Yotel, the world’s most radical hotel, will be showcased at this year’s WTM.
An exact replica of the revolutionary hotel room is to be on display at the global business exhibition for the travel and tourism industry. The hotel is the brainchild of well-known entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe who took his inspiration from British Airways First Class and Japanese capsule hotels.
“Yotel is simply giving travellers what they want,” said Woodroffe, who was the business lecturer at World Travel Market three years ago. “People are bored with drab look-alike chains, cubbyhole-size urban hotel rooms and grimy bed-and-breakfasts. They want unique experiences at hotels and are ready to welcome features that surprise them.”
Yotel CEO Gerard Green takes up the story. “After three years and 150 drawings, Yotel is finally where it wants to be,” added Gerard, who worked previously for Hyatt International, Marriott Hotels and Conran Restaurants. “We believe it is one of the world’s most radical hotel concepts and will offer a solution to expensive and boring hotels around the globe, while also delivering a wake-up call to the industry.”
Fiona Jeffery, group exhibition director, WTM, said that she was delighted that Yotel had chosen this event to show the international industry this new concept in hotels. “Simon Woodroffe’s Business Lecture at WTM was extremely well received,” she said. “He has a fascinating business brain with the ability to think outside the box. “We believe the Yotel room will cause quite a stir at WTM. Definitely not to be missed by delegates!”
The 10.5-metre rooms feature everything from air conditioning, Sony flat screen television with surreal sound speaker system and wi-fi to air conditioning, double rotating beds and an en-suite bathroom. The revolutionary aspect of the rooms, however, is its windows, which are internal, rather than external.
The windows look into corridors, which are in turn naturally lit through reflective mechanisms and channelling of light. This allows Yotel to be introduced into locations where other hotels simply cannot – tricky central city sites, airports, even underground. The reduced land costs and savings can then be passed on to customers to offer a first class experience at an affordable price. The company is quoting prices of £70 a night in central London.