Does your dog need a vacation too?

Next time you find yourself lounging in a poolside hammock with a frozen Pina Colada consider this… doesn´t your beloved pet deserve a break from the daily grind
But what if you could take them to a luxury hotel of their own? If so, check out the Elmtree in London offering luxury pet boarding. The “hotel” offers services ranging from specialty diet food, daily walks, grooming, luxury bedding, exercise rooms, and even web cams for you to monitor the well-being of your pet.

Is there a possibilty for future Design Pet Hotels?

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Weathering the Financial Storm

It is clear that the super rich are being only minimally impacted by the economic slowdown and this can be scene in the world capitals like London where spending continues only slightly affected. In this top echelon of businesses still making a significant profit are the shops located on Savile Row- London’s famed street where handmade and bespoke suits are sold at exorbitant prices.

According to Anda Rowland of Anderson & Sheppard, the stability does not come necessarily from the traditional moneyed consumers however. Rowland describes a changing shift in the mentality of customers, “We are still getting new customers and many enquiries, but it has to be said that London is not really in the mood to spend and people are travelling to London less. Luckily, despite the turn away from “bling” spending there has been a renewed interest in goods that have an underlying value, which is perceived as more solid and easier to understand and explain to the customer. There is a shift from the “because I´m worth it” attitude towards one questioning “was it worth it?”

Rowland also states that this “will be hard for the mass-luxury goods and the over hyped but extremely lucrative “it bag” industry, but good for individual, high craft items made by skilled hands, “such as Savile Row suits or hand-crafted leather goods. “We also have ethical trends in our favor as everyone faces up to the enormous piles of barley worn “fast fashion” garments in landfill sites all over Europe at a time when many are losing the roofs over their heads.”

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Matteo Thun and Hugo Boss

Italian architect and designer of the Vigilius Mountain Resort in Lana, Italy has recently designed the newly opened Hugo Boss NYC flagship store- the first Hugo Boss outlet to house all of both mens and womens collections under one roof.  According to Conde Nast, “he’s given the space velvet curtains and gold ceilings to go with the exposed-brick and stone floors, all complemented by a bold lighting system that is dictated (in part) by the weather. In other words, this is a store built to weather whatever storms may come—literal or otherwise.”

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Future Forum Wrap-up: Usability Workshops

Those lucky enough to attend the Design Hotels Future Forum this year heard from a diverse range of speakers including Chris Sanderson and Raymond Martin (Future Laboratory) to Jos Stuyfzand (Philips Design) to Scott Harrison (Charity Water) and many more. It was a packed 2 days of insight into the future of design and hospitality, as well as some real applications from some Design Hotels Directors, Managers, and Owners during the great usability workshops on Friday. These included:

• Nordic Light (Stockholm) X Future Design Days (Borås)

Anders Johannsen, Managing Director of the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm, and Sanjoo Malhotra, Partner Relations from Future Design Days, discussed their collaboration during the Future Design Days conference in Stockholm. FutureDesignDays is a meeting place for everyone who is serious about the role of design in society and the issues of the future. A design arena in the global societal debate and a forum where no vision is too small or too big. As a major partner for the conference and event, Nordic Light has positioned itself as not only a deserving host to the elite of the design industry, but also as an organization that promotes innovation and design.

• Klaus K (Helsinki) X Eat & Joy (Helsinki)

Eat & Joy can be described essentially as a traveling ambassador for all things Finnish. Through Finnish cuisine, Eat & Joy is able to introduce the culture, agriculture, and personality of Finland around Europe. The Klaus K Hotel in Helsinki has been a sponsor and partner with Eat & Joy through their presence in the hospitality scene in Helsinki and the results have yielded a vastly increased interest not only for the hotel itself, but for Finland in general. According to Marc Skvorc, the General Manager of the Klaus K, the idea is that if he can first bring people to Helsinki, then he will have the opportunity to bring them into his hotel. From what we know about the Klaus K, the plan is working quite effectively.

• Lux 11 (Berlin) X Heartbeats International (Stockholm)

When the Lux 11 hotel in Berlin was considering how it could best represent the city of Berlin the first idea that came to the mind of Director Tom Tanzer was music. With the help of Heartbeats International, the two organizations developed a promotional CD that embodies the mood and energy of Berlin and the Lux 11. Their latest development is a radio station that will stream hours of music through custom equipment in the hotel.

