Dakota Hotels Case Study

Dakota Hotels

Dakota Hotels was founded in 2005 by international hotel entrepreneur Ken McCulloch.  With several highly successful hotel ventures behind Ken, such as Malmaison, One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow and Columbus Monaco, Ken spotted a gap in the market for a hotel chain to offer high-end accommodation at affordable prices.

Dakota Hotels currently have three locations in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Nottingham, all strategically sited to accommodate, in the main, business travelers.  The brand name is derived from the Dakota aircraft which in the 1930’s made flying affordable for everyman. Dakota Hotels today are no different, offering luxury accommodation at a reasonable price.

The hotels are at the cutting edge of style and design. Their unmistakable black glass fascia has created renown in their local markets. The interiors are stylish and modern. Exposed brickwork and air conditioning ducts complimented by luxurious sofas and fireplaces puts Dakota Hotels at the height of contemporary luxury but at the same time making them feel warm and welcoming. The interior design is thanks to award-winning designer, Amanda Rosa. 

Dakota Hotels have been award winning from inception and boast several impressive awards which include; Conde Nast Hot New Hotel (2005), Most Stylish Hotel (2006), Best Hotel Bar (2007), 2007 Top 10 Restaurants, Hotel Restaurant of the Year (2008), and Scottish Restaurant of the Year (2008).

Leading corporate clothing designers, NKD Clothing Ltd, started working with Dakota Hotels in 2004, when they opened the first site in Nottingham. NKD had previously helped implemented part of the staff uniform style at Dakota’s sister hotel Columbus in Monaco and the hotel’s parent company were so impressed that they asked NKD to implement a bespoke new look for all Dakota Hotels’ staff.

As Dakota was a unique offering in the UK hospitality marketplace, NKD carried out an extensive analysis of the client’s brand values and gained an in-depth understanding of the consumer and staff alike.

For their first property in Nottingham the brief for front of house staff was for an almost oriental look for the female staff. NKD were forward thinking and perhaps some might say, risk taking, by suggesting a strong rust coloured linen look fabric for the female receptionists tops. This was proposed to ensure that the staff stood out from the dark backdrop of the reception wall. It also worked well with the accent colour that Amanda had included in some of the soft furnishings. This tunic was worn with a wide leg trouser in black, incorporating a key fob and pockets.

For Eurocentral and Forth Bridge properties NKD put together a quirky combination for front of house, incorporating brown and black colour combinations, which was rare at the time.

Housekeeping has evolved significantly over the years and has included the development of a fashionable cut tunic top in a performance stretch fabric, which not only suits all shapes and sizes but is also both comfortable and practical to work in. This was complemented with an on trend boot-leg trouser. So often housekeeping staff get a somewhat raw deal when it comes to uniforms but NKD Clothing successfully changed that with the introduction of these stylish and practical outfits that the staff enjoy wearing.

NKD Clothing have constantly helped the visual style of the staff uniform evolve. They have sourced particular garments from all over the world to help complement the overall look, even sourcing ties from Hawaii for the brasserie staff which tie in with the artwork that is on display within the hotels.

Management staff make a subtle yet stylish statement in charcoal grey suiting with crisp white double cuff shirts. Branded t-shirts are worn by the female management team under the suits in a move away from the traditional blouse option.

Since working with Dakota in 2005 NKD has become an integral part of the client’s team. They also work alongside the hotel group by proving additional add on to the main uniform scheme. Branded ribbon was provided to the hotels to tie menus plans, calico draw string bags for hairdryers within the rooms are just two of the additional products which NKD Clothing have provided. They are currently working with the group to help improve overall staff grooming and styling by the simple introduction of innovative schemes such as “Staff Grooming First Aid Kits”. These kits aid staff to ensure that they look and feel the best they can; with things such as needle & threads, nail polish remover and shoe-shines contained within them.

Sandrine Robertson, Brand Standards Manager with Dakota Hotels said: “Image and interior design is hugely important for us. The temperature, lighting, music and interior colours are all crucial to creating the right environment for our guests. NKD Clothing has been very good at helping us create a staff uniform look that is stylish, practical and compliments our interior surroundings.”

Sandrine added: “I’ve looked at some of the big providers in the past and felt that they were bland and had no character. What I like about NKD is that they have similar values to ours and we have a very good relationship and get on well with them as people. They come to all of our hotels regularly to meet with us and the staff to get a better understanding of where our business is going. We have always been extremely pleased with the service we receive from NKD. Gill and her team are extremely helpful and very responsive.

We are set to open our new brand, the Aviator Hotel, at Farnborough at the end of June 2008 and this is a completely different concept from Dakota. We are looking forward to working with NKD to create a new staff uniform style for this really exciting project.”

For more information about Dakota Hotels please visit: www.dakotahotels.co.uk  

To view the unique Dakota Hotel Uniforms click here