OFF DUTY thoughts on Hotel Procurement

In a city like Dubai where there are over 500 hotels, is it possible for Hotel Procurement Professionals to ever be off duty? Welcome to the occupational hazard of Orsini SPI, so passionate about hotels that even at weekends they find themselves in hotels and thinking out loud!

The lay of the lobby
In a city like Dubai where there are over 500 hotels, is it possible for Hotel There’s always anticipation upon entering a 5 Star lobby (even for hotel professionals). The layout and functionality immediately grabs our attention.... where is the reception, where is the lobby lounge... can we find the bar, the restaurant? Was the flow intuitive? Did the way finding signage help or hinder and did it work well with the interior design?

In pursuit of ambience
Ambience can be elusive, but we all know it when we feel it. For Orsini SPI , our antennae automatically checks for the ingredients of ambience, the moment we enter a hotel. Is the space warm or bare? What is the role of the floral arrangements (statements, accents...). How are the colours and textures of the accessories working with the interior design? What is the artwork saying and what medium was used for the Sheikh portraits? Where are they hung?

We are frequently on the look out for custom made, signature, decorative lighting in the common areas as well as ambient accent lighting. We ask ourselves often, what the style inspiration for the furniture must have been. How is it working with the interior design? Is there anything distinctive, unique or never seen before? Then there’s the subtle search for brand names as we try to discover the origin of the pieces. Scouring for details that will reveal if an item is custom made or not. All the while enjoying our drinks, food, friends (while feeling the fabrics around us!).