![Hotel rooftop amenities: Ideas for converting idle rooftop spaces [video]](/sites/default/files/Base%204%20rooftop%20amenities%20video.png "Hotel rooftop amenities: Ideas for converting idle rooftop spaces [video]")
It’s often undermined but it does make a difference. Those idle hotel rooftops are highly versatile and can be great for business.
So, what does it take to have a well-designed and well-equipped hotel rooftop? Well, comfort and ambiance are the first things you should be looking at.
You want adequate lighting to trigger relaxation. A poolside lounge may have different lighting than a bar and a restaurant. In any case, you want each zone to seamlessly blend into one another. Next comes seating. Your guest demographic and whether you have a rooftop pool help determine the seating arrangement. Is your primary demographic business travelers, families, millennials, or extended-stay guests? Work your way up from there.
And regardless of the demographic, nothing quit e kindles coziness like a fire pit. You can also choose fire tables or a fireplace to bring people together.
While firepits might be perfect as the sun goes down, a carefully engineered pool area will keep your guests entertained all day long. A cantilever pool or an infinity pool will add a whole new aesthetic to not only your rooftop but also to the exterior.
After fire and water, the next earthy element to truly amp up your rooftop is greenery. Incorporating green walls, vines, plants, and even trees will promote a fresh energy. Culture the bees or grow fresh produce for your bar or restaurant—your guests will love the extra care.
Next, depending on your franchise and budget, a rooftop restaurant may be a good idea. You can also expand your F&B options to a bar, lounge, casual café, or even a chic shack—go alfresco for something economic and cool!
There’s always a design to fit your budget. If you want your hotel to generate a buzz, make sure that it reflects authentic and local elements. And if you have more space to spare, turn it into a socializing zone by hosting yoga classes at dawn, meetups during the day, and performances in the evening.
Make the experience count.
For more hotel design insights, visit: https://www.base-4.com/base4.
Related Stories
| May 20, 2011
Hotels taking bath out of the bathroom
Bathtubs are disappearing from many hotels across the country as chains use the freed-up space to install ever more luxurious showers, according to a recent USAToday report. Of course, we reported on this move--and 6 other hospitality trends--back in 2006 in our special report "The Inn Things: Seven Radical New Trends in Hotel Design."
| May 18, 2011
Design diversity celebrated at Orange County club
The Orange County, Calif., firm NKDDI designed the 22,000-sf Luna Lounge & Nightclub in Pomona, Calif., to be a high-end multipurpose event space that can transition from restaurant to lounge to nightclub to music venue.
| May 10, 2011
Dinner is now served…atop the Lincoln Memorial?
Take a look at the temporary restaurant sitting atop Brussels’ historic Arc de Triomphe-Triomfboog. The Cube, by Electrolux, offers 18 diners a spectacular view of the Parc du Cinquantenair, and is one of two structures traveling across Europe, making stops at famous landmarks in Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, and Russia. What do you think about one of these 60-tonne structures being placed on a U.S. memorial?
| Apr 13, 2011
Southern Illinois park pavilion earns LEED Platinum
Erin’s Pavilion, a welcome and visitors center at the 80-acre Edwin Watts Southwind Park in Springfield, Ill., earned LEED Platinum. The new 16,000-sf facility, a joint project between local firm Walton and Associates Architects and the sustainability consulting firm Vertegy, based in St. Louis, serves as a community center and special needs education center, and is named for Erin Elzea, who struggled with disabilities during her life.
| Mar 17, 2011
Hospitality industry turns to HTS Texas for ‘do not disturb’ air conditioned comfort
Large resort hotels and hospitality properties throughout the Southwest have been working with local contractors, engineers and HTS Texas for the latest innovations in quiet heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The company has completed 12+ projects throughout Texas and the Southwestern U.S. over the past 18 to 24 months, and is currently working on six more hotel projects throughout the region.
| Mar 11, 2011
Holiday Inn reworked for Downtown Disney Resort
The Orlando, Fla., office of VOA Associates completed a comprehensive interior and exterior renovation of the 14-story Holiday Inn in the Downtown Disney Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The $25 million project involved rehabbing the hotel’s 332 guest rooms, atrium, swimming pool, restaurant, fitness center, and administrative spaces.
| Mar 11, 2011
Guests can check out hotel’s urban loft design, music selection
MODO, Advaya Hospitality’s affordable new lifestyle hotel brand, will have an urban Bauhaus loft design and target design-, music-, and tech-savvy guest who will have access to thousands of tracks in vinyl, CD, and MP3 formats through a partnership with Downtown Music. Guest can create their own playlists, and each guest room will feature iPod docks and large flat-screen TVs.
| Mar 11, 2011
Texas A&M mixed-use community will focus on green living
HOK, Realty Appreciation, and Texas A&M University are working on the Urban Living Laboratory, a 1.2-million-sf mixed-use project owned by the university. The five-phase, live-work-play project will include offices, retail, multifamily apartments, and two hotels.
| Mar 9, 2011
North Korea resumes construction of 'world's worst' hotel
Is North Korea finally serious about completing construction of Ryu-Gyong Hotel—once called the world’s worst building—after years of neglect and secrecy?
