proposed facilities and services
TRANSCRIPT
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-1
PROPOSED FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Based upon the analysis and demand for lodging accommodations in the Moore
Haven, Florida, market and the review of the pertinent characteristics of area visitors, the
following general comments regarding the nature and scope of the facilities and services to
be provided by the proposed dual-branded hotel by Choice Hotels of a 41-room MainStay
Suites extended-stay hotel and a 39-room Sleep Inn are presented. The plan presented
coincides with the project developer's conception, with which we concur in the outlined
quality and scope of the proposed hotel development.
General Concept
The proposed dual-branded Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites by Choice Hotels will be
the only hotel in Moore Haven, Florida.
Market Research, as stated in the Supply and Demand Section of this Study, has
revealed a need for 80 guest rooms with, and emphasis on, suites that
comfortably accommodate a family of four or a business person seeking working
areas separate from sleeping accommodations.
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-2
Based upon field research of the feasibility study, it is the recommendation of
Interim Hospitality Consultants that the developer undertake the establishment of a dual-brand by
Choice Hotels of a transient Sleep Inn and an extended-stay MainStay Suites. Similar brands to
MainStay Suites include Marriott TownePlace Suites, Hilton Home 2 and Candlewood Suites by
IHG Hotels. Similar brands to Sleep Inn are Fairfield Inn by Marriott, TRU by Hilton and Avid
by IHG Hotels.
Porte co-chere
The hotel's porte co-chere should be three lanes wide and of adequate length to host a
vehicle and trailer.
Lobby
A casual and attractive Lobby will provide a striking first impression to guests as
they enjoy impromptu conversations and phone calls in front of a Signature Lobby
Fireplace.
Business Center
A Business Center located in the Lobby near the Front Desk should be provided for
complimentary use by the hotel's guests. This center should be composed minimally of a
desk with a computer (with Internet connection), color monitor, printer/scanner and a color
copier.
Meeting Rooms
The Market Research has determined the need for a 30-person meeting room. The
meeting room will be designed to be divisible into two separate rooms with a minimum 12-
foot ceiling. The hotel must also provide a commercial kitchen that will also be available
for outside catering. Public restrooms need to be adapted to meet local codes.
Aquatic Center
Due to climate considerations, and to meet existing direct hotel competition, an
outdoor heated swimming pool is required along with a whirlpool spa, fitness center and
dry sauna.
A complimentary guest laundry of three washers and three dryers with a folding
clothes table is to be adjacent to the Fitness Center.
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-3
Guest Rooms
To meet and exceed the design of hotels in the Competitive Market Set, to the
extend possible, the rooms should be 14 feet wide, with 10-foot ceilings on the first floor
and a minimum of 9-foot ceilings on all upper floors. Wall display heating and air
conditioning controls are augmented with multi-speed ceiling fans.
Room Mix
The Market Research for the proposed hotel has determined that the Room Mix
should consist of:
Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites Moore Haven, Florida Proposed Room Mix
Number
of Rooms
Maximum
Guests
Sleep Inn:
King Room 20 40
Queen/Queen/Sofa Room 19 114
MainStay Extended-Stay Suites
Queen/Queen and Sofa/Full Kitchen 15 90
King and Sofa/Full Kitchen 23 92
King Bedroom Suite/Full Kitchen 3 12
Total Rooms 80 348
Source: Interim Hospitality Consultants
Included in the room mix will be an appropriate number of rooms with full access
for the physically challenged.
Room Technology
All rooms should have the latest technology in Internet wiring. Telephone and
Internet services are forecasted to be complimentary. Two telephones, one on the bedside
table and one on the desk; one phone should be cordless. A minimum 50-inch, 4K, Internet
Smart television is offered in all rooms.
Kitchen Facilities
The transient Sleep Inn rooms will have under-counter refrigerator/freezers,
microwaves, and coffee makers to meet the competitive demand. All MainStay Suites
extended-stay suites feature a full kitchen, refrigerator/ice-making freezer, range/oven,
microwave and full utensils. The room design will incorporate dining space to meet Choice
Hotel standards.
