Starwood opens new design center

STAMFORD, Conn. — The next time you check into a hotel, don't be surprised if you encounter a headboard or wall painted in a vibrant color.

That's what Erin Hoover, vice president of brand design and innovation for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, predicted for the future of hotel design while giving a tour of Starwood's new design center in Stamford, Conn., last week.

Hotels in recent years have favored beige and other natural colors to give rooms a more relaxed look. But Hoover says there is now a renewed emphasis on color.

"Color has become more and more important," she said.

Starwood hotels are introducing some more "vibrant, alive colors," she said. "That's something that people really crave."

That certainly seems to be the case with the new Aloft design, which will be unveiled at the end of the year. Orange will be a big part of the color scheme of each room.

The design center in Starwood's new headquarters, which the company moved to in July from its former offices in White Plains, N.Y., showcases model rooms for nine of the company's brands including the Westin, Element, Le Meridien and Four Points by Sheraton.

Hotel developers and owners will be invited to the two-story "idea lab" to look at the rooms, prototypes and renderings to help them decide how to design guest rooms, public spaces and spas. They will also see the latest in technology and food and beverage initiatives.

"We developed The Starwood Experience as a way to tell the Starwood story and give our partners a real immersion into how we drive design and creativity and create unique experiences for our guests," said Phil McAveety, Chief Brand Officer of Starwood. "As importantly, this is a working lab for us to experiment with what's new and next in a world where brand building is ever more dynamic and fast paced."

Lobbies become greener

Other design features on display included Westin's new Vertical Garden, which will be rolling out in lobbies at properties worldwide throughout 2013.

Ranging from 100 to 300 square feet, the Vertical Garden is custom-designed depending on the amount of natural and artificial light in the space as well as the location's climate. The gardens are designed to improve air quality.

The design center also has renderings of the latest version of the Link@Sheraton, a lobby that doubles as an Internet lounge and a social networking hub.

Hoover says the lobbies will have more flexible walls so that spaces can be customized and smaller shades to give them a more residential feel.

McAveety called the link "our play on the internet café but we didn't hide it in a corner."

"More people use the Link than they use the gym," he said. "People don't want to be in their rooms."

McAveety said all the company's brands are getting more innovative with their lobbies.

"Public spaces, I think, really bring it all together," he said. "Public spaces are the heart of the product, the heart of the guest experience."