Hotel interior design is a multifaceted discipline that goes beyond the mere aesthetics of guest-facing spaces.

The significance of the design should extend to the functional and operational areas of the hotel but frequently they are not sufficiently developed. Often there is no scope or budget from the start in developing team-member areas for employees, such as the staff entrance and circulation, changing rooms, lockers, restrooms, pantries, cafés, breakrooms, offices, training rooms, and relaxation and outdoor break areas, even though staff is considered the hotel’s most important asset. Employees are responsible for providing excellent service to guests every day, ensuring that the hotel is running successfully and for that reason we should be designing truly staff-centric experiences.

As workplace culture evolves, so should the spaces supporting that culture. Inviting staff to envision their ideal work environment sparks ideas and imagination. By listening to employee needs, hotels can construct BOH areas as uniquely customized hubs of productivity, unity, and empowerment. When staff feels truly cared for, it resonates during each guest interaction.

Rethinking the heart-of-the-house design goes beyond refreshing aesthetics; it means creating nurturing spaces where staff feel safe, comfortable, and purpose-driven. This uplifts the employee experience which ultimately uplifts the guest experience at the heart of every hotel.

A well-designed heart-of-the-house area not only ensures operational efficiency but also contributes to a cohesive and productive hotel environment. While guest-facing spaces often take the spotlight, the heart-of-the-house areas are the engine that keeps the hotel running smoothly, a crucial factor for the hotel’s success.

Thoughtfully designed staff spaces enhance comfort, workflow, and morale. Proper lighting, ergonomic workstations, organized storage, and amenities like breakrooms, outdoor dedicated spaces, and cafeterias demonstrate a staff-centric approach. This uplifts the employees’ level of satisfaction, health, and productivity. Ultimately, hotels are not static buildings but shared spaces nurturing human experiences. When design consistently incorporates and surrounds staff in an environment infused with the hotel's essence, they become true hosts guiding guests through a story. The resulting harmony elevates a stay from simply functional to meaningful and memorable.

Sharing the hotel's vision early on ensures staff input can inform choices to make spaces functional for them. When operation teams collaborate with designers, clever innovations emerge. Achieving a cohesive vision requires collaboration between the interior design team and the operations staff from the start. When designers invite participation at the project initiation stage, operations teams help identify potential challenges and provide ideas to optimize functionality.

Truly visionary design weaves together aesthetics and practicality. By valuing operations staff as partners from concept to execution, hotels ensure vibrant, harmonious spaces that support exceptional guest experiences. Seamless collaboration behind the scenes manifests in every guest interaction.

When team members understand and embrace the hotel's core vision and see their role in bringing it to life, a space gains an intangible energy and coherence that visitors can sense. Sharing the basis of design choices may happen behind the scenes, but manifests during each guest interaction to realize the hotel’s vision and mission.