The hotel sector is one that is having to re-evaluate how it is perceived by the outside world. There are many different areas in which the hotel sector can improve, from customer service techniques, customer analysis, but also broader ideas like sustainability, environmentally friendly structures and some interesting ideas in terms of architecture and future urban design. With the proliferation of urban travel and larger numbers of tourists than ever before, it is time for the hotel sector to take a leap into the future and come up with innovative and more interesting ways in which to secure future custom.
The industry has always been one that is crying out for innovation in all aspects of how it runs on a daily basis right through to long-term strategy goals and targets for large hotel chains. Each hotel brand and independent hotel owner has different ways in which they seek to make themselves stand out from the crowd, and one area where this could be achieved is through architecture.
In recent times there has been a surge in popularity towards green and sustainable option in all walks of life from the general public. Within architecture, design, and urban planning this does provide the chance for the hotel sector to begin to stand out. It could also be a way to stand out in a truly innovative and exciting way that is positive for the immediate environment surrounding a hotel, as well as for the wider consciousness relating to an environmentally-friendly and sustainable future.
You can see this type of inspiration in all sorts of hotel and holiday experiences across the globe, with many innovative architectural designs being floated and constructed with a view to changing the landscape of the hotel sector. There are examples of hotels in Thailand and other parts of south east Asia where 100% of produce is grown in-house and everything is re-used, recycled and repurposed. There are eco-resorts where you can choose to stay in a hotel that is built with sustainability in mind, using timber and recycled materials throughout the resort, and promoting jungle yoga and other retreats to enjoy and explore.
On top of that you can also explore hotels that have been designed with treated timber as the primary source of construction materials, as well as smart hotels where everything is inter-connected and you are asked as the guest to travel and stay within an intuitive system where many aspects of your stay are automated.
At the end of the day, the hotel sector will only develop ideas and change the approach of customer service with one key metric in mind – profits. There are ways in which the architecture and design of hotels can be improved, as can the processes and systems in place to improve levels of customer service and customer satisfaction but things like sustainable architecture and interesting new hotel designs will only stick if they are popular and successful in terms of acquiring and retaining customers and increasing profits as a result.
