Prizeotel

“Prizeotel was a project in ‘Designocrasy’, something I have believed in all my life: high design affordable to all. I don’t think design is for the elite or the rich. Design is for everybody and is every aspect of our human existence. I have always wanted to design a very inexpensive hotel and I have finally had the opportunity with Prizeotel! The concept had to be very smart and economical yet pleasurable and inspiring. The design affords Prizeotel to be a great enjoyable simple experience while the consumer pays very little. Prizeotel creates a unique experience for the travelers and is ground breaking on the budget hotel market. Today especially, design must prove its worth and address the inhuman built environment to give us elevated, more humanized, more qualitative, aesthetic conditions. Design is not superfluous but a human necessity and desire. Design must evolve us and create a beautification and betterment for society so I have tried in a small way to bring a sprit that elevates our human social lives for that momentary stay at a budget hotel.”

The budget hotel’s rooms are priced at only 59 Euro a night. The design maximizes choices and use of high performance materials and furnishings to have the greatest impact for the least amount of investment. The lobby area encompasses a bar, internet station, buffet and outdoor terrace. The guest’s journey continues upstairs, where tactile wallpaper coats the hallway. Room numbers are woven into the custom carpets in the hallways. The rooms were designed with a bargain budget of 3200 Euro per room for furniture, finishes and equipment. Prizeotel provides all the needs and details of a high-end boutique hotel and still creates a unique experience for the travelers. Amenities such as the iPod player/lamp and flat screen TV make the room worth far more than its 59 Euro price tag. High design is affordable to all.”

Karim says of the space: “I used many of the same rules I use for my personal environments in creating Prizeotel. Create large white spaces with accents of strong positive colors. Knock down walls that are not structural and open up spaces as much as possible. Have less but better furniture. Try to substitute 2 or 3 pieces with one. We used warm, soft yet high performance materials that are easy to clean and age well.”

The budget constraints were challenging; yet we were able to find solutions and suppliers that provided high design for little cost. Design is does not have to be costly; one can create striking design with little money. One solution for example was to provide a closet on the bedrooms where guests are staying more than two nights. In the other 50% of the rooms, there is a bench and a small hanging space; considering that the average hotel stay is 1.2 days, this is adequate for most guests, and provided substantial savings on FF&E.
The hotel was engineered for maximum use of energy.  Germany has high standards for material resources, using recycled content such as the carpets and tiles wherever possible.

The necessity of the client is actually the necessity of the hotel guest.  Besides the physical interior landscape, Karim designed an experience. Karim Rashid Inc designed or selected the music, the shampoo and soap, the smell of the cleaning products, the logo, the staff uniforms, the hotel’s website, and a TV system that allows customer to check out from their room, chose their movies, and preview local information about the city of Bremen.

Zimmermann Real Estate GmbH

Designer: Karim Rashid
Project architects: Camila Tariki, Karim Rashid Inc. / Cece Stelljes, Karim Rashid Inc.

Contractor: Weser-Wohnbau GmbH, Germany
Millworker: Plan-Team - Lohoff