4 Ways New and Upcoming Hotels are Adapting Their Designs for the Future
Hotel designs are constantly evolving. A hotel that opened two years ago is wildly different from a hotel of the same caliber that opened last week. But it seems that hotel design has evolved recently more than ever, partially thanks to shifting traveler trends based on things like the pandemic, sustainability concerns and new technology. So how are the new and upcoming hotels of next year and beyond adapting their designs for the future? Here are four ways they’re hoping to anticipate travelers’ needs.
Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife - Dedon’s Ahnda by Stephen Burks
1. Making social distancing easy.
Hotels are typically not social distancing-friendly, but with the pandemic, social distancing became a must, especially for those who still needed to travel throughout 2020. Hotel developers are anticipating that this will influence the way designers look at hotel guestrooms well into the future.
In an Architecture Today article, experts anticipate guestrooms that are able to fulfill a range of traveler needs, making it easier for guests to enjoy hotel amenities without leaving their guestrooms or mingling with other guests. This includes creating meeting spaces within guestrooms, or private exercise spaces.
Additionally, newly available tech adds to this trend, allowing guests to enjoy a touch-free experience from check in to check out, from ordering room service to navigating their way around the hotel.
Robotic Waiters
2. Bringing the outdoors inside.
It’s no great secret that nature has a very calming effect on most individuals, but some hotel developers are now banking on travelers having developed an even greater affinity for nature, as moving socializing and dining to outdoor spaces over the last year supposedly “wired” it into our brains that outdoor equals safe.
As such, according to The New York Times, hotel groups and designers are bringing more outdoor elements into their spaces, but they’re going beyond your classic potted plants. Some are using air filtration systems that create light breezes while others are using digital projections to make those potted plants look like they’re moving — just like they would in the great outdoors.
One Hotel Brooklyn - Biophilic Design
3. Putting a greater focus on the outdoors overall.
But beyond bringing the outdoors inside, other hotels are placing a greater emphasis than ever before on creating truly spectacular outdoor spaces. From poolside spots to outdoor restaurants to outdoor office spaces and meeting and event spaces, hotels are going the extra mile to outfit their outdoor spaces with all the furnishings and amenities needed for truly enjoyable public spaces in the outdoors.
Vondom Outside
According to U.S. News & World Report, this is a trend that’s been noticed on a large scale by major hotel chains like Hilton and Wyndham, prompting the installation of new outdoor furnishings, from pergolas to picnic tables.
4. Embracing the local vibe.
More and more, travelers are looking for a local, intimate experience in a destination, and they’re wanting their hotels to be just as local as the restaurants, shops and museums they visit. Forget the painting that hangs in every guestroom of a particular national hotel chain, or the name brand snacks in the mini bar. Travelers want to see local artwork by local artists, and they want to see locally-made snacks in the mini bar.
Hotels have caught on and are doing their part to embrace their communities, but they’re doing more than just incorporating local makers into their spaces and designs. They’re also making their spaces local-friendly, or attractive for locals to use, just as much as travelers, whether that be meeting and event spaces, or just the hotel restaurant and bar.
Tuuci in Barbados
How is your hotel prepping for the future of travel?
How has your property evolved its design and spaces to meet today’s travel trends, as well as to anticipate the travel trends of tomorrow? Drop a comment below and let me know!
