The new room design so nearly becomes a superb design exercise but there are still mismatches between the high quality of the innovations and some of the apparently ‘standard’ Accor finishes. These just take the gloss off the room standard for me. However it is still setting higher standards than most in many areas with this layout. Other hotel designers need to cognizance of this if they are to keep up with the quality. Clever planning and quality detailing show how designers can help hoteliers keep up with the facilities creep that characterises the industry.