The Hospitality Market & Office Design: Where to Start?

As a professional in hospitality, you want to offer experiences that make your clients feel welcome and catered to. Ideally, your guests will find value and a sense of belonging in the spaces you establish.

How do you evoke those feelings in your clients?

A surefire way to begin building a cozy and interactive community is through intentional design and furniture selections. And if you want to keep guests coming back, create an environment where conversations flow and memories are made.

Knowing where to start in terms of designing a clubhouse, lobby or lounge can be a challenge. Our team of designers put together this guide to help you get a feel for current trends in the hospitality industry. Take a look to get an idea of what options are a good fit for your space—and more importantly, your guests.

Hospitality hot spots

High-impact areas include spaces where your guests will experience a first impression, socialize with others and enjoy indoor/outdoor gatherings. When upgrading furniture and other design elements, place your focus in these three areas.

Arrival experience

A traditional lobby experience can feel grand, yet cold and perhaps intimidating. Branch out from tradition and offer something more intimate to your guests, residents and employees upon arrival.

The lobby area is one of the most significant parts of the guest experience—it’s the first and last place people see as they come and go.

In addition to the standard reception desk, consider adding a bar space for coffee or other beverages. Spruce up the space with inviting tables and booths, comfy couches and cozy chairs grouped to foster conversation.

Create a homey space where people can mingle and connect. As an added plus, your employees will feel at home in their work environment, a sentiment that is sure to transfer to guests.

Social hubs

The lobby isn’t the only space where people can gather. Centrally-located social centers are excellent additions to apartment complexes, retirement communities and country clubs.

Think of your social hubs as a combination clubhouse and modern-day business center — a flexible, multipurpose space where people can connect, work and play both in person and online.

Accommodate current technology needs and foster communication with reliable Wi-Fi, charging stations, an abundance of plugs and tech ports, and computer-friendly tables and chairs.

Indoor/outdoor spaces

Areas that combine the indoors with outside elements have several benefits—they:

• Promote the wellbeing of employees, visitors and residents
• Create an atmosphere of openness and spaciousness
• Provide a place for recreation and relaxation

Extend your lobby space to the outdoors with a patio or porch or deck out the area around the pool with barbeque and picnic pavilions.

Keep in mind that outfitting indoor/outdoor spaces can be a challenge since outdoor elements like sun, wind and rain cause extra wear and tear on furniture. When you select club furniture, outdoor couches, tables and chairs, you must either invest in items made from quality materials or be prepared to replace worn out furniture frequently.

Hospitality market trends

The latest design trends in the hospitality market are summed up in four primary categories:

Build community

Public spaces take center stage. The goal is to create comfortable, accessible areas that encourage people to leave their rooms or apartments and spend time socializing with one another.

Create comfort

Adding homey elements to your style — like comfortable sitting areas — establishes spaces where people feel welcome to spend time and relax in each other’s company.

Accommodate technology

As electronics become more mobile and more ingrained in people’s daily routines, your public spaces need to adapt in order to remain useful and convenient. A good Wi-Fi signal and ample charging spots mean people won’t have to worry about connectivity or battery life while spending time in your space.

Serve snacks

Food and drinks bring people together. You can provide food and beverage services in a style that suits your purpose. A full-service bar can increase revenues, or a grab-and-go self-service snack spot can provide convenience.

Discover new design trends for hospitable spaces

Are you ready to start swapping out your worn or outdated furniture for durable, on-trend options that will transform your public spaces? Or perhaps you need some advice on how to carve out and design areas that will keep your guests coming back again and again?

Our team of interior designers and furniture dealers at Connecting Elements is on standby to help you find the perfect pieces to complement your style and space.

To schedule a consult, call 877-779-3409 or fill out our short form and a representative will get in touch with you soon.