As you continue to read this paper, I will explore some of the basic elements of hotel and restaurant design while examining some present day case studies of well designed hotels.
Hospitality…What is that?
According to RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER’S COLLEGE DICTIONARY, hospitality is the “friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers; an act or show of welcome; the quality of being hospitable and welcoming to guest of strangers (Random House).” The term often associated with hospitality, hotel, is a “commercial establishment offering lodging to travelers and sometimes to permanent residents (Random House).”
The hospitality industry can trace its roots back to the Roman Empire. Although not the hotels and resorts that we know today, their purposes were the same: to provide temporary services to travelers and guests. Under the first Roman Empire, “mansions” were the first type of hotel, and the predecessor to the hotel resorts that we see today were the Roman engineered spas (Thomas d. Davies and Beasley).
The Early Roman spas were similar in amenities when compared to present day hotels and resorts. The Roman Bath of Neptune at Ostia, in Southern Italy, had shops, entrances to the spa, lobbies with mosaic tile, cold and hot baths, gymnasiums, latrines, ground floor guest accommodations, and stairs to the second floor. Such examples show how well-developed societies were during that period. A major difference when comparing the original hotels and spas to the hotels and spas that you see today was the scale. The Roman Bath of Neptune at Ostia was approximately 60, 270 square feet, which is very small when you compare it to our modern day hotels.
Types of Hotels
Since the early Roman Empire, the hospitality industry has grown tremendously. With the evolution of the hotel and spa industry, there are over 30 types of hotels and spas. Some of them are:
• Apartment hotels- Apartment hotels are serviced apartment complexes that use a hotel style booking system.
• Bed and Breakfast- A bed and breakfast style hotel is a smaller lodging facility that offers overnight accommodations. Bed and Breakfasts are usually private homes with as few as 10 bedrooms.
• Boutique hotels- The term boutique hotel is used more often in the US and United Kingdom to describe smaller, luxury styled hotels. They tend to range from 3 to 50 guestrooms.
• Condo hotels- Short for Condominium hotels are usually found in high rise buildings. These hotels have condominium units that can be rented allowing visitors to have condo style vacation homes.
• Motels- Motels are lower priced hotels used for travelling motorists. Although not as popular as they used to be in the 1960s, Motel 6 and Super 8 are some of the larger motel chains.
• Eco Hotels- Eco Hotels are hotels that have made a conscious effort to minimize their environmental impact.
Case Study: The Gaylord National, Washington, DC
The Gaylord National is a part of The Gaylord chain of hotels. Located on the newly developed (and still being developed) National Harbor right outside of Washington, DC, The Gaylord National is not only a hotel, but boasts its own Gaylord Convention Center, making it the largest hotel and convention center combination on the Eastern shore. With over 2,000 guest rooms (including over 100 prolific suites), The Gaylord National brings individualized luxury to every guest. This 18-story hotel houses its own salon, spa (which includes a state of the art fitness center), indoor and outdoor pools, seven restaurant and eatery options, a nightclub on the rooftop, the Pose Ultra Lounge, a family arcade and on- site shopping within the hotel and on the National Harbor.
TVSDESIGN, an architecture firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA, was responsible for three of the suite designs. For each room, they used the theme of a wedding which was interpreted differently in each suite.
Why This Works?
The overarching theme in all three suites was the use of pattern and texture. Each room has a different color palette; but, the colors chosen are rich and vary from light to dark creating a sense of intimacy in the space. The addition of one or two bolder accent colors adds interest and flare to the room. The best part of the rooms is the well-thought-out use of pattern in the space. By using it in such places as the floor carpeting or as the focal wall, the spaces are not overpowered. In each space, neutral colored furniture was used and accented with the chosen accent for each space.
Basic Hotel Layout and Structure
Hotels vary from chain to chain. But, there are some certain standards that you can find in most hotels. Keep in mind, however, that hotels are graded on a star system which will determine how large the spaces would be. Some of the main or standard rooms are the main lobby, guest rooms (including standard and suites), guest bathrooms, guest room corridors, food and beverage outlets, and function rooms (including ballrooms, meeting rooms, exhibition spaces, etc.) All of these spaces serve a role in the overall guest experience and should be designed with great attention.
Of the spaces previously mentioned, the main lobby and/or foyer are the first point of contact upon entrance into the hotel. “The main lobby is the principal space around which the hotel is formed; it is the “heart” of the hotel. Functionally, it serves as the guest’s point of orientation; all hotel functions radiate from the lobby… (McGowan and Kruse).” The main lobby is the hotel’s first opportunity to make a bold, grand architectural design statement. When designing the lobby, there are several important details to be mindful of as the designer:
• Guest services
• Social activities
• Guest circulation
• Visitor circulation
When discussing guest circulation, the following factors are included: baggage assistance area, front desk registration, and exits to the main parking lots.
Another area of great importance that often gets overlooked in the design process is the hotel guest corridors. Many times, hallways lack the creativity and flare that the main parts of the hotel like the restaurant and lounge (to be discussed later), and main lobby have. One design aspect that can make a huge difference is the use of contrasting materials, color, and light. These three elements not only add more dimension and character to a space; but, they make the space more accessible.
Case Study: The Grand Hyatt Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
Located in Shenzhen, China, The Grand Hyatt is in the heart of the Lohu District. This five star hotel facility has 491 rooms, including 53 suites and 48 long stay apartments. Guests are privileged to such services as limousine services, The Shui Xang Spa, and several restaurant options. The Grand Hyatt was designed by RTKL Associates, Inc.
