Crossville porcelain tile collections play a pivotal and foundational role throughout an upscale boutique hotel, Archer Hotel Austin.
When boutique hotels emerged on the hospitality scene in the 1990s, many in the hospitality industry wondered if the concept was just a fad that couldn’t possibly compete in the mainstream chain hotel market. But contrary to what the naysayers thought, travelers worldwide began to want more from their hotel rooms’ designs than four walls and a bed. The boutique sector has proven itself, and with today’s hotel guests having higher exceptions than ever, there’s no turning back.
The boutique hotel approach is indeed a welcome departure from cookie-cutter accommodations, but it’s also so much more than that. The boutique focus is on the experience, a connection to the location, creating a home away from home feel, and the promise of a personalized, attentive hotel stay. Without a doubt, design plays a significant role in shaping the boutique experience. Here’s a look at some boutique hotel design trends that are redefining the hospitality industry.
Creating a Strong First Impression
The adage “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression” has never been truer than in the context of a hotel stay in today’s market. Because that first impression can set the tone for the entire experience, the boutique hotelier aims to delight guests upon their first step through the door. Boutique hotel lobbies are designed more like warm and inviting living rooms than pragmatic business-like spaces or even more traditional hospitality lounge areas, with comfortable furniture and cozy enclosures for privacy. Sit-down concierge desks are replacing the front desks with sofa check-ins handled by staff equipped with iPads.
Connecting to the Location
The boutique approach strives to bring the location to life through decor that offers virtual snapshots of the local culture. The celebration of place and culture can be seen in interior design elements that honor the building’s history, art and furnishings made by local artists and artisans, and seasonal decor changes complementing seasonal menu changes that incorporate locally grown foods. Design elements that honor local culture help to shape the guest experience.
Creating a Home Away from Home
Inspired by high-end home share lodgings, boutique hotel designers have eschewed the neutrality of midscale hotels and the overstated luxury of many high-end hotels in favor of looks that convey comfort and understated elegance. Rooms within the boutique hotel will often differ in design for a more natural, hospitable feel, and the designs lean toward a simpler, less-is-more approach that incorporates handmade items, a mix of textures, and interesting wall treatments. Home-like amenities abound in boutique guest rooms, with charging stations, free wifi, and kitchenettes becoming standard.
Getting Back to Nature
People yearn to get back to nature, and natural aesthetics in the design can help create a healthy indoor connection to the natural world. Connection to nature can be seen in design elements such as live plants (and even living walls), waterfalls, natural lighting, panoramic views, natural materials like cotton and wool, and natural color schemes.
Creating a Personalized Experience
Creating a memorable experience for a guest means creating a personal experience. From smart room technology that recognizes guests preferences for personal comforts such as temperature, lighting, and toiletries, to personalized entertainment and the facilitation of guests experiences on and off the property, boutique hoteliers are delivering intimate, high-service experiences that enhance their guests’ stay.
Telling a Story
Today’s boutique hotels are often like dimensional stories awaiting guests to discover them. Designers may incorporate themes to fit the “story lines” of the hotel design, with plot twists (surprise design elements such as unique or statement furniture pieces) thrown in to keep things interesting both visually and experientially. An eclectic mix of styles tells stories that are integrated throughout the design, once again contributing to the experience guests seek.
The impact of the boutique hotels on the hospitality and design business has redefined the industry. Drawing inspiration from the boutique sector, hotels are incorporating boutique design elements into guest rooms and public rooms, and the mainstream chains have begun to create boutique hotels of their own to appeal to the growing number of guests looking for more than just four walls and a bed.
Upscale Materials
Today’s boutique hotels are designed to appeal to the sophisticated preferences of modern travelers who expect the best. That means that hospitality designers are embracing more upscale materials, including tile surfaces, throughout boutique hotel spaces. In this selfie-snapping culture in which hotel guests are constantly on the lookout for photo-worthy vignettes, designers understand that luxe materials and exceptional details offer not only the best experience in the moment, but they also serve as messaging to the world that “this is a great place to stay.”
Crossville’s product line-up abounds with stunning options for boutique hotel design. From innovative porcelain tile panels to sleek glass tile mosaics, we have the full gambit of selections to answer the latest trends hospitality design.
