Is bigger better? When it comes to the amount of space your legs have on a long-haul flight, yes, but when it comes to hotel rooms, clever design can be more valuable than square meters.
Tourism Accommodation Australia has just released its new study The Innovation Revolution Transforming Australia’s Hotel Industry which reveals a trend toward smaller hotel rooms. Rooms as small as 15 square metres in fact.
Don’t panic though, hotel rooms may be getting smaller, but they are packing a greater punch thanks to advanced design.
How? Well the introduction of wall-mounted, flat-screen TVs for one has enabled designers to replace bulky cabinetry, opening up considerable space.
Mobile desks that can be hidden away allow rooms to switch from business-mode to leisure-mode in an instant, and advanced lighting systems and better use of natural light enhance the feeling of space.
Hilton’s new Tru brand has rooms of 21 square metres, which feel much larger because they have replaced bulky cabinets with hooks and rods on the walls for storage.
The rooms have also scrapped a desk in favour of a chair with a large arm that can hold a laptop computer or a notepad.
For many guests, the idea of a working desk has been transcended, so hotels are providing USB points next to the bed.
Brands such as Hilton’s Tru and Holiday Inn Express may operate on the basis of offering smaller rooms, but they are upgrading their community lounge areas to more than compensate.
European hotel group, CitizenM who pioneered the “smaller isn’t necessarily lesser” movement is now looking to enter the Australian market.
Their rooms are often about 15 square metres but are of a funky design with huge quality beds taking up most of the space, and TVs on the wall opposite.
They are coupled with a communal floor of delis, bars and lounges for guests to meet friends, catch up with work, eat, and just chill out. Food for thought.
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