As travel returns and the hunger for exploration grows, the hospitality industry is opening its arms to an influx of guests with new perspectives. With more hotel chains popping up around the world, the need for novelty is at an all-time high, and modern hospitality design should be more than just brand identity and standards. We may have multiple choices than ever before, but that only means architects, designers, and hoteliers must focus on how they can use design to set themselves apart. To gain some insight into what hospitality looks like in the future, Ar. Anil Badan, Founder and Principal Architect of Studio B Architects, shares his perspectives on the future trends of Hotel Design.
Experience over materiality
Hotels now need to consider more than just the materiality and value guest experiences. Hotel brands are shifting away from uniformity and homogenization, and are making individual properties more personalized. The experiential design transforms spaces into immersive environments and lures people in. It creates a visual narrative that guests will remember long after they leave. From lobbies to shared dining experiences, the design of hotels should reimagine the communal areas that ingrain themselves in memorable experiences, more than just providing beds and boards. In the millennial media-centric age, Instagrammable hotels often stand out. The hotel design should also infuse those visual moments, starting from setting a mood through lighting, decor, and music, to the little details that inspire significant reactions in guests.
Reflecting Local Culture
Local touches are popping out in hospitality design everywhere. There is a growing emphasis on handcrafted and locally sourced products in the hotel industry. The essence of the neighbourhood is reflected in every element of design and decor that encourages an immersive experience for luxury travellers into the local culture and ethos. If an iconic architectural environment surrounds a hotel, the hotel might instill a similar experience, be it sweeping high ceilings or intricately woven corridors. Enriching the local culture ends in a positive guest experience and keeps in line with one of the progressive movements of the hotel industry.
Holistic communal environment
Hospitality design offers exciting opportunities to create holistic environments that are accessible to everyone. In recent times, work, life, and leisure have become interchangeable and it has led to multifunctional and flexible spaces. With increasing nomadic culture, work-life is no longer confined to offices. Therefore, urban hotels should evolve into places that provide environments to live, work and play amidst the bustling city centers. These spaces should become places to spend time, socialise, work, shop, relax and rejuvenate. Hotels are expected to provide more communal spaces that include coworking areas, lounges, galleries, retail, auditoriums, etc. They need to put wellness on their agenda and embed it into design and function through concepts like biophilia.
Sustainable and eco-friendly design
The future of hospitality is predominantly driven towards sustainability. While we aim to provide the finest experience to the guests, the choice of sustainability is not a challenge. Fixtures such as mood lighting, programmable temperature control taps, and energy-efficient LED lights are not only sustainable but also elevate the guest experience in hotels. Material choices in furniture and decor can help with placemaking, tying guests to the local environment, while creating a more community-focused sustainable experience. An inclusive green design that ensures the users’ comfort, will help the environment and lead to a sustainable future for hotels.
Rising customer expectations and demand for customised experiences are compelling the hospitality industry to look beyond brand identity and focus on the guest experience. Customer experience nowadays is intrinsically intertwined with smart technologies and the individualized experiences they offer. Ar. Anil Badan advocates the need to understand the future of hospitality and the trends that shape the hotels of the future.
