Bobby Mukherji, Chairman, Bobby Mukherji and Associates talks about challenges and opportunities for architects and designers in the new normal.

The covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire hotel industry and though a few weaker players in the hotel and restaurant industry will disappear for good, the future is not so grim as the world perceives it to be. We, humans, are a resilient lot and have always risen from the ashes, making us the most dominant species on the planet. Though guests at hotels could be a bit wary with this new normal to begin with, they will soon adjust and accept this as a part of their lives and life will go on. Soon, we will be back to a somewhat return to normal.

As architects and designers, we will have to mind the wariness of the guests and do a balancing act so that they feel safe and at the same time, relax and enjoy themselves as they would in a social and fun space. Before the pandemic, all branded hotels had started looking alike, with each brand copying the other in this monotonous bland millennial aesthetic where everything looks similar.

Humans are programmed to socialise for their own wellbeing and nothing can change it. All the nations that have recently fully opened have shown that its citizens jump at this opportunity to celebrate life by socialising, partying, holidaying  and dining out. How long will the rest of the nations keep executing strict lockdowns and curbs on its citizens is the question? So when all the countries open up, a full return to normalcy is bound to happen, with some short-term changes in hotels, both existing and new. 

As normalcy approaches, people will be looking forward to having some excitement from the depressing last couple of years of existence. They will want to hang out in a space to help them lift their spirits. They will want to see some drama, some theatrics, some glamour, some excitement and some wow, like it was in the 1990s and early 2000s as witnessed in the creations of the cool master hotelier Ian Schrager and his even cooler designer Phillipe Starck. These cool atmospheric fun and funky hotels in New York like Royalton and Hudson, Mondrian in LA, Delano in Miami and St Martins Lane Hotel in London were amazing hotels that stimulated all human senses and made guests feel good. 

History is proof that the time right after periods of collective hardship leads to a shift in style as seen in after both the World Wars and the 60s and 70s. Similarly, there will be an impact on our own design tastes after this pandemic era dominated by sadness, loneliness and loss. I predict two trends emerging from this period. 

One, going back to the theatrical spaces of the 20s, 30s, 70s and 90s that will help depressed souls stuck inside for so long that they will want to experience something completely out of their comfort zone. There will be a revolution in people’s behavioural pattern followed by a revolution as also in design of spaces, in both hotels and restaurants. The interiors might tend to look like movie sets with dramatic lighting, unusual colours, new textures, bold art installations, crazy wall papers, funky furniture designs, dense indoor plantings and fresh flowers.

Two, the second trend is particularly catering to luxury hospitality which should bounce back first. I see it manifesting itself into a more subtle understated avatar. The affluent class didn’t go into a conservative mode and instead continued spending big by moving into larger homes at better locations in the city as well as scenic locations by the sea, hill stations or greener outskirts of the bigger cities. They will want to further improve their lifestyle and quality of life and health and will invest in experiences. This new lifestyle requirement will manifest into designs and operations of luxury hospitality projects. New projects will open up in remote Nature-inspired locations. Locations that are unique in terms of geographic conditions to environments with unique flora and fauna. 

Luxury travellers will spend big bucks on these experiential holidays and staycations. These hotels will have a limited number of rooms and the guest room sizes will be larger and overall experience will be more private and personalised. They will want the feeling of home in a new exotic environment. This, in turn, will result in attracting higher tariffs and good business for the hotel industry and its surrounding environment . 

Then, technology will come into greater prominence with guests opting to do self-check-ins, contactless payments, online ordering of meals, usage of apps for in room, lighting air conditioning controls and doing away with the swipe cards. And instead use smartphones to enter guest rooms and use the elevators.

This article was published in BW hotelier issue dated '' with cover story titled 'RESPONSIBLE HOTELIERING ISSUE VOL 7, ISSUE 3'