Why This Works?
Very different from The Gaylord National, The Grand Hyatt Shenzhen embraces a lot of natural wood material choices. In one of the photos, the wood color palette is broken up by the color fuchsia as the accent. Another observation is the use of curtain windows. This element brings the views of the city to the user giving them an interactive experience. A major difference in the bedrooms when compared to The Gaylord National is the use of color. Instead of using accent colors, the designer chose to stick with a natural color palette. The customized pattern on the wood achieves the idea of creating another eye catching element without disturbing the whole aesthetic of the room.
Lounges and Restaurants
The main life of any hotel takes place in the restaurants and lounge. The lounge area and/or sitting area fosters interaction, communication, and can be the first point where customers start to feel at home. “Conversation areas should vary in size, configuration, type of furniture and materials, acoustics, color, and lighting according to the type of privacy for which they are intended. Intimate conversations between romantic partners or family members require acoustic treatments near the source of the sound. This is often accomplished with high-back upholstered seating, lowered ceiling treatments, close sociopetal furniture arrangements, and lower levels of lighting that tend to lower voice levels. Cooler colors recede, especially under low light levels, making these areas less visually accessible from outside the areas (Pollack and Menconi).” Another key component in the design of the lounge areas, which is also important in the restaurant areas, is the furniture placement. Furniture arrangement encourages intimate conversations, as well as, prohibits thems. “Designing to accommodate reserve in conversation areas involves spacing and configuration of furniture to that social personal space distances of four to twelve feet can be maintained (Pollack and Menconi).”
Like the lounge areas, the restaurant portions of hotels have begun to take on a personality of themselves. These spaces are now becoming extenstions of the design elements exhibited in the main hotel areas. In some cases, new design elements are introduced in the restaurant area giving the restaurant its own unique feel. Either design approach works when designed thoughtfully and with much intent. A major characteristic of restaurants in hotels is scale. The scale will determine exactly what will need to be included in the rear of the restaurant (i.e. what areas to include in the kitchen, certain types of refrigeration, storage, and etc.). When designing the restaurant area of a hotel or full-fledged restaurant in the hotel, there are certain factors to keep in mind regardless of the size of the restaurant: acoustic considerations, adjacencies, spacial allocation, privacy, and color.
Taken from the Interior Graphic’s Standard Student Edition, there are various elements to be cognizant of when designing with acoustics in mind. “ Secluded banquettes and private dining rooms can be set apart for better acoustic and visual separation. Food preparation noise can be isolated by careful placement of kitchen entries or the use of a vestibule, double-entry doors, or serpentine staging (McGowan and Kruse).” Now, remember that hotel restaurants are smaller. But, the same principles still apply. You never want to mix business with pleasure. With this being said, you do not want the activites of the restaurant (the kitchen) to interfere with the overal experience of the user.
Lastly, of the various design characteristics to be aware, the spatial adjacencies and allocation are very important. These two items help to bring to life the overall design goal for a space. Incorrect placement of chairs and tables can change the customer’s experience. When selecting the type of seating to be used (i.e. round tables, square tables, etc.), here are some spatial criteria to consider.
• For square seating, allow 72in. minimum between tables.
• For diagonoal seating, allow 36in. minimum between corners of tables.
• Provide an adequate number of table types for seating flexibility.
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These measurements and bullet points were taken from the International Graphic Standards Student Edition.
• “Many designers and restaurant owners understand that warm colors…make both food and people look better and increase appetites. However, warm colors also speed up the metabolism and increase the environmental load by attracting attention, around diners, and contributing to higher noise levels (Pollack and Menconi).”
The Bedroom Experience
The bedroom is the peak of the user’s experience. There is no feeling like walking into a well- designed hotel room and feeling like it's your own place. The idea of designing each guestroom like a residential unit is the best approach. This approach forces you to design as if the user were staying in his own home. When designing the hotel guestrooms, it’s wise to consider the various zones in the space: sleeping zone, working zone, lounging zone, dressing zone, bathroom zone, and eating zone. Not all of these spaces needs it’s own individual space. But, it is good to make sure that all of these zones are addressed in some aspect of the room.
• Sleeping zone- the most important part of the guestroom. The sleeping zone allows for a lot of creativity that is usually overlooked.
• Working zone- this area usually consists of a desk/table, chair, and possibly the guestroom telephone. The working zone is not usually designed to take the place of your home office.
• The bathroom zone- this space usually gets overlooked. The bathroom is a great opportunity to include some of the same design elements throughout the hotel into the residential component.
Conclusion
The hospitality industry has been around for centuries and will continue to flourish. The more the human experience evolves, the more it will be the responsibility of the designer to try to capture the needs of the user on a smaller scale. Hotels offer many opportunities for creativity and innovation. As a college student that is interested in entering the arena of hospitality design, I find it of paramount importance to remember in designing the hotel is to not become so focused on addressing “the standards” that you neglect to design for “the user”.
Works Cited
McGowan, Mary Rose and Kelsey Kruse. Interior Graphic Standards Student Edition. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.
Pollack, Julie Stewart- and Rosemary Menconi. Designing For Privacy and Related Needs. New York: Fairchild Publications, 2005.
Random House. "Random House Webter's College Dictionary." New York: Random House, 2001.
Thomas d. Davies, Jr and Kim A Beasley. Design for Hospitality: Planning for Accessible Hotels & Motels. New York: Nichols Publishing, 1988.
Hotel images taken from: TVSDesign. 28 March 2011
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