Trends about

Management

Rooms

Design

in

Rooms

Hospitality design, unlike many other industries, relies heavily on the

built environment. Guests want and expect a particular experience,
making every detail important. One trend that is showing up more and
more is for hotels to feel more like home, as if it is a familiar vacation
home. Hospitality designers have to balance the functionality of
hospitality design features with the warmth and fluidity of residential
design to successfully execute this design trend.
First embraced by extended-stay hotels looking to better
accommodate their guests, the idea has gained traction in the
hospitality industry and is quickly becoming the design standard.
One way hotels are adjusting to this trend is through re-designing their
lobbies and other communal spaces from hi-tech architectural spaces
to less ostentatious, comfortable spaces that are warm and inviting.
However, the feel and design of rooms continues to be the most
important aspect.
Making each room a little different from the last gives the hotel a
natural feel. This is easily accomplished by changing the layout of
individual rooms and by adding unique elements throughout the
space. This way, the room is designed to make it feel more like a
personalized master bed and bath instead of a hotel room.
Matching dcor and furniture are now a thing of the past; instead
designers are using different wall treatments and mix and match
furniture in rooms to give it a cozy feel. Adding unexpected textures
and eclectic style helps bring new life and energy to a space people
naturally yearn for.
One of the major challenges in designing one of these rooms is to
make the space unique and memorable while remaining relaxed and
comfortable. Hotels often turn elements like bedding and dcor but
adding textured wall panels or ceiling tiles can give the space an
inviting feel as well.

The major goal of most hotels around the globe is to make guests feel
at home. Interior design that offers functionality while still being warm
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and welcoming is the most effective way hotels can succeed in this
change.
The shift toward homier hospitality design makes the guest feel more
comfortable, fostering return stays. Designers have to focus more on
just providing guests a place to stay, they must offer them an
experience, both emotionally and physically that extend beyond their
daily liveskeeping them coming back again and again.
Hotel owners are working on transforming accommodation units into
the avenues of escapes by rethinking guestroom configurations and
indulging the guests in highly personalized experiences. This is
something what the trend demands them to do.
o

Dynamic Guestrooms
Guestroom configurations need to cater to all the requirements of a
business or leisure guest, besides having a personality of their own.
Guests expect an element of surprise as they walk into a room, but at
the same time need to feel completely at ease. Comfortable, eloquent
and on trend the right furniture and accessories make all the
difference!

Windows as Design Elements

For hotels in strategic locations, every window can be a lens to the
beauty of the outdoors. Even if windows do not look out onto a
naturally picturesque view, strategic landscaping arrangements can
provide an element of fascination, blurring the boundaries between the
indoors and outdoors.

Getting on the Green Train

Luxury comes at a cost, but practical interior design can be economical
and eco-conscious too. Large windows that invite natural lighting, ecofriendly building materials, green roofs and other recycling/energy-

saving elements do more than just conserve costs they also make
your hotel eco-responsible. Your guests will appreciate that!
o

Mixing Local and Exotic Art

Art can embody both elegance and solidarity, as well as define origin,
location and other significant characteristics. With the right selection of
local and imported paintings or sculptures, a hotel can express its own

unique identity
o
Balanced Technology
A hotel must not be over-the-top in the attempt to portray tech-savvy
interiors. Why? Well, leisure guests mainly vacation to get away from
their busy, technologically-induced lives. At the same time, incorporate
the necessary basics for business guests use, so you dont disrupt
their flow of work.
o

Bring in Texture and Color

Modern hotels lay greater emphasis on textures and colors for furniture
and design elements, to create a visual and tactile treat for guests. As
opposed to the busy patterns of the past, textures play better with the
senses, and a guests time away from routine calls for an exciting
experience!

Uniquely Customized Spaces

The element of surprise can create a constantly-resurfacing memory
for a guest who stayed in a personalized hotel room. Put in the extra
effort to make sure each room is different from the others, even if its
in small ways, since this offers something new and enticing for every
person who visits them.

