Contemporary furniture, a décor designed by a colourful designer, Karim Rashid, high-tech equipment with flat screens packed with connectivity and the possibility of opening the room with a smartphone: long gone are the days of a budget hotel industry stuck in its somewhat cumbersome standards! Of course, these standards were not all bad news. They reassured the traveller about what he was going to find in the establishment: a clean room, a good bed... In short, the ABCs of hosting. But no emotions! Because, at the same time, these highly functional standards underpinned what he couldn't find: a touch of madness, a grip on time.
To the tune of funky music and energetic tones, Prizeotel signed with Karim Rashid an invigorating manifesto, that of the "designocracy". "Because design isn't just for the rich and famoussays Shayan Farameh, in charge of public relations. Otherwise, how can we explain that hotels like ours or those of Motel One now have their rightful place in the city centre alongside five-star hotels?"Like Prizeotel, which has just become part of the group Carlson Rezidorother 'budget' brands have undergone their own revolution. Motel One which is beginning to trumpet its motto "great design for little money"We're looking beyond Germany's borders to the United Kingdom, Brussels, Barcelona and soon Paris. ibis Stylesthe Campanile or even Yotel, Qbic and CityHuball inspired by Japanese-style capsule hotels. Thanks to its room concept created in 2006 by Saguez&Partners - which has just signed the new first-class seat on TGV high-speed trains -The French chain B&B Hotels is also proud of its "econo-chic". "It shows that a budget hotel is not necessarily a sad thing"explains Pascale Roque, Managing Director France of B&B Hotels.
This change is part of a global movement. Visit low cost is no longer the poor relation of travel, a domain once reserved for backpackers and families on a tight budget. You only have to look at the number of senior executives taking easyJet or Vueling flights or, better still, youth hostels making the front pages of glossy magazines. "If you take a flight at 100 euros for a weekend, explains Shayan Farameh, you don't want to pay double for accommodation. The rise of low-cost airlines has forced the German hotel industry to reinvent itself. Even business travellers who used to stay in four-star hotels are increasingly finding themselves staying in budget hotels.".
Without tarnishing its standing, it is no longer totally inappropriate to say that it has recently been downgraded to a two-star restaurant, or even, why not, to the Generator during a weekend in Venice, arguing that this youth hostel had received an award for the design of its lobby. It has to be said that, at the same time, major brands have had a major influence on the perception of discount products. From Ikea's decorating for all to Uniqlo and Muji's fashion at mini prices, the affordable design has acquired its letters of nobility. "These products have a great image, comments Frédéric Fontaine, Vice President, Global Marketing, Economy Brands, AccorHotels. They are modern and well thought-out."H&M, by inviting big names such as Karl Lagerfeld to create collections, has contributed to blurring the lines between luxury and mass consumption.
A number of hotel chains have adopted this idea as their own. At the end of the 2000s, Campanile was one of the first in the segment to work with a renowned designer, Patrick Jouinto design a room concept that is still relevant today. The restaurant is another star, Pierre Gagnairewho at the time was responsible for drawing up the menus, a task now entrusted to Philippe Renardformer head of Lutetia. "We also brought design pieces into the bedrooms, with Artemide lamps on the desks, underlines Françoise HoudebineGroup Vice President, Sales and Marketing Louvre Hotels. It's in tune with the times. Thanks to budget brands, interiors are becoming increasingly contemporary."
That's why travellers expect to find what they do every day, even in a budget hotel. Motel One's fashion touch is therefore based on two emblematic pillars: the Arco lamp and the Egg chair by Arne Jacobsenin turquoise. Even within the entry-level brands, the Eames chairs and Tom Dixon lamps now have a place alongside the more 'cheap' elements, as a result of the price canons".Our customers are connoisseurs, they read design magazines, explains Damien Perrot, Vice President Design & Product at AccorHotels. When they see these icons, they feel valued. That's why the new ibis concept designed by Philippe Avanzi, from cabinet ArchangeThe design codes of the top-of-the-range hotel trade."
