Hollaway Studio is an architectural and interior design practice, specialising in hospitality design, that embraces the past, the present, and the future and places people and feeling at the core of its architecture philosophy.
The hospitality sector is very familiar to Hollaway. We have designed and built many projects over the years including bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels in Kent and the Southeast of the UK. We create ambitious designs that reflect the surroundings focused on how people use spaces and flow through a building. Working closely with our clients, our team of architects and interior designers realise your brief and aspirations to create a successful and memorable guest experience.
Design begins with feeling – for place, for the past, for the needs and wants of the now, and for a future that matters. It listens. It empathises. It’s pragmatic. It’s an understanding that informs everything we do. It makes buildings that work – truly, beautifully. This is how we approach all hospitality design projects.
A hospitality design practice is nothing without its people, and the very best practices are those in which everyone has a voice – however different it may be. We are extremely fortunate Hollaway is exactly this: an extraordinary bunch of thinkers, talkers, and doers. These are the people that get buildings made.
As an example of how a single and relatively small building can have an enormous and enduring effect on its host community, Rocksalt takes some beating. We wanted to make sure that Rocksalt would be a success – as a business, as a landmark building, and most importantly as a source of local pride.
Hollaway’s approach to hospitality design always starts with people and place. How does a building contribute to the community it will inhabit? How will people interact and engage with the architecture created in this space? Under his leadership and hands-on approach Guy Hollaway has created a design-led Practice committed to innovative building solutions, with work ranging from prestigious one off commissions to large scale regeneration projects.
The RIBA award-winning hospitality design practice has built its reputation working on a wide array of projects, including a cutting-edge skate park, the world’s first heritage theme park, a bespoke artist’s studio in an open field, and a high-end seafood restaurant. The breadth of these projects may be wide, but each one brings the perfect balance of playfulness and sincerity, with a firm focus on placemaking, sustainability and the experience of the individuals who will use the space.
London
10A Acton Street WC1X 9NG
+44 (0)20 7096 5425
Kent
The Tramway Stables, Rampart Road
Hythe CT21 5BG
+44 (0)1303 260 515
Did you know?
How experiential design is changing the hospitality industry
One thing we all know about the hospitality industry is that the likes of restaurants and hotels must be memorable. However, we can see that changing consumer trends indicate that customers are increasingly being drawn to experiences that are more elaborate with regard to dining and travel. This slight change when it comes to consumer behaviour has caused those in the hospitality sector to sit up and take note.
Rather than money being spent on products, a lot of consumers today tend to concentrate on treating themselves to experiences that are truly memorable instead. Rather than “owning,” it is more about “being.” Therefore, this has resulted in a lot of restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in the hospitality sector putting experiential design at the forefront of their plans when designing and constructing new spaces for their customers.
If you have never heard of experiential design before, this approach ensures that the customer experience is placed firmly at the heart of what is being offered. What this means is that businesses are looking for fresh ways to differentiate their brand from others by creating experiences that are memorable and immersive for their guests. This could result in innovative interior design, for example, as well as the use of cutting edge technology or a highly personalised and unique service.
What is experiential design?
Experiential design is a term that is used to describe the science and art of shaping the consumer experience. It is all about ensuring you put the customer first and create an experience that is truly engaging, bringing guests back to your brand time and time again.
When it comes to hotels, this could mean that you create a stunning rooftop terrace that provides majestic views of the city, for example, or you may decide to create a lobby that has ‘living’ walls that are filled with foliage to create a more beautiful and clean sitting area. In terms of restaurants, there are many different ways you can create a more memorable experience, for example, offering a 360-degree experience is one way you could achieve this.
Hospitality designers today are increasingly using technology in their plans because guests are more tech-savvy and sophisticated than they ever have been before. We can see a good example of this when it comes to automated check-in and check-out services at hotels. You can also use smartphone apps to personalise your experience, order room service, and so on. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence is being used in the hospitality sector to personalise the service customers experience. This is something we can expect to see a lot more of going forward.
The UK restaurant sector is leading the way
When it comes to the use of experiential design today, we are seeing restaurateurs lead the way, looking for fresh ways to deliver the most memorable experiences for their diners. Whenever consumers make a decision to eat out, restaurants are under pressure to create a memorable experience that will ensure their money has been well-spent.
We can take a look at Dishoom, a restaurant chain in the UK, to see an example of this done well. The company has branches in a number of different locations, i.e. Edinburgh, Manchester, and London. Their approach to experiential design has clearly been about detail. They provide an immersive and specific experience that is inspired by Bombay and the Irani cafes here in the ‘60s.
We can take a look at the restaurant they have in Carnaby, London, to see this in action. The attention to detail is quite literally astounding. Even the screw heads have been changed when they created the new interior because they were not genuine to the sort of flat-headed screws that were used in the ‘60s. You may think that things like this do not matter when it comes to creating an unforgettable experience. However, this supreme degree of attention to detail ensures that an authentic experience is provided, and the impact of this can be massive when it comes to the decor of the restaurant as a whole.
So there you have it: an insight into experiential design and how this is changing the hospitality industry. We hope that this has helped you to get a better understanding of how consumer trends have changed in recent years and what this means when it comes to standing out from the competition. Consumers today care more about the experiences they have, and this is something that you can use to your advantage when creating the perfect bar or restaurant for your consumer base.