Next big thing: Hotels in a box - Business travel- msnbc.com

By Stacy Perman

updated 2:30 p.m. ET Aug. 17, 2007

There are hotels built on stilts in the ocean, hotels fashioned out of former royal palaces, even hotels set among jungle treetops. So why not craft a hotel that can be plugged into an existing space in any city in the world? That was the thinking behind Qbic Hotels, a low-cost, high-design concept made up of prefabricated rooms that literally come out of a box.

Launched this July in Amsterdam, Holland, the 35-room hotel is the first of what is hoped to be a global chain. But it's not just the box concept that sets the hotel apart; it's the innovative self-service aspect, too.

Budget brainchild
Modeled after budget airways like Southwest Airlines in the U.S. and easyJet in Europe, Qbic allows guests to make their reservations online, with rooms ranging from €39 to €139 (about $80 to $200) a night, based on an advanced booking system. Once at the hotel, guests receive an electronic card that's needed to check in and check out. Digital lobby kiosks offer information on local attractions and restaurants. The Grab-and-Go Corner provides food and drinks, toothbrushes, phone cards, shampoo, even condoms — all purchased through the guest's electronic card. Guests check out when they want by simply using the lobby kiosk. There is maid service on-site. During the Amsterdam location's first six months, a service manager will be available in case a problem arises that needs a human touch.

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The hotel is the brainchild of hoteliers and restaurateurs Paul Rinkens, Rino Soeters, and Marcel Voermans, who are known for their high-concept hotels in the Netherlands. The trio wanted to come up with a hotel that would cater to both the business traveler and the budget-minded in urban locales. They believed there was a large, untapped market for travelers on short stays who wanted affordable, chic rooms, but who didn't necessarily want to do without the amenities of a luxury hotel. At the same time, the three wanted to tap into the increasingly popular do-it-yourself (DIY) lifestyle trend among consumers around the globe.

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Post plug-and-play
In order to create a hotel in big cities where real estate is often costly and space at a premium, Qbic's founders came up with a novel idea: Create a prefab, plug-and-play module called a Cubi that can be outfitted inside existing space. "There are more than 1 million square meters of empty office buildings in Holland," says Maxine Hofman, Qbic's sales and marketing manager, "and the idea was that we could build and franchise these hotels in high-trafficked cities where there are all these empty buildings." For instance, the Amsterdam Qbic is located in longtime-vacant offices in the city's World Trade Center.

The Cubi, a pre-assembled, 74-square-foot cube-shaped living area, is the focal point of each room. Despite the seemingly cramped quarters, each Cubi is both self-contained and luxuriously appointed with Swedish Hästens beds, flat-screen TVs, high-speed Internet access, and a small work station. The bathrooms boast a rain shower and Philippe Starck fixtures.

CONTINUED: No two rooms designed the same

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