Revised & Enhanced Text: The New Fundamentals of Hospitality Design

Guests no longer want to nibble at the edges of a destination; they want to take a big bite of the local culture. As a result, hospitality fundamentals have evolved beyond good service, cleanliness, and comfort. Modern standards now mandate fast, unfettered connectivity, sustainability, and—crucially for designers—guest experiences nuanced with local flavor.

The challenge for designers is how to infuse the color, tradition, and history of a destination into these details while keeping spaces relevant and contemporary.

Ellis cites Anantara Hotels as an example of this evolution. Their brand identity is shifting from a solid, traditional style to one that features more abstract design overtones through upholstery and interior finishes.

Designing with Local Resources

Ultimately, these design choices are defined by what is locally available. In Thailand, for instance, there is an abundance of sustainable, natural resources like bamboo and teak wood. Designers have a rich palette to work from, featuring continuous traditions of handicrafts, textile weaving, carpentry, and detailed art—a veritable smorgasbord of cultural references, whether it be authentic Lanna style or Hill Tribe upholstery.

Whatever the local context, designers can bring in subtle or overt parts of the local story, texture, or imagery to add a sense of the historical aesthetic in a modern way. By setting the scene through intentional design, they empower the real protagonists, the operators, to create experiences and memories that guests will treasure and share for years to come.