Trends: Funky Curtis, Extreme Hotel, iTraining

By Staff -- HOTELS Magazine, 3/1/2007

Sage Sells Sleep, Smiles

Newspapers describe the Curtis hotel, Denver, as "quirky" and "funky," though General Manager Tom Merges prefers to think of the Sage Hospitality Group property as "clever." The 336-key Curtis opened in January after a US$40 million renovation turned it into something of a 16-story pop culture museum. Each floor has its own theme, from science fiction movies to classic cars, with appropriate artwork and music.

Throughout the hotel are "touch points"-sounds and objects that evoke memories of happier times. "We're trying to bring back a memory that will put a smile on your face," Merges says. Lobby monitors display images of old children's games, a robot saunters aimlessly about the halls and familiar hit tunes play. Wake-up calls come from Austin Powers and Marilyn Monroe, and instead of hold music, the Curtis hired comedians to record a monologue mocking the hotel itself. "We've actually had people who have called the hotel asking to be put on hold," Merges says.

Rates start at US$139 for rooms of about 320 sq. ft. (30 sq. m) Early guest feedback indicates repeat business won't be a problem. "We've already had a number of people that stayed here and said, 'I can't wait to stay on a different floor next time,'" Merges says.

Taking Lifestyle Branding to the Extreme

Anyone unsure of the target demographic of Extreme Hotel need only look at the five-story climbing wall alongside the building. The 130-key flagship hotel of extreme sports conglomerate Extreme Group, in partnership with Istithmar and Protea, opened in downtown Cape Town in November, catering to rock climbers, windsurfers, hang gliders and myriad other alternative recreation enthusiasts, of which there are an estimated 180 million worldwide. The long-term goal is to make Extreme Hotel a global brand, says Protea Marketing Director Allan Duke, and while there is no timetable for expansion, he says the next opening would likely be in a European ski destination. Extreme Hotel's lobby includes a skate ramp and a surfboard display, while the elevator replicates a shark diving cage. Extreme's young, hip staff train with area extreme sports companies to learn the finer points of the various disciplines. Room rates average R700 (US$95), and occupancy has been "surprisingly strong" through the hotel's first quarter, Duke says.

Homewood's i-Training Program

Letting hotel staff use iPods might normally be a recipe for poor customer service. Not so at Homewood Suites, which is delivering two or three video iPods to each of its 200 hotels for training in housekeeping and F&B. The units will come loaded with about 15 minutes worth of training videos, for new hires and existing employees to take the mobile technology with them as they learn their jobs. The technology, which includes a barebones iTunes site for downloading new videos, will enable Homewood to keep training material up to date. "We feel like it's just a wonderful 'Aha!' for us," says Dawn Koenig, vice president for hotel performance support services. The initial rollout, which starts in April, will cost roughly US$170,000 to implement. Video updates, which will occur two to four times a year, will cost about US$1,000 per production minute, Koenig says. Employees will not be permitted to download non-work items onto the iPods.