Professional: Hotel Design? Not a Piece of Cake

It is not just about designing a place anymore. It is about designing an experience that flows from check-in to sleeping, to bathing to dining. Psychographic profiles are driving design decisions. It is not enough for a hotel to label itself as business or leisure. People are doing business while they play and they are playing while they travel for business. There has to be a degree of escapism even in business hotels. People want to go beyond their routine and try something new...

Hotel design has seen a tremendous transformation over the past three decades. During the 1960s and before, hotel interiors were typically part of the hotel architect's commission. It was not until the late 1960s and early 1970s that interior design was recognised as a separate and distinct design discipline. Fuelled by the growth of large hotel companies during the 1970s and 1980s, as a response to the growing ease and reduced cost of travel, many new hotels were built, but these were inevitabl...

There are numerous elements that contribute to the success of a hospitality business. We are going to focus on the layout and how it can increase profitability. Layout has a strong impact on the customer and your ability to service the customer. When developing a space plan for your hotel, restaurant, nightclub or even retail store there are a few issues that must be addressed...

Designers talk about creating a sense of theatre in a hotel, drama in the interiors. Often this is undermined by the hotel operator, who fails to train staff properly or who fails to maintain the interiors as the designers conceived them – simple things like using the wrong wattage of lamp can totally ruin the interior atmosphere the designer has created...

Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja may be the smallest region in Spain, but it is one of the most important wine regions in Europe. In the medieval village of Elciego (Rioja Alavesa), the winery of the Marqués de Riscal gave birth to a stunning hotel which is a perfect combination for everyone interested in dramatic architecture, a 5-star service with the expertise of Luxury Collection, Vinothérapie by Caudalie or simply a good food and wine experience...