Hotel Derek Unveils New Dimension In Hotel Guestroom
Independent Hotel To Give Prospective Guests An ‘Entirely New’ Experience Of A Remarkable Room
HOUSTON | Hotel Derek, the classically modern benchmark of Houston hotels, today unveiled a “whole new dimension” in hotel rooms and tradeshow booths. Making its debut at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s® (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings Mid-America trade show in Chicago, Hotel Derek’s “Traveling Hotel Room Display” gives guests a “feel” for what it’s...
HOUSTON | Hotel Derek, the classically modern benchmark of Houston hotels, today unveiled a “whole new dimension” in hotel rooms and tradeshow booths. Making its debut at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s® (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings Mid-America trade show in Chicago, Hotel Derek’s “Traveling Hotel Room Display” gives guests a “feel” for what it’s like to visit and sleep in the Texas hotel, all in the space of a 10’ by 20’ trade show display.
“While we are a small, independent hotel, we find ourselves in a similar position as the larger independent and chain hotels…catering to the business traveler as well as the meeting and convention group attendee,” said Steven Andre, general manager of Hotel Derek. “What these audiences care about is not only the size of the ballroom and whether or not we have high-speed Internet access, but will the guestroom work for them. Since they all can’t come to Houston and experience our remarkable room first-hand, we’re bringing the room to them.”
The Hotel Derek “Traveling Hotel Room Display” highlights many of the unique features that comprise the hotel’s guestroom, including:
- Hotel Derek’s bed, featuring a pillow-top mattress, an abundance of down pillows and signature black pinstriped goose-down duvet;
- Hotel Derek’s famous cappuccino-colored, Mohair banquette sofa, which is nestled near each room’s wall of windows, displaying breathtaking views of Houston’s downtown skyline;
- Hotel Derek’s sleek bathroom, featuring a wood floor, ample lighting and an oversized, modern Kohler sink set into a glass vanity with classic chrome fittings; and
- Hotel Derek’s built-in storage compartment, featuring a set of wicker baskets for clothing and accessory storage.
"For the Hotel Derek guestroom, we designed unique qualities to satisfy and exceed the expectations of the savvy international traveler and the contemporary business person,” said Dayna Lee, principal designer for Powerstrip Studio, a multidisciplinary design studio headquartered in Hollywood, CA. “The guestroom is functional and supportive to the guests’ endeavors first; then we pared down the essential features and made them with luxurious materials and generous sizes. At Hotel Derek, the guest is the ‘star’ and the remarkable room is the handsome supporting manager." Dayna's work often takes her to the stars, designing sets for Hollywood motion pictures and, given her experience with the exacting needs and tastes of traveling celebrities made her think about the ideal hotel guestroom.
Since opening in January 2002, Hotel Derek quickly became known as Houston’s most fashionable address for business as well as leisure travelers. Condé Nast Traveler put it on its “2002 Hot List of the 52 Best New Hotels in the World” and Business Traveler called it “a chic milieu for guests craving modern amenities mixed with eclectic touches.” Further, the Hotel Derek guestroom, featured in the traveling display, has received its own acclaim. Forbes.com said that Hotel Derek is a “stylish hotel where the rooms feel like loft apartments…and appeals to the business traveler…” and Travel + Leisure describes the rooms as “immensely livable loft-like rooms…”, while Herbert Ypma wrote “A world of crisp, sleek design and customized comfort with a touch of Texas flair...” in his latest HIP Hotels:USA book.
“Our guestrooms have everything a traveler could want, whether they’re in Houston for business or pleasure. We don’t just have a great bed or a divine shower, Hotel Derek’s guestrooms are remarkable in every way,” said Tracy Fitz, director of sales and marketing for Hotel Derek and the spearhead of the traveling room display. “It was evident that we had something remarkable when virtually every time I present our guestroom to a prospective guest or client, the initial response is ‘Wow’ or ‘Oh my!’ So we decided to take our remarkable guestroom across the U.S. this year, from Chicago to D.C. and from New York to Los Angeles. We’re going to give prospective guests a chance to really experience our guestroom, something all together different from what most hotels, even the larger chains are doing.”