The entrance to the ground floor meeting rooms from the hotel lobby. The approach to the new meeting rooms on the first floor is quite drmatically different as is shown on the next page
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Rezidor SAS are stamping their identity on the hotel slowly. Subtle changes to the dining room have already improved its appearance. Banquette seating has been introduced in the central spine of the restaurant space, and the art has been changed, with the addition of modern sculpture. The cult of the chef is evident here as it is elsewhere with the windows of some hotels showing larger than life size images of the chef – another area of competition in a competitive industry. Within the restaurant is the wine ‘cellar’ a temperature conditioned room for wine storage, separating off the private dining space but allowing it in turn to be integrated with the main restaurant for breakfasts.
The restaurant has its own reception area which also serves to isolate it from any noise intrusion from the rest of the hotel. The lobby opens off a section of corridor that has been given a vaulted ceiling creating a feel that it is not new at all, but rather an old building. The corridor links the restaurant to bar, reception and lift lobbies and the main circulation areas.
The relationship of the reception desk to the entrance doors again echoes Prague, and the whole works well, with the access to the lift being evident from the desk, and a functional relationship being established between the Reception desk and the Concierge desk at right angles to it. This creates a busy information area for the guest, one point of contact with staff easily able to work as a team. Visually the area is positioned to the side of the entrance, and this leaves the area if front of the doors for a dramatic statement by the hotel, in this instance a floral presentation.
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The reworking of the ground floor spaces is a gradual process and is being done making effective use of the original design. Changing brand means a change in the differentiators that set the brands apart from each other. For Rezidor, for whom this only the second Regent in Europe, this operation is a critical part of establishing a brand perception on the continent. Not only must the brand establish its identity and differences from the other operators, but for the group it must also establish itself as a different more upscale branding compared to the Radissons at four star level.
The rear of this entrance area is a space opening up to an enclosed garden area where guests can relax over coffee or afternoon tea (there is selection of teas displayed in silver caddies, presenting the beverage with more ceremony than is normally the case in England). The tea ceremony is also supplemented by a grand piano in creating a salon which the garden extends.
The reworking of the ground floor spaces is a gradual process and is being done making effective use of the original design. However on the bedroom floor some more drastic surgery is under way. New conference facilities have replaced some bedrooms on the first floor, and Rezidor is imposing its own style on the rooms.
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