Hotel Spaces should be Multipurpose: Priya Paul

With the growing number of well-informed global travelers, and the evolving landscape of the hotel industry, the hospitality industry is witnessing a complete shift regarding design and technology being adapted at the hotel.

The guests, nowadays, have high expectations from the hotels as they look for personalized interactions, and they embrace the new age technologies. 

Keeping the demand of new-age guests in mind, the hospitality industry is moving towards providing ‘experience’ for them, starting from the check-in to workspace, to dining, to sleeping, etcetera.

BW Hotelier speaks to the leading lady of the hospitality industry — Priya Paul, Chairperson of The Park Hotels, about the key trends of design and technology in the hospitality industry. Paul has worked over the years to create a distinctive brand keeping design as its unique attraction point.

Expressing her views on the latest trends of hospitality designs, she said, “The key trend, from the last few years, is about making the hospitality space loungy, co-living and co-working which is quite evident in the upcoming hotels. But The Park believes in it from the past 25 years.”

“We have always felt that hotel spaces should be multipurpose, where people can interact, party or work. When you come into a hotel, you don’t need to be straight jacketed. We have always created spaces where you can have fun and relax,” she added.

The Park’s identity lies within lively places and has been evident at the hotel chain. “For us, from hospitality design point of view, having bars, nightlife and making places lively and entertaining are the key components,” Paul stated.

Talking about the adapting the smart and new age technologies in the hotel, the successful entrepreneur opined that smart technology can misfire the guest experience as they spend a limited time in a hotel, and it requires time & effort to understand the technology.

She said, “Technology is needed particularly for backend, accounting, etcetera, functions. I don’t think electronic technology works in bedrooms as the guests spend a limited time in a hotel and by the time they learn the technology, they have to leave.”

“Technology works best when it’s unobtrusive & easy to use. I have not found a product; maybe I should look more, which excites me to put into a hotel room,” Paul asserted in conclusion.