Comfort is Quality

The ideal hotel should make guests feel even more comfortable than
their own home does, or an equal level of comfort at the very least.
o

Focus on Local Art

It is a real shame that modern architecture usually distances itself from
local origins. Sometimes we look at a house on Fresh home and its
design tells us nothing of its location. Luckily, more and more hotel
owners realize that adding local art in their design scheme will improve
guests perception of the place and create a genuine experience. From
small sculptures and photography to large-scale installations,
integrating an art project into the image of the hotel could be an easy
way to success.

Technology Overload
Not everyone is looking for a hi-tech accommodation away from home.
On the contrary, people tend to disconnect during holiday time. But
more and more hotels focus on keeping guests plugged in at all
costs. Certainly a good way to go when it comes to business tourism, a
technology-friendly room encourages work-flow and in the long run,
the guests fidelity. New hotels offer the possibility of adjusting lighting,
air conditioning and even window blinds through smart phones, which
often turns out to be a good business approach. Another trend is
placing PC tablets at check-in for printing boarding passes, as well as
for ensuring other self-helping processes requiring online connection.

Reconsidering guestroom configurations

Todays hotel rooms are more than being about the classic bed-tablecupboard combination. For business travelers, nothing could work
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better than a hotel room with a section that is conducive to official

work. For aesthetes, the room that has every feature creatively added
and that altogether stands high on aesthetic value would make the
best cut. Apart from considering people with specific interests, hotel
rooms should be developed with some of the trending key ingredients
such as highlighted TV panels, extra sofa next to bed, proper
imaginative

illumination,

etc.

Sometimes,

guests

who

love

to

experience unique accommodation would be very thrilled to find colour

explosions and eclectic dcor ideas seeped into the guestrooms.

As high-end hotels refresh their sites every ten years on

average,Artichoke identifies ten key drivers shaping hospitality
and expanding the designers role.
As designers we work closely with hoteliers to understand their
customer profile. Hoteliers rigorously monitor their markets and look to
designers to refine and model a product that is responsive to this data.
With refurbishments typically taking place every eight to ten years for the
soft elements, and every fifteen to twenty years for public spaces and
bathrooms, the designer must get it right. Solutions need to be honed to a
customer segment, be aesthetically timeless and durable, and fulfill the
markets desire for unique, memorable design.
Todays world-class hotel customer represents the full spectrum
business, recreational, adventure, independent, family, romance, celebrity
and the grudge purchase. Tomorrows customer is likely to be from the
same crowd, but savvy operators are preparing to capitalize on the fastgrowing Chinese outbound market. Currently in its infancy, Chinese
demand for international travel is tipped to grow from 10 million to in
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excess of 100 million between 2000 and 2020.1 There are ten key drivers
that will shape hospitality and expand the designers role.

1. Brand
Proprietors of both independent and chain hotels are increasingly seeking
to create their point of difference through branding and the ongoing
refinement of branding. Service is fundamental, but the aesthetics also
create those memorable experiences that the guest takes away and which
make them want to return. The magic stems from that.
Theres been a counter movement away from the homogenous design adopted by some
corporate and brand hotels in the 1980s.

Theres been a counter movement away from the homogenous design

adopted by some corporate and brand hotels in the 1980s. The premise of
providing the traveller the reassurance and comfort of a known experience
associated with a particular brand regardless of location preceded the
realization that impersonality, predictability and boredom can create a
negative guest experience.2 As its now widely accepted that brand is
sufficient reassurance for the traveller, on the proviso that qualities and
standards are consistent, international chains are focusing on clear
articulation of sub brands and hierarchies.
Customers in todays global village have become more desirous of
authentic, bespoke experiences. Some operators have responded by
creating boutique hotel brands within sub brands. This has been
particularly evident among hoteliers seeking to appeal to the specific needs
of the Chinese traveller market.3
Understanding brand and positioning will become increasingly critical.
Expect to see designers more involved at the front end of design and
analysis with their clients.

