U.S. patent application number 11/491546 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-05 for hotel area for family reunions and the like.
Invention is credited to Leo A. Gallagher.
Application Number | 20070074471 11/491546 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37900618 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070074471 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gallagher; Leo A. |
April 5, 2007 |
Hotel area for family reunions and the like
Abstract
A hotel area designed for family reunions and the like includes
a large common area from which each of a plurality of bedrooms is
accessible. The bedrooms each include one or two beds and a
bathroom. The common area is substantially larger than the bedrooms
(i.e. sized to accommodate at least the number of people that can
be accommodated in all the bedrooms). The common area includes a
large kitchen area, suitable for preparing food for all of the
people. A play area (indoor or outdoor) is accessible only via the
common area and the kitchen area is preferably located between the
play area and the common doorway, to prevent little children from
wandering away. Thus, the common area provides a natural, casual
gathering area for the guests of the bedrooms. The minimal
amenities in the bedrooms encourage the guests into the common
area, such as the kitchen.
Inventors: |
Gallagher; Leo A.; (Agoura,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CARLSON, GASKEY & OLDS, P.C.
400 WEST MAPLE ROAD
SUITE 350
BIRMINGHAM
MI
48009
US
|
Family ID: |
37900618 |
Appl. No.: |
11/491546 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60701298 |
Jul 21, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/236.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 3/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/236.3 |
International
Class: |
E04H 1/00 20060101
E04H001/00 |
Claims
1. A hotel area comprising: a lobby area; a common area accessible
from the lobby area via a lockable common doorway; and a plurality
of bedrooms accessible from the common area, each of the plurality
of bedrooms including a lockable bedroom doorway.
2. The hotel area of claim 1 further including a bedroom lock on a
bedroom door in each of the plurality of bedroom doorways and a
common lock on a common door in the common doorway.
3. The hotel area of claim 2 wherein the keys for the bedroom doors
all open the common door, but only unlock an assigned one of the
plurality of bedroom doors.
4. The hotel area of claim 3 further including a kitchen area in
the common area.
5. The hotel area of claim 3 wherein the common doorway is the only
entrance to the common area and bedrooms.
6. The hotel area of claim 3 further including a play area
accessible via the common area.
7. The hotel area of claim 6 wherein the play area is accessible
only via the common area.
8. The hotel area of claim 7 wherein the play area is outdoors.
9. The hotel area of claim 8 further including a kitchen area in
the common area, the kitchen area between the common doorway and
the play area.
10. The hotel area of claim 3 further including a video conference
area in the common area.
11. The hotel area of claim 3 wherein the common area is
substantially larger than the bedrooms.
12. The hotel area of claim 11 wherein the common area is
approximately the same size as a sum of the bedrooms.
13. The hotel area of claim 12 further including a computer
assigning keys to the bedroom doorways and the common doorway.
14. The hotel area of claim 1 wherein at least one of the bedrooms
is a grandparents suite having a bed having an area at least twice
that of a standard king size bed.
15. A hotel area comprising: a lobby area including a computer
system for registering guests; a common area accessible from the
lobby area via a common door having a common lock; and a plurality
of bedrooms accessible from the common area, the bedrooms
substantially smaller than the common area, each of the plurality
of bedrooms including a bedroom door having a bedroom lock, wherein
the keys for the bedroom doors all open the common door, but only
unlock an assigned one of the plurality of bedroom doors, the
computer system assigning the keys.
16. The hotel area of claim 15 further including a kitchen area in
the common area.
17. The hotel area of claim 15 wherein the common doorway is the
only entrance to the common area and bedrooms.
18. The hotel area of claim 15 further including a play area that
is accessible only via the common area.
19. The hotel area of claim 19 wherein the play area is
outdoors.
20. The hotel area of claim 19 further including a kitchen area in
the common area, the kitchen area between the common doorway and
the play area.
21. The hotel area of claim 15 wherein the common area is
approximately the same size as a sum of the bedrooms.
