MIAMI BEACH, FL— Hundreds of hospitality architects, designers and operators flocked to the HD Boutique Show held at the Miami Convention Center October 1-2 to hear the latest design trends and tricks to use to enhance a property’s appeal and bottom line. Tapping into consumer lifestyle trends was the mantra, according to experts leading educational sessions at the event, who noted that while the task can be elusive, it pays off in creating hospitality design that reflects what consumers want and are willing to pay for. “Consumers today buy products that help identify who they are. The things they consume become the badges of their identification,” said panelist Bruce Turkel, principal of Turkel, at a panel titled Lifestyle Trends Influencing Hospitality. “This trend translates to hospitality,” said Turkel. “People are going to a specific property because being there means something to them.” As such, hospitality architect and designers’ roles are evolving, with increasing importance being paid to the “theme” of a property, the design built around it and its relationship to the target consumer market of that property. “We have really become experience planners,” said Mary MacDonald, founder of Miami-based MACCI Design Studio who is working on identifying through design a new boutique hotel brand called Reni, which will have three properties— two in Maimi and one in New York City. “It is very important to approach each project from the perspective of the target consumer market. You have to interpret what their lifestyle is through the various design elements used, even in the slightest details,” MacDonald said. Experts hyped the importance of keeping a hotel’s design fresh and exciting, which will help keep interest in the property and build repeat business. Making subtle changes to a property over time can help maintain a loyal client base, said experts. In addition, “realizing design isn’t abstract, and in fact that it must be functional and operationally feasible is key,” said Don Peebles, president/CEO of Peebles Atlantic Development Corp., which has developed several hotel projects including The Royal Palms here. Instead of bringing a myopic view to a hotel project, utilizing design to set a hotel apart can help appeal to a broad range of guests, adding to a property’s bottom line, he said. “Like wine, fine hotels get better with time,” Peebles said.
