Beyond Beauty: The Dark Side of Dazzling Hotel Designs
At first glance, stunning architectural and interior hotel designs seem impressive. Sleek, lavish aesthetics promoted via glossy marketing materials. But without function, engineering, and safety considerations, the allure soon fades.
Far too often, lavish hotels neglect back-of-house workflows, accessibility, climate-appropriate materials, safety codes, and mechanical planning. Pursuing visual artistry over purpose leads to spaces that disappoint, frustrate staff, or worse – endanger guests.
Common Issues in Style-Focused Designs
– Inadequate back-of-house and storage spaces
– Poorly planned room layouts
– Low-quality finishes unsuited to climate
– Overflowing mechanical rooms
– Non-compliant fire safety systems
– Slippery floors lacking drainage
– Hidden hazards like faulty wiring
The Results of Form over Function?
Plumbing leaks, wet floors leading to falls, overlooked fire risks, mechanically overloaded engineers scrambling to prevent catastrophe, accessibility issues, and very unhappy guests and staff.
While dazzling and opulent designs have their place in hospitality, they must be balanced with purposeful engineering, layout, material selection, and safety considerations. Unfortunately, many developers realize this far too late, or never at all.
Achieving Safe & Functional Designs Without Sacrificing Beauty
The solution lies in collaboration across disciplines starting day one, including:
– Engineers providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire safety guidance
– Operators giving input on workflows and layouts
– End users identifying potential safety risks
– Owners keeping projects on-brand and on-budget
With aligned vision across stakeholders, hotels can achieve gorgeous aesthetics alongside:
– Spaces supporting staff operations and guest needs
– Future-proofed mechanicals and technology
– Local climate and weather-appropriate materials
– Compliance with all safety and accessibility codes
– Luxurious yet livable room configurations
By valuing form and function equally, hospitality design can dazzle safely, sustainably, and beautifully for years to come. But vanity alone leads to disappointment. It’s time to demand more from design to protect our people and planet.
The Bottom Line
Stunning hotel design provides an important sense of place and luxury for guests. But prioritizing beauty over purpose, engineering, durability, and safety carries consequences – dangerous, expensive, and tragic.
The solution lies in balanced design thinking across stakeholders, and setting clear expectations around safety and function from day one.
With aligned vision, and creativity coupled with technical expertise, the hospitality industry can deliver the awe-inspiring yet livable spaces travelers desire and employees deserve.
But we must challenge shallow, stylistic designs with no substance. Demand more from architects, developers, and brands.
Because when form ignores function, we all suffer consequences. Through collaboration and purpose, safety and beauty can harmoniously coexist in hospitality.
Want to discuss how to achieve stunning, safe hotel designs optimized for delighting guests? Reach out to me at [email] or [phone] to continue the conversation.
With decades of experience designing award-winning hospitality properties, I’m eager to collaborate with developers, architects, and brands committed to balancing creativity with safety and function.
Let’s work together to craft spaces that wow visitors while supporting seamless operations, sustainability, and most importantly – human wellbeing. The potential is vast when we unify artistry with ethics and purpose.
I look forward to helping elevate your next project to new heights. Let’s design exceptional hospitality experiences that shine beautifully inside and out.
Thank you!
Bert Bykes @ Contact
Seating Area
Qatar Airways Premier Lounge Bangkok Bar Rendering
QAB Airways Premier Lounge Bangkok 21 Jul 17
