When the Cliff Hotel in Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, wanted to transform an out-dated breakfast room into a stunning new bar and dining area, MBS Flooring set about proving just how easy and creative one can be with Gerflor’s Creation 55 Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) flooring collection.
The Cliff Hotel enjoys a picturesque setting overlooking Norfolk’s popular Gorleston beach. It first opened its doors in 1898 when the grand, purpose-built building was completed and although much of the original structure was destroyed in a fire in 1915, the hotel re-opened and continues to be a destination frequented by visitors and locals alike.
Over recent years the hotel has undergone a series of refurbishments to modernise its facilities. One of these improvements was a facelift to a large, under-used room which has since been named the Cliff Bar. The hotel’s management had a very clear idea of the aesthetics they wanted: it was to be renovated with lighting, furnishings and brand new flooring in a Gatsby style reminiscent of the 1920s and jazz age.
However, the original flooring design utilising ceramic floor tiles to replace old carpet was over budget. Therefore, flooring contractor for the project, Michael Spinks of MBS Flooring, was asked to suggest an alternative, affordable solution. His idea to use Gerflor’s Creation 55 LVT flooring in an eye-catching design, which captured the aesthetic concept of the project, resulted in the floor becoming the ‘main-changer’ of the room.
The installation also won MBS Flooring Gerflor’s ‘SubmitYourFit’ twitter competition, which acknowledges technical competency and imaginative flooring installations using Gerflor products.
“This was one of my all-time favourite installations and the nicest job we’ve done. By using Gerflor’s Creation 55 LVT in two colours, Factory and Moma, laid in a black and white chevron effect with hand cut and bevelled curved borders around the bar, we were able to create the look the client wanted at an affordable price,” said Michael Spinks.
“It’s also nice to do something a bit different: because Creation 55 LVT is an excellent product in a wide range of colours and designs, it gave us the scope we needed to create an amazing floor. Creation 55 LVT is particularly easy to work with and the tiles and planks are reliably identical in size, which avoids the potential for gapping if the product sizes vary by even the smallest amount. This level of detail is always crucial,” added Michael.
In total, MBS Flooring laid 130sqm of dry-back Creation 55 LVT in 180mm x 1200mm sized planks in the front of the bar and restaurant area.

Gerflor’s design-driven, cutting-edge LVT flooring collections also includes Creation 30 LVT (for residential and low traffic applications) and Creation 70 LVT, for heavy traffic areas. All collections are available in 3 key technologies: – Dryback, a glue-down solution using adhesives, loose-lay interlocking planks and tiles easily installed no need for adhesives and removable installation products with tackifier – all three options provide tailored options for differing environments and budgets.
Creation 55 LVT is available in 63 stunning mineral and wood designs and 5 plank/tile sizes, many with bevelled edges for added realism, it is a cutting-edge, durable LVT from Gerflor for contract hospitality installations like the Cliff Hotel. It has a hardwearing 0.55mm wearlayer, compact underlayer and matt polyurethane surface treatment (PUR+) for easier maintenance and for a longer lasting appearance. Gerflor’s 100% recyclable Creation ranges are also sustainably manufactured using advanced production processes.
For more information about Gerflor solutions, order a free sample or to speak to a specialist call 01926 622600 / email: contractuk@gerflor.com or visit www.gerflor.co.uk