The Hospitality industry has (already) become digital.

This past 2023 the newest challenge for architects and developers was “the new normal.” recently created health and safety regulations require permanent reconfiguring of spaces to comply with regulations without sacrificing guests’ comfort during their stay. Although during the pandemic, the intervention and adaptation of tourist spaces and hotels alike were generalized to keep the facilities operating, for the most part, the tourist was tolerant of the temporary modifications. However, how will these spaces be forever modified to accommodate guests and health and safety regulations? Without sacrificing design, comfort, and, most of all, functionality.

More than ever, the hospitality industry is undergoing a profound transformation due to traditional booking methods being outperformed by digital allies or competitors. Therefore, elements like avant-garde architecture, innovative design, technological infrastructure, ecological vision, and creativity in decoration are essential within the context of the larger business plan, taking second place in importance to compliance with new health and safety regulations.

The most significant changes to come to hotel operations, regardless of the size, are the following:

Unique, functional touchless rooms.

The industry’s nature is to gather people, whether we are talking about a total capacity occupancy rate for 2,000 people in resort-type operations or 100 people gathered in an outdoor experience-based boutique hotel. The most significant change to come is touchless points, where although many people weren’t present at once, the trace of their presence was. A change to app-based remote control for TVs, coolers, and safes in each room is likely the first change to be implemented. The following significant change will be a minimalistic approach to heavily decorative duvets, pillows, and novelty non-functional items being removed and replaced with simple, easy-to-clean covers. Frameless television screens that synch up with a hotel-specific app would replace decorative frame prints, showing constant slideshows of a famous painter or contemporary art and the occasional in-house restaurant menu to promote reservations. Accent lighting and smart LED strips or bulbs would be used in place of desktop lamps, controlled through the same app, thus eliminating the need for physical light switches.

Redesigning the way we eat

On my last trip to Las Vegas this past October, I noticed that most of my beloved buffet lines had been replaced by grab-and-go options or just plain closed. While this saddened my hunger, I was glad that more personalized, Hygenic serving stations were replacing this.

If COVID taught us anything, it’s that the passing along of germs is not always face-to-face but instead left behind on surfaces and unsanitized tables, which is why the ever-so-popular salad bar and shared utensils will slowly come to an end. As for the future, hotel guests could use the app to browse the in-house restaurants’ menus, and why not make reservations that would generate a QR code, scanned at the restaurant’s entrance by an electronic hostess kiosk, that would let the guest know what table number has been assigned—the remaining time before their (human) waiter served their meal. Of course, it’s a step away from the traditional family restaurant, but this would make the most sense in a resort-style operation. As for room service, I can’t wait to see those cute delivery robots leaving my late-night snack at my front door in a sealed tray, only to come by an hour later to retrieve it from the hallway, making sure my used silverware is not exposed to my hallway neighbors.

Digital Lobbies and check-in are inevitable.

According to a recent poll, 73% of people reported having bad experiences with in-person check-in at hotel lobbies. These complaints mainly consisted of excessively drawn-out procedures (44%), inaccurate data (32%), or unpleasant employees (31%). Additionally, while choosing a hotel, 47% of millennials regarded room service and check-in at the front desk as low priorities. Digital migration is inevitable. One thing we have learned from digital platforms is that self-check-in is cool. The hotel app would be the host and the main point of communication between the guest and hotel, with a prefilled form already filled out and a QR code generated to be scanned at the front desk. The digital hostess would generate a 4-digit PIN to type into the intelligent front door knob keyboard.

For those guests who feel comfortable sharing their biometric data, an ios or android integration could unlock their front door via face-id or fingerprint scan, possibly eliminating the front desk concept permanently. The same survey states that participants of all ages like the flexibility that virtual trip planning offers. This passion for travel is powerful among younger people; 97% of respondents said they would instead do at least some of their travel planning online or using an app. This change is already underway and is the most inevitable as lobbies are traditionally a gathering place for guests. Digital check-in means something other than that the front desk will be eliminated forever, as human interaction is necessary for a wide variety of issues that need to be handled personally. However, reducing the total number of people in one place simultaneously allows the customer to choose between a fully digital check-in process or a traditional method.

Green plants, wood, and open spaces.

Biophilic design is back, and while it never really faded, post-pandemic architecture design is taking a heavy turn towards nature and how we interact with lush garden spaces. This design approach emphasizes human adaptations to the natural world that have proven instrumental in advancing people’s health, fitness, and well-being over evolutionary time. While existing hotels cannot compete with those boutique hotels in the middle of an already existing natural setting, redesigning existing spaces that were once concrete and steel heavy to a more naturally occurring infinite pool and lush landscaping can be enough for your guest to feel in touch with nature. These spaces, which tend to be both indoor and outdoor, provide large hotels with an oxygen-heavy, naturally aspirated area, bringing a much-needed breather to guests and guaranteeing a natural filter for airborne germs. Providing working and leisure space within this area is vital as not all guests leave the hotel throughout the day. Why not create this space in an open environment, with enough distance between each station, allowing the guest to work or relax independently from the rest, generating a positive experience entirely in line with ever-changing health and safety regulations?

As worries fade, the tech is here to stay.

As hotel spaces reach the end of their life cycle and approach the renovation and rebranding stage, incorporating innovative technology and post-pandemic practices permanently built into their new offer will guarantee longevity and relatively amongst the millennial and gen z consumers. In addition, tying in newly renovated spaces with app-based, digital interaction will keep these consumer types interested and the hotel in compliance with health and safety regulations and ready for future outbreaks. Hotel developers and architectural and interior designers must be prepared to incorporate these changes into their customers’ plans. Updating BIMs and creating updated 3d models will be necessary to guarantee seamless participation between stakeholders without compromising continuous hotel operations during construction and remodeling. As Covid-19 worries fade away, the expertise gained from pandemic procedures should stay and become a part of daily operation tasks for hotels and their staff, assuring their continuous operation even during the next pandemic.