Hospitality design thrives when it anchors guests in place, weaving local art, craft and sensory detail into experiences that inspire comfort, belonging and return journeys beyond the trend-driven algorithm.
When dhki Director, Lisa Bridgeford, first started in interior design in the late 1990s, one of her key projects was Emperor's Palace, the casino and entertainment complex near OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng.
"At the time, the instruction for a three-star hotel was simple: let the art match the attitude so that as long as it looked pretty, it worked." Back then, access to international trends was limited. When it did arrive by mail, in the form of Wallpaper magazine, the publication was already six months old. There was no flipping across as there is today. Later, the emphasis shifted towards localisation. While working in the Seychelles in 2010, Lisa’s international hotelier clients asked their design team to source local art and objets d'art.
“We journeyed through the islands to find hermit-like artisans and artists to supply the décor elements for the venue.” By 2023, Lisa was working on a five-star hotel in Cape Town whose owners had invested in a significantly curated art collection by African artists, half of whom were women and many were from disadvantaged communities.
This evolution reflects a deeper story about hospitality, art and the guest experience. “Local art, craft, materials and manufacturing is the only way to ground a space into its place in the world, especially when architectural envelopes for hospitality venues are increasingly homogenous,” says Lisa. This contextualisation not only has an aesthetic function; it also has a role to play in creating a sense of arrival, location, inspiration and aspiration for guests.
Hospitality is about harnessing the specific sense of a place in every aspect of the hotel’s design, from the crockery, cutlery, linen and guest amenities to the art, soft furnishings and materials. Yet today’s guests arrive with a global visual vocabulary, inspired by perfectly curated posts on Pinterest and Instagram. The challenge for designers, says Bridgeford, is to anchor a space in its locality.
She describes the impact of this approach as "a subliminal, subconscious sensation" that can affect a guest's sense of wellbeing throughout their stay. Arriving in a beautiful lobby, eating off well-made crockery, or sleeping in a well-designed room invites dreaming, surprise, relaxation and delight. The experience becomes aspirational,” she says.
Thankfully, the nature of hospitality allows for experimentation. Bolder visions, increased competition and generous budgets encourage designers to push the boundaries of aesthetics, materiality and artistic expression. But always, the golden thread is the need to incorporate elements that make up the cultural, environmental and social context of the place. The result becomes a celebration of the unique qualities of a space, and the adventurous minds that brings those qualities to life.
While designing for trend-spotting algorithms carries risks, exposure to far-flung hotel destinations has bled into high-street retail. The aspirational is now accessible to all. The key is to draw inspiration from Pinterest boards, but instead of replicating the ubiquitous, to augment concepts so they fit naturally into their environment. This isn’t a contradiction of brief, but an evolution, explains Bridgeford.
And yet, there is a nuance to this approach, too, she cautions. "In South Africa, for example, not everything needs to represent a clichéd, cookie-cutter African aesthetic. The decision could simply be to source from local crafters and designers with a view to reflecting their individual ingenuity, artistry and innovation in an object, fitting or accessory.”
Finding uniqueness in a design requires designing to appeal to the five senses. What does a venue sound or smell like? Is there a grand piano playing in the corner of the historical hotel lobby? Are the lights dim enough to cast a soft glow in the bedroom? At a beach bar, sand underfoot invites relaxation. Colour, texture and sensory influences matter, whether in the most opulent five-star establishment, or a more casual outlet.
Understanding this underlines the difference between a skilled designer and someone simply chasing the latest trends.
“As designers we have a responsibility to consider the human in the space. Décor doesn’t create a return journey,” Bridgeford explains. “What brings people back is comfort, belonging and respect. Yes, something new encourages a first visit, but designing to formula lacks heart and soul.”
Originally published in Taste & Trade.