Exclusive Feature: Colours do make a difference, especcially in Hotels -

The White House in Washington, DC would have to be actually black: Black is a 'statement of power' - at least that do say the authors of a remarkable book that was recently published.

Its topic: 'Colours for Hotels'. Of course, it's not just colour, but colour shades and combinations. Especially black: It's the colour of elegance, luxury and elegant restraint. Although many do determine it rather  an "un-colour"

Just like in the fashion world - black always goes, and it is associated certainly with something festive and exclusive. No wonder that five-star hotels to a significant proportion have furnishings in shades of black. No wonder we always feel particularly oppressed in the most luxurious properties.

Of course, there are other colours of power and elegance, and they are combined in the book to respectable colour schemes. The colours from the RAL design system served as a template.

The book does present not only the most important families of colour, but assigns them to certain character traits. This is no coincidence, but result of the creation process: The authors, a colour scientist, and an interior designer, have presented shades to interview partners and asked them to characterize these. So style families were formed, after which you could easily design your hotel. „People are looking for comfort in the hotel, it is a replacement for home," the author Axel Venn, who lives one-third of the year in hotels, recently told a business magazine.

His motivation for writing the book derived also from these experiences: Venn has been frighteningly bored by dull hotel design. "Many hoteliers do not dare to experiment with colours." Not as bad as a boring, but still a loss are monochromatic rooms. It is also important that there are two visual axes inside: A soothing and a stimulating one. If just one is missing the room is only one-dimensional and does rather annoy than activate guests.Contrast the lobby, here warm colours should prevail in any case, that stimulate communication - for example, mahogany, red velvet and green pastel shades.

You should also avoid plastic flowers, plastic chairs and plastic accessories instead of real plants, leather and porcelain. Venn: "This one scares off guests." Even at business hotels, the colour scientist wants more decidedness: "It is not acceptable that one wakes up in the morning and does not know whether he is in London or in Madrid." Even in sober design a good proportion belongs to folklore and local flavor. Convenience dominates style: The best design chairs deter guests, if you could not sit in them. Main thing is that it used textile sufficiently outlined: This will improves the acoustics inside.

Is the orientation of your home more "princely", "glamorous", "noble" and "brilliant"? Or do you focus in design and coherence on audience, that perceives its rooms as "fascinating", "elegant", "high class" and "generous"? That sounds all very much black - if you like colourful things eventually may also choose "turbulent", "pittoresque", "revolutionary" and "shrill". Six by 64 colour patches on 416 pages "Colors for hotels" does contain, just enough for several renovations.

Black, by the way, he believes an "Un-Colour". "It attracts people since beginning of all times to move to the South. Why? Because it is just beautiful there." Longer, warmer, brighter colours. That is where many, including the author, want to spend their time. Far away from black or white areas. We probably need to resign: Professor Venn does not look like becoming next Mr President. Unless he can paint the White House.

This is strictly an exclusive feature, reprints of this article in any shape or form without prior written approval from 4Hoteliers.com is not permitted.

Roland Wildberg is Travel Writer and Correspondent based in Berlin, Germany. He started as an Editor for the National daily 'Die Welt' (tourism section), later on switched to a freelanced career and nowadays mainly publishes on the Web. Observing the hospitality industry always has fascinated him as it looks like the perfect combination of sleeping and writing – work-live-balance as its best.

Roland also heads the annual 4Hoteliers ITB Berlin news micro-site journalist and video/photo teams. For more info: www.4Hoteliers.com/itb.

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