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-4
Bathrooms
All bathrooms, in addition to franchise requirements, are to feature a shower room of
clear glass wall, grooming bench, pulsating shower head wand and hidden drain. The dual
flush commode has a whisper-closing seat and lid. This lockable room is enhanced with
wall art, towel presentation, towel bars and robe hooks.
All rooms feature vanities and adjacent closets as a dressing area outside of the
bathroom.
Guest Vehicles
Sufficient parking for 80 single vehicles in addition to double long-pull through
travel travelers. A minimum of eight electrical automobile chargers – four Tesla and four
General Motors – plus ten covered motorcycle spaces and twelve bicycle lockers for touring
bicycles.
Pet Friendly
The hotel must be Pet Friendly to meet market demand. An enclosed fence, with
French Gate Control will enclose a pet free run with a fire hydrant. Proper pet sanitation
supplies will be available for guest use.
Franchisor Drawings
Hotel drawings, as supplied by Choice Hotels are presented in Section F, Page F-5. The
Field Research of the Feasibility Study revealed significant adjustments to the prototype
drawings to meet the Market Demand of Moore Haven, Florida.
Choice Hotels Contact:
Hemant Patel, Regional Vice President
Choice Hotels
850.212.7861
Dual BrandPrototype Design Guide
Two great brands und er one roof
The innovative Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites new
construction prototype joins two great brands
together in a single building, offering savvy developers
the ability to capitalize on the growing midscale
segment, which is under-served with new product.
With a smart design positioned to capture unique
demand segments – both short-term and extended
stay guests - this concept is growing fast across the
U.S. The robust pipeline is being driven by both multi-
unit and first-time developers that recognize the
attractive ROI potential from the combination of two
well-established brands under one roof.
The dual brand prototype promotes significant
operating cost savings over two separate hotels thanks
to reduced staffing and shared facilities. Plus, topline
revenue benefits from higher occupancies achieved
through accommodating extended-stay demand.
Two great brands und er one roof
Innovative design
Shared front desk
The lobby offers a welcoming feel, combining elements from both brands.Welcome Area
Innovative design
Signature Sleep Inn Designed to Dream® accent wall with customizable color schemes
This multi-functional space meets the needs of guests throughout the day.Communal Room
Coffee bar
Flexible seating options for work or socializing
Combined breakfast area
Flexible seating options for work or socializing
Contemporary artwork
White triple sheeting
Carpet tile option
Each guest room features soothing color palettes and a timeless design.Sleep Guest Rooms
Double Queen Room
Color Palettes
King Room
Convenient micro-fridge unit
Each suite features space for guests to cook, eat, work and relax.MainStay Guest Suites
Multi-use furniture with movable desk/table
Fully-equipped kitchen
King Suite
One BR Suite
Double Queen Suite
82 Room Prototype Ground Level Plan
Typical Floor Plan
Floo
r Pla
ns
Site Plan
PUBLIC SPACE (NSF) Total (sf)
Function
Lobby 420
Community Room 857
Meeting Room (optional)
Fitness Room 341
Food & Beverage
Breakfast Servery 267
Public Circulation
Vestibule 172
Public Restrooms 127
Public Corridor 625
TOTAL PUBLIC SPACE 2,809
PROGRAM AREA SUMMARY Total (sf)
Total Guestroom 27,125
Total Guestroom Support 5,433
Total Public Space 2,809
Total Back-of-House 2,575
TOTAL NET BUILDING AREA 37,942
Walls & Shafts/Total Estimated 4,679
TOTAL GROSS BUILDING AREA 42,621
TOTAL SF PER ROOM 520
DEVELOPED SITE SUMMARY Total (sf)
Building Coverage 14,333
Paved Areas 34,505
Net Landscape Area 23,907
TOTAL DEVELOPED SITE AREA 1.67 AC/72,745
GUEST ROOMS (NSF) Rooms Unit Area Total (sf)
MS King Suite 22 341 7,502
MS Double Queen Suite 14 413 5,782
MS 1BR Suite 2 554 1,108
MS ACC King Suite 1 481 481
MS ACC Double Queen Suite 1 481 481
MS ACC 1 BR Suite 1 554 554
SL King 20 254 5,080
SL Double Queen 18 289 5,202
SL ACC King 2 289 578
SL ACC Double Queen 1 357 357
TOTAL GUEST ROOMS 82 331 27,125
One of the fastest-growing concepts in the industry.
