Make It Feel Like Home

This was one of our big trends last year, and we feel it continues to be important (if not more so) today. Driven largely by the influence of Airbnb, guests are finding that a sense of comfort and ease really is an important part of the travel experience. They don’t want to have to leave the hotel to find a cool restaurant or bar they can hang out at with their friends. They want to be able to invite their friends over, enjoy some snacks and drinks together, and hang out.

Boutique hotels and lodges have done a really great job at managing this. With large living spaces, open bars, and large restaurants right on the ground floor of the hotel, there is plenty of room for all of your friends and family to collide. Park City hotels like the St. Regis are always bustling at the seams with large families crowded around giant fireplaces while lounging on high-backed sofas. Extra tables and coffee tables give everyone a place to put their drinks while lounge chairs and ottomans provide a place for everyone to feel comfortable.

Make It Feel Communal

Having a place that feels like home automatically makes it feel more communal. Large open community spaces are wonderful, but so are places where guests can eat and drink. Even if you don’t have a restaurant or a bar on premise, you can set up a buffet table with coffee, tea, wine, and cookies. Add dining room tables and chairs, so people feel comfortable sitting with their friends around a table to have a drink and enjoy a game of cards or scrabble. It’s all about the little details after all.

The same principles apply to the guest rooms. If friends can’t pile into a room to watch a game on TV, they’re only going to go elsewhere. Perhaps over to the Airbnb where their friends are staying. Apart from the bed, make sure there is adequate seating throughout the room as well as a chaise at the foot of the bed. Chairs in the guest rooms mean guests can enjoy the reason they are there in the first place: to hang out with their friends. And not everyone wants to pile on the bed.

Make It Feel Modern

Though guests want to feel at home, they also don’t want to feel the mess and chaos of home. This is where all those tiny details come into play. Modern beds and desks can completely transform a living space, as can closets that are large and able to fit their entire luggage. That keeps everything nice and tidy no matter how much stuff they brought. Some hotels go so far as to put neon lighting in the ceiling recesses or even in the furniture. And everything needs to be outfitted with electrical outlets if all of our tech-savvy guests have anything to say about it.

A modern look and feel can also enhance a guest’s ability to relax. That’s why we think it is important to design for how you want your guests to feel. Spa furniture, for example should utilize sheepskin rugs and textured fabrics to reduce sound and enhance a feeling of luxury. And furniture is always the centerpiece. Luxury fabrics on the sofas as well as clean lines on the beds help guests to feel clean, clear, and calm. The perfect environment.

Tailor It To Your Property

No matter what look and feel you are going for, it’s important to take into consideration how you want your guests to feel and how they want to feel. Whether they are traveling for business or pleasure (and 60% of guests are traveling for pleasure by the way), up the ante. Opt for trends that make it feel like home, promote community, and provide a modern space they can enjoy throughout their stay.

Northland Furniture would be happy to help. We make customizable hotel furniture specific to the vibe you are going for. And all of it is made right here in the United States using quality materials harvested from North America. We’d love to help you get the feeling of your hotel right. Give us a call for more information.