How are Britain’s luxury hotels keeping up with international accommodation trends?

The international accommodation landscape is dynamic and changes continuously. 2019 comes with a lot of transformations in terms of what’s hot and what’s not in the sector, and most luxury hotels are more than ready to catch up and keep up with the latest trends and developments. Today, being as “Instagrammable” as possible has become the norm in the accommodation and hospitality industry. From western civilisations to countries in the Middle East, hotels try to find unexpected ways to impress their guests. Making their rooms as luxurious as possible, turning them into relaxation oasis and offering them diverse themes are novelties that appeal to most luxury hotel managers. Britain seems to excel at keeping up with the trends, but more on the topic, below.

Home-from-home

A popular trend in the accommodation industry that seems to be widely embraced by the trendiest hotels in London is the “home-from-home” hotel concept. The Connaught Hotel in London takes this concept up a notch and offers its guests a two-bedroom suite, furnished with a grand piano to recreate a feeling of cosiness. Besides, it offers their guests the opportunity to order pizza straight to their front door, from the Jean-Georges restaurant.

Infused with an air of vacation home in a luxurious, yet welcoming setting, the Athenaeum shares a similar concept. The 14-bedroom Townhouse Residence is a modern replica of a welcoming house and offers all guests the opportunity to dine in-house, straight from the Galvin Brother’s Michelin-star restaurant.

Similarly, the Bistrotheque enters the accommodation industry by joining the Native Aparthotels and BLOK, a boutique gym. The concept, named the London Warehouse, features 166 suites above the already-notorious restaurant. The suits are all decorated into a retro-modern fashion, and they beautifully recreate a feeling of hominess and comfort.

Countryside hotel

Food-focused B&Bs are becoming more popular. The trend began a couple of years ago, when Tom Adams, a notorious chef in London, opened a similar Bed and Breakfast in a Georgian Farmhouse in Cornwall.

City chefs are now following the trend, embracing the idea. The Westbury in London recently joined the Wild Rabbit in the Cotswolds, and the two establishments collaborate closely to deliver top-notch produce and meals to the Daylesford Farm.

A new facility following the same concept is soon expected to open at the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border. A 1,200-acre family-run farm will be run with the help of locally-sourced produce and meat, and the entire facility was designed and decorated with the fabrics manufactured at the estate’s mill.

Everything about these facilities screams “country” and the care and attention to details are astounding.

Luxury everything

Luxury hotels are a big hit right now in London, but other parts of the world were excelling at this before 2019. The Savoy, The Dorchester, Brown’s Hotel and Ritz London are leading the game.

The Savoy makes itself noticeable through the Edwardian-style in which it is built, the deco glamour style in which it’s decorated wand the stunning view over the Thames. With large and fresh bedrooms and traditional, classy décor, the Savoy impresses through simplicity and class.

Another Art Deco landmark, The Dorchester is an easy-going and charming hotel where guests can enjoy the class and style of the Art Deco trend, without feeling overwhelmed. With a harmonious design and eclectic decorations, the Dorchester is a gentle replica of the traditional English style.

But as much as these hotels seem to rule the luxury hotel niche, they might have got their inspiration from the golden floors and luxury-infused hotel rooms in Saudi Arabia. Hotels like Shaza Makkah, Al-Madinah or Riyadh lead the traditional luxurious approach on accommodation. Large windows, airy spaces, and luxurious accessories make the rooms of Saudi Arabia hotels the staple in terms of modern and classy luxuries.

Theme hotels

Theme hotel design has slowly entered the accommodation industry. And what seems to perform best, is music-themed hotel design.

London hotels like the Standard Hotel already plan the grand opening of their own record labels, like other world-renowned hotels already did. For instance, W Hotels has launched its own record label and offers recording space in different locations around the world: Bali, Indonesia, Seattle or Hollywood.

Up in the top, you can find podcast suites and hotel radio stations, a quirky approach to luxury accommodation. The Mayfair in LA, and Eaton Workshop Hotel in DC and Hong Kong play the tune and hotels in different parts of the world, dance.

Designer hotels

Designer credentials on luxury hotels seem to attract flocks of guests, all eager to see their latest creations. And most important than anything else, these hotels grow more and more affordable. Such rooms have popped up in Berlin, Rotterdam, Vienna and the price per room varies between £59-£65.

Decorated with trendy wallpapers and intricate sculptures, the rooms impress through affordability and stunning designs. In London, a similar hotel located in the 250 City Road development designed by Sir Norman Foster is planned to open later this year.

World heritage hotels

Luxury hotels that gamble on extra experiences seem to be drawn towards locations near UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world. Such hotels have been opened in Beijing, the Swiss Alps, the protected Douro Valley, these have all become hot spots for luxury hotels.

While in London and Britain the trend has yet to embrace the trend, it looks like a big development opportunity for accommodation facilities and investors in Britain.

All hotels following this theme are decorated in a relatively traditional fashion with a hint of luxury and modernism.

The accommodation industry is growing to be more dynamic and focus more on customer experience and less on offering a plain place to sleep in while you’re away from home. It has become the norm to offer your guests a little extra and win in face of the competition through design and facility perks.

The editorial unit