The Top Hotel Decor Trends To Bring Home

Published by: Northland - July 5, 2017

Have you ever slept better in a hotel room than in your own bedroom? The phenomenon is so common because hotel decor relies on the most comfortable furniture, beds, and linens they can find to ensure a good night’s sleep.

The furniture is carefully curated as well. Many hotels use feng shui methods to decorate a room in minimalist style, allowing their guests to have a clean space with lots of breathing room and a night away from the clutter and bustle of home.

But this idea is no longer limited to hotels. Instagram has allowed us to peek into the world of the wandering elite, following fashion icons and travel bloggers as they explore the many beautiful boutique resorts around the world, taking pictures of them as they go. And as we peruse photos of an elegant Parisian suite or an exotic Moroccan retreat, we can borrow from the refined aesthetic of these world class resorts, bringing the romance or the vibrancy of a city and their hotels into the rooms where we spend so much of our lives.  

The top five hotel decor trends to bring home:

White Space

white space

Many hotels rely on white space to allow for a tranquil experience to quiet a busy mind. Purchasing white linens, benches, and bedside tables adds to the allure and can be complemented with a pop of color.

White space can also help with sleep, silencing the chatter many so often experience before bed by limiting the stimulation we are exposed to in the bedroom. White windows and drapes drown out the sound and light that can keep us up at night for a restful slumber every single night.

Texture

Texture

Wood grains, furs, tiles, wool blankets and other textured items can be added to a minimalist style bedroom to add warmth, comfort, and what is known in nordic literature as hygge—a feeling of being cozy.

We crave coziness, especially in the wintertime, which is why winter resorts and lodges stock up on textured items for the snowy season. Wooden beds draped with heavy feathered blankets and stone fireplaces hung with rosemary branches are added comforts that keep us warm and happy.

Matching Upholstery

Upholstry

Reminiscent of 1950’s style upholstery, hotel decor featuring matching items has once again become en vogue. To bring it back, simply pick a patterned fabric that can be paired throughout a room, and use it to upholster a bed, chair, or blankets (or all of the above) for a nostalgic feeling that reminds you of grandma’s.

To pull the feeling throughout your house, pick a pop-color from the patterned fabric to pull through the house in the form of flowers, pillows, and other decor for a room that matches and a style that reminds you of home.

Minimalist

Minimalist

Minimalist design is all about keeping a room as simple as possible. This works well for small spaces that cannot fit more than a few pieces of key furniture and it gives inhabitants a feeling of mental clarity. Not much else is needed when you have all the simple pleasures life has afforded to you.

A well-made bed, a solid blanket, and a lamp are all one needs to enjoy a quiet night in and a moment of peace from a world that won’t stop turning.

Pattern

pattern

For a European twist, apply pattern and repeat. Patterned wall papers layered over with patterned furniture, patterned blankets, and patterned rugs offer a luxurious respite reminiscent of long ago royalty and decadent dreams. For those that enjoy a little luxury, pattern can help create the life of leisure that many of us would love to enjoy in the comfort of our own homes.

Looking for something even more unique or a way to liven up your boutique hotel? Northland creates custom hospitality, senior living, and student housing furniture based on your needs. We’re happy to talk about your upcoming project.

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California Dreamin’ | The Appeal of Boutique Hotels in California

Published by: Northland - June 21, 2017

People who love to stay at boutique hotels in California do so because it reflects their lifestyle. A sometimes overlooked niche in the hospitality industry, boutique hotels are enjoying an ever-increasing demand from business travelers and vacationers alike.

Few places better exemplify boutique hotels and the lifestyle they represent than California. Home to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east, the Pacific Ocean coastline to the west, and miles of vineyards and towering redwood forests in between, boutique hotels in California are the ideal spot for travelers seeking a bit of California Dreamin’.

However, while there is a proliferation of high-end boutique hotels for the rich and famous, finding more affordable boutique hotels in California cities and towns is still possible for the equally discerning traveler.

How Should Boutique Hoteliers in California Manage the Increasing Demand for Bookings and Increasing Competition?

While there is no one simple answer, one thing is certain—hotel guests will forgive rustic, well-worn elements of a hotel’s property, but they won’t forgive guest rooms with outdated furniture or uncomfortable beds. We’ve all booked a room in a city only to find that our guest room furniture is either broken, outdated, overly worn, or all three. It doesn’t encourage your return.

The financial impact is often at the front of very hotelier’s mind when it comes time to renovate. While several factors need to be considered before planning a renovation, it’s never too late to start thinking about what your next guest room renovation will look like.

