THE EVALUATION OF BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN SPATIAL TERMS: ALACATI EXAMPLE
ABSTRACT
The hotels have been separated into groups in themselves with
regard to their features. Boutique hotels are one of those
accommodation facility kinds. One of the places that number of
boutique hotels is considerable and that is important in terms of
tourism, is Alacati town from Cesme district.
Within the scope of this study, history of Alacati, to which
cultures it has been hosting and the reflection of these cultures to
the present day have been researched. Boutique hotels in Alacati have
been collected within two groups as the ones designed to be boutique
hotels and the ones serving with new functions in Alacati and as a
result of observation and determination efforts upon selected hotels,
differences of the hotels in terms of architectural and indoor
architectural have been explained by using comparison method. All that
information has been gathered via inductive method and the study has
been performed within this scope.
As a result of the study, differences of the hotels in both
groups have been revealed in terms of architecture and indoor
architecture, which is the aim of the study. It has been confirmed in
the gained results that, in the ones designed as boutique hotels in
Alacati, while modern,innovative designs greet the eye and spatial
fragmentations look more comfortable; in the hotels serving with new
functions; classic, heavily equipped arrangements are seen and spatial
functions have not literally been performed because of limited means.
Key Words: Boutique Hotels, Principles to design indoors of
Boutique Hotels, Alacati, Urban and Architectural feature of Alacati,
Boutique Hotels in Alacati
BUTİK OTELLERİN MEKANSAL AÇIDAN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ: ALAÇATI ÖRNEĞİ
ÖZET
Oteller kendi içerisinde özelliklerine göre bölümlere ayrılmıştır.
Butik oteller de bu konaklama tesis türlerinden bir tanesidir. Butik
otellerin ülkemizde son dönemlerde turizm açısından önemli bir yere
sahip olan ve butik otel sayısının fazla olduğu yerlerden birisi de
Çeşme ilçesine bağlı Alaçatı Beldesi dir.
Bildiri kapsamında Alaçatı’nın tarihini, hangi kültürlere ev
sahipliği yaptığını ve o kültürlerin günümüze olan yansımaları
incelenmiştir. Alaçatı’daki butik oteller; Alaçatı’da butik otel
olarak tasarlananlar ve Alaçatı’da yeni işlevlendirme ile hizmet veren
butik oteller olmak üzere iki grup altında toplanmış ve seçilen otel
örnekleri üzerinden gözlem ve tespit çalışmaları sonucunda, otellerin
mimari ve iç mimari açıdan farklılıkları karşılaştırma yöntemi
kullanılarak açıklanmıştır. Tüm bu bilgiler, tüme varım yöntemi ile
bir araya getirilerek çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Seçilen örneklerin sonucunda çalışmanın amacı olan, iki gruptaki
otellerin mimari ve iç mimari açıdan farklılıkları ortaya konmuştur.
Elde edilen sonuçlarda Alaçatı’da butik otel olarak tasarlananlarda;
modern, yenilikçi tasarımların olduğu ve mekansal bölümlendirmelerin
daha rahat olanak sağladığı görülürken, yeni işlevlendirme ile hizmet
verilen
otel
yapılarında
klasik,
ağır
donatılardan
oluşan
düzenlemelerin olduğu ve sınırlı olanaklardan mekansal fonksiyonların
tam yerine getirilmediği saptanmıştır.
Anahtar Kelimeler:Butik Oteller, Butik Otellerin İç Mekan
Tasarlama
İlkeleri,Alaçatı,
Alaçatı’nin
Kentsel
ve
Mimari
Özelliği,Alaçatı’daki Butik Oteller
1. INTRODUCTION (GİRİŞ)
Accommodation facilities, which were built as a result of
journeys people had throughout the history, constitute the basis of
hotel buildings that have a significant role today. By means of
opportunities of technology, these buildings have developed in time
and transumed to serve for different needs while they were the
structures people stopped by just for sleeping. Each of the hotels was
separated to different identities with their service of concept and
design criteria they offer. Boutique hotels, with their idiosyncratic
identities, take part in the specially qualified hotel group. Alacati
town is a settlement where boutique hotels are in abundance. That is
why it has been chosen as the study area and examined.
Within that scope, boutique hotel concept and indoor features
have been discussed, spatial organization and structure qualification
of boutique hotels in Alacati have been evaluated, comparisons and
analyses have been made.
2. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY (ÇALIŞMANIN ÖNEMİ)
The significance of the study is, to determine the place of
boutique hotels in hotel groups, which do not serve for accommodation
purposes merely, and to confirm similarities and differences of the
boutique hotels separated into two classes designed to be boutique
hotel and that serve with new functions in Alacati. Moreover, to
establish a criteria presence that must be in boutique hotel units in
both groups. Accordingly, gathering information to be helpful for
design studies of boutique hotels, much more qualified boutique hotel
units to be built in future will be provided.
3. THE BOUTIQUE HOTEL CONCEPT AND INDOOR DESIGN PRINCIPLES
(BUTİK OTEL KAVRAMI VE İÇ MEKAN TASARLAMA İLKELERİ)
Boutique hotels are the places that are not merely composed of
one room installed with idiosyncratically, every room of which were
covered with different original equipment, but that remind of a house
designed to have been considered as a whole. Natural speculation,
ambience, quality services are traditional characters of boutique
hotels.
When boutique concept is ascribed to hotels, it may sound a term
telling the smallness of the hotel. Although this term generally seems
to involve the hotels with less than 100 rooms, that is not entirely
true. There exist many boutique hotels having capacity for a number of
rooms. A boutique hotel, if a very emphatic designer group supports
the original designation, can be 2000 bed capacity. Since boutique
hotels, however, serve personalized service; too much bed capacity may
obstruct boutique hotels to perform certain criteria. If a hotel does
not have an innovative design and high-quality style insight, it
cannot be called boutique just because having small area [1]. The
first thing that spring to mind when boutique hotel term is
considered, rather than its size, is being a design hotel leading to
art movement. One of the most significant feature that separate
boutique hotels from the others is their customer-oriented working
principles. Serving personalized service in line with customer
requirements. And the indispensable elements of these hotels are their
original equipment used in coverings with inimitable characters
architecturally. Quality design and architectural features are the
values that boutique hotels have to provide. This is the most
important element that makes boutique hotels the “boutique”. There is
no single organization planning in designation principles of boutique
hotels as in others. Because there are elements that affect working
structure and arrangement of each hotel. The place, internal
settlement of hotel, customs of traditions of the site, qualifications
of staff are some of those [2]. For that very reason, to create a
function schema under a single planning of hotels is not possible.
However, we can determine the factors having impact on formation of
hotel units’ creation. So then, firstly, it is required to determine
users’ requirements and action areas of in these areas. Since
boutique, hotels are in the small-scaled hotel groups, their function
groups are fewer compared to other hotel groups. Generally, we can
separate boutique hotels into three main place groups as common usage
areas, individual usage areas and service places (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Organization Schema of Indoor of Boutique Hotels [3]
(Şekil 1. Butik Otellerin İç Mekan Örgütlenme Şeması [3])
A boutique hotel must be designed appropriate for its identity,
structure and the settlement considering usage areas.
4. BOUTIQUE HOTEL EXPERIENCE ON THE EXAMPLES IN ALACATI
(ALAÇATI’DAKİ ÖRNEKLER ÜZERİNDE BUTİK OTEL DENEYİMİ)
One of the areas where there are many boutique hotels, which
have been indicating development on tourism in recent years in our
country, is Alacati town. Alacati town has an important place in our
country for both being able to protect its historical texture to the
present day and being able to be in accordance with the texture of its
new buildings. Boutique hotels in Alacati, to this respect, are
preferred intensely by people with their qualifications.
4.1. Alacati Town (Alaçatı Beldesi)
Alacati is 70 kilometres far from İzmir, and 7 kilometres from
Cesme district. There are 7 villages around the town. The population
of Alacati is 10 thousand. However, this population reaches 60
thousands in summer months [4]. The name Alacati appears in boundaries
of Erythrai, northeast of Ilıca in B.C. 3000 years. Erythrai is one of
twelve Ionian cities. Erythrai and Cesme area of Byzantium Empire in
Middle Ages, were taken by Turks in second half of the 14th century and
joined to Aydınogullari Principality [5].
In “Cesme Codex” prepared in 1530, the name Alacati was named as
“Alacaat”. In the codex, the fact that there are 211 houses in Cesme,
60 in Ildırı and 127 in Alacaat is written [6]. Marshy ground in the
south of Alacati started to produce malaria microbes in 1800s. In
order to drain the marsch, workers from Greek islands were brought.
