1Good morning everyone.
2Today's lecture forms part of the Hospitality and Tourism module.
3Last week I looked at the economy end of the hotel business;
4this week I'm going to discuss the luxury end of the market.
5Let's consider the following scenario...
6You wake up in the middle of the night in a strange hotel miles away from home,
7disoriented most probably from jet lag,
8when even the most expensive surroundings can seem empty and dispiriting.
9You have paid a great deal of money to stay in this first-class hotel with its contemporary technology,
10but according to recent research carried out by an international travel and public relations company,
11all is not well.
12The research suggests that even the most opulent, luxurious hotels seem to have underestimated the most basic needs of their customers -
13be they travelling for work or pleasure:
14the need to feel at home in surroundings which are both familiar and inviting.
15Do these findings, however, apply only to hotels situated in particular areas?
16Is it possible that the external environment can affect a guest's well-being?
17The company's research covered a whole range of different hotel types,
18both independent hotels and those which are part of large chains.
19They investigated chic so-called boutique hotels in the heart of downtown business districts,
20stately mansions located in the depths of beautiful countryside,
21and plush hotels built at the edge of tropical beaches surrounded by palm trees and idyllic blue ocean.
22And the research concluded that what was outside the hotel building simply didn't matter.
23This is a fascinating revelation
24and those of you hoping to move into careers in the travel and leisure industry
25would be well advised to look at the findings in more detail.
26But back to the main point of this lecture... the need to feel at home.
27What can the hotel industry do about it?
28And is the very idea so subjective that it's impossible to do anything about it on a global basis?
29However, nothing stands still in this world.
30One company has come up with the slogan 'Take Your Home With You',
31and aims to provide clients with luxury serviced apartments.
32Those in the business travel industry maintain that these serviced apartments
33dispense with all the unwanted and expensive hotel services that business travellers don't want,
34while maximising the facilities they do want.
35For example, not only sleeping and living accommodation,
36but also a sleek modern kitchen
37that allows guests to cook and entertain if they wish,
38at no additional cost.
39The attractions of such facilities are obvious
40and it'll be interesting to see whether the company manages to establish a trend all over the world
41and make a lasting impact on the luxury accommodation market.
42Now, finally I want to consider the psychology underpinning the traditional holiday hotel industry.
43As a hotelier, how do you go about attracting people to give up the security of their own home
44and entrust themselves to staying in a completely strange place
45and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed?
46Firstly, hotels exploit people's need to escape the predictability of their everyday lives.
47For a few days people can pretend they are free of responsibilities
48and can indulge themselves.
49Secondly, there is something very powerful in our need to be pampered and looked after,
50it's almost as if we return to being a baby,
51when everything was done for us and we felt safe and secure.
52And not far removed from this is the pleasure in being spoilt and given little treats -
53like the miniscule bottles of shampoo and tiny bars of soap,
54the chocolate on your pillow at night -
55and we actually forget that we are paying for it all!
56Next week, I'm going to look at eco-hotels, a fairly new phenomenon but increasingly popular...