7 Signs It’s Time to Renovate, Renew, and Revive

  • Local competitors are upgrading their facilities
  • The bathroom tiles are are chipped or cracked
  • Carpet cleaning no longer removes stains from guestrooms or lobbies
  • Doors and windows are difficult to open or squeak when opened
  • Draperies show signs of excessive wear
  • Casegoods such as nightstands, desks, dressers, or armoires show visible signs of wear such as scratches or are not opening and closing properly
  • Negative reviews are starting to trickle in via TripAdvisor or Yelp that talk about antiquated guest rooms and furnishings

The Arrival of the Quintessential Boutique Hotel

Around 2010, name-brand hotel chains began embracing the boutique hotel concept, including Starwood, Marriott, and Wyndham. While hotel and hospitality experts have a range of definitions from “not cookie cutter” to “less than 100 rooms,” travelers are drawn to the unique lodgings, experiences, and intimacy smaller hospitality brands provide their guests.

The Hyatt recently launched an exclusive boutique hotel brand, Autograph Collection Hotels, reminiscent of the iconic California-based Joie de Vivre boutique hotels brand. Founded by Chip Conley in 1987, the Joi de Vivre brand brought the concept of psychographic themes to the forefront of the industry.

Their hotel lobbies and guest rooms feature interior design themes like new age wellness, men’s health, romance novels, and luxury camping. These themed hotels continue to be a huge success and inspiration in the hospitality industry and to guests who would remain loyal to Joi de Vivre hotel brand and what it signified for decades to come.

Increase the Appeal of Your Boutique Hotel

Based in Oregon, Northland manufacturers high-quality casegoods in America. From boutique to chain-branded hotels, Northland is proud to work with hospitality properties of all sizes throughout the United States and select regions in Canada.

If you’re planning a renovation, call Northland today—we are the logical hospitality furniture manufacturing choice for hotels, inns, and lodges up and down the west and southwest coasts. We invite you to contact us  about your current project. We look forward to helping with your renovation needs.

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Why Millennials Love Boutique Hotels and Unique Lodging Properties

Published by: Northland - June 7, 2017

Since 5-star hotels and their accompanying amenities are numerous, many millennials search for more customized experiences in boutique hotels as opposed to the cookie-cutter experiences bigger chains have historically provided.

Often located in vibrant cities, these distinctive properties are almost always more attractive to millennials than their big brand counterparts. Boutique hotels that create memorable experiences are successful for all the right reasons.

Personalized Service

One of the challenges that independent historic and boutique hoteliers face is finding new approaches to attract this demographic to their properties. According to Phocuswright, a global travel market research company, in 2014, millennials spent slightly less money when traveling ($3,217) than older travelers, who spent $3,381.

While not a significant difference, millennials tend to travel more spur of the moment. As such, millennial travelers are seen more as explorers and adventurers than as tourists, implying that they also value unique lodging experiences that engage their sense of spontaneity and creativity.

One of the most attractive traits of boutique hotels is the presence and capabilities of personalized service. These smaller properties also have the ability to change their decor and update their room themes more frequently than larger hotel chains.

Boutique hotels offer millennials customer-centric service and cater to fewer people at any given time, which makes guests feel important and valuable. Guests staying at a smaller property also have more opportunities to interact with hospitality staff and sometimes the hotel owner or general manager. The more attention a guest feels, the more likely they are to return.

Quirky and Memorable Environments

Staying in a unique location is often more memorable than staying in a chain hotel, as chains typically offer the same look, feel, and interiors all across the world. Boutique hotels employ many techniques to remedy this, including the furnishing and design of the guest rooms. The right furniture, crafted with care and skill, can completely revolutionize a room, giving unique lodgings the ability to stay up-to-date on trends as well as to garner positive experiences and reviews from their guests.

Comfortable beds, minimalist chairs, and casegoods that leave plenty of open room space combined with eco-friendly fixtures are features prioritized by millennials. Overall, a favorable environment and thoughtful interior design of your boutique hotel can make a huge difference for guests, even if they spend very little time in the room itself.

Contemporary Aesthetic of Boutique Hotels

In addition to room furnishings, the overall aesthetic of a hotel is critical for creating a boutique experience. Keeping up with furniture and design trends can be challenging, but the effect of a unique lodging experience in addition to that of a well-designed room can be unforgettable. For all guests, establishing relaxed, upscale environments often do the trick. Luxury items such as plush towels, overhead lighting, and technology built into casegoods are always a plus.

Importance of Sharing Experiences

In the current digital age, millennials strive to balance sharing their lives on social media platforms with their sense of independence and individuality more than ever. Staying at a sometimes overlooked location or finding that hidden gem the masses tend to miss gives guests the assurance that they are making the best choice. According to the Millennial Brief on Travel & Lodging, boutique hotels should focus on building a more memorable experience that is suitable for their hotel brand and their millennial guests.

Digital connectivity is also often considered as a top priority for the millennial traveler. Sharing memories from a vacation or business trip on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is a mainstay in many people’s lives today. Hotels that create a unique brand experience that incorporates easy ways to share images and hashtags on social media can also boost their brand by engaging future customers.

In a nutshell, service, overall aesthetic, and upscale amenities are often what make boutique hotels successful. Unique lodgings of all types offer an individualized experience for fewer guests than say a 25-story hotel tower in the middle of the city. This gives guests who choose the former a feeling of satisfaction that they choose the better option.

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