The workers reconstructed Alacati after they settled in. They improved
viticulture in the area. Alacati port used for wine exportation to
France and Chios became very important. Rum population that was
predominant in Alacati in this period centred on the port area. They,
then, spread to the neighbourhood, which is 1 kilometre away from the
port environment and called Haci Memis” today, and to the north
afterwards [7].
Turkish population in Alacati started to migrate to Anatolia
while Rum population living in Cesme peninsula went to Aegean Islands
in consequence of Ottoman Empire’s defeat in Balkan war in 1908-1912
[7].
After the World War First and Liberty War, large part of Rums
left Alacati. Instead of viticulture Rums made, Turks started to
tobacco manufacture. They started to use the places as storage for
tobacco in which grapes had been stored then wine was produced [8].
Since 1950s, economy based on tobacco has weakened and the area
has lost population. With tourism promotion projects prepared in
1980s, Alacati was re-animated and has become one of touristic centres
in a short time span.
4.2. Urban and Architectural Feature of Alacati
(Alaçatı’nın Kentsel ve Mimari Özelliği)
Altitude above sea level of Alacati is 16 meters and its surface
area is 55 km². On the geological ground of the town, under the
topsoil, there is white and yellow ground with marn and siet as 0,501,00 thick [9].
Physical structure of the town consists of three parts. The
first is the area including traditional texture in Alacati centre. The
second covers new residential area. And the third part is the tourism
area started to be formed newly in the south of the town. The first
part of the area where traditional texture is present in the centre
includes Haci Memis, Tokoglu and Yeni Mecidiye neighbourhoods.
Traditional characteristic architectural features of the area are seen
in the structures in that area. It includes old stone structures and
historical streets reflecting Rum architectural features. It is seen
that old stone structures have been restored and have often been used
as boutique, café-restaurant, boutique hotel etc. The symbols of the
area, windmills, are also in that area (Figure 2.)
Figure 2. Traditional Texture in Alacati Alacati[6]
(Şekil 2. Alaçatı’daki Geleneksel Doku Dağılım Haritası[6])
Figure 3.Custom Pin Map of Neighbours in Alacati New Residential
Area[6]
(Şekil 3. Alaçatı’daki Mahallelerin Yeni Yerleşim Alanı [6])
When housing and street structures are examined in that area, we
see two types of textures. One is a geometric texture including
Tokoglu and Mecidiye Neighbourhoods in the north of Mektep Street with
the texture around Kemal Pasa Street. The other is an organic texture
in Haci Memis Neighbourhood including the area of rather southeast
region of the town [6].
This area, which is included in the centre of the settlement as
well, has been declared as Civic Protected Area by İzmir 1 Cultural
and Natural Heritage Preservation Board and taken under protection
[10]. Dalkıran A. et al., in their studies, retained physical status
of the structures in traditional texture as well as in 2nd Region
(Table 1).
Table 1. Physical Status of the structures in traditional texture and
2nd Region [10]
(Tablo 1. Geleneksel Dokudaki ve İkinci Bölgedeki Yapıların Fiziksel
Durumları[10])
The second area is the place where second housings take place in
the north of Alacati. This area has an arrangement composed with an
understanding of a modernist plan used as summerhouses that are very
far away from traditional texture. There are improper structures
composed by not abiding architectural features of available structures
in urban protected area in Alacati centre (Table 2).
Table 2. Accordance of Traditional Texture and Second Region
Structures with the
texture [10]
(Tablo 2. Geleneksel Dokudaki ve İkinci Bölgedeki Yapıların Dokuya
Uyumları[10])
As the third, we see the tourism area that has started to
compose recently in the south of the town. This area differentiates
both with the traditional area in terms of function type and feature,
and with the second part which is a new development area. The area
includes the place that enables windsurfing having a great importance
for winning a name for the town.
4.3. Boutique Hotels in Alacati(Alaçatı’daki Butik Oteller)
The hotels in Alacati are generally 5-10-rooms and have the
capacity of total 600 beds [11].
Boutique hotels in Alacati town are two types in architectural
sense. The first are the ones composed with re-functioning of old Rum
houses, and the others are the ones composed afterwards abiding by old
architectural texture.
