Hospitality Trends – Bring Your Home Away From Home…Home!

Have you ever stayed at a hotel and loved the design so much that you have wished you could take it home with you? Well apparently you are not alone. Stealing a hotel’s interior design concept (and sometimes a little more) appears to be the new trend.

Bringing Hospitality Home – Literally

when I saw the tweet from @TravelandLeisure linking to the article @peterjindberg had written regarding coveting interior design from hotels, I had to actually read over this twice before it really sunk in.

Now I have to say, at first the title “The Art of Bringing Hotel Design Ideas Home” made me think it was going to be informing me of some interior design tips that will help me to transform my bachelor pad into a chic, sophisticated, ‘grown ups’ living space, suitable for inviting guests over. Well…it does, but I wouldn’t necessarily follow the path that many people have chosen to embark on unless you want to be banned from a lot of hotels and possibly arrested…that is, if you don’t read past the first paragraph.

What am I talking about you ask? Well, according to the Telegraph the new trend of the interior world is to literally steal interior design from hotels to take home with you and create your own hospitable haven. Seriously? Now I applaud Ross (Gellar – huge F.R.I.E.N.D.S fan) for coveting hotel supplies such as complimentary shampoos, moisturisers, lotions and potions on offer because I am not a stranger to it either. Complimentary in my books means complimentary whether that applies to bathroom products, teas or coffees and even slippers! However, I don’t believe I have ever spotted a ‘complimentary’ throw, lamp, canvas, bath mat, plasma telly etc…in my hotel ‘welcome’ pack. Maybe I’m staying at the wrong hotels? Does the Premier Inn not offer such compliments for staying with them?

Lindberg Is Not A Hotel Thief; He’s Far More Tactful & Discreet

If you happen to stick it out and read past the first paragraph of Lindberg’s article rather than thinking ‘Wahey! Let’s get me some lamps’ then you will see that actually, although Lindberg and his wife do steal interior design from hotels, they do so legally. Basically, if Lindberg or his Mrs spot something in their hotel room they like be it the bed frame, the sofa, the walls or even the floorboards; they snap a quick pic of it and then source it for their home. Totally legal.

You might think it a bit of a strange or pompous design to aspire to but, actually, it’s genius! If you are someone that happens to travel a lot for work and find that you live in hotels most of the time, then the design of those hotels can be something that you become accustomed to. Hospitality interior design can start to feel like home and if this look isn’t duplicated at home, you may actually find your home unsettling.

Shopping for your home this way can be a little pricey depending on the hospitality chains you usually stay in, as many hotels have far greater budgets per room to play with than your salary may cater to. It is still worth taking a pic of what you like in your room or in the hotel lobby on your travels but, subscribing to a hospitality design magazine may help. This will give you access to suppliers that may be a little cheaper than the retail market, as well as presenting you with even more design inspiration ideas and cost saving tips. It also allows you to draw inspiration from some exotic locations when you may not have the budget to fly over.

The Hotels At Home Trend Is Great For Business

For established hospitality brands, the hotel trend at home has become a great business concept and the Hilton hotels chain is no exception. Globally recognised and a popular tourist hot spot, the Hilton brand who raked a whopping $13 billion in revenue in 2010 from sales alone, jumped on the ‘hotels at home’ trend and launched ‘Hilton To Home’, an e-commerce site that allows guests and members of the public to create their very own Hilton experience at home. Even their custom made beds (exclusive to the Hilton) are available for sale.

It seems the ‘home away from home…at home’ style trend is one that appears to be on the increase and can also help to save a lot of brain ache if you aren’t exactly decisive or creative, as it practically designs your home for you in a co-ordinated fashion; you just have to find the supplies.

But what do you think? Should hospitality design stay in hotels or can it really make your home; home?