Hotel Lighting: The Ultimate Guide in 2021
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Hotel lighting, or hospitality lighting is one of the most important part for completing your hotel project.
Do you know how to choose and utilize the hotel lighting for your project? Do you know the customizing process of hotel lighting, and how to find the suitable supplier for your project? What is the latest trend of hotel lighting now?
Probably you may have these or more question on hotel lighting when working on a hotel project.
We’re here to help with some suggestions, we’ll share with you all our experience on hotel lighting as we have been an expert in this field for over 10 years.
Hotel and hospitality lighting can be divided into two categories: decorative lighting and functional lighting.
Decorative lighting mainly serves as a decoration tool for the hotel, which aims to provide ambiance lighting for you. The common hotel and hospitality decorative lighting include the chandelier, pendant light, table lamp, floor lamp, and wall lamp.
Functional lighting offers the illumination required for running your daily activities, which can provide both task lighting and ambiance lighting. The common functional lighting includes the downlight, spotlight, tape light, kitchen and bathroom light, cabinet light, and outdoor lamp.
Decorative lighting is a critical part of a hotel’s style and design. Usually, for most people, the hotel decorative lighting is seemed to be equal to the hotel and hospitality lighting.
Next, we will take the decorative lighting as an example to give you some related introduction to the hotel lighting.
The custom light fixture is essential for the success of a hotel. Now, we will discuss it from the following five perspectives.
First, custom light fixtures can help a hotel seem to be different from others. With different custom lighting fixtures, hotels can highlight their brand characteristics, cultural features as well as their operating grade.
Second, custom lighting fixtures can meet some special needs of space in the hotel. Compared to the fixed dimension of common decorative lighting on the market, the more flexible dimension of custom hotel lighting will help a lot, which means you can determine the dimension according to the specific needs of the space.
Third, custom lighting can be applied to interior design. When designing the interior spaces, following their function and style, the designer or hotel can choose and customize different hotel lighting.
Fourth, the custom lamp gives the hotel lighting an opportunity to keep pace with times. By integrating some latest elements to the custom hotel lighting, the regular custom lighting will seem to be different and fashionable. For example, you can make some changes in their material, color, and style based on the various fashion trend.
Fifth, custom light fixtures can meet the requirements of hotels with different budget levels. For some economic hotels with limited budgets, the custom hotel lighting can help them to meet their basic needs through customizing the material or type of lights.
Having known the benefits of custom decorative lighting used for hotels, now let’s see how to illuminate the different parts of the hotel and then analyze how to realize the ideal lighting.
The hotel lobby mainly includes the lobby entrance, lobby area, reception area, and resting area, we will talk each one here:
The lobby entrance is comprised of an entrance area and antechamber, which is can be said to be a transition space before the guests entering into the hotel.
To create a welcoming and comfortable ambiance for the guests, custom lighting can be used at the lobby entrance, which will provide a comfortable level of brightness.
In terms of the light level, we recommend you to choose the light with 400kl during the day and adjust it to 50-100kl at night. Usually, the color temperature of a high-level hotel tends to be lower with 2700k, while the color temperature of a common economic hotel can reach 4000k.
Considering the artistic effect, floor lamps and wall lamps will be used as the decorative hotel lighting for the entrance more widely compared to the traditional chandelier.
The lobby area, as a public area provided to meet the need of people to chat and wait, tends to be more decorative than other areas.
On the one hand, a decorative design can attract more guests to stay; on the other hand, a good appearance represents a high grade of the hotel.
To leave a nice first impression for the guests, we mainly choose a large decorative chandelier with 200-300kl as the decorative lighting, which can also increase the level sense of space through illuminating the structure of the ceiling. If your hotel is a high level one, the light with 50-100kl is more suitable.
The reception area usually can be found easily in the lobby. Seating near the lobby entrance and connecting with the offices, it can provide quick help for the guests and also can be more manageable. The reception area mainly focuses on booking, checking-in, key management, consultation, and checking-out.
