Design firm argues that wellness in hotels should be embedded in architecture from the start, covering acoustics, lighting, and sense of place, rather than added as amenity features.
AXIS Architecture + Design completed a centennial renovation of the 1926 Hotel Viking in Newport, RI, restoring historic Gilded Age character while adding modern luxury elements across public spaces, exterior, and courtyard.
Drawing on Expedia Group's Unpack '26 report, the piece outlines how Farm Charm properties use natural materials, seasonal menus, and branded touchpoints to create an immersive, nature-connected guest experience.
Issue 127 covers Italian hospitality, Colombian landmark conversions, Miami Beach Art Deco revival, Bali heritage design, London's Whiteleys transformation, and the MEA hotel construction pipeline.
AXIS Architecture + Design completed the 173-room Hilton Arcadia, merging a new six-story tower with a converted office building across 153,000 sq ft of hospitality space inspired by Santa Anita Park's Art Deco heritage.
The article argues that a hotel's atmosphere is built through a unified design logic applied consistently across materials, finishes, and objects, down to items like a wooden key card.
GCSTIMES promotes its wooden key card as a symbol of biophilic hospitality design, arguing that small natural details reflect a broader philosophy of restraint and mindful guest experience.
A wooden hotel key card with embossed deer motif illustrates how nature-inspired design can extend to small tactile touchpoints, reinforcing biophilic storytelling from the first moment of guest contact.
Hotels like Pan Pacific Orchard, Aman Tokyo, and Ritz-Carlton Bali show how curated natural soundscapes, water features, and open-air acoustics are becoming deliberate design tools for guest wellbeing.
Three case studies, PARKROYAL Pickering, Oasia Hotel Downtown, and Six Senses Ibiza, illustrate how biophilic design is shifting from aesthetic trend to core hotel strategy.
A live podcast recording from HT360 explores how technology and staffing challenges are reshaping hotel interiors, public spaces, and F&B areas to boost revenue and guest appeal.
Renovations only justify higher rates when they shift guest perception through place-specific design, not competitor-benchmarked aesthetics.
Survey of 2,000 US and European travelers identifies six design imperatives: acoustic comfort, visible sustainability, embedded wellness, faster refresh cycles, authentic local culture, and technology as emotional connection.
Legendary designer Adam Tihany argues emotion in hospitality spaces comes from control and storytelling, and dismisses technology at the table as harmful to genuine warmth and luxury.
Rising construction costs and evolving guest priorities are pushing luxury hospitality developers toward strategic, experience-led design that balances aspiration with financial efficiency across all price points.
The piece explores how wooden hotel amenities like DND hangers, coasters, key cards, and pencils create a warmer, more home-like guest experience through natural textures.
Garcia, a 30-year industry veteran and Lebatex founder, will receive NEWH's top honor alongside two scholarship recipients.
Cornell research shows wellness-focused hotels earn 6% higher guest satisfaction scores, while wellness travelers spend significantly more than regular tourists.
Cities optimize for short-term visitor metrics rather than long-term resident connection, with repeat visitation as the key indicator of urban success.
Philippe Starck's Metz hotel beat 24 other European properties, with judges praising its blend of historical reference and contemporary design.