Buy Local
In the past I have shared content about the existing trend that drives many customers to search for hotels with a small, intimate “local” feel over big uniform chain hotels.
The idea is that the purchase of local products, from local retailers, is to be preferred over purchasing industrial globally produced goods. This trend has been influenced by the worldwide economic situation and by environmental and moral ideals.
In our global economy, purchasing goods created by distant markets (i.e. China) is often the cheapest alternative. So what is the rational to buying local goods? The “Buy Local” advocates prefer to supply jobs to the local economy, or to make sure the products they buy are under strict supervision regarding labor laws and the quality of raw materials (this is especially true for food). From an ecological perspective, it is clear why local manufacturing is preferred over goods that have to be shipped a great distance – there is more waste of fuel, pollution and packing materials. The advocates of the “Buy Local” doctrine are often educated, young and ecologically and socially conscience – this is the profile of today’s trend setters. Therefore, this doctrine has now become a fashion. Large chains – OUT. Local farmers market – IN.
Neveh Zedek, Tel Aviv : A neighborhood that has seen several openings over the last few years of small hotels
You are probably asking – what does this have to do with the hotel business? Well, the buy local trend has reached hotels as well. It translates as a trend towards smaller hotels, that are not part of a chain, and are locally owned. These hotels give their guests an intimate service experience and make them feel they are part of the place they are visiting. Often, the room price alone does little to create a positive assessment of a hotel: satisfied, loyal customers are created through the collection of experiences they accumulate during their stay. Guests at local hotels expect to have an authentic, original experience influenced by the location of the hotel.
We are seeing more and more hotels strive to create a link to the local community and give guests a local experience by purchasing food supplies from local markets, or offering a seasonal menu. We are all so used to seeing unified menus in hotel lobbies and room service all over the world that being introduced to local cuisine can be a significant improvement.
We are also seeing hotels creating partnerships with local businesses and community groups: for example by hosting community events, designing the hotel to fit the neighborhood “vibe” and planning the event schedule to include local events. All these create a unique experience and also increase the customer base to the neighborhood as well – suddenly locals are interested in dining in hotel restaurants or hanging out at the bar.
Hi-Matic Hotel, Paris. A large map mounted on the lobby wall helps guests navigate the city. It is also a gathering point for guests and a good place to meet new people and share your experiences.
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We put together for you some recommendation for small, local hotels where you can feel a true part of the city for a few days:
This hotel is centrally located in Madrid, allowing easy access to the historic part of the city as well as great shopping, within walking distance from cultural and historic sites. The building dates to the 19th Century, and has been completely renovated. The hotel has 37 rooms of various size, each one with its unique design. All rooms have modern, clean look with touches of retro thrown in. Price: 77-127 Euro. Depending on the room and the season.
Hi-Matic Hotel, Paris: Guest lounge that is used for serving breakfast, work or social gatherings.
Hi-Matic Hotel: Guest Room Hi-Matic hotel is located in Paris’s stylish Bastille, with plenty of restaurants, organic stores, concepts stores, specialized book shops in the area. Young designers meet here, young chefs open their restaurants, and at night you can visit the neighborhood’s great bars. Hi-Matic is an ecological hotel, furnished and supplied with recyclable products that have been locally produced and can prove fair trade. It serves an organic breakfast and there is a vending machine for organic snacks with recyclable wrappers in the lobby. The room design is eclectic and colorful. Perfect for the young or young at heart. Price: 85-135 Euros, depending on room type. Website: http://www.hi-matic.net/en
Lily & Bloom: located in a historic building
Lily & Bloom: Guest Room Lily & Bloom’s luxury suites are located in a beautiful historic building on Lilienblum Street in Tel-Aviv, on the border of picturesque Neveh-Zedek neighborhood. The complex has three furnished suites, with everything you need to feel at home: from towels to cooking utensils, hair dryer and coffee machine. Each apartment is around 80 sqm. And has 2 bedrooms and a large living room with kitchen. Each one is individually designed in a warm homey style. Available for a few days or for several months. The Lily & Bloom complex also has several treatment rooms where guests can enjoy a variety of holistic treatments for special rates. Price: $180-$320, depending on season and length of stay. Price: https://www.facebook.com/Liliandbloom.apt For Further Reading about local hotels trend: |
Hotel Indigo Featured in architecture website
I’m proud to share with you this article about one of our favorite clients, Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv.
