Today’s hotel guest is starting to look at the hotel as part of the destination, and not just a place to lay their bags. In an effort to accommodate and engage the social savvy traveler, hotels are starting to recreate their lobby and public areas to invite a more “social space” for guests, and the results are pretty positive.
Walking into the lobby at the Mandarin Oriental Washington DC is like walking into a public state of the union meeting. At any given time you’ll find lobbyists, members of Congress, journalists, bloggers and yes, travelers, sitting in the same area – at the hotel’s bar and lounge area located at the center of the lobby.
At the InterContinental Boston, the hotel’s Rumba bar is an immediate draw for travelers and guests. The bar sits in the center of the lobby, acting as a meeting place and bringing a new attitude to the typical hotel lobby ambiance. In the same lobby area, and just a few steps in the other direction, the Concierge Lounge gives guests the opportunity to use iPads to create their day’s activities, and solicit ideas from other travelers and hotel employees.
Read more from my column in 4Hoteliers.
