In the hotel room design process, functionality is the key. Of course, the aesthetic appeal is very important for designers and hoteliers. But understanding how guests will use the room feeds the direction that the brand standards take to meet guest expectations.
In a recent Hotel Management article, Kip Vreeland, SVP of Full Service Franchising for Marriott International, stated “We have to understand what a room is for, and how brand standards can be pulled through, For example, guests have made it clear that showers are a better use of bathroom space than tubs, and the brand standards have evolved to reflect the new expectation. That is the standard, whether in a Fairfield or a Westin,” … “Customers are driving that, rather than Marriott.”
In a recent Hotel Management article, Kip Vreeland, SVP of Full Service Franchising for Marriott International, stated “We have to understand what a room is for, and how brand standards can be pulled through, For example, guests have made it clear that showers are a better use of bathroom space than tubs, and the brand standards have evolved to reflect the new expectation. That is the standard, whether in a Fairfield or a Westin,” … “Customers are driving that, rather than Marriott.”
Here are some important areas discussed to keep in focus through your hotel room design process:
1.Defining The “Long Term” Purpose:
For Hoteliers, investing in solid-surface elements is cost effective but also providing budget-friendly, efficient soft-goods upgrades can make a big impact.
With a recent investment for Cambria Hotel & Suites, White Plains NY – Justin Jabara, VP of Development at Meyer Jabara Hotels said “We’re able to change pops of colors and other features with soft-goods renovations. It’s more cost-effective that way. This strategy is good for long-term investors who expect to get regular revenue from a property. Limiting the case goods in a guestroom can also reduce the time in between soft goods renovations. It’s cheaper for the owner, and it’s better for longevity.”
At Bestar Hospitality, we meet the needs of Hoteliers everyday by changing solid surfaces with beautiful stone, glass or laminate options and extending the life of the FF&E. We can also upgrade decorative hardware for a quick refresh of hotel FF&E.
In a recent article by Chris Matyszczyk, he discusses the hotel direction of “limiting the case goods in a guestroom” by sharing that some hotels have started turning their reception areas into workspaces and that desks within the hotel rooms are disappearing because guests are not staying long enough to use them. Traditional closets are also disappearing because many guests don’t bother to unpack. And the complaint from guests who used the traditional closets stated that they forgot their clothes hanging in the closet and leave without them. So many hotels are now keeping closets as open spaces, no doors, within the room design. Additionally, Minibars are also disappearing because most people do not want to pay high prices and would rather go to the hotel bar or bring their own back to the room.
These are the drivers that steer the brand standards to change. Of course, not every hotel is eliminating the desks, mini bars and closets. Upperscale, Luxury hotels continue to include these with their design.
2.Think About the Multi-Purpose Function of the Room:
Public spaces within hotels are becoming more utilized because many select-service hotel designs are creating more relaxed and inviting communal areas, especially when space limitation is a factor in the design process. “A communal table can be a breakfast bar or dinner table at night,” Lisa Knight, President of Design. “Breakfast bar buffets are great at high-volume times, but on shoulder days, they’re not very efficient,” Jabara said. “How do you build a buffet so it can have different uses? At the The Hilton Wilmington - Christiana, the breakfast bar can “disappear” when not in use, freeing up the space for other needs”, Jabara noted.
Bestar Hospitality specializes in “Re-Imagining” your FF&E to increase function and sustainability. We can re-engineer desks, cabinets, armoires into more functional pieces that extend the use of your FF&E and dramatically minimize the cost of buying new furniture.
3.Consider High-Tech and Minimal Room Design Elements:
As real estate becomes increasingly valuable, guestrooms are becoming smaller—which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for designers. “Everything is sleek; there’s no extraneous furniture,” Lisa Knight said. “I think the guestroom will become more personalized. The room is like a blank canvas. You can personalize the space.”
Customizing the guest room experience allows guests to choose everything from: bedding selection, bathroom toiletries, custom channel and movie packages, temperature and lighting control via phone applications, even digital artwork to appeal to their taste. Hotels are creating these customized guest profiles with loyalty programs for guests who stay frequently. Hilton’s Innovation Gallery and their “Connected Room” and Marriott’s Innovation Lab are constant incubators for providing exciting technology and out-of-the-box ideas for guests.
