Top 10 Hotel Lobby Design Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

Creating an intuitive guest experience is one of the key factors in the interior design of any space inside a hotel or resort.  Remember that a guest may be arriving to your location with little or no previous knowledge of your property, so the lobby is the predominant first contact point.  The adage that you can only make a first impression once is true - and that impression should be a good one or you’re starting off on the wrong foot and may never be able to recover.

Here are my Top 10 Lobby Mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. The Entry Experience. The guest should not have to search high and low to find the entry. This begins outside the building at the porte cochere if you have one.  Property signage should be visible from the right direction – whether you are on a one-way urban street or at a remote rural location, clarity in expressing your identity is crucial to easy recognition.  And by recognition, that means by yes, the guest, but also hired vehicles, limos, taxis, Uber, Lyft, and delivery drivers needing clear, unfettered access to loading dock areas.  Remember visibility at both daytime and nighttime.  Something to bear in mind is that there can be restrictions on sign types, illumination, size and location by the brand and/or local jurisdictions.  Get your signage and wayfinding right or correct it if it isn’t.
2. Where do I check in?  Whether you have a dedicated formal registration desk, a bank of kiosks, or a fleet of sexy hipsters armed with iPads, the arriving guest needs to know where they are to check in.  This is a spatial issue.  It is also an operational issue.  There is a trend now of many brands re-thinking every guest experience in an effort to carve out a unique position for themselves and to strengthen and enrich the guest experience.  Some of the new explorations are fantastic and some are - not so much.  The driving element in these designs and philosophies should always be clarity of action for the guest.  You can also think of this as the positive manipulation of experience for the guest, almost the illusion of choice.  No matter what they pick, they’re right.  The last thing you want is a frustrated guest, lost, tired, wet and cold, hungry, perhaps feeling under the weather.  Let your registration experience be the hero, get them where they need to be, in the way they want to go.
3. Bellman & Valet Stand.  Can the Bellmen and Valet see the approaching vehicles?  Are they physically positioned behind a column or a wall, unable to see? Are they on the wrong side of the driveway?

   One of our renovation projects had such a configuration, a Valet desk which was located on the side of the porte cochere which made it impossible for the Valet to see approaching cars.  Consequently arriving cars were left ignored and the guests frequently wandered about frustrated and angry, looking for what they thought was a missing Valet.  I interviewed the Valet and Bell staff as part of our Diagnostic Phase and asked what was working and what wasn’t.  The Valet disclosed the problem.  I asked him if we moved his desk to the other side of the porte cochere would it make a difference.  He quickly said, absolutely.  As part of the renovation, we then designed a new desk and located it in the agreed-upon new spot visible to inbound cars, and there was an instant improvement.  A case when asking a simple question had a tremendously positive guest impact.

