EasyHotel is set to revolutionise the hotel industry with its affordable ” and very basic ” accommodation in city centres around the world.
Having opened a second London hotel earlier this month in Victoria, with locations in Earls Court, Luton and Budapest set for later this year, the company predicts some 60 properties by September 2009. Indeed expansion knows no limit for the brand, whose policy to operate under franchise agreements means it can go wherever interest takes it.
Speaking to ABTN today (1 May), CEO Lawrence Alexander was keen to stress the global possibilities for easyHotel, in contrast to EU-based easyJet: ”In terms of franchise interest it”s natural that a lot of enquiries have come from easyJet destinations, but there are no connections between the two companies ” albeit they are both owned by Stelios.”
In fact one of the biggest areas for development is in the Middle East, with 20 of the 60 hotels planned for the area and the remainder in the UK and Europe. There are also, interestingly, no current plans for an airport operation, as even the Luton property is in the city centre. ”An airport model would work,” said Alexander, ”but before introducing different branches to the brand we are focussing on key urban locations.”
America, Asia and Australia are all possibilities and easyHotels is currently in negotiations with a US company, although Alexander has ”a lot of conversations that don”t always end up with a hotel at the end of them.”
Just like its sister airline company easyJet, easyHotel offers a ”no frills” service and all amenities, whilst available, are chargeable. Within the signature orange decor of your room you are provided with a towel, bed linen, a small en suite bathroom and a flat screen TV ” however should you wish to watch it, get another towel or have your sheets changed you”ll have to pay. Yet with room rates starting from just ”25 ($50) per night for a central London location you would be hard pushed to find a cheaper stay, even with the additional charges.
The unique hotel concept doesn”t stop at the guestrooms, as the company plans to offer an entirely web-based franchise operation so that an agreement can be reached without a single phone or face-to-face meeting.
”In theory a potential franchisee can go from initial enquiry to Stelios cutting the opening ribbon without talking to anyone, although in practice this is very unlikely. However the online information and application procedure will make it easy for the franchisee and easy for us to streamline the process.”