Swissôtel Builds Conf. Ctr.

As part of a $40 million renovation aimed at enhancing its appeal to the corporate small-meetings market, the Swissôtel New York in May will open a $4 million, state-of-the-art executive conference center with a concierge and service staff.

While there are no specific plans for Swissôtel's other corporate properties in Chicago and Boston, the New York property is expected to serve as a prototype for a high-tech conference center, said Ulrich Wall, the hotel's general manager.

Guest rooms already have been upgraded to Swissôtel Business Advantage status and now boast a new color scheme, art deco design, in-room fax machines, dual phone ports and electronic safes.

The hotel also has restructured its ground level to add a spa and gym.

"We have been somewhat limited in the planning business we can accept because of our size," Wall said of the 21-story, 489-room property that now offers an additional 42 suites. "But this redesign and the spa amenities will allow us to increase our group business by as much as 5 percent." The hotel's market mix is about 20 percent leisure, 60 percent corporate and 20 percent group.

Although the Swissôtel New York--also called the Drake--has always catered to small meetings and has always housed banquet facilities, it has yet to capitalize on its group business with a full-service approach, according to the hotel's director of sales, Evan Friedman.

"We met with focus groups and did extensive research on our competition and determined that there was a great opportunity for us to service high-end small meetings," he said. "Planners had definite opinions about what it would take to make the project successful. They said overwhelmingly that we would need a fully dedicated person on site to make it work."

Planners told hotel executives that when guests seek business services, they are unclear about where to go and who to ask to get something mailed, faxed or delivered.

As part of its research, which was conducted for the development of its Business Advantage Rooms and SwissOffice services, the Drake's management also determined that the hotel was at a disadvantage because planners believed that they received more value for the dollar with fully equipped conference rooms.

"We're going to have a desk that is a one-stop place," Wall said. "It will be very evident, and the guest will be able to request everything to keep their meeting running smoothly: faxing, word processing, copying, replenishing supplies and relaying messages. There will be one number for a planner to call and one contact at the hotel who will make all the arrangements."

Indeed, the watchwords for the facility are "simplify" and "expedite." The center, which will be divided into nine meeting rooms, will offer a common food service area as part of the hotel's redesign to make better use of space.

The facility will have two permanent boardrooms that seat 12 to 20 people, and six meeting rooms, including the 2,000- square-foot Broadway Suite for banquets and a decorated hospitality suite that can house 100 for corporate events.

The center will offer videoconferencing, with the H.320 standard PictureTel systems already offered as part of its SwissOffice program. The boardrooms will each house a dedicated unit, and the property will have a third rollabout unit on hand. Given 24 hours notice, it will be able to offer additional units as well. The center also will feature computer connectivity and Internet and data communications ports at each boardroom seat.

Speaker podiums equipped with an electronic panel will enable easy control of lighting, blackout, dimming, volume control and music. Each room is equipped with audiovisual equipment, ergonomic chairs and presentation tools.

"We designed the conference center to meet the needs of key decision makers who need global access," Wall said. More clients have been using the property's low-cost meeting rooms in recent months--an indication that the conference center will be heavily used, he said.

Like the conference center, the spa also was a result of focus-group research, which found that planners wanted this amenity. The Drake has added a full-service spa and athletic area, and intends to offer group-discount spa packages to tempt planners.