The idea of creating an economical yet convenient hotel chain is not new. For example, Ibis or NH have been working in this segment for a long time: they provide the traveler with the minimum necessary for comfort for a modest amount. The quality of service and furnishings in the rooms of these hotels is approximately the same in different cities and countries. As a rule, there is a very simple design and small rooms: it is usually possible to approach a double bed only from one side - the maximum saving of square meters. The decor in them, of course, is not Spartan, but rather modest, and there seems to be nothing to complain about: the room charge is quite consistent with the level of service. But there is one significant drawback: everything here, from the lobby space to the towels in the bathrooms, will persistently remind you of your status as a budget traveler.
You will say that this is natural: you cannot get the quality of a five-star hotel for that kind of money. A five-star one is not really possible yet, but a four-star one is already possible. This has been proven by the Motel One, a chain of budget design hotels, founded in Germany and successfully operating in many European countries for several years.
The words "budget" and "designer", it seems, should not stand side by side in the same sentence, but more and more companies are making their combination possible. You don't need to look far for an example: the Swedish brand Ikea has long conquered the homes of people of completely different incomes, allowing them to furnish their homes inexpensively and with taste. The company often says that “it's easy to create beautiful and expensive things, but try to create a beautiful thing that will be cheap”, and their official slogan is “Better life for many”. These same considerations are guided by H&M and Zara - these giants in the production and sale of clothing and footwear make their products stylish and affordable for almost any person's wallet, and their business concepts are studied even at Harvard. All such companies have one thing in common: the desire to give people with modest incomes the opportunity to live a beautiful and comfortable life.
When the first Motel One opened in Germany, it was no different from a regular budget hotel. After a while, it was decided to "add" a design to it in order to attract more visitors. Everything turned out in the best possible way: after all, there were no design and very affordable hotels in Germany at the same time, and the lack of competition in its market segment greatly helped the start of the now large international chain.
The main principles of the brand are based on three components: attractive price, high quality and a central location (close to the main attractions, shopping streets, cultural institutions of the city). The latter is not always possible, but even if the Motel One hotel is not located in the historical center of the city, it is always in close proximity to stops of several types of transport.
How to make it cheap and beautiful? First of all, clean up the kitchen. All food is delivered to the hotel in the form of semi-finished products, which are easy to bring to readiness. Due to this, the menu, of course, is not very rich, but everything that is included in it is of high quality. You can eat these dishes in the Motel One lounge, a multi-functional place. It also serves as a breakfast room in the morning, a place to relax or work at a computer in the afternoon, a restaurant in the evening. The same principle of multifunctionality applies to the reception desk: in addition to its direct function, it is also a bar. This allows you to save not only square meters, but also the number of employees: the receptionists simultaneously work as bartenders, waiters, etc.
The design of the lounge area of each hotel is developed individually and is dedicated to the culture and history of the city where it is located, but everything else in Motel One will be approximately the same - standard for this hotel brand. The company considers this a plus, since, according to them, "there is standardization, but when it is done at a high level, there is nothing wrong with it."Motel One is very often compared to Ikea, which the chain's management takes with humor, jokingly: "You don't need to assemble a bed in your room yourself."
Even in the lounge area, which is individual for each city, there are necessarily Arne Jacobsen's branded armchairs in turquoise color for the chain (customers should associate it with a luxurious vacation in the Caribbean), as well as a screen on the wall, the image on which changes depending on the season: in summer it is an aquarium with fish, and in winter a fireplace with crackling wood. It sounds dubious, but in reality, it surprisingly organically fits into the interior and allows you to maintain "brand awareness".
The minimum room area is 15.8 m2, but even with such a modest size, a double bed can always be approached from both sides (which, as mentioned above, is not often found in economy class hotels). The rooms are simply and stylishly decorated. Each is sure to have some luxury: a Loewe flat screen TV, Artemide lamps, rain showers, 100% Egyptian cotton linens, turquoise velvet curtains and pillows. In order to save space, the wardrobe can sometimes be replaced with an open hanger.
Motel One is a constantly growing "organism" with hotels in many European countries: 60% of them are located in Germany, 40% - abroad. Their design and budget concept helps to stay afloat even in times of crisis: the chain is less prone to ups and downs than hotel brands in other segments.
For a fee of 69 euros per night, you can now stay in Vienna's famous 1st district a few steps from the State Opera and Karlsplatz. Motel One in the Austrian capital is called Staatsoper and is located in a historic building built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries: it has been completely restored, while retaining its original charm.
The theme of the hotel, as the name suggests, is set by the Vienna State Opera. The interior of the lobby features tutu-shaped lamps, branded turquoise armchairs, B&B Italia leather chairs, oak parquet. The LED screens behind the bar display images of ballets and concerts at the Vienna Opera, and the legs of the bar stools are made in the form of ballerinas' legs in pointe shoes.
Climbing to one of the 400 rooms, of course, you can use the elevator (it is important to note that absolutely all the hotels in the chain meet the requirements of wheelchair accessibility), but it is much more interesting to walk up the stunning Art Nouveau staircase with graceful twisted railings.
Due to the layout of the historic building, this is perhaps the most unusual hotel of all Motel One: all rooms here are of different sizes. There are rooms with a view of the rooftops of Vienna, rooms with panoramic windows, rooms with a balcony, but each is made in the style of the network with its characteristic color scheme and a set of furniture. The hotel has a very nice bonus: the courtyard, which during the warmer months turns into a great dining place not only for hotel guests, but also for locals. The latter, by the way, also enjoy reading the morning newspaper over a cup of melange, sitting in Thonet armchairs and enjoying a “Viennese breakfast”.
The use of a historic building for Motel One is the exception rather than the norm. Basically, the chain's hotels are built from scratch. This was the case, for example, in Amsterdam. It should be noted that to work on each hotel, they usually resort to the help of local architects and interior designers who have experience in the design of hotels, restaurants, cafes and the like. In this case, the object was handled by the ZZDP bureau. The location of Motel One in the capital of the Netherlands is less "central" than in Vienna, but is in close proximity to train and metro stations and bus stops, each of which takes about 20 minutes to reach the main square.
The futuristic façade is a tribute to the opposite RAI Convention and Exhibition Center. The interior features tulips, bicycles, bright handmade carpets and the invariable turquoise symbols of the Motel One chain. The Dutch themselves reacted favorably to the new building, and they wrote a lot about it in the newspapers. It was a bit of a surprise, however, that the hotel used Italian and Danish designs, although Dutch objects could have been added to add flavor.
The last hotel of the chain, which I would like to mention, is located in the City of London. Hotel prices are high here, especially if it's a design hotel with a great location. But Motel One has not changed its pricing policy here either.
The hotel, designed by Mackay + Partners, is formed of two volumes: a seven-story paneled and sixteen-story glass. On the 12th floor, a stepped indent was made to match the building with the surrounding buildings in height. In the evening and at night, the LED system illuminates the individual panels for a pleasing effect. The color can be changed using a computer, but usually the hotel brand's turquoise color is chosen. The hotel lobby immediately gives off an English charm accentuated by leather armchairs, Chesterfield sofas, British crown jewels and Swarovski crystal chandeliers.
