., the revenue generated by those 16 chairs is going to be roughly $800. Lounge chairs are generally free seating, so you’re not going to make much more than what guests are consuming while sitting in those spaces.
Now, let’s look at the seating associated with pool cabanas instead. Here at Eide Industries, our most popular model is the Cancun pool cabana. It comes in sizes as large as 15ft x 15ft – which would fit perfectly into the space in question. Here’s where the value comes in: In Las Vegas, a typical cabana can cost anything from $800-$1000 per day to rent out. On average, let’s say each cabana has four occupants. If those guests are spending the same on drinks as lounge chair occupants, that’s an additional $200 on drinks and other amenities. So, even using the most conservative estimates, the pool cabana will generate between $1000-$1200 in revenue. And that’s not taking into account that cabana guests tend to spend more money on these amenities than those who utilize the lounge chairs.
Pool Cabanas vs. Lounge Chairs: the Bottom Line
If profits are your main objective, it’s logical that you’d want to utilize every square foot available on your property to achieve that goal. Pool cabanas not only make financial sense, they also amplify the aesthetic appeal of your deck, drawing in even more patrons. At the end of the day, it’s hard to argue with their earning potential. They are a worthy investment that ultimately outweighs the value of lounge chairs, both in the short run, and the long run.
Upgrade Your Pool With Eide Industries
At Resort Cabanas (a division of Eide Industries, Inc.), we specialize in designing, manufacturing, and engineering custom commercial cabanas and pre-engineered options. With almost 80 years of extensive design, construction, metal fabrication, industrial sewing, and installation experience, we are proud to offer the highest quality products possible, made right here in the U.S.