Condominium hotels and residential apartments managed by hotels, particularly in the Dubai market, are the next growth sector in the region according to Mark Neem, vice president, director of design, construction, engineering and information technology at Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts.

"Space is a key issue in the premium sector. Architecture does not sell rooms, but size can," he said. "If you build rooms of between 45 to 55 sq metres, you are set for the future: anyone trying to go one better has to go bigger, but then the economics do not make sense," according to Neem.

Given this essential building block, Neem said that other trends in hotel design would see more technology, more luxury, and a faster turn-round in restaurant concepts.

"Hotels have to be flexible, planning for a constant evolution of their product rather than a 'one size fits all and will last forever' ethos; we have to design by strategy.

"Form follows function in the world of hotels, but in the Middle East region we have traditionally found that this maxim is reversed, with disastrous results. There is an urgent need for more urban planning too, with thought given to the overall look of cities and more 'elbow' room around tower buildings," stated Neem.

For the future, Neem expects to see condo hotels become the next trend in the hospitality sector, particularly in cities with high demand such as Dubai. "It's already happening in cities such as New York and given the speed of development in Dubai, it would be a natural progression for the hospitality industry here," he concluded.

Finally, Neem indicated that design was becoming central to hotel plans in the region, especially Dubai, with the growth of lifestyle properties such as the group's upcoming Grosvenor House West Marina Beach by Le Meridien putting real emphasis on concept and interiors across all areas of the hotel.