Hotel Interior Design Ideas: 2025 & Beyond

Whether it’s for some R&R, for a business or for an event, hotels offer something for everyone. From opulent to cozy, hotels have the unique ability to transform into whatever the guest is looking for during their stay. This atmosphere is often created through thoughtfully-crafted interior design, which is essentially the branding of your hotel. Since branding and identity are vital for any business, it’s important to take the time to come up with the perfect interior design you want your hotel to have.

Before you get started with this process, here are some hotel interior design tips to help make the process as simple as possible.

NOTE: This article includes measures and designs to meet new guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consult government and health entities for full guidance.

Establish a Concept

Before beginning a redesign or starting from scratch, it’s important that you begin with a design concept. A concept is the overarching theme or atmosphere you want to create with the interior. This is what you’ll be using as a guide to the actual design and furnishing portion of the decorating and remodeling processes. Extend the concept into design elements throughout the hotel from the lobby to the guest rooms to common areas even the in-house restaurants.

Some of the most on-trend design concepts include:

• Homestyle Comfort—Adding home-like touches to the overall design and color schemes.


• Sustainability—Incorporating sustainably-sourced materials for a natural look while also making a positive environmental impact.


• Theme-Based—Exclusive pop-up hotel theme or a more overt theming concept.


• Minimalistic—Clean and concise concept that isn’t too visually stimulating, but rather pleasing.


• Hometown Pride—Local flare that can showcase artists from around your area.

No matter what concept you decide on, be sure to keep these pointers in mind:

• Utilize natural lighting as much as possible


• Furniture should be functional, yet comfortable


• Play with textures, colors and complementary materials

Once you’ve established the foundation of your hotel’s interior design plan, the pieces will begin to fall into place easily.

Designing the Lobby and Communal Spaces

The lobby has to make the best first impression possible, and a major focal point from a design perspective. This is where your guests will be first introduced to the design concept, and the general “feel” of the hotel.

When designing the lobby space, areas like the check-in desk, waiting area and bellhop stand need to be accessible for guests upon first glance. For each of these areas, make sure there is ample space for guests to gather and wait their turn. If needed, incorporate signage and markings to inform your guests on where to safely gather. You can even incorporate additional health and safety measures like hand sanitizer stands and other essential products.

Additionally, lobbies are often designed to perform as multi-use spaces, which is a popular new design idea. This means that waiting areas can become hangout spaces, meeting points and lounges. Keep this in mind as you’re creating your design concept.

Designing the Eateries and Restaurants

Having dining spaces, restaurants, bars and eateries in your hotel gives your guests a place to unwind, start their day or catch up with friends and family. Not only that, but it gives you a chance to showcase that local flare, and it keeps guests on-property for part of their stay.

If you so choose, you can design these spaces to be versatile for multiple dining services, from 8am breakfast to 7pm dinner. This lets you fully maximize the space, especially if your hotel isn’t very big.

Just like the hotel rooms, lobby and communal areas, the restaurants and dining areas should have that concept present as well. You also have the opportunity to design the interior of your restaurant based on an adjacent concept, which gives you the opportunity to experiment with various aesthetics and decor ideas that compliment the overall concept of your hotel’s design.

Along with communal meeting spaces, the bars, restaurants and eateries are great areas for your guests to socialize. As with any other restaurant or dining area, make sure you practice appropriate safety measures for social distancing and cleanliness. For more information on best practices for your in-house restaurants and dining, see our guide to help keep guests and staff safe.

Designing the Hotel Rooms

As the cornerstone of your business, the design of the hotel rooms is vital for your guests’ comfort. One of the most important things to take into consideration while designing is that hotel rooms must be functional throughout all aspects of the day; for many, their room isn’t just a place to rest, but needs to become mini living spaces. To do this, make sure you incorporate a desk for working, a pair of armchairs or a small couch, a coffee table or a vanity. This will allow your guests to personalize the space to suit their needs.

Additionally, the overall design can’t be too busy or hectic. If there’s too much going on with the color schemes, artwork, decorations or furniture, it could make the space difficult to relax in. Be sure to keep the decorations rather neutral and incorporate comforting colors.

Finally, the bathroom should be the ultimate relaxation sanctuary for your guests. Whether this is achieved through calming colors, plush towels or spa-ready features, take some care in designing the bathroom to be a destination within the room.

Whether you’re conducting a major redesign or starting from scratch, your hotel should always be a fun, safe and comfortable place for your guests to rest and relax in. And don’t forget to share your hotel’s new interior design through various social media and digital marketing tactics to get the buzz going.