Developers are a remarkably fantastic breed of dream weavers and fantasy-makers, take for instance Walt Disney, a man with a grand desire to develop a place where children of all ages could immerse themselves in the glory of the their imagination.

Today hospitality real estate developers are no different in their desire to build a better, more dynamic, and enjoyable environment for those of us that appreciate a slight departure from the normalcy of our day-to-day lives.

As a developer, real estate is, by its nature, an expensive non-liquid asset. This means that it costs a lot of money to own it, and it can be difficult to sell. In development activity, there are also the added costs of improvements themselves (typically called “hard costs”) and included are the fees of various consultants necessary to get the development work done (typically called “soft costs”).

Since there are significant initial investment requirements, a majority of hotel real estate development projects are financed with a large amount of debt leverage. Projects will generally be profitable if the upfront commitment of cash is kept to a minimum and the project can quickly generating a positive cash flow sufficient to cover debt.

With more than three trillion dollars annually feeding the global hospitality industry there remains considerable motivation for developers to continue to build.

As a designer I am challenged daily with a multitude of new global projects, and though each project varies significantly in it’s scope – the five tenants listed below continue serve as guides in my design execution.

Integrity (actions based on internally consistent principles)

Designers tend to be mysterious individuals as I always say, we are often comparable to the Cobbler who’s children had no shoes… what I mean by this is that though we are always able to pull together  designs for someone else, in no time, within budget, and always on schedule (said tongue in cheek) we are often reprehensible when it comes to not designing for ourselves. I’m often quite enigmatic when explaining to guests how I just can’t seem to pull together and complete personal design projects. I believe one of the factors for this madness may be that my plans are often too costly an investment, the furniture I want to buy is often far too expensive, and possibly the stacks of design publications from this year alone that provide far too much design inspiration for this hard to please designer. Evidenced by the abodes of other designer pals, I’m not alone in this dilemma of mal-design – the problem we face is not so much design indecision as much as it is what I prefer to call “high design integrity,” I am far too appreciative of phenomenal design and will not settle for second best.

When designing for a client integrity should not be jeopardized. The Reputation of the company for which I am employed as well as my reputation are non negotiable. Design is paramount and will always remain at the forefront of our minds. Developers hire us not because we can be bamboozled into designing exactly what they the developer wants rather we are hired for our knowledge, experience and unequivocal design savvy.

We serve our clients best by always striving to design with integrity whether facing tight budgetary constraints or limited time it is imperative that we consider that every piece aspect of our design will be on constant display to the most discriminating critics.

Sustainability (caring for our fragile life system)

Here in my small corner of the world I am surrounded by the impacts of global deterioration, be it cultural, ethical or physical. It is evidenced that we are so deeply wedged in the mire of our ways that as it stands we few design do-gooders that attempt as we may to design with as much emphasis on sustainability unfortunately have to face constant pushback inspite of the numerous attempts to undo the global paradox we are facing. Understandably our clients may not see the value of incorporating sustainable practices, what we as designers are responsible for is educating our clients on the value of these practices both environmentally as well as economically.

Longevity (lasting longer than expected)

Endangered design is any design executed – the day a hospitality project is completed and the first guests begin to revel in its glorious execution that is the day that its design is placed on the most endangered list. With the myriad of existent design talent and an unforgiving foray of jaw dropping projects that are daily being ushered on to the market any and all projects no matter of how well designed and how it in that moment it will soon fade. This year alone the design world mourned the loss of one of the great Mammoths of hotel design. The Royalton Hotel in New York. When Originally designed in 1988 by (at that time) a fairly unknown individual by the name of Philippe Starck the hotel became one of the most recognizable feats of boutique design – this hotel became a pilgrimage for many designers myself included. The new design is no less fantastic in my opinion and will last numerous years before itself falling to extinction as a new product is re-imagined by a new wave of developer money. What is important is that each time it is re-imagined is that the design integrity of the original envelope is no less

Innovation (A change for improvement that creates a new expectation)

Innovate or die! This rather harsh quote printed on a poster I recently spied is now burned into my memory and serves as a daily reminder as to the importance of staying on the top of my game when it comes to doing what I do as a designer.