Above all, it's the ibis Styles declination which embodies the French group's eco-chic ambitions. "With 300 hotels, it is probably the economic design network the widest in the worldexplains Frédéric Fontaine. What's interesting about this fast-growing brand is that we're back at the table with every new hotel.." The ibis Styles du Havre tells the story of life in the 50s Buttes Chaumont evokes a farm in Paris, while the latest establishment to open in Paris CDG plays on the idea of space travel. And so on from Rio to Berlin, via Hong Kong. "All over the world, we carry out extensive work on referencinginterior designers, explains Damien Perrot. We look for young talent who are capable of challenging themselves, creative people who want to make a name for themselves and who are often less demanding in terms of fees. But we also like to ask designers who are used to working in upmarket hotels, like the Argentinian Naçoto rise to the challenge."
create a space that customers can make their own
The same approach is used throughout the establishment - in the lobby, in the restaurant and in the rooms - to offer a global experience. The way these hotels think has evolved over time. Before, everything in the room was very rational, arranged to take up as little space as possible. Today, the guidelines are more blurred. "We don't ask architects to design a room with a bed and desk here and a bathroom there. We want to create a space that the customer can make their own."says Damien Perrot. The elements are no longer fixed to the floor, but become mobile. Travellers can position the table in front of the window to work, then move it to eat in front of the television.
This flexibility has another advantage: the furniture can be replaced easily and, above all, more regularly. "Our customers get bored quickly. Take the fashion spots in a city, they go round and round, comments Frédéric Fontaine. In the hotel business, we invest for the long term. This led us to think about life cycle of our productsThis is why we have decided to rethink the way we design our rooms so that they keep pace with the times. Look at today's travellers. They don't work like they did five years ago. They have their iPadThey carry less paper with them. So instead of office chairs, we install comfortable armchairs in the rooms."
This modularity is also found in the common areas. They are open-plan, giving customers the freedom to move around as they please, have breakfast in the breakfast room, and so on. lobby or to work while eating out. To follow the trend, after the rooms, the Louvre Hotels has given the lobbies of its Campanile hotels a complete overhaul, transforming them into vast living spaces known as the Comptoir. A long bar-counter gives structure to the whole space, with spaces coworking where you can plug in a computer and have a snack while watching TV... but also a more intimate place, a sort of lounge with sofas where you can also have lunch or dinner. "For a long time, Campanile hotels were run by couples of managers. This brand has in its genes a friendly, generous side, and to perpetuate this spirit, we wanted to create places to share where people can meet and have a good time"says Françoise Houdebine.
Some fifteen hotels in France already offer this concept, which comes in three different atmospheres: one contemporary, another with an urban, loft feel, and finally a 'natural' decor created by the agency Uxus. By the end of 2016, le Comptoir will gradually be introduced in France's main cities as new stores are opened and renovated, but also in China. Visit owner of Louvre HotelsAs the Jin Jiang Group is a great fan of this concept, the Campanile due to open in June 2016 near the Bund in Shanghai will have its own counter, probably before others. Campanile is also adding two practical new features for business travellers, starting with Mini-Counters, where late arrivals can buy a drink, regional specialities and basic necessities.
At the same time, the brand launched WiFi + and ++ labels to distinguish hotels with high bandwidth. "We explain very clearly what the customer can do, chat on Skype for example. 80 establishments were awarded the label at the end of 2015 and 200 will be in 2016"concludes Françoise Houdebine. As high-quality WiFi is now an essential requirement, B&B Hotels has 'wired' all its establishments in partnership with Numéricable. "Sales representatives and SME managers need it to download documents with large attachments. They can also watch streaming films on their mobile devices."explains Pascale Roque.
One can't have one without the other, so a quality WiFi connection helps to keep your flexible common areas. "It used to be that guests would go up to the room and come out in the morning. Today, we see more and more travellers going back downstairs to check in. work in the lobby, notes Pascale Roque. We have also worked with Saguez on a new concept, with user-friendly areas where customers can plug in their computers or meet up before heading off for dinner."Because, in theecono-chic hotelsWe never forget the practical spirit that made it such a success. We never do.
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