Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007 - (Page 48)

48 News H&MM October 1, 2007 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Aloft, Element brands Continued from page 4 have made a lot of changes as a result of input from our visitors.” As examples, Lakas cited fabrics, material, furnishings and color palettes. Lakas offered some examples of developer-suggested changes: The metal kitchen range was changed to ceramic, and kitchen stools were made lighter. Developers advised against two-bedroom units, saying they did not sell. Instead, Lakas said, 10 percent of units will be smaller standard rooms, all of which will be connected to onebedroom units. Lakas said the standard rooms would be sold last because the emphasis will be on longer stays. He added, “50 percent to 60 percent of guests have to stay ﬁve nights or more to make the model work.” The warehouse tour did not quite replicate the feeling of the hotels to come (for one thing, the plumbing did not work) but presented a jumble of pieces, which provided a sense of what the whole would look like. And the “laboratory” demonstrated what an incredible complex of details make up a hotel. In one meeting room, a table was covered with snack products that may – or may not – be found in an Element Grab and Go Pantry. Lakas said the brand was aiming for “Whole Foods-type, highquality products.” As a result, the table was littered with PowerBars, organic pasta, Asian soups and a variety of Terra chips. These products are constantly being tried and kept or eliminated, according to Lakas. He also said there would be a Whole Foods-like snack wall where guests could buy candies, nuts, trail mix and other items by weight. And, while Element is essentially “ﬁnished,” little details remain to be decided. For instance, Lakas said, “We can’t decide how to stow the luggage rack efﬁciently in the closet – or if we even need a luggage rack.” The warehouse does not provide an opportunity to see an Element exterior except in a rendering. “The exterior is purposely nondescript to avoid any issues with zoning authorities,” Lakas said. The brand does have a signature portal, on which lights will change day to night; it also has a signature sound and scent at the entrance, he said. Bathroom and guestroom models hint at the style and feel of potential aloft brand looks. The prototype facilities have been in place since 2005 for the selectservice aloft brand and since 2006 for the Element brand, Starwood’s extended-stay offering. Visitor suggestions already have prompted changes. Anticipating aloft During a tour of aloft’s model rooms, Brian McGuiness, v.p. for the brand, presented a more advanced product. For example, there was a fully realized bar– dominated by a brightly lit wall of liquor bottles. The wall was composed of panels that, when turned, hide the bottles from sight during the day. McGuiness said the hope was that “the bar will become a local Alpine Single Burner destination, even for non-guests.” Other innovative details emerged, such as a high-end vending machine, featuring such products as PlayStations and iPods. “There will be green options for almost everything in the hotel, from cleaning products to fabrics,” McGuiness said. The decision to use those slightly more expensive items, he added, would rest with owners. “The general response from owners it that going green is the right thing to do,” he said. Caribbean Double Burner • Compact cook tops • Shallow unit depth • Sustainable design • Easy-clean ceramic • No maintenance • 3 year replacement warranty • 120v or 240v UL Manufacturer of the World’s Finest Cook Tops Mediterranean Double Burner Clinton, CT • Tel: 860.664.4906 • Fax: 860.664.4907 sales@kenyonappliances.com • kenyonappliances.com CIRCLE NO. 130 developers are going into joint ventures with hotel developers.” According to Lakas, most developers are not previous Starwood developers. Sacco also said there is a lot of interest in urban locations for both brands, especially for mixeduse projects. “A large number of deals include complexes that have both an aloft and an Element, or a Westin and an element or other combinations,” he said. Starwood is in the process of developing and owning an aloft/ElDevelopment ement project in Lexingdetails ton, Mass., scheduled to According to Paul Sacco, open next spring. senior v.p.-development McGuiness However, Sacco addof limited service for Star- ALOFT ed, “much more than 50 wood, the cost per room percent of the deals are of both brands will be “competi- stand-alone.” tive” with their respective competStarwood most recently anitive sets – Hilton Garden Inn and nounced an agreement with Courtyard by Marriott in the case LaPour Partners to open an Eleof aloft; and Residence Inn and ment hotel in Las Vegas, in OctoHomewood Suites in the case of ber 2008. Element. The executive also said, “There Sacco said developers are tell- are deals from southern California ing Starwood that “both brands to Maine, many of them in high will command a premium rate RevPAR markets.” versus their competitors.” Sacco said there would be modPotential and existing Element iﬁcations in international markets. developers, according to Sacco, For instance, he said, “The aloft in “tend to be owners of other ex- Beijing will have a three-meal restended-stay brands and develop- taurant because that’s what the ers of mixed use developments.” market calls for.” Sometimes, he added, “real-estate hmm@questex.com STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS WORLDWIDE The corridors have no artwork; rather, they feature latticework on the ceiling, Lakas said, “so guests’ eyes are drawn upward and they don’t get that long bowling alley affect in the corridor.” http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://kenyonappliances.com http://kenyonappliances.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007

Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007 Contents Independents Rely on Guest Feedback Models Showcase Aloft, Element Brands Trainers Emphasize Communication, Cooperation Perspective At Your Risk Satisfaction Trends Sales Clinic Energy Star Update HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Dressing Walls in 'Green' Music Programming Provides a Sound Solution Remote Check-In/Out for Leisure Travelers Q&A: Western U.S. Pipeline Softgoods - Beds and Bedding Transactions A Cause Célèbre Awards People on the Move Events Cleaning and Maintenance Solutions Marketplace Ad/Editorial Index Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007

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