Constantly I am bombarded with the rapidly changing design environment, whether it be from a lecture, a visiting product representative or a new ad in one of the many design magazines that tend to be stacked high on my desk. There is just no end to the ever-changing design environment.

I recently completed an in-depth study for a very high profile client who despite being the owner of one of California’s most recognized hotels is still seeking to offer that which no one else has – just to make sure that they stay at the top of game. It is this type of thinking that developers are seeking form the fastest and most spectacularly growing hospitality design firms today this is the edge that places the hotel development project at the forefront of the industry and therefore places the developer in a very good position.

Travelers have come to expect that their guestrooms contain the same luxuries they have at home if not better. From constantly changing lifestyle trends, to out of date and quickly replaced technology, it is imperative that we continue to provide if we as designers are not willing to do everything in our power to remain on top of this information and provide we will die. DIE!

Value (An aesthetic perception that supercedes the actual cost)

Developers are not in the business of saving lives, nor are they often mistaken for being big philanthropist, this said I in no way mean to leave you with the impression that developers are heartless individuals, there aren’t numerous developers out there who are motivated to be extremely generous in their own right – What developers arein the business of doing is making astronomical amounts of money. Developers work very long and very hard at making sure that every dollar invested is returned and then some. One of the most important ongoing considerations is to where money should be spent that will yield the greatest return or value? Is it in the tactile elements like the guestroom amenities, or is it going to be in the public areas where the great first impression is the overwhelming impact that outweighs all the other inadequacies – however the great dollar ends up getting spent it is most often at the cost of some other area. It is the responsibility of the designer to constantly be on the lookout for the most economical way to trick the eye into believing that what it is seeing is greater than its intrinsic parts.

In neoclassical economics, the value of an object or service is often seen as nothing but the price it would bring in an open and competitive market, this textbook definition is not quite emphatic enough to describe the type of value we as designers are expected to bring to the table when designing for a client. Wholistic not intrinsic value is that which we are expected to bring – we as designers are expected to take a multitude of intrinsic items and weave them together to create something of greater value.

On a recent getaway I took up residence at a well-known southern California luxury hotel for a long weekend of relaxation, great meals and good friends. Upon check-in I noticed that the hotel lobby had recently gone under somewhat of a minor renovation, new light fixtures, expansive window walls bedecked in new decorative window coverings, new millwork throughout the lobby including new individual check-in desks, from which the uniformed and ever smiling guest service agent quickly checked me in and sent me on my way to a relaxing weekend. During our interaction the gracious front desk agent informed me that I had been upgraded to a suite for the weekend – I thankful and appreciative I excitedly hurried off to check out my capacious weekend digs. Making my way through the hotel I noticed the numerous renovations underway, and at the same time I noted much work yet to be tackled. Boarding the elevator to my sixth floor Shangri-la a little voice in my head concluded that the elevator must surely be slated for the next phase of the renovation, as I stood spying the cynical reflection of my face in the smoke colored mirror of the elevator door I began to wonder if this was to be the end of the disappointing old décor – then it happened… the elevator doors parted and behold… what I saw laying beyond was what I would now call a forewarning of what was to come. The worn carpet in the elevator lobby was a compass medallion composed of gold, blue and red easily befitting in any nautical themed hotel décor of the late eighties and early nineties – My thoughts battled between cynical and positive – maybe the rooms were just recently redone and they are saving the elevator lobbies till the end. 