2. Place
Greater emphasis on the special qualities of place in hotel design emerged
in the 2000s. Its a trend set to continue and grow if the jury citation for
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the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, Wang Shu, is heeded. Wang
Shus body of work, which has featured recycled roof tiles and bricks, was
described as responsible architecture arising from a sense of specific
culture and place.4 Designers working remotely will spend more time
trying to genuinely understand the local culture and the quintessence of
the local experience. Its celebrating and augmenting the unique qualities
of each location in the hotel design that will deliver a genuine local
experience for patrons. Demand for localization5 is recognized by Hilton
Worldwide, which on its website promises one-of-a-kind experiences with
sophisticated, locally inspired surroundings. So, too, for Bulgari, which
promises that each of its properties features strong reference to the local
culture.

3. Point of difference
How often does a designer field a request for an interior with wow or
thats iconic? But not everything needs to scream and shout. There are
alternative ways to provide guests with a unique, memorable experience
and emotional connection. Examples include artworks such as the seven
sculptural timber balls made out of chestnut by Korean artist Lee Jae-Hyo
at Crown Metropol in Melbourne, and the growth of spa amenities within
hotels designed to appeal to the senses beyond sight. Exploration of these
concepts in other aspects of hotel amenity is likely to follow.
Signature restaurants can provide a legitimate wow and a genuine and attractive experience to
both guests and external patrons.

The hotel restaurant can no longer afford to be a soulless provider of three

meals a day and a buffet. Hoteliers will work more with designers to reap
extra value from their investment. Signature restaurants can provide a
legitimate platform for appropriate insertion of wow and a genuine and
attractive experience to both guests and external patrons. Hotel food and
beverage in Australia has traditionally been more about convenience than
the food on offer. A name chef, an open kitchen and a street-front entry are
ways of creating the perception of an independent restaurant.

4. Home
In demand will be guest accommodation that offers non-alienating
experiences, and rooms that are easy to navigate, easy to live in, have a
sense of familiarity and which allow shoulders to drop. The trend will lean
towards reassuring and comforting spaces as opposed to a hi-tech
architectural experience. Less ostentatious, relaxed refinement and
understated opulence is poised to become the new luxury; as Hilton
Worldwide asserts, The greatest luxury is the luxury of being yourself.
A return to the idea of home is a sentiment also echoed in Armani Hotel
Dubais offer on its website of a home-away-from-home experience. Part
of the aspiration that a quality hotel provides is an experience thats better
than home for most people, but which still has a genuine domestic feel. The
designers role is to add an emotional dimension to the guest experience 6;
to create those subliminal elements that trigger an emotional connection
and engender loyalty to brand.

5. Luxury
The trend of hotel alignment with out-of-sector leading luxury brands is on
the rise after surfacing via Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh (2009) and Kuwait
(2010) and the Armani Hotels in Dubai (2010) and Milan (2011). 7 The
collaboration between the international Italian fashion label Missoni and
The Rezidor Hotel Group heralds, as the Missoni website states, a new
kind of luxury hotel for the 21st Century, with further openings planned in
other fashionable locations around the globe. As for why customers are
attracted to alignment with brands in this market, Tom Ford, ex-creative
director of Gucci, has reportedly said, Its about personal style, choosing a
concept that fits into ones sense of self and making a statement. 8
Car brands are now leveraging the popularity of luxury brands, with
Tonino Lamborghini planning to open forty five-star hotels in Asian
markets. Its tipped that luxury brands from various industries will follow
suit. Luxury retail is another growth area linked to high-end hotels.
According to the World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2012,
travellers from Brazil, Russia, India and China are flocking to European
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cities to purchase luxury goods. Shopping was also cited as a key driver
among travellers to the Middle East, where shopping hotels have
emerged.9Designers may experience extra demand for well-sited luxury
retail tenancies to enrich lobby interiors.

