Designing hotels in the current situation and the uncertain future
When designing a hotel during Covid-19, the industry will have to revisit its role in the face of having to recognise that customer expectations and altered behaviours will have an impact on design considerations and the functioning of the hotel in the ‘now normal’. Needless to state, hospitality will have to adapt its designs, especially for new builds towards meeting these changes.
Nowadays people travelling to local points of attractions combined with a staycation experience is increasingly on the rise. No longer do they want to spend time indoors; instead, the trend is towards making that connection with the outdoors including dining in the open / under the skies. And of course above all, cleanliness remains at the top of everyone’s’ list.
Luxury has given way to sustainability and to an outdoor environment. Staying safe has interlocked itself with a spiritual emotion leaning towards well-being. The acceleration of client behaviours and new concerns of safety and hygiene will feature foremost in the design of hotels. There’ll be hotels leaning more towards a spa concept in the design itself and architects will need to integrate solutions to the changes, beginning at the construction phase.
State imposed mandates regarding the operation of restaurants during the pandemic have hit the food and beverage sector to the extent of forcing permanent changes to the design, layout and delivery of food and drinks. New hotel builds and renovations would do well to reflect general food trends such as farm-to-table, market-style kitchen decor, and mixology. Utilizing materials that are local; instead of carpet flooring, using tiles and stone blending in with the architecture and the environment will be the hotel creation post Covid. Such hotels can tangibly express themselves as being eco friendly.
A well designed fresh room alone won’t win business. Pre- pandemic, guests spent about 70% of their time exploring the larger hotel property. Now that ratio will flip. Moving forward, guests will spend 70% of their time in their rooms in the hotel, and if there is nothing to do in the room that is a problem.The designing of a hotel post- Covid should thus accommodate flexibility and adaptability; for instance the room must be spacious enough to sleep, eat, exercise and work, safely and in comfort. In other words, guestrooms need to be flexi-usable to enable occupants to carry out multiple activities within the same space. The furniture must be elegant and practical so that it’ll be ergonomically easy on housekeeping staff to sanitise and clean the room - swiftly and effectively. The gym / fitness rooms to those who are accustomed to using this facility must be roomy and have lots of air circulation.
Today’s traveller wouldn’t want to remain in confined spaces, once at the property – especially after Covid. Mindful of the need to social distance even when on holiday, many would prefer to find nearby places to unwind – be it at the beach or the outdoors (nature trails, excursions, bird watching, kayaking and so on), Others may wish to immerse themselves in a wellness activity such as visiting the Spa daily. Whatever it is, Hotel design should be integrated towards providing wide open spaces and/or airy wellness facilities to make the stay of the guests memorable.
Joining hands with customer service is communication, both of which can be powerful differentiators. This is where technology can help – not only in providing a contactless experience where needed, but also when done properly can help the hotel regain the customers’ trust on travelling again.
Mehroon Wahab is a former media representative for ‘Spa Asia ‘in Sri Lanka & the Maldives and it was during her tenure that the Singapore based magazine published a 14-page feature on Sri Lankan Spas.
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