Latest trends in hotel guest room designs

What are some of the cleverest hotel designs seen over the last couple of years and what does the future look like?

I was very fortunate to catch up with Glenn Pushelberg, founder and designer of  yabu pushelberg.  Glenn and his teams, based in both New York and Toronto, design buildings, interiors, landscapes, lighting, furniture, objects and graphics which go well beyond what things look like, to how they make people feel. They recently won Hotel of the Year AHEAD award in 2022 for the Londoner Hotel in London.

I asked Glenn a few questions about current and future hotel guest room designs 

What are the design trends in terms of flooring finishes?

Hotel guest room design these days is all about creating a residential look and feel. Since COVID, there has definitely been a trend away from wall to wall carpeting to hard flooring. It’s easier to keep clean and to maintain hygiene standards. This also includes the introduction of hard floors with area carpets, particularly around the bed.  With great advances in engineered wood it is now much easier to maintain than 20 years ago. This floor type has a great look and is easy to clean and maintain. The wood is engineered, laminated and then laid onto a concrete base. Hard floors can also be extended all the way into the bathroom, creating a much bigger look and feel to the whole room.

There is also a trend towards ceramic flooring, with the look of wood or stone, though it can tend to look simulated and doesn’t always have the most high end look.

In those parts of the world where it’s super-hot, like the tropics, stone flooring is still popular as the stone makes the room feel cool. Stone floors throughout has a great look including composites which extend through into the bathroom. Conversely, some more traditional hotels are still opting for  wall to wall carpet as it does make the room appear to be larger.

How about lighting trends?

Lighting is also moving towards a residential feel, rather than a corporate look. The lighting in a guest room needs to have a purpose, this being either ambient or for reading. Lighting also needs to be adjustable to suit the guests moods, creating a soft look throughout. We see the use of floor and table lamps as more natural. Lights can also be used to effectively highlight art or feature walls. In the bathroom, the area which requires extra focus is around the mirror and the lower lighting in the shower and toilet recesses. Glenn's team were involved with the design of an innovative wall mounted bedside lamp. Called The Konhalo from Maset, it combines smart aesthetics with clever design and superb functionality

Colour palettes and textiles?

Colour palettes are trending towards the lighter colours, incorporating more and more white. Not great news for Housekeepers however when owners decide to go down this route, the designers always recommend carrying a lot of extra spare fabric to ensure items can be quickly replaced. Nobody wants to see a great look with stains or damage. More often, lighter colours give the rooms a more residential feel though pops of colour also add uniqueness and flair. Too many plain neutrals and neutral blends can make a room look bland. As weaving mills and factories around the world can now easily weave or produce small runs on fabric, the flexibility of creating some amazing colours and textiles is much more attainable.

Furniture and accessories

The days of the one lonely chair and desk are numbered. The trend is towards a chaise longue or a sofa. Guests can relax and watch TV or work on their devices. The height is important, being a little higher than a regular sofa and a little lower than a chair. If there is space, the addition of furniture into the bathroom warms the room up. And blankets are coming back again but draped over the duvet at the bed end. An exotic look would be a very big, oversized faux fur.  Decorative pillows are also still around, but to be more impactful, there needs to be a lot (say 6 red pillows on the bed) or nothing at all, leaving it clean and completely white.

Bathroom fittings and fixtures?

Basin sinks were the trend; however, it's now moving back to shallower wash basins in bathroom. To add a residential look, the bathroom can be decorated with nice jars and trays. At Raffles, Sentosa Island in Singapore, the vanity has become a lovely piece of furniture.

Technology in rooms? Such as wireless options, climate control and acoustic systems

Glenn’s advice is to keep it simple and user friendly. All that's really needed is the master switch at the bedside and the ability to dim the lights. The rest of technology is best kept straightforward and easy to use.

What is your favourite latest project and why?

The Londoner is a great example of our latest design and the one we won the AHEAD Hotel of the year award for. This project was amazing,  with eight stories above and eight stories below ground level. Also the new line Moxy in LA is very cool,  based on the theme of Easy Rider.

Do you talk to the Housekeeping teams of hotels where you are designing guest rooms?

Yes we try to, one comment from Housekeepers is that there are often too many mirrors in a room, creating more work. It's important that designers respect housekeeping, there’s no point in creating something impossible to keep clean and well maintained.  No one wants to see a dirty room or stains,  so there is always some compromise.

Where is Hotel guest room design going in the future? What are going to be some upcoming trends?

Hotel rooms of the future are getting bigger, bigger bedrooms and bigger bathrooms. There will be more all- suite hotels charging higher rates. That's the predicted trend for the future