Our Interior Design team is back from NeoCon in Chicago, the world’s largest commercial design expo that puts the industry’s most cutting edge products, resources and ideas at our fingertips. NeoCon is all about inspiration, but this year there was validation in the mix for the recent lobby redesign at our Courtyard Hotel.
Connect was the recurring theme throughout the show, referring to the role of interior design and keeping people connected, whether it be through portable devices or to each other via collaborative office spaces.
The importance of keeping people connected is a concept that Marriott forecasted in 2008. Courtyard Hotel’s new lobby is now squarely in place at properties across the country, including our own Courtyard by Marriott® of Wausau.
The new lobby reflects how well Marriott understands the world of work as it relates to accommodating the business traveler. It redefines the guest experience, inviting guests to get out of their rooms to connect, whether to work, socialize or unwind. Wi-Fi and portable devices have liberated hotel guests from their rooms. As a result, guests want to utilize common areas of the property to stay connected and get value from their stay beyond a good night’s sleep.
Seeing the Connect theme at NeoCon has reinforced our confidence level and the overwhelmingly positive guest response to the new lobby, which emerged from $2 million of consumer research, combined with the Courtyard brand’s experience interacting with tens of thousands of travelers each day.
Here are the Connect trends on display at NeoCon, followed by the real life application in place at the Wausau Courtyard.
INFORMAL LOUNGE-TYPE CHAIRS WITH TABLE IN THE MIDDLE OFFERS A “ROUND TABLE-ESQUE” EXPERIENCE IN AN ALMOST RESIDENTIAL LOOKING SETTING, INVITES CONVERSATION/COLLABORATION
WORK SPACES MOVING AWAY FROM “JOHNNY SITS AT THIS DESK” FORMAT AND MOVING TOWARD PLUG-IN-AND-GO
ANOTHER PARALLEL BETWEEN THE COURTYARD LOBBY AND NEOCON 2012 IS THE NATURE AESTHETIC SEEN IN ARTWORK, TEXTILES, WALLCOVERING, FABRICS AND FIXTURES
