Hotels need intelligence
The correspondent met with Leonid Nikolaev, First Vice President of JSC GAO MOSCOW, an organization authorized by the capital's government to coordinate work and conduct monitoring within the framework of the hotel construction program.
Corr.: The General Development Plan for Moscow and the hotel construction program have been adopted and approved. That is, priority areas for potential investors have been officially designated. Does the Moscow government participate financially in the implementation of this program?
Nikolaev: «The City» pays for the development of the general scheme for the placement of hotels, the creation of a typology of hotels, where, by the way, you can find the answer to the question of what hotels Moscow needs and in what quantities. GAO «MOSCOW» has information about all the sites that are marked on the general scheme — how the documentation is being processed, how the sites are being prepared for which investors have not yet been found.
By the way, our interactive monitoring system will be presented at the Moscow International Hotel Forum and Exhibition, which will be held on September 12-14, 2006 at Crocus Expo. At any point on the Moscow map, it will be possible to see which hotels are supposed to be built and when, and to obtain information about what is currently happening at each specific facility or site. In the context of world experience, this is a very convincing example of software-based work management.
Corr.: It is known that GAO «Moscow» not only carries out monitoring, but also acts as the Customer.
Nikolaev:We act as the Customer where we are the direct owners of land plots or have a direct property relationship to them. For example, we own one hundred percent of the shares of the Ostankino Hotel. Starting next year, we will begin its reconstruction — with complete dismantling and construction of a new hotel complex. The same awaits the Zolotoy Kolos Hotel, on the site of which a hotel with 2,200 — 2,500 rooms will be built. There will be three-star rooms, four-star blocks, and exclusive apartments. The new hotels will have their own special features. A large exhibition center will appear in the Ostankino Hotel. And in the Zolotoy Kolos, it is planned to place large concert halls, with which in Moscow today the situation is even worse than with hotels. The hotels should be put into operation in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
Corr.: Let's say you are the Customer. How do you build your relationship with the investment and construction company that will build, with the engineering companies that will supply the building's components?
Nikolaev: Our relationship is built simply: we sign a contract with a serious development company, which itself builds its own relationships with all engineering and other services. And, by the way, it holds tenders independently. All this is the prerogative of developers.
Corr.: And what companies are currently working with Ostankino and Zolotoy Kolos?
Nikolaev:Currently, pre-project preparation is underway at these sites. I will only say that Mosproekt-4 will be performing design work for Zolotoy Kolos, and the architectural planning part for Ostankino was performed by the 17+th workshop of Mosproekt-3. I think that GAO MOSCOW as a Customer is of great interest to potential investors, developers, and engineering companies. And you can meet us, get acquainted with our projects, and ask any questions at the forum in Crocus Expo.
Corr.: Does GAO MOSCOW have any special requirements for partners?
Nikolaev: Reliability, efficiency, experience in hotel management. Unfortunately, few meet these seemingly ordinary requirements from a business point of view today. But we do have, believe me, we do have projects that are worth paying close attention to.
Corr.: And do these projects have an engineering twist?
Nikolayev:Almost all designers will be present at the master class on hotel planning and design, which will be held by Alexander Kuzmin (chief architect of Moscow – ed.) at Crocus Expo. We asked them to “focus” on new approaches to design and those engineering solutions where new technologies are used. We believe that it is impossible to save on hotel engineering, and it is high time to equip them with systems or at least elements of an “intelligent building”. In addition to creating comfortable conditions for guests, this also protects against many risks during operation. In a word, modern hotels need intelligence.
Corr.: Insurance companies probably welcome this point of view?
Nikolaev:Of course, insurers are interested in the implementation of intelligent technologies that actually reduce many risks. But this is also attractive for hotel owners, since there is a subsequent saving of resources, protection from unpleasant situations. And in the long term, the systems of the «intelligent building» are more economically advantageous than archaic systems that require constant capital investment.
Corr.: Most of the hotels that will be built according to the development program will belong to the middle class — «2-3 stars». But with the long-term payback of Moscow hotels, is it possible to equip inexpensive hotels with modern automation systems?
Nikolaev:Of course, everything depends on the class of the hotel and the investor's investments. There is neither the possibility nor the sense in automating a «2-star» hotel, just like a luxury hotel. But the most necessary units should be automated. All hotels should have duplicate power supply systems. That is, the existing standards have declared a minimum engineering format that cannot be minimized in any way.
Corr.: «GAO MOSCOW» is going to develop domestic standards describing engineering functions for hotels of different categories. And when will these standards be approved?
Nikolaev: Engineering standards? … No one will need them until they acquire the status of a mandatory regulatory document. But such a document exists only in relation to safety measures and this is due to the Federal Law «On Technical Regulation». Therefore, the quality of the engineering filling of the hotel depends on the choice of those people who participate in the hotel business. And our «standards» are not requirements, but merely recommendations of specialists.
Corr.: What would you recommend to engineering and investment and construction companies?
Nikolaev: Hotel construction will continue. Especially since the need for them is colossal and the hotel market is huge! Engineering companies have a simple task: to adapt their solutions, their offers, their «intelligent» systems for the hotel market. And very soon they will understand how correctly they positioned themselves in this market.