Travel and leisure is the worlds largest and fastest

growing industry. This book anticipates the

increasing demand for diverse hotels, resorts, and
leism-time amenities now appearing worldwide.
Hotel Design, Planning and Development
presents the range of sigtllfcant hotel types being
developed today and illustrates them in their full
global array of settings.The book discusses the latest
trends from guestrooms perched atop ultra-tall
mixed-use towers to lavish desert villas shaded by
high-rise structures to exotically themed resorts
rising out of pristine tropical island waters.The book
outlines essential planning and design considerations
based on the latest data, supported by technical
information and illustrations,including original plans.
Analysis and theory supports each of the major
trends that is presented, highhating how the
designer's work fits into the development of the
industry as a whole,and giving a clear understanding
of how successful new concepts develop.

The experienced author team and their contributors

represent both the professional and academic sides of
the subject. In major sections covering Hotel Types,
Design, and Development, they provide the
developer, architect, designer, and hotel executive
with a comprehensive and practical international
overview of hotel design.

CONTENTS: Forewords by Gyo Obata, Michael Bedner,

and Bjorn Hanson:Part 1 -HOTEL TYPES: 1,Overview;2 ,
Downtown Hotels; 3, Suburban Hotels; 4, Resorts; 5 ,
Convention Hotels; 6, Conference Caters; 7 , Residential
and Condominium Hotels; 8,All-suite and Extended-stay
Hotels; 9,Super-luwryHotels; 10,Updating Existing Hotels;
11, Mega-hotels; 12, Mixed-use Developments; 13, Casino
Hotels. Part 2 - DESIGN GUIDE 14, Site and Master
Planrung; 15,The Guestroom Floor; 16, Guestroom and
Suite Design; 17, Public Space Design; 18,Administration
and Badcaf-house Design; 19,Technical Coordination; 20.
Special Systems; 21, Construction. Part 3 -
D E V E U ) P m GUIDE:22, Development Planning; 23,
Hotel Management; 24, Future Development.
APPENDICES: Environmental Planning Checklist; Budget
Coordination Checklist; Hotel Classifications; Ten-year
Forecast of Net Operating Income;MarketTrendChecklist;
International Hotel and Travel Organizations;Bibliography;
Illustration List and Idea Finder; List of Properties and
Credits; Index. Includes sidebars by I.M. Pei, John C.
Portman. Jr, Robert A.M. Stem, Ian Schrager, Robert E.
Kastner,ValentineA.Lehr, and HowardJ.Wolff.
 Perfecting internal segmentation extends to room

I
n an era of segmentation, the mega-hotel has
emerged as the grand dame of the new century. locations. For example, at the Orlando World Center
While seemingly unsegmented, such hotels are Marriott, guests or meeting planners may select their
designed to strongly attract each market, from tourist guestroom based on such preferences as:
to business, and conventions to family theme rn in the family wings near activity centers and
parks, through a form of internal segmentation which parking (families)
so perfectly responds to the needs of each differ- rn in the tower suites (business travelers)
ent guest, that they feel like the hotel was designed rn near the main lobby (tour groups)
for them rn close to desired sports activities or the spa (special
Pleasantly surprising the theme park industry, the vacationers).
first mega-hotels were launched in Orlando, Florida,
Although the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress was one
in the mid-1980s as destination sports and con-
of the first grand mega-hotels to cater so effective-
vention resorts, as well as major headquarters hotels
ly to many different guest markets within the hotel,
for family sightseers and business travelers. They
ironically, it was Marriott,well known for its successful
included the 750-room Hyatt Regency Grand
segmented brands, to first coin the term 'mega-
Cypress and the 1,500-room Orlando World Center
hotel' for its grand resort in Orlando.
Marriott serving four major mainstream markets. But
within a decade, Las Vegas' casino hotels added
theme parks, raising their coverage to five major Planning and Design
markets, while Atlantis, with a major casino, marine Considerations
habitat, and marina, reached an even half-dozen
markets. And so, the grand mega-hotel grew Mega-hotels of 1,000-3,000 rooms, with extensive
grander! convention facilities and amenities, are uniquely locat-
The planning and design of the mega-hotel dif- ed at resort sites of about 50 acres (22 ha). These
ferentiates the activities of each segment while, at large sites require comprehensive environmental
the same time, bringing them together where studies to address community concerns ranging from
appropriate, such as at the themed shopping and flood control to archeology (see Appendix A). Such
entertainment atrium or food fair. For example, these studies establish the project's cost and feasibility as
hotels may locate the children's pool in a land- well as identify necessary government approvals. In
scaped courtyard surrounded by the family guest- the case of the Walt Disney World Dolphin and Swan
room wing and a second, quieter, more relaxed pool Hotels and Loews Portofino Bay Resort, planned as
on the penthouse level, offering dramatic views as part of Walt Disney World Resort and Universal
well as a fully equipped health club. Each market Escape, respectively, such approvals were taken into
segment benefits. account in the initial master environmental studies
Mega-hotels may combine a superb marine when the land was acquired. This avoided piecemeal
habitat, virtual offices, and a lively atrium, complete planning and expedited the rapid development of
with water features, lavish planting, and exciting art, hotels integrated with tourist attractions based on pre-
in a more subtle and sophisticated concept than is determined standards for transit, utilities, landscaping,
possible with typical segmentation, attracting building massing, and density. Years of additional lead
guests to such diverse locations as Atlantis in the time would have been required if such previous
Bahamas and the burgeoning Mohegan casino hotel approvals had not been obtained. Master planned
and entertainment complex in Connecticut. hotel sites such as those created at Walt Disney World
1 196 Part 1: Hotel Types