Indigo is a refreshing and real addition to DEsigned Hotels in Israel, and it’s great to see the hotel receive international recognition.
The attention to color schemes and details add great depth to the guest experience.
http://www.worldofarchi.com/2013/09/elegant-colorful-hotel-interior-design.html#more
The Best in Tel Aviv!
We are so proud to see two of our clients featured in this article about the top 10 boutique hotels in Tel Aviv!
Read more here:
http://israel21c.org/travel/top-10-boutique-hotels-in-tel-aviv/
Indigo Tel Aviv. one of the best in the city!
July newsletter
Our new newsletter is here!
- My latest project and the coolest hotel in Tel Aviv : Sheinkin Hotel
- Which fashion brands are opening hotels and why
- Join our branding competition and get a chance to win breakfast for 2 in Tel Aviv
And lots more…
Sheinkin Hotel: from concept to opened hotel in 6 months
Sheinkin Hotel front. Prime location in the heart of Tel Aviv
During the holiday season last year, 2 young entrepreneurs entered my office – Oren Pascal and Guy Bartal. They told me of a great building, in a prime location in Sheinkin neighborhood, in which they are hoping to open a hotel in just 6 months. In this article, I will share with you the challenging process of opening Tel Aviv’s newest boutique hotel: Sheinkin Hotel, in which I participated from the building of the concept and strategic thinking to purchasing equipment and opening the hotel to its first guests a couple months ago.
We started the process with meetings at cafés at the end of the work day, usually in Yehuda Macabi St. in Tel Aviv. In these brainstorming meetings we searched for a unique concept in the Israeli hotel industry. I realized that we needed to set up a brand that would differentiate the hotel from the existing boutique places already operating in town. The strengths we had to build on: location and the personality of the entrepreneurs.
The location of the hotel, near Sheinkin street, is of course one of its strengths : this is the heart of urban Tel Aviv. The neighborhood is full of beautiful architecture and full of life by day (restaurants, cafes and shops) and by night.
We searched for inspiration from hotels abroad, such as Casa Camper Berlin (see my article about this great hotel in my blog on Xnet), and the Spanish Chic & Basic chain (mentioned in March newsletter). These hotels convey the urban, young and cool vibe of their respective cities.
I recommended relying on the brand “Sheinkin”, and for this reason this is also the hotel name. The word “Sheinkin” brings to mind multiple values having to do with a known persona, urban, young and fashionable culture. These are all values we wanted associated with the new hotel. Since this is also the first hotel to open in the neighborhood (new projects are in the works), it was important for us to lay claim to this name.
Sheinkin Hotel logo: fashioned after a retro stamp. A relic from the days when communication was not done via computers
The owners, who are young and cool, with experience in restaurants and bars, wanted a hotel that represents them and speaks to people like them. We searched for ways to bring this concept to life, and created a unique artistic style – writing on the walls of the hotel in various cool colors and fonts, that follows guests in the rooms and in public spaces. The emphasis is on surprise, lack of symmetry and a sense of humor that are conveyed through the use of different fonts, colors and sizes of lettering. The writing suggests a conversation – the guests feel they are being spoken to at all times. We also designed a logo for the hotel , that looks like a retro stamp, that is also meant to bring to mind times when inter personal communication was not done through computers, and documents were handed back and forth by hand and not in their digital form.
