Millennials continue to be a driving force of hotel design trends, with no indication of relinquishing their vast influence. In fact, comprising roughly 75 million people, by 2050 they will remain the largest generational group in the United States, making up 26% of our population. The newest demand for the hotel design landscape? Smaller guestrooms.
To accommodate these changing consumer preferences, we’re seeing a movement toward tiny guestrooms, which are well suited for dense, urban markets. Small guestrooms offer opportunities to accommodate more travelers, the ability to build on what would typically be considered too small of a lot, more space for experiential common areas, restaurants and bars, and the power to still command higher urban average daily rates.
Hotel companies are creating new brands that integrate smaller guestrooms into their designs, including Moxy by Marriott and Tru by Hilton. These boutique micro hotel concepts offer guests a fun and energetic place to work and play, affordable stay options without sacrificing style or comfort and a level of social consciousness that today’s consumers crave.