SPECIAL REPORT: LAND DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL REPORT: LAND USE
The Novotel at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. Across the Atlantic, 1928 saw the opening of the first hotel built
specifically to serve an airport. The Aerodrome Hotel was part of a redevelopment at Croydon, forerunner to London Heathrow, attracting many famous guests. Back in the US, Hilton Hotels & Resorts founder, Conrad Hilton, claims
to have pioneered the airport hotel concept with the 1959 opening of the San Francisco Airport Hilton, a hotel built on airport property and leased from the city of San Francisco. His perception that even short staying guests would expect amenities
and services paid off. From records in the Hilton archive, the experiment was a financial success. Today, they want even more, according to Dave Horton, citing “a
dynamic shift in business travel” evident in recent years. He explained that business travellers are not necessarily visiting a destination merely to work, but are now extending their trips and inviting a family member to join them. “The growing trend is being termed ‘blended travel’, and nods to how the lines between business and leisure travel are becoming
increasingly blurred. In many markets, airport hotels must have ample meeting facilities and event space to accommodate both business travel and local consumer needs,” explains Horton. “Of course, airport hotels cater to guests who often are travelling
further distances than other guests. Travel today can be difficult for people and our goal is to create a place for guests to recharge and rejuvenate, which makes everything from room design to property amenities and services all the more important. As a result, our airport hotels are upgrading, enhancing and investing – not cutting back.” So what do airport hotel guests want? The Hilton genre of elegant
design concepts, fine dining, state-of-the-art fitness centres and high-end amenities is exemplified by the newest addition to the brand’s luxury stable, Beijing Capital International Airport. Opened in July 2010 as the first luxury airport hotel in China, it is
one minute by shuttle bus from the terminal building, 16 minutes by rail link to the city centre, and within 45 minutes of Beijing’s major tourist attractions.
AIRPORT WORLD/FEBRUARY-MARCH 2011 57
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