The way a hotel looks can have a large impact on how much business – leisure, MICE, and corporate travel – it gets. An attractive exterior also contributes to the quality of guests’ stay. With that being the case, we put together seven hotel exterior design ideas to help give your property an edge and attract more business.
Explore 7 must-see hotel exterior design ideas:
Like many of the hotels we’re about to show you, it’s important to make sure the design fits in with the overall aesthetic of the property – and its surroundings.
What may be possible for one hotel might not work for another. One thing is certain though – guests want an unforgettable experience, whether they come for work or leisure. With these seven hotel exterior design ideas, we hope to inspire you to enhance your property and bring in more business.
All below photos courtesy of Design Hotels.
1. Provide comfortable, attractive outdoor seating.
Adding attractive outdoor seating can be a great way to show guests through sourcing profiles and marketing that your hotel or venue is a pleasant, comfortable place to be. These areas can also be used to facilitate safer, open-air meetings and events.
Take Italy's Arua Private Spa Villas, for example. They use outdoor seating pointed towards beautiful vistas to make the most of their surroundings.
If your hotel is situated in a city environment, you can use bistro-style seating around the outside, similar to Covent Garden Hotel in London, so guests can sit and enjoy a coffee as the world rolls past.
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2. Add a water feature.
Water features often give properties a fresh feel, heighten guests’ sensory experience and, depending on the type, bring more nature to your outdoor spaces.
Water features can be installed to match the hotel’s aesthetics and age. Domaine des Andéols in France utilises water features as essential elements of their property’s exterior to enhance a sense of harmony, calm and nature.
3. Freshen the look with greenery.
Maybe your property is in the city – but you can still bring a bit of greenery. This will also help with properties looking to be more sustainable.
A great exterior design idea here would be to plant some trees around the outside of the hotel. Ham Yard in London does a great job of bringing nature to an urban location with their five transposed 300-foot oak trees.
Andenia in Peru does a fantastic job with greenery as well by using it to blend into nature. Located in a valley flanked by mountains, walls are hand-covered with an earth-like material and the gardens feature streams, a waterfall, and fruit trees.
Bringing guests closer to the surrounding nature and environment is a great way to treat them to an extraordinary experience.
4. Contrast with the surroundings.
Once you’ve learnt the rules, breaking them is sometimes the best part. That’s what Nobu Hotel Shoreditch in London does so beautifully. Its contemporary glass, concrete, steel, timber, and bronze structure contrasts with the brick buildings that surround the hotel.
In 11 Howards' case, they decided to contrast with the vibrant neighbourhood by keeping their design minimalist and classic. According to the hotel’s creative director, their exterior design was done so that it will never feel dated.
5. Bring the indoors, outdoors.
With a focus on social distancing and space, what better way to attract guests than to bring the indoors, outdoors. Azucar in Mexico utilises its outdoor space with an open-air library so that guests can take advantage of the warm weather.
As well as an outdoor library, you can create other experiences such as a cinema or theatre, a cafe, or even a yoga studio. With the pandemic, rethinking your spaces has never been so critical.
6. Incorporate art into your exterior.
When it comes to hotel exterior design ideas, standing out from the crowd should be a key goal. Using art to do just that is what Crosby Street Hotel in New York does best. Pieces from owner Kit Kemp’s own art collection are placed around the property, and Fernando Botero’s 12-foot cat sculpture stands to greet guests as they enter.
7. Use windows to let natural light in and warm light out.
The design and shape of your windows is essential when it comes to hotel exterior design. Not only does the amount of light they let in change the mood and sensory experience of the hotel, the light it lets out at night gives it a whole other personality.
Large windows will make rooms feel light and airy. And when it’s night-time, they give off a warm, comforting glow. Glad Live Gangnam in Korea prioritises natural light and large windows, which gives the building the chance to also show off its interiors.
Put these hotel exterior design ideas to use!
Up next, check out other ways to go above and beyond with 16 Hotel Gift Shop Ideas to Boost Business.
