BigShinyThing

The hotel industry seems to be undergoing a phase of unparalleled innovation for a sector that has traditionally been slow moving and rather conservative. Most recently, Simon Woodruffe, the entrepreneur who westernised sushi with Yo! Sushi has turned his attention to hotels. Borrowing yet another Japanese concept - the Love Hotel - Yo! Group has now come up with the Yotel concept. A luxe reposte to the Easy Hotel concept of rooms for same price as a cab fare home, Yotel promises to be:

One of the world’s most radical hotel concepts, and [able to] offer a solution to expensive and boring hotels around the globe while also delivering a wake up call to the hotel industry …

Designed by Priestman Goode, who has helped Airbus define the double deck aircraft of the future, the 10.5m² standard or premium rooms feature:

• ‘Techno Wall’
• Sony flat screen TV with surround sound speaker system
• Wi-fi access
• Choice of hundreds of downloadable movies and CD’s
• Air conditioning
• Double rotating beds (!)
• Ensuite bathroom
• Aircraft cabin mood lighting
• Luxury bathroom fittings including rain shower
• Luxury bedding
• Plenty of storage
• Automated Check in / out

However, the truly revolutionary element of YOTEL is its windows, which are internal rather than external - they look into the corridors, which are in turn naturally lit through reflective mechanisms and channelling of light. This allows YOTEL to boldly go where other hotels simply can’t - tricky central city locations, airports, even underground. The reduced land costs and savings can then be passed on to customers to offer a first class experience at an affordable price.

The Yotel concept has been kicking around for a year or so now. Inital reports seemed to favour a love hotel style retreat in Clerkenwell. That particular vision has now been revised to having the hotels at key airports around the world. Hope it happens.

More detail and visuals are on the Yotel site.