One of the fastest-growing concepts in the industry.
Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites Dual Brand Hotels Open or Under Development
DualBrandDevelopment.com
This advertisement is not an offering. For New York: an offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law in the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. For Minnesota: Sleep Inn #F-1799, MainStay Suites #F-3269. A copy of the Franchise Disclosure Document may be obtained through contacting Choice Hotels International at 1 Choice Hotels Circle, Suite 400, Rockville, MD 20850.
DUAL_BROCH_2018
Live Like Home Dream Better Here®DualBrandDevelopment.com
Dual BrandTwo Well-Established Brands Under One Roof
The dual brand Sleep Inn® and MainStay Suites® new construction prototype joins two well-established Choice Hotels® brands together under one roof. This unique concept offers savvy developers an efficient way to capture multiple demand drivers, including extended stay, within a single market.
This allows them to capitalize on two fast-growing segments — new construction midscale and extended stay. With the ROI potential resulting from combining two strong brands, this smart design is growing quickly with both first-time and multi-unit owners.
One of the fastest growing concepts in the industry.
Open or Under Development
The Sleep Inn brand is a savvy midscale investment. With a low cost to build and a timeless, simply stylish prototype, the Sleep Inn brand is designed for longevity and owner efficiency.
Plus, with nearly 570 franchised properties open or under development and strong performance for owners, we are a proven leader that knows the midscale guest and owner.
The MainStay Suites brand design takes cues from residential-style architecture.
The all-suites brand offers the amenities and space that can help guests maintain their lifestyle during time away from home—with residential-style suites that offer separate space for working and relaxing, plus fully-equipped kitchens.
Guests gain access to the amenities of both brands.
Offers a unique solution that can deliver for owners and guests alike.
Owners can gain efficiency from one back of house, shared public space and shared labor, plus site/construction efficiencies.
Designed for markets with several business drivers—for both short and longer-term accommodations.
Corporate Travelers
Doctors & Medical Professionals
BusinessContractors
DisasterRecovery
ProfessionalTrainers
Home Renovations
ConstructionWorkers
MilitaryPersonnel
NursingProfessionals Students Family
Relocations
Shared, welcoming lobby combines elements from both brands.
Multi-functional public space with a combined breakfast area and flexible seating options for work or socializing.
Live Like Home Dream Better Here®
Sleep Inn guest rooms, featuring timeless style, inspired by nature.
Live Like Home Dream Better Here®
MainStay guest suites, with space to cook, eat, work and relax.
High Occupancy Potential
Cost Efficient Operations
Increased Profit Opportunity
Taps into the power of the extended stay model, which can drive efficiency for owners.
Backed by the power of Choice Hotels
80of hospitality experience
years12
well-segmented
brands
1 10in the US is a
Choice Hotels brand
hotelsin
191Mto ChoiceHotels.com
in 2018
visits$7.6B+
delivered in 2018*
reservations40M+
Choice Privileges®
members
12.6Mthrough Global Sales
in 2018
room nights
8,200+open or under
development globally
hotels
*Source: Figure reflects the revenues delivered through the Choice Hotels Central Reservation System (CRS) and other non-CRSmarketing channels in 2018.
• Ecosystem for success available from day one– In-field consultation– Opening Services– Online and Live Training– Pricing Optimization and Revenue Management tools
• We care about you as a business owner– Focus on franchisee profitability– Owners Council– Active Industry Advocacy
Be in business for yourself—but not by yourself.
