by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 11:35 AM ET, Fri April 27, 2018
With a few notable exceptions, airport hotels are rarely the highlight of any traveler's journey.
Functional? Yes. Exciting, engaging or memorable…not exactly. But Renaissance Hotels has set its sights on changing that.
The brand, part of Marriott International, is currently undergoing a global transformation that includes redesigning more than 40 percent of its North American properties. And as part of that effort, or perhaps in tandem with it, Renaissance is taking the often dull, utilitarian approach to airport hotels and turning it on its head.
"You read about amazing airport hotels in places like Singapore and Incheon, but you never hear about similarly amazing airport hotels in North America," George Fleck, vice president of global brand marketing & management for Renaissance Hotels, told TravelPulse during a recent, in-depth interview. "So we saw this as a tremendous opportunity. We are reimagining the airport hotel experience like in Asia and the Middle East."
Examples of that effort can be seen in the brand's recently opened design-driven Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel and its forthcoming Renaissance Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Hotel, slated to begin operating in November.
The Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel oozes a boutique feel, yet offers all of the service and amenities of an upper upscale hotel, including great music and a strong food and beverage culture.
The design of the Renaissance Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Hotel meanwhile, draws inspiration from Amsterdam Bos, the city's largest park, which is located adjacent to the hotel.
Because the verdurous park was created at the beginning of the twentieth century, at the same time that Dutch modern art, architecture and design gained popularity, the hotel is peppered with playful unexpected moments that reveal a sense of time and place.
The hotel's interiors juxtapose a natural color palette with high gloss furniture, contemporary accents and a modern twist on famous Dutch art throughout the public spaces, bar and guestrooms.
"The reason why people go to airport hotels is very functional, but we've seen especially with millennial travelers, people still do not want to compromise on having a great cocktail or listening to great music," continued Fleck. "So we saw a tremendous opportunity to shatter expected conventions regarding what you might find at an airport hotel."
Additional examples of this exciting new take on airport hotels can also be seen at the recently completed, design-driven renovation of Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel and the soon to open Renaissance Warsaw Airport Hotel, a property that marks the brand's debut in Poland.
The Warsaw property incorporates the avant-garde modernism of the 1930s, 1960s and today into its tableau, featuring modern pops of primary colors in its art, textiles, and furniture, all of which is inspired by the fashion, graphic design and pop culture of the time.
"Airport hotels need to be reimagined from a design perspective, to include the same approach to design as we do at other properties so that they feel unexpected and are full of interesting art installations," said Fleck. "It really makes an airport hotel experience something that is a much higher value. And hopefully, guests will leave feeling like they have learned something new, discovered something new or experienced something new."
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