Resort, Epcot, and Universal Orlando are key factors rooftop lounge and outdoor terrace for continental
in the success of these developments. breakfast, cocktails, and small meetings. Due to the
Access into the site by at least three approach hotel's large scale, architects should consider mini-
roads is required to provide adequate car queuing atriums on the upper floors to integrate daylighting
space. Because of the resort's entertainment into the elevator lobbies.
function, huge parking areas, with vast amounts of
landscape treatment are needed, for which a multi-
million dollar budget would not be unusual. Planners Significant Mega-hotels
should provide space for a minimum of 1.5 cars and
Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
0.01 tour buses per room. The mega-hotel requires
several entrances to accommodate people arriving With its extremely popular and superbly conceived
at such varied functions as: marine habitat, yachting marina, sports, business,
H main lobby and convention center, as well as a premier casino
H convention/exhibit area in the Caribbean, Atlantis is intended as an ideal resort
H tour group reception city, exciting its guests with the chemistry of its pub-
various sports centers and spa lic spaces as well as the quality of its attractions.
H restaurants, lounges, and entertainment areas. The legend inspiring the design of the 1,200-room
Royal Towers and Palace on Paradise Island is
Land planners generally include large ponds, even ascribed to Plato's original reference to a vast ocean
lakes, to retain water run-off from the parking and empire built in a fortress of concentric rings of land
other hard-surface areas; landscape designers add and water, until a massive earthquake sent it to the
waterfalls, streams, and reflecting pools to blend the bottom of the sea. Guests may view an imaginative
building with the land forms and to provide visual display of the ruins of Atlantis, 'The Dig,' in giant
amenities for the main views from restaurants and picture windows, including deep-water life ranging
guestrooms. Hotels of this scale often include their from piranhas and sharks to jellyfish and eels.
own special transit systems (for example, decorative Visitors also may explore the legendary inventions
trolleys, electric golf carts, boats and, where justified, of the ancient civilization, including their hieroglyphic
monorail trains) to provide convenient access to the alphabet,
more distant guestrooms and recreational facilities Atlantis contains 2,300 rooms on an 826 acre
and to generally enhance the guest's experience. (334 ha) site on Paradise Island, Bahamas, near
The basic outdoor amenities include separate both downtown Nassau and the airport. The resort's
swimming pools,one specially designed for children unique 100,000 ft2 (9,290 m2) entertainment center
with water slides, waves, and other features, tennis boasts one of the Caribbean's largest casinos, which
courts (one for each 100 rooms), and an 18-hole golf sets new standards as one of the first to bring nat-
course, if the hotel doesn't adjoin an existing one. ural light to the gaming floor. The resort includes 38
Mega-hotels provide nurseries for different age restaurants and lounges and extensive meeting facil-
groups, play areas with one dormitory bed per 75 ities, among them the largest ballroom in the
rooms (which has proven safer and more efficient Caribbean. The architects, WAT&G, also designed
than hiring in-room baby-sitters),and a teenage class- The Palace of the Lost City in Sun City, South Africa,
room with computerized educational games. Larger for the same owner, Sun International, led by South
guestrooms-minimum net living area of 13 x 21 ft African hotelier Sol Kerzner. EDSA designed the
