When Hotel ICON was in the initial stages of planning, it was wary of the negative connotations that could be attached to  a hotel that is owned by a school.

"We didn't want people to think of it as a hostel and that they'd be served by students only," said Richard Hatter, general manager.

So aware of the negative possible perceptions, it turned things around and started thinking of itself as "a pit stop in a Grand Prix race", a well-tuned dress rehearsal as it were for students preparing for real life in the hotel workplace.

Today, a year after it fully opened, it proudly claims its status as "a hotel with purpose" – and customers are voting with their wallet. It's running healthy occupancies of over 80% and average room rate from HK$2,400 up.

Of course, one could ask, could a Hotel ICON work anywhere else but in Hong Kong which has one of the region's healthiest hotel businesses?

"We think it could work in conjunction with the hotel school concept in most South-east Asian developing countries, as well as Shanghai or even Singapore," said Hatter. "Why not?"

So what's the Hotel ICON model?

Opened in September 2011, it's founded and owned by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and is the world's first co-located, co-lead programme offered in a teaching and research hotel.

Built at a cost of US$166 million, it comprises the hotel, staff quarters, campus and administration offices . The School of Hotel & Tourism Management, established in 1979, sits on the same complex.

The 365-strong workforce for the hotel comprises full-time staff and a body of students – 100 students throughout the year – who are part of the school intake. Students are trained for the industry, Hatter stresses. "We give them hands-on training and put them through internship programmes to get them ready for industry."

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