To help the guests to find it easily, the light around the reception area needs to be brighter than other areas in the lobby. Usually, we will install a hotel pendant light, with an illuminance reaches 300-500lx, as its main light source.
However, to balance the glare from the pendant light, we usually arrange another two table lamps gracefully shaped on each side of the reception table. With these table lamps, the guests can handle their business more accurately and quickly.
The resting area is intended for guests’ waiting and rest, which is mainly arranged at some quiet and wide area.
To create a comfortable environment for the guests, we advise you to arrange some decorative lighting, such as table lamps and floor lamps, as additional lighting.
This way can not only help to balance the glare of other lights, but also increase the taste of the hotel. In all, the average illuminance level of 70-100lx is enough.
A hotel room is no longer just a room provided for the guests to relax, it’s also a place where the guests work. Due to this, the hotel room lighting needs to reflect the different uses with the right lighting levels.
As the main area provided for the guests to relax, it should be quiet and comfortable, making the guests feel at home. To meet this requirement, low illuminance (such as 75lx) is recommended.
As for the tasking lighting, if there is a desk in the room, place a table lamp on it to ensure proper lighting for work and reading. Besides, you can also place the wall lamp or table lamp above the bedside tables.
A hotel bathroom is a place that mainly needs functional lighting. The lighting environment of the bathroom should also be soft and harmonious. A high color temperature（such as 4000K） is suggested which can make the bathroom appear to be clean and clear. Particularly, mirror-front light should be as the accent lighting. However, to maintain a certain intimacy of space and to avoid the dazzling light, you’d better choose indirect light.
The common hotel restaurant area is mainly divided into three parts, including a Western restaurant, an Asian restaurant (Muslim restaurant, Indian restaurant, Chinese restaurant, and Japanese restaurant), and a lobby bar.
The western restaurant usually pays more attention to the privacy and atmosphere created by the dining environment. So we advise you to choose some pendant lights as the decorative lighting and make full use of the visual effect formed by light and shadow. Usually, the light with 100lx is enough.
In terms of the Asian restaurant, here we will take the Chinese restaurant as an example.
Compared to the western restaurant, Chinese restaurant will seem to be brighter, such as 300lx. To keep the real original appearance of dishes, you can take advantage of the chandelier with good color rendering, which will help to promote the appetite of the guests.
Also, if the level of your hotel is high enough, it’s significant to create a high-grade dining environment. Wall lamp, as a kind of ambiance lighting, can make the restaurant seem to be highly textured and grand.
The lobby bar is an area provided for the guests to have some drinks or rest. Tables and other seating areas call for a relaxing atmosphere. Overall, the light should be subtle and warm. Some pendant light with around 50lx can be used as its ambiance lighting.
The banquet hall is a large space with functions of carrying on speech, meetings, or parties, which means the lighting design should cover a variety of requirements. For this reason, an intelligent lighting control system is suggested to realize different lighting effects.
Alternatively, to improve the visual effect of the overall space, chandeliers placed on various points of the ceiling as well as the wall lamps around the wall of the hall will help to enhance the artistic effect of the space. Also, the overall illuminance has to be high, such as 300lx.
For this multi-functional space, used for speech, reporting, discussion, and training, the lighting should be able to meet different requirements. This means the lighting system needs to cover a wide range of situations and activities with different light colors and different light types. The overall illuminance is around 300-600lx. If you also have a video conference room, the light has to be higher (800lx).
For example, when a speech is centralized by a lecturer, the light should be bright. When the projector is working, the light should be dimmed.
The main purpose of the hallway is to guide and walk. To help the guests orient themselves better and make them feel security and comfort when walking in the hallway, you should install wall lamps or pendant lamps along the passage, which can not only decorate the space but also give a warm and harmonious feeling to the guests. The illuminance has to reach 75-150lx.
The elevator lobby is the place where the guests will have a temporary stay for the elevator. Guiding and safety are the main factors for lighting design. For some high-level hotels, the lighting here will also have to be consistent with their taste and style. In all, 100-300 lx is suggested for the elevator lobby lighting.
