Dakota
Hotels was founded in 2004 by Scottish hotel entrepreneur Ken McCulloch.
With several highly successful hotel ventures behind Ken, such as
Malmaison and One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow, 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 in 2001
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
receptionist’s 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 2004 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 and 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: “Atmosphere
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 sister brand hotel, the Aviator Hotel, at
Farnborough at the end of June and will be 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.”
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