Join the ‘TRIBE’ – Accor’s new lifestyle brand
Accor‘s newest lifestyle brand TRIBE is a growing network of hotels, hitting the touch-points of modern trends in hospitality, travel behaviours and work-life balance. It has an interesting story, which began in Australia in 2017, courtesy of hoteliers Mark & Melissa Peters, before capturing the imagination of Accor who identified TRIBE as a brand offering travellers design hotels at affordable prices.
With such a dominant brand name, TRIBE already stands for intelligent, functional, design-driven hotels, which are already delivering these characteristics across 15 global locations. Pauline Oster, Vice President – TRIBE Europe & North Africa has already set a target of opening 100 TRIBE hotels in Europe in the next 5-years and suggests “sophistication, creativity, alongside a curation of high-end art and design pieces, without the fussy extras is key for the brand.’
She also points to the relaxed nature of staying in a TRIBE property, which starts with the young, energetic hotel staff and diffuses organically across free-flowing spaces, designed to encourage communality, networking and relaxation.
TRIBE Budapest Stadium – On point
TRIBE Budapest Stadium has recently opened its doors and was a very good opportunity to understand the ethos of the brand, whilst letting it flex its designer muscles in a captivating city.
Budapest’s fusion of architectural styles, multiculturism and historical legacies continues to influence the future development of the Hungarian capital and an ideal city to now be home to TRIBE Budapest Stadium.
As the hotel’s name suggests, it is located between the Ferencváros Football Stadium, MVM Dome concert venue and a sprinkling of major corporations, all calling district IX home, and adding to the area’s growing vibrancy and commercial popularity.
One of the hotel’s major advantages is being moments from Metro line 3, Station Népliget, whisking you to the city-centre in around 10-minutes, whilst on the hotel’s doorstep is Tramline 1, which circuits the periphery of the city and can deposit you within touching distance to Széchenyi Baths, Heroes Square and Andrássy Avenue. Ferenc Liszt Airport is a mere 20-minutes away in the opposite direction.
The TRIBE vibe
At first glimpse, you could be forgiven for thinking the hotel’s architect may have taken inspiration from the Rubik’s Cube, as the building has an attractive geometric shape to fit its corner plot and clad by vertical, multi-coloured batons which combine to announce that you have arrived somewhere rather special. Rubik’s inventor Ernő Rubik is a famous son of Hungary, rather aptly he studied sculpture at the Academy of Applied Arts & Design and Architecture at the Technical University, both in Budapest.
The ‘TRIBE’ vibe is instantaneous as one emerges from the revolving doors, with young TRIBERS greeting new arrivals beside counters displaying TRIBE merchandise, including hoodies and a 24-hour Grab & Go tuck-shop, all stylised in the distinctive black & white ‘TRIBE’ livery.
“We want high-level hospitality service delivered by cool, authentic people who give you your space too” Oster adds
Thus, the scene is always set for a relaxed, creative and trendy stay, as the sinuous flow between lounge, restaurant and bar, clusters beyond the reception, collectively forming the beating heart and hub of the hotel.
Each area talks to one another in a sophisticated design language, which is easily interpreted and used by guests for a multitude of reasons, from co-working spaces to a local meeting-point over cocktails or barista-style coffee to simply unwind; alternatively, sit down and enjoy Californian-inspired cuisine at ‘TRIBE Table Cali’, the in-house restaurant and dining terrace.
Heading to your room
The ever-present ground-floor soundtrack, evaporates as soon as you hit the lifts and are elevated passed the IBIS rooms on floors 5 & 6, and onto floors 7 & 8 for the TRIBE rooms. The softly lit corridors with dark colour palate, continues into aesthetically pleasing bedrooms, which feel modern, vibrant and refined, offering all top-quality amenities without over embellishment.
The floor-to-ceiling windows flood rooms with natural daylight, enabling the darkly decorated walls and comfy beds to provide deeply peaceful sleep by night. State-of-the-art technology, automatically adjusts the air-conditioning temperatures according to the number of guests present. Kevin Murphy bathroom amenities, rain showers and Nespresso coffee machines and the opportunity to hide luggage under the bed, provide the cherry on the cake.
9th Floor wow-factor
On the 9th and final floor, the TRIBE wow-factor really hits home with Cloud IX Sky Bar commanding epic views over the city. The bar is touted to become a beacon of social networking; a place where professionals, leisure travellers and digital nomads of all ages, can come to relax, engage and dine, whilst sipping cocktails, mocktails and craft beers in front of an even larger set of floor-to-ceiling windows. Even Cloud IX’s ceiling slats, have gill-like automation, allowing fresh air to permeate the space. Think mixologists, multi-coloured tub chairs, floral sofas and photogenic bar.
For a final flourish, the 9th floor is home to the ‘TRIBES’ roof-top running track, just another example of this lifestyle brand thinking of the demands of travellers today. Oster signs off with a reminder that “TRIBE is where you have everything you need and nothing you don’t’. You will not pay for unnecessary extras but everything is done with sophistication.”