Hospitality: Unusual Hotels

July 26th, 2010

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore recently opened with a very distinctive feature…a Skypark featuring the world’s largest and highest infinity pool. 

The Skypark is located 650 feet high and is longer than the Eiffel Tower laid on its’ side.  It spans three separate towers of hotel rooms, includes one of the worlds largest cantilevers, is over 3 acres in size and can host almost 4000 people at a time.  The SkyPark is landscaped with 250 types of tress and 650 types of plants.  The infinity pool edge provides and amazing view over the skyline of the bustling city.

The hotel and the SkyPark are designed by the Moshe Safdie who has designed notable structures throughout the world.

Visit Marina Bay Sands Hotel

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Hospitality: Unusual Hotels

July 26th, 2010

Part hotel room, part work of art, Hotel Everland is a project by the artist duo of Sabina Long and Daniel Baumann.  Everland Hotel is a one-room hotel where every guest takes part in the artists’ vision for the project.   The room is designed as the artists’ “subjective dream of a hotel” and was designed with every detail thought out…right down to the guests being allowed to “steal” the golden embroidered bath towels.

The room can be booked for only one night, the mini-bar is fully stocked and included in the price, breakfast is delivered to the door and a record collection is available right in the room for guests’ use.

What really makes this hotel room a work of art is that it isn’t permanently located in any one spot.  It’s location changes every so often where it is available for viewing during the day and then in the evening is reserved only for the guests.  It was first developed and located as an exhibit at the 2002 Swiss national exhibition called “Everland.”  After that it was relocated for 4 months to the banks of the Lake of Neuchatel, also in Switzerland.  Next it was moved to Burgdorf, Germany and placed on the roof of the factory where the artists work.  For most of 2007 the room was moved to the roof of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Leipzig, Germany.  Most recently the one room hotel was located on the roof of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris where it offered amazing views of the Eiffel Tower.

Visit Hotel Everland

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Hospitality: Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be

July 2nd, 2010

Website Oyster.com is one of many websites that allows users to review various hotels in a particular destination and then book online at a discount.  There are two features that set it apart though;  1) it focuses mainly on hotels in resort destinations and 2) it has an entire section donated to calling out hotels when the photos on their own websites aren’t exact truthful…or at least not telling the whole truth…and they have their own photos to prove it. 

They have pointed out that there are some clever ways hotels try to put their best face forward.  One popular trick is that website photos often show pool or beach scenes as being quiet and serene with very few people.  This leads the potential guest to think they can go and have a very quiet and relaxing getaway.  The truth is often that the pool or beach is crowded with many other people which don’t necessarily make the scenery less beautiful but perhaps not as relaxing as they lead you to believe.   Another common technique is more a case of not telling the whole truth.  For example, they’ll post a picture showing what appears to be a lovely view from the hotel but what the photo doesn’t tell you is that right behind the phototgrapher is perhaps an old run down building or something not quite as photogenic.  One last technique commonly used is dressing up the truth.  Often a photograph will show a guest room with all the standard furnishings but also potted plants, coffee table books, fruit trays, silver goblets, etc..  Of course, when the guest arrives, only the furniture is there and not all the “extras.”  Some of their examples follow . Click to visit website

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Hospitality: Expensive Hotels

June 25th, 2010

Not everyone has cut back during the recent economic downturn.  A survey of the world’s most expensive hotel suites proves that some people are still capable of spending a small fortune for a single night’s stay.  Here is a list of the most expensive suites and the highlight’s of each:

#10 – The Penthouse Suite, The Martinez Hotel, Cannes – $18,000/night

The suite has a Jacuzzi, plasma screen TV, DVD library, open bar, private butler and limousine on call 24/7.  A 2,000 sf terrace offers panoramic views of the Bay of Cannes and can hold 100 people.

#9 – The Ritz-Carlton Suite, Ritz-Carlton Moscow – $18,200/night

The 2,500 sf suite offers breath taking views of the Kremlin, Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral.  Also included are 5 meals a day and a private KGB-approved autonomous energy supply system and secure telecommunications array.

#8 – Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai – $19,000/night

The two story, 8,400 sf suite features views over the Arabian sea, a private cinema and elevator between levels.  Guests here also have a 24/7 butler and chauffer driven Rolls-Royce limo.

#7 – Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt, Vendome, Paris – $20,000/night

The 2,100 sf suite includes an in room whirlpool bath, steam room shower and built-in massage table.  A 600 sf balcony offers amazing views of Rue de la Paix and the Vendome column.