Writing on hotel walls – the lack of symmetry and use of various materials create surprise and appeal to guest’s sense of humor
This concept was developed in “round table” meetings with the owners, the architect Omer Leichter, and the branding firm of my dear friend Alon Deri that I brought to the project. The goal was to create a brand that has a coherent “language”: the design of the hotel itself, the art on the walls that creates a conversation with the guest, as well as the logo, website, brochure and even business card. We also made sure the staff met the hotel’s profile, by recruiting a young team that underwent extensive training and offers service with a smile, ready to listen and dynamic. The staff is also always ready with recommendations about how to experience the “real” Tel Aviv, which only the locals know.
Hotel lobby. Eclectic and young design that doesn’t take itself too seriously
Sheinkin Hotel is designed like a “sandwich”: Ground level and Roof Top with guestrooms in middle floors. The entry level has several seating areas: an indoor lobby with magazines next to the reception, and a lovely patio in the hotel garden that serves coffee and light snacks and is open 24/7. In this winter this area is enclosed with glass walls. The hotel prides itself on its rooftop lounge – a designed chill out area with great view of the city rooftops. This is the perfect place to relax with a drink, to meet friends or tan. You can also enjoy a refreshing shower.
The designed rooftop lounge. The perfect place to relax, meet friends or tan
My advice to the owners for both these public areas, the rooftop and the garden patio, was to enable different uses, for different types of guests, at different times of the day. I believe this type of new public space in hotels is something we will see more and more of, and I call it a “social lounge”. Instead of a business lounge for work, lobby for meeting friends etc., hotels today tend to unite public spaces in such a way as to cater to both business and leisure crowds. Today, even those traveling for work would like to experience the city they are in, to be surrounded by inspiring design and experience social interactions after work hours. The social lounge is a great way to offer hotel guests a combination of the work and leisure world – a fun way to create a social meeting space, meant for networking, and still equipped with all services and technology that lets the business travelers feel at home and work.
For the same reasons, the Sheinkin Hotel does not offer room service. The idea is to encourage guests to go out and experience the city, to meet with others: as mentioned before coffee is available at all times in the garden patio, and the staff is always willing to recommend hip places for any purpose and budget. Between the lounge at the hotel entry and the designed rooftop are 4 levels of guest rooms, with 30 rooms of different size.
Guest room . Allows guests to feel like residents of “Tel Aviv state” for a few days.
Sheinkin Hotel offers guests the chance to feel the unique Sheinkin vibe – fashionable, young and artsy, with a down to earth attitude. The staff, design and branding work together to achieve this purpose. The successful launch of the hotel in the last months shows that it is indeed received as unique in the local market. The target market is mainly tourists, business travelers or Israelis that want to feel like residents in “Tel Aviv state” for a few days.
Credit for the great photos in this article goes to Assaf Pinchuk.
Sleeping in Style
Since the opening of the Palazzo Versace in Australia more than 10 years ago, it seems more and more fashion houses are expanding their brands into the hotel industry. We have seen the openings of an Armani hotel, Missoni (with Radisson Hotels), Bulgari (with Marriott), Margiela, Camper and more. LVMH (owners of Loui Vuitton) have even announced the opening of a hotel chain. Last year, luxury crystal brand Baccarat have also joined the trend and opened a hotel.
Palazzo Versace
Why is this happening? What has been driving fashion brands to enter a new market so different from their core business? The term that can answer this question is: branding. In a competitive world, were customers have seemingly endless opportunities and all the information they can handle at the click of a button, the only way to survive is not just by creating a product – it’s by creating a brand. A brand is a product we recognize, that has qualities and attributes we know, even a personality. We have personal memories that are connected to his brand, that generate feelings. All these help a commercial company transition from the physical (product) to the emotional (brand), which is the only way to sell. In short, branding is the process of transforming a product or service into a promise. In this newsletter, we have written about Sheinkin Hotel, that uses the brand “Sheinkin” (a street and neighborhood that have cultural meaning a represent certain values) for the branding process of the hotel itself as young, urban and fashionable. In this article, I will try to describe what motivates fashion brands to include amazing hotels in their branding process.
For brands with home styling collections, like Armani and Versace, hotels mean an extension of the brand and a way to market and display products. For others, the hotel is a fashion statement, a way to get attention and a new kind of sensory marketing. After the investment in the fashion collections, these brands turned to investing in the retail experience (designing elaborate concept stores), and are now inviting their fans to literally sleep in the dream that the brand creates.
