Thursday, 20 February 2020 / Published in Base4

Major Hotel Prototype Upgrades

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Developing a hotel?

Check out these upgraded brand prototypes

Hotel prototypes–these well-researched designs drive a majority of the hospitality business. Hotel brands continuously evolve their prototypes to optimize revenue channels while enhancing guest experience.

This article presents a few of the major prototype upgrades of reputed hotel brands. Click on individual cards for more details.

Prototype Upgrades of Major Hotel Brands

Hyatt Place

Last year, Hyatt Place announced its reimagined brand experience—a new generation of hotels focused on three key areas: thoughtful design, enhanced well-being, and better value for World of Hyatt members.

Here are the changes you can expect:

Guestroom

The overhauled guestroom design emphasizes defined spaces and incorporates the following elements:

Distinct zones for sleeping, working, and relaxing including the brand’s signature Cozy Corner
Purposeful furniture designed to help guests feel organized and ready for either relaxation or productivity
Wellness elements to promote sleep quality, including premium mattresses, blackout shades, and warm-colored lighting

Bathroom

The redesigned bathrooms are focused on vanity arrangement and spaciousness, including the following:

Bigger vanity counter for proper storage of personal items
Multidirectional lighting at the vanity for minimal shadows
Optimal distance between mirror and vanity
Walk-in shower with footrest
Larger shower amenity tray

Lobby

The Hyatt Place lobby has been reimagined into a collaborative area for socialization and relaxation.
It has a more vibrant, casual, and refreshing feel compared to previous prototype designs.

F&B

The brand is also offering a new dining experience with elevated culinary offerings that include:

Regional breakfast offerings representing the food cultures of five regions of the country, including the Atlantic, Southern, Heartland, Southwest, and West Coast
A redesigned coffee bar in the lobby with a new coffee program
An evening lounge featuring a new menu and enhanced offerings

Staybridge Suites

If I chose two words to describe the new prototype, they would be modern and flexible.

While the previous prototype (6.0) had pitched roof arches, prototype 7.0 incorporates clean, straight lines with no niches.
The new front porch is designed to provide relaxed lounging.
The building “wings” are flexible to fit any site area and shape. The “bump-outs” add flexibility in room size while also adding a dimension to the building.

Read a detailed breakdown of the prototype 7.0 here.

Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn’s newest H4 v1.0 prototype adheres to an exclusive stay for its guests by providing flexible and open lounges, bars, and meeting spaces. Apart from that, a considerable change in elevation improves the entire aesthetic.

The lobby houses several seating and socializing zones, including the arrival lounge, social lounge, bar, communal table, dining area, eBar for working, etc.
Developers can choose between an indoor or outdoor pool.
The H4 guestrooms feature separate zones for sleeping, working, and other functions. Bathrooms are more spacious than the previous prototype.

Candlewood Suites

Candlewood Suites by IHG has proven to be one of the most suitable economy brands for business travelers. The new prototype, called beacon 4.0, dramatically changes the previous impression.

A rather quaint elevation used to characterize this flag, which is now replaced by a modern and contemporary exterior façade.
Even the color combinations have seen a step-up from the previous subtle brown tones as modern shades of red and gray adorn the exterior.
The most striking transformation that the new prototype exhibits is the roof structure. Earlier, the brand featured a combination of curved and flat roofs. With the new prototype, this feature is enhanced to a combination of flat roofs of different heights, accompanied by a higher body with slanted roofs that mark the main entry.
The main entrance has been shifted from the front to the side—highlighting a vestibule entry, which still depicts a metallic entrance canopy supported by tensed cables, similar to the previous prototype.
Guestroom windows are a considerable upgrade that adds to the modernity of the façade.
Along with these, the Candlewood logo has been revamped from a blue-and-red combination to a simple and elegant white-and-red one.
While these exterior changes are eminent, the brand has also updated its guestroom suites to meet the demands and needs of extended-stay visitors.

In addition to those summarized above, several other brands launched new prototypes in 2019.

Days Inn by Wyndham has launched a new interior design named Dawn focusing on quality appeal.
While Wyndham Garden’s new interior-exterior prototype Arbor offers a streamlined, modern aesthetic inspired by nature that is designed to reduce cost-per-key to build.
Another from Wyndham, Microtel also unveiled its Moda prototype to decrease development costs, increase operational efficiency, and elevate the aesthetic.
Bringing together Hawthorn and La Quinta, Wyndham brings a dual branded prototype.
Radisson has upgraded its Park Inn prototype. The new dynamic design scheme focuses on space maximization within a compact footprint.
Radisson Red introduced its next generation of guestrooms. The latest design concept uses warm colors, pops of red in numerous elements- from the shower door to the sofa to the classic record player, and the headphones that hang from the wall.