Unless otherwise noted, all figures and statistics in this document are from internal data of Choice Hotels International, Inc.This advertisement is not an offering. For New York: an offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law in the State of New York. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law. For Minnesota: Sleep Inn #F-1799, MainStay Suites #F-3269. A copy of the Franchise Disclosure Document may be obtained through contacting Choice Hotels International at 1 Choice Hotels Circle, Suite 400, Rockville, MD 20850.
DualBrandDevelopment.com
Thank You.
This Page Purposely Left Blank
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-37
Environmental Concerns
Information from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is presented at the end
of this Section F. The information is provided as a base to assist in the development of a
“Green” development/building project.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System
Welcome to USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community of leaders
working to make Green Buildings available to everyone within a generation.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a Washington, D.C. –based 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation
through cost-efficient and energy-saving Green Buildings. USGBC works toward its
mission of market transformation through its LEED® Green Building certification program,
robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual
Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that
encourages and enables Green Buildings and communities.
The LEED® Green Building certification program is a voluntary, consensus-based
national rating system for buildings designed, constructed and operated for improved
environmental and human health performance. LEED® addresses all building types and
emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas sustainable site development, water
savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental
quality.
LEED® Rating Systems
What is LEED®?
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building
Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable Green Building
and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally
understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
✓ LEED® is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted
benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance
Green Buildings. LEED® gives building owners and operators the tools they
need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-38
performance. LEED® promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability
by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental
health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency,
materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Who uses LEED®?
Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers,
landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials all use
LEED® to help transform the built environment to sustainability. State and local
governments across the country are adopting LEED® for public-owned and public-funded
buildings; there are LEED® initiatives in federal agencies, including the Departments of
Defense, Agriculture, Energy, and State; and LEED® projects are in progress in 41 different
countries, including Canada, Brazil, Mexico and India.
How is LEED® Developed?
LEED® Rating Systems area developed through an open, consensus-based process
led by LEED® communities. Each volunteer committee is composed of a diverse group of
practitioners and experts representing a cross-section of the building and construction
industry. The key elements of USGBC’s consensus process include a balanced and
transparent committee structure, technical advisory groups that ensure scientific consistency
and rigor, opportunities for stake holder comment and review, member ballot of new rating
systems, and a fair and open appeals process.
LEED® Version 3
The LEED® Green Building certification program’s greatest strength lies in its
consensus-based, transparent, ongoing development cycle. The next version of LEED® is
here! On April 27, 2009, USGBC launched LEED® v3. The ability to be flexible allows
LEED® to evolve, taking advantage of new technologies and advances in building science
while prioritizing energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reductions.
Project Certification
As part of the newly launched LEED® v3, the Green Building Certification Institute
(GBCI) has assumed administration of LEED® certification for all commercial and
institutional projects registered under any LEED® Rating System.
LEED® certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building
project meets the highest Green building and performance measures. Sustainable building
strategies should be considered early in the development cycle. An integrated project team
will include the major stakeholders of the project such as the developer/owner, architect,
engineer, landscape architect, contractor, and asset and property management staff.
Implementing an integrated, systems-oriented approach to Green project design,
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-39
development and operations can yield synergies and improve the overall performance of a
building. Initial LEED® assessment will bring the project team together to evaluate and
articulate the project’s goals and the certification level sought.
There are both environmental and financial benefits to earning LEED® certification.
LEED®-certified buildings are designed to:
• Lower operating costs and increase asset value.
• Reduce waste sent to landfills.
• Conserve energy and water.
• Be more healthful and safer for occupants.
• Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
• Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives in hundreds of
cities.
• Demonstrate an owner’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social
responsibility.
Eligibility
Commercial buildings as defined by standard building codes are eligible for
certification under the LEED® for New Construction, LEED® for Existing Buildings,
LEED® for Commercial Interiors, LEED® for Retail, LEED® for Schools, and LEED® for
Core & Shell rating systems. Building types include – but are not limited to – offices, retail
and service establishments, institutional buildings (e.g., libraries, museums and religious
institutions), hotels and residential buildings of four or more habitable stories.
