Authentic, Immersive, Curated experiences of the urban hotels in 2017
Nowadays, hospitality trends are deeply determined by millennial travellers who seek exploration and value authentic experiences as their new definition of luxury. They expect unique, curated experiences as a matter of course; something that geared towards the explosive growth of AirBn, a brand ultimately has managed to catch everyone’s attention in the hospitality business. We will not focus on predictions about how it will affect economically the hospitality industry in the future, rather than more on the changes it brings from the standpoint of design. In 2008, Brian Chesky was seeking $ 150.000 for 10% of his new accommodation sharing portal, AirBnb that finally didn’t get the desired funding because almost nobody expected a change in the undisputed choice for the majority of travellers-hotels.
Today with an estimated value over $24 billion, Airbnb has proved everybody wrong even inspiring new traveller behaviours for the years to come. From a design perspective, the millennial generation that travels in order to collect experience and memories not only staff has led to the development of immersive travel experiences-wine resorts, culinary destinations, sport-enthusiast hotels. The appeal to the millennial generation is established, yet immersive experiences draw the attention of baby boomers as well that choose to visit places that enable them to live the ethos of the hotel brand. The design team is highly attuned to defining brand through architecture and interior design, since the branding equation is extended to sensations of perceptions making the hotel business not only an articulation and marketing of extremely upper scale hospitality services, but engagement of the customer in living the brand, the space, the city, the culture in order to imprint an unforgettable living experience.
Individually tailored experiences require elegant but intimate and welcoming spaces, as well as the blending of the hotel and private club experiences – on top of this the Sharing Economy has added the sense of home and the meaning it acquires for a diversity of people or places, along with taking into account travellers expectations. The unique distilled outcome of all the above will impact the concept of the hotels in 2017. What AirBnB has offered is this new perspective of the expectations of the traveller that need reconsideration especially for a new urban hotel establishment.
- The lobby as a shared living room
In terms of design, the lobby is becoming a welcoming and shared living room, with comfortable sitting arrangements around focal points for bigger companies of guests or cosy corners for those that seek relaxation, working on their tables, or isolation in a more social environment other than their rooms. A well crafted space that allows textures, colors and lighting whether contemporary or classic, will be successful enough in order to tell the story of the hotel brand within the specific urban context, while allowing enough space for the guest to express themselves in order to create their own living experiences.
It is recommended to avoid spatial design that makes the lobby look like an overcrowded plaza with no identity and cultural character at all, or at the other extreme like a folklore or historic museum. The first impression is always important and is just an impressionist glimpse of the most important city attributes, given in a very unique, abstract way and enriched by materials and textures that trigger emotional memories. Emotional memories employ sensual perceptions of all five senses with human brain being the sixth one.
- An extension of the philosophy of urban social clubs
Urban social clubs are the extension of the new wellness and sports facility expanding our perception of hospitality for both the lobby and the hotel room. Urban resorts are another fascinating trend, vertical playgrounds that provide the elements you would expect in a resort, but urbanized. The urban hotel can be designed as a launch pad - a minimalistic approach where the city itself offers all the amenities, and the hotels' primary amenity becomes a highly-refined alternative concierge service.
Hotels Have More Amenities; Do really guests need them?
Urban hotel guests are more interested in experiencing the city they visit, so hotel amenities like Olympic pools and gyms might be largely unoccupied most of the year. Millennials show an explicit preference on spending money on experiences that will maximize their value for money-be it special short treatments, a unique snack dish or a molecular cocktail. Having at hand GPS mobile apps, they can find easily what they are looking for before their arrival at the city, their transportation or even their sightseeing or entertainment. An alternative concierge desk in the digital environment actually extends the services of the city to the hotel guest, while at the same time giving the option to stay in to enjoy special privileges that are unique in their whole conception, even for the most affluent or frequent traveller.
3.Airbnb Is Not Just For Leisure Travellers
AirBnB has a program for corporate clients taking into account that corporate travellers do not value any more ‘complete packages’ of services more than customization and experience. The majority of corporate guests do not utilize many of the amenities available, whereas like leisure guests they don’t mind paying more for the amenities they really utilize. Unlike previous years, business travellers spending more of the time on-board or in hotel environments they do pay special attention to the surrounding city or hotel design. By putting a little more thought into how their properties can become more relevant to these guests, hotels can pull the visitors back into their rooms. Hotel rooms do play an important and sometimes underestimated role in defining the level of the guests’ satisfaction. It should no longer be designed as confined spaces where the guest goes at the end of an exhausting day just for a speedy shower and a decent comfortable sleep.
A king size bed is always an indication of luxury and comfort, so when using single beds top quality mattresses should be used to turn the beds into double ones. Plenty of storage space is a necessity, and it should be taken into account before hand if possible to make provision of small walk-in closets or luggage storage to stow away suitcases making the room setting more convenient and comfortable. A more spacious feeling of a pied a terre, isolating the toilet cabin while incorporating other bathroom amenities such as shower cabins and basins in the room design, can enhance the spatial design offering the luxury of a small apartment as opposed to that of a room.
Featured photos are from Harbor Suites by BllendDesignOffice and 100% Design London AirBnB campaign in Trafalgar Square
Writen by:
Helen Brasinika
Principal Architect/Designer & Co-founder
BllendDesign & ResearchOffice
IAD Vice President (International Association of Designers)
ILHA Member (International Luxury Hospitality Association)
IESNA (Illuminating Engineering Society of North America)
