As Hotel Designs continues to focus the spotlight this month on independent hotels, Alyssa Johnson explores possible 2019 trends in international hotel design…

Today hotel guests have higher expectations than ever. They appreciate exotic textures and personalised experiences and have developed a taste for exquisite materials, even if it’s just an overnight stay – all while feeling at home. With more focus on guest experience than ever before, here are 10 interesting creative trends we expect to be emerging in 2019 and beyond.

Trend 1: Even more personalised experiences

Hotels will have to focus on creating memorable experiences for their guests rather than simply offering amenities and services. They will learn to be creative in tailoring their experiences to guest preferences, driving their inspiration from boutique hotels. Guests can expect personalized greetings and rooms set to their preferences, as well as unique products curated by the hotel. The boutique approach to the hotel design helps create truly genuine and captivating experiences that modern guests, especially millennials, expect these days.

Trend 2: Home from home

Taking a hint from high-end Airbnb lodgings, hotels are adding coffee machines and even home-style kitchenettes to serve their long-term guests. Charging stations are making way into every room, not to mention wifi connectivity, which is even better than the broadband in their home.

 Trend 3: Eclectic style

Gone are the days where every room in the hotel looked exactly the same, leveraging the popular neutral color trend of the last decade. Hotels are now styling their rooms in a more natural, hospitable way combining eclectic elements, contrasting colours, and vivid combinations around the rooms. In fact, hotels are enjoying a renaissance of color. Hotel News Now says: “People not being afraid to be bold and be colourful.” Visitors will find more local handmade decor, unexpected texture combinations, and even vintage fabrics — something that frequent travellers will appreciate.

Trend 4: Smart-room technology

Travellers already enjoy mobile bookings and mobile payments, but the future is for mobile keys, text messages to the reception instead of calling, and saving in-room preferences such as temperature, lighting, or even the type of toiletries preferred. This trend in hotel design will call for even greater room decor simplicity accentuated by recycled wood and organic materials.

Trend 5: Personalised entertainment

 In 2019, guests will be seeing TVs broadcasting their own subscribed content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and other platforms. This innovative hotel design will make the guest experience more streamlined and effortless at the same time, notes the contributor who travels a lot while working for the popular in the UK dissertation writing service. At the same time, guests will still enjoy the feeling of personalized and friendly hospitality.

Trend 6: Indoor meets outdoor

One of the most interesting hotel design trends to watch is the move to bring the outdoor experience to hotel lobbies and corridors. In 2019 hotels will be seeing more indoor waterfalls, all-season terraces, rugged outdoor-style furnishings, gorgeous plants and panoramic views. This trend in hotel design will help guests to enjoy nature while staying inside, creating a completely unique and memorable experience.

Trend 7: Multi-function spaces

Meeting spaces will become more flexible, accommodating various types of functions, from family gatherings to large conferences, thanks to the clever use of roll-up walls, doors, and power outlets built into the floorings. Hotels will be offering more collaborative workspaces that will be available both for guests and visitors.

Trend 8: Eco-friendliness

In 2019, hotels will be more focused on the use of environmentally sustainable practices, from using natural and recycled/recyclable building materials, to solar panels and linen recycling. We will see more initiatives to measure and reduce carbon footprints and LED lightning in a bid to reduce energy consumption. Speaking of design, this trend calls hotels to incorporate more live greenery and natural light into their designs.

Trend 9: Evolution of the lobby

Hotels are transforming the lobby area into an expanded living room — a common area with lots of cosy enclosures where guests will be able to find some privacy without feeling lonely. Lobbies will becoming eco-friendlier, too, with large potted plants being used to break up the space into more intimate areas, says Hotel Propeller. The lobby of 2019 is becoming a central clubhouse where people can explore various activities. This important hotel design trend has already caused hotel chains to completely update their lobbies into unique, personalized environments.

Trend 10: Integration of all things local

In 2019, hotels will be integrating the guest experience with the local culture. The hotel of the future will become a focal point for locals, as hoteliers embrace local retail and outsource more services to local businesses, such as dry cleaning or deliveries. Hotels are also becoming cultural hubs where guests can enjoy exercise classes, massages, concerts, arts, and more alongside the locals. This trend calls for adding local touches to the hotel design, as well as involving local designers and artists to create a unique ambiance.

The hospitality industry will be rapidly evolving in 2019. Hotels will have to find creative ways to meet the high expectations of modern travellers, especially millennials who today comprise the majority of frequent travellers who also like to stay on budget. If you are travelling on a budget, here’s how you can avoid paying extra for your hotel room. Keeping up with the changes in consumer tastes and the rise of technology will bring a lot of much-needed innovation in the hotel design.