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By far the most important thing is to keep them secure and keep them clean! This includes inside the lockers — not just the lavatory facilities and floors. The best clubs I’ve seen make locker room up-keep everyone’s responsibility. It’s another place for staff to interact with members and keep an eye on things at the same time.
There has been a recent trend to create a more “spa-like” environment in the mid to high-end clubs. Comfort in the locker room is important, even if they are simple change rooms. In all types of facilities there is a trend towards more privacy, wider lockers and brighter spaces.
Old-fashioned steel lockers remain a standard — they are quite secure — but they are also very institutional in appearance. MDF (particleboard) laminate is the most common type of locker, but the most compromised in security due to the material and the hinges — both are designed for standard cabinetry, not the rigors of the locker room.
The locker is the first and last thing the member uses in the club — they put their personal stuff in there! Lockers tend to be under-considered generally until you have to use one that’s too small, dirty or broken. Easy access, clean-ability and security are all equally important. Invest in something that will make a good impression, reduce your headaches and that will hold up.
Any club offering aquatics should only consider plastic or HPL phenolic. Phenolic is the best all around. Wood-grains are always popular, but design trends are moving towards interesting mixes of bold colors that “energize” the changing space.
Give your lockers and locker rooms more credit for the impression they make and invest in them accordingly. Your members value cleanliness, security and convenience in that location more than they will ever tell you and more than many operators realize.
For additional information, contact Richard Shaffer, the director of business development at rshaffer@foremanproducts.com or 208.585.7182.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
