Hospitality architecture poses quite a challenge for designers. Creating a collection of spaces that sets up an interplay between functional amenities, curated events and memorable experiences is no easy task. As one of the most popular destinations in Europe, Greece has extensively developed the know-how of producing successful hospitality architecture. It is a country that thrives through the tourist industry and is home to a wide variety of vacation homes. From AirBnb apartments in downtown Athens, to the iconic Cycladic houses to luxury hotels in the Greek countryside, designers have experimented with countless modes of hospitality architecture in order to fulfill every tourist’s expectation.

Still, being such a coveted destination has its drawbacks. The rapidly growing demand in the hospitality sector has led to many challenges including unsustainable overdevelopment, lack of infrastructure, homogenization and the inability to absorb the constantly increasing number of tourists. Fortunately, the collaboration with multiple hospitality experts as well as local organizations have greatly aided the country’s development, resulting to the realization of projects that purposefully adapt to the sector’s contemporary needs.

Today’s Hospitality Architecture is All About Locality, Authenticity and Diversity

“Eat, sleep, relax, repeat” is no longer enough. 

With remote working, business travel and the newly established and highly popular lifestyle of the digital nomad, hotels are required to offer a wider selection of amenities and flexible accommodation policies. For example, extended-stay hotels and branded residencies stray away from the traditional booking model, offering a larger selection of accommodation options. In addition, designing hybrid spaces with the potential to transform from meeting rooms to event spaces to coworking lobbies elevate the typical hotel experience while at the same time extend the actual efficacy of the space. 

The “All Inclusive” model begins with tailored experiences.

A highly emerging hospitality trend is to create a sense of locality and storytelling. In most cases, destination plays the determinant role in travelling. Visitors want to experience a location’s culture firsthand and this includes their accommodation arrangements. Encouraging locals to participate in hotel programming or inviting local businesses to become involved in the initial decision-making process results in the creation of authentic, on-of-a-kind cultural experiences. For instance, designing a lobby that showcases local art or a hotel restaurant with a traditional island cuisine not only promotes the cultural identity of the place but also contributes to its cultural sustainability.

Technology integration applies to everything.

Combining physical with digital services has become inevitable in all sectors of design. In the case of hospitality architecture, inhouse amenities such as concierge services and wayfinding are gradually being replaced by virtual apps. Through this shift, hotels are aiming to establish a more efficient and seamless service offering, while at the same time free up space for other more interactive activities.

The tourist industry is Greece’s most prosperous sector. Furthermore, Greek travel is shifting to a year-round activity rather than a seasonal one. Consequently, hospitality architecture is evolving rapidly. Many designers employ these latest trends and strategies in order to facilitate the most up-to-date services and array of amenities and create unique and authentic experiences for all types of travelling.

Flexus has over 30 years of experience in architectural concept design and development trusted by a wide spectrum of clients from different industries.

How do you plan to stay ahead in the dynamic hospitality Industry? Let’s talk.