I have been asked quite a lot lately about the subject of Health and Wellness trends within the hospitality world. With that, I thought the subjects of fitness and healthy lifestyle manifestations within the hotel industry would be an interesting conversation piece. Certainly, our Clients have this on their minds within the project mapping phases of the projects we are endeavoring. Demands of the fit-conscious traveler are driving operators to offer healthy alternatives to the traditional decadence once lavished on the business traveler and casual vacationer. READ MORE

As the regal name suggests, Viceroy Hotel Group embodies the essence of style and service and caters to guests seeking high-end service, elegance and glamour. Founded on the principles of quality and creativity, Viceroy Hotel Group delivers one-of-a-kind lifestyle experiences that bring together provocative design and intuitive service in sought-after locations. Signature brand amenities and services created for the diverse business and leisure guests include dynamic dining venues featuring world-class culinary talents and destination spas specializing in health, fitness and beauty. Current properties include hotels and resorts in Abu Dhabi, Anguilla, Beverly Hills, Maldives, Miami, New York, Palm Springs, Riviera Maya, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Snowmass, St. Lucia and Zihuatanejo with forthcoming openings in New York, Istanbul and Bodrum, Turkey. READ MORE

During economic booms when profits are rich, companies seek to internalize many functions. This insourcing of a business function is often made with the hopes of maintaining better control of critical competencies. In the hotel industry, especially among international chains, or "flag" hotels, the idea of possessing a team of highly creative interior designers working in-house is very alluring. However, when the economic cycle turns and profit margins are reduced, hotels, like any industry, look to outsourcing as a way to reduce fixed expenses such as payroll and benefits. READ MORE

Today's hotel customer has more brand choices than Crest has in toothpaste options. The U.S. hospitality marketplace, in terms of branded market segmentation, is nearly fully developed. From luxury to select service and long-term stay, industry leaders have covered the spectrum with brand and sub-brand alternatives. One thing that each brand has in common is that every different kind of hotel product is defined by brand standards, which are used by all the major hotel companies to ensure a standard experience. READ MORE

With more female business travelers emerging and leisurely spending habits often made by women, the hotels that can offer solid design features combined with creative marketing and services will see a successful return on investment for years to come. When assessing what women want from a hotel versus men, the preferences don't tend to vary dramatically; women just tend to want more from the overall hotel design. From hotel design including increased safety measures and amenities like toiletries and gym equipment, to marketing using social media, hotels use many different tactics to attract female customers. READ MORE

Numerous vectors are pushing the hotel industry to reduce its carbon footprint and improve the sustainability of operations. One of the vectors is guest demand, as individuals and groups request hotels to report on their sustainability initiatives. Guests are generally willing to participate in a hotel's sustainability programs, as long as that participation doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of their stay, but guests have not shown a willingness to pay higher rates for improved sustainability. This article explains one hotel's experiences in retrofitting for efficiency. READ MORE

Most of the hotel owners and operators we have worked with recently plan major renovations on their properties at least every five to eight years. They often face very a similar challenge: managing risk and surprises through the process of maximizing the return on their investment. Very few renovations go as predicted though, resulting in significant danger to the physical plant, guest experience, and bottom line. READ MORE

You arrive in it, you leave via it, you meet friends and colleagues there, you linger there, or alternatively hurriedly pass through it. You register, you find your way, seeking direction to successfully navigate the next stage of your stay in the hotel. You encounter a whole list of experiences throughout it and of all the public areas you probably remember it - or alternatively find it as forgettable as any space in the Hotel, and yet what is it really? READ MORE

For hotel developers, the financial, logistical and technical challenges of transforming historic buildings into modern-day facilities can be daunting. Doing so while preserving the historic architectural tenor of the space and the essential character of iconic buildings is even more difficult. In such circumstances, developers are not only preserving discrete details, they are preserving history; embracing not only the aesthetic and structural integrity of the environment, but oftentimes the cultural and community context as well. Adaptive reuse and historical hotel renovation can be a challenge. It is not a paint-by-numbers exercise, and it requires both skill and experience to execute successfully. When done correctly, however, such a strategy of preservation and reinvention can pay enormous literal and figurative dividends. READ MORE

Christian Urbat is Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group's senior VP of technical services. In this article he discusses components of what goes into ensuring a hotel provides a successful and memorable experience for every guest. Hotels are like theaters; they require the perfect stage setup (space planning and design), the appropriate costumes (uniforms), a story to tell (menus and service sequences), and lighting that highlights the product and the experience we are producing. READ MORE

L'AND Vineyards redefined luxury in a unique place: The Alentejo. It brought nature inside, offered the chance to make local wine, and reinterpreted the landscape in design, cuisine, and its own natural products such as soap, oil, and even shampoo. Luxury is now more genuine natural, and local - for people now travel not to find what they find near their homes - but that is new, real, and distinct. That is what we tried to do with L'AND Vineyards - and after a year - our guest tell us we are succeeding. As a result, the construction of L'AND Reserve, in Alqueva, Europe's biggest dam and artificial lake, starts this year and the opening is planned for the end of 2014. READ MORE

There will always be a need for meeting space. Even in the age of virtual meetings and rapid proliferation of social media, business people are finding that they still need human contact with face-to-face interaction for bonding, engagement and relationship building. Face-to-face meetings allow participants to associate body language with what is being discussed in order to assimilate the whole message. READ MORE

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, let's consider a few milestones in hotel history that are influencing the sweeping changes now occurring in all areas of the hotel experience, especially in the lobby. With the recent and continued enhancements in technology, hotels are increasingly able to personalize the guest experience through the design of the lobby space. READ MORE

Everyone knows there's no place like home. For this reason alone, the very best hotels seek to capture the essence of home. In turn, luxury hotels, resorts and spas serve as great inspirations for residential projects with distinctive features designed to wow and attract visitors. From a design perspective, homes and hotels are invariably linked. That's precisely why hotel design - like residential design- is always evolving to satisfy consumer demand. READ MORE

Hotel brands across all sectors are looking for experiential design to support the brand promise. From luxury to select service, the aim is the same - to offer an enhanced guest experience that caters to their guests' needs. Our firm is best known for designing luxury and convention center hotels. Recently, we have begun working on select service hotels in urban locations. While the sector is new to us, the goals of these hotel operators are not. The focus is on the guest experience. This appeals to us as designers, because our firm is built on the philosophy that architecture exists to serve people - all people, not a certain class of people, but everyone. READ MORE

Any contemporary hotel design project comes with its own set of unique challenges, as the architect must aim to please not only the hotel owner but also the investor, hotel operator, guests and most often brand standards or guidelines. Those challenges become even greater when trying to incorporate contemporary design elements into a historic building. READ MORE