The bar is an important service area of the hotel provided for the guests to relax and communicate. The illumination level should not be too high, such as 50 lx. In general, the lighting should be dimmable as much as possible.
However, to animate the atmosphere, some recessed dynamic spotlight can be combined with another decorative lighting.
A gym is a place where mainly needs functional illumination. To guarantee the safety of the guests when they are exercising, the light has to be adequate. Also, to help the guests to perform a better physical function and realize a satisfying training effect, the light with 4000k is the best, which can also create a warm atmosphere for the space in the winter.
Also, remember to avoid the glare from the vertical illuminance of lights dazzling the guests.
SPA tends to be seen as a place that advocates a new concept of health and combines the functions of relaxing and beauty provided for people to release pressure and enjoy their time.
It can be said as a private place. Considering protecting the people from the embarrassment of bareness, ambiance lighting can be generally used in the dressing area, corridor, and resting area, which can help to create a hazy atmosphere but will not affect people to discern the surroundings.
The operational process of hotel lighting project needs a corporation of hotel owner, interior designer, and lighting designer, which mainly includes these steps:
The lighting designer needs to have a preliminary communication with the hotel owner and interior designer in terms of the requirement of hotel lighting design. Particularly for the large chandelier, the suggestion from the architectural engineer is essential.
Once having received the requirements of the hotel owner, the lighting designer will provide a brief lighting design conceptual plan to your interior designer, which includes the description of the design, detailed drawing of the lighting as well as its material, size, and surface treatment.
The lighting designer needs to have a comprehensive understanding of the project: the whole style of the project and accurate measurement of the space, which is aimed to identify the arrangement of lighting, including its installation, layout, and size.
Considering the overall visual effect, sometimes it’s necessary to integrate the features of other furniture, fabrics, carpets, decoration paintings, and ornaments into hotel custom lighting design. Harmonious match of the color and texture is also essential to create beauty.
Once identifying the general design of lighting, the hotel needs to have a budget plan in advance. Then the hotel needs to combine with the specific situation and the features of lighting design to find a suitable lighting supplier.
After the site inspection, it’s time to turn to the hotel lighting design and detailed structural drawing. By the means of the detailed structural drawing, the overall structure of lighting will be displayed clearly, also including its main body size, material, and surface treatment.
A complete detailed structural drawing includes:
a) No less than two-dimensional pictures are provided.
b) A detailed presentation of the appearance, internal structure, distribution, and some details of the hotel lighting.
c) Size of any detail is necessary.
d) Describe the material and surface treatment of its appearance.
e) Provide the cutaway views of detailed structure
f) For any pendant light, the specific hanging site has to be noted; for any wall lamp, three-dimension images and the hole site have to be marked clearly.
The manufacturer needs to have communication with the hotel and hotel interior designer in terms of the initiatory design.
After receiving the advice of the hotel, the manufacturer will make a series of modifications to the initiatory design. Then, both sides still will have some interviews till the design is finalized.
For the evaluation of large size pendant light, the material samples are needed, and for the small size pendant light, such as table lamp, floor lamp, and wall lamp, the finished product will be used. Two or three samples have to be prepared in advance for the hotel or hotel interior designer for signature. After identifying the samples by them, the manufacturer should keep one sample for himself.
The hotel needs to arrange the wiring and pre-embedded parts in advance by the different purposes and installation positions of lighting. For the concrete structure, it is necessary to make a pre-embedded fix with hook, bolt, screw, and expansion bolt in it in advance.
Before delivering the lighting to the hotel, the manufacturer needs to have a detailed check, assuring their specifications and models conforming to the design requirements and national regulation. A series of quality and security tests are also necessary.
After receiving the hotel lighting from the manufacturer, the hotel needs to have a comprehensive check, assuring the lighting fixture with full parts, no damage or deformation, and no defects of coats flaking off or lamp shade tears.
