Boutique Design - November 2019 - 54

HILTON MUNICH CITY, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE BRAND'S ROBUST OVERSEAS PIPELINE GROWTH

VERA MANOUKIAN
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
AND GLOBAL BRAND
HEAD, HILTON HOTELS &
RESORTS

HILTON HOTELS & RESORTS
COMING SOON: 17 hotels in the Americas; 14 in

Europe and U.K.; 42 in Africa and the Middle East;
90 in Asia
NEW FOR THE NEXT CENTURY: "Some of the
most dramatic and immediate changes will occur
in meeting space design," says Vera Manoukian,
senior vice president and global brand head,
Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Getting it right has
major upside. Eighteen months of industry and
proprietary research convinced Hilton's leadership
that developing a lifestyle/workstyle hybrid
design model could be a strong business driver for
meeting/event planners looking for more relevant
venues and the 63% of business travelers who want
to work in a communal space.
HOW THAT WILL IMPACT DESIGN: It changes

everything. "When research participants told our
Customer Experience & Innovation Team they
wanted more flexible meeting and event space, some
would have taken that literally-as in floating walls or
modular furniture," says Manoukian. "Our team went
deeper and found out that what people really are asking
for are spaces built with a specific purpose in mind."
Concepts will incorporate various zones that
enable the operator to customize their functionality
to leverage right-here, right-now opportunities.
"Delivering innovative meeting areas is the No. 1 way
operators can assist in creating onsite experiences,"
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boutiquedesign.com NOVEMBER 2019

points out Manoukian. "We encourage our hotel
teams to mix and match the zones to target the
needs/wants of individual meeting planners, guests
and locals." Designers will have the opportunity to
craft adaptable, seamless public areas that include:
a residential-style pantry with self-serve access to
snacks and beverages; a flexible breakout space for
small groups or impromptu work sessions; and a third
area for executive presentations and board meetings.
THE GOOD NEWS FOR BLUE-SKY DESIGNERS:

There's no prototype. "Hiltons don't come out of a
box," Manoukian says. But there are some creative
design themes that are beginning to resonate with
a big part of the brand's target market:
* Wellness-focused designs, incorporating
features such as a healthy and locally sourced
F&B program, natural daylight, live foliage and
spa-inspired amenities
* Theater-themed rooms with modern, dramatic
design and eye-catching urban art
* Organic-inspired, plant-based designs, focusing
on the human need to connect with nature and
outdoor spaces
* Youthful start-up spaces that infuse bright colors
to energize the area.
WHY IT WON'T GET BORING: Manoukian's design

narrative challenges designers to use the basic
platform as a springboard. Customers, owners and
designers are responding positively. Cases in point:
The Reverbery at Hilton Austin, Texas, channels

the city's recording studios with its modern-meetsmid-century look and a tech array that can master
sophisticated business presentations, audio/visual
systems for music or metrics and hookups for laptops
and guitars. Another nod to festival culture: the
indoor/outdoor space flow. In London, theatrical
tech is the star. Manoukian calls The Agora Room at
Hilton London Bankside "the opposite of a beige box."
Its warm color scheme makes that literal. But it's the
holistic approach that sets it apart. "There's a 75-in.
screen which connects wirelessly to your devices," she
says. "But the coolest features are the multi-sensory
details including mood-improving light installations,
almost hypnotic video art, stimulating bursts of
aromatic air and brain-power-boosting refreshments."
WHAT'S ON HILTON'S VISION BOARD: "One area

I'm excited about is in the technology space. We're
working with our hotel teams to install intuitive
technology-which is exactly what customers
have told us that they want," says Manoukian.
This includes innovative products such as wireless
chargers, digital whiteboards, digital art frames and
wireless presentation systems.
WHY THIS ISN'T NEW FOR THE SAKE OF IT:

"Everything we do is grounded in customer research.
We make sure any design element we introduce is
purposeful, not just flashy," Manoukian says. "We
need to keep our finger on the pulse of consumer
preferences so that we can deliver experiences
before guests even know they want them."

C O U R T E S Y O F H I LT O N

TODAY: 585-plus hotels worldwide

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - November 2019

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