Despite enjoying the time I had with my friends and this beautiful seaside town, I will for many years to come remember my poorly neglected guestroom. What was obvious from the moment I walked in the door was the peeling wall covering throughout the suite not just the bathroom, the random and otherwise senseless placement of the mismatched furniture – furniture that in my opinion had never been constructed for comfort in the first place. The Armoire was missing the mini-bar where did it go I thought? Why would they remove this lovely roommate this was the one of the greatest revenue generators in the room. I wasn’t’ there to watch television, but I always like to catch up on the news in the morning, but not from the small and archaic television which suffered from poor placement against a wall that received a terrible glare from it’s sunny southern sun exposure. I didn’t go away for the weekend to work, but I did bring a computer and often keep tabs on my email throughout the day so when I discovered the little desk and quickly realized that there would be no room for my laptop as I was amazed to find that it was cluttered with a lamp, phone, ice bucket, two glasses, three tent-card advertisements for the in-house food and beverage outlets, an informational folio for all the local attractions and a note from attendant that just cleaned my room. The carpet throughout was worn and well just downright unattractive and was most likely responsible for retaining what I’ll call the fragrant essence of the sea. What struck me as odd was that the previous designer incorporated a drapery cornice above the sliding glass door that lead to the lovely balcony this cornice actually hung down to my eyebrows – I’m only 6 feet tall – I know I can sometimes be a bit critical as a designer, but please… The balcony had a fantastic view, but so uncomfortable were a pair of stretched out lounge chairs that I never actually utilized my balcony. Now I usually need to apologize for my cynical ways, but I feel no need to recall my criticism.

What I found shameful about the property where I spent my weekend getaway was that though the hotel retained a high weekly occupancy at rack rate they had the hotel had neglected to care for it’s facility where I counted most. The guest accommodations were not only designed poorly, but as well maintained poorly. There were many significant design flaws for which the designer should take full responsibility, when it comes to purchasing the FF&E the hotel seems to have skimped on quality – as the furniture was terribly uncomfortable, the lack of technological advancement was evident and the overall care and upkeep of the room had been significantly neglected.

When speaking of hotel operators one does not speak of a single person, far from a single person – most operators are large corporations that employ thousands and those thousands. Hotel operations vary from city to city where in some cities unions may have apart in hindering the management of the hotel form an operations point of view. Regardless of the operations stance on hotel maintenance it is the designers responsibility to make design considerations based upon the worse case scenario. These considerations might prove insightful for an operator the next time a renovation is presented.

Having worked in the Meeting and Incentive industry my comprehension of hotel design has been enriched. From the meeting planners perspective my consideration of the hotel facility was based on a properties flexability, and overall apperance. Pairing my meeting planner experience with my knowledge as a designer I am equally aware that the durability of the FF&E within a hotel property is paramount to the success of the hotel and I strive to place as much intelligently designed product within a property.

Here in this article I will bring to the forefront a few concepts designers should keep in mind when working with the operators of hotel properties. These considerations should assist in assuring that both the designer and the operator are working toward the same goal – to create spaces that achieve the greatest ROI.

Ease of Maintenance

Perception of Cleanliness

Designers often make finish selections based upon how something will look when it’s brand new and being photographed for their portfolio or marketing material, little regard or attention is paid to how that same product may look in three weeks, three months or three years. It is tremendously important for hospitality designers to consider these time factors well knowing that the item may not be replaced for three to five years. Hospitality wall covering, fabrics and flooring are developed with an inherent durability, yet if they are in a high use area and the recommended cleaning and maintenance program for these items is not adhered to, then their appearance will soon be less than appropriate. It is always a good practice for a designer to chose items that will hide the dirt and wear, often found in the most heavily trafficked areas, but it is the operator that needs to do their part to institute a rigid and well followed maintenance program. 

Low Wear Visibility

It is unimportant whether or not the hotel operator takes an immaculate approach to maintaining the interiors, what is important is that the designer considers the worse case scenario and balances this consideration with the overall design concept. Good designers understand the need to design and construct furniture that is unique and well designed for its specific environment, and in addition they understand how to construct furniture so that will show the least amount of wear. It’s necessary for the designer to understand the specific construction of all tactile elements within a hotel property from the drapery fabric, to the bedding, the seating fabric and all the way down to the flooring. A good designer should be able to tell you how long the fabric on a specific chair will last based upon a specific universal testing method. The designer should have a fairly elementary understanding of the carpet fiber and it’s properties, such as who manufactured it? To what type of fiber it is? And how it will perform or hide dirt.

