COVID-19 Considerations for Hotel Design Development
COVID-19 Considerations for Hotel Design Development
The global pandemic halted travels for many months. It is difficult to predict how long this effect will last. Hotel designers and architects are recently working on new projects and on adapting existing ones to the principles of social distance, as well as on the development of touchless systems. New rules in the hospitality industry, evolving along with the realities of public health will have a significant impact on the appearance of hotel lobbies, hotel conference rooms, guest rooms, bathrooms and food.
Hotel lobby
The appearance of the hotel lobby will change in the future because many hotel owners more often decide to use new technologies that are integrated with guest phones to optimize check-in areas for no contact between guests and staff. Mobile and virtual check-in are an effective alternative to a crowded reception. Many hospitality groups cooperate with hotels to implement coronavirus response design. The concept of the flexible lobby thanks to bespoke joinery will help to eliminate the feeling of being trapped by guests. Hospitality design companies plan to create new signs inside and outside lobby areas, such as floor signs, encouraging people to stay six feet apart and graphic lines to safely enter guests into the hotel space. New social distance signs will match the colours, letters and graphics of the hotel.
Hotel conference rooms
Flexibility will be one of the main principles during the designing of hotel conference rooms after coronavirus pandemic. Larger meeting places divided into smaller ones will be easier to manage. Another principle introduced into hospitality renovation projects is to obtain a high intensity of sunlight, which has a huge impact on guests health and well-being. The development of virtual events has contributed to the creation of “zoom rooms” supplied with webcams and high-class broadcasting equipment.
Guest rooms
Many hotel managers replace porous surfaces with harder ones to ensure better hygiene. In the age of the coronavirus epidemic, traditional hotel rugs have become less popular. However, there has been a significant increase in interest in antimicrobial carpets. Most hotel room doors are already key card activated but in the nearest future, we should expect to see more advanced features like step-pull or arm-pull activated doors and faucets in guest rooms. The main goal of hotel designers and hotel owners is to integrate all these elements with the space design so they look not only aesthetically pleasing but also affect the perception of cleanliness by hotel guests.
Food and drinks
The new rules also affect the way hotels will serve meals. Restaurants will focus on social distance and will accept fewer guests to maintain social distance protocols. They will not serve meals as all-inclusive buffets. Experts agree that the end of buffet meals can begin a new era of private meals in guest rooms.