     Where are their bell carts? – have they become a ghastly metallic sculpture making the hotel’s façade look like a yard sale?  Are the carts discretely hidden and easily brought out for use, and are there enough carts for peak arrival times?  This is particularly important for convention hotels, destination resorts, and timeshare properties where group check-ins can number into the hundreds.  The connection from front of house arrival point and the back of house luggage storage is also important.  Ease of access, speed of retrieval and security is critically important.  Next is, in what condition is the Bell Stand and the Valet Stand?  A functional Bell Stand is key.  An organized and tidy one is as well.  Sufficient cubbies for all necessary tickets, pens, computer terminal, printer, maps, water bottles, and a hidden trash can.  And no staff trash or refuse, like in-process drink containers visible.  Additionally, I recommend power in the form of a duplex outlet which also has USB charger ports.  Lighting for this station is important, whether it be ambient from the building or overhead, or desk mounted.  For Valet, a lockable set of doors is important.
4. Who moved my bags? The carry-on guest isn’t the issue.  It’s the guest who travels with checked luggage that’s the focus here.  From hard cases to hanging bags, golf clubs, skis, snow boards, bicycles, surf boards and everything in between.  Thoughtfully handling, processing, delivering the guest’s baggage is really important.  So is the timing related to delivery.  Tried and true systems should be in place for your Valet/Bellman team.  I’ve seen Iron-Man Triathletes screaming in stark terror as their prized road bike’s case is carelessly dragged and bounced across the porte cochere driveway.  Extra kindness and care will go a long way in earning the guest satisfaction scores you want.
5. Lobby Seating.  Is there enough seating, and is it of varying styles to accommodate a variety of needs?  Is there sufficient circulation space around the various pieces of furniture to allow comfortable movement of guests with luggage?  Is the furniture durable? Are the fabrics durable enough (60,000 double-rubs minimum) to withstand the almost guaranteed abuse from shoes, boots, hard-sided luggage? Are there pillows or loose cushions which are a part of the soft seating?  If so, what keeps them in place?  Are they reversible? Who is specifically responsible for maintaining their orderly appearance?  This is an operational assignment which must be dealt with – someone needs to own the living room and its appearance, keeping everything clean, orderly and free of the collective spent Starbucks cups, croissant crumbs and peeled off airline luggage tags.  This is especially important after the morning checkout rush.  When should the furnishings be comfortable and when should they be less-than comfortable? Comfortable is when you want guests lingering, perhaps enjoying a morning coffee and a grab-and-go bagel, or an afternoon high-tea, or an evening cocktail.  Less-than-comfortable is when you do not want guests sticking around.  This may sound harsh, but if you have guests who use the lobby seating as a sleeping area, you know what I mean.  This is most common in destination resorts where inbound/outbound guests are either delayed in checking in and can’t access their room, or when their checkout time is far earlier than their outbound flight.  In each case, a predominance of un-upholstered furniture is a good solution, coupled with an Arrival/Departure Lounge where they have access to showers, lockers and some level of services and soft seating.
6. And where is my room?  The Indiana Jones adventure.  Ease of navigation is paramount.  Once I’ve successfully completed my wonderful check in experience, I want to be able to get to my room as clearly and quickly as possible.  This again, is all about intuitive travel.  Whether I am in a B&B in Napa or a Las Vegas leviathan, getting to my room needs to be pain-free.  This can be accomplished by clear verbal directions and also by clear directional signage. Many owners and operators choose to not engage a graphics/signage consultant as part of the project team on projects, opting instead to use a signage manufacturer/fabricator to handle the thinking part of the wayfinding, or shoveling the coordination off onto the architect and interior designer.  I find this to be a pennywise, pound-foolish approach.  Sure, you want to save money on fees, I understand.  But if your guests are frustrated, lost, misdirected or ill-informed, you will bear the wrath of social media reports of their negative experiences.  Reach out and get some recommendations for good graphics and signage designers; they can be a strong asset to the project team and will quite likely need to interface with the architect, interior designer, lighting designer, landscape architect and possibly local jurisdictions.  While we’re here, venue signage and well-designed wayfinding can be a great opportunity to impart some genuine and uniquely defining character to your property.  Don’t be “clever”, please be clear.  You may know your way around that labyrinth that is your property, but a newly arriving guest does not.
7. Lobby Flooring – Ice Rink or Elegant? The choice of what flooring type has so many implications, so many considerations.  First off, the geographical location of your property matters greatly.  What is important about this is if you ever have to contend with outside weather of any consequence.  Is there water, ice, snow, or ambient humidity or moisture which you’re dealing with frequently? This issue can be indoors or outdoors.  I’ve seen tropical locations with indoor/outdoor lobbies which have slick floors simply due to sea-blast and misting air.  Slips and falls are of a huge concern here.  If you have hard surface flooring, this will be of paramount importance.  The actual finish of the flooring, whether it be stone, tile, wood, leather, glass, or metal (yes these can be and are used as flooring) is what to focus on.  I completely understand the aesthetic impact of a beautifully polished stone floor, intricately cut, elaborately patterned.  No doubt it’s stunning. The slippery nature of hard surface flooring can also happen to wood floors.  I’ve seen mountain resorts which have beautifully hand-carved wooden planks – and I’ve seen guests walk in right off the ski slopes with boots packed with ice and snow, step one stride onto that wooden floor, and take giant falls and go tumbling down.  I have a couple of ways to deal with this issue.  First is to provide some type of surface or assembly that removes as much of the water or ice or snow from the shoes as possible.  This is walk off mats as well as grates which allow the shoes and boots to be scraped and reasonably cleaned, usually coupled with a second mat to further clean the soles of the shoes.  The second key consideration is the topical finish of the material.  Natural stones typically come in two primary finishes.  Polished and honed.  There are other finishes such as flamed and bush-hammered, but the latter tend to be extremely rough and used for exterior surfaces because of the difficulty in maintaining them (they tend to destroy the arsenal of mops and squeegees most housekeeping departments have).  Natural stones are quarried and as such, are not subjected to the slip tests which manufactured tiles are (we do have one client who actually independently tests all their hard surface flooring).  The standard accepted criteria that you’ll most likely be working toward is that the Coefficient of Friction (COF) exceed 0.60 wet and dry as set by ASTM C-1078 (or if you are in Europe, DIN 51130).  One final possible fix to a slippery floor is a topical liquid treatment or penetrating sealer which is applied to stone and tile.  There are a number of these treatments available.  I will stop short of a recommendation; just let your Google fingers search and you’ll find some good choices.  Most of the topical treatment systems I’ve come across require floor preparation, application, then re-application after some period of time to maintain their warranty.  This is a cost which some owners shy away from, but depending on your risk threshold, it is one that may be a small cost in the long run.
8. Lobby Lighting – When a Split-Personality really works.  This is one of my favorite elements when done well.  There really need to be two different characters for your lobby.  Daytime and nighttime.  Each holds a different set of needs and appeal.  Types of lighting fall into two categories; decorative (table lamps, floor lamps, torchieres, wall sconces, chandeliers, e.g.) and non-decorative (downlights, cove lights, step lights, e.g.).  Some aspects of lighting to be aware of are placement, mounting heights, types, color, color temperature, dimming, zoning and control of lighting, quantity of fixtures, quality of fixtures, sizes of fixtures, aperture sizes and styles, trim ring finishes, materials used, unwanted guest-access, ceiling heights, projection distances, ceiling finishes and textures, decorative style, illumination levels, and ability to re-lamp.  Lighting can be a well-tuned symphony or an amateur garage-band.  
9. Plants, Flowers, & Critters.  OK, I know.  Every lobby needs a wow factor, a hero-piece, something guests can remember, that Instagram moment, unique and strong.  A few words of caution however. 
   Plants & Flowers. When done well (thank you Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts for being the categorical leader in well-done), flowers and plants can be a delightful and meaningful accent element imparting beauty and scents.  Done poorly, the wilted mass looks bedraggled, or worse yet, artificial plants look fake.  One note; preserved trees can be fantastic and there are a number of great sources for these.  If you can’t do it well, or don’t have the resources to maintain them, don’t get into the game.  Also, something to think about is the truthfulness and accuracy of your location; if your property is a ski destination in the mountains, palm trees and tropical flowers are glaringly out of place.  What about cacti?  Really?  Not if anyone can touch them.   Be mindful of poisonous plant species, fruit-bearing, and leaf-dropping. Oh, and fruit in bowls? Okay except when it’s smelly.  (Durian Fruit horror stories abound – so wretched smelling that they are illegal in Southeast Asia.   Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says: its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia),
   Critters.  Common sense should rule here as well.  Birds can work.  Hyatt Regency Maui has an array of feathered friends, as does Peabody with their ducks.  Containment, maintenance, waste, flies, pests and odor are a force to be reckoned with. 

