Natural trends in exterior design

In the same way a hotel should be treated. Your face will be observed and analyzed day after day by thousands of people who will arrive there or who will simply pass by the place as part of their daily tour. Therefore, it is important to leave an image that causes memory and recognition in people, and what better way to do it than with the help of a good exterior design.

But like any building or like any face, a hotel will always be exposed to the sun and rain and that makes this sector deserve great attention from a hotelier, who must think that the exterior design in addition to being striking must have the most successful materials to save maintenance costs, in the same way these must be suitable for any climatic condition.

The Art and Function section of its magazine GESTIÓN DE HOTELES Y RESTAURANTES will deal in this article with points such as the most used materials in exterior design for hotels, the requirements of a hotelier, current trends, among other topics that will be clarified thanks to the participation of the designer and architect Caroline Woodbridge, of Indesign Space Makers, and Cheryl Rowley, Alisa Chodos, and Joanie Neumayer, from Cheryl Rowley Design.

A healthy and pleasant environment
Current trends, according to our guests, are leaning towards designs that use natural elements and that go hand in hand with fresh environments, all with the purpose of making the guest feel in a relaxed space, of peace and harmony.

"Exterior design trends are closely related to environmental design, ensuring that landscaping is part of its facades, with elements such as water (fountains, mirrors), stones, outdoor furniture and sculptures. The use of natural stone as a veneer on walls is very much in vogue, since the hotel achieves a very strong visual change with it, "said Caroline Woodbridge, who also emphasized that good lighting and color give the perfect complement to the design of a façade.

For her part, for Cheryl Rowley it is important that the design goes hand in hand with the image that the hotel wants to show and at the same time coincides with the previous contribution by ensuring that both water and fire are key elements, more if you take into account that the outdoor areas there are several rest spaces.

"Recent trends have been to create indoor/outdoor living spaces that evoke a mood. The exterior is generally an extension of the interior design concept," the designer commented, adding that "active zones could be centered around water or fire features. We create more intimate areas in furnished cabins on the outer perimeter. The light design should be spectacular for the night."

Wood is another of the natural elements that is still valid: "The integration of wood in the facades is very interesting, since it gives the design a lot of warmth, but it is important to use it indoors, so that it is durable. Although many hotels replace it with synthetic materials due to its high cost and difficult maintenance."

"Durability is an important issue when it comes to furnishing the external areas, because they are in direct contact with the elements; this includes sunlight, rain and wind. Fabrics should be resistant to sunlight, parasols should be glued to the floor, and furniture should be waterproof. Architectural finishes play an important role and can improve the design significantly," explained Cheryl Rowley.

Meanwhile, Caroline emphasized the importance of color, ensuring that this is one of the most important elements for its influence on people and for the sensations it can create.

"Color is fundamental and every hotel should consider it, because when remodeling, indisputably you have to paint. The color can highlight elements, as well as hide others, and in this way achieve a visual change to the hotel. It is also well known that color influences people's mood and this is basic in a business like hospitality."

The budget is a vital factor, because the magnitude of the designs and materials depends on it: "A hotel with a large budget can think of semi-precious stones, such as marble. This gives it a higher status. On the other hand, the water gives the place an image of freshness and movement that no material can provide," said Caroline.

What does a hotel look for in its exterior design?
According to our invited sources, when requesting a new exterior design, a hotel mainly seeks to change its image and offer better and innovative spaces to improve the guest's stay.

"Today, hotels want to achieve an intimate atmosphere, an expansion of interior spaces and the creation of external spaces for the stay. They want the designer to have a great experience in the selection of outdoor materials, including the most appropriate ones to use in the pools according to the characteristics of the water, and the terraces, "said Rowley.

Caroline, for her part, said that the issue of costs plays a determining factor, since a hotel seeks to make maintenance comfortable and as less expensive as possible: "You have to adapt to the budget and the work schedule that the hotel demands. This point is very important because if it were not so, the hotel will have losses. A refurbishment involves complex logistics in the operation of the hotel, and if it has any delay or any increase not stipulated in your budget, it will inevitably take you longer to recover the investment."

Given that, the architect of Indesign Space Market, recommends to hotels that before doing a remodeling they should "make a real remodeling budget (including landscape design), be clear about the image you want to project and hire an experienced designer".

Similarly, Cheryl Rowley expresses that choosing the right design team is very important: "The coordination between the interior designer, the architect, the landscape consultant and the audiovisual and lighting consultant, is imperative to be able to achieve a cohesive and attractive design."

Similarly, both sources agree on the areas that should be most important when remodeling the exterior of a hotel: "Definitely the main entrance of the hotel, the lobby and outdoor areas (such as swimming pools or gardens)," said Caroline, while Cheryl expressed that "all areas are equally important, but those of drinks and meals, the swimming pools and the 'Porte Cochere' (covered entrance) are key external areas."

*Photo: Courtesy of Cheryl Rowley Design.