#6 – The Bridge Suite, The Atlantis, Bahamas – $22,000/night

This suite is located on the bridge between the two main towers and offers a 360 degree view of the water and Paradise Island.  The room offers a private butler and cook and has closets in the bedroom large enough to park a car.  Guests have included Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Bill Gates.

#5 – The Presidential Suite, Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo – $25,000/night

The 3,300 sf suite is on the 53rdfloor and offers views of the Imperial Palace.  The bathroom includes all oversized marble fixtures and a 20 inch flat screen TV.

#4 – Villa La Capula Suite, Westin Excelsior, Rome – $29,000/night

The suite is 2 stories and just over 6,000 sf with an 1,800 sf outdoor terrace overlooking the Via Veneto district.  A 1998 renovation of the room cost $7 million and included a cupola, Pompeii-style Jacuzzi, authentic frescoes and stained glass windows.

#3 – Ty Warner Penthouse – Four Seasons Hotel, New York – $34,000/night

The 9-room suite was designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei and was constructed at a cost of $50 million.  The 52nd story suite offers floor-to-ceiling windows with 360 degree views of the city.  A private waterfall in the Zen room, a grand piano in the library, and 24/7 butler and limo are available to the guests.

#2 – Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas – $40,000/night

The two-story, 9,000 sf villa includes a glass elevator, a rotating bed, pop-up plasma TV’s and glass wall Jacuzzi that extends out over the hotel and offers amazing views of the strip.  A round the clock butler and masseuse are also available.

#1 – Royal Penthouse Suite, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva – $50,000/night

This suite takes the entire top floor of the hotel and is reached by a private elevator.  The living room accommodates 40 people and the dining room features a mahogany table that seats 26.  The hotel’s staff boasts some of the best security in the world and guests include many heads of state

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Hospitality: Some Good News

June 25th, 2010

Everyone knows that the economy has had a huge impact on the travelling habits of tourists and business people alike.  That has generally been bad news for hotels in reduced bookings and lower room rates to lure in the few travelers that are out there.  There has been some good news though.  It has been thought that maybe instead of travelling long distances, some people might be staying closer to home for their vacations but the plans might still include some hotel stays.  A recent survey by the Ypartnership/Harrison Group has proven that this phenomenon, called “staycation”, is true and it may well have saved some hotels from more dire consequences. 

The survey found that 25% of American leisure travelers with an income of $50,000 or more annually took at least one overnight leisure trip within a 50mile radius of home during the last twelve months.  The percentage of leisure travelers who took a staycation increased to 32% if they had children.

This trend may prove to be just a short term event but it is anticipated that it will continue for at least several years until the economy has fully recovered.  That is good news, indeed, for hotels and their employees.

Hotelworld Network:  Numbers now backup the “Staycation” phenomenon

Everyone is aware of the gulf oil spill and the huge effect it will have on the environment.  The media is also well documenting the impact the spill will have on the fisherman and shrimpers who work in the gulf but the impact extends much farther than that.  Much of the gulf coast economy is based on tourism and there are thousands of hotels in the region who will be impacted.  The Knowland Group has already performed three surveys of the impact the oil spill has had on the gulf area hotel industry and the results are tragic.  As occupancy rates decline, thousands of people working in those hotels may lose their jobs.

The latest survey was just conducted on June 2-3 with two earlier surveys done in early May and mid May.  The survey last week revealed that 60% of the hotels questioned had group booking cancellations directly attributed to the oil spill.  Slightly more have indicated that the spill is having a negative impact on their ability to book future events.  Those surveyed are indicating that the impact in future bookings is as far out as 6 months. 

The Memorial Day weekend wasn’t impacted quite as significantly.  Nearly 40% of those surveyed said the oil spill was cited as a reason for cancellations over Memorial Day weekend but many of those hotels were able to replace the bookings.  26% indicated a decrease in bookings compared to last year but the economy may have had an impact in addition to the oil spill.

