By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com)
Once the greenlight was given, all businesses looked to
reopen as quickly as possible after the lockdown. This has resulted in
countless slapdash efforts for achieving the minimum of viral safety
compliance, with most structural upgrades meant as only temporary installations
and most of them particularly garish at that. As is becoming increasingly
apparent, though, COVID-19 is here to stay and thus so too are the new measures
that have been put in place.
The problem is that most, if not all, of the provisional
objects and signage implemented in the wake of the pandemic look just plain
hideous when bolted onto well-designed indoor hotel spaces. While all is well
and good during patio season as most customers will remain outside, our current
lobbies and public interiors in the age of Covid do not create environments
that people actually want to spend time in. Come autumn and winter, this can
mean decreased F&B revenues and lower overall guest satisfaction as all
visitors won’t feel warm and cozy amidst so much gaudy viral safety mania.
You don’t want your lobby or restaurants to look abandoned
as a result of people not lingering about; you want to facilitate lively
atmospheres that customers are attracted. This requires some creativity from
seasoned interior designers who can find opportunities within the adversity
arising from Covid.
Hence, I turned to my fellow Torontonian, Danny SC Tseng,
the Development Director at Syllable,
a bespoke architecture and interior design firm that has been working overtime
since March to help clients address viral safety obligations while also making
spaces palatable to the passerby. A trained architect himself, Danny offer four
poignant trends to consider when upgrading a hotel’s interior with permanent
structures that are engaging yet also Covid-compliant.
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| Danny Tseng, Development Director at Syllable |
Trend #1: Experiential Hygiene
By reframing hygiene as an experience, there is an opportunity to elevate the
mere act of sanitization as a hospitality rite similar to how Hawaiians imbue a
strong sense of place by greeting new guests with fresh flower leis and a
cheerful “Aloha!” Consider the automatic hand-sanitizing dispensers placed near
the entrance for visitors to disinfect their hands, whereby the perfunctory act
of administering rubbing alcohol can be rebranded as a ritualistic experience
which also informs visitors that they are entering a safe and rejuvenating
space.
Designed to resemble spa counters, ‘Cleansing Bars’ can be
placed near high-traffic areas to promote cleanliness. Within the suites
themselves, UV sterilizer cabinets for disinfecting keys and walls can be
intentionally built within closets as a design feature to offer guests greater
peace of mind. Furthermore, essential oils, like tea tree oil, are effective as
antibacterial and antiviral agents. Since scent is more closely tied to memory
than any other of the five senses, hotels can produce their own essential oil
blends to take advantage of this olfactory connection to link the scent to the
guest’s memory of staying at the hotel.
Trend #2: Natural Materiality
Viruses can transfer through the contact of exposed surfaces, making
high-contact objects and areas dangerous. Hotels can incorporate materials that
inherently eliminate germs in high-traffic areas prone to exposure. Covid has
been noted to survive for up to three days on plastic and stainless-steel
surfaces, while dying within four hours on copper and its alloys such as brass
or bronze. Cork is another antibacterial material used as a material finish.
Additionally, scientists are also exploring biomimicry to create altered
textures that can be etched on surfaces and help keep contaminates at bay,
similar to the epithelial qualities of cicada wings and lotus leaves.
Trend #3: Branded Wayfinding
There’s still an untapped opportunity for hotels to create a branded, and thus
emotional impactful, experience using signage and wayfinding elements. In
addition to helping people navigate, wayfinding visuals can incorporate
uplifting messages that aligns with the brand’s values.
Signage can be crafted to express the brand’s personality
through colors and designs that complement a space while engaging with
visitors, perhaps using such playful messaging like, ‘No Mask, No Service’ or
‘Mask on for the Masquerade’. Friendly and fun, these taglines help guide the
visitor’s journey and communicate that we are all still human. As another
example, instead of writing, ‘Keep six feet apart’, use the cheeky phrase,
‘Please admire fellow patrons from afar’.
Trend #4: Protective Shield Design
Screens have been used for centuries as a design feature to define spaces and
create privacy. Generic clear Plexiglass as a viral barrier can make visitors
feel like they’re visiting an inmate in prison. Hotels should therefore
consider layering decorative screens with Plexiglass as a graphical design
component to visually elevate larger open spaces and create pockets of privacy
between patrons. Decorative architectural panels can also help dictate movement
to help manage guest traffic flow. Additionally, inlays within each screen can
also house wayfinding signage or even sponsored advertisements, acting as both
a protective shield and billboard.
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| Larry Mogelonsky |
One of the world’s most published writers in hospitality, Larry Mogelonsky is the principal of Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited, a Toronto-based consulting practice. His experience encompasses hotel properties around the world, both branded and independent, and ranging from luxury and boutique to select-service. Larry is also on several boards for companies focused on hotel technology. His work includes five books “Are You an Ostrich or a Llama?” (2012), “Llamas Rule” (2013), “Hotel Llama” (2015), “The Llama is Inn” (2017) and “The Hotel Mogel” (2018). You can reach Larry at larry@hotelmogel.com to discuss hotel business challenges or to book speaking engagements.
Media Contact:
Larry
Mogelonsky
Email: larry@hotelmogel.com
Website: http://hotelmogel.com/
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