1 Hotel cover.indd - Nicola Cottam

Hot Concepts: Dakota
While the atmosphere is relaxed, there is still a high standard of service and an exceptional bar and restaurant. “We
believe that the Bar & Grill is the heart and soul of Dakota,” says Farey. “We do not believe that bedrooms drive
the Bar & Grill trade, it’s the other way around.” Condé Nast’s review backs this up, stating: “Meals are served in
the New York-style Dakota Bar and Grill, which has comfortable dark-leather seating and stainless-steel lamps
suspended over candlelit tables. Sipping a glass of wine from their extensive list, it is easy to forget that the M1 is
about 30 seconds away.”
All these factors have combined to make Dakota a huge success. The restaurant pulls in local diners as well as
Dakota guests, having a celebrity backer has generated the kind of publicity money can’t buy and by refusing to
compromise on quality and design standards, the brand has impressed industry and guests alike.
Future prospects: Dakota is set to double the size of its estate in 2007 by opening two new properties – the first,
in Fife, its biggest to date, with 132 rooms.
“We open Dakota Forth Bridge in March this year and will open Dakota Farnborough in March 2008,” says Farey.
“Other sites are currently under discussion, but as they are not locked out at the moment we wouldn’t disclose
them.”
In previous interviews, McCulloch has talked about wanting to crack the US market, with a target of opening 100
Dakotas there. But for now, Farey will only discuss plans for the UK.
“Needless to say, we have earmarked periphery city centre, established business parks and visible motorway
junction locations for the brand. Our target is to have a further 10 sites locked out in 2007 and open a further 25
Dakotas over the next five years.”
March 2007 Hotel Report Guide to UK Hotels 2007 l © William Reed Publishing 18