The hospitality industry is grasping innovation by the horns and turning hotel room design into an experience for travellers.

The world of hotel interior design started without a lot of originality or artistic direction. Rooms were built for durability and practicality. They were a neutral tone with chintzy art mounted on the walls above the bed. Each room was a replication of every room you’d ever seen before. However, hotels are now having a moment in interior design. The hospitality industry is grasping innovation by the horns and turning hotel room design into an experience for travellers. 

The shift is’t happening overnight, but the changing demographic of travellers has a lot to do with the shift. What is happening now is a direct result of that shift, and what is coming next can only be speculated about. However, it’s safe to say that a more modern look may be more of the norm in years to come. 

Why the Shift?

Each generation carries with it a new culture and new preferences. The reason for the shift has a lot to do with how millennials are changing the hospitality industry. As this generation becomes the steady influx of travellers, preferences and culture shifts around them. As technology becomes more prevalent, so does the demand for technology in design. Not only that, but travel isn’t just about getting from point A to point B — it’s also about the experience. Preferences are shifting from experiencing something that is convenient to experiencing something that is authentic. 

Not only is the shift happening in response to preferences, it’s a natural shift that occurs with time regardless of the generation. Trends change, and the hospitality industry is not immune to those changes. The evolution of hotel design has been consistent. Design elements are changing as a result of design preference, a focus on technology, and being environmentally conscious because those are the things that are important to the next generation of travellers. 

What’s Happening Now?

London's Athenaeum Hotel near Hyde Park features a side living wall designed by well, you guessed it, Patrick Blanc. 

We know why the shift is happening, now what is happening as a result? Hotels are becoming more interesting, artistic, and modern. It’s not comfort and ease that is making travellers spend money on a hotel anymore, it’s interest. The interior design elements that are going into hotel room and common area designs are focusing on original features, local artists, and technology in order to keep up with the trends. 

• Color: Instead of neutral tones with a splash of color, many hotels are embracing blue, orange, yellow, etc. as a major component in their interior design. It’s can be a bold choice, but hotels are looking toward interesting and minimal design that will capture the attention of their guests. 
• Texture: Patterns used to be a major feature in hotel design. Now, many hotel designers are opting for texture over pattern. Textures can offer the design elements of a pattern without being overwhelming. For that reason, they are becoming a more aesthetic option. 
• Vintage: Vintage may seem like the opposite of modern, but there’s a middle ground when it comes to vintage design in a modern world. People love design with a story that makes them feel nostalgic. Vintage finds can do just that for a personal space or a hotel design. 
• Going green: Going green has become popular in two ways. First, being more environmentally conscious has taken preference over certain amenities that went into design. Bigger windows for more light and less paper products in the rooms, for instance, are a few ways that design uses environmentally friendly options into consideration. Second, actual green design elements have become popular as well. Green walls and roofs and live tree and plant features make an area feel warm and alive. 
• Technology: Modern design has a major technological component. Hotels may utilize a geometric lamp design, but it probably also has a plug in for a smartphone. Artistic features are important, but so are the technological elements. 
• A new lobby: It’s not just architectural elements and room designs that are changing, lobby design is changing as well. 12
• while maintaining technological and artistic priorities. Travellers should feel welcome in that space, and they should also get a feel of the design right when they walk inside.

What’s Next? 

Next stop is the brand new Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina Hotel that opened in 2012. A fully functioning dry-dock complete with a towering ship stands literally at its doorstep. Inside lies a quirky combination of whimsical and hipster cool. Many of the design elements and antiques in the rooms are locally sourced.

What comes next for interior design for the hospitality industry is a mystery, but if trends continue in the same direction, we may see more focus on local growth. This means valuing the artistry and customization opinions of local voices and home-grown designers at each location, not just decorators. Travellers used to anticipate a certain design that was common among each hotel chain regardless of the location. What happens next for hotel interiors may change this notion as hotels move from a blanket uniformity to artistic freedom that values the art and culture of its location. 

With the local talent of up and coming interior designers, hotels with access to their gifts have the freedom to turn their spaces into something special and one of a kind. The Canadians, as usual, offer a poignant example of the luminous interior design talent that is coming up and changing the game. By keeping these designs tied to local talent, hotels can support their local economy and thriving interior design communities available at their fingertips. With the popularity of homesharing services, it’s imperative that hotels keep up with the demand for imaginative stays. 

With a focus on art and all things unique that will enhance a travellers experience, themed design can do a lot for a hoteliers business. There are suits that are themed, art hotels, and pop culture themed stays around the globe that create a stay that is more of an experience than it is a place to sleep. Even a cave hotel, airstream hotel, and a bubble hotel — these hotels are not a part of a person’s stay, they are the destination. Since more travellers are looking to have a stay that is authentic, these themed locations can be more of what is next in terms of hotel design. 

It used to be that a traveller would wander into their hotel room to find a few of the same basic staples that were in every hotel. Each room of every hotel regardless of its brand would have the same skeleton with slightly different features. A traveller’s room was where they slept, nothing more. Today is a new era of hotel interior design. Today, hoteliers are moving away from the same old elements and are working to create something different. With preferences changing, the hotel industry is listening. Now and in the future, hotel design will have a focus on how a design can create an experience.