LAVATEC Equipment earns 5-Stars at The Broadmoor

A new LAVATEC 10-compartment tunnel washer and other equipment has helped The Broadmoor’s OPL produce more output while reducing operation hours, water, and energy demands this year. (Photo courtesy of TRSA)

LAVATEC’s gas dryers help meet the quality expectations of guests who choose a 5-star resort. (Photo courtesy of TRSA)

John Fish, shown here leading an OPL tour, has worked at The Broadmoor for 41 years. (Photo courtesy of TRSA)

The Broadmoor’s 5,000 acres supports 784 rooms and a variety of dining, shopping and recreational activities. (Photo courtesy of The Broadmoor)

The outdoor pool is busy in the summer months and a high amount of guest towels contributes to the daily laundry count. (Photo courtesy of The Broadmoor)

One state that recently broke its tourism record and posted a 31% increase in travelers the past decade is Colorado. Mesmerized by its all-seasons beauty, 93.3 million people visited the state in 2023 and spent $28.3 billion, with the metro Denver area generating most of those tourists. Another popular destination 75 miles to the south is the Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak region, home to one of the most beautiful resorts in the U.S.

In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Broadmoor as the nation’s tenth best resort property. Earlier this year, Forbes Travel Guide renewed its five-star rating for the 64th consecutive year, the longest active streak for any hotel worldwide. Living up to the highly demanding reputation requires the best from the best. That’s why when it was time to upgrade their laundry equipment two years ago with better and more sustainable solutions, management turned to LAVATEC.

"Expectations for a 5-star, 5-diamond resort are like no other. Our linens must be of impeccable quality and cleanliness, and no stained or torn linen is acceptable. Guest demands are met to give a superior stay experience," explained John Fish, The Broadmoor’s chief facilities maintenance mechanic who has worked at the property’s OPL for 41 years.

"Demands on our laundry department can at times be a challenge. We have employees who are flexible, and equipment that is part of a resilient system to accomplish the needs of the hotel and our guests. Adding the new LAVATEC tunnel washer and other equipment has enhanced the quality and production of our laundry."

The crème dela crème of U.S. resorts

Throughout the years The Broadmoor has served as a destination for U.S. presidents, foreign dignitaries, sports stars and entertainment celebrities. A one-time dairy farm, early owners built a casino and later added a small hotel on the property in the late 1800s before it fell on hard times. Things took a dramatic turn when Spencer Penrose, a Philadelphia entrepreneur who made his fortune in gold and mining, purchased The Broadmoor Casino and Hotel’s 40-acre site and an adjoining 400 acres in 1916.

With a vision to create the most beautiful resort in the world, he hired Warren and Wetmore, a well-known New York architectural and design firm. Construction of the main complex began the next year, and when it opened on June 29, 1918, guests were greeted by dramatic chandeliers, spectacularly curved marble staircases, a carved marble fountain and a striking pink stucco façade. Continuous improvements over the years have only added to its allure.

Today, located on the south side of Colorado Springs and nestled in the foothills on the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains which includes Pike’s Peak at 14,115 feet tall, the numbers – like the breathtaking views and resort experience – are staggering.

Owned by Denver-based Anschutz Corp., The Broadmoor has grown to 5,000 acres with 784 on-site rooms. To accommodate guests, there are 20 retail boutiques, diverse restaurants, cafes and lounges, two legendary golf courses, a world renowned five-star spa, and over 315,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.

The responsibility for maintaining the mountain of laundry produced daily at the complex belongs to Fish and laundry manager Anthony Cruz, who joined The Broadmoor in 2019 as the assistant director of housekeeping. They manage a staff of 35 employees who rotate shifts seven days a week, and another 21 people who work on the dry cleaning side six days a week.

The laundry facility itself requires 60,000 square feet of space, plus a separate 6,000 square-feet for drying cleaning. Last year, the department processed 4.5 million pounds of laundry. They are projected to finish 2024 with an increase to 4.7 million pounds. "The mix of laundry items we produce is vast," said Fish, noting the 784 rooms account for just 60% of the total production. "We run all hospitality linen sheets with a 60/40 blend, including duvets, shams, terry towels, rugs and microfiber robes. We also process linen for three of our mountain properties." Those properties account for another 40 rooms, starting with the 22 cabins at Cloud Camp. The popular all-inclusive offers sensational views at 9,000 feet above sea level. The Broadmoor Emerald Valley Ranch contains 13 cabins, and there are another five cabins at Fly Fishing Camp, which is located 75 miles west of the main resort.

