Home truths

When it comes to luxury hotel rooms, guests just want to feel at home, says Selina Denman.

Owners demand durability, operators ask for originality and guests request comfort, style and accessibility - a host of seemingly contradictory elements conspire to create effective interiors for luxury hotel rooms. "We're kind of plate spinning, really," Ian Bayliss, creative director of the UK-headquartered United Designers, pointed out.

"We have to think about what the client wants. They are paying our wages, so they are the most important people. The operators are also terribly important because we are looking after their brand, which is a tremendous responsibility. So, you have to make sure those two parties are happy. Then you have the challenge of the actual construction," he continued.

"There are a lot of things coming together; it's like the planets and the stars all aligning at once to produce one hotel room. We all go to these hotel rooms and lie on the bed and switch on the TV, but so many people have poured blood, sweat and tears into that. It's extraordinary," he continued.

Keeping up with the sophisticated demands of the increasingly design-conscious traveller is another major challenge. "We design for the kind of consumer who wants to be wowed and awed - the sophisticated global nomad!" noted Colin Seah, director of design, Ministry of Design.

And what constitutes as luxury is evolving extremely rapidly. Simply laying down some marble will no longer suffice, Bayliss maintained.

"People are much more sophisticated in their tastes. A marble floor doesn't necessarily mean luxury to a discerning traveller anymore," he noted.

Instead, a premium is placed on space, a trend which has pushed the size of the average hotel room in the region to over 45m². "Guests are so much more aware of use of space. Frankly, it is all about space these days. That's the ultimate luxury isn't it? Space, and peace and quiet - that's what people want," Bayliss suggested.

"I talk about peaceful design, which is design that blends in, that you can make your own. That's the best piece of design, one where somebody arrives for a two-day stay at a hotel and they feel at home. The design is helping them, rather than imposing itself on them. It's very subliminal, almost," he added.

For Philippe Torrin, director of technical services at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Middle East, it is this residential feel that will continue to characterise luxury hotel rooms moving forward.

"I think the future will see a return to homelier rooms that are accessible and give more of a residential feel, which makes them inviting to modern, upscale travellers.

"Guests want to be inspired by what they see in hotel rooms, so that they can go away and recreate ideas in their own homes. Ideas, such as how creative lighting can change the way a room looks, or specific items of furniture such as armchairs and sofas can, and are often, replicated at home," he elaborated.

This distinct move towards the residential will form the backbone of a current renovation of rooms and suites at Fairmont Dubai. The project is being carried out by Dubai-based Bishop Design Associates, which recently completed mock up rooms showcasing three distinct themes.

"The ultimate result will be that the Fairmont rooms will not feel like hotel rooms, the ambience is what you would expect from your home. Trends change daily in Dubai. Keeping up is difficult but not keeping up is dangerous," noted Kamal Naamani, general manager of Fairmont Dubai.

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