When Beijing's first boutique hotel opens in July, guests of the 99-room Opposite House may not even notice the lack of a traditional lobby or the absence of a clichéd, imposing, officious front desk. They won't be in the hotel's public area long enough to see what's missing.
'An assistant will take you directly from the hotel car to your room and check you in with a handheld computer' explains Brian Williams, managing director of Swire Hotels, the parent company. 'There's no need for a formal reception center because everything will be paperless and we'll have the guest's information before they arrive.'
The disappearing lobby isn't unique to Opposite House, the first hotel-management venture of the Swire Group, the Anglo-Sino behemoth with interests in everything from airlines to sugar. Hotels around the world at every price point and luxury level are rushing to refashion their sterile, stereotypical arrival halls into convivial lounges, alluring restaurants, hip cafés, mini-museums, and even comfortable, casual work centers and socializing areas. They're pumping in music and designer scents and ripping out all of the visual cues and furnishings that once defined a hotel lobby.
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Source - MSNBC
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