All hotel properties are the same in the one fact that they will experience tremendous amounts of wear and tear, and weather or not the property is able to institute appropriate maintenance programs is less important. A good designer will bring added value to a design project through their acute understanding of how to mitigate the visibility of as much wear and tear as possibly. A skilled designer will make sure that the products within a space are as resistant to breakdown as possible. The life of a good chair may last three upholsteries if constructed correctly. The right carpet will be much better at hiding dirt despite its color if it is constructed with the right nylon fiber. A good designer will know the tricks to getting the longest life out of your FF&E. 

Durability of Furnishings

Lowering the cost and associated manpower of maintaining FF&E by minimizing the amount of wear and tear are paramount when designing for operators. A good designer will be able to space plan an environment to accommodate the least amount of wear on the flooring and furnishings. Guests often travel the shortest distance between two points and therefore create wear tracks on flooring they will also be tempted to touch any furniture within their path, the backs and sides of furniture within these paths will soon show the evidence of guests appreciating the luxurious fabric. When designing public area furniture it is critical that designers take into account the type of hotel guest being accommodated, will the guests be wearing suits and sit appropriately in the evening sipping their martini’s or will they be slathered with sunscreen and tanning oil for a day at the beach, will the guests be found sitting on the arm of the sofa, or might they be found dragging the furniture by the arm across the wood flooring to arrange a grouping that can accommodate an impromptu meeting. These and many more scenarios present the designer with a multitude of considerations when designing the furniture.

Brand Alignment

Creating Positive Brand Recollections

A hotel brand is only as strong as its promises, for example Hilton has a simple mantra “Be Hospitable”, simple in it’s concept and easily achievable – Hilton is first to have coined the phrase, however it is truly is the mission of each and every hotel brand. Looking beyond the simplicity of the statement “Be Hospitable” begs the question as to what does it mean and how is one to accomplish it. Being hospitable requires the hotel operator to consider guests first, and without knowing the hotel guests individually that task can be somewhat of a guessing game. Considering the basic five senses is one key to assuring that the design is on the right track (sight, smell, sound, touch, taste). As a designer we are contracted to assist the hotel operators in achieving successful environments through these five elements.

Sight:

Designers prone to their first concern will always approach a project with aesthetics in mind first and foremost, we are creators of beauty, harmony and balance and through our training and experience we can bring to life the most lifeless of spaces.

Smell:

Designers recognize that the most elegant and attractive environments can lose all appeal if they are battling an unappealing. Eliminating unpleasant odors may prove to be a larger task than the designer can handle, designers can provide solutions to eliminating damp or musty odors caused by humidity, but sometimes the operator has to look deeper into a problem such as poor water drainage, dirty air ducts or organic material up wind. Guests will notice when an unpleasant odor is being covered up, so extend the energy to eradicate the cause and the masking will never need to happen.

Sound:

Good designers are always concerned for the acoustics of a space, a large lobby may require the use of large carpeted areas, and or small architectural gestures that assist in alleviating the echo hall effect. Creating pleasant and harmonious environments may well include aquatic elements that serve as white noise and assist in eliminating the brashness of unpleasant noises.

Touch:

People are tactile very tactile and they insist on touching to experience everything. Designers are well aware of this and that is why the numerous finishes we incorporate within a property are very tactile. We select rich sumptuous fabrics or the furnishings, we choose exotic, high gloss, knotty or richly grained woods, the stone in which we chose to clad walls and floors is never lacking in appeal and all because people like to touch things.

