Member Article

World’s first “hometel” opens in Southampton and is set to transform hospitality sector

The world’s first “hometel” has just opened in Southampton.

Combining the best bits of a traditional hotel and the comforts, convenience and routine of living at home, new brand room2 is offering the Hometel concept which is set to change the face of the hospitality industry. The next room2 is already slated to be opening in Manchester in 2020.

At the official launch party room2 founder and managing director Robert Godwin explains why they’re throwing away the rulebook: “We’re looking to fill a huge gap in the market where people – whether they’re working or on holiday - want a much more flexible approach to staying away, allowing them to maintain the routine they enjoy at home.”

Guest comfort and convenience are a priority so guests can check-in online and then access their room from their smart phone with no keys needed. Keyless mobile access will be available to guests and this, combined with 24-hour check-in and self check-in kiosks, which will be available later this summer, enable guests much greater flexibility in their arrival.

Continuing the idea of convenience and routine, room2 provides long term locker spaces. This means that business guests working away from home for long spells can settle into their own space and leave their essential items over the weekend and return on Monday with the minimum of disruption.

Picking up the theme Robert explains: “Speaking to business people we discovered they were finding it hard to live their life the way they do at home when they stay in hotels. Their biggest concern was losing their healthy and effective routines.

“Well, we’re providing a gym and work out space coupled with in-room kitchens for guests to cook their own meals or order in. In one fell swoop it also eliminates the universal awkwardness felt by us all of eating alone in restaurants.” Guests can also enjoy the informal experience of The Living Room for a continental breakfast, or grab a coffee and pastry on the way out the door.

He went on: “room2 bridges the gap between an Airbnb and a hotel. Guests have their own living room, a work desk complete with USB chargers and free Wi Fi together with kitchen space but they also have the peace of mind of hotel-level security and cleanliness.”

Other benefits offered by room2 include:

-Continental breakfast and coffee bar -Pantry style shop selling ingredients and food that guests can cook in their rooms -Bar selling a range of beers, wines and spirits -Laundry facilities and dry-cleaning collection and delivery -Flexible communal space for working, networking, business meetings and socialising known as the Living Room -Self check-in kiosks will be operating by mid-summer

Robert says: “It’s elements like this that make our ‘hometels’ completely different to aparthotels or anything else out there. Our ambition is to be the brand that creates and leads the hometel category in the UK and we’re perfectly positioned to do that. We’re young, independent and dynamic, which means we can move fast to fill this void in the market.”

Find out more at www.room2.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by room2 .