   True confession time: One of my early designs for a resort hotel in Florida included a feature aviary in the lobby.  It was cool.  All was well, or so I thought.  I’d figured out how to keep the 2-storey tall, 1 ½ inches on center, dark steel piano wire tight under tension.  I’d figured out how to get a fast patina on the copper roof (horse urine, yes, really), I’d figured out how to access the aviary for feeding, watering and cleaning.  I figured out the lighting inside and housing of the Toucans.  I’d even figured out where we’d get the Toucans.  What I hadn’t figured was that a motivated Toucan can flap it’s wings about 2 times and have enough flight momentum to blow right between the enclosure wires and voila!  Freedom.  I had created my own miniature Jurassic Park.  So, like a good diligent designer, I reselected – the bird species.  Petite little Finches were the new choice – colorful, quiet, and yes, they were willing Jail Birds.

    Mammals (the MGM lion always looked overly sedated to me) and fish can all also work, but again maintenance, safety and the animal’s healthy well-being are strong considerations (aquariums can be massively expensive and nobody like seeing a carp doing the back stroke or predatory fish doing what nature made them for).  Just remember, if you are contemplating Critters, go in eyes wide open. 
10. Feature Elements.  Iconic artwork, glass elements, water features, sculptures (static and moving), lighting elements, circus performers (already done, and once was enough).  All these can be remarkable to have and can truly be strong Instagram pieces.  They can have fantastic value when done with the view of investment (art and sculptural pieces in particular).  Glass elements can be extraordinary.  Weight, supports, cleaning, seismic anchoring, lighting, and detailing are super important.  We’ve had great success with glass, specifically dichroic glass, in the lobby at Hilton Hawaiian Village [insert hyperlink].  Water features can be wonderful. They can also be a nightmare.  Water can elicit that “come touch me” phenomenon.  Just make sure it’s safe to do so.  Controlling the splash that comes from water falling can be tricky as well.  What’s it hitting, and does it drain, get soggy, slippery, how clean is it, how easy is it to maintain, where are the pumps, what is below the water element (in the event of the leak which will possibly come)?  Another lurking factor that can really screw things up when introducing water elements is wind.  On more than one occasion, we’ve done resort projects with open-air lobbies which have a water element.  On every occasion, the configuration of the building shape and its proximity to the ocean created a Venturi effect, a wind-tunnel.  The water splashing and cascading around the fountains located in the lobby entry atomized and sprayed water across the entire lobby and guests.  To further complicate matters, the open-air lobby wind issue became such a problem that operable shutters and doors had to be installed at both ends of the lobby to mitigate the winds.  Bye-bye open air lobby.  Static water elements in open-air lobbies are way easier to successfully pull off (Andaz Maui and many others).  I’d strongly recommend wind tunnel tests be done in the early design stages and that designing active water elements in open air lobbies be carefully studied to prevent the lawn sprinkler effect from drenching everyone and everything.

This overview of typical pitfalls and mistakes in hotel lobby design will hopefully give hotel owners, operators and developers some insights, guidance and perhaps some valuable filters when it comes to evaluating the function and design of their properties.  With a moderate amount of consideration and forethought, spectacular design can be achieved without sacrificing crucial operational aspects of the property.

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