Taste:

Since this sense in its literal form can rarely be applied to interior design I am going to use it in the sense of stylistic taste. Discerning hotel guests now more than ever have a highly elevated sense of personal taste. Hotels in the early 20^th century used to be the one place that the average traveler would go to experience the luxuries of marble baths, fancy soaps, and elegant surroundings, now many homes are contain these same extravagant luxuries such as stone clad baths, exquisite linens, high end toiletries elegant surroundings and phenomenal technology. Guests now have a highly elevated understanding of what good taste is and expect to experience this within their hotel

Designing for Change

Design Trend Longevity

There is a life cycle to any design. It is the responsibility of the designer to stay ahead of the design curve. We are hired for our highly acute design savvy and our ability to design for the future. Fashion designers are designing for the here and now as there is little need for longevity in the fashion world, but when it comes to hospitality design – environments need to look as good five years later as they do the day they are installed.

Technology Functionality

Technology may be considered the fastest changing aspect of our modern lives. The newest technology today will be outdated literally within months. Staying ahead of the curve means designing with flexibility and adaptability in mind. Hotels are beginning to understand the importance of simplifying the technological experience, foregoing the electronic drapery system in lieu of an understanding that people don’t care to read an instruction manual to draw back drapes they simply want to get up and pull them back. Incorporating speakers in a bed headboard as opposed to the walls of a guestroom can easily eliminate costly repairs and replacement when the speakers are damaged. Hoteliers are also beginning to understand that people work in different ways when in their guestroom – long gone are the days when a cluttered desk with a single outlet lamp suffices, guests often work on their laptop while sitting in their bed so providing a work surface that can pull up to the bed is a new way in which design is changing to meet the needs of the guest. Having a bank of outlets at the nightstand makes plugging in guests many devices is quite simply smarter. A hotel with a mission to upgrade the in room technology package will hopefully do an exhaustive exploration into the benefits of and blunders caused by incorporating costly changes.

Hotel operators considering extensive renovations to their property will certainly benefit by providing the designer with as much information as possible prior to commencing on any project. Giving the designer as much information as possible about the hotel guests as well as a realistic picture of the hotels current and future maintenance program will only prove to strengthen the designers ability to design the most appropriate and valuable renovation.

There’s no doubt that hotel construction is on the rise. Look around the world and take into account the continually growing assortment of hotel products entering the market. As With hospitality development continuing to grow we see all too often that not all products (hotel properties) are created equal.

To the misfortune of the designer many properties entering the market face considerable negative criticism due in part to many things like the shang-bang construction, ostentatious colorizing or architectural theme and even more caustic in today’s market is the irresponsible landscaping surrounding the building. Creating unique, memorable and economically viable hotel environments is what hospitality designers do, however we are not the financiers of the dreams, we are merely the dream weavers that have the enviable task of creating the folly of others.

As a designer my intent below is to pinpoint three very important considerations when working with an owner to build, renovate or re-flag a property. Owners are in most cases not architects nor are they interior designers yet like architects and designers they do have dreams, opinions and dislikes which often tend to leave their mark on the properties being addressed and sometimes marks that sometimes tend to be negative, the considerations below will hopefully help guide the designer and owner toward a union crowned with success and happiness. 

1. VALUE ADDED DESIGN – Creating value through design without adding cost.

Design for the most part is often undervalued and tends to leave the end-user less than engaged; on the other hand when products are designed well, the consumer takes notice. Companies then track through sales when a product or service is successful and the value of the design then becomes easily quantifiable. The design of hospitality environments however isn’t so easy to quantify, due to the fact that it is very difficult to directly measure the design impact on the end user. So, how could Design Equity be measured? It could be defined as the extent to which a brand is identified by its design awareness, perceived quality, associations and loyalty.

Design Awareness: How familiar are people with the distinct visual and graphic language of the brand? To what extent is design the face of the brand? Is it possible for a designer to achieve significant enough design impact to create value?

Perceived Quality: How accurately do people associate the quality of the brand with the quality of the design? Has the designer fulfilled the expectations of the users? 

Design Associations: What attributes, situations and connotations do people associate with the brand through the design? To what extent has the designer connected the customer to the brand?