Hotel workers should adhere to strict hotel lighting installation specifications in case any security accident will be caused.
Because of the different hotel lighting angles and expanding scopes of decoration lighting, it’s usually difficult to realize a satisfying lighting effect without some lighting adjustments. To achieve the design effects, it’s necessary to make some adjustments to the requirements of different spaces.
A complete technical disclosure provides a guarantee for the products. The hotel maintainers will be trained on the attention points of lighting usage and maintenance. For example, for the maintenance of hotel lighting made of crystal, you’d better clean it with a soft cloth or spray professional cleaning agent.
Also, within the guarantee period, the manufacturer has the responsibility to provide free maintenance services; if exceeds that period, the hotel needs to afford the maintenance fee.
The certification requirements of hotel lighting can reference that of another lighting. Here are the common certifications, which include CE, VDE, UL, ETL, SAA, and CCC.
The CE mark on a product indicates that the product affirms its compliance with the relevant EU regulation and the product can be sold anywhere in the European Economic Area.
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The CE mark on a hotel lighting indicates that the safety of this lighting fixture has been guaranteed and it can be sold in the EU.
VDE is a German testing and certification institute, which is responsible for providing VDE testing and certification to the products of Germany as well as other countries.
The VDE mark on a hotel lighting indicates that the safety and quality of this lighting fixture have been tested, which is a production certification accepted by the whole world.
The UL Mark on a product indicates that the product affirms its compliance with the relevant American regulation.
The UL Mark on a hotel lighting indicates that the safety of this lighting fixture has been tested and the lighting can be sold in the world.
ETL is a safety certification with the admission power of North America.
The ETL mark on a hotel lighting indicates that the safety of this lighting fixture has been tested and the lighting can be sold in America and Canada.
The ADA mark on a product indicates that the product affirms its compliance with the relevant regulation of Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design.
The ADA mark on a hotel lighting, especially for wall sconce, indicates that the lighting adheres to the guidelines set out in the ADA.
The SAA mark on a product indicates that the product affirms its compliance with the relevant regulation of Australia and the product can be sold in Australia.
The SAA mark on a hotel lighting indicates that the safety of this lighting fixture has been tested and the lighting can be sold in Australia and New Zealand.
The CCC mark on a product indicates that the product affirms its compliance with the relevant regulation of China and the product can be sold and used in China.
The CCCmark on a hotel lighting indicates that the safety of this lighting fixture has been tested and the lighting can be sold and used in China.
Having the most suitable lighting suppliers is essential for your project.
Here is an eight-step guide on looking for a supplier. We hope it can help you a lot.
Step One, you have to know where you can find these suppliers. Here we advise you can make an initial search on the search engine, industrial exhibition, or B2B platform.
Step Two, you should have a classification of these suppliers through visiting their websites or having a visit in person, making clear their service nature, manufacture, or trade corporation. In this way, you can know more about them and be easier to choose a suitable one for your project.
Step Three, you have to have a detailed understanding of their competitive product, such as the small lights decorated in the bedroom or large chandelier needed by the hotel lobby, or their professional technologies on different material.
Step Four, you should make a survey on the projects these suppliers have joined in, which includes the name of their former targeted hotels and the grade of these hotels. By analyzing their ever targeted customers, you can make clear whether they can meet your demands or not.
Step Five, you need to understand which foreign countries they have exported to and if they have had corresponding product security certifications, such as CE, SAA, ETL, UL, or SASO.
Step Six, present your requirements on lighting to the suppliers. Then you can make further communication with the suppliers on their product price, delivery time, and payment term, guarantee period, packaging requirements. To have an accurate choice, you’d better refine your requirements, even the design drawing, as much as possible.
Step Seven, the quality of your communication also can be seen as a key element. Not only in the order fulfillment process, but many product details also need to be discussed during the after-sale period, which requires effective and timely communication between the suppliers and you. If not, the whole manufacture schedule will be delayed, and also the products may not reach your design requirements.
