In a reality where, in the last decade only, the extra luxury offer has increased by +447% (source Statista/JLL), the hotel industry is not just changing bedsheets. Rather, it is reshaping the landscape of design, architecture, and everything in between. Indeed, such an impulse can only be motivated by an evolution towards change – but where exactly is this change heading? Gone are the days when a hotel’s profitability was solely based on nightly rates or room occupancy. Today, we find ourselves in an era where the real cash flow comes from sipping elaborate cocktails on a rooftop bar with a skyline view or enjoying a personalized treatment in the spa. And these luxuries are no longer the territory of jet set customers only, but are offered in their infinite customizations to the local community as well. Think of it as a staycation with a plus of class.

Yet, the change does not stop there. Some more leading-edge hotels are also opening co-working spaces, equipped with high-tech devices for isolating oneself during work as well as meeting and conversation areas. Who said you cannot seal the deal while sipping artisanal coffee in a fancy lobby? And here is where the change, naturally, translates into revolution. Moving beyond the hospitality realm, we are speaking of a a more general shift in the very philosophy of design – seismic, so to speak. The new ways of using spaces are dictating new ways of designing them, and vice versa. It is a sort of chicken-and-egg scenario, but with a far more stylish conclusion.

Starting from luxury hotels, these are shedding the lavish and showy facade that characterized them in the past to embrace a new ethos of understated elegance. Setting aside the ostentation of wealth, the new traveller desires something deeper than marble-clad lobbies, gold-lacquered finishes, and pictorial virtuosities on ceilings. Pushing in the opposite direction of the old Hollywood aesthetic is the more than right advancing mindset of sustainability – a mindset that also brings along a different aesthetic outlook. This is how hotels of new luxury are embracing eco-conscious amenities, vegan menus, and green spaces. And we must not forget, in terms of design, the importance of soft ambient lighting, natural materials, and soothing scents – the new status symbols of green aesthetics. 

The general restyling does not just concern hotels, though. Design firms, once relegated to the sidelines, are also clamoring for their share of action in the hotel world. Indeed, where there is demand, there is business. And from Milan to Miami, everyone wants their piece of the pie. But then, given these premises, what is new in the world of hotel design? Trends come and go, but innovation is here to stay. Thus, welcome to the hotel design revolution, where every stay is a work of art, and every design choice tells a story, where luxury meets sustainability, and business is other than usual.

Pulling the threads of the discourse to this point, we want to remember that, beneath all this veiled glitz and glamour, the human element remains. What defines a successful hotel experience is not just elegant lines and sumptuous services, but also the personal connection that is created between host and guest. It is the warmth of a smile at check-in, the care to remember a guest's preferences, attentive service that goes beyond expectations.

So, how can design interpret and encapsulate the intangible essence of the “human touch”? If architecture and aesthetics can set the stage, it is ultimately the human element that is the determining factor in creating memorable experiences. And, as we embark on this journey through the hotel design revolution with words, let us not neglect the importance of promoting connections and nurturing relationships – which, after all, are the essence of what truly makes a hotel stay extraordinary.