Over the past twenty years, the hotel industry has undergone a pretty hefty transition. No longer are hotels mere pit stops for traveling salesmen or families embarking on summer vacations. Gone are the days of generic hotel rooms with matching floral shams and curtains.



Today, hotels are as important to the travel or vacation experience as is the destination itself, with lifestyle and leisure the top priorities. Where the hotels of yesteryear were largely categorized by price (the variations of such usually alluded to the quality of essentials like sheets or food), the establishments of today measure their experience quotients on unique service offerings and carefully plotted design-savvy elements – such as styling, collaborative branding, designer status, and our favorite....color choices.

While color directions for architecture must naturally be considered for the long term, they do tend to mirror the marco trends that shape fashion and product design. With that in mind, we offer up our new recommendations and color selections for the hotel industry, borrowing examples from the latest runways:

GOLDEN GALLERY:

While variations of yellows – from primary to mustard and every shade in between – have been fluctuating in and out of the trends for a few seasons already, those hues of the golden variety have been steadily building in importance. Not since the 80's have we seen such an interest in the elegant metal in home furnishings palettes.

Charming yellow-golds - like the gleaming accents of the Dolce & Gabbana Gold restaurant - merge with sophisticated bronze-gold tones like the luxurious and inventive new gold fur that Karl Lagerfeld recently created for Fendi.
Hotel of Choice: The London West Hollywood

CREAMY PASTELS:

There is something so delicate and fragile about soft pastel tones. Today's new pastels are slightly creamier than average, lending them a bit more weight or a sense of "sturdiniess". Black grounds the palette, but is used sparingly - only as an accent for a touch of glamour. If white is used, it is matte and milky, rather than crisp and stark. New designer darling Devi Kroell's spring 09 runways depicted similar combinations.

Hotel of Choice: The Tides, South Beach, Florida

COMPLETE NEUTRALITY:

Warm neutrals have been the palettes of choice for many hotel and condo developments for more than a decade. The new neutral harmonies have much cooler casts and work extremely well at creating a strong sense of calm in both minimal and heavily decorated decors. Khaki shades replace warm beige tones and greys become more iron-cast.
Hotel of Choice: 101 Hotel Reykjavik

URBAN MEDLEY:

Like the fashion industry, the hotel world has founded a love affair with masculine-feminine color palettes, as they have the ability to effortlessly appeal to both genders. Sturdy street tones of greys and browns marry feminine cosmetic hues, similar to those seen in the Chanel F08 couture collection.
Hotel of choice: Hotel Modera, Portland, Orgegon

LUMINOUS AURA:

Bold shots of luminating color have been dancing around the hotel design world for years - hots spots like St Martins Lane and the Hudson have practically made them modern staples. The new hot hues - espeically pinks, greens, and purples - offer more depth but just as much energy. We pair them up with instense faux blacks (bearing hits of maroon, forest green,and navy) to add a bit of drama and intrigue.
Hotel of Choice: W Hong Kong, China

ELECTRIC AVENUE:

What makes this palette "electric" is the contrast between bold bright tones and dark brooding shades. Black and navy are essential base colors – used together – against accents of vibrant red and yellow. Elie Saab's Fall 08 runway collection captured this mood of this palette beautifully. A shot of a midtone such as grass green or pumpkin orange adds intrique.
Hotel of Choice: Straf Hotel, Milan

Our six palettes borrow elements from fashion-forward influences, yet were created with longevity in mind. With so much interest in keeping time with long range fashion palettes across architectural and interior design, we may find ourselves in a brave new world, where we no longer mind so much if the sham matches the curtains.