發(fā)布時(shí)間：2018-04-20 07:54

ABSTRACT:
It is a commonly held belief that a well-designed hotel can be a source of profitable operation but the evidence for this is far from conclusive. This paper considers the nature of good design and its potential link to higher sales and profitability. The concept of hotel product lifestyles and two techniques of space utilization are proposed, the grossing factor and the design efficiency factor. Includes tables, drawings and plans that demonstrate how these techniques can work in practice.
 
Introduction
 
There is some anecdotal evidence that there is a link between hotel design and profitability. 1.any hoteliers and hotel designers would agree that  good  design can affect the bottom line for hotels, but few of them could prove the link or specify the nature of this relationship. There is often an intuitive feeling that effective design can attract customers from the desired target market segment and enable the hotel to price accordingly while operating the unit in an efficient way. The result of this greater market awareness and customer volume is increased profits. This paper explores the nature of effective design and describes how techniques developed through practice such as the grossing factor and the design efficiency factor can help to understand the more tangible elements of good design. Finally, the durability of a design is related to the concept of useful economic life and a framework for mapping refurbishment cycles is suggested.
 
Effective design
 
Katsigiris and Thomas (1999) define design as the definition of sizes, shapes, styles and decorations and suggest that design is important in both soft and  hard  ways. Design can create an atmosphere in the public areas of the hotel that makes it attractive to visit, including bedrooms, restaurants, lobbies, lounges, bars and shops. Although location is a fixed and unchangeable factor for the hotel, both interior and exterior design can add or detract from the property s attractiveness. Good design can affect soft factors including:
•      image;
•      style;
•      comfort;
•      marketing;
•      ambience.
Image and style represent the way in which an entity communicates messages such as
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Facilities
Volume 19 . Number 1/2 . 2001 . pp. 79-86
⑥ MCB University Press . ISSN 0263-2772
 
 
 
The authors are grateful to Golden Tulip Hotels NV and Ransley Group for permission to reproduce details of the Pegasus Hotel Development, Brussels. An amended version of this paper appeared in the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism (WHATT) Electronic Journal in August 2000.
 
identity and quality, and these are subjectively judged by the customer based on his or her personal perceptions and frames of reference. Design can also affect harder and more tangible factors such as:
•      operational efficiency;
•      cost;
•      safety;
•      cleanability and maintenance;
•      ergonomics;
•      noise;
•      space allocation.
These more tangible design factors can be more clearly identified and result from a clear concept of the finished product on the part of the developer and a well-constructed design brief. The need to balance form and function in realizing good design is still paramount.
While certain niche hotels have focused on form, to the detriment of function, such risk practice is not affordable in the mainstream hospitality market. Conversely, this does not mean that exciting or modern design idioms cannot be utilised, but requires that those commissioning designs and designers focus on the aspirations of their particular customer target groupings, whether specific or general. The discerning customer of the twenty-first century may seek to align his/her purchase choice with a particular life style image; however, for the majority, affordability will still be an important criterion. For the investor/operator constantly seeking higher financial returns, the twin scales of form and function, therefore, will remain firmly linked to cost.
 
Product lifecycles
 
In the UK and especially London there has been a rush of design hotels and the recent publication of Hip HOtVψJ has become a best seller of non-fiction books. For some, the use of high profile designers or specific design styles has proved successful, whilst an equal number are realizing the variance in the definition of good design . Within these constraints the international development of
  life style design will also have to address the challenge of cultural differences, but if market growth continues, greater volume will accommodate further market fragmentation.
The risk for organizations that operate life style products is that the product life cycle    is
 
…
 
the more tangible aspects that can be more clearly articulated. Good design can lead to increased sales, greater efficiency, reduced staffing levels, higher gross operating profit and the need for lower capital investment and maintenance costs.
As with many other products, hotel products have become more led by lifestyle as well as driven by the power of brands to raise recognition and customer loyalty. Hotel products have become more segmented by market and there has been the recent rise of the design hotel , especially in London. The danger for hotels is that the product life cycle is becoming ever shorter, and this affects the level of investment required in maintaining customer visibility and popularity.
Capital cost is a major indicator of the effectiveness of a design project and the judicious allocation and utilization of space  for bedrooms and other hotel areas is crucial  to good design. The use of the proposed  design efficiency factor can help to focus on reducing the gross area per bedroom by efficient space planning and   strategies



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