Step Eight, if possible, you’d better visit the suppliers in person. This way can help you to evaluate them more intuitively.
Hotel is a world in constant evolution. Hotel lighting, as a must for the hotel, also have to be updated at any time.
Now, let’s find out what are the main trends to keep an eye on for a complete design.
To cater to the sustainable development strategy, most of the hotels see energy conservation and environmental protection as an important principle in customizing their hotel lighting. More and more hotels would like to choose LED as their main light source, which can help to save both electricity costs and maintenance costs.
This era of digitization and networking gives birth to a series of high-tech products. More and more hotels are committed to applying this technical wisdom into their custom hotel lighting. For example, the hotel will connect the sensor system with its lights. Under this situation, the lights can even control themselves without the power of people.
Considering the high demands of modern people, the hotel has been more and more humanized on hotel lighting design through the use of technology.
For example, some hotels will add a reading light on the floor lamp near the sofa, which combines the ambiance lighting and task lighting into one lamp. This design helps to create a warm atmosphere when you are reading.
Simple style can be said as the modern aesthetic in society today, particularly pursued by most of the young people. Having known this trend, the hotel tends to follow a simple style of hotel lighting design.
Except for that, it’s more convenient for the guests to meet their lighting demands with a manageable lighting controlling system.
Nowadays, more and more people would like to enjoy a good time with their relatives or friends in the hotel, which stretches most of the people’s understanding to the function of a hotel merely served as a place for temporary rest.
From this, more and more hotel decorative lighting is employed to provide ambiance lighting, creating a warm atmosphere for the people.
To attract more people, hotels will personalize their custom lighting. Usually, they will integrate the local cultures and features into their custom lighting, which will make them seem to be different from others.
Walking around the modern hotels, custom lighting can be found everywhere. However, to be more aesthetical, you can’t even find their bulbs easily. Except for the functional illumination, they are more of a decoration of the hotel.
The design of the hotel lobby will become a highlight in the hotel. With a multifunctional design, the hotel lobby will integrate the social center, restaurant, commercial space, and reception.
Also, the hotel will establish a series of internet-famous sites to attract more young people to clock in on social media, such as WeChat, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. In this way, the hotel can be widely advertised. To realize these changes, you need to focus more on the hotel lobby lighting design.
It is an evident trend that more and more people would like to be closer to nature. So, in terms of the hotel design, it’s a good idea to decorate the hotel lighting with some green plants, which will add more vitality to the indoor space of the hotel.
With this complete guide, we believe you have had a better understanding of hotel lighting and how to do them better for your coming hotel projects.
To illuminate and decorate your hotel well with most suitable hotel lighting design, is not an easy job and need you to invest more time to on each step.
A reliable supplier can help you to save time, and make sure all required hotel lighting well done in superb quality with great design.
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Warehouse Hotel Singapore
We all know the importance of first impressions. From meeting a new colleague to arriving in an unknown city, the impact of the first few seconds cannot be overestimated and sets the tone for the long-term relationship.
As we have previously discussed, the hotel lobby is paramount in creating a guest’s initial impression with award-winning designer Douglas Nysse reporting that, “If you lose them at the beginning, it is very hard to recover. In their mind, they’ve decided it is a bad hotel”.
With this in mind there is a huge amount of pressure resting on the lobby layout; not only should the guest feel welcomed by the space and reassured that they have chosen the right accommodation, but the lobby should also convey an immediate sense of the brand and outline the kind of experience the guest should expect. The lobby can be considered the staging area for everything that goes on in a hotel and, as such, it’s the best opportunity to address the guests’ needs and to ensure their expectations are met.
With every sense involved in formulating the initial opinion of a hotel, there are a number of key areas that must be considered in order to ensure that this is a positive one and accurately represents the experience that is to come. From the right lighting scheme to the efficiency of layout, we are exploring nine of the essentials of hotel lobby design.
