Happy New Year for what is going to be a fabulous year for us. We think 2020 has a certain special kind of ring about it!

We have launched into the new year with lot’s of new hospitality design opportunities. This has lead us to ask ourselves some questions around what hospitality design will look like this year?

How do we want to experience hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars in 2020? As a design studio specialising in hospitality interiors it’s part of our DNA to not only stay on top of current trends but also imagine what the future will bring. Below, we share the hospitality trends to know for 2020.

Unsurprisingly in 2020 more mindful, holistic experiences are leading the way. These are spaces that not only embrace sustainable practices but also offer a sense of immersion and inter-connectedness, and a feeling of welcome and comfort that encourages people to slow down, unwind, and ultimately feel more content and happy — even if its only for a few days, a few hours or the moment it takes to enjoy your morning cup of coffee.

With this in mind, here are three hospitality experiences that for us encapsulate the dawn of a new era — the transformative twenties.

The Slow

If one of the leading interior trends for 2020 is creating spaces that encourage people to take their foot off the accelerator of our always on lives then hotel-meets-restaurant-meets art gallery space, The Slow, Bali is its manifestation made real.

Founded by owner George Gorrow — the man behind fashion label, Ksubi — and his model-turned-artist wife Cisco, the warm yet minimalist interior is plastic free and art-filled. Sustainable native timber and bamboo furniture features throughout as does an abundance of greenery hanging Babylon-like from the ceiling. Guests are greeted with jasmine-infused coconut water on arrival, rooms are generously spacious, TV free and imbued with a soothing soundtrack courtesy of California-based Reverberation Radio. Even the mini-bar is a thoughtfully considered affair, stocked with sustainably packaged food and drinks, all made in-house. “A stay at the Slow is an immersive experience,” says Gorrow. “It’s a place to rest your bones, stir your senses and expand your mind.

Stamford Park Homestead

Jason M Jones, the owner with his interior designer partner, Brahman Perera, of destination restaurant and cafe Stamford Park Homestead in Rowville, Melbourne has cleverly reimagined a heritage country estate into a 21stcentury haven of welcoming comfort combined with unique contemporary twists.

From the handmade contemporary aesthetic of the papier mache lightshades and Faye Toogood Roly Poly chairs to the antique appeal of marble fireplaces and cut crystal glassware the contrast-and-complement aesthetic — and interlinking series of intimate rooms — result in an atmosphere not too unlike a chic but friendly Belle Epoque themed house party. “Our vision for Stamford Park is to see it once again be used as she was intended,” says Jones, “a place of hospitality, serenity and celebration… The homestead and its defined spaces are an extension of how I entertain at home,” Jones told Vogue Living. “It invites guests to move from one space to the next throughout their dining experience, as we do while entertaining friends at home”.

*Stamford Park Homestead,* source vogue.com.au

QO Hotel Amsterdam

An exterior made from recycled concrete, a rooftop greenhouse and an interior that features carpets made from 100 percent recycled yarn sourced from fishing nets is just the beginning for the new QO Hotel in Amsterdam, which is being touted as the city’s first sustainable hotel.

While the self-suffiency of features such as geo-thermal heating and a greywater system where water from showers is reused to flush toilets is admirable so too are the calm public spaces in a palette of pale green, gold and soft pink — created by Netherlands-based studio, Tank. An expansive foyer with soaring ceilings and a floating staircase greets visitors upon arrival while guest rooms designed by London’s Conran and Partners offer more neutral tones and bespoke furnishings in natural materials including oak, brass and leather.

The Monthly Edit | February 2020

The Slow

Stamford Park Homestead

QO Hotel Amsterdam