Following a long, hard recession in all areas of commercial real estate, the hospitality sector is set to lead the rebound. By virtue of their customers’ increasingly high expectations, hospitality properties must stay fresh, so look for a wave of renovation to take place in 2011 and beyond. The recovery for new construction will be slower, particularly in the Middle East, where lingering effects of the recession and political unrest that keeps travelers away will continue to put a damper on the hospitality industry. But our experts report that China will be booming, as both tourism and the domestic standard of living there continues to rise, and South America will become more and more important in the years ahead as the next great market to be tapped.

In the lead-up to HD Expo—where InterfaceFLOR will introduce InterfaceHOSPITALITY, a new division that will deliver exciting new products and solutions to the hospitality market—we caught up with some noted hospitality designers to find out what’s happening now in this accelerating design market. Trisha Wilson, President and CEO of Wilson Associates in Dallas, D.B. Kim, Associate Principal of Pierre-Yves Rochon in Chicago; Jon Kastl, Senior Associate of Champalimaud Design in New York,; Richard Brayton, Principal of BraytonHughes Design Studio in San Francisco; and Lisa Simeone, Principal of Simeone Deary Design Group in Chicago shared their thoughts on the top trends in hospitality design now.

Sustainability

Compared to other market segments, the hospitality industry has been relatively slow to adopt green business and design practices, but things are changing. Eco-tourism has been on the rise, and with it some exotic properties devoted to this trend. But even hospitality properties that are not destination-oriented around sustainability are going green or thinking about it. “Sustainability comes up all the time,” says Richard Brayton. “We are hearing it recently even in the higher end of the market,” where some major operators, he says, are issuing directives to the A&D community that they want designers to be more aware of producing projects to a certain level of sustainability, as defined by LEED guidelines. The challenge, Brayton says, is to introduce sustainability without compromising aesthetics. Fortunately the gap is narrowing. “With the advent of interior materials that are just as luxurious as they are sustainable,” says Lisa Simeone, “high design and green are no longer mutually exclusive.”

Trisha Wilson describes sustainability in hospitality as, “Design that is responsible to the environment as a brand and promotes it as a lifestyle,” and sees this being implemented in a variety of ways. “We as designers should initiate a dialogue and help introduce what is already available in the market, from bamboo fiber fabrics to water sense plumbing fixtures, no VOC paint, room energy management systems, etc. The list is endless,” she says. Incorporating nature—like green balconies—using local resources that reflect local flavor and “give back” to the community, and a path back to simplicity (less is more) are also trends noted by Wilson that support a broader view of sustainability.

“Clean design- a leaning towards modernity, less fussiness, less over-patterning, cleaner lines, quieter palettes-is a trend that I think will continue,” says Simeone. “From traditional concepts to true contemporary, guests and clients are moving away from over-the-top looks and yearning not for less design, but more simplicity.

Technology

“Discoveries in Technologies” defined by “risk-taking innovations” is how D.B. Kim describes the emerging influence and potential of technology in hospitality. Clearly it is impacting our lives with an increasing rate of change, and more and more it allows hotel operators and hospitality designers to think outside the box. Jon Kastl cites big changes to the check-in sequence, including the disappearance (or at least minimization) of the once ubiquitous reception desk, in favor of in-car or in-room electronic check in. Smart phones, he says, can store bar codes that simply and quickly check in guests (much in the same way that people are now using smart phones in place of boarding passes), and can also serve as room keys. The goal, says Kastl, is to offer guests, “Technology when they want it, or a person when they want that.”

Tablets will also figure significantly here, according to Wilson. She calls it the “Portable Experience” and suggests that, in addition to streamlining the check-in process, devices such as iPads can be used to educate the guests about the hotel’s art program, or the energy savings realized, in real time, with guest room energy management systems. Add to the tablet all the information found in the leather bound book on the desk in every hotel room, and there’s another simple sustainability measure. “We need to be cognizant of what is coming in the next few years and make provisions for it to be seamlessly hidden in our design elements,” says Simeone.

“Sophisticated technology in guest rooms is getting bigger and bigger in terms of use and smaller and smaller in terms of size and cost,” notes Brayton. And with the hotel room increasingly being used as an office, the design of the work space and connectivity are key factors. In one recent project in Toronto, Kastl incorporated “connectivity panels” to charge all manner popular devices so guests don’t even need to travel with their cables. And—finally—outlets are being conveniently located at the desktop to eliminate the need to crawl around on the floor to reach them.

Luxury

A sense of luxury is important at all levels in hospitality. “Use the element of surprise,” suggests Wilson. “Throw a steam shower in a standard room. Plan the guestroom to be one seamless, functioning space. Open up the bathroom and closet to natural light—maximize on the view.” The luxury experience can also be realized with thoughtful design touches that enhance the guest room experience, including entry foyers where guests can drop their “stuff”, wardrobes and luggage benches instead of closets, and organization cubbies, which make the room seem more luxurious and functional, according to Kastl. Individualizing the hotel experience is also made easier with technology.

“Our design philosophy is timeless luxury,” says Kim, which he expresses at least in part by informing and referencing the local culture and heritage of a site, often using local artisans, and commissioning emerging artists. Signature art programs in lobbies, corridors, and guest rooms can raise the sophistication level of a property, and the more creative, thought-provoking, and specific they are the better. All in all, the sophistication level and high expectations of both business and pleasure travelers that were defined during the economic boom of the last decade were not erased during the bust. Luxury is still important, though perhaps redefined as greater attention to personal service, a strong sense of place and purpose, and functional and sustainable design, rather than simply luxurious materials. I have seen a true shift from great design for design’s sake to great design for the guest’s sake,” says Simeone.