November 29 - December 5 2002
Seattle Puget Sound Buisness Journal
Marketing & Media

 
Excerpts from the complete article
Window Dressing
Century-old marketing scheme remains felevant in digital world
By Beth Taylor

Hotels
Hoteliers face a unique situation: Many of their customers never see their lodgings until they arrive.

"Hotel clients are coming from afar, but when they walk in, the window dressing, or 'sense of arrival' is very important; they'll decide within two minutes if they like it or not," said Jeff Degen with Degen & Degen architecture and design.

That's why entryways and lobbies are typically the most dramatic areas of a hotel.

"We pay a lot of attention to the first-impression entrance areas - from the car or taxi to the lobby, at the door of the guestroom," said Degen, who designed Watertown a new 100-bed hotel in the University District.

Appropriate to its location, Watertown's lobby exudes a high-tech, yet fun feeling, with large pipes running along the high ceilings, natural light pouring in, and huge abstract paintings proclaiming visual statements in bold colors and geometric shapes. Their style carries through to the furniture, done in '50-era shapes and colors. Walls and columns is bare concrete and the floors are gleaming bamboo hardwood.

"We tried to design a very upscale hotel that appealed to very educated travelers, but which was not intimidating," said Degen. "A very broad range of people feel comfortable, whether you're there with your family in jeans or dressed in business clothes."

Designer Blues
Many designers bemoan what they see as a trend toward homogeneity in windows and entryways.

"The number of hotels with strong branding is decreasing," said Degen. "Starwood really tried to respond to this with the W Hotels, which are probably the most avant-garde, unique brand to come along in recent years."

Designer McLean complains: "I see a lot less theater, there's no ornamentation. There's a real kind of oatmeal approach to window displays right now."

That 's partly because retailer are cutting back on their creative staff as the economy worsens. Ultimately, that's a costly decision, says McLean.

"Design has always been the part of the budget that you fight for. It's always been the first thing they cut back on, but the first thing they regret."

Agreed Degen: "I think having a unique identity can be the difference between financial success or not."