Colour is muted but is used with other accents – some surprising, such as the use of the red fire extinguisher provision seen not just as a functional problem but used cleverly in one instance as a symmetrical colour accent. Use is also made of electronic signage, and the reception and break out area for the business rooms also acts as a business centre. Internet access is available but not, unfortunately, for free. Hotels need to recognise that for an increasing number of people and businesses the internet is a necessity not a luxury. If it is not provided for free than guest will go where it is free and the hotel will possibly lose custom. Given how cheap net access is becoming it seem foolish for less than 1% on the room cost not to present a more attractive face by making this a free service .For years hotels charged extortionate rates for telephone calls and now find that guest all use their mobile ‘phones.If they become reliant on an income stream from web charges they may well find the same thing happening again and in the process will compromise a marketing tool. After all why not set up a free service that tells everyone the guest is using a service of the hotel group, and turn each guest into a happy marketer for the hotel?

This hotel does not provide an evening restaurant service instead operating a room service using local restaurants. The guest gets a menu from reception, who order and pay for the food and then charge the guest. There is a small snack area with drink machines and a set of microwaves so bought in food can be reheated. This obviously reduces the hotel costs, whilst the ample supply of food outlets in the near neighbourhood renders it no problem for guest to choose from a slate of world cuisine, from French or Italian Bistro through various Asian or Chinese specialities to good old English fish and chips.

There is a bar area and a large plasma screen which are both popular, and again the whole of the public space is crisp clean and functional whilst being stylish and without looking cheap. There is a small business area with fax machines available and there is room for those popular lobby business meetings that are so popular with business people these days. The colour scheme carries through from the bedroom areas and the bar is an extension of the reception area with the same staff serving both.

Breakfast is served at one end of the area, with a buffet unit hidden behind etched glass doors. Breakfast is restricted to a continental style offering of cereal, fruits, breads and toasts of various kinds, cold meats and cheeses, yoghurts and similar items. Recognisably similar to budget offerings in France or Germany,it seems popular with guests.

All these different areas are but one area. The designer has managed to achieve a subtle differentiation of the areas through the kind of lighting, variation on the furniture and smaller design details. It is almost like a childs Kaleidoscope, which presents a pattern to the eye then with a gentle twist changes the image into something different,into a new pattern.

This whole hotel is well thought out by franchisor and designer, showing that good design is not just the province of higher rated hotels or big budgets. Good design is intelligent and thoughtful, relating to guest expectation and the operation of the hotel. The budget is often king, but this hotel demonstrates that a tight budget can be met and still provide a client with a well designed hotel that can exceed expectations