"We process all of these linens daily during the months of May to October each year," said Cruz. "The cabins are very popular and are usually sold out during the summer, so we use our vans to deliver twice a day."

Fish says the other 40% of the laundry work is split between several sources.

"Food and beverage is a mix of Visa and cotton linens, and the napery is cotton we service for 19 different restaurants and convention services around the property," acknowledged Fish. "We handle all sizes, ranging from napkins to 22-132 inch round tablecloths. This work equals about 30% of our production."

Fish said the remaining balance is generated by the golf club and spa, and the outdoor pool. These venues are extremely busy in the summertime and increase the poundage rate by needing to clean 5,000 to 7,000 towels per day. The laundry department also includes a dedicated dry cleaning section which handles guest needs and any outside visitor guest requests.

"We use two route trucks and have a public counter area for any of the outside customers," stated Fish. "We also dry clean the uniforms of our 2,000 employees, using two dry cleaning machines and four, 60-pound washers to handle the 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of wash per week."

LAVATEC equipment contributes to future flexibility and residual benefits

Cruz and Fish did their homework researching new equipment to replace their aging machines in the laundry department. The now two-year-old LT60 tunnel washing system, with 10 compartments and 132-pound capacity per chamber, is connected to four new TT-746 natural gas dryers with 292-pound capacity via a LAVATEC conveyor system. A fifth dryer operates independently with three separate convention washers.

When decision time arrived at The Clean Show in Atlanta, they said the math pointed them in LAVATEC’s direction to replace a trio of 21-year-old washers and four larger drying units.

"Purchasing this tunnel system helped us streamline our washroom. We added another 500 pounds of capacity per hour and still have more than adequate machine production power to increase our future capacity by another 500 to 700 pounds," said Fish.

"I did have some initial concerns but the LAVATEC tunnel and its related systems now in place will be running well for a minimum of 25-30 years. We wanted a system that was robust in quality and production, and it must be maintained with a reasonable amount of maintenance cost.

"The equipment also needed to be easily operated and maintainable by our engineering technicians. And, the physical size of the system had to fit into a much older building," added Fish, pointing out that some parts of the facility date back to when the hotel was originally built over 100 years ago.

"LAVATEC fit the bill on all of these conditions," he continued. "With their equipment, our wash times, water usage and drying times are down. The quality of the product coming out of the laundering processes is spectacular. As we understand more ways to make the system faster and efficient, and realize the potential of increasing poundage, we have the flexibility to do whatever when future needs arise."

Fish explained how the new equipment is also having a positive impact on the laundry department’s sustainability efforts.

"Our production day this past summer changed significantly. Instead of running 10-12 hour a day for seven days, we reduced it to 8-10 hours. Our water usage has decreased about 50%, with hot water being generated faster in 40% less time. Our gas usage is also down about 30%. Overall, our labor hours have been lowered by about 20% in the summer, and linen life and quality is up." The quality and reliability of the new TT-746 H gas dryers is providing Fish and Cruz with some other benefits. These machines are designed with a multi-phase temperature control system and infrared technology which determines when the linen is sufficiently dried. Not only does it save time and energy, but also extends the linen lifecycle by preventing overdrying.

"With the high thread counts across all categories of our products, we have quite a bit of lint that has us performing more maintenance on the dryers," revealed Fish, who worked with Jim Slatcher, LAVATEC’s regional sales manager. "The efficient filters in the LAVATEC dryers demand it, but any minor breakdowns can be performed during operation with little or no down time and preventive maintenance is done on a scheduled basis."

When there is a situation and he needs to make a call for help, Fish said he can count on them to deliver.

"LAVATEC’s service has been very good. They visited and helped with training our maintenance crew and operators. When I do call them, they are responsive and prompt with answers to get us operating again any day of the week. Their service team also has the capability to access our system and find the exact cause of any problem. We are very pleased with their response."

After entertaining guests for the Textile Rental Services Association Conference two months ago, and with a new year on the horizon, Fish is looking ahead to more new challenges.

"The Broadmoor hosts thousands of conferences like TRSA. Some groups have hosted their events here for decades, and there will also be new ones joining our tradition."