Are young people who are tired of AI falling in love with the "handmade" life at Argyle Hotel?
In the era of all - powerful AI, some "anti - efficiency" pleasures of life are spreading in the city.
Topics related to "hand - made" on social media have been heating up continuously. Bean mosaic, crochet, pipe cleaners... All kinds of DIY handicrafts have become a new way for urban people to relieve stress.
● Image source: Screenshots from the content of @Miao Sanzhi's Bean Mosaic Diary and @Peach's Handicraft Diary on Xiaohongshu.
People have found that in an era when AI can generate images in three seconds and write poems in five seconds, what is most scarce is actually the "human touch" - that kind of real - life feeling of getting burned by hot - melt glue and exclaiming, having the wool get knotted like a bird's nest, or sticking the Gundam sticker backwards, which is really addictive.
It is against this background that the "hand - made economy" has begun to spread from the desks at home to public spaces. Some unexpected places have become the first stop for young people to get into the hobby - for example, Orange Hotel.
Hand - made, the most "anti - efficiency" pleasure in this era
On an afternoon with perfect sunshine, a corner of the lobby of Orange Hotel has been occupied by a group of "hand - made enthusiasts".
This is neither a handicraft studio nor an interest class, but the newly launched limited "Warm - hearted Handicraft" activity in the "Orange Fun Space" of Orange Hotel.
If you've browsed social media recently, you probably won't be unfamiliar with this scene.
On Xiaohongshu, the topic #Pipe Cleaners has been viewed over 2.2 billion times, and the related content almost fills the homepage - "Everything can be made with pipe cleaners": flowers, animals, bag charms, ornaments, and some people even use them to recreate an entire garden.
This material, which consists of a thin wire wrapped in wool, is simple to operate but highly malleable. With just a few basic actions like "twisting, bending, and wrapping", a straight wire can turn into a sunflower or a cute orange tree.
Orange Hotel has brought this zero - threshold hand - made experience into the gaps of travel. The experience activity in the Orange Fun Space is free for guests on specified dates and holidays such as May Day . It has quickly become a secret base for people to "get rid of the work vibe".
Some parents bring their children. The small hands and big hands are twisting a piece of material together. The rhythms are completely different, but they can complete the same work; Girlfriends are complaining about their recent work while twisting the pipe cleaners into flowers; Couples set aside an afternoon during their trip to twist a pair of small pendants as "souvenirs"; Even business men on business trips show a cute contrast when doing handicrafts and are more focused than when dealing with "high - difficulty" projects.
Here, the threshold for happiness is very low. You don't need talent or experience. Just bend, fold, wrap, and twist, and you'll get an "immediate positive feedback", fully satisfying your emotional needs.
Some guests said, "I didn't expect pipe cleaners to be so stress - relieving. While doing it, I seemed to enter a state of flow."
The fun of hand - made lies in that it blurs the concept of time and automatically filters out external information. People finally have the opportunity to "block everything with one click" and purely enjoy the pleasure of creation.
In the future, such experiences will continue to happen in the fun space of Orange Hotel. In addition to pipe cleaners, there will also be different forms of "hand - made themes" such as DIY bubble water and orange scented tablets, allowing people to have various forms of fun during their trips.
Orange Hotel has made us realize that the hotel is no longer just an entrance for "passive services". It also pays attention to people's needs for "active creation". In a highly standardized world, people are pursuing imperfect, participatory, and time - filled experiences again, and Orange Hotel provides such a low - stress entrance.
From coffee to breakfast, Orange Hotel starts to let you "live your own life by hand"
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman once mentioned that happiness largely comes from the sense of control over time and life.
However, the reality is that a lot of adults' unhappiness stems from the lack of this sense of control - their schedules are full, their choices are limited, and life is like a pre - set program.
So, Orange Hotel starts to return the initiative of "living life" to the guests. From smaller things - what shape to twist the pipe cleaners into, what flavor of coffee to make, and how to match the breakfast food - people can regain a "small but pleasant" sense of creation.
The self - service coffee station in Orange Hotel is an embodiment of turning the act of "drinking coffee" into a "DIY experience field".
This coffee station is open 24 hours a day, free of charge, and fully self - service, which provides a high level of comfort for introverts. Different people can create their own "today's coffee" here.
The standard iced Americano for office workers only requires choosing a cup, filling it with ice cubes, and then pressing the "Americano" button, which can be done in two steps. Young people who don't want to endure the bitterness will secretly replace the Americano with "orange - flavored coffee" in the hope of a touch of sweetness in the bitterness.
Think the Americano is too basic? Some people have invented a "heretic - style special blend" - first add ice, then pour in sparkling water, then choose orange - flavored coffee, and finally throw in a few orange gummy candies. A cup of "Orange Americano" with a slightly surprising taste is ready. The lightness of the bubbles, the freshness of the fruit aroma, and the bitterness of the coffee mix together in a strange but addictive way.
This cup of coffee is not just for refreshing, but also for the sense of achievement of "I made it". Whether it's mixing coconut water with coffee, combining fruit - infused water with cold - brew coffee, or using coffee as a "base liquid" to create special blends, each blending becomes a unique hand - made creation for "Orange players".
If coffee is just a light - weight hand - made activity, then breakfast at Orange Hotel is a full - fledged life DIY.
Orange Hotel divides the breakfast into three areas: the low - fat and healthy area, the coffee and bread area, and the carbohydrate - filled happiness area. Although it seems like a division, in fact, it returns the right of choice to the life experts.
The low - fat and healthy area follows the current trend of light food. A whole row of grains, nuts, and dried fruits are neatly displayed, and there is a sugar - free yogurt machine beside. You can put whatever you like, and a bowl of thick and high - end yogurt bowl is done. Protein, dietary fiber, fat, and carbohydrates are all in one bowl, which is both light and filling.
You can also make a fat - reducing salad with the arugula, purple cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and corn kernels beside. After taking a photo, you can post it on your WeChat Moments: You've easily mastered the art of beautiful food.
As "light - food culture", "low - fat lifestyle", and "fitness check - ins" are becoming mainstream, people's requirements for breakfast are no longer just about "filling the stomach", but also about whether it tastes good, is healthy, and even whether it offers a sense of participation and is "worth taking a photo of".
Orange Hotel is more like a "calorie accountant" and a "nutrition - matching assistant". It doesn't make decisions for you, but provides a clear enough choice system, making complex diets simple and making self - discipline less of a chore.
● Orange Shanghai Xujiahui Tianlin Road Hotel is the first to launch a calorie - visualization system
And offers nutrition - based breakfast combinations for different groups of people
So, even if you're a carbohydrate lover, you don't have to worry. The signature orange - peel beef noodles at Orange Hotel have big chunks of beef rolling in the soup, and the faint fragrance of orange peel makes your mouth water. There is also low - burden buckwheat noodles available, so fitness enthusiasts can enjoy them with confidence; There are also steamed dumplings with konjac, oats, and chicken breast. The outer skin is made of konjac, oats, and highland barley flour, and the inside is filled with chicken breast and vegetables. You can enjoy the "carbohydrate happiness" without any guilt.
In addition, there is also a "pure hand - made" breakfast option here - DIY your own sandwich. The toasted whole - wheat toast, paired with bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes, or lettuce, whether you want a juicy or a sweet - and - sour combination depends entirely on the diners' current mood.
On a sunny day, some people will enjoy this delicious food by the window: a self - matched breakfast, a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and a fresh orange on the side. It looks like a casual brunch rather than a rushed hotel breakfast.
The special feature of Orange Hotel lies in that it creates a little more space for the originally standardized services. It allows people to participate and makes life a little more interesting.