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 20th 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.
