Sunday, 10 August 2014

Response to Driving Question


The origin of the concept of hospitality dates back to Classical Rome. In those days, people invited guests and family members into their homes, shared meals with them and celebrated with them. The concept was that people would start out as strangers, become guests and then, become friends.

In a nutshell, ‘hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host’.

How relevant is the above notion of hospitality in today’s hospitality industry? 

Previously back in Classical Rome culture, it was the time where people invite guests and family members into their home, shared meals and celebrated with them. In the current days, the only time during the year when this happened is during the festive occasion. However, it is often with people they know off. With the research shown in our team's portfolio, we clearly shown how the Classical Rome culture is still possible in the current age. Nowadays in boutique hotels, strangers are still building relationship with each other, like how the host and guests communicate to an extend where they become friends.
This website will show the various countries on how they display the above notion of hospitality in today's hospitality industry.  

Boutique hotel : Singapore

Boutique Hotel: Singapore

Singapore, Dickson Road - Wanderlust

Wanderlust is a left-field and totally experimental boutique hotel set to draw madcap voyagers and curious travellers to its doorstep. Located in Little India – a bustling cultural enclave where Indian immigrants once settled, and the building was originally an old school built it 1920s.
With four thematic levels of 29 rooms by award winning Singapore design agencies, each group was given full creative freedom.

Lobby Level – Industrial Glam by Asylum
A juxtaposition of the surrounding setting and contemporary design.

Level 2 – Eccentricity by :phunk Studio
Colours everything from the walls to the neon lights and the rainbow corridor leads to a outdoor deck with a customised mosaic-tiled jacuzzi.

Level 3 – Is it just Black and White by DP Architects
Walk across the black corridor and enter into the contrasting white rooms to discover Origami and Pop-Art works.

Level 4 – Creature Comforts by fFurious
Get cosy with friendly monsters in each room that presents a different vibe and be assured of a fantasy-filled experience.

Reviews:
The staff (marketing executive) also provides good service not within the hotel but online, replying to every reviews given by customers.


2nd review:



Klapson hotel

The hotel of the future is here! From the moment you walk into the lobby of klapsons and realize that the check-in desk is inside a giant silver sphere suspended above a small pool of water, you know you’re in for a different kind of lodging experience. This feeling is reinforced nearly everywhere you look: upright chairs that become recliners when tipped over, tables that seem to glow with their own inner light although they’re not plugged in, video screens in the ceiling of the elevator, and uniquely designed showers placed in the most unusual locations in the 17 rooms and suites.

The hotel was conceived by leading Italian design house Sawaya & Moroni and is their first foray into the Asian market. And what a freshman effort it is. Staying here is like sleeping inside a work of art, a hotel where cutting-edge design concepts meet class and comfort. Wood, glass, plush fabrics and plastics are expertly arranged to create a modern yet welcoming aesthetic. The hotel is located just on the edge of Singapore’s Central Business District, which makes it the perfect home for the executive who's tired of the same old same old. It's also not too far from the Chinatown precinct and that fact, combined with sexy showers and dreamy beds, makes it an ideal spot for couples to make like the Jetsons for a few nights

Reviews:



This is the comparison of wanderlust hotel and klapsons hotel, wanderlust hotel is slightly better than klapsons hotel

Wanderlust hotel(8/10)
Klapsons hotel(7.8/10)
Pros:
  • The authentic French restaurant. Book well in advance because it's hugely popular with locals
  • Unique and quirky design, with novelty in every nook. The industrial-chic lobby features barber's chairs, a footsball table, and disused street signs fashioned into stools
  • Fabulous service with friendly and knowledgeable staff
  • High quality in-room features: iPod docks, cast-iron tubs, Nespressos, Kiehl's toiletries and the fluffiest fleece dressing gowns; complimentary soft drinks in the minibar
  • All guests receive a 'passport' to the local area - hand-drawn maps of Little India's shops and restaurants
Pros:
  • Crazy cool design, including some of the most unusual hotel showers we've come across: snail shapes, clear cylinders, outdoor cabanas, red-LED cloisters...
  • Electronic curtain and lighting controls in the rooms provide one-touch mood magic
  • Complimentary soft drinks in the minibars
  • Gadgets include large flat-screen LCD TVs and free WiFi
  • Professional, attentive service
Cons:
  • Some may find bits of the décor too eccentric and surreal, in which case we recommend the soothing and stylish Mono rooms
  • The vibrant Little India area is still up-and-coming and lacks the polished finish of Orchard Road or Clarke Quay
  • Pantone rooms are compact; it is worth upgrading to Mono
  • Few electrical outlets in rooms and not much work space
  • Noise from the all-night Thai restaurant next door carries to the rooms facing the street
Cons:
  • The location’s great for business, but there’s not much in the immediate vicinity for tourists.
  • No spa, gym or pool on site
  • A bit hard to locate. Minimal signage makes it feel like the hotel is hiding
Price:
$183
Price:


$244


Video:

Wanderlust hotel



Klapsons hotel




What is your expectations of a boutique hotel?

My expectations for a boutique hotel is that it must be unique, one of a kind. Their 

staff should be knowledgeable about what each room represents and the overall theme. If 

can I find similar boutique hotel elsewhere, then it doesn't classify as a boutique 

hotel then, it doesn't give anyone the "wow" feeling. At the same time if the staff are 

clueless about the designs of the room, how are the customers suppose to know the theme 

behind it.

Would  you stay in the above boutique hotel?

Yes I would because I want to experience how is it like to stay in a boutique hotel and 

also, the reviews about those boutique hotels are very good too. So I would really like 

to try staying at those boutique hotel.

Boutique Hotel: Italy


ITALY (3 hotels in Italy)


Borgo di Bastia Creti is located on a on a hilltop in the Niccone Valley. The Borgo is surrounded by forests, fig, and pomegranate and olive trees and it has a 360 degree views over spectacular unspoilt landscape of Umbria. Borgo offered luxury accommodation in 5 independent villas.
Type of Rooms (villas) offered:          

Limonaia:
Sleeps 2. 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom.
Ground Floor: Kitchen; Dining area; Sitting room; Cloakroom; Double bedroom; Bathroom.
Olivi:
Sleeps 4. 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
Ground Floor: Sitting room; Kitchen/Dining area.
First Floor: Double bedroom; Bathroom; Twin bedroom; Shower room.
Cipressi:
Sleeps 6. 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
First Floor: Sitting room; Kitchen/Dining room; Shower room; Twin bedroom; Bathroom; Small private terrace.
Second Floor: Double bedroom; Twin bedroom; Bathroom.
Cottage:
Sleeps 6. 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
Ground Floor: Kitchen/Terrace; Sitting room; Double bedroom; Bathroom; Double bedroom; Shower room.
Open Spiral Staircase to First Floor: Double bedroom; Bathroom.
Ginestre:
Sleeps 8. 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
Ground Floor: Sitting room; Kitchen/Dining room; Double bedroom; Bathroom.
First Floor: Double bedroom; Double bedroom; Bathroom.
Second Floor: Double bedroom; Bathroom.

Borgo di Bastia Creti is classify under a country house and all independent rooms shown above are all fully equipped with everything necessary for relaxing, comfortable stays in this splendid setting. All the villas are individually decorated in an elegant, rustic style, featuring antique furniture, natural wood and stone, hand-made tiling and fine fabrics.

Reviews from guest who visited Borgo di Bastia Creti for various reasons:
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As seen from this reviews by guest, comments of the Country House are relatively positive and if you can see, one common name they mentioned are Sonia. As quoted from the last review by Michael F, “Sonia is the manager who is on site every day, and she was intimately involved with our visit from beginning to end. She was our first contact and patiently and very promptly answered all our questions in perfect English. She was also happy to in put up with our terrible Italian. She was invaluable in helping us decide which of the various accommodations would best suit our group, so that in the end, our choice was perfect. Sonia made many terrific suggestions, which enhanced our visit immeasurably.”
From the above review,  it totally shows the meaning of hospitality. It refers to the relationship between a guest and a host. Sonia was patient and happy to serve Michael’s family and this experience enhances their trip immeasurably.