Ett Hem Hotel Stockholm
As hotel guests’ behaviours shift, with people spending less time in their rooms and more time in the communal spaces, there has been a change to the way hotels are proportioned. In many hotels, the communal spaces have grown significantly in size in order to accommodate additional amenities and create additional revenue opportunities. These may include cafes, shops and even pop up restaurants that appeal to today’s millennial traveller. “[The lobby] is an extension of the [guestroom] and of the city,” says Dimitri Antonopoulos, VP of Restaurants and Development at Antonopoulos Group. “It’s important that lobbies and bars are the kind of place that you want to go out to or spend time in.”
In many hotels, this increase in lobby size has led to a reduction in the average room size. This has, in turn, facilitated a rise in occupancy opportunities, making the available space work harder and drive additional profits.
“[The lobby] is an extension of the [guestroom] and of the city,”
DIMITRI ANTONOPOULOS
Hotel Lobby Design
Today, the lobby is the hardest working space in the hotel and the design strategy behind it must have the needs of the guest at its heart. It is essential that the lobby provides the perfect balance between form and function as it strives to offer a showstopping space that will create the best possible first impression while performing a number of crucial tasks.
From checking in to informal business meetings, the hotel lobby has become a multifunctional space that is as versatile as it is stylish. However, the role the lobby plays in each individual hotel is entirely down to the guests and their requirements. Do they need a space to work remotely with high speed internet access and wireless printing facilities? Or are the majority of the guests couples on romantic getaways who are looking for an opulent space to relax and enjoy each others company? These are the kinds of questions that will inform the overall design strategy and lead to a successful space.
By developing a design strategy that fits perfectly with the clientele, it is possible to create a lobby that builds a sense of community and enhances the hotel’s overall ethos and develops the character of the brand. In doing so, it also cements the hotel and the experience into the mind of the guest, turning them into loyal customers and brand ambassadors.
Public Hotel New York
Whereas the hotel lobby was once a space that served as the entrance to the rest of the hotel and an access point to the main functions of the venue that guests would simply pass through, it is now evolving into something altogether more sophisticated.
In recent years we have seen a clear shift from the traditional dominating front desks to lobbies that have split uses. From lively social spaces to co-working zones, meeting areas, casual dining and open-plan bars, the lobby is now the beating heart of the hotel. Increasingly designed in order to entice guests out of their individual rooms and into a sociable hub, the pressure is on for these spaces to perform a wide variety of duties. In order to pull this off successfully, zoning is essential.
By creating dedicated zones that flow seamlessly together, you are ensuring that each of the functions that you require your lobby to fulfil are given the space to do so. By strategically laying out furnishings and using devices such as sound absorbent panels, one lobby can offer everything a guest needs, from a place to check-in to an area to enjoy a meal.
The commercial benefits of creating a space that successfully performs all of these roles are clear to see. Rather than working from a coffee shop or hosting meetings in a dedicated co-working venue, guests can instead choose to remain at their accommodation, thus keeping any food and beverage revenue within the hotel. On top of this, offering an enhanced experience that provides the ultimate convenience increases the likelihood of repeat custom and positive reviews.
Soho House Chicago
Impressions are formed using all senses and this needs to be considered carefully within the design strategy. By creating a lobby that appeals to more than just the eye, an inviting ambiance is developed which will encourage the guest to engage with space and the brand.
The sense of smell is closely linked to emotions and also to memory and so this is an important area to tap into. Creating a pleasing aroma in the lobby can have a significant impact on consumer behavior and so the kind of scent that is used should closely relate to the overall experience that you are seeking to offer.
According to a Bloomberg report, in 2015 hotels spend $300 million in the scent branding industry and this figure is predicted to continue to rise. Some of the most popular scents used within hotel lobbies and corridors included green tea and lemongrass which Air-Scent International claim evokes memories of warm nights and sparkling waters. White tea and thyme is also a popular combination with its incense-inspired aroma and clean, crisp edge.
Four Seasons Paris
The way in which a space is lit has a dramatic impact on our initial impressions and on our emotional response to it. Too bright and the space can feel clinical and uninviting, too dark and it may appear dingy and small.