22. The hotel area of claim 15 wherein at least one of the bedrooms
is a grandparents suite having a bed having an area at least twice
that of a standard king size bed.
23. A hotel area comprising: a lobby area including a computer
system for registering guests; a common area accessible from the
lobby area via a common doorway, the common area including a
kitchen area; and a plurality of bedrooms accessible only from the
common area, the bedrooms substantially smaller than the common
area, each of the plurality of bedrooms including a bedroom door
having a bedroom lock.
24. The hotel area of claim 23 wherein the common doorway is the
only entrance to the common area and bedrooms.
25. The hotel area of claim 23 further including a play area that
is accessible only via the common area.
26. The hotel area of claim 25 wherein the play area is
outdoors.
27. The hotel area of claim 19 wherein the kitchen area is between
the common doorway and the play area.
28. The hotel area of claim 27 wherein the common area is
approximately the same size as a sum of the bedrooms.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/701,298, filed Jul. 21, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to hotels and more
particularly to a hotel area particularly well-suited to family
reunions and similar events.
[0003] Generally, hotels are designed around the model of
individual business travelers, each staying separately and
segregated as much as possible from one another. Small immediate
families can stay in the same room, and larger immediate families
or a few extended family members can even stay in connected rooms,
but the rooms are designed and arranged with the assumption that
the guests will be in the rooms almost exclusively for sleeping,
but socializing somewhere else. Families (or other groups) larger
than are allowed in a couple connected rooms are segregated as much
as strangers.
[0004] Family reunions, where numerous generations of extended
family gather for food and talk, are often held outside in a
picnic-like arrangement. This can be difficult for family members
with children because the lack of barriers outdoors means that the
children can roam anywhere unless closely supervised, and the large
number of people gathered together in the area makes supervising
the children difficult. The supervision of the children can
interfere with the ability to freely visit with everyone at the
family reunion.
[0005] Family reunions are normally scheduled for one day on a
weekend, and many of the members will be traveling from out of town
for the family reunion. However, even the family members who stay
at the same hotel are segregated in the same manner as strange
traveling salesman by the general layout and arrangement of the
hotel rooms. The opportunity for visitation and socialization the
night before and the morning before the family reunion is lost
because of this arrangement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A hotel area designed for family reunions and the like
includes a large common area from which each of a plurality of
bedrooms is accessible. The bedrooms each include one or two beds
and a bathroom. The common area is substantially larger than the
bedrooms (i.e. sized to accommodate at least the number of people
that can be accommodated in all the bedrooms). The common area
includes a large kitchen area, suitable for preparing food for all
of the people. A play area (indoor or outdoor) is accessible only
via the common area and the kitchen area is preferably located
between the play area and the common doorway, to prevent little
children from wandering away.
[0007] Thus, the common area provides a natural, casual gathering
area for the guests of the bedrooms. The minimal amenities in the
bedrooms encourage the guests into the common area, such as the
kitchen. Other features and benefits are explained more fully
below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other advantages of the present invention can be understood
by reference to the following detailed description when considered
in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates one example layout of a hotel area
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] A layout of a hotel 10 designed in accordance with the
present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The hotel 10 includes a
traditional front desk 12 having a reservation, room assignment,
registration and security computer system 14. The front desk 12 may
be located in a lobby 16 of the hotel 10. The hotel 10 may include
traditional, segregated hotel rooms 18 separated by hallways and
each having separate doors with separate, independent locks opening
into the common hallway, as in a traditional hotel arrangement.
[0011] The hotel 10 further includes a family reunion area 20
having a large common area 22 accessible from the hallway (or lobby
16) or other publicly accessible area via a limited (preferably
one) number of doorways 24 (not including fire exits that may sound
an alarm if opened and cannot be opened from the public area). The
doorway 24 has a door and lock accessible by the family members and
cannot be opened by the public.
