Blurring the Lines: Work & Leisure
When one thinks of ‘hotels’, fluffy slippers, luxurious beddings, and room service comes to mind. Everything is thoughtfully placed, with interior finishes that are a curated upgrade from your own family living room. But look a bit closer, and yes, there’s the much needed desk. And how fast is the internet connection for those urgent video conference calls while you’re here? As you’ve also flown all this way to meet a foreign investor, best to head down to the lobby to greet this individual - is there a private room for your meeting? That’s right, it’s a business trip - and the family has tagged along for a holiday on the side too. Well then, can hotels cater for it all?
The Hotel Design Event HIX 2023 addressed this exact conundrum at their stage talk “Nomadland: How can hotels prepare for the future of work?”. Moderated by Kristofer Thomas, Head of Content at HIX, panel speakers included Michelle Guss, Vice President, Hospitality at Crestron Electronics, Paul Dare, Head of Design at Morgan Lovell, and Minna Hurme, Head of Design at VALO Hotel & Work. The topic was discussed from both a hospitality and workplace stance, as the panelists debated the multipurpose function of a hotel catering for the travelling worker versus dedicated workplaces that focus on creating the optimal work environment.
The moderator began the conversation with the growing importance of hotels as a hybrid stay and work function, given the significant and rising number of freelancers in the industry, with 53% of freelancers use hotels as a base. Michelle Guss noted the correlation of the data with the increasing expectation of workers to have hybrid freedom, with 51% of employees willing to leave their job should their company not provide such work flexibility. The challenges of traditional hotels were then observed, including:
The need for a respectable background when on video conference calls (i.e. not a bed in the background); and
Poor internet connection forcing calls to be taken in the lobby where acoustics are poor and privacy is lacking.
Minna Hurme established that all spaces need to be adaptable and that properties cannot be built for limited use due to sustainability reasons. Minna gave the audience an interesting insight to the beginnings of VALO Hotel & Work, a firm that first explored the concept of sustainable hybrid hotels before the COVID-19 pandemic had even occurred. Being ahead of the curve, VALO Hotel & Work very quickly understood the need to blend work and the hotel hospitality environment, by designing hotels for the business traveller. Other considerations in the VALO Hotel & Work design also included the impact on human wellbeing via applications of natural materials and biophilic principles.
When posed with the question ‘What can hotels offer that workplace cannot?’, Michelle Guss explained the benefits of being able to combine leisure and work on a single trip - for instance, the family holiday combined with work. Minna further noted of the benefits to hotel operators when introducing work spaces to hotels, including new demand generation by targeting a wider range of customer segments. This is put in practice by segregating a hotel design into zones with a: 1) Public Tone; 2) Semi-Public Tone; and 3) Private Tone. It would appear that hotels are targeting a customer experience akin to a ‘one-stop-shop’ concept.
In contrast, the opposing question was also put forward: ‘What can workplace offer that hotels cannot’?. Paul Dare explained that workplace design too, is changing, and has become less corporate-like and more leisurely and wellbeing focussed. As companies are attempting to entice employees back into the office, employers are increasingly aware of the importance of offering a variety of work environments, including: Quiet areas, social spaces, fun zones, collaboration areas, cafeterias, private space, and meeting points. Beyond creating a workplace that is appealing to employees who now want break away from the traditional seating silos, Paul explained the benefits of further considering sensory technology that can affect the emotive responses of staff. There certainly still is an importance for designated workplace in offices, as their designs are becoming increasingly customised to attain the optimal multilayer work environment for employees of today.
Other considerations in hotel design were further discussed, including the role of technology as highlighted by the panelists:
Enabling wayfinding services in hotels - e.g. online hotel booking system for a private desk or meeting room;
Technological devices to aid work - e.g. providing equipment to ease laptop-to-monitor connectivity, for improved sound and video quality on virtual work calls; and
Use of lighting to zone work and leisure areas.
Paul presented similar considerations applicable in workplace design today, including:
Use of technology to book desks based on a floor mapping system;
Biophilic design with evidence of plants in the workplace lowering stress levels by up to 8%;
Designing for the neurodiverse via light and smell technology; and
Reception areas taking back more foot space and adopting designs with a hospitality feel, where the traditional barrier between the visitor and the business is removed.
As the panel discussion came to a close, it became evident that there is convergence in design trends between the hospitality and work sectors, particularly as people are given more choices on their work environments. The designs for the two sectors are increasingly pulling inspirations from each other, to strike the best balance for their target users. With the cross-pollination of the two design disciplines, the future of interiors for both hotels and workplaces will be an exciting space to watch.