Location still more important than design
Interior design has not yet replaced Conrad Hilton's famous adage that a successful hotel depends on "location, location, location". This was the conclusion of the PKF Forum, held in London on Monday.
Delegates at the conference voted by nearly 4-1 in favour of location above design.
An audience of more than 200 hoteliers, financiers, city analysts and interior designers debated the motion "This house believes that in today's hotel industry location, location, location has been superseded by design, design, design."
The motion was proposed by Keith Hobbs, chief executive of United Designers, the company behind London restaurants Pétrus and Nobu. Hobbs said that modern customers were design-educated and expected style in their hotels. He added that the location of a hotel "could lie".
A city-centre site, for example, may be next to a busy tourist attraction or noisy railway station, which customers would find obtrusive.
Hobbs was supported by Olga Polizzi, sister of Sir Rocco Forte and director in charge of building and design for her brother's RF Hotels chain. She said that good design in a bad location would always be more successful than bad design in a good location.
Opposing this argument was Anthony Harris, chief executive of Hilton International. He said that a hotel in a good location, with easy access and surrounded by a commercial environment, entertainment or business institutions, would always be more successful than a well-designed hotel in an isolated position. He added that the world's great hotels "were always in great destinations, such as London, Paris, Rome or Venice."
He admitted that good design might help a hotel to be successful but suggested that fashions pass and need to be updated every two years.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /?>
Sir James Devitt, director of International Property Services at PKF, agreed and said that potential customers wishing to buy a hotel always asked where it was, never how it looked inside.
After the formal speeches and comments from the floor, the motion was put to the audience. Over 77% voted in support of location being more important than design.
Results:
For the motion: 19.7%
Against: 77.2%
Abstentions: 3.1%
The webcast version will be available from Monday 1 October (see Web link above right) or visit www.pkf.co.uk.
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