Boutique Design - July/August 2017 - 4

MOVE IT OUT OF THE BASEMENT
WHAT I DID on my summer vacation: flew

in June with my family to Washington, D.C.,
where we took in some historic sights and
sites. For budget and logistical reasons, we
stayed at a big-brand, mid-tier hotel that
was convenient to the capital city's Metro
subway system. And while most of the hotel's
amenities were quite nice-our room was
quiet and spacious, and the on-site breakfast buffet was clean and appetizing-the
workout room was a definite dud.
I visited that space just once, because it
was located in the basement, which gave it a
claustrophobic feel and (worse yet) a musty
odor. That experience, in turn, reminded me
of something I heard during our first State of
the Industry confab, which took place earlier
that same month in downtown Cincinnati.
Part of the conversation centered on how
boutique hotels can make their mark by
offering venues that cater to smaller meetings that their larger counterparts often
overlook or can't accommodate.
But the panel participants also stressed
that it's a real turn-off if such rooms are relegated to basements or other windowless
interior spaces. The same guests' demand for
natural light clearly applies just as much to
interior spaces where they hit the treadmill,

the elliptical or the weight racks, along with
the areas where they work or dine.
So, when I got the inevitable "How was
Your Stay?" email survey from the hotel we
stayed at, I expressed my misgivings about
the on-site gym. I also acknowledged that
changing that wouldn't be cheap-but felt if
enough guests express a similar opinion, it
just might happen.
In the long run, I think that would be best
for the hotel in question, which is in a highly
competitive sub-market near D.C.'s convention complex. And it's something any hotel
stuck with similar, dungeon-like amenities
should take action on, as well.
For other takeaways from Boutique
Design's first-ever State of the Industry
session-which took place in an energizing,
light-filled meeting room within the offices
of CR architecture + design-please turn to
page 42.

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boutiquedesign.com JULY + AUGUST 2017
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Boutique Design - July/August 2017

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