Vera Iconica Founder and CEO, Veronica Schreibeis-Smith, was recently featured on a panel at the BITAC 2023 conference discussing trends in luxury hospitality design. Alongside three other industry leaders, Veronica explained the importance of staying ahead of trends, and seeing further down the road to anticipate the wants and needs of your clients:
“You have to know years in advance what your customer is going to want,” Schreibeis-Smith said. “And I think that if you can understand what people value, and more importantly, how values are shifting right now, that’s the only way to innovate and come up with products.”
The panel discussed how rapidly consumer desires are changing, with an awareness and desire to integrate wellness concepts and features into their experience. They explain how trends they predicted would be slowly phasing in over the next five or ten years are happening now, and are accelerating.
“People don’t want luxury for the sake of luxury anymore. They want … something else,” explains Shreibeis-Smith. “What is that ‘something else’? That’s different for each person.”
In our projects, this has held true. Some clients are seeking a healthier environment and optimized air quality; some want customized spaces to inspire their meditation and mindfulness practice; some are focused on quality and old-world craftsmanship; while others want a greater connection to nature and the outdoors. Generally, a wellness oriented client will want some or all of these features and will be more interested in subtlety, simplicity and experience than the traditional glitz associated with luxury.
In hospitality and spa design, we see this continuing to advance. Will customer demand and expectations drive the industry to showcase their use of non-toxic and VOC-free materials and finishes, better, safer cleaning products, mold remediation measures, advanced air filtration, and beyond?
We predict yes.
And that the developers and entrepreneurs that lead this trend will be rewarded for their foresight and vision.
For more info on the the BITAC conference and highlights from the discussion, on the latest in wellness design trends, check out this article in Hotel Interactive
Andrew Mackie
Andrew is a Certified Building Biologist who studied architecture Yale University's School of Architecture and art at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, all of which furthered his passion for old stuff, old places, and classic details. Prior to starting his architecture career, Andrew co-owned and ran a 'Healthy Home and Lifestyle' store for a dozen years, helping people protect their kids, and make homes beautiful and safe. Andrew is currently traveling around the country in an RV with his family looking for cool ducks.