At Bestar Hospitality, we focus on being innovative with what is inside the box (the room). We re-engineer hotel FF&E, add jack-packs to provide updated technology without incurring the high-cost of buying new furniture.
Vito Lotta, VP of architecture & design for Hilton’s full-service brands, stated “while hotels schedule renovations for every six or eight years, most technological devices get upgrades every six or eight months, making any in-room installation obsolete within a year. A room’s lifespan is in years, but tech is in months. You cannot keep pace. The solution, is to design the room to support a guest’s devices rather than incorporate any devices that will not be useful in just a few years,” he said.
4.Consider the Individual when Creating a Unique Stay Experience:
Jabara discussed that guests, especially millennials, want to connect with the local flavor of where they are staying. Authenticity is key. He stated, “When I stay at a hotel and I’m in Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey, I want to feel local. That sense of location could be reflected in the property’s food, or in the guestroom artwork. Our feeling is that you need a local aspect, and we’re pushing that trend in design.” With branded hotels now competing with Airbnb, providing a unique experience for guests is always top-of-mind in the design process.
Bestar Hospitality provides customized design and development packages for our clients. We want every project to be an excellent and unique experience. We provide our clients with design consultation, pre-production samples, on-site project management, and financing depending on the scope of their project.
5. Differentiation – How to Set Your Hotel Design Apart from the Competition:
In a recent Hotel Management article, Vreeland acknowledged that “We’re living with legacy issues,” and wondered aloud if Marriott’s current roster of 30 brands is too much. “Our brand teams are good at defining what they mean. Marriott is different from Sheraton, and that’s different from Delta.” The designs of these hotels will reflect those differences…You have to find unique ways to activate the space. The whole feel of room should be differentiated. Westin hotels, are using lighting in new ways, while Renaissance hotels are putting artwork on the ceilings. We’ve created a cool way to make the room new and exciting.”
When you have hotels with so many brands, financing can be a challenge. Some hotel room designs are minimalist, some are traditional, and some are luxury. With all of these differences and being able to compete with the market for that specific brand, you must have options and flexibility.
At Bestar Hospitality, we are your FF&E solution provider and your partner in profit. We give you many options, flexibility and extend the life of your assets. We are a Preferred Supplier for Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and many brands across the U.S.With over 20 years of experience serving the hospitality industry, and providing above brand standard service, that differentiates us.
1.Defining The “Long Term” Purpose:
For Hoteliers, investing in solid-surface elements is cost effective but also providing budget-friendly, efficient soft-goods upgrades can make a big impact.
With a recent investment for Cambria Hotel & Suites, White Plains NY – Justin Jabara, VP of Development at Meyer Jabara Hotels said “We’re able to change pops of colors and other features with soft-goods renovations. It’s more cost-effective that way. This strategy is good for long-term investors who expect to get regular revenue from a property. Limiting the case goods in a guestroom can also reduce the time in between soft goods renovations. It’s cheaper for the owner, and it’s better for longevity.”
At Bestar Hospitality, we meet the needs of Hoteliers everyday by changing solid surfaces with beautiful stone, glass or laminate options and extending the life of the FF&E. We can also upgrade decorative hardware for a quick refresh of hotel FF&E.
In a recent article by Chris Matyszczyk, he discusses the hotel direction of “limiting the case goods in a guestroom” by sharing that some hotels have started turning their reception areas into workspaces and that desks within the hotel rooms are disappearing because guests are not staying long enough to use them. Traditional closets are also disappearing because many guests don’t bother to unpack. And the complaint from guests who used the traditional closets stated that they forgot their clothes hanging in the closet and leave without them. So many hotels are now keeping closets as open spaces, no doors, within the room design. Additionally, Minibars are also disappearing because most people do not want to pay high prices and would rather go to the hotel bar or bring their own back to the room.