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Art & Design: Diving Helmet

June 25th, 2010

To me this is exactly what we have been seeing in video games and futuristic movies. It’s a helmet used for diving that allows the diver to see everything in a panoramic view, has a flash light, and a identifies all types of aquatic life. Recently I had a discussion with a friend about technology similar to this. In many video games, when you play online with a team, if u look around for your team mates their call sign or gamertag appears so you know who is around you and roughly how far they are from you. I was saying how it would be a good idea to have goggles that had this technology so you can see where everyone is when driving at night for instance. My friend and I were driving home from a car meet when the conversation came up and we were having a hard time seeing who was with us. I think if they could get this technology to work similar things like my idea could work as well.

helmet

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What’s New In Architecture: Cutting Edge Technology

June 25th, 2010

Holiday Inn is set to initiate a first in the hospitality industry.  In a handful of it’s properties, new “Open Ways” technology will let guests use their iPhone (or other smart phone) as your room key.  The idea is that guests who want a faster check-in experience can give the hotel their phone number at the time the reservation is made.  The hotel then sends them the “Open Ways” app that they can download to their phone.  Two or three days before arrival the hotel will text the guest their room number and a unique, encrypted sound code that they can use to unlock their room door.  Each lock will also contain the traditional room key device in case a guest’s phone loses power or gets left in the room, but the new technology is intended to make things easier for their guests.  Only time will tell if the technology will catch on but there are certainly many skeptics about how secure and effective the system is.   Some have questioned whether someone else could copy the sound with a recording device and then use it later to access the room.  Open Ways insists that the sound is encrypted and that if the sound is recorded and then replayed, the cryptology will prevent the sound from being accepted by the lock device.  Others have wondered if a phone gets lost or stolen if room security would be compromised.  Open Ways says there would be nothing on the phone or within the application installed that would identify the hotel or room which the application works to open doors.  Therefore it is no less secure than a traditional key card that might get lost or stolen and, in fact, since the code is not stored on the phone itself, but on a secure server, there is even more protection.  One last concern many potential users have is that Open Ways would have access to credit card information.  They say that the only information that the hotel transmits to them is the phone number which they use to communicate with you.  There is no reason that they need, or would get the credit card information from the hotel with which the reservation is made.

To see some videos to explain the system further visit:

Open Ways iPhone Apps  for Guests

Open Ways to Open Doors

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What’s New In Architecture: Architectural Achievements

June 1st, 2010

A recent edition of the Guinness Book of World Records listed what it determined were the five greatest architectural achievements of the past few years.  I suppose these would be up for debate but it is clear that their list isn’t based on design elements, but rather on things which have been done in a new, different, or bigger way.  Their list in reverse order includes:

5.         The Biggest Swimming Pool Ever Built -  The pool was completed in late 2006 and is located in Algarrobo, Chile.  It is 3,324 feet long and covers an area of 19.77 acres, or approximately the same area as 18 football fields.

4.         The World’s Largest Offshore Gas Platform – Off the coast of Norway, the Troll Offshore Gas Platform weighs 656,000 tons and stands 1210 feet tall.  It is the heaviest man made mobile object ever made and used enough steel to create fifteen Eiffel Towers.

3.         The Heaviest Building to be Relocated While Still Fully Intact – In 2004, the Fu Gang Building in China was relocated in one piece.  What made this so remarkable was that the building was 111 feet tall and weighed over 33 million pounds.  The building was moved 114 feet in just 11 days.

2.         The Largest Self Supporting Igloo – In 2005, 29 employees of the Hydro-Quebec LG-3 power station built an igloo with an internal diameter of just over 24 feet and an internal height of 12’-6”.

1.         Largest Solar Energy Roof – At an areas of 281,045 sf, or almost 6.5 acres, the roof on the Floriade Expo Hall in the Netherlands can generate 2.3 MW of energy.

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What’s New In Architecture: NASCAR Museum Opens in Charlotte

May 21st, 2010

The racing world is buzzing now that the NASCAR Hall of Fame has opened here in Charlotte.  But the architectural world has reason to be buzzing too.  The building was designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners who have designed many landmark projects around the world.  Charlotte and it’s new Hall of Fame can be added to that list which includes The Grande Louvre in Paris, The Bank of China Building in Hong Kong, The US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC,   The Allied Bank Tower in Dallas and The John Hancock Tower in Boston.

The project includes a 175,000 sf museum, 100,000 sf ballroom, 427,000 sf office tower and 1,000 space parking garage and the entire project took over 4 years from original planning to the opening last week. 

The architects have stated that the “sought to capture the essential spirit of NASCAR and its sport in architectural form.”  The catch phrase that they used to describe that spirit is “the speed and spectacle of the sport.”  Architecturally they took inspiration from the curving, sloped forms of the racetrack which they felt tangibly represented the dynamic nature and inherent speed of the sport.  Architecturally, this became apparent most obviously in the large sweeping element on the exterior of the building call The Ribbon.  The ribbon twists as a free form canopy to welcome the guests and then wraps the building exterior. 

Whether or not you are a fan of NASCAR, Charlotte’s presence in the architectural world has definitely taken a step forward with the new building.  

Nascar 1Nascar 2

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