Correcting Failed Slip Coating Across 400 Newly Refurbished Hotel Bathrooms Without Replacing the Shower Trays 

Strand Palace Hotel is a large and busy central London hotel, located close to Covent Garden, Soho and the West End. With almost 800 rooms and a constant mix of leisure, tourist and business guests, the hotel operates in a high-demand environment where room presentation, guest safety and operational reliability are essential. 

Following a major refurbishment programme, around 400 rooms had recently been upgraded, including the installation of new shower trays. However, once the stock arrived, it became apparent that the trays did not have the required factory-applied slip-resistant finish. 

To resolve this, another contractor was brought in to apply an aftermarket slip-resistant coating. Unfortunately, the coating quickly began to fail. It lost grip, yellowed, affected the appearance of the newly refurbished bathrooms and left the hotel with shower trays that were both visually below standard and a concern from a guest safety perspective. 

Mendabath was invited in by the hotel management team to survey the issue and recommend a suitable solution. 

The Challenge 

The hotel had invested heavily in newly refurbished rooms, but the shower trays were already creating both safety and presentation concerns. 

The main issues included: 

New shower trays had been installed without the required factory slip-resistant finish. 

The aftermarket coating applied by another contractor had quickly lost grip. 

The coating had yellowed, making newly refurbished bathrooms look worn and dated. 

The existing raised square coating affected water drainage. 

The trays were acrylic, so the failed coating had to be removed carefully without damaging the new surface underneath. 

The hotel needed a solution that could be delivered quickly, safely and with minimal disruption in a fully live hotel environment. 

There were internal concerns, guest feedback and visual presentation issues because the yellowed coating no longer met the standard expected in a newly refurbished room. 

For a hotel of Strand Palace’s size and location, full replacement would have caused significant disruption, additional cost and unnecessary waste. The challenge was to correct the slip-resistance issue while protecting the new shower trays and preserving the quality of the refurbishment investment. 

The Sample and Approval Process 

Mendabath first attended site to survey the shower trays and assess the condition of the failed coating. Following the survey, Mendabath completed a free sample to prove the process before any wider rollout was agreed. 

Because the trays were new acrylic units, the first priority was to identify a safe method of removing the existing failed coating without damaging the surface beneath. Mendabath tested multiple removal methods to establish the most effective process. 

Once the failed coating had been removed successfully, the tray was polished to restore its appearance before Mendabath applied its proprietary in-house R12-rated slip-resistant coating. 

Unlike the previous raised square design, Mendabath applied the coating in a controlled pattern that allowed water to drain properly. This improved both safety and usability while avoiding the drainage issues caused by the previous application. 

The sample remained in place for a couple of months before the hotel made the decision to roll the solution out across the wider room stock. This gave the hotel time to assess the appearance, usability and suitability of the Mendabath system in a real hotel environment. 

Following the sample period, Grant Helm met with Jill Van Rest, Hotel Manager. With strong hands-on leadership and clear operational control of the hotel, the solution needed to be commercially sound, practical and deliverable within the demands of a busy live hotel. Once approved, the programme was planned for delivery during the quieter January and February trading period. 

The Mendabath Solution 

Mendabath completed the project across 400 shower trays. 

Each tray was treated through a controlled process: 

The failed aftermarket coating was removed. 

The acrylic surface was protected throughout the removal process. 

The tray was polished to restore appearance. 

Mendabath’s proprietary R12-rated slip-resistant coating was applied. 

The coating was applied in a drainage-friendly pattern. 

Rooms were prepared, completed and handed back for next-day check-in. 

Mendabath’s slip-resistant system is designed not to yellow, helping the hotel maintain a cleaner, fresher and more consistent bathroom appearance across the refurbished rooms. 

Project Delivery 

The works were completed over a four-week period during January and February. 

Mendabath completed approximately: 

20 rooms per day. 

100 rooms per week. 

400 trays in total. 

The hotel remained fully operational throughout the works. Room access had to be carefully managed around occupancy, housekeeping, check-ins and check-outs. The phased programme allowed the hotel to correct a significant issue across a large number of refurbished rooms while minimising operational disruption. 

Rooms were handed back for next-day check-in, which was essential for a busy central London hotel with high guest demand. 

Why Restoration Was the Right Solution 

The hotel had already invested in newly refurbished rooms and new shower trays. Replacing the trays would have created unnecessary cost, waste and disruption, especially as the issue was not the tray itself but the failed slip-resistant coating. 

Mendabath provided a practical alternative by: 

Removing the failed aftermarket coating. 

Protecting the acrylic surface underneath. 

Polishing the trays to improve appearance. 

Applying a proprietary R12-rated slip-resistant coating. 

Improving drainage compared with the previous raised square design. 

Restoring the visual standard of the newly refurbished bathrooms. 

Improving guest safety. 

Avoiding unnecessary replacement of newly installed trays. 

Completing the works quickly in a live hotel environment. 

Handing rooms back for next-day check-in. 

The result was a specialist surface solution that corrected the issue without undermining the hotel’s recent refurbishment investment. 

Sustainability and ESG 

By restoring the existing new shower trays rather than replacing them, Mendabath helped the hotel avoid unnecessary waste, additional materials and further disruption. 

Mendabath’s proprietary coatings are low-VOC, isocyanate-free, vegan-accredited and manufactured exclusively by Mend-A-Bath International. As a carbon neutral, ESG-aligned supplier, Mendabath provides hotels with a more sustainable alternative to replacement while supporting guest safety and long-term asset performance. 

Outcome 

Mendabath helped Strand Palace Hotel resolve a significant issue across 400 newly refurbished rooms. 

The failed aftermarket coating was removed, the acrylic trays were protected and polished, and Mendabath’s R12-rated slip-resistant coating was applied in a drainage-friendly pattern that improved usability, appearance and guest safety. 

The project was completed over four weeks, with approximately 20 rooms completed per day and 100 rooms per week. The hotel remained live throughout, with rooms handed back for next-day check-in. 

For Strand Palace Hotel, the result was a safer, cleaner and more durable shower tray finish across a large refurbished room stock, delivered without the cost, waste and disruption of replacing newly installed trays.