NETHERLANDS

CONTINENTAL DRIFTER
Budget hotels pare staff, space
by Elliott Hester

More and more hotels are installing self-service kiosks that allow guests to bypass the front desk and check in (or out) without interacting with hotel staff. Taking the concept one step further, Qbic Hotel in Amsterdam has eliminated the front desk altogether.

Unveiled in July 2007 as a “cheap chic and no frills” budget-conscious hotel, Qbic is predominantly self-service. Rooms are cleaned daily by hotel staff. But there are no check-in clerks, no bellmen—only a roving concierge to assist a new generation of low-maintenance travelers.

Check-in is a self-serving experience. I strolled through the nearly deserted lobby, past ultra-modern furniture and flat-screen computer stations where two guests surfed the Internet for free.

At the check-in kiosk I navigated through the on-screen instructions, signed my name with a digital pen, and was issued a room number and card key. The process took about a minute.

Then it was up the elevator, down the hall and into one of the most spacious standard hotel rooms in Europe.

Central to Qbic’s room design is the futuristic “Cubi,” a cube-shaped modular living unit that is as stylish as it is functional. Each Cubi measures 75 square feet. The unit contains one extra-long bed, flat-screen TV, radio, work-and-dine set, free wireless Internet and a petite bathroom, parts of which were devised by French designer Philippe Starck.

Integrated LED lighting allowed me to change the ambience from fuschia to amber, mint green and ultimately sky blue.

Aside from the Cubi, which took up less than half the space on the wood floor, my room was furnished with a sleek chaise lounge, the tiniest of end tables, a rolling wardrobe cabinet and a treelike clothes stand with wooden hangers dangling from the branches. With so much empty floor space, I could have hosted a cocktail party and invited 40 locals.

As is the case with all Qbic rooms, mine had no telephone (there's no room service or front desk to call, after all), no closets—not even a door to the bathroom section of the Cubi. For all but the most intimate couples, the lack of privacy could be an issue.

In the self-service Grab-and-Go Corner of the lobby, vending machines are stocked with travel essentials: batteries, one-use cameras, toiletries, wine, beer—there's even a one-day membership card redeemable at the fitness center around the corner.

By streamlining staff and eliminating traditional hotel accoutrements, Qbic is able to offer room rates from 39 euros ($50) to 139 euros ($185), including taxes. For spacious, fashionable, inexpensive digs in Amsterdam, the 35-room property has no rival.

Qbic is one of several avant-garde hotels catering to young, no-frills travelers.

The sardine can-sized rooms at easyHotel are barely large enough to accommodate a bed. The company’s concept is that customers will accept less space for a better price. With five hotels in Europe and plans for 38 additional hotels in 17 countries, the concept seems to be working.

Yotel offers standard and premium cabins that resemble sleeping compartments in train cars. Located at London's Gatwick Airport, Yotel rooms can be rented for a minimum of four hours.

In New York, a city practically devoid of affordable accommodation, the Pod Hotel is a welcome option. Guests can choose from queen, double, single and bunk bed configurations. The hotel’s name speaks to the pea-in-a-pod feel of the tiny rooms—all of which are equipped with iPod docking stations.

Capsule Inn in Tokyo may have the world’s smallest sleeping quarters. The inexpensive “rooms” are actually coffin-size capsules that slide like drawers in a morgue. Stacked side by side, each capsule is equipped with an overhead TV. Perhaps this helps to stave off bouts of claustrophobia.

Space isn’t a problem at Qbic Hotel in Amsterdam. But location could be for some. The property is housed inside the World Trade Center building, which is all but deserted on weekends. But for me the situation was perfect. After long nights of partying, I appreciated the peace and quiet.

Next stop: Glasgow, Scotland

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