These are the drivers that steer the brand standards to change. Of course, not every hotel is eliminating the desks, mini bars and closets. Upperscale, Luxury hotels continue to include these with their design.
2.Think About the Multi-Purpose Function of the Room:
Public spaces within hotels are becoming more utilized because many select-service hotel designs are creating more relaxed and inviting communal areas, especially when space limitation is a factor in the design process. “A communal table can be a breakfast bar or dinner table at night,” Lisa Knight, President of Design. “Breakfast bar buffets are great at high-volume times, but on shoulder days, they’re not very efficient,” Jabara said. “How do you build a buffet so it can have different uses? At the The Hilton Wilmington - Christiana, the breakfast bar can “disappear” when not in use, freeing up the space for other needs”, Jabara noted.
Bestar Hospitality specializes in “Re-Imagining” your FF&E to increase function and sustainability. We can re-engineer desks, cabinets, armoires into more functional pieces that extend the use of your FF&E and dramatically minimize the cost of buying new furniture.
3.Consider High-Tech and Minimal Room Design Elements:
As real estate becomes increasingly valuable, guestrooms are becoming smaller—which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for designers. “Everything is sleek; there’s no extraneous furniture,” Lisa Knight said. “I think the guestroom will become more personalized. The room is like a blank canvas. You can personalize the space.”
Customizing the guest room experience allows guests to choose everything from: bedding selection, bathroom toiletries, custom channel and movie packages, temperature and lighting control via phone applications, even digital artwork to appeal to their taste. Hotels are creating these customized guest profiles with loyalty programs for guests who stay frequently. Hilton’s Innovation Gallery and their “Connected Room” and Marriott’s Innovation Lab are constant incubators for providing exciting technology and out-of-the-box ideas for guests.
At Bestar Hospitality, we focus on being innovative with what is inside the box (the room). We re-engineer hotel FF&E, add jack-packs to provide updated technology without incurring the high-cost of buying new furniture.
Vito Lotta, VP of architecture & design for Hilton’s full-service brands, stated “while hotels schedule renovations for every six or eight years, most technological devices get upgrades every six or eight months, making any in-room installation obsolete within a year. A room’s lifespan is in years, but tech is in months. You cannot keep pace. The solution, is to design the room to support a guest’s devices rather than incorporate any devices that will not be useful in just a few years,” he said.
4.Consider the Individual when Creating a Unique Stay Experience:
Jabara discussed that guests, especially millennials, want to connect with the local flavor of where they are staying. Authenticity is key. He stated, “When I stay at a hotel and I’m in Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey, I want to feel local. That sense of location could be reflected in the property’s food, or in the guestroom artwork. Our feeling is that you need a local aspect, and we’re pushing that trend in design.” With branded hotels now competing with Airbnb, providing a unique experience for guests is always top-of-mind in the design process.
Bestar Hospitality provides customized design and development packages for our clients. We want every project to be an excellent and unique experience. We provide our clients with design consultation, pre-production samples, on-site project management, and financing depending on the scope of their project.
5. Differentiation – How to Set Your Hotel Design Apart from the Competition:
In a recent Hotel Management article, Vreeland acknowledged that “We’re living with legacy issues,” and wondered aloud if Marriott’s current roster of 30 brands is too much. “Our brand teams are good at defining what they mean. Marriott is different from Sheraton, and that’s different from Delta.” The designs of these hotels will reflect those differences…You have to find unique ways to activate the space. The whole feel of room should be differentiated. Westin hotels, are using lighting in new ways, while Renaissance hotels are putting artwork on the ceilings. We’ve created a cool way to make the room new and exciting.”
When you have hotels with so many brands, financing can be a challenge. Some hotel room designs are minimalist, some are traditional, and some are luxury. With all of these differences and being able to compete with the market for that specific brand, you must have options and flexibility.
At Bestar Hospitality, we are your FF&E solution provider and your partner in profit. We give you many options, flexibility and extend the life of your assets. We are a Preferred Supplier for Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and many brands across the U.S.With over 20 years of experience serving the hospitality industry, and providing above brand standard service, that differentiates us.