A design trend sweeping the hospitality industry: We’ve all heard that less is more, and more people are starting to take this idiom seriously; designers, authors, gurus, influencers, and industry leaders, particularly younger ones, are beginning to apply a minimalist aesthetic everywhere – from their personal accommodations to how their business spaces are structured.

Consequently, this trend is affecting the hotel design industry and has produced some exciting results.

Retain amenities, while reducing clutter

Even clients who love minimalism still demand to have a series of amenities provided, such as soap, shampoo, and a comfortable place to rest. To accommodate for this, designers are investing in high-end, durable furniture and providing complimentary toiletries that are inexpensive and use as little packaging as possible.

One Japanese capsule hotel known as 9 Hours has taken this approach to the extreme. This business provides guests with basic comforts by providing low-waste toiletry packets and restful, spacious sleeping modules. In addition to an efficient capsule for each guest, 9 Hours provides lockers, shower rooms, and lounges so that guests can easily refresh during their stay.

Interestingly, the entire facility and its amenities incorporate the same unique design which reflects 9 Hours’ austere brand.

Unique architectural experiments

As with any architectural trend, a variety of designs that interpret the core aesthetic differently are going to crop up. There are some that use as few materials as possible. While the concept might suggest creative constraint, developing myriad variations on the minimalist theme has occurred all over the world.

For instance, Shanghai’s Puli Hotel and Spa pairs massive windows flooded by sunlight with black, polished floors, low interior lighting, and dark-hued furniture to create a truly enchanting experience. This resort exhibits a few fascinating paintings but otherwise relies on the captivating scenic views of the interior foliage, calming pools, and surrounding trees to make the guest feel entirely removed from the bustling municipality.

To refer to another example, The LA Outpost maximizes space by using low furniture with rooms that have exposed concrete walls and doorless bathrooms. While the walls are white, the furniture has an earthy tone, which, when exposed to the bright Californian sun, creates a deep sense of calm in the guest. By contrast, common spaces like the lobby feature exquisitely carved wooden furnishings and neutral colored walls, decorated with superfluous visual accents including decorative books, instruments, and art.

Finding design equilibrium with this new trend

The biggest challenge when implementing a minimalist approach, regardless of industry, is eliminating unneeded items and features, without stripping out so many amenities as to come off as being cheap to a customer.

This quest for balance has led to a great deal of discussion and experimentation by industry researchers. Some world-renowned hotels have found that incorporating a few, unique artistic pieces local to the region in an otherwise sparsely furnished, the white-walled room receives positive feedback from guests.

Of course, as industry experts have noted, acquiring an appropriate balance is far more art than science, so more examples of avant-garde hotel minimalism are bound to appear soon.

Economic drivers of minimalism

In addition to customer feedback, one of the primary forces helping hotel designers acquire a proper minimalist balance is cost. After all, designers, architects, and construction firms are always looking for ways to cut costs, particularly when the price of real estate continues to increase. Further, adopting this style has become considerable with the advent of relatively inexpensive appliances that take up less space, such as flat-screen televisions.

On a related note, building and furnishing hospitality spaces this way is cheaper, as is the cost of regular housekeeping.

Bigger and better common areas

By using a pared-down style for hotel guestrooms, hospitality providers can focus more time and money on communal areas. Both to provide contrast with a guest’s room and to implement a unique aesthetic, hotels are designing common areas with larger windows to accentuate the beauty of the outdoors. They also employ the use of as much flora (or synthetic plants) as possible and splurge on comfortable, well-designed furniture to capture the appreciation of clients.

Are you looking to apply a new look to your hotel? Do you need an expert to get feedback on your hospitality facility’s aesthetic? Then look no further. Since 1992, Beachwood Custom has strived to become the leader in the hospitality design space.

We specialize in locating, providing, and installing the best furniture, art, and other appliances to perfect your business’s interior design. If you are interested in what we can do to help you, contact us today.