Located in a quiet street near the centre of Cogne, Les Trompeurs is a recently built guest house standing in a charming garden. Painstakingly converted from the family home, this owner run boutique property offers delightful accommodation in an authentic, friendly Alpine atmosphere.
Les Trompeurs has just six rooms and suites, all decorated and furnished in a cosy Alpine style, with extensive use of antique wood and natural stone. Each room features individual décor and an original painting reflecting the room's title.
Type of rooms:
L'Ours:
Romantic and cosy. This room, featuring a painting of a sweet looking brown bear, is the smallest, most romantic and welcoming of the rooms in Les Trompeurs guest house.
Perfect for two adults, it is fully equipped for all types of holidays in Cogne.
With two built-in wardrobes, a spacious bathroom with a large shower and hair dryer, it is located near the spiral staircase connecting the two floors of the building and is the quietest room in the hotel.
La Siffleuse:
Private terrace and chromotherapy shower. This room, which features a painting of a cute groundhog, is situated on the ground floor. It is spacious and comfortable, with a large bathroom with a chromotherapy shower and hair dryer.
It features a private balcony for moments of quiet relaxation.
La Polaire:
Chromotherapy and terrace / solarium. This room, which features a painting of polar bears, is very comfortable and spacious.
Equipped with a sumptuous bathroom with a large chromotherapy shower and a hair dryer, it has direct access to the newly built sun terrace.
La Sauvage:
This room, distinguished by a painting of a wolf and cubs, is one of the largest rooms in the guest house.
It has a large bathroom with a chromotherapy shower, a loft bed for children, and a sofa bed for an extra guest.
It has direct access to the sun terrace.
L'Alpage:
This room, featuring a painting of three cows side by side, is the brightest room in Les Trompeurs guest house.
Perfect for families, it has a double bed and two sofa beds for small children.
The room is light and well oriented to the south-east, with several windows overlooking the garden. It has direct access to the new terrace / solarium.
There is a spacious bathroom with a large shower and a hair dryer.
L'Artiste:
This is a large convertible room with a kitchenette, and a bathroom with a Turkish bath, and is the most versatile of all the rooms.
The room is divided into two zones with a sliding wall, and is equipped with two TVs and two beds. It can be converted into a single bedroom apartment.
The bathroom is large and has a Turkish bath and a chromotherapy shower, hair dryer, and fine linens.
From the living area guests have access to a small private terrace / garden, for fully independent holidays.
Both the room and the bathroom have frescoes on the ceiling.
Reviews from guests who had visited Les Trompeurs:
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As seen from the reviews, Les Trompeurs is a positively reviewed boutique hotel and majority of the reviews mention about the staff in the hotel. As quoted from Gianni, “Paul greeted by very nice, we immediately felt at ease.” and Fabio, “The owners are two lovely people, friendly and helpful.” This clearly portrays hospitality.

The Yard Suite & Dependance is located in a fine location in a fashionable district of Milan, The Yard is set in a thoroughly modernised and renovated town house. This boutique guest house offers comfortable accommodation in a modern, informal atmosphere.
 
The Yard has just 14 suites, all individually decorated with a wonderful variety of sporting memorabilia.

Type of rooms:
All suites are individually decorated with memorabilia and curios from different sports: Golf, hunting, horse-riding or rugby, defining their atmosphere and style.
This are just some examples of the rooms that are offered by The Yard Suite & Dependance.

The Yard provides on request guests have a series of exclusive and highly personalised services and it is a boutique hotel which allows guests to purchase some furniture items and exclusive objects from the Suites and Annexes.

Reviews from guests who visited The Yard:
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As reviewed, comments about the hotel are positive,  some mention about the comfort and cleanliness of the place. While in tripadvisor, one of the review made by NFLSJ2014 was, “On arrival we were greeted by a funky attired staff member who took our bags and welcomed us in with lovely Italian charm. The receptionist was also great and helped us pinpoint the perfect restaurant for our last night in Italy (and she succeeded).” This shows how the staff served without any condition.

 

One of the interview from student in RP, I asked JiaLing about her views on The Yard, she said that hotel gave her "a sense of home because it is decorated like a house". "I'll feel at home." She said. It gave her a sense of belonging after viewing the photographs. She also mentioned that the interior design of the hotel is very classy and modernised with furniture of good quality. She thinks that the targeted market for The Yard are more suitable for people who are into sports. She also mentioned that after viewing the photographs, she feel like visiting The Yard.


 
From the 3 hotels that i have just explained and reviewed, it clearly shown how the Classical Rome culture applies to the current hospitality industry. With the clear meaning that hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, the 3 hotels clearly explained this definition as shown in the review section.