TIPS FOR CREATING A FANTASTIC HOTEL LOBBY EXPERIENCE

Creating a fantastic lobby experience is an essential factor when it comes to the hotel industry. The only place that everybody in the hotel sees and goes through every single day is the lobby. This is why for us, as suppliers of custom furniture and interior fit-out services, the first thing that comes to mind is how to make this experience marvelous.

When choosing a hotel, the lobby is the prime factor that helps guests decide whether they want to stay there or not. The reason this is so important, is that a lobby is the front page of a hotel. Every hotel lobby has its own unsaid story to tell. Let’s talk about 5 ways to make your hotel’s lobby experience worthwhile and memorable.

BRINGING IN TECHNOLOGY

From using simple digital signs to creating a wall full of screens, sometimes using technology for decoration or to simply convey information can take the customer experience up a few notches.

Some ideas are:

  • With the ever-growing involvement of technology in our lives, using screens to decorate empty spaces is a trending idea. These screens could be showing useful data like weather stats, news headlines, jokes, maps, and more!
  • Having kiosks can elevate the efficiency of a hotel when it comes to services. Important things like checking-in, maps, cab bookings and accessing hotel information can be made easy using kiosks, thus saving a lot of time.
  • Using multiple screens in different shapes to display a single piece of art as a single canvas can be really stunning to a lot of customers as it is something different from the traditional way of showing art on a single box shaped screen.
  • Free Wi-Fi is a standard benchmark for many hotels nowadays as it is an essential for today’s generation.

ACCESSIBILITY TO CERTAIN AMENITIES

A hotel lobby should feel like a really cosy living room in someone’s home. This is why the idea of having things like a café, a retail store, a cab-booking service, or even library really come in handy.

Hotels that provide such facilities always have an advantage over their competitors. Louise DuPont, partner at Montreal-based Lemay Michaud Design and Architecture who shares the same view about hotel lobbies says “I would say that hotel lobbies are [moving] more towards taking advantage of this big space.”

Library in the Lobby at Harbour Rocks Hotel in Sydney, Australia

LIVING UP TO THE BRAND HERITAGE

The last thing every hotel would want is to lose focus on its history and heritage. While working on modernisation of the design, feel and technology, it should still pay homage to its heritage by also focusing on historic features and detailing of the designs.

One example of this is the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. It is one of the most beautiful luxury hotels in the world that displays a marvellous mixture of civilization, modernization and culture.

Heritage meets luxury design in Raffles Hotel Singapore

CREATING A WARM AND WELCOMING FEELING

Yes, the design and furniture are really important aspects when it comes to giving guests a sense of warmth and welcome, but hotel personnel are equally important. Greeting guests warmly, asking questions about their impression of the hotel, or striking up conversations can go a long way!

Courtesy and friendliness are talents that not only should be valued but rewarded too. Till very recently, reception and lobby personnel were underpaid. However, hotels and companies have started to realize the importance and impact that reception staff have on brand goodwill and reputation.

FURNITURE AND SPACE

Previously, lobbies were considered waiting areas for guests to sit while they waited for someone or something. This isn’t the case anymore. Lobbies are now spaces where people socialize with each other, sit with a coffee and do their work for hours.

Given the fact that it’s more of a social hub now, a lobby should be spacious and comfortable. Not just tea tables or one centre table, but there should be multiple tables that can accommodate one, two or even five. The chairs should be comfortable enough for the guests to sit for hours without any inconvenience. The more a lobby is packed, the busier and happening the hotel appears, thus attracting new guests. The lighting should be proper and the ambience shouldn’t be congested. One great idea is to break the lobby into various seating zones, so that the guests have various options, rather than having to sit at the same place every time.

Lately, many hotels have recognized the potential of a good lobby and are racing towards making the experience worthwhile. We’re excited to see what 2019 holds for the hotel industry. Till then, we’ll be here helping our clients be their best when it comes to interior fitout and custom furniture.

A comfortable place to relax at The Peninsula Hotel in Manila, Philippines

Have a question about refreshing your hotel lobby experience? Drop us a message here to get started.

15 May 2019