Trends in Luxury Hospitality According to Architect Jean-Michel Gathy

Gathy's architectural accolades include: Cheval Blanc Randheli in Maldives, Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort in China, The Setai in Miami, Amanyara in Turks-and-Caïcos, Aman Canal Grande Venice in Italy, Chedi Andermatt in Switzerland and the Chedi Muscat in Oman.

Speaking from his experience and expertise, Gathy shares his latest views on tourism and travel trends. Over the past few years he has witnessed major changes in this sector: the internet is revolutionizing habits, and the demographics of tourism are ever evolving with an increasing number of travelers from China, India and Russia.

Gathy reveals his five key predictions for the hotels of tomorrow:

Technology is everywhere

“Hotels are becoming ultra-connected. Customers never travel without their smartphone or tablet. This is having a big impact on their choice of hotel, sales network and design. For example, we no longer design desks for guest rooms. People work from their bed or at the beach."

Specialist hotels

“Luxury hotels will become increasingly targeted. Previously, hotels wanted to offer all sorts of activities as they needed to attract as many guests as possible. Today, that no longer applies. There are many new travelers from emerging markets, meaning there are enough guests for hotels to target specifically. So we’ll see establishments that specialize in diving, with all the latest equipment and the best instructors, or yoga, cooking classes, wine and so on. This also means that luxury hotels will be more expensive with a wider selection of offers.”

Environmentally conscious hotels

“In luxury hotels, respect for the environment has become standard. The development of new technologies has brought new solutions for hotels, such as the processing of waste materials and water, more effective insulation, the use of local materials, geothermal energy, solar, wind power, etc. Clean and renewable energies are the future of hotels.”

Restaurant sociability and diversity

“Today, travelers want to meet people, talk with locals and interact with other guests. This has led us to review restaurant architecture, with furniture in different sizes and bigger tables where people can gather. The food offer is becoming increasingly diverse. Customers want to take their taste buds on a journey too, so we are building hotels with several restaurants offering different specialties: Italian, French and Asian cuisines.”

Management for above and beyond service

“Traveler reviews on websites have considerably changed customer service. Before choosing a hotel, people check the reviews. Managers need to be extremely vigilant and attend to all guest requests. To do this, you need to introduce systems in order to automate little details. In fact, staff cannot make an exception for every customer, even if that's the impression they give. The perception of the hotel is very important too. They need to be careful that it doesn’t appear better than reality, to avoid disappointing people.”

A living legend of hotel architecture, Gathy has established some of the most cutting-edge hospitality concepts: by anticipating the needs of modern travelers, his designs stay ahead of the ever-changing trends. In 2006, Gathy was announced as a Platinum Circle Hospitality Design honoree, which recognized his significant career achievements and remarkable skill in the world of hospitality design.

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