Encompassing over 3.5 million square feet with a price tag of $4.4 billion, Resorts World Sentosa is one of the world's largest multi-recreational luxury parks. A city-within-a-city, the resort features six hotels, offering a total of 1,840 rooms; a large casino; a convention center, including a 7,000-square-meter ballroom, conference and meeting facilities; a multitude of theaters and entertainment facilities; a maritime museum, a large marine animal park and water park; a world-class spa and extensive retail stores and restaurants. Anchored by Universal Studios Singapore, the project required a design approach that would celebrate the unique site in a very special way. READ MORE

The designs of the most renowned hotels and resorts give careful consideration to every aspect of a guest's experience. This is no small task - the design team leads the way to ensuring a property has everything it needs to offer a memorable, comfortable and relaxing stay for customers, which ultimately determines the success of a property. Complicating matters is the fact that designers very rarely need to consider just one type of customer - there are honeymooners, young families, empty nesters, groups of friends and wedding parties to consider in the design process. The task of designing for still another subset of customers - business travelers - presents an interesting but surmountable design challenge. This is a group growing more and more accustomed to mixing business with leisure. Designing a property that appeals to business travelers, a critical source of revenue for many properties today, requires its own set of considerations that must be weaved seamlessly throughout the design of the property, from meeting and conference spaces to restaurants and guestrooms and beyond. READ MORE

Guestrooms are getting smaller. With trendy micro and capsule hotels on the rise, brands everywhere are working with designers to shave off square footage and conceptualize new and improved layouts that use space more efficiently. But designing a versatile room is only functional to a point. If you want to create a space that responds to your guests' needs without compromising the elements that turn a simple hotel stay into a luxury, then you have to strike a balance between tradition and innovation. And it all comes back to the art of crafting an experience. READ MORE

No matter how glamorous, there comes a time when every hotel requires renovation. Years of wear and tear, new fashion trends, and shifts in technology can prematurely age a property, leading to customer complaints and the need to lower room rates to remain competitive. Also, in this age of social media and online reviews, an aging property means lost revenue as travelers increasingly turn to the Internet for advice and not the hotel's website. READ MORE

When it comes to luxury hotels, no detail goes unnoticed. This rings especially true in the interior environment, the space where most day-to-day hotel activities take place. It is often the interior that shapes the identity of a hotel in the minds of visitors and guests—for this reason, the interior design is of utmost importance. Stay in a hotel with disjointed or outdated design, and the experience can come off feeling stale and mediocre. But stay in a hotel where the interior design has been executed with great care and consideration, and the stay can become timeless, branded in the mind as an unrivaled, memorable experience. READ MORE

Technology is engrained in everything we do. It's in our cars, offices, homes and even the hotels we select. Travelers today, from millennials to baby boomers, are technologically driven and expect the ease and comfort that various forms of technology can provide. Many crave convenient and quick access to information. And with more hotel flags and brands than ever, hotels must incorporate high-tech elements throughout the building from the lobby to amenity spaces to the guest room in order to stay competitive. READ MORE

Hotel design is evolving to meet the needs of a new generation of guests. One of those emerging trends seeks to combine old and new trends into a warm and inviting space that provides all the amenities and features of living in a modern world. For hoteliers, making guests feel at home from the moment they walk into the door is what makes a design successful. One feature leading the charge with adaptable charm and the overall range of colors, patterns and textures is hardwood flooring. READ MORE

As smart technologies continue to permeate every sector of our lives and Millennials grow into consumers with clout, the hotel industry is taking note. New developments are taking place and others are being imagined to keep pace with demands of this technology-savvy generation. Futuristic guestrooms will trend toward being smaller, but technology will rule to provide guests the efficiencies they prefer, the unfettered access to Wi-Fi they demand and the individual recognition they enjoy. A trip to the future is really not so far away. READ MORE

Hotel architecture and design is a hot topic in the hospitality industry lately, as new hotels are constantly being built around the world and existing hotels are showcasing million dollar renovations. Owners and investors are getting more involved with interior designers and architects in order to spend time discussing the hotel or brand vision before going any further. Owners and hoteliers are understanding more and more the need for smart design concepts and smart decisions in terms of renovations, as they do not happen often. READ MORE

As this edition of Hotel Business Review studies the characteristic qualities of unique, timeless and memorable design- we began to think about the essence of these three qualities and how they are realized. We also determined that it would be a helpful exercise for everyone in the industry to consider how these elements work within business strategy for hospitality industry success - and whether they are always inherently appropriate. We hope to provoke thought in advancing an always thorough consideration of as the industry progresses in this era of vibrant hospitality growth worldwide. READ MORE

Much has been said about the changing traveler, and what he demands of the hotels in which he stays, whether he's among the ranks of the millennial generation we talk about so much or is simply a savvy guest. What's been addressed with less frequency is how designers can respond to these new demands and desires and implement them in the architecture of hotels. How can I, as a designer, create a space that this new traveler craves and then raves about on social media? I believe it all comes down to a few simple (but not easy) principles of great design: Creating a unique sense of place, creating memorable moments, and, just as importantly, designing hotels that perform. READ MORE

The hotel market is more competitive than ever before. Tapping the talent of experienced design professionals can help industry leaders gain a needed, game changing edge. Guest columnist Paula Azevedo, a principal at dash design, explores how the proper use of technology, materials, luxurious appointments and destination estaurants can provide a true return on investment for hotel owners, developers and operators. Tapping the hands-on knowledge of design professionals is one way that hoteliers can gain an edge and, therefore, capture market share. READ MORE

A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece in HotelExecutive about how the Hotel Lobby was evolving from an arrival and circulation zone with the various program elements of food and beverage outlets, business centers, and the expected array of arrival components and moving towards a self-contained destination; becoming something quite independent of the hotel itself. READ MORE

So a man walks into bar…no lets change that, a couple walks into a hotel room and immediately they look at the bathroom and make an evaluation, what are they considering…..small, large and luxurious, is there space for my toiletries, lighting, outlets, shower size, and then there is the wc, where is it….and is the bathroom private or is it open to the rest of the room…? Well I have seen them all, as a designer and have probably made some of the same decisions other designers have done to make the bathroom special, unusual, chic, etc. READ MORE

Design is only good if it works. Hospitality designers are charged with plenty to think about at the onset of a new project. Most importantly, what will make the space work for the clientele and bring people back. People have many diverse needs and desires when travelling but each property has to find their niche and maximize the return on their investments. Luckily, at this time, hotel redesign is being mandated everywhere. PIPs that have been on hold during the recently weak economic times are shaking loose now, and hotel designers are being called to task. The difference between a good hotel room and a great hotel room is design. A well thought out interior can enhance the travel experience, but remember this newly renovated space has to last up to twelve years. READ MORE

Designing a hotel oriented towards Millennials, or Generation Y, means addressing the revolutionary shift in society's “gestalt” created by the instant accessibility of information. Although people of all ages are participating in this transformation, those born in the last two decades of the 20th century are shaping how these changes materialise through their attitudes towards the accessibility of technology, sense of community, work / life balance, experiences vs. possessions, memory-making, and personalised service - all of which impact a hotel's interior design. READ MORE