We all like to buy into the notion of being stylish and modern. But when have something stylish and modern that won't break the bank, you could be on to a winner. It's one of the philosophies behind the Tulip Inn brand and a simple one that has elbowed its chief executive, Peter Roberts, into the forefront of the leisure and hospitality industry. Peter is a chartered surveyor by profession and was, in 1980, founding director of Langdale Group Resorts plc, which developed properties in the Lake District, Spain and Portugal. He now heads Golden Tulip UK. "You could say the hotel business in is my blood," he says, pointing to the November issue of Enterprise North East which featured luxury hotelier, Sir Rocco Forte, on the cover. "My family had a hotel in London - my father sold it to his father. We started Golden Tulip two-and-a-half years ago and we now have four hotels under that banner." We're sitting in the reception area at the newly-constructed Tulip Inn at Team Valley, Gateshead, which marks the first venture into the North-East for the North Yorkshire-based company. It's comfortable, spacious, airy - and filling up nicely. "Newcastle Gateshead was very high on our list," he says. "We like our properties to be anchored to commercial and business parks. Team Valley is ideal with its closeness to the A1, plus you can pop into the city in four minutes. "We see Gateshead as a prime target area; we think there's a big market there and we'd like another one. I'm proud to have seen this built from scratch - the traditional build time for a similar project would normally be 15 months, but we can do it in 33 weeks, so there are fewer costs and it means you're trading quicker, plus the project isn't so subject to difficulties with the weather." The Tulip Hotel owes its speedy build to the rooms being assembled in a factory - a whole new concept, says Peter - with 108 rooms erected in six working days. "People are doing bathroom pods but not many are doing full bedrooms," he says. "We put more concentration into better room fit-out and we're not heavily into frills." There are actually two strands to the business - the stylish and affordable Tulip Inns are located close to town centres and business parks, while Golden Tulip Hotels are four-to five-star properties which are strong in individuality. Ripon-based Golden Tulip UK is an arm of Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns & Resorts, a privately-owned franchise company with its head office in the Netherlands. It franchises some 270 hotels across 41 countries, with the majority of hotels being located in urban destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. All come with air-conditioned conference rooms and provide security, comfort and "a magnificent shower". "We think there's a big market where we have positioned ourselves," says Peter. "We feature bigger rooms than a lot of older hotels and some have two double beds - older buildings sometimes have difficult-shaped rooms - so when you have a family of four sharing, it's pretty good value. "But different people want different things - a businessman can arrives at seven or eight o'clock at night, for instance, use the IT facilities, eat, have a drink and be off again next day." Peter can even guage how the Tulip Inn concept has been accepted by the make and model of the vehicles in the car park. In "lifestyle factors" this equates to new or nearly-new quality cars. "I always take note of the type of car, it's an important indicator," he says. "There's everything from a Bentley to a mini out there at the moment. Attention to detail is important, such as well laid-out parking areas - particularly if you're a woman - where you don't have to cross any roads. Car park security is important to people, too - it comes second only to room security. "A number of people are coming back week after week - that tells us that they like what they see and that's good news." The Tulip brand won't blossom solely in the North-East, however. Examination of the market is a continuous process. "We have four Tulip hotels plus one Golden Tulip," says Peter, "and we want to get to 20 hotels in the next two or three years. But sites are very difficult to get - we're looking at 40 at the moment - and negotiations are never that easy and can be very very time-consuming." There's a long way to go, but the Gateshead operation - open for little more than two months - is making a happy man out of Peter Roberts. And, he believes happiness is another indicator of standards. "If the receptionist is cheery and the staff smile, you're halfway there," he says. The second half is about to begin. Tulip Inn, Team Valley, Gateshead (0191) 491 3131. | 
