BOUTIQUE HOTELS
STARWOOD offers ‘affordable’ design- led hotel brand to wider market
The fi rst Aloft Hotel in the UK opened at London’s Excel in November 2011. Starwood Hotels & Resorts describe the brand as a destination venue aimed at “shak- ing up the staid and traditional mid-market hotel sector by delivering urban- infl uenced design and an energetic guest experience at an affordable price point”. With prices starting at £120 per room per night, Aloft London Excel features 252 loft-like guest rooms, a buzzing bar area, a grab-and-go food pantry and industrial design elements throughout. Features and guest facilities include: Spacious rooms designed by Rockwell Group featuring Aloft’s signature ceilings of nearly three metres high, oversized win- dows and platform beds; large walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads and
The bar area at Aloft London Excel is designed to be a bright and buzzing social space
complimentary Bliss Spa products; 42” LCD TVs and plug ‘n play docking stations; and free wireless internet across the whole hotel, including all guest rooms. There is also a re:mix lounge, the wxyz
bar, a touch-n-go kiosk for easy check-in, the re:fuel by Aloft 24-hour food and bev- erage area, the re:charge 24/7 fi tness centre, and fi ve high tech meeting rooms.
One quirky addition is the Animals R Fun
service - a pet-friendly programme where animals stay with an Aloft-branded bed, bowl and complimentary treats and toys. Aloft London Excel is the second Aloft site in Europe after Aloft Brussels Schuman opened in September 2010. The brand cur- rently has over 50 sites spanning the US, China, Canada, India, Belgium and the UAE.
Over the past 10 years boutique hotels have evolved their F&B offering to match the level of creativity and design in their guest rooms and public areas
period of time is invaluable for a hotel of this type to be able to succeed and compete in the market. This buzz can be further enhanced by the facilities provided; hence the reason boutique hotels have started to diversify their food and beverage outlets to create a unique guest experience.
INSPIRATIONAL F&B Over the past 10 years, boutique hotels have evolved their food and beverage offering to match the level of creativity and design in their guest rooms and public areas. The involve- ment of restaurateurs in the 'hotel restaurant' has transformed the notion of what a hotel's dining room and lobby bar could (and should) be, that is, eventually becoming essential to the profi tability of the properties, even when the restaurants are outsourced. The high revenue potential that could be driven through the formation of destination restaurants and bar out-
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lets, as well as priceless publicity, has been noticed by boutique hotel opera- tors - it’s not uncommon for food and beverage revenue to account for 40-50 per cent of total sales. Aside from increasing revenues, these outlets often act as strong marketing tools, elevating the hotel’s public image, and in some instances guests are booking rooms to ensure they can get into the restaurant or the bar. The value of the ‘see and be seen’ factor, the ‘velvet rope effect’ and other tools for creat- ing aspirational experiences should not be underestimated. We expect further partnerships to evolve between chefs and boutique hotels to create truly stand-alone offer- ings, drawing in outside custom not only within independent operators but also within the branded chains. As a result, hoteliers have fundamentally had to rethink their approach to food and beverage to compete with the cre- ativity of independent restaurateurs.
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At the core of this thinking is often the concept of a ‘restaurant in a hotel’ as opposed to a ‘hotel restaurant’ – allowing the restaurant more liberty to establish its own concept and identity. It is therefore vital that hoteliers view their hotel restaurant as an amenity designed to attract an external fol- lowing, just like any other high street restaurant, with an additional provision to cater to the needs of hotel guests, rather than – as is so often the case – the other way round.
INTIMATE AMBIENCE
The notion of exclusivity and privacy is most prevalent in private members’ clubs, where often even access to the waiting list to become a member is a complex process requiring refer- rals from an existing member as well as patience and persistence. But once on the inside, a whole world is opened up, and private members’ clubs turn into a self-contained social sphere.
ISSUE 1 2012 © cybertrek 2011
CASE STUDY
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