These presentations were designed to demonstrate how diverse hotels have aligned themselves with distinctive partners to create productive and effective partnerhips. For further information about any of these hotels or their partners, please feel free to contact me at J.Silverman@DesignHotels.com

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Travel Decline in Pictures

Just came across some images of empty airport terminals and thought that they were really proof of the effect all of the financial issues we are facing have on the travel industry.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “This loss of passengers is creating a vicious economic spiral that is gripping airports across the country. At a time when airports have taken increasing roles in passenger comfort and care because of the service slide of airlines, today’s financial pressures are forcing major service reductions and financial strains… Pittsburgh International Airport has sealed off parts of its terminal. A huge terminal was built for 30 million passengers a year, but peaked at 21 million and now is down to eight million or nine million a year.”

Hopefully this will not continue for too long.

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Financial Pinch leads to changing priorities

In the Business Week Europe section online, an interesting casualty of the economic crisis was recently brought to light- the hallowed tradition of the classic French brasserie. In the first half of 2008 nearly 3,000 restaurants and cafés have gone bankrupt—a 30 per cent increase on the same period last year.

Restauranteurs are mixed as to the real reason in the slow business. Some say that the younger generation simply does not care for the traditional French style of eating; “Younger French people today don’t understand or care about food. They are happy to gobble a sandwich or chips, rather than go to a restaurant. They will spend a lot of money going to a nightclub but not to eat a good meal. They have the most sophisticated kinds of mobile telephone but they have no idea what a courgette is. They know all about the Internet but they don’t know where to start to eat a fish.” Others point to the decline in American tourists who typically fill the white-tablecloths on a regular basis. Some point the finger at the “strictly” enforced (by French standards) to the smoking ban which was enforced as of February.

The French and foodie blogospheres, however have reacted to this news by accusing restauranteurs of “spitting in their own soup” by taking advantage of another European fact of life—the euro. French restaurant prices had risen out of proportion to inflation, they complain, because owners have exploited the switch from francs to euros.

“With high prices, rude waiters and no cigarettes allowed… people prefer to invite a few friends to eat and drink at home. It’s cheaper and more fun,” one contributor wrote according to Business Week.

Personally, I feel it is a combination of all of these influences. The fact remains however, that by the time the global economy and dollar are back to their normal levels, people will be trained to be careful and continue to be careful about their discretionary spending. As a result these restaurateurs will have to conform to a new dynamic regarding their clients (regular and special).

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Forbes Traveler: Top 10 Dumb Travel Trends

Forbes Traveler just recently announced several new lists including the Forbes Traveler 400 (of top 400 hotels around the world), 14 Annoying Hidden Hotel Fees, and America´s Cheesiest Restaurants. Perhaps the most timely of these lists however, is the one entitles Top 10 Dumb Travel Trends. Being in the hotel industry we are inundated consistently with many of the following trends, and we have to say, “well done Forbes!” These are, in fact, dumb travel trends and we really wish people would refrain from the babycation, edu-fun-cations, and mancations also…

1. Bucket Lists
2. The Everything-cation
3. Pro-creation-cations
4. Gadget Mania
5. Edu-fun-cations
6. Scent Marketing
7. Babymoons
8. On Board Celebrities (cuise industry)

The following is an excertpt from the entire article- “Take the curious case of the -cation. Nowadays, banal trips are being arbitrarily re-branded by folks with an affinity for suffixes. Men trekking to Las Vegas for some sinful R&R are now on a mancation. Heading to a nearby hotel or museum has become a money-saving staycation. They’ve even dragged your mother in it—beleaguered ladyfolk can head west to Wickenburg, Arizona’s Giddy Up Girls Getaway, where they’ll ride horses and yee-haw lustily on their momcation.

That’s not the only prepackaged mommy trend. To squeeze extra bucks from the maternity machine, weekend-getaway packages pull double-duty as babymoons. Parents-to-be can concoct names for imminent little ones while reclining at the rustic Buffalo River Lodge in Yellville, Ark., or popping chocolate-covered strawberries in between prenatal massages at the Westin in Baja California.

“Travel operators—and travel journalists, who are often just pitchmen for operators—want to communicate what experience you will be buying in an easy-to-comprehend two words or less,” says Thomas Kohnstamm, author of “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?” (and Forbes Traveler contributor). “People are purchasing a fixed experience rather than traveling for travel’s sake.”

I highly encourage you to read the article along with the other lists.

