You don’t have to be a fortune teller to envision the future of hospitality design – you need to be a storyteller. When I co-founded The Gettys Group in 1988, design was influenced by basic criteria, such as category – budget or luxury – and type – business or leisure. The world is a different place, and the skills a designer now needs are more complex than they were nearly 30 years ago. Today’s top hospitality designers are storytellers. They bring together myriad influences – derived from global trends to local inspiration to brand personality – with the goal of creating highly unique and authentic experiences for every guest.
At The Gettys Group, we operate at the intersection of strategy, design and implementation, an approach that informs and inspires our specialized teams of experts in interior design, consulting, branding and procurement. This agility, along with our global reach throughout the Americas, Asia and Middle East, affords us the unique opportunity to not only identify trends as they’re happening but to predict them.
As the world becomes a much smaller place through technology, hospitality design needs to be responsive to guests’ evolving needs. The following themes are top of mind for me and my team as we work on diverse hospitality projects across the world.
Global Trends Impact Hospitality Design
Because we operate across multiple continents, we have a front seat to a world of different cultures. We are inspired by the developments in design, such as emerging styles, colors and materials like tile and stone, that we discover through our own travels.
Think Like a “Fast Company”
To stay relevant, you need to think like a “fast company.” (Translation: more for less and faster.) The Gettys Group’s organizational strategy has produced a fluid interchange of expertise, which enables us to drive innovative and authentic solutions to every project.
Create Memorable Experiences
How people live, work and travel today inspires and informs our work. By paying attention to what guests are looking for, such as designing spaces that are reflective of their specific surroundings and creating thoughtful moments, The Gettys Group is continuously serving both the brands we collaborate with and the guests they serve.
The Future of Hospitality Design takes place Tuesday, April 19 from noon – 1pm. Keynote sessions have a minor charge to secure your place and include either a hot breakfast or plated lunch. Register for Coverings for free here and add the Future of Hospitality Design to your registration.
Andrew Fay is the President/COO and Founding Partner of The Gettys Group, where he has spearheaded nearly three decades of growth for this groundbreaking and award-winning global hospitality interior design, consulting, branding and procurement firm. By leveraging Andrew’s diverse background in design, hotel operations, real estate finance and branding, The Gettys Group has established a worldwide reputation for having an innovative and creative approach to the hotel design and development process. An honors graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Andrew is a noted industry speaker who is frequently engaged to share his expertise and insight about the hospitality industry, business strategy and global trends. The Australian native is also active with a number of civic groups in his adopted hometown of Chicago.
