While the term “airport hotel” has long conjured up images of a generic, chain-operated property with no sense of place or individual style, that is changing. In fact, some airport hotels are offering amenities and even hip personas that rival those in downtown locations.
Last summer, members of the hotel community let out a collective gasp when—a little more than a mile north of Los Angeles International Airport—a boutique hotel was unveiled. The property, Custom Hotel, is the latest offspring of forward-thinking Joie de Vivre Hospitality and a transformation from a somewhat traditional airport property to a hip hotel decorated in retro ‘60s style.
“We are the only boutique hotel near LAX; the next one is seven miles away,” says Alina Wade, director of sales for Custom Hotel. “Our company is the pioneer of implementing a boutique property at an airport. Right now, we are looking to implement that idea at other airports to see if it will take off.”
In contrast to most urban boutique properties, Custom Hotel has a relatively large number of guest rooms, 250 to be exact, and 9,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. But like its urban counterparts, the property is hip, has a funky, independent vibe and is going after a younger crowd less concerned with hotel company loyalty points than with style.
New Preferences
But in a market that caters to quick stays, why invest so much in a property of close proximity to roaring jets?
“More people are gravitating to boutique hotels,” Wade says. “I think the new generation of corporate travelers wants a place like this. We are getting more market share with that segment than with anything else.”
Wade says business has been steady and meeting planners like the idea of a different type of hotel near an airport. In addition, there are points of interest within walking distance—restaurants, bowling alley, a park and two grocery stores—which help serve the needs of guests who don’t want to feel confined.
Lisa Geno is of the same mindset. Like Wade, she is also a director of sales for a boutique property near an airport—this one titled Z NYC Hotel, located in Long Island City, N.Y.
“I think we are breaking the mold of what it means to be an airport property,” she says. “We are trying to bring the Manhattan vibe to the burroughs.”
Z NYC Hotel is located about six miles from LaGuardia Airport, has 100 guest rooms, and, like Custom Hotel, also opened in early July. The property offers meeting space for about 200 people on its rooftop bar.
“We are always doing private events up there,” Geno says, adding that the hotel’s vibe is very Manhattan chic with an industrial touch. “When you are inside of our hotel, you feel like you are in Soho or Tribeca, not near an airport.
According to Geno, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People really love our prices and it helps to have an amazing view of the Manhattan skyline,” she says.
Next Big Thing?
Is construction of boutique airport hotels the next big trend?
“I’m not sure about that,” says hotel consultant Mark D. Eble, regional vice president of PKF Consulting in Chicago. “I’m not sure if there are any real trends in terms of inventing a new mouse trap for airport hotels. That said, I do know that boutique hotels work, especially in downtown locations, so I see no reason why that same logic wouldn’t work at airports, but airport properties have been hit pretty hard over the last few years.”
Eble attributes the tough times to both the economic downturn and the locations of most airports.
“Suburban hotels have been really whacked by the recession, and airport hotels are in that group,” he says.
Breaking the Mold
Even if there is not likely to be a building boom of airport boutique properties, there are plenty of airport hotels that are far from generic. Among them is the Renaissance St. Louis Airport.
“We take the phrase ‘out of the box’ very seriously; back in 1984 when the property was built they were looking to build something no one had seen in St. Louis,” says Stephen Abbate, director of sales for the Renaissance St. Louis Airport. “They built the physical building in curved, not boxed, shape. It really gives off a different first impression.”
Although the property is more than 25 years old, renovations are ongoing. Most recently, the property was given a massive overhaul in 2010. It has 393 guest rooms and 37,000 square feet of meeting space—and doesn’t feel like an airport property at all. Each room has curved walls, and the decor is highly stylized and colorful.
“We feel more like a suburban hotel than anything,” Abbate says. “Outside, we have tons of grass, trees and a fountain surrounding the property. And we have an indoor and outdoor pool. You really forget that you are at an airport at all.”
NYLO Dallas Las Colinas, which opened in July 2009 in Irving, Texas, near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, is another property that doesn’t fit the airport hotel stereotype.
“Our hotel and all of our guest rooms are built in a loft style,” says Patrick C. O’Neil, executive vice president of operations for NYLO Hotels. “We have a brick facade, custom furniture and a full-service restaurant bar and lounge. We also have a sushi bar, library gaming room in the back of the lounge and a courtyard with two pools.”
The hotel offers 200 guest rooms and 7,000 square feet of meeting space. According to O’Neil, meeting planners love the concept.
“They are just wowed by the design and the rates we can offer; they can get a lot for their money,” he says. “Usually people come in and ask, ‘What is a hotel like this doing here?’”
O’Neil believes that boutiques are part of the next generation of airport hotels.
“I think a lot of brands are getting more design oriented,” he says. “It depends on what you consider a ‘boutique’ hotel—would you consider Starwood’s Aloft brand boutique? They are near several airports.”
Katie Morell is a free-lance writer based in Chicago. www.katiemorell.com
