History has shown time and time again just how resilient this industry is. While it is being widely and significantly impacted, we know that it will bounce back. We may not know when, but it will. Today, we want to direct our thoughts to that point, and have a thought experiment on some impacts this could have. What will the industry look like when it does bounce back as far as commonalities and standards of business?
The 2008 recession opened up the last decade to be all about how designers can creatively design around value engineered budgets. It was a challenge to use different materials or have creative solutions. Will the 2020s be marked by more sustainable design, led by millennial travelers and sparked by the rebound after the coronavirus impact? We’ve already seen a trend in that direction, and solar initiatives could lead to not only increased trust with the guests, but lower costs for the hotels as well.
Will the behavior of the guest be altered in a way that calls for hotels to offer services differently? Does this change anything about buffets or the continental breakfast? Will the materials that are used, or specific designs, be changed to a new default based on ease of cleanliness? Will hotels have a new standard of training for housekeeping, or even more so, move to sanitizing robots? Is the design of hotel lobbies going to change from a warm gathering place to a more sterile, ease of access location? Will there be more voice-activated technology implemented, reducing the number of physical touchpoints?
Let’s open up a conversation on what you think. What are some ideas you have for the future of hospitality, on the other side of the COVID-19 impact?
