The trend toward more experiential spaces has been a trademark of this cycle. Retail, office and multifamily have all been redefined by an elevated experience achieved through design, amenities and a focus on community. Now, the hospitality market—a space that has always, at least in theory, created an experience—is undergoing a similar revolution. The hospitality market, including hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues, is focusing on creating a better customer experience.

“Like many other markets, hospitality is ever evolving, making it challenging to both implement timeless trends and stand out amongst competitors,” Kevin Newman, chairman and CEO of architecture firm Newman Garrison and Partners, tells Globest.com. “Right now, we're seeing that the food and bar scene is heavily driving amenity trends in hospitality—the conversation is shifting from integrated food and beverage to the integration of third party suppliers.”

Newman Garrison and Partners has recently entered the hotel space to work with existing clients to accomplish a lifestyle-forward experience in hotels. “While many upscale hotels currently have a brand standard restaurant concept, we foresee these programmatic demands continuing to diminish and being replaced by more profitable concept-driven restaurants and bars,” says Newman. “We anticipate a similar transition for hotel fitness centers and spas, as well. As these trends evolve rather rapidly, relationship building will become even more important as developers and hotel brands reduce square footage by connecting with third party amenities that better cater to localized demographics.”

Amenities aren't the only changes shaking up hotel assets. Technology and services are also changing the hotel experience, and owners need to integrate technology seamlessly. “As it does every year, technology is developing exponentially and becoming more valuable and attainable to the masses,” says Newman. “We expect operators and developers to focus on creative design strategies to support and capture increasing demands of tech-savvy group business with immersive VR and hyper-connectivity-ready event spaces in the coming year.”

While consumers are demanding a better experience in the spaces where they spend time, sustainability is also a growing concern. Developers and hotel brands are now prioritizing building practices. “Sustainable and net-zero building practices, will certainly go mainstream in the near future, but not at the cost of convenience,” says Newman. “For instance, we expect to see an increase in guest rooms that are fully customizable down to the last detail.”

This is a lot of changes for the industry, but it is also an opportunity, not only for Newman Garrison but also for hotel brands to capture more occupancy. “As these trends evolve, Newman Garrison + Partners will approach the hospitality market as an opportunity to properly leverage our skill set and relationships in order to make a positive impact on the industry,” says Newman.

Instant Insights /

There Is a Lifestyle Revolution Happening in Hospitality

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