6 Space-Saving Design Ideas for Hotel Lobbies
We all know first impressions are important. Some hotels have space to spare in their lobbies, where designers have the opportunity to create beautiful environments without worrying about clutter or inefficiencies.
However, owners of hotels with limited square footage (think big city or boutique hotels) may struggle to find ways of offering guests a lobby that is both pleasant and practical.
Luckily, there’s no shortage of ideas when it comes to finding solutions for hotel lobbies. There are some beautiful, efficient lobby designs that make a great first impression, promote comfort, and save on space.
Window Seats
Warm, natural lighting plays an important role in how welcoming a space is for hotel guests.
Large windows that let in plenty of sunlight will help to open up your lobby space.
By incorporating seating areas into the space, guests have the option to relax after a long day or taxing road trip.
Vertical Gardens
Consumers are demanding greener, healthier buildings, no matter how long or short their stay may be. A great way to add natural appeal to your lobby is by planting a garden, right inside the hotel.
Plants and pots can take up much needed space in a crowded hotel lobby areas. Vertical gardens, however, are an excellent alternative if you want to add a touch of organic ambience to your lobby’s design.
Room Dividers and Acoustic Partitions
Hotel owners can offer more functional lobbies and meeting areas for guests by dividing up the space with partitions.
Screens can divide up your lobby into multi-faceted areas, where guests have more privacy to take a phone call or meet with visitors. Use acoustic panels to help absorb sound, which can often be a problem in open spaces like lobbies. These privacy panels and room partitions come in a variety of shapes, textures, and sizes, and can offer an appealing design element to your lobby’s space.
Smoke Containment Systems
When it comes to meeting building codes for fire and safety, the enclosed elevator lobby has long been a popular choice. But what they provide in terms of safety can be overshadowed by their less-than-appealing aesthetic and price point.
Deployable smoke and fire containment curtains are used to effectively protect elevators during emergency situations. These curtains contain fire and smoke before they spread to larger areas of the building.
Designers and architects benefit by using these space-saving assemblies: they’re invisible when not in use and remove the need for an enclosed elevator lobby.
Smoke Guard offers hotel owners several options for elevator smoke and fire protection, without the need to enclose the entire elevator lobby. Not only does a Smoke Guard elevator curtain save hotel owners valuable square footage, but can save them money as well. Without the need for a large lobby, the area can be used for additional guest rooms or functional spaces.
Automatic Sliding Doors
The main entrance of a hotel takes up a good part of the lobby. The area behind the doors is essentially unused space, and if you don’t have staff to greet guests and open doors for them, the doors can make for a less-than-welcoming experience.
Automatic sliding doors give your hotel a forward, modern appearance, and offer ease and convenience for guests carrying luggage.
Front Desk Pods
All operations revolve around a hotel front desk, which typically occupies most of the space in a lobby.
Designers have found solutions for overcrowded front desk areas in the form of pods. Individual front desk pods a much more efficient use of lobby space. Instead of having one large, long front desk, having these separate (often mobile) pods helps free up space that would have otherwise been wasted.
These front desk pods at The Westin Hotel in Lima are a great example of efficient use of space. The design of a hotel lobby can even be enhanced by solutions like front desk pods.
Stylish and relevant hotel lobby design doesn’t mean you have to compromise function, safety, or comfort for guests. There are plenty of strategies to make the most of the space in your hotel lobby and industry demand will keep these kinds of innovations coming in the years ahead.