Hotel Suppliers reporter speaks with Brand Partnerships Manager at Beau Nuage to learn all about the story behind their patented designed hotel umbrellas.
How did Beau Nuage begin- what’s the story? 
Our two founders from France were studying abroad in London. One rainy night they went for dinner together at a restaurant and were both carrying their umbrellas with them and they were soaking wet. They didn’t know where to put them and they thought “I wish there was a way to store our umbrellas- to keep them dry without getting our belongings wet!” This is when the idea to develop umbrellas with a patented absorbent cover and revolutionise the rain industry was born.
What a lovely origin story! Talk to me about the design and manufacturing process.
We design a lot of products. They all come with different handles and fabrics- and we also do a lot of artist collaborations. We usually have our graphic artists work with us on an initial design and then we send all the artistic and practical information to the factory.
At the factory, they assemble all the different materials- the handle, the crane, the canopy and printing. Next we hold quality control tests and then the products get shipped to the customer!
Why is it important for hotels to provide high quality specialist umbrellas as opposed to cheaper, mass-produced ones?
I think it’s important because a lot of times the cheap umbrellas break after one use. If you’re a luxury hotel- you don’t want to give clients products that break easily.
Our products are also eco-friendly. They are made with a denser material than the average umbrella and are more effective at keeping people dry. Beau Nuage umbrellas have a much higher thread count than cheaper umbrellas so they are less likely to get damaged. Our special features also made a big difference- our gel and wooden handles- We even offer intricate printing on the inner layer of the umbrella which is a lovely touch for guests.
We supply to a lot of big hotels in Monaco and Southern France and we see a lot of guests walking around with their umbrellas and keeping them after their stay to use them again- this leaves guests feeling cared for and is also good advertisement for the hoteliers themselves.
I know that you have quite the selection of different umbrella sizes and types- Can you tell me about your different models?
The umbrella we produce most often for hotels is the 23-inch diameter canopy umbrella with the wooden handle. This umbrella is perfect for luxury hotels looking for that really classy look. Another popular model is our largest umbrella- the 27-inch diameter golf umbrella. This umbrella has a double canopy so it’s really sturdy and can be used for two people. Oftentimes it is also used by valets at the front of the hotel to shield guests from the rain.
We also provide hotels with smaller umbrellas which can be more practical and can be left in guests rooms.
Tell me more about your collaboration with artist, Mellisa Donne.
Normally our intern/marketing assistant will seek out an artist on instagram whose work she connects with- this is how we discovered Mellisa. It can be quite complicated to convert artist designs to the umbrella format because the printing needs to be done individually on each triangle of the umbrella so that all of its junctions fit together nicely. Melissa’s design speaks to the way in which water nourishes the planet as the flower petals open up to the rain.
Our artist collaborations tend to focus on an environmental theme so we like to pick artists whose work centres around nature.
Final question- your patented drying umbrella covers are so clever, how do they work?
The inside of our cover is made from a patented microfiber material. The inner layer of the cover dries the umbrella and absorbs the water whilst the outer layer is water resistant like the umbrella itself. This is really practical if guests are travelling on the metro, for example, they can put the umbrella in their purse without getting all their belongings wet.
Visit Beau Nuage’s supplier profile to view more of their products and enquire about personalisation.
