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Budget Hotel Brand Lookotels Is The Latest In The Pod Hotel Room Game

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Spain
November 2, 2010 at 1:25 PM | by | Comment (1)

Jumping off the trend for hotels to become more energy-efficient, and mindful of that worrisome little thing called the economy, Lookotels, out of Spain, is the latest company to enter the low-cost, pre-fab hotel room fray.

On its website, Lookotels admits that this concept is already being trialed by other companies, but claims its edge is that it's bringing professionalism to the game--reducing overall costs with energy-efficient design, a reduction in construction time and costs, centralized control, and a reduction in personnel costs.

It certainly sounds like the future, whether we like dispensing with all the pomp and circumstance of luxury hotels or not.

Lookotel rooms are designed to be self-sufficient, and will include a sofa bed, TV, desk and chair, phone, WiFi access, AC, and a bathroom. They'll only be around 100 square feet, which may make some folks claustrophobic--but the size will also make a stay in one cheaper.

Check-in will be automated, and there will be vending machines in the hotels for food and beverages.

Not surprisingly, the Lookotel team is eyeing airports, harbors and railway stations as prime locations for their concept. They also think it will work well in industrial areas, business districts, near sports grounds and along highways.

According to this story, Lookotel has initial financing of 60 million euros and hopes to build 10 of its hotels in Spain before expanding around the world.

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Return to » Budget Hotel Brand Lookotels Is The Latest In The Pod Hotel Room Game


2 comments:

1) $60 million euros is barely enough financing for 2 of these.  How much equity have they raised is the more important question.
2) If they look at Yotel and some of the other concepts the believed that their "value add" comes from a modular room proto-type, they will learn that this only works in the airport/suburban markets.  Urban sites tend to be too tight to use without modification. Also, local zoning and building codes are vastly different from city to city, and more so from country to country.  That means that you must modify the proto-type for each project, which, kills all of the economic efficiencies.
izzy on November 3, 2010 at 3:37 PM #Permalink

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