(4 x 6.4 m)-are required to allow for the rollaway landscape and sitework; Wilson & Associates
beds and cribs needed to accommodate families. designed the interiors.
The elevator capacity must be increased by 10 per- Recreational and landscape features include a
cent due to the greater number of occupants (aver- water activities and attraction complex with slides,
age of 3.4 per room), the higher use of passenger rides, swimming lagoons and three pools, 40 water-
elevators by children, and the greater demand for falls, fountains, snorkeling and one of the region's
room service by families when on vacation. best beaches. At the center is a six-story themed
To attract business travelers, the towers rooms, Mayan Temple enclosing four major waterslides, lead-
serviced by a private elevator bank, must be a ing through a shark-filled tank to a seemingly steamy
minimum of 13 x 21 ft (4 x 6.4 m) plus balconies, jungle swamp. But the focal point of this 34 acre (13.8
compared with 13 x 18 ft (4 x 5.5 m) for standard ha) Atlantis waterscape is the world's largest tropical
guestrooms. The hotel provides guests on the towers marine habitat and aquarium, displaying 50,000 fish
floors with extra services and amenities including a and sea animals from around the world.
 Mega-hotels
197 I
Walt Disney World Dolphin and Walt Disney Disney World Dolphin and abstract wave patterns on
World Swan Hotels, Orlando, Florida the Walt Disney World Swan. Giant statues of
dolphins and swans are placed at either end of the
The Walt Disney World Dolphin and Swan Hotels are buildings' rooftops, announcing the themes of their
organized around a crescent-shaped lake and con- hotels from a distance. Architect Michael Graves'
nected by a covered pedestrian causeway and use of whimsical super-sculpture as an important
trams traversing the lake crossing.The structures fol- architectural element adds to the significant con-
low a consistent character and highly architectural tributions of this convention resort and early grand
thematic intent. mega-hotel.
A wide range of facilities was designed to appeal
to the several different types of guests ranging from
Mohegan Sun Casino Resort, Uncasville,
tourists and business and convention groups, to
Connecticut
family theme park visitors and sports vacationers.
One of the main objectives of the hotel complex was After the flowering of the first mega-hotels in the mid-
to support the major international convention and 198Os, it was axiomatic that the trend would bear
conference center at Walt Disney World Resort and new niche prototypes such as this culturally-
Epcot, which features three ballrooms and more than focused mega-resort. Thorough research of Mohe-
250,000 ft2 (23,225m') of combined meeting space. gan folklore by the designers inspired the interiors,
The hotels offer 2,267 guestrooms including 191 from the variety of popular themed amenities to the
suites, many themed to Italian, Egyptian, Japanese, entertaining and educational planetarium and the
and southwest US decor. historic information 'time piles' located throughout
The character of the design and its colors, decor, the complex. The expansion of the casino continues
and surroundings are in the tradition of native Florida the ingenious functional layout of the gaming areas
resorts, with a thematic context consistent with based on Indian legend (see p. 234). This new
Disney's program for entertainment architecture.The mega-resort reinforces the five principal hotel mar-
lakeside faFades of the hotels are uniquely painted kets targeted in the area-conventions, gaming,
with large-scale banana leaf patterns on the Walt sports, themed attractions, and business travel.