Missoni fashion house choose to enter the hotel world in the capital of Scotland and in kuwait. The Edinburgh hotel is a true representation of the brand – a luxury hotel, that does not forget the colorful, funky and free spirit of Missoni. While most luxury hotels choose neutral colors in their design, The Missoni family (that designed every bit of this hotel right down to the napkins) are not afraid of colorful prints and bold colors. This hotel lets guests sleep, breath and eat in fashion….
Missoni Hotel : not afraid of colorful prints and bold colors
Missoni Hotel: a luxury hotel with a colorful, funky and free spirit
This hotel succeeds in capturing the spirit of the luxury jewelry and watch brand Bulgari. Black and grey marble throughout the hotel suggest luxury and boldness. The innovation of the brand is felt though the use of technology in the hotel – for example the use of green energy and charging hubs for electrical cars. The service in the hotel is personal and intimate, with a butler staff waiting to discreetly assist guests with any demand. Above all, the hotel maintains the highest standards in the use of materials, like the brands jewelry – from the most expensive marble to the fabric of towels and pillows. Bulgari are trying, and in my opinion succeeding, to give us the feeling the hotel is a true extension of their products, and that a night in the hotel is like a long stay in a luxury jewelry store.
Bulgari : Black and grey marble throughout the hotel suggest luxury and boldness
Bulgari : maintains the highest standards in the use of materials
Armani has hotels in Milano and in Dubai. The hotel is a reflection of the brand and you might say even of its founder. The design is monochromatic, meticulous and even a little “square”. The style is masculine and seems to be meant for the last of the businessmen who still wear three-piece suits. Armani has a home styling line (Armani Casa) and the hotel is used to showcase these products. In fact guests can purchase a whole “Armani universe” in the hotel, that sells everything from books by and about the brand to branded chocolate and even flowers.
Armani : monochromatic, meticulous and even a little “square”
Armani : a masculine style for the last of the businessmen who still wear three-piece suits
Camper shoe brand has two hotels, in Barcelona and Berlin. The hotels succeed in extending the brand spirit – designed and fashionable but still comfortable. You could say it is the hotel equivalent of wearing designer shoes without the pain of impossible heals. The design is eclectic and incorporates functionality and esthetics: meticulous design with the finest materials, but with a seemingly effortless approach and emphasis on the functionality of every detail. An article on Casa Camper will soon be in my blog on Xnet.
Casa Camper Berlin : The design is eclectic and incorporates functionality and esthetics
July 2013 Copeland Newsletter
The July 2013 Copeland Newsletter is out
click here
W Hotel is coming to Jaffa
Earlier this week I attended an exciting launch event– W Hotel’s new project in Jaffa, that will combine luxury hotel and residential complex. RFR Holding from New York and Starwood hotel group launched the project that is already in early building stages in Jaffa, on the corner of Louie Paster and Yefet street.
W hotels is considered one of the leading lifestyle hotel brands in the world, and the chain already has properties in most of the central cities worldwide. The brand’s entrance to Israel is a sign of faith in the local market. Israel’s real estate market is considered a sort of “wonder” in the last years – while many western countries are still recovering from a crisis in their markets, the Israeli market continues to thrive.
The new W hotel in Jaffa will occupy a large area, and is planned to include 125 hotel rooms along with 38 luxury apartments in a separate wing. Hotel services will be provided for apartment residents as well.
As a once long term employee of Starwood, and a current expert in the Israeli boutique and lifestyle market, I believe that there is a real opportunity for a level of sophistication that our market is not yet accustomed to. I am truly happy to see a leading brand like W finally arrive to Tel Aviv, and am looking forward to see the project develop in the next couple of years. Meanwhile , here are some of my pictures from the launch event.
Newsletter March 2013
The March 2013 Copeland Newsletter is out
click here
Ronit Copeland: Travel – Hotels – Lifestyle 