A few weeks ago, I attended the 2023 Indie Lodging Congress in San Francisco, where a fantastic crew of creative and passionate hoteliers came together to share their stories, struggles and triumphs as independent owners and operators.
Over the course of two days, panelists dove into navigating the process of deflagging a branded hotel, keeping up with economic and geopolitical challenges, making over motels, lending and more.
That "more" included lots of cuddles with dogs, shown below. Who doesn't love that?
One particular panel I wanted to highlight in this blog was about how designers and architects are rethinking design.
Here are some highlights from that session.
Resilience Hubs
Brett Randall Jones, principal at David Baker Architects, spoke on the design panel about how natural disasters have led architects to create spaces in hotels that help the community.
Following wildfires in California, David Baker Architects in 2017 built a "resilience hub" within Hotel Sebastopol in Sebastopol, California. Inside the hub, the community has access to clean water, air filtration for wildfire smoke, an off-grid backup batter system, medical refrigeration and more.
People can also stay in the hotel for free during natural disasters, he said.
Unfortunately, as the frequency of natural disasters increases in various parts of the world, I feel the industry needs to spearhead more of these resilience hub projects.
I see that many architecture and design firms are indeed dedicating a part of their practice to disaster-resilient design.
Just a quick Google search and I find various articles on how architects, designers and engineers are executing it such as through the use of green roofs, which can help absorb water and prevent flooding, according to an article on Parsoon Design. Parsoon Design is an architectural and design studio based in Dubai and Saudi Arabia with luxury hotel projects.
"Historically, architects and engineers have concentrated on designing structures that are both visually beautiful and useful for the demands of the client.
"The need to incorporate disaster planning into the design process is growing, nevertheless, as a result of the frequency and severity of natural catastrophes. The good news is that architects and engineers are addressing this demand by constructing communities and structures that are robust to natural disasters," Parsoon reports.
Catering to a Variety of Needs
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a lawsuit over the lack of online descriptions of hotel accessibility features.
You can learn more about the Acheson Hotels v. Laufer case through this podcast here between Michelman & Robinson managing partner Dana Kravetz and my colleague Bryan Wroten.
Designers and architects say they're doing the work to expand what accessibility means in hotels beyond mobility and how comfortable, accessible, approachable and safe the spaces are.
Randall Jones said his team has been getting into trauma-informed design and how a space can affect someone who has experienced a certain form of trauma.
He said there's also opportunities to enhance designs in a way that assist people with autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent disorders.
For instance, he said, people with autism that are hyper-sensitive to sensory input could be triggered by the sudden and loud flushing of a toilet in a hotel bathroom.
"Think about how guests experience a hotel from their unique perspective and how their brain works," he said. "Twenty-five percent of people have a disability in some way and only 6% of hotels are designed [to be] fully accessible."
In terms of safety in a hotel, Method Co. Chief Operating Officer Jeff David highlighted that solo female travelers need the reassurance of a deadbolt on their hotel room door.
"That deadbolt requires a little bit more intentionality — whether it's a paddle or the old chain, at least you're thinking of that trauma-based design," he added.
That one hit home for me. Having personally experienced a very real and scary moment alone in a hotel room when another person pounded and yanked on my door handle to get in, I always, always, always need the reassurance of a deadbolt on my hotel room door.
Having designers, architects and engineers within the hospitality space who care enough to keep these design elements from being an afterthought is what creates a more successful industry all around.
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