Design Loyalty: To what extent will a person return to the product or utilize the services purely based on the way that it looks or feels? Has the designer been able to marry the design to the offerings of the property?

Understanding what gives a hotel it’s heartbeat and what leads to a flat line is the quantifiable difference a good designer makes. Designers should be all knowing – understanding the culture for which the hotel is being designed, is it a middle America business traveler hotel or a bustling mid city boutique that is expected to attract the enviable media savvy crowd or is it imagined to be a resort catering to the healthy conscientious green yoga, vegan guest. Whatever the guest profile the designer should have the skills to maneuver the onslaught of design challenges that will need to be addressed.

2. TRUSTED CONFIDANT – Bringing value to a project by being a trusted and respected confidant.

Gaining the trust of the owner and becoming the trusted confidant is not as easy as one would think, seemingly endless hours of meetings, piles of scrutinized design sketches and numerous dusty site visits all often take place well before a designer is ushered into the realm of trusted confidant. Earning the unspoken title of trusted designer often entitles one to begin pushing the envelope and pressing the comfort level of the ownership, but this title can often be unrealized.

Designers themselves have an innate talent for making connections and distilling information into its essence. They are often dreamers and visionaries who are natural drivers of direction and catalysts for solving complex problems. The nature of their work is conception, development and implementation. The good ones know how to shape innovation. Designers are also very often the customer’s advocate and should therefore be allowed a stronger voice as the champion of the user.

Designers are well study in architecture, interior design, landscape and planning, well versed in art, art history, socio-political economics and haute couture, they are passionate about modern, mid-century, and antique furnishings, they understand the intricate operations of every aspect of a hotel, restaurant, cruise ship, theme park, casino, parking garage and clock radio.

Owners wanting to leverage these skills and knowledge would benefit from becoming more active in including designers in the strategic and developmental processes. In addition, designers are very often given second-handed insights to work with, which have emerged from the conceptual stages of a project and they are then required to work with this information to generate the finished product.

3. STANDARDS – IDEALIZED – Incorporating value with design savvy and industry know-how.

Whether Diamonds or Stars a long standing rating system has been established and these systems are only the beginning. American Automobile Association’s Five Diamond and Mobil Five Star ratings establish two of the hospitality industries most prestigious sets of criteria.

The rating systems established by AAA and Mobile consist of mercilessly unwavering criteria this criterion is used to rate each and every property throughout the world. Owners no doubt would prefer to reach for the stars so to speak when funding the design or redesign of a property because obviously where you have more stars and diamonds therein you will also have more dollar signs, however the ability to leverage the cost associated with attempting to attain these ratings is sometimes unthinkable, however there is a plan.

Whether new construction or a renovation a considerable investment is being made to achieve an even more considerable return, it is the magic imbued by the designer that will truly need to stand the test of time and serve as the daily quantifiable reminder of the investment made. That magic comes in the form of both exquisite design talent and an understanding of how to utilize standards, standards are specific criteria used by each hotel brand to enforce the design consistency of all that brands properties. A new hotel development may not be flying under a specific flag at the time of design conception, as well in the case of renovating or attempting to re-flag a property the standards are of utmost importance. It is in the best interest of the all to begin courting prospective flags early on.

I have arrogantly prescribed to myself the title of designer, a person expressly and indefinately concerned with the creation and maintenance of things functional and aesthetic. I view everyday life as an opportunity to exhaustingly create, manipulate and edit things, things of importance and things of mundane banality. I fuss over details that I truly believe no other living soul would – could or should ever take notice of – yet I’m still fussing before the lights of my day go out.

Having never read a blog, I step onto this self agrandizing path as a neophite – unsure as to why someone would care what I think, but admittedly I take my first step encouraged that these entries will be become a recorded-for-all to see mental photo album wherein I spill the beans about what’s swirling around in my gray-haired head. Boring as it may be – I plan to share my positive views, post my critiques and explore this implore me, questions that pique my