By Jacqueline McGee
In an era of Airbnb and other online hospitality services, hotels are feeling the pressure to take not only their design, but also the experience they offer guests to the next level. Hotels are now competing for guests with homeowners who open their doors to strangers. How can a hotel make you feel at home when there are actual homes you can opt to stay in during your travels? A good design helps. Here are three ways hotels are changing to reshape the travel experience.
Thinking beyond the standard restaurant and bar
With so many restaurant and bar options, hotels need to provide food and beverage experiences that draw someone to want to book a stay at a hotel. One way to do this is to design the space to become a destination for anyone, not just hotel guests. Rooftop bars with food and entertainment draw in non-guests and offer another reason to go to a hotel. Unique food experiences that go beyond the “continental breakfast” such as custom coffee bars and healthy dining services differentiate classic food options.
The Headwaters restaurant at the Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon is designed to create a destination within a hotel for award winning chef, Vitaly Paly. All foods are locally sourced, farm to table fresh. Drawing in those looking for authentic dishes of the Pacific Northwest.
The Matadora restaurant and bar at the Hilton Woburn Hotel in Woburn, Massachusetts has been created as a destination within a 7-story atrium space. The restaurant is nestled into the dramatic volume and managed by the award winning COJE Group.
The new bar and restaurant at the Villa Florence hotel in San Francisco, California attracts a local crowd and takes on an intimate design that incorporates guest check-in within the same space. Inspired by unique, contemporary Italian style, the design juxtaposes the armature of the space.
Wellness: going beyond your standard hotel gym facility
Instead of the standard gym facilities with only a few machines, amenities have become more individualized and specialized; including yoga mats and free-weights provided in-room. This focus on wellness and health also incorporates fresh food options from local restaurants and designs that encourage activity. Rooms are being designed with hardwood floors rather than carpets that can harbor mites and allergens. Sustainable, non-emitting materials create an eco-friendly experience. The Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon incorporates hardwood floors and sustainable materials. The slate in the guestroom bathroom is sustainable and locally sourced, the TV credenza uses recycled glass bottles for the doors, and most fabrics used within the design are from green friendly mills.
Serrano Hotel in San Francisco, California celebrates nature and wellness using live green walls, a variety of indoor plants, sustainable flooring, and photosynthesis lamps that allow plants to photosynthesize within the guest rooms design. Lighting plays a significant role in guest wellness and allows for full relaxation.
A design that feels like home
Lastly, hotels are trying to feel like a home through design. The Inn at Union Square in San Francisco features areas that look and feel like a living room on every floor, with a fireplace, couches and art. These areas serve as a public meeting space or comfortable spot to sit and read the newspaper. Wall décor of curated art in the guest rooms takes away the normally sterile, corporate feel of hotel artwork. Even different area rugs and hardwood floors throughout create an individual quality that is different than most cookie cutter hotels.
The Chamberlain Hotel in West Hollywood, California tells a story of a Hollywood fashionista with unexpected moments of vibrant blues and colorful artwork. The design incorporates a step-down suite encompassing both the bedroom and living room, providing a residential or home-like experience.
Hotels are enhancing new designs through a focus on amenity, wellness and sustainability; but also to feel more like home. These factors must flow seamlessly together to provide a memorable experience for guests. Basic amenities no longer excite an informed traveler who is looking for an experience that immerses them in their travels and that feels like they are right at home.
