flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Robots. 70’s Retro. Biophilia. Co-Living Spaces. Two leading architectural firms single out 18 trends for hospitality this year.

Hotel Facilities

Robots. 70’s Retro. Biophilia. Co-Living Spaces. Two leading architectural firms single out 18 trends for hospitality this year.

HKS and HBA even see a demand for hotels catering to “agritourism.” 


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | March 9, 2017

The 18-story, 350-room Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles, which opens in June, will feature a grand lobby space with a playful design aesthetic that harkens back to the city's storied past, with references to a budding movie industry and the 1920s. Hirsch Bedner Associates designed the hotel. Image: Hotel Indigo 

Imagine a hotel whose design gives the extreme sports enthusiast an outlet to exercise his or her inner daredevil. Or a resort that caters to patients recovering from medical procedures. Or one whose graphics and murals aspire to be works of art.

These are some of 18 hot trends in hospitality design that two leading architectural firms—Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) and HKS Hospitality Group—have identified for 2017.

The firms divide their lists into two sections, each with nine trends. Hot architectural design trends include:

--Extreme Sports Retreats

--Gadget-free guest rooms

--Automation taking over some hotel staff work

--Greater use of LEDs to create decorative and mood effects

--Smaller guest rooms but larger gathering spaces

--Co-living spaces where groups can stay near each other

--Dual branding

--Curated leisure farming that allows guests to have greater input into what they eat and drink

--Wellness resorts where guests recoup from surgery, transfusions, and other medical treatments.

The interior design trends the firms call out include:

--Candy colors

--A return to 1970s-era kitsch

--The use of super graphics and murals

--An emphasis on wellness and biophilia

--Eclectic, playful, and youthful design

--Craft design

--Rooms within rooms that create intimacy

--A return to a midcentury aesthetic

--Live-work spaces

HBA and HKS use examples of their own recent work to illustrate some of these trends. For example, the HKS-designed Hyatt House/Hyatt Place project in San Francisco explores a hybrid model that blends extended stay with full-service. The 400-key hotel—which follows dual-branded Hyatts in Denver and Charlotte—includes two restaurants, a rooftop outdoor movie theater, and a bar-lounge that can accommodate 400 guests.

The budding “agritourist” might feel right at home at HKS’ Surf Beach Resort in Half Moon Bay near San Francisco, which is part of an existing farmland and a farm stand that will become a permanent part of the resort’s guest program.

Color and art are enlivening hotels, the firms contend. The recently opened HBA project, Aloft Guangzhou in China, features an engaging color palette filled with textured carpets and accented furniture. W Bellevue in Seattle, which opens in June, will include murals created by local street artists. And super graphics will come into play at the new Texas Live, the first hotel in Arlington, Texas, between the mammoth AT&T Stadium and the Texas Rangers’ stadium.

Biophilia and wellness are important vibes in HBA’s Four Seasons Kyoto in Japan, where guests are greeted by a bamboo forest that leads to a Japanese garden sanctuary. This hotel’s design was planned around the 800-year-old Ikeniwa Pond.

Authenticity is the key goal in the trend toward craft design. For the W Nashville residences, HKS’ design features layers of craft design as intricate, embroidered fabric pieces with sequins evoke the elaborate performance outfits of country legends like Patsy Cline, Elvis and Dolly Parton and are being used as art pieces that nod subtly to Nashville’s musical heritage. This hotel also features a range of jewel tones and an unusual mix of furniture that includes the midcentury reference and goes into ‘70s lounge with some industrial touches.

Related Stories

| Aug 11, 2010

CTBUH changes height criteria; Burj Dubai height increases, others decrease

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)—the international body that arbitrates on tall building height and determines the title of “The World’s Tallest Building”—has announced a change to its height criteria, as a reflection of recent developments with several super-tall buildings.

| Aug 11, 2010

McHugh completes ultra-lux Capella Telluride hotel in Colorado

James McHugh Construction Co. has completed the new Capella Telluride hotel and condominium resort in Telluride, Colo., the first U.S. property for the new ultra-luxury Capella Hotels brand. Positioned to compete with the elite levels of luxury brands, the Capella Telluride features complex stone, stucco and wood exterior, heavy timber construction, and an abundance of high-level finishes and amenities.

| Aug 11, 2010

JE Dunn, Balfour Beatty among country's biggest institutional building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 50 Institutional Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

EwingCole to merge with healthcare specialist Robert D. Lynn Associates

EwingCole, a nationally recognized architectural, engineering, interior design, and planning firm with more than 320 professionals, today announced that it will combine its practice with Robert D. Lynn Associates of Philadelphia, a 40-person firm with a robust portfolio of healthcare projects. The combination will create the Delaware Valley¹s largest and most comprehensive firm with an emphasis on healthcare architecture, and a national scope and presence.

| Aug 11, 2010

Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms

A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower

Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.

| Aug 11, 2010

Architecture Billings Index flat in May, according to AIA

After a slight decline in April, the Architecture Billings Index was up a tenth of a point to 42.9 in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.

| Aug 11, 2010

Construction employment declined in 333 of 352 metro areas in June

Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.  The analysis shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021