The Key Design Principles for Hotel Interiors

Innovation - Yotel

Context - Niki Club Culture - Park Hotels

People - Boundary

Function - Das Triest

Sustainability - South Place

Principles which inform the creative approach.

Principles which are born out of financial & practical considerations.

Principles which are a response to social concerns.

Innovation - Yotel

Why:Because clients are looking for fresh, inspired ideas, a point of difference and edge. It is a ‘designer’s duty’ to push the boundaries, to enhance and to create.

The client for Yotel had an amazingly innovative idea:

• Boldly going where other hotels can’t; underground, in city centres & airport terminals. • Addressing the reality of flight delays, transfers etc, with a booking system by the hour (4hr minimum).• Capturing the essence of flying, making air travel exciting again.

Innovation - Yotel

Pod based hotel system for short stay occupancy.

How • Designing fully functioning comfortable hotel rooms within compact footprints - 10sqm Premium cabin & 7sqm Standard cabin.

Innovation - Yotel

How • Employing high quality finishes and styling influenced by business class airline cabins.

Innovation - Yotel

How • Nestling cabins over each other in an ingenious, space saving layout.

Innovation - Yotel

How • Creating compact cabins with a commonality of components parts. • Engineering service access from corridors so cabin maintenance is external. 

Innovation - Yotel

Context - Niki Club

Why:Because being aware of ‘the landscape’ informs design decisions, whether to achieve synergy or contrast.

The landscape surrounding the Niki Club resort hotel was a major influence to the architecture style:

• A retreat 2 hours away from the bustle of Tokyo.• Nestling in a forest clearing set amongst the dense green mountains of northern Honshu.•14 hectares of woodland, streams, meadows and rice fields and natural hot springs ‘onsen’.

Context - Niki Club

A resort hotel comprising a main building and 42 pavilions.

How • Generating contrast to the environment with a modern, concrete, and glass main building structure.

Context - Niki Club

How • Constructing 42 pavilions in indigenous timber and stone to utiliselocal resources.

Context - Niki Club

How • Mimicking the randomness of the forest with meandering pathways.

Context - Niki Club

How • Creating uncomplicated, free flowing interior layouts.• Designing double height interiors furnished and finished in natural materials, with a natural colour palette inspired by the surroundings.

Context - Niki Club

Culture - Park Hotels

Why:Because being aware of ‘the culture’ of the place informs design decisions, whether to achieve synergy or contrast.

• All the hotels are within India and owned by a pioneering Indian family.• The series of boutique hotels demanded individual but complementary design responses.• Opportunities to explore a culture rich in colour, ritual and history.

Culture - Park Hotels

Interpretation of India’s cultural vibrancy inspired the designs for the Park collection of boutique hotels:

A collection of 7/8 boutique hotels in India.

How • Delhi: Developing cultural narratives for hotel designs in different cities. In Delhi the Vastu Shastra’s 5 primary elements.

Culture - Park Hotels

How • Bangalore: Reflecting the regional diversity of India through design inspired by local art and crafts.

Culture - Park Hotels

How • Kolkata: Creating colour associations inspired by the Chakras.

Culture - Park Hotels

How • Kolkata: Creating colour associations inspired by the Chakras.

Culture - Park Hotels

How • Hyderabad: The history of building vernaculars informing the design.

Culture - Park Hotels

People - Boundary

Why:Because by whom and how the building is to be used informs its function and its personality.

• Multiplicity of different restaurants, offers and different rooms.• Offers appeal to different customers at different times.• International hotel operational standards mix with local knowledge.

People - Boundary

Set in the heart of Shoreditch and adjacent to the city, Boundary attracts both the diverse local community and the global nomad in pursuit of an alternative experience:

A small boutique hotel in the heart of Shoreditch.

How • The vibrant, urban audience and one-off refurbishment is integral to the Boundary brand, creating a unique destination and customer experience.

People - Boundary

How • 3 distinctly different restaurants demanding distinctly different designs and brand approaches.

People - Boundary

How • 3 distinctly different restaurants demanding distinctly different designs and brand approaches.

How • Inspiring 17 distinctly different hotel rooms designed to appeal to different customers.

People - Boundary

How • An eclectic design approach with integration of local arts and crafts along with classic globally recognised pieces.

People - Boundary

Function - Das Triest

Why:Hotel design and service must fulfil function and embrace budget.

• Emphasis on personal service, comfort and efficiency & discretion.• An existing building with modern interventions.• Ongoing refurbishment policy including upgrading of technology.

Function - Das Triest

Close to heart of the city of Vienna, as both a business and a tourist hotel it is essential for Das Triest to operate efficiently at many levels:

A 72 bedroom hotel - 10 minutes from the city centre.

How • Designed with emphasis on comfort; large beds, generous bathrooms, all with double sinks and huge mirrors.

Function - Das Triest

How • Design and specification of FF&E within the parameters of its target market and rating.

Function - Das Triest

How • Cost effective design solutions, i.e. same designs for bathrooms withindividually achieved with choice of loose furniture.• Loose furniture as opposed to built-in enabling easy replacement.

Function - Das Triest

How • Simple and intuitive access, lighting and technology controls.

Function - Das Triest

Sustainability - South Place

Why:Because social and environmental responsibility is essential to business and development. 

• Client brief to achieve BREEAM Excellent rating – unusual for a hotel.• A positive influence on the design, construction and management of buildings.• An opportunity to fully integrate ‘green’ technology and initiatives from the outset of the design. 

Sustainability - South Place

In the heart of London, South Place Hotel presents a ‘sustainability challenge’ but as a new build, also many sustainability opportunities:

An 80 bedroom hotel close to Moorgate tube.

How TRANSPORTTravel information point • The hotel is located 250m from Moorgate Station and a dedicated space will be provided within the hotel lobby for the provision of an internet connected computer which will allow guests to access live travel information.

Sustainability - South Place

How WATERWater consumption • Where evidence provided demonstrates that the specification includes taps, urinals, WCs and showers that consume less potable water in use than standard specifications for the same type of fittings.6/4l dual flush WC.• All taps (except cleaners and kitchens) to have minimum flow rate of 6l/min.

Sustainability - South Place

How MATERIALSDesigning for robustness Where protection is given to vulnerable parts of the building such as areas exposed to high pedestrian traffic, vehicular and trolley movements.

Sustainability - South Place

How • Full integration of ‘green’ details within the development, such as bird nesting boxes & bicycle racks.

Sustainability - South Place

- a summaryDesign and service excellence combined to ensure and engaging and pleasing customer experience, appropriate to the target audience and context. 

The Experience

Innovation - Yotel

Context - Niki Club Culture - Parks Hotels

People - The Boundary

Function - Das Triest

Sustainability - South place