This is not a business hotel. Or very little, given that Bruges is more attractive for its Unesco-listed city centre than for its economic weight. So much so that the Novotel Bruges Centre has converted the high-ceilinged rooms of its conference centre, which are not being used very much, into 12 duplex suites for families or groups of friends. And yet, having only just been renovated, the hotel is the perfect embodiment of this new approach. new generation of Novotel establishments that business travellers will find elsewhere in the world.
To write this new history, far removed from the motel model of its beginnings in 1967, Novotel selected four international design studios through a competition, one for each major world region: the Sundukovy Sisters, Hypothesis, Metro and RF Studio. All were given a clear roadmap: " rethinking the cas if it had been created today" explains Damien Perrot, Global Chief Design & Innovation Officer for the Accor group's Premium, Midscale and Economy brands.
This project, presented in 2021, is now taking shape in the latest openings and renovations. In this context, the Novotel Bruges is the the first establishment to be completely redesigned by RF Studio. Covivio Hotels, which has owned the hotel since 2005 and the business since 2022, chose this concept to reposition the hotel from three to four stars and turn it into a new flagship hotel, at a cost of 14 million euros. The showroom for the new urban and contemporary spirit offered by Novotel to families and business travellers, its two main customer targets.
" Such a brand had everything to gain by reinventing itselfexplains Ramy Fischler, founder of RF Studio. For a business traveller, it's always frustrating to stay in a poorly designed 3* or 4* hotel." . " We all dream of creating palaces or boutique hotels, but a Novotel is much more popular with people like us." adds the Belgian designer. His concept, which is ultimately less expensive for homeowners, is based on " resources in the right place" This is particularly true of the furniture, developed in partnership with Ligne Roset, for rooms that are deliberately sober, as part of our commitment to CSR.
However, these resources were mainly devoted to transforming the lobby into a "Social HubThe restaurant is organised like a small village, with its main street lined with stalls serving hot drinks in the morning and pastries for breakfast. This approach is reinforced by the use of outdoor tables and chairs... indoors. The Social Hub is organised into different areas that can be used flexibly, adapting to the different moments in the life of the establishment.
For example, the bar doubles up as a reception area, while a gym can be transformed into a small meeting room, a business centre or a children's TV room at the weekend. In another corner, a large table used for breakfasts can be transformed into a small meeting room. convert into a meeting roomThe library corner is ideal for coworking. To enhance the appeal of the site and encourage guests to stay at the hotel in the evening, Novotel Bruges Centre is also rolling out a restaurant concept in partnership with Paris Society, a subsidiary of the Accor group, designed to attract local customers too.
Bold design
The vast ground floor provided the perfect setting for a whole range of " sketches The rooms are "partitioned" and never feel like an empty hotel, even in the middle of the day. " However, if the concept is duplicated in other Novotels, there may be fewer sketches if the establishment does not offer as much space." says Rami Fischler. " You have to be boldand this is where my role as a designer comes into its ownexplains the designer. Over the last few years, we've seen a lot of developments in interior design, but little in terms of uses. So what will tomorrow's lobby be used for? What will guests do when they leave their rooms, whether during the week or at the weekend, depending on the audience? These are the questions we asked ourselves as we worked hand in hand with Covivio and Accor's design teams." .
This 126-room hotel, located ten minutes' walk from the station and one of the few to offer an outdoor swimming pool in the city centre, has also adapted to the times, taking advantage of its renovation to reduce your consumption. Total renovation of the energy system, switch from gas to electricity, recovery of heat from the kitchens: CO2 emissions linked to energy consumption were reduced by 52% after the works, to 18.5 kg eqCO₂/m² per year. This is already below the CRREM 1.5°C target set for Belgian hotels by 2030. A pilot hotel for Sébastien de Courtivron, Deputy Managing Director of Covivio Hotels, which is in line with Covivio's CSR ambitions and " will serve as a model for the development of our future establishmentss ".
