What hotel guests want in 2023:
Increased/improved technology
High prices should equal high value (either in design or service)
Staff to be treated well and taken care of
Sustainability
Unique experiences
Local culture
Amenities that promote wellness
Easy stays - contactless check-in and keyless entry
Trendy and aesthetic design
If we had to describe hotel design in 2023 in 3 words we’d say:
Guest Knows Best
This year hotel designers everywhere really listened to the wants and needs of travelers and made sure that their hotel designs reflected them.
Extended Stay Hotel Design
Extended stay hotels are becoming one of the fastest-growing trends in the hospitality industry. Most hotel brands include at least one in their portfolio and nearly 35% of new builds are extended stay hotels.
In 2022 we saw hotel brands jumping on the opportunity to attract the bleisure traveler, the traveling nurse, and the extended vacationer by adding new extended stay hotels to their portfolios.
For example, Choice Hotels International, Inc. released its newest mid-scale extended stay brand, Everhome Suites while Wyndham rolled out its plan for Echo Suites which we’ll see in 2023.
Both hotels offer guests the opportunity to easily maintain their daily routines while being away from home.
Why is extended stay growing? With so many travelers now having the flexibility of remote work, people can and want to stay in hotels longer.
According to the American Express 2022 Global Travel Trends Report, 55% of American travelers were more willing to go on longer trips in 2022. This is mainly because people now have the ability to work from anywhere.
Extended stay is one of the biggest trends we’ll see moving into 2023 and on from there because they hold enormous potential for the current and future environment.
Guests are staying longer, traveling nurses want affordable and easy places to stay, and bleisure travelers aren’t going anywhere. Hotels should listen to what travelers want & take advantage of this demand by improving upon the past models of extended stay hotels.
Hotel designs that reflect this trend:
Blackout curtains
In-room laundry machines
Partitions separating sleeping areas from working/living areas
In-room kitchens
Improved technology
Guest-controlled lighting/temperature/TV/sound
Functional Hotel Design & Better Utilization of Space
Another key trend we’ll see in hotel design for 2023 is the functionality and usability of space.
Hotel design goals moving forward will be to make use of spaces and have an adaptable purpose for those spaces.
With so many travelers working remotely, it’s important to take their needs into consideration. Including semi-private areas for sleeping and working by adding partitions is one way that hotel design is adapting to the new traveler.
Hotel designs that reflect this trend:
Lots of storage in rooms (especially in extended stay hotels)
Shelving on the walls
Moveable designs/layouts
Partitions in rooms and lobbies to create a sense of space
Increase in the number of outlets & their accessibility
Furniture with USB ports
Increased Technology in Hotel Design
A key player in 2023 hotel design and one that will set your hotel apart from the competition is technology.
Guests want their hotel stays to include the same or higher level of tech that they have at home as well as an easy check-in process. Contactless check-in is here to stay, as well as keyless entry. Travelers are also more concerned with what tech amenities they have in their rooms.
Things like smart TVs in rooms so guests can access their subscriptions have been competitive advantages.
But now smart rooms are entering the stage. Guests will be able to customize their room's lighting, temperature, and entertainment all from their phones.
Hotel designs that reflect this trend:
Customizable lighting/ambiance
Smart TVs
Contactless/Keyless Check-in/Entry
Robot butlers
Furniture with USB ports
More outlets
Conference rooms that can accommodate zoom/virtual meetings & conferences
Designing for Wellness Travel & Sustainability
Hotel design largely takes a traveler's wants and needs into consideration. Though they change over time, you can always depend on a hotel to reflect the wants and needs of many.
Today's hotel and future hotel designs reflect what most of us have been craving in a post-pandemic world.
Wellness and sustainability were a couple of the top concerns for travelers in 2021/2022 and will probably remain top concerns for the next few years.
According to Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report in 2021, 61% of travelers responded by saying that the pandemic inspired them to travel more sustainably. Coming in at 59%, are travelers who would spend more if it meant improving the sustainability of their trip according to a survey conducted by Expedia.
Most hotels now have sustainable practices and we will continue to see these practices grow. Designing a hotel with sustainability in mind can mean anything from using energy-efficient windows & solar energy where possible to providing bulk amenities and using materials native to the area.
While travelers seek out sustainable accommodations they are also searching for places to stay that offer amenities that promote wellness and fitness.
We’re seeing many brands pick up on this demand from guests including Hilton. If you’re staying at one of their many hotel brands you’re bound to find at least 1 peloton bike in your hotel gym as they’ve announced a partnership with the fitness brand to include the bikes across their portfolio.
