HIX THINX: How can hotels create a sense of place?
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The theme for this year’s HIX LDN – a sense of place – is a broad and complex concept that will mean many different things to many different people. Whilst sociologists and anthropologists have attempted to ground the idea in scientific, geographic or psychological foundations, it remains somewhat intangible; a gut feeling that transcends one simple interpretation, unquantifiable and often unrepeatable between experiments.
Explaining a sense of place as: ’the experiential and expressive ways places are known, imagined, yearned for, held, remembered, voiced, lived, contested and struggled over,” Drs Steven Field and Kieth Basso note that the presence of human experience is a consistent catalyst. Be it a geographical or built location, the introduction of human emotion and memory acts as a stage for a space to become a place - that is, to develop its own set of unique characteristics with the ability to imprint even on those who have never visited.
A sense of place is especially pertinent in hotels, where bringing places and people together to create a memorable experience is all but the industry's raison d'etre. But as guests come to demand increasingly authentic products and responsible projects, the idea has taken on deeper and more immediate meaning. In such a global industry, how can a sense of place be retained? How can hotels give more to a location than they take? Is this sense an organic, naturally occurring phenomenon, or can it be created?
In this edition of HIX THINX, we take a look at three ways hotel designers, operators and developers are tapping into a sense of place, and what it means for the next generation of projects.
Placemaking
Ranging from subtle interior interventions to large-scale city-wide initiatives, placemaking is the process of utilising elements of design, experience and programming to bring new and existing spaces to life. A common example is placing pianos in train stations; a simple addition that can generate emotional resonance, connecting people to place via experiential design choices. In hotels this placemaking process is often achieved via cultural programming, be that a gallery of local art or a guide to local spots on the nightstand.
However, the best and most memorable placemaking efforts are often those that blur the line between process and product, facilitating a connection without guests ever realising. The 21C chain of hotels is a good example of this, weaving the placemaking power of art museums, historical buildings and cultural experiences not only into its spaces, but the core of its brand.
For this to work, authenticity is key. With the sense of a place being such an organic, subjective proposition, it is immediately clear to guests when something is forced or fails to resonate, potentially doing more damage than good. A sense of place can certainly be manufactured then, to the point that a whole creative industry has emerged around the process, but it isn’t just the case of working with local craftspeople, rather it means setting this idea on an equal footing to the wider design, to the point where the two are inseparable.
Conservation
For more far-flung and remote hotels and resorts, the surrounding land itself is often a major draw in terms of bookings. As such, operators must be prepared to give back to the places the occupy. After all, if there is no place left to visit, or its character has been diminished due to over-tourism or degradation of natural environments, then there will be little demand for a hotel to supply.
That’s why projects like Jaoli Maldives have partnered with conservationist organisations to protect the coral reefs that surround the resort, further tying this effort into the guest experience by allowing visitors to adopt and sponsor a coral table from the in-house mineral nursery. Similarly, Fairmont Maldives Surru Fen Sushi has its own sustainability lab dedicated to turning washed up plastic into souvenirs, as well as a a wide-ranging eco-education programme that positions these natural surroundings as the defining element of both the place's spirit and story.
This topic is especially important in the Middle Eastern region, where the luxury project pipeline is at an all time high, and a wave of large-scale developments will be required to balance lofty commercial and experiential ambitions with a delicate natural ecosystem boasting ocean and desert alike.
Transport
As operators seek ways to connect guests to fixed locations through on-site design and service elements, many are making moves into transport concepts that continue this process beyond their four walls. Indeed, a hotel can go to great lengths to showcase and represent local experiences, but once guests leave the property, the operator loses its ability to curate the journey. Indeed, with guests out experiencing the real thing on their own, hotels can fall by the wayside - a base camp as opposed to a nexus of everything the area has to offer.
As such, major players have turned to transport concepts like jets, yachts and trains to extend their presence, transforming the journey through a location into an additional element of its offer. Exploring unfamiliar streets with nothing but a map and some local currency is certainly a thrill, but not every paying guest will be up for the ride, and by chartering an excursion on one of these vehicles they can remain within the remit of a project’s service and stylistic standards whilst simultaneously experiencing elements of local identity.
Expanding these concepts to ferry guests between several hotels connected by a trail of local experiences is the next step, and positions hotels and their designers in a unique space; not just stops along the route, but as gateway and gatekeepers to the true sense of a place, able to shape it in their image. In this context, the journey is truly the reward.
HIX LDN takes place on 27 & 28 November at London's Business Design Centre. Learn more about this year's theme here, and register your interest to attend for free.