6. Tightening economics
Designers have experienced an increased requirement to produce more
bang for buck for clients since the global financial crisis took hold during
2008. Ensuring that dollars are allocated in the most impactful way
and that they are judiciously used will continue to be important in the
future.

7. Global sourcing
Globalization, coupled with the requirement to do more with less, has led
designers to cast the net internationally to source product and give more
consideration to best pricing. Instead of lamenting the passing of the good
old days, creative designers of hospitality projects will entertain greater
possibilities with the benefit of increased diversity and a shift away from
generic product.

8. Environmental footprint
Designers will have a greater responsibility to specify sustainable materials
and design options for clients. For hotel operators, consideration
of environmental impact is often influenced by bottomline and operating
costs. And just as it has become the norm for most guest rooms to display
signage that circumvents unnecessary washing of towels to minimize water
use, its likely that increased natural ventilation options and guest control
of lighting, temperature and operable windows will become mainstays of
future hotel design to slash energy use. The preference of guests for ethical
and sustainable travel may create a shift towards luxury without the
associated guilt.10

9. Technology
The practice of charging for daily internet usage is now akin to billing extra
to have a shower. Not merely expected, internet must also function
seamlessly.11 We dont know exactly what future technological changes will
be; however, smart TVs that integrate TV, internet and social media are
tipped to be on the verge of take-off.12 We do know that guest
accommodation design will need to be ultra flexible to accommodate
technologys inevitable changes and increasing presence.
Other spaces are likely to function differently. The virtual self-serve check
in and check out demands a new design response to lobby space design.
With personal interaction reduced, attention to the design and quality of
guest accommodation is potentially a hotels primary guest experience and
will certainly command more emphasis. The guest room as home office will
matter all the more.

10. The virtual hotel

Due to the trend towards making travel plans online, today the first
experience of a hotel for a growing number of people is virtual, and the
moment at which they decide to book or not. Just as interior designers are
today involved in creating marketing suites for commercial office and
residential buildings, we are now hands-on in crafting the digital
experience as part and parcel of the hotel brand and working
collaboratively with other disciplines in hotel marketing.
Forming a closer alignment between the consumers virtual and physical
experience will produce a major paradigm shift for all players. We may be
increasingly moulding the hotel experience from what we know is going to
be the hero shot and carry that vision through to the end of the project. At
the end of the day the hero shot can be the tool that sells the
hotel experience
1. Chinese International Travel Monitor 2012, Hotels.com,
press.hotels.com/en-gb/files/2012/07/Hotels.com-Chinese-InternationalTraveller-MapCITM.pdf (accessed 11 November 2012).
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<2. Benny Paul Joseph and Jason Wu, The effects of the new trend in
hotel design, Hotel and Tourism Management Institute Switzerland
(HTMi ) website, 2010, ihrcs.ch/?p=338 (accessed 17 November 2012).
3. Chinese International Travel Monitor 2012, op. cit.
4. The Pritzker Architecture Prize
website, pritzkerprize.com/laureates/2012 (accessed 13 November 2012).
5. Joseph and Wu, op. cit.
6. Joseph and Wu, op. cit.
7. ibid.
8. KWE Group, Whats Next: Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends, KWE
Group website, February 2007, kwegroup.com/images/feb-007-luxurytrend-newsletter-final.pdf (accessed 17 November 2012).
9. World Travel Market and Euromonitor International, WTM Global
Trends Report 2012, HotelNewsNow.com, 2012,
hotelnewsnow.com/media/File/PDFs/Reports/20121109_WTM_GlobalT
rendsReport.pdf/ (accessed 10 November 2012).10. World Travel
Market, World Travel Market 2012 Industry Report, World Travel
Market website, 2012,
wtmlondon.com/files/6335_wtm_industry_report_v10_lo.pdf (accessed
10 November 2012).
11. Joseph and Wu, op. cit.
12. World Travel Market and Euromonitor International, op. cit.

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