a listening comprehension for french HND students, not too fast, please!!
What’s hot.
Adapted from www.hotelsmag.com
Fabrice Knoll, co-founder (with his brother Didier) of Paris-based interior architectural firm DFKNOLL, discusses the whims of a changing travel market, a new answer to minimalism and what lies ahead for hard-working business and luxury hotels.
HOTELS: What are the major trends that are changing hotel design?
KNOLL: “Initiated six years ago, the spa trend is becoming almost a given in resorts. Travellers are focused on themselves; a vacation must include health or spa care. Looking more broadly at the trends, people want to be surprised with more varied food, more varied images, more varied effects in the public areas. They expect flat screens, comfortable quilts and pillows, IT connections and so on in the guestrooms.”
HOTELS: What will be the new aesthetic? What makes a hotel passé?
KNOLL: “The more a hotel is conspicuous in following a trend, the sooner it will be outdated. Now, like before, good service and a smile are the keys to making a hotel memorable. After that, the importance is on big spaces and a room with a view, then a harmonious, logical design, that answers functions.”
HOTELS: What are the biggest mistakes you see in hotel design?
KNOLL: “Not enough lighting; the use of materials that are not easy to maintain, and "international" non-style style.”
HOTELS: Which brands or hotel companies do you see leading the way in design terms and why? KNOLL: “Four Seasons for a true sense of luxury and service, the Rezidor Hotel Group for reactivity and search of originality, and probably emerging markets for freedom of design.”
HOTELS: How can design maximize revenue generating space?
KNOLL: “It is a logical equation: a space that answers the needs of the guest and the operator will automatically save on cost and maximize revenue. Good design should increase the asset value. It does so by adding more natural light, rationalizing space and attracting both the guest and the crowds outside to the hotel, the restaurant and the bar. Improving profit also derives from minimizing wasted space, and one of the biggest wastes usually is in kitchens: I always compare the little restaurant on a street corner with two people in the kitchen and two waiters serving daily 200 meals, and all these hotels where a huge kitchen serves prefabricated food to 20 guests at night.”
HOTELS: How far can you push the design envelope without intimidating the guest?
KNOLL: “As far as you can. It is about challenging the guest; it is about amazing the guest. Hotels needs different destinations--so many places, so many souls, means there is enough room for all architectural concepts.
HOTELS: No design lasts forever. How do you create design that will live longer with less investment in refurbishment and more impact?
KNOLL: “Do not follow trends too closely. Durable design comes from answering real needs and making sure that each cent you invest is for the quality and longevity of the items.”
