| 10 Out-of-the-way Hotel Concepts |
| Opportunities - Idea | ||||||||||
| Written by Ambrish Jha | ||||||||||
| Monday, 01 June 2009 00:00 | ||||||||||
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A good clean room with proper service — that is the least one expects while staying in a hotel. But there are some unusual ones that go beyond one’s expectations and compel you to travel just to stay there Ever wondered why you like to stay in some hotels more than others? Probably the ambience in a particular case, the services it offers, the views, or perhaps its very theme. A hotel in Kerala, for example, may be popular for its wellness programs, while one in Rajasthan for its heritage value. Various creative ideas of people across the world have translated into a range of unique hotels. These have created niche market for themselves and resulted in imitations in other parts of the world born from appreciation and admiration. Over the next few pages we explore some of these unique ideas.
Hotels in jails Britain’s oldest jail in Oxford has been converted into a boutique hotel by the Malmaison hotel chain. The most famous of the jail hotels, however, is the Four Seasons Istanbul. This luxury hotel started in 1996 at a venue that was known as Sultanahmet Jail till 1969 and was used for detaining writers, journalists, artists and dissident intellectuals. Initially, the Four Seasons played down the infamous history of the place, but they soon realized that the murky past was rather good for business. Liberty Hotel in Boston also has 18 of its rooms built in what was once a prison. Can such hotels be built in India? Cellular Jail, which is in shambles, can probably still be saved from complete ruin if sold to a hotel chain with the rider that its historicity will not be compromised and that it will be kept open for public viewing. There are various other jails falling apart in the name of preserving historical monuments. Perhaps a leaf out of Mount Gambier’s The Jail or Malmaison in Oxford will prove more handy on this front. Tree-house hotels The exteriors of these tree houses have a primitive look, but they are well-equipped with modern facilities such as electricity, telephones, television, running water and Western-style attached bathrooms. Rooms are furnished with bamboo beds, colorful sheets, blankets, carpets and a verandah is usually present. Prices range from Rs 4000 to 11,000 per night, depending on the facilities available. In a resort in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, for instance, a tree house costs nothing less than Rs 10,000 a night during peak tourist season. Setting up tree house hotels translate into an investment of Rs 15 to 20 lakh. (See the July 2008 issue of DARE, or visit http://www.dare.co.in/opportunities/services/mainstreaming-tree-house-resorts.htm.)
In caves In the Jamaica-based The Caves, there aren’t any rooms built in the caves, as Monique Griffiths, Executive Assistant Manager, explains. She says, “The caves are actually below the hotel and we have special dining areas and a bar that are in the caves. The caves are natural; we have only developed the areas to make them more comfortable for use.” However, Cappadocia Cave Suites claims on its website that all its rooms incorporate original cave structures, cave bedrock, unique lighting, antiques and local handicrafts. Restoration works are ongoing and expected to finish later this year. Once completed, the hotel will have 38 suites. Desert Cave Hotel, on the other hand, has 19 underground suites to give people the experience of living in what used to be mines at one time. India has also many abandoned caves in the Deccan and Malwa plateaus, the Vindhyas, and the Aravalis. It remains to be seen if anyone is up to the challenge of constructing similar hotels, yet taking care not to disturb their historical significance. Comments (8)
![]() written by Rent apartment in Kiev, June 14, 2010
Khreshchatyk 25 - 3 room apartment daily rent. 4 sleeping places. This apartment is located in the city centre. Price: 160$
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written by ROOMS, June 14, 2010
Michael lane 20, 1 room apartment daily rent. This apartment is located in the city centre Kiev. 2 sleeping places
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written by Arva, May 19, 2010
wow you have shown beautiful ideas!!!
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written by hotels in croydon, March 28, 2010
Looking at this great article made me think. Living in an old London Tube station?! Problem is the lack of light, but some people would love that Idea. didn't Hell-Boy do that?!
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written by Manimaran, November 16, 2009
We have developed a swiss cottage tented accommodation in Kolli Hills. This is also an out of the way concept.
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written by Arjun Rajkumar, June 18, 2009
Very interesting article!
It will also be easier to market yourself if you are the owner of these types of hotels. As an example, the term 'tree house' was searched 12,100 times on Google in May from India alone. Can you guess how many times the term 'tree house' was searched on Google worldwide in May? 823,000!! These are done by people looking to stay in a tree house. The owners of these hotels should tap into this large online market. It will be worth it. All these hotels are fantastic concepts! Well written. Arjun. first10.in report abuse
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