AH&LA

The American Hotel & Lodging Association is an organization focused on hoteliers. It provides networking opportunities, information on governmental affairs, conventions and events, as well as programs and initiatives that strive to improve the hotel industry. The site also includes a message board, career center and data center as professional seek to get connected and advance within the field. According to the site, they define themselves as:

AH&LA is the only national organization dedicated to serving the interests of hoteliers on the front line, behind the scenes, and on Capitol Hill. Members are empowered with exclusive bottom line savings, educational resources, and networking opportunities with our expansive network of top-level industry professionals. Explore our Website to see why we've been the leading voice of the lodging industry for more than 100 years.

The website also includes a brief history of lodging. Check out the timeline : The History of Lodging

American Hotel Classification

Usually, hotels fall into one of three categories: 

Budget hotels offer clean albeit simple rooms that provide the basics of places to sleep and shower. Usually budget hotels are designed for travelers looking to maximize their funds and minimize expenses. Prices can range from $20US per night to $70US per night.

Business hotels offer a high standard by providing rooms equipped with what business travelers would consider necessities. Usually found in business-class hotel rooms are high speed Internet connections, alarm clocks, comfortable beds, irons and ironing boards, coffee makers, complimentary newspaper delivery and hairdryers. Rates can range from $80US per night to $250US per night.       
        The facility of a business hotel would also offer an in-house restaurant, 
bar, exercise room and shuttle service to nearby airports. Limit concierge assistance is often included as well as room service, laundry and dry cleaning and wake-up calls.
 
Luxury hotels are known for their lavish decor and extraordinary service. With superior amenities, accommodations at luxury hotels are designed to thoroughly pamper and impress guests. According to a Business Week Online article, those in the luxury market are getting harder to please stating that luxury goods and service providers can't afford to blunder with the level of service and customer experience they provide. For this reason, many luxury hotels go far beyond the norm by providing a lifestyle experience equal to or better than what guests have become accustomed to at home.
        Luxury hotels frequently offer full-service day spas, five-star restaurants staffed by world-class chefs, ballrooms, lavish pools, golf packages and guest services that are unsurpassed by any other class of hotel. In addition, luxury rooms generally include those amenities found in business class hotels plus in-room safes, goose down comforters and pillows, marble showers and tubs, larger rooms, separate sitting or living area and fog-free bathroom mirrors. Rates can range from $129US per night to $2,000US per night.

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Although these are the main types, hotels can fall into other subcategories.

Commercial Hotels cater mainly to business clients and usually offers room service, coffee-shop, dining room, cocktail lounge, laundry and valet service as well as access to computers and fax services.

Airport Hotels are located near airports and are a conveniently located to provide any level of service from just a clean room, to room service, they provide bus or limousine service to the air lines. 

Conference Centers are designed to specifically provide meeting space for groups, they provide all services and equipment necessary to handle conventions. 

Residential Hotels seam to be in the decline. They used to be very popular. The typical residential hotel offers long term accommodations.

Casino Hotels are often quite luxurious. Their main purpose is in support of the gambling operation. Casino Hotels often offer top name entertainment and excellent restaurants.

Resort Hotels is the planned destination of guests, usually vacationers. This is because resorts are located at the ocean or in the mountains away from inner cities. Resort hotels may offer any form of entertainment to keep their guest happy and busy.

Book List : Hotel Spaces

This book focuses on each part of a hotel, including facades, pools & terraces, lobbies & lounges, bars & restaurants, suites & bedrooms. Each section talks about the function of that piece of the hotel and provides photos of successful examples of each. In reading the section on facades, I find that the author talks about each part as it relates to whole... a Gestalt paradigm. the facade serves as the first impression of the hotel. it is the designer's goal to ensure that the facade sets the tone for the guest's experience. It must be unique and break the mold. The problem is that there is a preconception of what modern design looks like. Successful designs use tradition, technology, or vernacular forms to challenge these notions. The rest of the book breaks down each part of the hotel in a similar way.

Book List : New Hotel Design

'New Hotel Design' by Otto Riewoldt was written in 2001. I chose to review this book to compare what was 'new and innovative' in hotel design ten years ago versus now. As I read through some preview pages, I picked out a few key points. 

-"Price and brand glamour still matter, but don't necessarily eclipse connoisseurship."

-The latest developments in design reflect four themes : ascetic modernism, nostalgic opulence, extravagant fantasy, and exotic exclusivity.

-Three common trends in design strategy : 1. "self-referential interiors of designer hotels have been softened and skillfully reinterpreted with an emphasis on comfort." 2. "designer and business hotels make a significant contribution to urban regeneration." 3. hotel design embraces opportunities offered by ethno-cultural diversity, incorporating local styles and cultural traditions into luxury hotel design.

-intensive (small, expensive hotels with very high quality services and facilities) versus extensive (larger and more lavish self-contained leisure venues)

-Hotels must fulfill two functions : function effectively as a workplace, and provide a range of relaxation opportunities.

-"Leisure is becoming synonymous with entertainment, and entertainment value is the key to consumer behavior." 

Thinking about the hotel industry now, I feel that all of these points still ring true. Hotel design is about creating a unique experience for the users while meeting the same needs as their homes and workplaces. People still champion comfort and convenience over anything else when it comes to hotel experience. Hotels then and now strive to fulfill those desires.

Book List : Contemporary Hotel Design

Here is a book I ran across about hotel design. Its called 'Contemporary Hotel Design' by Joachim Fischer. Here is a brief description an sneak peek of what awaits you between the covers... 

More than just another hotel picture book, this title introduces many striking and unusual new establishments of recent vintage. From small and rustic country inns to trendy metallic city hotels and fashionable luxury resorts, the modern and sleek lodgings within will appeal to all who wish to keep up with the latest in hospitality chic.

Richly illustrated with an innovative and individual design, the book also carries full address and contact details of its chosen scratch cribs, and hence serves as an up-to-date, round-the-world hotel guide.

Book List

Here are some books about hotel and resort design that are worth taking a look at: 

Resort Design : Planning, Architecture, and Interiors by Margaret Huffadine

[This book breaks the resort down into components and discusses multiple aspects of each. The result is a well-rounded introduction into all the elements necessary for a successful resort, from guest rooms to back of the house. Contents : an introduction to resorts, brief evolution of resorts, environment and planning, architecture and interior design, operations, health and sport, residential properties, timeshares, and clubhouses]

Hotel Design, planning, and development by Walter A. Rutes, Richard H. Penner, and Lawrence Adams

[This book discusses hotel types and subcategories for each, including trends, planning and design considerations, and examples.]

Firm Profile : Cooper Carry

Name : Cooper Carry
Founded : in 1960 by Jerry Cooper, FAIA, LEED AP. 
Locations : Atlanta, New York, Newport Beach, Washington
Disciplines : architecture, landscape architecture, graphics, planning, interiors, sustainable
Philosophy : "We believe that a high quality of design can create a high quality of life.We foster a work environment where professionals can challenge themselves creatively. We are a steward of the environment both natural and man-made. We balance creative passion and client service. We know that excellence in design emerges from the people and culture of a particular place."
Sample of Work :

Woodloch Resort & Spa. Hawley, PA

 

 

 

 

South Seas Resort. Captiva Island