When it comes to trends in the boutique hotel business, investing in fleeting trends can spell trouble. Today’s new trend can be tomorrow’s old news. Spending a lot of money trying to keep up can mean sliding down the hole.
You want to choose trends that modern guests are seeking, but also will stand the test of time.
Here are some current trends in the boutique hotel space, and their associated costs. The costs serve as general estimations, and are factored for an upscale boutique hotel:
Today’s hotel guests want to feel welcome and at home. So the lobby is critically important. If it looks tired and shabby, word-of-mouth and repeat business will suffer. When you’re renovating guest rooms, don’t forget to modernize your lobby, too!
Spiffing up the lobby doesn’t necessarily mean a complete renovation. It can entail a “softgoods” redo -- where the can range from about $14 to $19 per square foot.
A softgoods renovation can include:
Removing carpet and/or tile
Refinishing millwork
Painting
Applying wallcovering and window treatments
Installing seating
A full renovation, on the other hand, can cost from about $108 to $155 per square foot and involve all of the softgoods changes and much more, including:
Electrical and lighting
HVAC
New front desk
Concierge and bell stand
Ceiling
Shop and business center
A lot of myths about the high cost of American-made hotel furniture don’t take into account the quality and durability that good American manufacturers put into it, or other factors such as shorter delivery times lower shipping costs, and more.
For now, suffice it to say that many guests appreciate home-grown desks and tables. Hoteliers can do well to install American-made furniture and let their guests know about it. Including it should be a consideration in any room renovation.
Again, such renovations fall into two categories: softgoods and full. But it’s the full renovation that applies here. A full room renovation includes, among other items:
Dresser
Desk
Coffee table
Side table
Refrigerator cabinet
Headboard
A softgoods renovation might be all that’s needed, in which case, the cost runs about $6,690 to $9,208 per key.
A full renovation can cost from $8,738 to $11,622 per key. The part of the full renovation budget that goes to furniture will run from around $4,036 to $5,460 per key.
It’s fine to put a few potted plants in the lobby to give it a more natural feel. But guests these days seem to prefer a bit more of the outdoors, at least as long as it can be enjoyed in the comfort of the indoors.
This is where living walls (or green walls) come into play. They’re modular structures that attach to interior or exterior walls or dividers to add natural beauty as well as other benefits, such as improved air quality sound buffering. They require little water or soil
Green walls and vertical gardens can be virtually any size. They serve as room dividers and well as two-story gardens. So the investment can be small or large as well.
As a general rule, these walls and gardens cost about $195 to $265 per square foot, including the plants.
No matter what trend you’re trying to capture in your hotel, it’s important to keep in mind that you want the furniture and casegoods to last as long as possible. After all, old, worn, furniture is never trendy.
Talk to a manufacturer who is knowledgeable of trends, and can be a true partner in incorporating them into your hotel from the design to the installation.