NetWorks Issue 17: The Design Issue

Designing an Experience

Developments and Innovations in Hospitality

Hospitality has a reputation as a beleaguered industry, especially in recent years. Tom Kerridge recently warned that restaurants in the UK would be happy if they just break even over the next two years due to rising costs across the board, and recent Easter Holiday rail strikes in the UK costing their hospitality industry another estimated £387m.

The scene in the UK and Ireland is more challenging than perhaps elsewhere, as they experience rising costs, but stagnant wages in their client base – which means less disposable income for eating out and stays. According to the ONS, households spend 7% of their income in restaurants and hotels, compared to 9% in 2012, and 10% in 2002.

Against this backdrop, it might be expected that hospitality businesses would be cutting costs as much as possible to save money. Some are. But many others are investing in upgrades to experience, service and technology to entice new customers and retain (and attract) talent to the industry.

Technological advancements have become a driving force behind transformative guest experiences in hotels, and restaurants are looking for new experiences to offer diners. From intuitive smart room features to seamless contactless check-in processes, to repackaging nostalgia, the hospitality industry is looking for, and in some cases finding, an edge to keep them ahead.

Smart Room Features

One of the most prominent trends in hotel technology is the integration of smart room features designed to enhance guest comfort, convenience, and personalization. From voice-activated assistants to smart thermostats and lighting controls, hotels are embracing automation and connectivity to create intuitive and immersive guest experiences.

Marriott International’s Aloft brand has started introducing voice activated rooms equipped with Amazon’s Alexa technology. Guests can use voice commands to control room temperature, lighting, and entertainment systems, providing a luxurious and hands-free experience. Similarly, Hilton’s Connected Room concept allows guests to customize their in-room experience using the Hilton Honors app, adjusting settings such as lighting, temperature, and TV preferences.

Hotels are leveraging smart devices to gather data and insights that enable personalized service delivery. By analysing guest preferences and behaviour patterns, hotels can anticipate guest needs and provide tailored recommendations and amenities, enhancing the overall guest experience.

Contactless Check-In and Digital Concierge Services

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving guest preferences for contactless interactions, hotels have accelerated the adoption of digital technologies for check-in and guest services. Contactless check-in solutions, powered by mobile apps and self-service kiosks, enable guests to bypass traditional front desk queues and complete check-in processes seamlessly.

The Marriott International’s Bonvoy app offers mobile check-in and keyless entry, allowing guests to check in remotely and access their rooms using their smartphones. Similarly, Hilton’s Digital Key feature enables guests to check in, choose their room, and unlock their door using the Hilton Honors app, providing a secure and convenient alternative to traditional key cards.

Moreover, hotels are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technologies to provide virtual concierge services and personalized recommendations to guests. Chatbots integrated into hotel apps and websites can assist guests with inquiries, room service requests, and local recommendations, enhancing the guest experience while reducing operational costs.

Implementing Innovative Design

The Henna Hotel in Japan, often referred to as the “robot hotel,” gained international attention for its innovative use of robotics and automation. The hotel features robotic staff members that assist guests with check-in, luggage transportation, and concierge services, providing a unique and futuristic guest experience, and a destination in itself.

On the other end is the YOTEL brand, known for its compact and technologically advanced “cabins.” YOTEL cabins are equipped with adjustable SmartBeds, monsoon showers, and mood lighting controls, offering guests a comfortable and efficient space optimized for modern travelers.

Innovative design in hotel technology is revolutionizing the hospitality sector, offering guests unprecedented levels of convenience, personalization, and connectivity. From smart room features that enhance comfort and relaxation to contactless check-in solutions that prioritize safety and efficiency, hotels are embracing technology to meet the evolving needs and preferences of today’s travelers.

Looking to the Past

We will be hosting the BITA Awards and Gala Ball this year at Raffles, in the renovated Old War Office in London (on the 19th of October). Following a monumental six-year transformation, costing $1.7bn, this incredible venue is stunning, and blends exciting technology subtly with historic luxury.

Employing hundreds of specialist artisans and spending the GDP of the Soloman Islands on renovations is an impossibility for the average hotelier, but hotels lucky enough to have a rich history, or period features, may want to look at protecting, enhancing, and communicating these unique selling points to their potential customers.

Travelers look for an experience when making a booking. A bed for the night is fine when looking at the budget end of the travel industry, but offering guests something unique, that adds to their holiday or travel, is key when it comes to attracting guests.

Innovations in Gastronomy

The quest for an ‘experience’ is also seen in restaurants. People look to the new and stay if it’s done well. The famous restaurant Eleven in New York relaunched in 2021 as a 100% plant-based (vegan) restaurant. They faced pushback from diners; however, they remain popular with customers despite the niche cuisine and high prices, and retained their three Michelin stars for exceptional cuisine, and remain the first and only vegan restaurant with three Michelin stars.

The opposite of the minimalist vegan tasting menus on offer at Eleven, would surely be the gastronomical excess of Les Grands Buffets. A restaurant in the south of France, they are booked up months in advance and enforce a strong dress code. However, this didn’t deter nearly four hundred thousand people from visiting last year and paying €54.90 per person to indulge in an ‘as much as you can eat’ buffet comprised of French classics from foie gras to bœuf bourguignonne, and a Guinness record breaking cheese platter.

With those prices, you would think they would be making a loss, but in 2023 it was the highest grossing restaurant in France, with €24m in revenue. They have re-elevated dining to once again be an experience, with waiting staff trained in traditional types of service, with the chef Michael Guérard calling Les Grands Buffets ‘the greatest culinary theatre in the world’.

People eat at places where they aren’t just buying food. They are paying for the atmosphere, the ambiance, the exclusivity, and the spectacle. There are different ways of delivering this, and some forays into ‘delivering experience’, such as serving a breakfast on a shovel, or fries out of a shoe, have landed horribly. But to crack it is to inspire a loyal customer base and a buzz that entices new clients.

The surge in pop-ups and supper clubs are also experiencing a boom in popularity and offer opportunities for new chefs and restaurateurs to try new things, and gain cult followings.

The hospitality industry is facing challenges, but it’s also an incredibly creative and daring industry, that is quick to harness innovations, or dip into the past for ideas to resurrect. Those that find their niche and capitalise on it, enticing new customers with something different, will be more likely to thrive.

Robot receptionists on the Henna Hotel reception desk in 2019.

Les Grands Buffets in the South of France.