Hotel designs that reflect this trend:
Larger outdoor spaces
Outdoor workspaces
In & out design - meshing indoor spaces with outdoor spaces using large windows and garage doors
Using natural materials
Outdoor dining areas
Energy efficient windows
Larger balconies
Opportunities for hotels to take advantage of wellness travel:
In-room fitness equipment
Treadmill desks in workspaces (or in rooms)
Expanded & usable outdoor spaces
Guests continue to search for these amenities and hotels should remember that It’s vital to include how they’re promoting guests' safety and health on their website, app, and social platforms.
Hotel Designs Reflecting Local Culture & Originality
There has been a shift in focus within the hospitality industry to make the hotel the destination. To do this, brands have begun to allow hotels to create designs that reflect their local culture and landscape.
With the demand for memorable, unique, local, and aesthetically pleasing spaces, hotel design will become less cookie-cutter and more customizable.
Travelers want to experience the local culture. In fact, according to the American Express 2022 Global Travel Trends Report, 81% of travelers want to immerse themselves into the local culture while 78% want to have a positive impact on the community they’re visiting.
Utilizing local culture in hotel design can improve the local economy and promote artists, craftspeople, and businesses. It will also encourage your guests to explore the area, and return another time.
Creating aesthetically pleasing spaces will encourage guests to take pictures of your hotel and share them on social media platforms which will help promote your property.
Go a step further and make it easy for guests to share pictures by adding a QR code linking to your social media or personalized hashtag for them to use near areas they would take pictures of - this will help hotels create user-generated content.
Hotel designs that reflect this trend:
Hyper-local design - local art, furniture, scents, books
Memorable WOW factors
Striking decor
Colors, patterns, & textures that reflect the locations environment & culture
Unique murals & light fixtures
Furniture that stands out and invites you in
Personalized room experiences with advanced tech
Homey Hotel Designs/Family Welcoming
Hotel design trends that are fairly new are spaces designed to feel homey and welcoming. Along with this are trends to make families feel more comfortable extending their stays by adding amenities for their pets while lifting restrictions.
According to the American Express 2022 Global Travel Trends Report, 76% of people wanted to travel more with family. Hotels have realized that accommodating family needs and the needs of their pets will encourage guests to stay longer
Hotel designs that reflect this trend:
Cozy and intimate lobbies
Segmented spaces for working, lounging, sleeping, and eating in lobbies and rooms
Pet beds in rooms
Designated outdoor spaces for pets
Bookshelves
In-room laundry machines
In-room kitchens
Moveable furniture
Exterior Hotel Design Trends We’re Seeing:
Modern & Dynamic Architectural Features
Most branded hotels are prototyped to some extent so to create unique experiences for guests, designers are adding unique structural elements to hotel design.
For example, an unconventional entrance, multiple color & texture options, cantilevered details, fins, or bulkheads are all ways hotels can set themselves apart from each other.
Exteriors continue to take on a more modern look with clean lines, modern colors, and structures framed in LED lights.
Customizable Lighting
Purposefully placed lights can dramatically transform your hotel especially if your staff is able to customize the colors and patterns displayed.
For example, the Hampton Inns V8 design, feature exterior light panels for a more modern look.
Textural Diversity
Textural diversity in exterior hotel design is here to stay. Designers are including more than one or two different exterior finishes giving their buildings even more dimension.
Trending Materials:
Textured Fiber Cement Siding
Brick
Cultured Stone
Reflective Glass
Metal
Stucco
Wood
These design elements are chosen to help create unique exteriors and are made to fit and integrate into the local landscape or cityscape.
2023 Hotel Design Trends Wrap Up
It feels like over the last few years we've experienced a hotel design renaissance. Hotels have gone from cookie-cutter design to now meeting the demand for uniqueness and personality.
In 2023 we expect to see a boom in extended stay hotels and a demand for new builds and conversions. We also expect to see huge increases and advancements in hotel technology.
We're so excited to see what's to come and we'll keep you updated every step of the way.
Why does hotel design matter to us?
Hotels connect us to family and friends, provide us with new experiences, and are there for us when we need to rest along our journey. They’re there for your celebrations, new adventures your business deals, and family breakfasts.
No matter what is happening in our world, the hospitality industry has persevered while providing accommodations for weary & not-so-weary travelers.
They're there for us, so we're there for them.
At Amerail Systems we’re dedicated to providing top-tier, value-engineered renovations in the most efficient way possible so hotels can provide their guests with beautiful and comfortable spaces to gather and rest.
We do what we do best so hotels can do what they do best.
We aim for WOW.
See how at amerailsys.com