hospitalitystyle.com

(June 2009) posted on Mon Jun 22, 2009 EDT

The president and ceo of Design Hotels Made by Originals defines what separates fashion-forward hotels from the wannabes.

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By Mary Scoviak

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Sendlinger and his team review more than 400 membership applications annually for this style-led hotel consulting, marketing and positioning service. Only about 10 percent make the cut. Here, the founder of this hand-picked network of more than 170 properties in over 40 countries talks about what it takes to make a hotel stand out when nearly every property claims to be a "design hotel."

What's on trend for hotel design?
Cutting-edge design is more glamorous, less gimmicky. Glamour happens when an architect and a designer show a certain restraint in their design. There's more concern about provenance and sustainability.

The North American market is getting a bit tired of chain hotels. Consumers crave individuality more than anything else. They want customization and strong local influences. Hotel design is moving back to simplicity.

For Europeans, living in Zurich and working in London is no longer the exception. The concept of having a "home away from home" isn't foreign. As a result, hotel design stresses a sense of familiarity, of being really at home. The operative words are coziness, well-being and feeling like a local. In terms of materials, natural wood is the rediscovery of the year.

Asians dare to try a lot of different styles and allow themselves flights of creativity that wouldn't be possible in mature markets such as the European Union or the U.S I have been to Beijing several times now. It is amazing what has happened there in the past 5 years. Nothing seems to be impossible. It's a playground for the world's most creative designers and architects.

I stayed at The Emperor Hotel and I really liked it. The designers, Graft, did a great job in combining the tradition of the Forbidden City with contemporary design. There are symbolic touches and cultural references to be found throughout the building: the room doors for instance have sketches of the Chinese emperors instead of numbers on their doors. We'll see more of that.

Luxurious, even over-the-top design is the norm in the Middle East. Fantasy, opulence, escapism are the words that come to mind when you check in. Hotel design and layout are still very much influenced by local habits, foods, traditions, etc. Colors are rich, like reds and golds.

Africa is a very diversified market with many very small properties. There is no one trend, but a lot of local trends. South Africans love design and they love B&Bs and boutique hotels. Ten Bompas Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a good example of that. It was a private home converted to a 10-suite hotel with its own interpretation of an African theme. White and blue with a simple modern motif indicate the design direction.

Which area of the hotel grabs the most attention?

The bathroom is the new bedroom: Bedrooms and bathrooms will become one. Above-counter sinks will look like displayed art. Designers are experimenting with armoires for storage, music or television, and chaise lounges for reading and relaxing. Whirlpools have ergonomically correct head and arm rests for maximum comfort and strategically positioned jets to create ultimate relaxation.

What separates the trendy from the truly trendsetting?

There is a fine line between trendy and trendsetting. One inspires and one copies.  We see a lot of both in the applications we receive from potential new members on a regular basis.

Why the name change for the brand?

The idea of "design hotels" is almost generic now. From my point of view, the one element that transcends throughout everything is the human factor. That's what  prompted us become Design Hotels Made by Originals earlier this year. We wanted to put the emphasis on the creative minds - the "originals" - behind the hotels, showcasing these people as they really are: authentic, responsible, creative and as real as the properties they've brought to life.

Each "original" stands for the individual, aesthetic and service-driven experience that his/her hotel provides. Their stories, their passion, and their strong characters are at the heart of the brand. And that is exactly what we want to bring to a fore. (For films on the people behind the design, visit Design Hotels Made by Orignals' web site, www.designhotels.com).