It’s not just comfy beds and working showers that guests care about when walking into a hotel room. For some, it’s about the experience. The vibes, if you will.
Over 2023, I found myself excited to see the new design trends that had been implemented and where they are headed in 2024. Hotels made room for bold designs that pushed the envelope. It wasn’t just more of the same, neutral-monotone color palettes or cookie-cutter furniture coming out of the pipeline. Last year pushed the limits on color, opulence and textures.
As the senior graphic designer of Hotel News Now, it’s always a fun conversation with the news team when they send me hotels and resorts that I can take a mental vacation to. But mostly, I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what’s the best way to showcase these places. Is it a before-and-after slider for a renovation? Could it be a slideshow illustrating all the interesting spaces within the resort and hotel? Does this hotel have historic significance that I can find vintage photos of? There are limitless possibilities.
Last year, I loved seeing luxurious designs such as the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas and the Mandarin Oriental Singapore that reopened after a multimillion-dollar renovation. Even with all those eccentric designs, some of the best examples I saw last year were the ones that kept it simple and enhanced the guest experience in the location of their choice. For example, the revamped Kona Village Resort in Hawaii. After a seven-year redevelopment, the design focused on environmental sustainability and embracing Hawaiian culture. The focus was kept on where the resort is located, using colors of the area and created shared spaces that drew people together to admire the beautiful place they are in.
Here are some things I think you’ll see more of in 2024.
Colors of the year: Pantone’s Peach Fuzz, Sherwin William’s Upward, Behr’s Cracked Pepper and Valspar’s Renew Blue. Unlike the bolds of last year, color palettes seem a bit more subtle, elegant and, for lack for better words, luxuriously cozy. I think the focus this year will be on richer colors, darker stained wood, velvet (my favorite) and interesting textures. Companies will tone down the Instagrammable décor for more chic, moody, in-real-life relaxation. I think if you are wanting to make a statement at your hotel, vintage, one-of-a-kind, artisanal statement pieces might be a good route.
What else does 2024 have to offer? More sustainability efforts, more tech-forward investments in design, and more places for guests to interact with each other.
At the end of the day, design choices give hotels their “personalities” and attract clientele that appreciate the same values and aesthetic. Take a risk, make it moody and give your guests a place they want to go in 2024. I look forward to seeing the interesting places that come across my desk this year.
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or CoStar Group and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to contact an editor with any questions or concern.