« In the last decade, the hotel lobby has transformed to become a centrepiece of the guest experience. »
In Hotelier Magazine, our partner designer Louise Dupont discusses the importance of the hotel lobby’s design to make a good first impression.
[ This sentiment is shared by Louise Dupont, partner at Montreal-based LemayMichaud Design and Architecture, who likens the ideal lobby atmosphere to that of a café, such as Starbucks, “where you can spend half a day working while sipping your one coffee and nobody would bother you. I would say that hotel lobbies are [moving] more towards taking advantage of this big space.”
Dupont’s firm is responsible for designing Groupe Germain’s design-forward Alt Hotel concept, including the brand’s most recent addition — Alt Hotel Ottawa. For this hotel, Dupont and her team used wood, warm colours and furniture with a residential feel to create a homey atmosphere. The approximately 50-seat space is also broken up into various zones and features a bar/cafe, as well as Wi-Fi and plenty of outlets, creating “many opportunities to stay in the lobby and enjoy the space.”
Since launching in 2007, the Alt brand has put a focus on creating lobby spaces that function as an extension of the guestroom. “The idea when we designed the original [location] was to create exciting spaces, [while] building smaller rooms and giving more to the common areas,” Dupont explains. ]
