Super luxury hotels stand apart

In the hotel world, "luxury" can mean unique, individual, exceptional service, elite clientele, spectacular settings, impeccable service, profitability - or all of these things at once.

But after a 12-hour trek across a hot desert on the back of a camel, luxury means a cold shower and a soft cushion.
Whether it is a luxury hotel or a no-star motel, there is one principle that must not be forgotten throughout the design process. As architect Tim Battle explains, "Hotels sell a place to sleep with somewhere to wash and freshen up. Anything else is extra."

Giles Sheppard, who manages what could be considered the epitome of luxury, the Ritz in London, has a very definite view of what makes a luxury hotel. "Good service in well-designed surrounds, open to anyone who can pay." However, in a discussion at a recent European hotel design conference in London it became apparent the issue is wholly subjective. In Sheppard's view, "Designers design what they think is luxury, which is not necessarily what the paying customer wants.

"The Ritz is not ostentatious. Living standards are improving all the time; therefore hotels need to be at least equal if not better. The hotel's job is to sell sleep, so the bed, above all else, must be comfortable, followed by an efficient bathroom."

Terry McGinnity, general manager of interior design consultancy GA Design, concurs on the latter point: "People are more aware of what they want these days. The hotel needs to give a unique experience, something different. There has to be the appropriate mix of location, design and service."

However, he believes that design plays a far larger part than hotel operators believe. So what do hotel owners look for? Can luxury make money?

McGinnity says, "Hotel owners rarely ask for luxury. The Sanctuary Santa Rosa in Italy, one of our current projects, will provide a special luxurious experience, but the owner has never mentioned luxury as a requirement."

The Sanctuary Santa Rosa Amalfi project is a conversion of a 15th-century Italian convent into a discreetly luxurious resort. Its design ensures that guests will not see the back-of-house activities. Sheppard, who, prior to his job at the Ritz, managed the Dorchester and the Savoy, says, "Space has become an ever more important commodity."

As the market is forever evolving and expectations continually rising, refurbishments are inevitable. McGinnity is of the opinion that it has to be different for luxury hotels. "Luxury design should have a long shelf life."

The Ritz in London has just undergone a seven-year renovation, which has cost £40 million. Upgrading of the bathrooms in the 133-room hotel cost £35,000-40,000 - they are solid marble, after all.

Almulla Enterprises, the owner of the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers, has spent $20 million on renovations over the past five years. It now has a brand-new look and more Creek-view rooms. While some of the major hotel operators are not necessarily aiming for the luxury market, Aman resorts have a strong luxury image.

Giles Sheppard considers the Amanjena the "epitome of luxury." Seven kilometers outside Marrakesh, it has 34 pavilions set in an oasis of palms and old olive trees. Although it only has 48 rooms, Sheppard says it has space, style and beautiful bedrooms.

"It is mind-blowingly fantastic, but with only 48 bedrooms it probably won't make money in 2,000 years." As room rates start at $900 per night, he might be wrong.

In the Middle East no expense is spared in achieving dreams. At over 300 meters tall, the Kingdom Center in Riyadh contains a five-star Four Seasons Hotel considered the first true five-star luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia. Prince Walid bin Talal spent three years reviewing and rejecting over 100 designs from the world's top architectural firms.

Saudi planning rules stipulate that buildings cannot have more than 30 occupied floors. At over 300 meters, there was probably enough room for over 80 floors. The way round this was to create an elaborate unoccupied empty sculpture featuring a shallow arch, which functions as an observation deck for guests and visitors.

The 195-ton deck was built on top of the building's concrete structure at about 190 meters and then lifted into place by four cranes. These cranes were the tallest mast-supported tower cranes ever used in the Middle East, and possibly in the world, at just over 340 meters high.

Jutting out of the water like a giant sail, the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai gives new meaning to luxury. In an industry where five stars mean the ultimate in luxury, the emirate boasts the world's only seven-star hotel.

"Visitors to the hotel give it the honorary title of a seven-star hotel because of its magnificence and ultimate luxury," says Mary McLaughlin, the hotel's media relations manager. Built on a manmade concrete island, the hotel is 1,300 feet from shore to avoid casting a shadow on the beach.

It is the world's tallest membrane structure with a 200 meter atrium. As Sheppard says, "Space is everything in luxury." Each of the 28 guest floors is double height. The smallest accommodation is 1,800 square feet, while the largest is 8,400 square feet. Even the fish tanks in the lobby are bigger than the rooms in smaller hotels. And anything that glitters is gold: the hotel is decorated with 21,000 square feet of 22-karat gold leaf.

So that has to be difficult to top in anyone's book, unless, that is, you build a larger island. Dubai's Palm Islands Project is doing just that. Shaped like a palm tree, the island will house luxury hotels and over 2,000 luxury villas. To top it all, it will be the only hotel complex visible from the moon.

So the quest goes on for bigger, better and more luxurious. No sooner is a giant palm announced than plans emerge to open a ski resort - in Dubai. Its developer, the Al Otaiba Group, is building an indoor ski slope that will be completed in two years at a cost of $32 million. While summer temperatures reach a scorching 42°C, guests will be able to ski on slopes equal to the best Saint Moritz has to offer.

Islands visible from the moon, ski slopes in the desert, where now for luxury hotels in the Middle East? McGinnity is of the opinion that entertainment systems make all the difference. "We're currently working on a design with a holographic TV. This even changes the basics of how a room is designed."

The Hilton has introduced relaxation rooms, which attempt to create an oasis of calm and tranquillity - a fluffy pillow approach. This concept, however, is not being demanded by the luxury end of the market - it is for the business traveler. The luxury bar has to rise once again.