Hotel design is constantly evolving, and hoteliers must constantly keep an eye on emerging trends as well as evergreen styles. Here are 10 such trends, including insights from attendees at the HD Expo in May.
1. The Return of Color
Traci Kloos, vice president design and development at surfacing company Koroseal, noted a “resurgence of color” in hospitality design—“which is nice,” she added. Cooler blues are giving way to soft greens and “unexpected” hues like pinks. “It's more about having an unexpected twist to a lot of the designs,” she said.
Jordan Yasgoor, sales manager & creative director at Reid Witlin Textiles, noted “a lot of bold color use” combined with “taupes and browns and the usual green shades.” She noted that the use of color in design as a whole tends to begin on the fashion runways. “That's really important when we decide what we put into design, because that's where our eyes are gravitating towards—what we wear [and] the space we're in.”
Tara Satterfield, sales manager at Foliot Furniture, agreed that gray tones are over. “We're seeing blues. We're seeing terra cottas. We're seeing creams and browns—a lot of browns,” she added.
2. Natural Elements
Kloos also noted growing demand for natural elements in hotel design, including colors and fibers like jute and hemp. Arte, a wallcovering company that collaborates with Koroseal, uses natural wood in its veneers.
“Biophilic design continues to be a mainstay, whether it comes through in subtle or grand gestures,” said Harry Wheeler, principal, JCJ Architecture. “In addition to a literal interpretation of biophilia inspiring ‘green’ elements, we’re optimizing layouts to provide for more daylight and outdoor spaces.” This design strategy is becoming “commonplace,” Wheeler continued, because it “connects guests with nature and creates a playful blend between the inside and outside” environments.
Brianna Sullivan, sales manager at Ethnicraft, agreed with the return to natural materials and colors, but argued that this return is “not quite that intense” as classic biophilic design. “It depends on your personal definition of biophilia,” she said.
3. Organic Luxury
Sally Thomas Cooper, owner and president of sales and marketing at Lusive Decor, said that the hospitality industry is “heading into a new era of luxury” with organic elements and touches of midcentury-modern and art-deco style for a “sophisticated” take on nature. “We're feeling disconnected from each other,” she noted. “I think it's part of wanting something a bit more human and a bit warmer.”
4. Open Casegoods
Ujas Hotel Furniture CEO Umang Pandya noted that hotel chains are moving away from closed furniture in favor of more open options. “Three-drawer armoires are only confined to long-stay hotels,” he said. Traditional transient hotels are opting for open storage that lets guests see their clothing, he added, which not only helps the room feel more spacious and open but helps prevent guests from leaving items behind. “It is practical and minimalistic,” he said. “People love that new concept of less furniture and more optimization of the room space.”
5. Artificial Intelligence
Stacy Garcia Design Studio and Signature Flooring recently launched the Mystic Horizons flooring line, inspired by artificial intelligence and the broader metaverse—high-tech elements that Garcia said are driving a broader shift in design. “We all live on our phones,” she noted. “We're impacted by computers, where people are using headsets and going into virtual worlds. And that changes how we view the world. It changes our expectation of things.”
6. Digital Detox
Garcia also recognized a need to get away from technology, and noted a growing demand for softer surfaces, thicker fabrics and acoustical wall coverings—“things that absorb sound to create quiet spaces.” Using these materials creates a sense of “tactile luxury,” she added.
When creating “places of retreat” within hotels, Garcia and her partners use natural materials in natural tones—“a lot of greens and beiges and caramels and browns as the palette.”
7. Quality Comfort
While aesthetics are important, Deniz Dorbek Kocak, CEO of The Bright Hotel Group, noted increased demand for comfortable furniture, especially when it comes to sofas, communal tables, guestroom armchairs and seating in meeting areas. “Ten years ago, it was more about how it looks, more about the design,” she said. “But now, comfort comes first.”
8. Living Areas
Kocak said that communal spaces in hotels must now be designed to meet a range of different needs. Lobbies, she noted, are becoming “more functional, more for everyday life,” and increasingly include reading corners with curated books and artwork.
9. Localization
Wheeler noted that domestic travel is outpacing international, and credited this for the growing demand for local design elements. “The concept creates a customized story for each property, immersing and connecting the traveler to the neighborhood and city,” he said, adding that this can be seen in branded and boutique hotels alike. “Through telling a neighborhood story, engaging with local artists, bringing in that local coffee roaster, etc., hotels become part of the community, setting them apart as sought-after destinations,” he said. “From urban centers to suburban settings, every property is now expected to have a distinct point of view and tell a compelling story.”
10. Soft Lines
Kloos noted a “new adaptation of a stripe” with a “watercolor” effect as a growing trend in hospitality spaces. “It might be a broken stripe. It might be a little bit more of an organic stripe—but we're seeing kind of a reinvention of some of those classics,” she said.
“I do not see these trends fading away,” Wheeler said. “If anything, they will continue to be part of our everyday lives and strengthen their presence day after day.”
This article was originally published in the June edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.