Green Building Research
The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy,
health, and productivity.
In the United States alone, buildings account for:
• 72% of electricity consumption,
• 39% of energy use,
• 38% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,
• 40% of raw materials use,
• 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually), and
• 14% of potable water consumption.
Moore Haven, Florida, Feasibility Study Page F-40
Benefits of Green Building
Environmental benefits:
• Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Improve air and water quality.
• Reduce solid waste.
• Conserve natural resources.
Economic Benefits:
• Reduce operating costs.
• Enhance asset value and profits.
• Improve employee productivity and satisfaction.
• Optimize life-cycle economic performance.
Health and community benefits:
• Improve air, thermal, and acoustic environments.
• Enhance occupant comfort and health.
• Minimize strain on local infrastructure.
• Contribute to overall quality of life.
Rankings of Completed Projects
Under LEED® there are 100 possible Base Points distributed across six credit
categories:
• Sustainable Sites.
• Water Efficiency.
• Energy and Atmosphere.
• Materials and Resources.
• Indoor Environmental Quality.
• Innovation in Design.
An additional four points may be received for Regional Priority Credits and six
points for Innovation in Design.
Total points buildings can qualify for four levels of certification:
A. LEED® Platinum 80 and above
B. LEED® Gold 60 and above
C. LEED® Silver 50 and above
D. LEED® Certified 40 and above
Business Insider
This is the future of hotel design after coronavirus, according to hospitality architects
Alesandra Dubin Jun 14, 2020, 10:29 AM
Alexandra Dubin, June 14, 2020, 10:29 A.M.
Alesandra Dubin Jun 14, 2020, 10:29 AM
Expect a blurred line between indoor and outdoor areas in hotels. Hotel San Luis Obispo in California
pictured. Ryan Gobuty / Provided
• In light of the coronavirus pandemic, hotels are planning significant changes into their
architecture and design.
• We talked to hospitality designers and architects for their take on the future of hotel design.
• The hotel stay of the not-so-distance future will involve touchless systems, multifunctional
spaces, and conference rooms that open up to the outdoors.
• Experts agree that gyms are likely to be replaced by in-room fitness offerings, with one expert
even predicting that gym equipment will be ordered to private rooms like room service.
The global pandemic halted travel in the short term, but its effects are going to last into the
foreseeable future — and possibly forever.
Hotel designers and architects are reworking existing projects and starting new ones with a focus
on social distancing and contact-free systems. That means we can expect to see fundamental
changes to hotels' meeting spaces, lobbies, guest rooms, and food and beverage options.
The name of the game, hospitality designers say, is flexibility. They're working to create spaces
that can evolve with the realities of public health as well as with the needs and preferences of
guests. And while these concepts are designed with an eye on the future, even a vaccine isn't
likely to derail some of the changes now in place.
"I don't think the whole notion of health and safety is going to go away," Gensler principal Tom
Ito told Business Insider.
Business Insider spoke to nearly a dozen hospitality designers and architects to understand the
ways hotel design will change for the pandemic and post-pandemic age. Here, we break down
some of their ideas by hotel area.
Check-in areas: optimized for a no-contact experience
Hotel check-in areas have historically been one of the first points of human contact between
guests and staff.
That's likely to change, said Shay Lam, managing executive and studio creative director of TPG
Architecture, a New York-based design firm known for hospitality, retail, healthcare, and other
commercial design.
"The days of face-to-face check-in will be gone for guests who choose to take the contactless
options each time," Lam told Business Insider. Check-in technologies will now be integrated
with guests' phones.
And it might be about time anyway. As Krista Ninivaggi, founder of Manhattan-based interior
design firm K and Co., said, "Hotel flags have been adopting mobile or virtual check-in for
years. It seems like this might be a good time for guests to [become] accustomed to this as the
norm to alleviate lines or crowding at reception."
Lobbies: A redesign for multifunctionality
The main objective for the new lobby design will be to create multipurpose spaces.
