Hospitality Trends
FROM a SMALL CAFÉ TO A HOTEL CHAIN EVERYONE IS DOING IT - PUTTING DESING AT A FOREFRONT OF THEIR BUSINEss.
Casa Clarita, Valencia
You might have noticed on your Instagram feed or during your travels, plethora of beautifully designed spaces whether it’s a take away coffee stand or a grandiose hotel lobby. And that’s no coincidence!
Creating experiences and multi-functional spaces has become more than a trend in hospitality over the past few years. Check out the article where I speak more about this movement I called the Hospitality Design Renaissance era!
Cafeteria is not only a place where you get your daily grind anymore - it’s a space for gatherings, community and connection. It’s a place where you feel almost at home and where the lines are blurred between the traditional customer - server boundaries. How this came about you might wonder? There are various factors at play but let’s look at 2 main ones - SOCIAL and DESIGN.
SOCIAL - More than ever before how we spend our free time is of great importance! Modern society is making it a high priority to create a lifestyle where we have that time to spend doing things we love. When opening a coffee shop or a restaurant, both owners and designers are taking into account how people (in general) or targeted market segment are spending their time when out and about. This way they are able to create a space with this added benefit for the customer and offer unique experiences rather than just being a place where food and drinks are served.
The Hoxton Hotel, Barcelona
DESIGN - Once the social piece of the puzzle is in, now design comes to play by creating these custom experiences while fostering a sense of community or having the wow factor. This is achieved by including local artists to create a mural or by selling their art in the shop. Another trend we see often is that space is build so it could be transformed into a different set for hosting workshops or events. Last but not least investing in visual identity that connects all these dots into a cohesive story has become a must or a staple if you will.
Nothing really looks as it’s used to and it’s a good thing it is so! Hotel lobbies have become a co-working hub, coffee shops are designed like a piece of art and offices have transitioned into dining & event spaces, restaurants are having a library feel that makes you want to stay just a little longer.
THE NARRATIVE HAS CHANGED FROM ‘ THIS IS OUR PRODUCT AND HOW DO WE SELL IT ’ TO ‘ THIS IS OUR PRODUCT AND HOW DO WE PACKAGE IT TO CREATE AN EXPERIENCE FOR THE CUSTOMER?! ’.