Hospitality Design - May 2014 - 132

perspectives

trends millennial mind
6+7. ACME Hotel
creates Instagram
moments with
whimsical elements,
including black and
white handprints
above the bed and big
red lips functioning
as a nightlight on the
bathroom mirror.

6

travelers in a different way that may alienate other
generations. AC meets younger traveler's needs
and has great design but is still classic and works
for everyone."
When it comes to design preference,
Millennials, it seems, are wired differently.
Unlike previous generations, this one doesn't
place work and play into silos but instead blends
professional and social lives, the concept which is
now commonly referred to as "bleisure." "It's not
foreign to be social in a work environment," Brad
Richards, principal of Baskervill, says. The lobby
is now at the forefront of design because it offers
guests connectivity-to their devices as well as to
the people around them. For the younger set, "it's
the nuances of design that are changing," he adds.
Epiphany is designed for its target tech-savvy,
younger Silicon Valley audience. For them,
technology is the crux of their livelihood, and
McCartan uses this as the benchmark for design.
For example, the meeting rooms are divided
into two options: Tinder and Accelerator. Tinder
includes built-in foldout desks that can be drawn
on, and the room is lined with big chairs equipped
with phone charging stations and USB ports.
Accelerator is a more intimate space where long
sofas and a communal table create an open work
environment. The addition of an outdoor terrace
with lounge seating and sofas offers another
alternative to traditional ways to work.

Community + Technology

"People in this generation, they have this isolation-

132

May 2014 hospitalitydesign.com

7

togetherness notion," explains Mary Winslow of
InterContinental Hotel Group's (IHG) Hotel Indigo
brand. "They want to sit in the lobby. They want to
have local coffee, or they want to have local craft
beer. They want to experience the neighborhood
even if they don't get to leave the hotel."
As director of brand management for the
boutique chain, Winslow works to create a unique
narrative in each hotel. For example, the Hotel
Indigo in Nashville-an adaptive reuse set in a
1900s bank building on Printer's Alley-pulls
in elements from its history. The front desk
resembles two printing block tables, with print
shop letter blocks framed in shadowboxes. Murals
incorporate imagery of old printing presses, and
the bar pays homage to the Prohibition era.
More than just informing a design aesthetic,
by highlighting a hotel's locale, brands are able to
cultivate a dedicated audience. Local artists and
craftspeople create a community and diversity
"across a single brand, anchoring it into the city
that it's in," explains Baskervill's Richards.
Beyond the lobby's communal function,
guestrooms are seeing a smaller footprint,
he adds, as Millennials want flexibility in the
design. "There's not that need for traditional
furniture," he says. Instead, rooms should focus
on connectivity-USB ports, outlets for charging
devices, and bathroom mirrors that can hook up to
iOS or Android systems, not to mention free wifi.
Understanding this younger demographic's
near-constant use of devices also means
acknowledging the ubiquity of social media. In

fact, when designers are brainstorming concepts,
they are creating designs that have an "Instagram
effect," explains Lopez. Millennials "want to take a
picture and share it."
ACME, an independent hotel in Chicago,
is rife with social media fodder. Its second floor
contains a foosball table and board games while
recycled skateboards add an element of surprise
as a wall art installation. And in the guestrooms,
big red lips on the vanity mirror function as a
nightlight but also a design element created for
the social media generation. "You don't know how
many times you find those lips on Instagram. No
one really wants to Instagram a boring beige box,"
says ACME owner Gene Kornota.
These relatively minor design choices are part
of a much larger strategy. Because Millennials
aren't particularly brand loyal, they have no
problem breaking up with a property that has
disappointed them or left them feeling wanting
more. But they are value driven, Kornota says, and
they want informal service. For example, "they
want knock-and-drop room service. They don't
want to deal with tipping," he says.
Above all, Millennials want convenience,
functionality, and a personalized experience.
"Millennials tell us what to do. If we're designing
for them, we're designing for everyone," McCartan
adds. "They are the heart and soul of today's
travelers." hd
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