A New Exhibition Concept Comes To Life At “100% Hotel Show”

Entrance – “Into the Light Hotel” real-size hotel reception area/lobby: The premises included many suggestions for hotel refurbishment.

The organizers of the 100% Hotel Show, the new exhibition addressed especially to hoteliers, promised innovation and that is exactly what they delivered, judging by the show’s main entrance.

The experience begins

While walking towards the exhibition area, we suddenly found ourselves in a real-size hotel model, constructed in perfectly realistic dimensions.

As we were informed, this alternative setting aims to offer visiting hoteliers exactly what they are looking for: innovation and new ideas.

“While touring the premises, visitors have the opportunity to observe new and pioneer products in their actual use and receive inspiration for future utilization,” the organizers of the exhibition informed us.

Into the Light Hotel – An exemplary Greek hotel model

The innovative project, constructed by the A31 Architecture & Construction team, is entitled “Into the Light Hotel.”

Perfectly attuned to the facilitators’ intentions to generate an exhibition that will enhance the visitor’s stimuli through experiential events and activities, the project Into the Light Hotel was created to promote a contemporary though timeless architectural approach of an exemplary Greek hotel model.

Inspiration

A31’s civil engineer, Panagiotis Karras and architect, Praxitelis Kondylis (photo), said their creation was a response to a challenge to create a space that would bring together all that is best in a hotel, which is integrated in the Greek landscape and at the same time derives from it.

For this reason, A31’s group of professionals focused on the Greek Light, drawing inspiration for creation and functionality.

Emotions from the Greek Light

The applications of light through different perspectives and filters (modern trellises, skylights, pergola) trigger the visitors emotions, since surprise is being succeeded by warmth, feeling of safety and intimacy.

“We want the visitor’s introduction to take place through a path that triggers memories linked to the way we perceive light as it effortlessly fits into all our experiences,” the creators said.

Touring the premises

“Greece is its cities, its mountains, its seas and its islands,” said the A31 team and once we toured the premises we knew that that was exactly what they had in mind when creating the exemplary hotel.

Once we entered the lobby, we immediately spotted the imposing work of the Greek artist Apollo Glykas (photo below), which is affiliated to the architectural approach of A31, since it constitutes a modern implementation of Shadow Theater.

More into the lobby, we found ourselves in a place that allowed connection with the mountainsides of mainland Greece. We considered it quite fascinating due to the lack of pomposity!

Continuing the tour, we visited other hotel spaces:

Reception: An urban space which introduces the visitor to the concept.

Dinning Room: A synthesis between classic and modern, allowing the harmonic conjunction of not only the elements included, but also the people for which it is intended.

Creators of the garden from Archetopo Landscape Design.

Garden: Arid plants in sand pit compose a landscape that resembles that of the Greek islands. The water element, inextricably connected with the Mediterranean landscape, couldn’t of course be absent from the scenery.

Room: A contemporary space with cement floor, white furniture and built in bed, which could be found in Cycladic hotel, comforting the visitor with its welcoming nature and its unpretentious feel.

It should be mentioned that throughout the premises, we had the chance to admire exquisite materials and artwork (refurbishment and decoration suggestions to hoteliers).

Once we passed through the whole “hotel,” we proceeded to the exhibition’s main space, ready to get informed on new ideas and proposals for architectural design and interior design, construction solutions and smart economic solutions for refurbishing hotels.

“Into the Light Hotel” materials, products & services

The 100% Hotel Show (8-10 February 2014) took place at the Mediterranean Exhibition Center (MEC) in Paiania, East Attica and was organized by Demand Customize Marketing.