"What we're doing is building flexibility into spaces, so spaces that can transform over time," Ito
told Business Insider. "We can create lobby spaces [with] various types of seating groups. So it's
about providing those options [that are] lightweight, and easily movable, so that when things
start to evolve, we can start to combine these spaces together."
The lobby in a Gensler-designed California hotel. Ryan Gobuty / Provided
Built, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based design group that's currently working with three Marriott
properties — AC Marriott Bridgewater, New Jersey; Element Hotel Marriott Wood-Ridge, New
Jersey; and AC Marriott San Diego — to implement coronavirus-response design. The firm's
president and founder, John M. Sofio, underscores the notion of setting up flexible lobby
configurations through furnishings, and suggests ways of doing it that do not make guests feel
trapped.
"We are not interested in dividing people with claustrophobic devices like giant masks and
screens," Sofio said. Instead, he favors subtler options that are "more interesting, like
bookshelves with objects versus a plain screen wall."
To prevent bottlenecks and to minimize points of human contact, Built, Inc. also plans to create
new signage throughout lobby spaces and beyond. Think floor marks to encourage people to
keep six feet apart and graphic lines such as arrows to lead guests safely in, around, and out of
the space.
Sofio said that all new social distancing signs will be branded to match the hotel's colors,
lettering, and graphics: "We will make these as interesting and least distracting as possible while
playing it safe."
Couches in a Built, Inc.-designed hotel are back-to-back to avoid mixing parties. Courtesy of Built, Inc.
Guest rooms and 'the perception of cleanliness'
Guest rooms might be the single most important part to consider in the great COVID-19 hotel
redesign.
As Ito said, "In a public space, you have a choice of where you want to go, where you want to
sit. The main concern right now is the guest room [as] that's where we're finding people are most
concerned — who has been there before me?"
Gensler is rethinking guest room design to include visible indications of cleanliness without
introducing a clinical look and feel. That might mean more hard surfaces and fewer porous
surfaces.
Sofio said that while "some people are saying no to rugs," his company is on the search for an
antimicrobial rug. The key, he said, is to find a material that's both safe and aesthetically
pleasing.
Built, Inc. is also emphasizing hands-free designs that minimize contact points in doorways and
when activating plumbing. "We are designing our own foot pull to be attached onto existing
doors so people can avoid touching door handles when unlocked," Sofio said.
Ninivaggi of K and Co. had a similar take on the rise of touchless functionality in hotels. Expect
to see features like step- or arm-pull activated doors and faucets in guest rooms, she said.
Ryan Gobuty / Provided
"Most hotel room doors are already key card activated," Ninivaggi said. "How hard could it be to
add an automatic latch as well so the door pops open when you key in with your sanitized key
card?"
Beyond that, guests will want to see some visual evidence that their health is being protected.
Designers are working on attractive solutions that are on clear display, rather than tucking
apparatus such as UV lights away and out of sight.
"We used to think that seeing people clean things [should be invisible], but now you want to
bring them to the forefront."
Ito said. "For us, it's about how we can integrate that into a design that is still not clinical."
The goal now, Ito said, is to integrate these elements into the design of the space in a way that
both looks good and advances what he dubbed "the perception of cleanliness."
High-caliber air filtration systems as a new luxury
The pandemic will likely affect the considerations that go into airflow systems in hotel construction.
"HVAC systems can be better designed to limit the amount of shared air in a room," said Ninivaggi. "I would challenge my mechanical engineers to think about other ways of delivering heating and cooling. Are there ways of using radiant heat and large volumes of fresh air? Is it time to look back at natural ventilation?"
"Maybe it's okay to let our buildings breathe more and not insulate them to the point… it's icy cold in July or piping hot in January," Ninivaggi added.
Christian Schulz, founding partner Studio Collective, sees air filtration systems as a new hallmark of luxury in hotels.
"In new properties, I think the idea of using higher caliber air filtration systems in guest rooms will be something a lot of operators start spending money on, a kind of new luxury for health and well-being," he told Business Insider.