Boutique hotels composed as a consequence of re-functioning,
because of being the transformations of Rum and Turk houses, reflect
the effects of Turk and Rum architecture. Referring to those
structures as synthesis of Turk and Rum houses is more appropriate.
The main reason of the fact that structures reflect two different
architectural elements is the effects of Turkish culture, which were
because a forced migration since 1920s and Rum culture, effective on
spatial composition since 1800s [12]. We can separate the hotels into
two groups as the ones serving with re-functioning and the ones
designed as boutique hotels.
We can examine these hotel structures in three main groups in
terms of construction, plan and façade features.
Construction features: Stone houses, converted to boutique
hotels, were built using hardening white stones, extracted from the
region. Yellowing of those stones in time reflects the ages of the
buildings (Photo 1). Since the main material of the structures is the
stone, indoors of the buildings are cool in summers and hot in
winters. The walls of ground floors were operated thicker compared to
first floor walls. Soil mixture and lime including soil, lime, albumen
etc. were used in wall construction instead of cement. And that
afforded buildings remain hotter in winters and cooler in summers.
Some of the houses were completely made of stone materials whereas
timber and brick materials were used in upstairs while ground floors
were stone materials.
Photo 1. Facade View of a Stone Hotel [13]
(Resim 1.Taş Otel Cephe Görünüşü[13])
Facades are painted with white and oxide yellow tones lime
kalsomine. Door and window sides are mostly bordered with indigo-blue
[11].
The stone houses are made as two-floors. On the ground floors,
kitchen and living space are present mainly. As to upper levels, there
are penthouses also defined as life. There is a sofa upstairs and the
rooms opening to this sofa. This floor can also be reached with a
stairway by the street. This stairway is also made of timber or stone
material.
Ground flooring of the hotels are covered with timber, natural
colour and classic diamond figured plates and slates. To the floorings
in the stopes of the structures made of completely timber, under-floor
scarves were attached after thick bearers in circle or rectangle forms
were placed as girders and then floor woods were nailed. If there is,
around of inner gardens were hedged with garden wall 50 cm thickness
and 2-4 meters height [11].
Most of the hotels built as boutique hotels were composed of
stone materials. Facades were painted with white lime kalsomine so as
to harmonize with other structures.
Photo 2. Façade View of Padma Hotel [14]
(Resim 2. Padma Otel Cephe Görünüşü[14])
Features of the Plan: All the boutique hotels that came into
existence by transforming the houses remaining from the past in the
region are constituted with the units segmented according to the
living standards of that time. Most of the boutique hotels are made as
two-floors. The ground floors of structures contain storerooms and
kitchen units. Living units have been designed on the upper floors.
The units have generally been constructed in a plan type with outer
and middle sofa. Another important feature of the houses is having
terraces viewing the backyard in almost all the houses.
Figure 4. Tashmahal Hotel Ground and Up Floor Restoration Plan Schema
[15]
(Şekil 4. Tashmahal Otel Zemin ve Üst Kat Restorasyon Plan Şemansı
[15])
There are some differences convenient to the requirements of
that time in the ones designed as boutique hotels. The structures
designed as boutique hotels have enough rooms for serving people on
plan basis and different recreation areas. As distinct from the
boutique hotels formed by refunctioning, they have an administration
unit, a breakfast room, a laundry, garden and swimming pool.
Figure 5. Street 75 Hotel Ground and Up Floor Restoration Plan
Schema [15]
(Şekil 5. Cadde 75 Otel Zemin ve Üst Kat Plan Şeması[15])
of
Façade Features: Many structures resemble to each other in terms
their façade features. There are cantlevers and spurs in the
structures. Some of them have more effects on the environment. The
doors and windows of the structures made of façade elements are
important factors that make the building unique. Raw materials of the
traditional Alacati doors are timbers. There are iron doors made later
in that region. As in all historical structures of Anatolia,
particular importance has been given to windows as well as doors of
Alacati structures. It has been observed that window frames have been
placed near the inner sides of the thick walls so as to let the inner
sides have more light than the window openings. Thusly, the openings
of window sashes have been ensured.
Figure 6. Tashmahal
Hotel North View (Relievo) Schema [15]
(Şekil 6. Tashmahal Oteli Kuzey Görünüş (Röleve) Şeması [15])
As in the newly constructed boutique hotels and in the
structures constructed by refunctioning as hotels, plaster and plaster
ornaments have been used to protect the façade from external effects.