In today’s multifunctional lobby, one lighting scheme may not be enough to make the whole space work and so this needs additional consideration. Working spaces will require functional task lighting that ensures guests are not forced to strain their eyes to read and that does not cause glare on computer screens. Conversely, social spaces require a more ambient lighting scheme that encourages guests to relax and enjoy their surroundings. As such, lighting is a crucial part of the overall design strategy and must be considered early in the process.
W South Beach
The sounds and entertainment in a lobby are also important to consider and this goes beyond creating a playlist your guests will love, the overall acoustics of the space must be raised early in the design process. Loud lobbies may give guests the impression that a good night’s sleep isn’t on the cards while silent spaces can be difficult to fully relax in. Carpeting and soft furnishings can be used to diffuse sound and prevent a space from feeling echoey, and noise control materials can also be incorporated into wall coverings and flooring.
The sounds and entertainment in the lobby should align with the needs and agendas of the guests. A hotel with a relaxing spa may benefit from a gently bubbling water feature that puts guests in mind of unwinding while a business hotel might offer a bank of screens showing daily news updates and stock market fluctuations. Hotels that regularly cater for families with small children may consider an area that encourages children to engage with interactive technology thus allowing parents to check-in with ease.
Sir Joan Hotel Ibiza
As well as being an integral component to the overall look and feel of the hotel lobby, the furnishings will make or break the success of each of the zones that are being created. From luxurious sofas on which guests can relax with a cup of coffee to desk areas that are ergonomically designed to ensure the most comfortable co-working space possible, it is important that the pieces chosen not only enhance the style of the space, but also its functionality.
Lobby furnishings should encourage collaboration and offer guests the chance to create groups of seating that work for them. It is also important to consider that one style of seating may not work for all of the functions that you wish the lobby to perform and so many options may be needed. Barbara Best-Santos, associate principal of ForrestPerkins points out that; “Today’s lobbies are true ‘great-room’ environments that are activated through varied seating options and live/eat/work-inspired spaces.”
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona showcases this perfectly with a number of grouped seating areas that make it easy and comfortable to communicate. Seating with high backs also helps to shield the groups to create a feeling of separate areas without them being entirely cut off.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona
As people automatically gravitate towards designs that are rooted in the natural worlds, biophilic design, particularly in hotels in urban areas, can have a significant impact on the guests’ experience. From highlighting scenic views to harnessing natural light and using architectural patterns that mimic natural shapes, biophilic design is thought to promote wellbeing and, according to a study reported on by Oliver Heath Design, guests are willing to pay 23% more for hotel rooms that offer views of biophilic elements such as the ocean.
One hotel that has successfully blurred the lines between the interior and exterior spaces and created a natural oasis in a busy urban space is The Hudson in New York City. With a vibrant canopy of greenery in the lobby and ivy creepers snaking up the brick walls, a striking balance between the hustle and bustle of city living and the tranquility of the natural world is created.
Biophilic design also ties in with our increasing awareness of ecological issues, social conscience and desire to engage in a greener way of living. From sustainable building materials to designs that make guests feel a greater connection to their environment, this is an important trend to incorporate.
The Hudson Hotel Courtyard
As many move towards the Smart Hotel model in which technology takes centerstage, it is crucial that each hotel decides how this will impact on the overall service and operations.
Consider, would the hotel guests prefer to be met by a friendly face and a personal touch or is time of the essence and would online check-in and an app-based key card be preferred? This will play a major part in deciding elements of the lobby design. Is a front desk an important component of the lobby or will roving team members and areas with touch screen technology that puts the power in the guests’ hands be the best way to cater to the needs of the clients?
The Inn at St Botolph in Boston gives guests complete autonomy over their stay, providing a code by email that guests can use to enter their rooms without meeting with a single staff member if that is their preference. Allowing guests to make these choices for themselves gives guests the freedom to tailor their hotel experience to suit themselves and provides a modern alternative to check-in queues and clunky processes.
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