Hotel Owner August 2018 | Page 18

HOTEL CONCEPT OF THE MONTH | THE GOOD HOTEL MONTH IN REVIEW Hotel Concept of the Month: The Good Hotel A floating hotel originally from Amsterdam and currently docked at the Royal Victoria Docks in London offers more than just rooms for guests as part of a socially responsible quest to prove that THE GOOD HOTEL is more than just a name T he 148-room floating Good Hotel was first launched in Amsterdam in 2015 and was the first Good Hotel to open worldwide. After staying a year in Good Hotel’s hometown, the hotel continued its journey In October 2016 when the floating 8 million kilos concrete structure was transported by a submersible barge over the North Sea Canal, on the River Thames and through the King George V lock to its current location the Royal Victoria Docks, London. HOTEL DESIGN The design of the three-star hotel was hotel claims that “conversations are better” undertaken by two young Dutch designers with the design of its open plan living room Remko Verhaagen, art director and Sikko downstairs allowing for lots of room and Valk, lead designer. The hotel is designed seating to encourage openness and sharing. to have a “pure premium” style. The Good Hotel finds luxury in simplicity and originality SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY much like you would see in a Dutch home. Good Hotel is not just a hospitality business, The design features classics by Lensvelt it is a social business with the aim of and Moooi with everyday design from Hema benefiting the local community of where and the items also designed by the Good it is situated. The Good Hotel reinvests its Hotel themselves. profits to support its NGO charity partner The design incorporates a blend of Niños de Guatemala and to further its the industrial and the natural, showing the in-house Good Training programme. Niños construction and sturdiness of the building. de Guatemala provides underprivileged Unlike traditional luxury hotels in this day and children with an education, running two age guest rooms come without TVs as the primary schools and a secondary school which house over 500 Guatemalan children that would otherwise not have been able to go to school. Furthermore with its Good Training programme, the hotel takes in long- term unemployed individuals in the local community and help them to re-skill and reintegrate into society. Additionally the Good Hotel tries to support local tradespeople. Where possible, ingredients, materials and labour are all locally sourced from small business owners and craftsmen. The hotel also attempts to be sustainable and environmentally friendly. 18 www.hotelowner.co.uk August 2018