Stones have been used as not being so much processed and naturel for
the walls that are intended to be shown as stones without using
plaster. Stones are the constructing materials of all the hotels
examined. Jambs have been used in the door and window frames of all
hotels.
Doors and windows of all the hotels are rectangular-shaped.
There exist cantlevers and spurs in the upper floors. They have been
built convenient to the traditional texture of Alacati in terms of
their façade typologies.
Stones are composed of different size as disordered and
horizontally by placing small stones between them. Alaturca tiles are
used as roof coating. Ornaments of roof corners are made by using tworiffle bricks called as eagle wings [16].
Figure 7. Kayezta Hotel South Façade View Schema [15]
(Şekil 7. Kayezta Oteli Güney Cephesi Görünüş Şeması [15])
5.CONCLUSION (SONUÇ)
Accommodation
needs
of
people
during
their
voyages
for
particular purposes throughout the history have disappeared with the
construction of lodgings and caravanserais.
These accommodation structures have replaced by the facilities
having more services for people under the name of hotels with the
requirements of this time and technological capabilities.
Hotels have been classified according to their features in time,
and have begun to serve in accordance with their identities.
Boutique hotels are in the special quality hotels category
according to the hotel classification of Tourism Promotion Law to
which accommodation structures are connected.
The reason that boutique hotels are in the special quality hotel
group is, having reflected lifestyle of the cities to architecture,
indoor concept and to the service that they give. They serve occupants
to feel like at their homes with personalized service. Boutique hotels
are one of the facilities, the number of which increase day by day,
and Alacati town of İzmir is one of the places where these facilities
are present commonly. The reason that this town has been chosen as the
research field is;
●
that old and new texture are in accordance with each other in
many parts of the city.
● that they include both the hotels transformed to boutique
hotels with re-functioning as a result of restoration of stone houses
in the town and the ones built afterwards.
● Providing sportive activities thanks to the location of the
town is a significant factor for users’ holiday place choices. For
that reason, intensive demands for boutique hotels in summer seasons
are effective in research selection.
In the hotels selected in the scope of the study, two
significant factors were considered. In the first, it has been aimed
that hotels contain each two sides architecturally. And in the other,
the hotels that users prefer mostly have been focused on. Findings
gained from the hotels examined in the scope of the study are;
● Boutique hotels constructed by refunctioning have generally
been determined to be constructed in a way that has least damage on
their historical texture architecturally. The ones constructed later
have been seen to be constructed in a way that is convenient to their
historical texture and similar to each other.
● Stone materials that are special to Alacati town were used as
construction materials of the hotels chosen. Considering the façade
typologies of the hotels, it is observed that all the hotels except
for two have spurs on their façades. Spur has been used on sides of
door and window openings of all the hotels. Whereas the door and
window profiles of the ones constructed by refunctioning are wooden;
plastic materials have been observed to be used in the profiles of
many hotels constructed later. These materials cause some damage on
texture compatibility. That is why the old structures come into
prominence rather than the others in terms of façade integrity.
● Examining the hotels dealt with, it has been observed that many
hotels have some deficiencies in their residential organizations. Some
necessary units for boutique hotels do not exist in the hotels. Lobby
areas and breakfast rooms are not included as separate units
especially in the boutique hotels transformed later by refunctioning
owing to residential limitations. They also do not include storerooms
and laundry units. However, indoor organization problems are at lower
levels in the boutique hotels newly constructed by considering the
units.
● The most significant feature of the boutique hotels is being
covered with special and antique worth equipment. The hotels refunctioned have been determined to be more successful at this point.
Since modern equipment has been preferred in many of the hotels
constructed later. On the other hand, out-dated equipment being used
in the other hotels give the costumers a feeling of life experiences.
● One of the most important factors, except for all these, is
that all the hotels serve people under the name of boutique hotels.
However, none of them has boutique hotel operating licence belonging
to Tourism Facilities Regulations.
In conclusion; considering all these factors, many of these
hotels examined are able to offer the costumers a boutique hotel
comfort. However, working with experts having every kind of knowledge
and understanding in the matter of boutique hotel design might provide
a healthier design-management relation.
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Esra Aksoy