Bucket Lists

Man-Cations

Pro-Creation-Cations

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Glamping

With the changes in the economy and financial markets, we are certain to see some evolution and development of the tourism and travel industry. In times of change, we are often lucky to emerge with new more innovative and timely alternatives to existing opportunities and one of these new developments that is gaining popularity is the activity of going “glamping.”

Derived from the combination of “glamorous” and “camping,” glamping has its origins in the Africa where luxury safari outfitters have catered to the whims and wishes of noble wild-game-hunters for generations with their “Hemingway Tents.” With lush bed linens, rich hardwood materials, colorful rugs, and fine and exotic food and wine, these types of safaris allow guests to experience the nature and outdoors without actually having to fore-go any modern luxury (except maybe a screening room, but who needs that if the Serengeti is your stage)

Lately, a new crop of glamping outposts have emerged in the United States that conform slightly more with its native wilderness. More and more, vacationaers are opting out of the City Trip to New York or Boston, and instead unwinding in the comfort of a well-appointed tent. It will be interesting to see the future of this trend and how it will develop. Maybe “design tents” will be next?

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Adapting to your surroundings: Travel Retail

Clement Stone once suggested that “you are a product of your environment.” Blending in to your environment can be a good or bad thing. Taking advantage of your surroundings, however, is always a good thing. Seeing an opportunity and taking it to integrate your product, whether it is a hotel, retail, or a restaurant is always a positive thing. Case in point, Muji.

Muji, the Japanese retail company, sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods and distinguishes itself with its minimalism design, emphasis on recycling, avoidance of waste in production and packaging, and a no-logo or “no-brand” policy.

With over 400 shops in 17 countries worldwide, Muji chose the new Jet Blue Terminal at JFK Airport in New York for its latest outpost. The great thing about this store is that it is not a typical Muji however. It will focus on small travel sized goods and stock a small apparel section. This is a refreshing change for airport retail offerings- how many Tie Racks do we really need (who wears ties these days anyway!)?

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The Hipster movement and Hotels

In a recent article at what it refers to as a “walking dollar bill“, Forbes examines the role that “hipsters” are playing in the current economy.

After generations of different counterculture movements, the current incarnation of the hipster is so influential not because they share a common taste in music or style necessarily like punks, beatniks, or followers of grunge music from the 90´s. What unites them, and what is making them so important for brands, retailers, and players in the global economy is that they are really defined and characterized by their penchant for consumption.

In a brief look through the blogosphere, this fact can be scene by the number of blogs dedicated to typical “hipster” products including limited edition nike sneakers and retro clothes. Hipsters of today relate to each other through the common passion for a favorite designer rather than a favorite writer or musician. As a result of this, they are buying at level much greater than the previous movements.

“One must look no further than the retail sector for proof of the purchasing power of the hipster, more or less a subset of the Millennial generation (those born between 1978 and 1998). While retailers geared toward consumers under 45–the Gap , Abercrombie & Fitch and Express–have struggled in the past year to increase sales, hipster-centric clothing outlet Urban Outfitters has reported record results. The retailer sells several private brands as well as secondary labels from quintessential left-of-mainstream designers such as Steven Alan, Charlotte Ronson and Grey Ant. Urban Outfitters is less khakis and t-shirts and more buffalo-check blouses and magic-marker-color denim.”

But hipsters have something else that makes them attractive to marketers: greater numbers. Luxury marketing consultant Pam Danzinger says that Millennials in general–and hipsters especially–will be one of the next big consumer demographic targets.

As children of Baby Boomers, the number of people–with money to burn–born as Millennials is 70 million and growing. That’s much larger than Generation X, which includes about 46 million Americans. Gen Xers’ spending power–which amounts to about $125 billion annually–can’t compare with that of the Boomers, who boast an estimated buying power of $2 trillion a year with a population of 79 million, according to Mind Comet, an Orlando-based market research and consulting firm.

In essence, the generation of hipsters are not only spending their own money, but they are still spending the money of their parents.  This buzz of activity however is not confined merely to the retail world.  Hotels have been increasingly touched by the hipster movement.  Hotels like the Ace Hotel, the Jane Hotel, of the Lux 11 (on the budget end of the spectrum), and the Schrager, Balazs, and Thompson hotels of the world (on the high-end part of the scale).   The attraction for these hotels are their emphasis on the hip and hipster lifestyle that includes essentially all things related to the so called “creative” industries including art, fashion, and music.  This marks an opportunity and sort of a wake-up call for hotel investors eager to get on the next bandwagon. Forget 4 Seasons, thinking hipster chic.

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