To run a successful hotel today, one must forgo linear thinking and solely consider aesthetics and functionality. On the contrary, effective luxury hotel architecture and design must reflect all aspects of the guests’ stay, including physical and emotional. The ultimate purpose of the hotel interior goes far beyond just a bed and a few decor elements in order to be more user-focused. Guestrooms have shown great design potential in a variety of ways, by taking into consideration the age and tastes of different visitors and by incorporating local cultural influences into the interior layout.
In this article, Ar. Kozema Chitalwala, Founder of Designers Group Mumbai, discusses a few exciting lenses that can be considered while designing a hotel room in order to get a holistic, innovative, and original outcome.
Inspired by Local Art and Culture
The hotel, Devi Ratn narrates the story of the heritage-rich Jaipur blending in the astronomical story with an extra-terrestrial design vision. The rooms were grouped into four categories, where the most compact room rolled over 550 sq ft. The existing flooring was kept intact as it offered a strong bare characteristic which was laid out in a mosaic chevron pattern using white and charcoal grey. The headboard walls designed using digital Indian art wall coverings incorporated the idea of Ratn (an Indian jewellery motif), while also integrating a sophisticated, modern take on Jaipur’s culture. The vitality of Jaipur’s culture was highlighted with certain replica jewellery pieces framed on the wall. The nightstand lamps also revealed a mirage of the semi-precious stones that Jaipur is renowned for producing. The jewellery made in Jaipur served as inspiration for the opulent accents included in the shape of bedside table knobs with an antique brass finish.
The rooms featured relatively big wooden windows inspired by the strong geometry and filigree work of the building envelope in a parametric format. The flooring was balanced by using soft furnishings such as multi-colored carpets, cushions, fabric, and curtains, together with other accessories inspired by imperial pheta & kalgi of Maharaja Sahib of Jaipur while resonating with the glocal essence.
Defining Peace And Tranquility
The guestrooms at Amora Vida were designed in a contemporary style, with balconies serving as an important element of the space, complimenting the beauty and functionality. The balcony provided a beautiful view of the surroundings whilst still helping in pure cross-ventilation. The artwork in the rooms was inspired by Goan folk art, with blue lines symbolising the beach and wooden strips imitating the dunes, twisted with contemporary elements to give the place a rustic character. Overall, the room promised a calming experience with its indoor layout and outside views, proving to be an ideal retreat to effortlessly relax and unwind.
Hotel rooms are now regarded as spaces that are skillfully expressed through regional influences and immediate surrounding conditions, rather than just luxury and convenience. They are no longer read in isolation, but rather as settings that include their neighbourhood and define a purpose. Thus, the future of hotel room designs appears to be hopeful by promising to be a reflection of the changes occurring in the future design by narrowing it down and offering to people on an instinctive level.