The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration recently held its first roundtable on design trends in the hospitality industry. Invited participants were design leaders and visionaries from top hotels and resort management companies, interior design companies, and architecture firms in the industry. “We were delighted with the discussions that focused on design innovation in the future,” said Cornell Hotel School Professor Richard Penner, who chaired the event.

Topics discussed included how successful chains incorporate design and service features to create brand identity, which hotels during the past fifty years have been the most influential design leaders, and what design elements most impact the customer experience and make a hotel or property stay memorable.

“The creative talent dedicated to exemplary hotel design in the last 20 years is truly amazing. Future hoteliers need this design exposure,” said A. Sidney Hartman, V.P., Architecture & Technical Services, CNL Hospitality Corp. “Even though I have pledged my own career to this unique work, I was humbled to be among the august group convened at the First Annual Hospitality Design Roundtable at Cornell.”

Fellow participant Roger G. Hill II, CEO, Gettys Group added, “Cornell’s roundtable provided a valuable and refreshing opportunity to speak freely with peers in the design industry as well as property owners. It created a unique environment for some high-level thought and exchange of ideas.”

One highlight of the discussions was how hotels and resorts might re-engineer the development and design process to reduce time and expense as well as ease tensions among the team members.

“The roundtable attracted some of the leading creators and innovators in hospitality design, resulting in a provocative exchange of ideas between Cornell Hotel School faculty and industry leaders,” said Penner.
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