TRAVEL
Originally published on Wednesday, 08 April 2009
Really U.U.S.P.
Launch anything new these days, and all that people give two hoots about is what makes it ‘special’. A U.S.P. (‘Unique Selling Point’, for both of you who escaped being beaten with the media stick) used to be the conceptual cherry in the metaphorical Manhattan of a business. Now’s it’s the cherry, the glass, and the whole bottle of whisky.
Take the spanking new One&Only in South Africa, for example. Not only is this luxury hotel bringing Africa its first Nobu and its first Maze, but did I mention the state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind, three floor wine library? Then there’s Minibar , the Amsterdam style bar where each table gets its own private, well, minibar. Sort of like an honesty bar. But with set prices. And a key.
Yet these pale beside Blow Up Hall – Poland’s latest designer hotel – where, based on the electronic art of Lozano Hemmer, 2400 virtual cameras turn the hotel’s guests into reflexive, living pieces of art. Upon arrival, they’re also guided to their un-numbered suites by an iPhone, which unlocks the key-less doors using magic ingenious recognition software.
Now if only there was an iPhone app to sort the conceptual wheat from the gimmick chaf….
One&Only Cape Town: Dock Road, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
Blow Up Hall: Ul. Kosciuszki 43, 61-891 Poznan, Poland
MiNiBar: Prinsengracht 478, Amsterdam, Holland
