UNICA’s co-founder Riccardo Robustini was interview on the magazine  Architect Middle East on today’s challenges on hospitality design in the UAE. In the interview, Riccardo also talked about UNICA’s experience in the designing hospitality facilities and about new trends and objectives of the industry.

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From the interview:

What are new hospitality projects asking for? What must hospitality projects consider that they perhaps didn’t have to consider five years ago?

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RR: “The Hospitality market differs significantly in terms of geographic locations, cultures, economies and type of supply (3,4 or five stars and above). Each market is trying to response in a different way in relation

to their specific benchmark. However, I think there is a common analysis about how our habit have been changing in the last 10/15years. The middle east approach in hospitality was extremely conservative

and very far from the experimentations that has been done in the last 20 years around the world.

However, the market is now moving in the correct direction: the first ROVE open its door in May 2016 and from this moment something has changed in the Mid-market in Dubai and it will probably soon in the rest of the region. Hoteliers finally understood that the new generation has a perception of luxury, completely different from the previous one. The new travelers don’t want to feel like they are in a hotel, but most likely at home. They prefer a personal, authentic and funky experience. The threeand four-Star market, have to be focused in a more sophisticated design and in a completely new way to deal with the customers.

I think the overall point is less tie and more t-shirt but don’t get me wrong, the fact that the new generation don’t hide their self behind suit, doesn’t mean they are not refined. They want sleep in a five-star bed and possible eat with a Michelin star menu. New experiences are the core of the new design.”