Meeting spaces and conference rooms
Both Schulz and Ito agree that flexibility will be a core tenet of meeting-room design.
"The notion of getting 1,000 people in a room doesn't seem very appealing right now," Gensler's Ito said. "The long play is we're seeing more of the spaces that are smaller and more intimate that can be combined later."
Schulz, similarly, expects to see meeting spaces "broken down into smaller, more manageable spaces."
Ito also sees a push toward spaces that can open to the outdoors, a trend evidenced in the group's new Hotel San Luis Obispo in California's Central Coast, where there are numerous outdoor areas for year-round use, including a public courtyard with outdoor couches and fire pits. The main event hall offers French doors that open to an outdoor terrace with mountain and pine views.
In the Gensler-designed Hotel San Luis Obispo, it's a fine line between the outdoors and the
indoors. Ryan Gobuty / Provided
"Where you can, you want to really be engaged in the outdoors — or at least be able to look outside to get sunlight, which we know has a dramatic effect for our health and wellbeing," he said.
As a section of the live event market gives way to virtual events, Sofio also imagines "Zoom rooms" with green screens, webcams, and high-quality broadcasting equipment to satisfy the virtual workplace.
Ito noted that some of these changes are already happening. "We've seen that done in many of our hotels, where they broadcast shows or openings, almost like creating a stage set," he said.
Food and beverage: The end of the buffet
Hotel designers don't see any future for buffet-style dining on property.
Lam of TPG Architecture notes that this will mean a change in how resorts sell themselves.
"For many resorts, all-inclusive buffets are a selling point for those wishing to have the convenience and luxury of having a variety of meals," Lam told Business Insider. "However, the idea of food laying around for extended periods of time, while being exposed to airborne particles, will not be considered glamorous anymore."
Don't expect to see many more buffets at hotels. Ksenija Toyechkina/Shutterstock
Overall, dining options within hotels will refocus on social distancing.
Andrea DeRosa, principal designer and cofounder of Avenue Interior Design — which is known for projects such as the Palms Casino renovation, Palm Springs' La Serena Villas, and the SLS Baha Ma — said restaurants will seat fewer guests in the interest of maintaining social distancing protocols.
"Larger service counters for pickups or extended grab-and-go options maybe also be more prevalent as people warm up to the idea of eating out again," DeRosa said.
Experts note that the end of buffet-style dining could shepherd in a new era for private dining options in guest rooms.
Clay Markham, senior vice president and hospitality sector leader at design firm CallisonRTKL, pointed to a change in room service. If room service was "once considered a watered-down service" compared to restaurant dining, Markham said, it "will now be a focus for a more personalized and sanitary experience."
And look for a blurred line around what even constitutes a restaurant in a hotel. "The boundaries between spacious lobbies and now space-demanding restaurants may disappear into one socially distanced lobby restaurant," Sofio said.
Ito sees a movement toward more casual eating in various hotel environments.
"Maybe it's not a full menu, but you can eat and dine in various places," he said. "And then look at that, you're creating a really memorable experience — we tend to forget the main purpose of a hotel is to drive those memorable experiences."
Ito also sees hotels building more private-dining environments that can work as meeting rooms, so they can have double usage during off-peak times or can be booked in a variety of ways.
A gym — or at least a workout — in the comfort of your own room
Another point of agreement among the experts? The disappearance of the hotel gym as we know it.
The days of the row of treadmills and dumbbells are over. Instead, the weight room might be
ordered to the guest rooms just like food service.
Fitness spaces are likely to shrink and to increasingly move into the privacy of guest rooms, per Avenue's DeRosa: "Look for more in-room fitness options and equipment like yoga mats and lightweight dumbbells."
Ito noted that the group is seeing some hotels converting suites to private workout rooms.
Sofio sees the trend as well. "The days of the row of treadmills and dumbbells are over," he said. "Instead, the weight room might be ordered to the guest rooms just like food service; where a training bike, weights, pilates circles, resistance bands, or whatever gym contraption you may need is brought to the room, and queued up with virtual video instruction and trains, just like a turn-down service."