Hotels are a unique space and need a unique signage strategy to ensure the best staff and guest experience. Despite the pandemic having a negative impact on the hotel industry, it is bouncing back as travel is still important to many people, whether for business or pleasure. In this article, we are going to share our tips for creating the best architectural signage strategy for hotels.
Why do hotels need bespoke architectural signage?
There are over 187,000 hotels across the world with over 17.5 million guestrooms in a global industry that was worth approximately $4.458 trillion in 2022. The industry covers big hotel chains down to small boutique hotels and in the US alone, it employs 1.6 million people.
Hotels are unique spaces, not just because people sleep there, but because of the flexibility of events they can accommodate for. As a space for conferences, weddings, wakes, fundraisers, school proms and more, hotels will market towards several target audiences. Due to the range of activities a hotel might offer, staff need to be multi-skilled. Even a small hotel that only has accommodation and meal facilities, could still employ cleaners, front-of-house staff, administration and management teams, housekeepers, chefs, servers and groundskeepers.
Another key feature of hotels is that guests will often speak different languages to the local one. People travel from all over the world and there will often be language differences. Hotel staff are often multi-lingual and trained to understand the complex needs of visitors from different cultures.
This background information about the hotel industry, staff and guests shows that there are collective similarities across the industry, but each hotel will also be different and unique. From a consumer behaviour perspective, guests are more likely to feel relaxed when they are confident that they know how to navigate a space. Relaxed and happy guests, are more likely to have a positive experience, interact well with staff and spend more.
This is why there is a need for high quality hotel signage that both follows certain guidelines and has been designed specifically for each space.
Key features of good architectural signage in hotels
A good hotel signage wayfinding strategy should start outside the hotel. Taking into account the multiple ways guests might be travelling, there should be clear, branded signage in advance of the hotel.
For a hotel at an airport for example, the hotel signage could start in the arrivals lounge. A branded sign with directions and a list of facilities will stand out to arrivals. A contrast against the basic airport signage.
Bespoke signage improves brand recognition
One of the benefits of having bespoke architectural signage made, is the brand will be consistent. All the signs outside a hotel should match in colours and style to help guests with brand recognition and navigation.
Inside a hotel, it is important to keep the brand consistent to continue with awareness and navigation. Directional signage will stay just as important, as guests need to find their way around the hotel.
Keep guests happy with tailored directional signage
Upon entering a hotel of any size, it needs to be immediately obvious where the reception is, and good signage is the key for guiding guests to it. A carefully designed, eye-catching sign welcoming guests to the hotel, will draw attention to the right area.
Where to go after check-in should also be well sign-posted. Directions and map signage that points the way to amenities and rooms need to be common throughout the hotel. These act as a reminder to guests, reducing confusion and staff being asked the same questions too much.
When planning hotel signage, the layout of the hotel needs to be carefully assessed. It should be clear what floor guests are on, and which direction they need to go to get to a certain destination. At the same time though, there is an art to creating a sign that both delivers the right information, and is not cluttered with too much.
Architectural sign designers that have experience working on hotel projects, understand the journey guests are going on when navigating through a hotel. They will put the needs of guests first by planning accessibility and safety signage that stands out whilst being true to the brand.
The best architectural signage for hotels should be designed and manufactured by experts with experience in the industry and a strong portfolio of previous work. When hotel signage is designed with brand awareness, navigation and accessibility, it adds to the level of customer satisfaction guests get. Good hotel signage that has been well planned reduces time wasted from staff and can increase sales.
If you are looking for inspiration for a hotel signage project, take a look at our case studies.
