Member Article

How hoteliers can embrace design to create exceptional guest experiences

Design has always played a critical role in defining a hotel’s brand experience. However, over the last few years many hoteliers have been playing catch up with changing consumer demands and behaviours that places less emphasis on brand loyalty and more on the search for novel and engaging experiences.

In challenging economic conditions, you might think meeting these new customer demands to be costly, however at Harrison we believe you don’t have to throw huge amounts of capital at a project to bring your hotel kicking and screaming into the modern age.

We champion and have driven innovative solutions that maximise the use of public areas in hotels, thinking more like retailers to make spaces flexible and engaging for guests, while helping you to generate income morning, noon and night.

Here’s our five top tips for hoteliers looking to embrace design to create exceptional guest experiences:

1. Own your architecture – utilise every aspect of your property, from the basement to the rooftop, to create compelling design solutions which surprise, thrill and go against the norm.
2. Bring the outside in - turn your hotel into lifestyle driven environments, where guests can work, rest and play all in one place. Create spaces where your guests want to be any time of day or night.
3. Embrace the unconventional – Moxy by Marriot is a great example of a stylish hotel brand designed to give guests everything they want at an affordable price point.
4. Tear down boundaries - your lobby, bar and restaurant areas should be used to create free flowing food and drink spaces that encourage conversations and networking amongst your guests.
5. Challenge assumptions – just because something has always been done that way, doesn’t always mean it always should. Exciting and unique design isn’t something that is exclusive to boutique hoteliers - it can, and should, be embraced by all.

We believe that hoteliers need to be confident in creating thought provoking and unique concepts that deliver compelling reasons for guests to connect with your brand. With an abundance of choice in the marketplace and with new sector challenges posed by the likes of Airbnb, thoughtful design is a prerequisite for any property looking to succeed.

By Dean Concannon, Design Director for Harrison

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harrison .