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Hoteliers are Making Risky Colour Choices
By Dean Minett
Friday, 31st August 2018
 

hotel news and insights by Dean Minett at 4Hoteliers.comWouldn’t it be nice if the guest experience could be scientifically understood down to the smallest detail? There would be no room for error, you would only have to follow the established guidelines in every area of hotel design and operation, and voila – the guest experience would come out perfect every time!

Actually, this would be boring. Everything would funnel into uniformity. It would be like a dystopian thriller in which someone has to rise up and challenge the established order.

Like any good industry, there are many players who do undertake a lot of research and, once they have found a formula that works, try and replicate it. Indeed, this is the basis on which Holiday Inn was founded and which many others copied however it is equally true that new technologies and tastes are constantly re-shaping our best approximations of what works.

Following a golden era of consistency and reliability it is logical that individuality is now more important. In fact, outstanding guest experiences come from the unique flavour of a property as much anything else.

The use of colour is an interesting example of push and pull between the established order and a hotel’s individual character. Everyone has an opinion of course, and you know that everyone from the GM to the owner to the doorperson will have a view on what the interior designer has proposed. Making the best choices, whether for common areas or guestrooms, is ultimately a guessing game but it should be an informed choice nonetheless. If we’re interested in how interior colour palettes affect the mood, there is a massive body of research to lean on but unless you are the owner who is driving a particular vision, don’t get caught up in personal opinion. Engage experts and listen!

Earthy and neutral tones, for example, remain incredibly popular – and common – in hotel rooms. They have a stable, relaxing and unobtrusive effect. The downside is that, even when skilfully combined, such tones can feel safe to the point of boredom. This is why Marriott, for its millennial-focused “Gen Next” rooms, rolled out neutral tones offset by splashes of bright colour. The effect is safe and calming, with hints of more vibrant emotion.

What about ditching neutral tones altogether? Is it an option? Leatrice Eismen, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, commentedearlier this year that hotels are trending toward bold and vibrant colour palettes – a phenomenon that, from my own point of view, appears to line up with the growing desire for evocative and adventurous travel experiences. This is also why newer groups such as Ovolo make colour such a point of difference in their hotels. It challenges the norm.

Purples, sea greens, yellows, and even orange tones can serve to achieve these effects. Many hotels are experimenting with colour combinations that have long been considered to be totally outside the box: such as red with orange, or pink with purple. In this sense, riskier palettes are being used as a way to push brand differentiation and (quite literally) colour the guest experience in new ways.

Green is a colour that’s also on the uptick, apparently because of its appeal to younger demographics. The psychology of green – at least many shades of it – is one of youthfulness and vitality. Blue is still a classy and calming favourite, although it can evoke sadness in the wrong combinations. Meanwhile, very dark tones with shiny accents are being used to create elegance, depth, mystery and power.

Deeper questions about colour

Why are hotels testing the science and effect of different colour schemes? Why are they flouting conventional wisdom, in some cases? Could it be increasing variety and competition erodes the rules even as it creates new ones? Or is it just another case of the Emperor’s New Clothes where we mistakenly believe something looks great just because it is different?

It’s nice to have all that knowledge of colour psychology at our disposal, and it only makes sense to let it inform our choices. But if we want the guest experience itself to have more feeling, there should be more intention and feeling in our design choices.

We need to be very clear on what we are trying to say with a hotel brand, and what competing hotel brands are saying about themselves. Like all good “moments of truth” we need to ensure that the colours are a positive influence on our guests and our staff and ultimately make people want to return and not just because we want to be different.

Dean Minett - Director | Founder
Graduating first from William Angliss Institute in 1982, Dean took on his first General Management role at the age of 22. Since then, he has worked in, managed or consulted to hotels, motels, resorts, restaurants and casinos across Australia and Asia.

This industry longevity and breadth of experience gives Dean an unparalleled edge in his work with owners, operators, developers and purchasers of accommodation hotels, serviced apartments/residences, motels and restaurants as well as general Management consulting. Dean applies these skills, knowledge and experience to support clients throughout the entire engagement process and, through his extensive network, connects them to the right people and opportunities.

Offering a full range of services to executives in the hotel and hospitality industry, Dean provides expert advice on development and operations as well as training and outplacement coaching.

Dean is also a published author, writer and proud family man whose commitment to service and results really is unsurpassed in the industry.

www.minettconsulting.com.au

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