The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

Healthier Hotel Design

02 September 2021
 

As the hotel sector thrives amid the UK staycation boom, a report has revealed opportunities for hotel design to include further wellbeing and comfort measures to meet changing expectations from prospective guests.

This comes as research from a survey of 130 M&E contractors and architects working in hotel construction revealed that 52 per cent of respondents believe wellbeing is "value-engineered" out of projects later on in the build.

As research suggests occupant wellbeing may have to be compromised for cost saving during the project, Designing Healthy Hotels, the latest report from REHAU, has been released to demonstrate the role of designing guest wellbeing and comfort in attracting more custom.

 

"With the risk of negative reviews worsening the already precarious situation hotels find themselves in, consultants and contractors could support in the delivery of positive guest experience right from the design stage.”

 

– Steve Richmond
Head of Marketing and Technical, Building Solutions at REHAU

 

Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical for Building Solutions at REHAU, explains: “Guest expectations of comfort, silence and premium finish arguably exceed that of their own home, so pressure falls on consultants and contractors to deliver building services meeting these requirements.

"Juggling the competing design priorities to deliver suitable hotels is a challenge that we aim to unpack with this report, while demonstrating the opportunities that healthy design can provide during the hospitality recovery.”

 

Hospitality Recovery in Urban Areas

 

With around 700 hotel projects currently in planning and bookings being up 300 per cent this summer compared with 2019, it is clear there is high demand from consumers in the UK for hotels. However, according to hotel technology provider Avvio, inner city hotel books are down 30-40 per cent, underlining the gaps where hospitality recovery in urban areas is still in progress. Therefore, attracting guests with high quality design represents an opportunity for professionals in the sector to harness this boom as tourism returns to cities.

“Hotels being soundproofed and sealed to drown out the city noise while increasing energy efficiency makes acoustic performance of building services more of a priority than ever,” said Steve. “Hotel rooms being so close together in this environment means there is more potential for noise to travel and disturb guests, particularly from running water and flushing toilets.

“Increasingly eco-conscious guests expect hotels to become more sustainable in line with society’s shifting attitudes on environmental issues, while tech-savvy customers will come to expect the latest smart technology for controlling temperature in their rooms. Hotel guests will also not appreciate the sound of running water, lack of adequate temperature control ability nor the lack of action when it comes to improving sustainability. With the risk of negative reviews worsening the already precarious situation hotels find themselves in, consultants and contractors could support in the delivery of positive guest experience right from the design stage.

“To help hotels contractors and consultants meet these design challenges, our guide outlines potential solutions for new build and renovations hotel developments in all applications. As a supplier to many sectors, it is our responsibility to make sure we understand pain points in each one and demonstrate ways in which we can support construction professionals to overcome them.”

 

Picture: a photograph from the report.

Article written by Bailey Sparkes | Published 02 September 2021

Share



Related Articles

THE LINE by NEOM – An Experiment in Future Built Environments

First announced in January 2021 by His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Chair of the NEOM Company Board of Directors, THE LINE is...

 Read Full Article
Festival of Sustainable Business 2022 – Mini Highlights Reel

ThisWeekinFM attended Bristol’s Paintworks for The Festival of Sustainable Business 2022, finding out about different approaches that can future-proof our...

 Read Full Article
Bradford – UK City of Culture 2025

The Bradford district has been named UK City of Culture 2025. The winner of the hotly contested competition was announced live on BBC 1’s The One Show on 31...

 Read Full Article
Sustainable Investment Guide for London Property Launches

Opportunity London aims to be the definitive guide to development and investment opportunities in London. Led by the Mayor of London, London Councils and The City of...

 Read Full Article
Sustainable Design in the Construction Sector

100 senior executives of UK construction firms were interviewed on sustainable design and engineering. The construction firms involved have collectively been involved...

 Read Full Article
Welput's Farringdon Road Estate Refurbishment

Welput receives planning consent for the refurbishment and extension of the Farringdon Road Estate to deliver high quality, sustainable commercial...

 Read Full Article
Sustainable Hospitals in Development for Leeds

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has set an ambition to meet new standards for greener and more sustainable hospitals in the UK, as part of its Hospitals of the Future...

 Read Full Article
British Land to open Storey at 100 Liverpool Street

Storey, British Land’s flexible workspace brand, will be opening its 12th location at 100 Liverpool Street, Broadgate in Spring 2021.  Comprising...

 Read Full Article
Toyota's Woven City – Smart and Sustainable Hubs

Toyota and Woven Planet, the Toyota Group company responsible for a wide range of mobility development projects, anchored in software, held a groundbreaking ceremony for...

 Read Full Article
Nearly Zero Energy Requirements Extended to All New Buildings

A circular letter has been published by the UK Government to explain the minimal energy requirements in new buildings, that have been extended from the public to private...

 Read Full Article