I recently covered the exciting developments discussed at the very first annual Hostel & Budget Traveller Conference. But whilst a whole conference dedicated to the hostel industry was exciting… imagine that the recent Sleep Event, an exhibition dedicated to hotel design excellence, ran an entire conference session dedicated to hostels as well!
We’re at the #sleep14 Conference for our session on Hot Hostels pic.twitter.com/eOjYB7lVIP
— Sleep (@sleepevent) November 26, 2014
What’s more, not only has the Sleep Event recognised the exciting buzz around hostel travel, their European Hotel Design Awards put the spotlight directly on Generator Venice, who won an interior design award for their common areas! Woop!
Not heard of Generator? See my review of Generator London!
Hot Hostels
The Hot Hostels panel was made up of some very influential figures in the hostel world! Not only did we get to hear again from Josh Wyatt, the guy in charge of most of Generator’s financing(!), but also Ian Burleigh of ICA, and two exciting designers in the hostel and hospitality industry, Werner Aisslinger and Anwar Mekhayech!
In line with the design-led theme of Sleep, much of the conversation focused around the exciting design developments within hostels. It’s obvious to those of us that travel regularly that each hostel is incredibly unique, and the most successful really combine the atmosphere of a fun and comfortable stay with strong influences from the city in which it is based.
The ability of design to reflect the culture of the city and country is something that key players such as Generator have been successful in incorporating in to their hostels. However, it’s not all about the big guns, and it was great to see this acknowledged!
Anwar Mekhayech mentions the way that hostel guests are more open & relaxed to interaction. It’s not just about being budget Person with folded hands #sleep14 — Katie Dawes (@the_hostelgirl) November 26, 2014
Insights from Jeremy King | From the Heart of Hospitality
Whilst not directly related to hostels, another sessions really caught my eye and that was the keynote speech on the very first morning by Jeremy King. CEO of Corbin & King, his company is behind one of my favourite restaurants in London, Brasserie Zedel (read my review here!).
Whilst I spent most of the session in awe of his own personal & business achievements, I couldn’t help but notice his passion for story-telling and atmosphere within his restaurants. When asked to reveal the most crucial ingredient of a successful hotel & restaurant, he replied:
“Heart and soul. And it’s the staff who give the heart and soul.”
I couldn’t have agreed more and found myself enthusiastically nodding my head like a Churchill doll on a dashboard. Whilst the soul of a hostel is no doubt different to the soul of a five-star restaurant, essentially it is up to the staff to reflect this soul and create a welcoming atmosphere for the guests or customers.
“Our hotels, our restaurants, are about people, ultimately” – Jeremy King Person with folded hands #sleep14
— Katie Dawes (@the_hostelgirl) November 26, 2014
Hands up for Hostels in the Mainstream
As I mentioned at the start, the inclusion of a discussion focused entirely on hostels is a monumental step in the future of hostels being recognised as important sources of budget accommodation for travellers.
Whilst the focus of the Sleep Event still centred on boutique and luxury hostels, the doors have now been opened for even more focus on hostel design in the future… and I can’t wait!
Lots of love,
