Getting more out of the hotel restaurant through a varied layout

The food & beverage part of a hotel is becoming increasingly important, according to design agency E.S.T.I.D.A. Senior Designer Ronald Piron: "A hotel's restaurant is becoming more of a destination in itself, often with its own name." 

Piron has been working at E.S.T.I.D.A. for almost a decade now. "I am involved in our projects from start to finish. So I've done quite a few hotels and therefore also the restaurants." In these ten years, the function of the restaurant changed. "A hotel's bar and restaurant are increasingly frequented by guests from the surrounding area, who are not staying in the hotel," he says. These guests also use the food and beverage section of the hotel in a different way. "People bring their laptops to work or they come with a group to eat or have meetings. We have to ensure that the restaurant fits into the overall hotel concept, but also meets the needs of visitors who are not staying in the hotel. This sometimes contradicts each other."

At Carlton President in Utrecht, this was the case. "At this hotel, thanks to its location on the A2 motorway, mostly business guests stay. However, many locals also eat at the One24 restaurant. This therefore had to appeal to the different types of guests." Because of Carlton President's location - on the motorway and adjacent to nature reserves - E.S.T.I.D.A used the idea of 'urban nature' in the hotel. "The theme is visible in the colours of the rooms and we also implemented it in the rest of the hotel and restaurant." Revamping the restaurant was no luxury, Piron argues. "Previously, One24 was quite English in design, with tables set up next to each other. To make it more appealing to different target groups, we created nooks and crannies. By combining high and low seating, places where you can go quietly by yourself and large tables for meeting or eating, people stay longer. The restaurant has become much more attractive, for both leisure and business guests."

Another hotel that E.S.T.I.D.A redecorated was the famous Botel on the IJ in Amsterdam. The Botel's public areas were designed and realised in an urban style, with many references to Amsterdam. "We started here with one large space. In this we created seating areas, with more variety for different types of guests. For example, you can simply plug in your laptop here to work. The hotel wants to keep the rather young audience longer, and I think with the more dynamic and hipper concept, this will definitely succeed."

Haarlem's Carlton Square restaurant, like Carlton President's restaurant, has its own name: Zocher. "Named after the architect of the adjacent park. More and more hotels are choosing to give the restaurant a name. A good thing, as this improves visibility for visitors looking for a restaurant rather than a hotel. Again, this was an old-fashioned layout of the dining area. Our brief was to create more of an experience around the food, with an open kitchen in the middle for show cooking and for the breakfast buffet. It cooks with fresh, local produce, and the restaurant even has its own beer. So realising one's own identity goes a long way here."

Renewal and improvement is possible without getting rid of everything old, claims Piron. "Our philosophy is to keep what is good. Like the wooden panelling at both Carlton hotels. Thanks to a new colour, this can still contribute to the whole." Carlton Square features a special skylight with stained glass. "We used the colours of this glass as a starting point for the design. So from what seems ugly, you can extract strength, making it more true to our times."

The senior designer has some advice for hotels with a smaller budget. "With simple means, you can already do something to create a new layout. Create partitions in your space, for example by placing furniture differently or creating a partition with plants. This will make your layout more dynamic and make guests feel more comfortable in your restaurant."