Hotel lobbies go in for a luxury makeover
Hotel guests really shouldn’t miss the next big thing in lodging: the lobby.
Having added softer beds, baths with two shower heads and loads of marble to rooms, hoteliers now see their oft-neglected biggest room as the new draw.
With the industry now recovered and growing well, hotel executives say the search is on for new ways to stand out, from urban-style loft accommodations to self-service kiosks that let guests zip past lines and straight up to their rooms.
At least two major chains want customers to spend more time in their lobbies, turning low-income, unfriendly caverns into money-producing advertisements for their brands.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (Charts) already refers to the lobby at its W Hotels as the living room and urges guests to stay awhile. “Why should they be leaving the hotel and hanging out at the nearby Starbucks?” Starwood Chief Financial Officer Vasant Prabhu said at the Reuters Hotels and Casinos 2007 Summit in Los Angeles in January.
Next, Starwood wants to make technology a feature at Sheratons with an Internet lobby lounge concept – “Link + Sheraton.”
“Those lobbies have been too quiet,” Chief Financial Officer Arne Sorenson told the summit. The hotel chain is considering open-plan lobbies with restaurants, for instance.
Like Hilton Hotels (Charts), Marriott is considering self-service check-in booths.
But Sorenson argued that service would still be the top criterion, and that even a quick response to a plugged toilet could build loyalty, if the customer felt taken care of. “The first point here is, it is all about service,” he said.
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Courtesy of money.cnn.com
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