Patio umbrellas are one of the best conveniences you can provide for your resort guests. They provide a space protected from the elements for your guests to relax in and still enjoy the outdoors. Tired parents can supervise their children in comfort, and folks can watch the sunset while secure. However, delivering the most comfort to your guests requires picking the best umbrella for your property. Which one should you pick? That is a question that only you can answer, but here are few general things to consider while you are out shopping for your resort.
Cantilever Umbrellas
Do you have an open area where the sunlight moves dramatically throughout the day? Cantilever umbrellas may be your best bet. These are umbrellas that hang from their masts instead of opening up from a main post. The canopy can be moved around the mast so that the shade covers the right area all day, no matter what time it is. This also has the advantage of not having a pole taking up space in the shaded area.
Market Umbrellas
These are the more traditional variety of patio umbrella, where they spread shade all around a central post. These may be less mobile, but they are perfect for pool-sides that get the full noon-day sun right when all the guests want to hang out there.
Giant Umbrellas
People recommend that your patio umbrella be 5 feet bigger around than the space that you want shaded, so it isn't a surprise that commercial entities sometimes need incredibly large canopies. A good size for covering a typical table at an eating establishment is 9 feet in diameter, but many places need something bigger. Have a buffet table you want to be shaded? A whole seating arrangement? You might want something closer to 16 feet around. And if you really want to efficiently shade all your outdoor eating space at your resort,
Cool-Off has introduced umbrellas with canopies as big as 400 square feet and bigger.
Shape Of Canopy?
Now that you have considered the different types of umbrellas, you may be surprised to find that within these broad categories there are many variations. For instance, the canopies can come in round, octagonal, square, or rectangular. Each shape has its advantages. For instance:
Round
This is the traditional umbrella look, and it can provide individualized shade. People instantly recognize it as a luxurious lounging accessory so your guests will be instantly soothed by its presence.
Rectangular
Tables tend to be rectangles, and it makes sense to have a canopy over it that can cover the whole table. Even people hanging out on the corners of the buffet table will get all the shade they need with this shape of canopy.
Square
These are terribly modern-looking and sleek. They provide the same individualized shade that the octagonal and round umbrellas do, while still protecting all the odd edges that people hang off of.
Type Of Lift?
There are three types of lifts to consider when getting patio umbrellas for your resort. Each has its advantages.
Push-Up
This is pretty intuitive. You open it by grabbing where the ribs of the umbrella come together (the collar) and push this up. This causes the canopy to open. It has a hole for a pin that you insert to keep the canopy in place. The advantage here is ease of maintenance and use. So long as you have someone tall enough and keep the pin, the umbrella will work forever. The 'mechanism' is transparent and easy to understand.
Crank
Kind of self-explanatory: these umbrellas have a crank somewhere in the middle of their masts that you turn to open them. This means that your employees don't have to stretch up to open the umbrellas and guests won't be tempted to push the canopy up while standing in some weird position. There also isn't a pin for guests to mess with.
Pulley
These come with rope or cord that you pull to open the canopy. It's then pinned open with a pin. This elegant system requires less stretching on your employees part, but the mechanism is still transparent.
Tilt?
And then there are umbrellas that can tilt their canopies or the top of their masts. This gives you the ultimate amount of control over the shade your guests can get.
These are just a few of the many variations on commercial patio umbrellas. If you really want the perfect umbrellas for your resort,
contact us. Cool-Off has the right one for your establishment.
