DESIGN : HILTONS AT FRANKFURT AIRPORT
The Hilton ’ s all-day-dining restaurant , Rise , includes high-backed banquettes and sculpted timber features to bring a large space down to a smaller scale .
The lobby of the
Hilton Garden Inn , as the entire hotel , reflects the brand ’ s casual , homey feel .
Flack says , noting that occupancy was above 50 % in their first month of operation . Although he declines to discuss projected average rates , the opening rate at the Hilton was US $ 210 and US $ 145 at the Hilton Garden Inn .
For the Hilton brand in particular , the new Frankfurt location represents the completion of a network of hotels at major European airports , Flack notes , not to mention that the brand has 58 airport hotels worldwide . “ When people are coming to a country for the first time they feel very comfortable choosing Hilton , so we like to leverage that network effect wherever we can fill in those dots on the map ,” he says .
Both brands also want to redefine what guests expect of an airport hotel . “ We ’ re aiming to surprise people with just how comprehensive and high-level the airport hotel experience can be today ,” Flack adds .
Beyond just a “ wow ” effect , however , the Frankfurt hotels also strive to provide guests with the familiar . “ One thing that made us very happy was a TripAdvisor guest who wrote ‘ my new home at Frankfurt Airport ’ ( in relation to the hotel ),” Joehnk says . “ That ’ s exactly what we tried to achieve . It has to be interesting , but at the same time , we wanted to create something that people like to stay in and feel comfortable , like at home .”
46 HOTELS March 2012 www . hotelsmag . com