According to Martin
Soler, COO of WHIP, a hotel marketing agency, the design of your space makes up
at least 40% of a hotel’s marketing value. [1]
High-quality interiors not only fill rooms, but they also fetch
a higher average daily rate.[2]
But before you drop a chunk of change at the local furniture supplier, here’s why you should do it right and invest in the services of an interior designer.
Form and function
Interior design is about much more than the proper placement of throw pillows and the coordination of paint colours. As Theresa Cleary, an interior designer at Hospitality Designs, explains, designers enhance not only the attractiveness, but also the function, of your hotel.
“We are trained to understand all the fundamental elements of how the interior operates and how it affects the end user,” she says.
Guests with disabilities, for example, require different design elements. “There are hotel bedrooms dedicated to persons with disabilities,” says Cleary, “but how will they get from the front door?”
Your designer will have an understanding of building code and of the way disabled guests will use and navigate through your space.
But before you drop a chunk of change at the local furniture supplier, here’s why you should do it right and invest in the services of an interior designer.
Form and function
Interior design is about much more than the proper placement of throw pillows and the coordination of paint colours. As Theresa Cleary, an interior designer at Hospitality Designs, explains, designers enhance not only the attractiveness, but also the function, of your hotel.
“We are trained to understand all the fundamental elements of how the interior operates and how it affects the end user,” she says.
Guests with disabilities, for example, require different design elements. “There are hotel bedrooms dedicated to persons with disabilities,” says Cleary, “but how will they get from the front door?”
Your designer will have an understanding of building code and of the way disabled guests will use and navigate through your space.
Balancing act
You have a sense of what would be appropriate for your location and target market. An interior designer can take your vision and help you achieve it within your budget and on time. And they do this while satisfying the requirements of your franchise, which, according to Cleary, can be tricky.
“We often span between a client’s great idea and knowing that their franchise won’t approve it,” she says.
Interior designers liaise between you and your franchise, ensuring that all parties are on the same page about the end result. They also connect with your team of consultants, architects and engineers, to ensure proper design implementation.
Choosing a designer
How will you know which designer is right for you? Cleary stresses the importance of researching qualifications and whether the designer has done projects on the scale that you need.
“Ask for success stories,” she suggests. “If the designer has worked on a similar project, how did it run from start to finish? What were some of the challenges they faced, and how did they overcome them?”
To make sure you’re on the same wavelength about timelines, Cleary of Hospitality Designs says, ask the designer for a delivery schedule—just don’t forget to account for the time it takes to get franchise approval.
Whether you’re undertaking a major remodeling, or looking to make smaller improvements to the look, feel, and usability of your space, having the expertise of an interior designer on your side is essential.
[2] http://www.hotelmarketingstrategies.com/hotel-design-marketing-adr-7101/