The culturally-themedlobby Mohegan Sun Casino Resort, Uncasville, Connecticut. Large abstract representations of the Mohegans' favorite
red cedar trees throughout the lobby create a spacious outdoor atmosphere for guests arriving at this first Native American-themed rnega-hotel
(see pp. 224 and 234-235.)
198 Part 1 : Hotel Types

The themed site context resort Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, a Loews Hotel, Florida. The massing of large convention resorts
can be effectively reduced by visual downsizing methods, here in the scale of the fishing village. The main five-story faqade faces the harbor;
other guestroom wings enclose a secluded pool and spa courtyard and landscaped gardens (see p. C-28 for a further view).
 Mega-hotels
199 I
Loews Portofino Bay Resort, Universal ture worn wood furnishings including four-poster
Escape, Orlando, Florida beds against a neutral color palette, and decorated
with reproductions of northern Italian artwork.
The resort's unique exterior exactly replicates the The architectural concept succeeds in down-scal-
harbor-line faCades of the village of Portofino in Italy, ing the large structural requirements to a human
complete with varying window patterns, residents' scale, and by blending it into the water-theme
brightly colored walls, and decorative columns, scheme of the adjoining park, using the relaxing
pilasters, and moldings. It provides guests with the motif of the European boat-filled harbor to create one
relaxed ambiance of a charming European harbor of the most endearing resort settings of any major
by day and a romantic setting for meals and casual hotel of the era. WAT&G were the design architects
strolling at night. Tumbled granite cobblestones and and Morris Architects were architects of record for
plaster wall finishes with marble mosaics add char- the documentation.
acter and the desired aged look. 'Our hotel guests With a second hotel, the 650-room Hard Rock
and visitors feel a real sense of place here,' observ- Cafe Hotel opposite the Portofino Bay, the two Loews
ed Michael Sansbury, regional vice-president for hotels together serve exactly the same function and
Loews Hotels. market as the Dolphin and Swan mega-hotels at
Forty percent of adult travelers say they want to Walt Disney World Resort.
take vacations at resort theme parks. With its exten-
sive convention facilities and corporate conference
center, Portofino is positioned to cater to diverse mar- Trends
kets ranging from families visiting the major theme
parks to convention groups, business visitors, and New hotels and resorts will continue growing in size,
sports vacationers. Eight restaurants, bars, and other for economy of operation and market penetration.
outlets are placed at various locations around the They also will continue to expand their in-house
lake and piazza. The walkways and paving follow segmentation, by featuring new and hybrid niches
surveys of the Italian town which were used as a depending on location and a creative mix of
model for the hotel design. The 750 guestrooms fea- business and recreational amenities.

The communi& mega-hotel The Westin Kierland Resort of PhoenixlScottsdale, Arizona. The centerpiece of the Kierland planned com-
munity, the new Westin resort is designed to attract multiple markets. The design orients 60,000 ft2 (5,575 m2) of meeting and seminar space,
several restaurants and lounges, a 27-hole championship golf course, and spa amenities to surrounding mountain views (see pp. 216 and 392).
A democratically planned complex AOL Time Warner Center and Mandarin Hotel, New York. Located at the pivotal southwest corner of Central Park, Columbus
Circle has long been among the most controversial development areas in New York City. Spurred by dedicated civic groups and public officials, talented development
teams throughout the 1990s submitted competing schemes to anchor a much-needed westward expansion of the vital Fifth Avenue luxury hotel, shopping, and tourist
district The joint public-private effort produced several quality proposals illustrating different uses-this one incorporating a 250-room Mandarin Hotel-in a design
that reduces the bulk facing the park and incorporates a series of traditional New York setbacks (see p. 208).
Walter A. Rutes, FAIA, is chairman of 9 Tek Ltd.
Development Consultants and was Vice-President
and Director of A r c h i t e m of such major hotel
companies as InterContinental,Sheraton,Ramada
and Holiday Corp. as well as Associate Partner of
SOM. He is responsible for many si@cant
projects includmg the design of initial all-suite
prototypes such as Embassy Suites. He was
honored by the industry with its Platinum Circle
design award.

Richard H. P m e r is professor at the Cornell

University School of Hotel Administration where
he teaches courses in hotel development,
planning, and interior design. He is the author of
Conference Center Planning and Design and,
with Walter Rutes, of a previous edition of Hotel
Planning and &sign. He also is a recipient of the
Platinum Circle award.

Iawrence Adams,AIA, is President and CO

founder of Adams Soffes Wood Architecture Sr
Interiors. He has specialized in hotel design and
large scale developments at major architectural
and planning firms including HOK, W W B.
Tabler, S. Stuart Farnet, and Frank W ~ and m
Associates where, as Senior Associate, he directed
such hospitality projects as the Four Seasons and
RIHGA Royal hotels in New York. He currently
teaches hotel design and development at New
York University.

Frunt cover. The St Davids Hotel and Spa, Cardiff, Waln.

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