Plans must match the budget

Does money buy good design?

I’ve certainly seen instances where that’s not the case, and I’m sure you have, too. Earlier this year, I spent a few days in Macau, a 45-minute ferry ride west of Hong Kong, known as the gaming mecca of Asia. While the area has its charm, it also has more than its share of bad hotel architecture and design. Some designers may stick up their noses at Vegas’ creative aspirations, but Sin City looks like Florence, Italy, compared to some of the hotel scene that has sprouted up in Macau.

I had the opportunity to tour numerous hotels and complexes there, and I kept coming back to the same thing—a lot of money does not equal good taste or good design. One property we toured was simply a mess. I heard one designer remark afterward that it looked like they held a design competition, and then integrated every single entry into the final product. There were rooms where the carpet didn’t match the walls, which didn’t match the drapes, which didn’t match the furniture. But it was all high-end material, which made the lost opportunity all the more poignant.

Turning it around
But what about when money is the problem in the reverse sense? What do you do when your client wants high-end design at a low-end budget? How do you achieve that, even as higher-end design firms are eyeing the upscale and midscale markets, trying to keep their business pipeline full?

A recent conversation with Chris Robinson of Hatchett Hospitality opened my eyes to how much casegoods can mean to a room. Guests continue to be drawn to furniture that evokes the feeling of home—streamlined, modern and easy to use.

Connectivity is key—guests need connections for their laptop computers, iPods and BlackBerrys, so built-in data ports are more convenient and plentiful. Rich wood tones and comfortable upholstery are popular, as they create a warm environment. And casegoods are going beyond traditional solid woods and veneers to incorporate metal, glass, stone and acrylic, which provide a more sleek and contemporary look.

Robinson suggests focusing on three critical areas of a room to get bang for your buck:

• Enhanced sleep area—mattresses are improved, top-of-bed materials are fancier and now headboards are larger in width and height.
• Compact entertainment area—flat-screen TVs mean a move away from armoires to chests with compact shelves or to dressers that stand alone.
• Comfortable workspace—as hotel rooms become “offices away from home,” the desk and seating areas are more important. For example, a pivot-top desk allows a guest to work and watch television at the same time or to even view computer work on the TV screen, with the appropriate cable hook-up.

I’m curious to hear about your experiences with the struggle of getting more for less. What lessons has this dip in the economic cycle taught you? Drop me an e-mail and let me know how you’re working more efficiently.