Guests are increasingly looking for a hotel experience that reflects the city or region they are staying in, rather than an international brand standard that feels the same across the globe. This authenticity places guest experience at the centre of the design process and responding to these requirements is shaping the next generation of hotel brands.
We are already seeing a move towards locations, having more than just a flavour of their local surroundings woven into the design of new hotels. At Jumeirah Al Naseem the guest experience became integral throughout the design process. The exterior terrace is deliberately reminiscent of ancient Arabian cities, creating changing views and interrelationships. Traditionally, luxury hotels would have large communal areas but here, when you venture inside, you will see there are smaller clusters of intimate seating areas where guests can find their own space to inhabit to enjoy the views towards the Burj Al Arab.
We believe there will be a further dissemination of space within large hotels into a series of smaller spaces, eating areas and even the landscaping. Influencing this change is the experience-led millennial market, which places an emphasis on sharing spaces for different uses with hotel lobbies, cafés and restaurants doubling as spaces to work or relax. This is a generation that has grown up with flexible working and hot-desking being commonplace in their jobs, and we are seeing this bleed into how they approach their leisure time. We see versatile areas in hotels such as pockets of space in reception and courtyards between buildings where guests can either come together, or enjoy some down time alone. Developers are taking on board these changes as the next generation of hotels needs to be more tailored and diverse if they are going to continue to capture the modern tourist and visitor.
Responding to this challenge starts with finding the project’s story and developing its narrative. This narrative informs every stage of the design, ensuring and underpinning the project’s authenticity, creating a unique experience for guests that is true to the location.
A further example is 25hours Hotel, a European brand developing its first property outside Europe in Dubai. For the millennial market, while there is a wish to provide an aesthetically pleasing environment to help populate countless Instagram profiles, having a strong and consistent design narrative is imperative. One of the great ways 25hours Hotel has approached this trend is by weaving stories into the design of the rooms. We believe this experiential storytelling is something that will become more popular in hotels in the region as they look to embrace a sense of authenticity in their venues.
Matt Engele is principal at architecture and design firm Woods Bagot, which worked on the interior design of 25hours Hotel Dubai. The views expressed here are his own.