[0012] A plurality of hotel rooms 26 are arranged about the common
area 22 and each is accessible via a door 28, each having a
separately keyed lock. The keys for each lock (such as key cards or
other computer-readable media) also unlock the common door 24. If
programmable keys (key cards, bar codes or other media) are used,
then the computer system 14 provides the codes and programs the
keys and/or the aforementioned doors such that they operate in the
manner described above.
[0013] Each hotel room 26 includes the minimum facilities for a
hotel room 26, i.e. a bed 32 and bathroom 28--no television, no
microwave, no refrigerator, etc. Alternatively, some such amenities
could be provided in the rooms 26 or at least some of the rooms 26.
The common area 22 is much larger than the hotel rooms 26, and may
be on the order of the sum of the adjoining hotel rooms 26 or
larger. By minimizing amenities in the individual rooms and moving
those amenities to the common area 22, guests are drawn together
into the common area 22 and the overall space of the family reunion
area 20 is reduced.
[0014] The rooms 26 can be different sizes. One or more of the
hotel rooms 26a may be a "grandparents suite." The grandparents
suite includes an extra large bed 32a (for example, having an area
approximately two or three times larger than a standard king size
bed), so that the grandparents can read or tell a story to all the
grandkids and great-grandkids on the bed 32a.
[0015] The common area 22 may include a very large kitchen area 40
having kitchen appliances 42 (oven, cooktop, refrigerator,
microwave, etc) and counters 44. The common area 22 may also
include a video conference system 45, so that family members who
were unable to attend can "meet" with some of the family members at
the reunion. The common area 22 may include some entertainment
areas, such as a hot tub 46 or small pool. Although only one is
illustrated, many table and chair arrangements 48 would be provided
in the common area 22, such as up to the capacity of the rooms
26.
[0016] One or more play areas 50, 52 are connected to the common
area 22. The play areas 50, 52 preferably do not have doorways
directly to public areas of the hotel 10. Children in the play
areas 50, 52 cannot wander away from the family reunion without
passing through the common area 22 and strangers cannot enter the
play areas 50, 52. For this reason, the kitchen area 40 is
preferably located in view of the path between the play areas 50,
52 and the doorway 24 to the family reunion area 20. The play areas
50, 52 include playground equipment such as basketball nets 54 and
swings 56. The play areas 50, 52 may be indoor or outdoor, or one
of each (so at least one is always usable in any weather).
[0017] In use on the family reunion weekend, the family members can
sleep, shower and dress in their own hotel room 26 but can quickly
and easily gather in the common area 22 without prior planning.
Parents can meet with other family members more comfortably knowing
that their children cannot wander off without passing through the
common area and passing by the kitchen area 40 through the doorway
24. For naps and/or bedtime, the children can sleep securely in the
rooms 26 while the parents are in the common area 22.
[0018] To organize a family reunion, an organizer in the family can
reserve the family reunion area 20 for the family by calling the
hotel or a central reservation number. An employee of the hotel (or
at the central reservation number) reserves the family reunion area
20 using the computer system 14. Members of the family can then
call and reserve rooms 26 in the reserved family reunion area 20 by
giving the family name(s). The rooms 26 are paid for by the
individual members. The charges for the rooms 26 covers the cost of
the common area 22. Alternatively, a separate fee can be charged to
reserve the family reunion area 20. Alternatively, this option can
be decided by the organizer (i.e. whether distribute a charge for
the family reunion area 20 across the rooms 26). However, it is
anticipated that it will be unnecessary to charge any substantial
additional fees for the rooms 26 to cover the common area 22.
[0019] Many variations on the particular example shown in FIG. 1
and described above would be within the scope of the invention. Of
course, depending upon the size of the hotel and local demand, more
than one of the family reunion areas 20 of varying sizes may be
provided in the same hotel.
[0020] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and
jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are
considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention.
However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced
otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without
departing from its spirit or scope. Alphanumeric identifiers on
method steps are for convenient reference in dependent claims and
do not signify a required sequence of performance unless otherwise
indicated in the claims.
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