Written by OBM International 

Design trends are constantly evolving and the hospitality industry is always looking for its next big inspiration. From countless digital innovations to smarter customized solutions and multiple sense enhancing dining experiences, hoteliers are looking at various novel approaches to stay at the forefront of the luxury travel evolution. This year, hotel designers are set on focusing their energy on public space outlets such as lobbies and restaurants, in order to create authentic local experiences that bring people together.

While most hotels are not in the position to be technology leaders, designers are on the other hand seeing a great opportunity for maximizing public spaces as a real point of differentiation for the luxury hospitality experience.  The approach to making these spaces more desirable for guests and members of the community is critical, so that travelers can envisage their hotel as much more than just a place to lay their heads.

OBMI architects are taking this approach in their designs for a resort in Antigua, with a luxurious yet simple social experience inspired by local architecture that seamlessly flows through the public spaces. The idea behind this strategy is to energize restaurants and the reception area by reflecting the local culture in the design, creating a livelier synergetic welcome and encouraging guests to get out of their rooms and into this “giant living room”, which works as a central meeting point and crossroad for the rest of the resort. The outcome is a natural and soothing setting, making it more appealing for guests to stay within the resort, instead of dying to get out.

Restaurants within hotels are becoming more blended into the totality too, instead of feeling as separate offshoots. This is being done by melding the culture of the location into all hotel elements and also the combination of outdoor/indoor space, which allows for smooth transitions into different venues, which can in turn feel as a leisurely stroll through the center of a village one knows. This attracts not only visitors but locals as well, resulting in a more cohesive social experience for both, and also more revenue dollars for the hotel.

All in all, porous public spaces in the hospitality industry that fuse into their location and bring together guests and residents alike, are experiencing a boom and we’re excited to see how this trend will evolve in 2018.