Hotelympia's grand designs

Ten years ago, specialist restaurant designers were few and far between. How things change. These days, any review of a new bar, restaurant or hotel is just as likely to name-check the designer or architect as it is the chef, while every hospitality entrepreneur falls over themselves to get the look.

It is a fascination that has increasingly been reflected at Hotelympia. "We have noticed more design-based stands at the show," says Alice Welch, marketing director of cutlery company Robert Welch, which has been exhibiting at Hotelympia for 10 years.

And what has driven that increase? "The whole ethos of design in hospitality is far more important," Welsh says. "These days you get lots of young individuals or small businesses that are forming hotel groups. They come from interior design backgrounds, so they come to the show looking for design-led products, and know the look they want."

But it can be an intimidating business. Maximalism? Post-industrial chic? Twenty-first century rococo? White plastic chairs? Who knows? There is a growing breed of design-savvy operators pinpointing their desired visual effects. But for the novice, predicting the idiosyncrasies of design is an impossible game.

Help is at hand, though. This year's Hotelympia will include a new feature called Design Link, organised in association with industry design publication GS Magazine. Aimed at complementing the show's design-led exhibitors, and inspiring visitors with design ideas, the special stand will feature displays by some of the most innovative architects and designers working in hospitality today. There will be special features on spas, lighting and gardens, and interviews with such industry experts as Sir Terence Conran and Sir Rocco Forte.

"We want to link visitors to the exhibition with design, and show that design isn't separate but an integral part of the industry," says GS Magazine editor Stirling Johnstone.

So how will that be achieved? The first thing that will greet visitors to Design Link will be a gallery of recent projects by top architects and designers for the industry that shows exactly how central design has become. Photographs will show off the finished projects, while the teams behind the work will be on hand to discuss (over a complimentary drink in the seating area) their ideas on design: what's right, what's wrong and what can or can't be done.

Added to this will be special presentations on two of the most talked-about openings of the past year: the Grove in Hertfordshire (designed by Fox Linton Associates) and Whatley Manor in Malmesbury, Wiltshire (designed by a member of the owning Landolt family, Alix). The short films will examine the involvement of the designers and their results.

Another feature will be the presentation stage, where interviews will take place with individuals who have made their mark on design in hospitality. Two such luminaries will be Simon Woodroffe and Andy Thrasyvoulou (both "enthusiastic and infectious," says Johnstone), who will be speaking on Thursday 25 February.

Woodroffe is the brains behind concept miracle Yo! Sushi, an entrepreneur and a one-time designer. His latest idea, and one that he will be sure to discuss on stage, is Yotel!, a new hotel chain based on Japanese pod hotels where each bed is just a capsule.

Meanwhile, Thrasyvoulou, is causing a stir with his uber style-conscious mini-chain Myhotel. Already up and sprinting in Bloomsbury and Chelsea, Thrasyvoulou is set to open what could possibly be the UK's most futuristic hotel in Brighton next year. Expect fingerprint-activated doorlocks, rotating beds and rooms designed by industrial designer Karim Rashid (who lists Issey Miyake and Prada among his clients).

If all this sounds far too sophisticated for your needs, then don't worry. Johnstone is keen to stress that such high-budget projects are not the be-all and end-all of design. "Sir Terence Conran once said to me that design is only 2% aesthetics and 98% functionality," he says. "It must not be forgotten that functionality is central to the process."

William Welch, design director at Robert Welch, agrees: "People are becoming a lot more educated in design" he says, "and in the importance of something being designed well. But the word ‘designed' can be dangerous. There is a tendency to abuse it. For the general public or trade customer it can be difficult to know what good or bad design is."

Design Link will therefore focus on smaller projects that can transform your business, without just looking nice. The team at GS Magazine have hand-picked a bunch of individual design pieces to dot around the stand that illustrate what good design is all about. Collectively these pieces will be called "What A Good Idea" - and will demonstrate how simple and functional ideas can inspire interest and excitement.

There will also be a spa feature (complete with free head and shoulder massage - expect a queue) from specialist company Corporate Edge; a garden installation showing how ugly outside corners can be given character and difference; and a walk-in lighting feature from lighting company Into (responsible for installations at the Revolution bar chain and London restaurant Mint Leaf). They are all simple solutions that can drive revenues and attract guests.

To that end, Design Link will help, Johnstone hopes, to demystify design. "We want to show people that they don't need to worry about the whole design concept."

Other speakers will include Sir Terence Conran and Sir Rocco Forte, who will both appear on stage with their sisters: Sir Terence with Priscilla Carluccio (married to Antonio and co-owner of the Carluccio café chain), and Sir Rocco with Olga Polizzi (an interior designer and hotelier in her own right). That will be on Wednesday, while on Friday, Caterer's 2003 Hotelier of the Year, Robin Hutson, will answer questions about the hugely successful Hotel du Vin brand.

"It will be a treat to hear about how they run design, their methods, styles and what they think are the most important things," Johnstone says. "More importantly, these people have all proved that style is one thing that is very different from fashion."

The feature also promises fun. Industrial designers Arup (the company behind such projects as the Millennium Bridge and the Tate Modern) have been commissioned to design a hotel room of the future, while the whole Design Link feature promises to stand out in ExCel's huge halls, thanks to a series of illuminated, colour-changing pillars (designed by audio-visual specialists Chris Gurton Associates) that will form a colonnade around the stand.

The total effect should be one of inspiration. If Design Link has worked, visitors will should be propelled out into the show, where the Interiors and Tableware section will feature everything from sleek optical fibre lighting systems to outlandish plates, armed with plenty of design savoir-faire and enthusiasm. "The whole point is that people come away with fresh ideas," Johnstone concludes.