restaurants aspires to both memorability and
share-ability – a modern-day marketing tool
that gives these interiors a second life online.
The escape from real life cannot deny
the physicality of rooms and buildings that
are still real in the traditional sense of the
word, yet futurists predict that AR will start
playing a bigger role in hospitality, too. The
anticipated getaways will transcend the here
and now. Speaking to Forbes, renowned futur-
ist Dr James Canton said that ‘hotels in the
future will have themes based on immersive
worlds’. He believes the physical and virtual
will merge: ‘Travelers can expect a fully inter-
active live event location, where the hotel is
completely immersed in its determined char-
acter and where consumers could interact in
real-time or by virtual reality. Imagine a Call
of Duty World enabling combat gaming com-
petitions between networked hotel commu-
nities; a Roman World with chariot races; or
a Renaissance World complete with costumes
and customized androids, story lines, drama
and action. These experiences will become
alternative travel lifestyles... beyond what
we see today.’
Fellow futurist Faith Popcorn, who
was commissioned by InterContinental
Hotels to explore luxury travel trends for
the next 70 years, agrees: ‘Consumers will
be craving immersive experiences which
will allow them to indulge in luxury in both
a physical and a virtual sense. By harness-
ing virtual reality and the constant flow of
personal likes, dislikes and bio-data, hotels
will be able to provide guests with once-in-
a-lifetime experiences seamlessly and spon-
taneously – or so it will seem.’ She envisions
‘fantasy escapes’ that will wrap guests in
gamelike environments alive with extreme,
previously unattainable experiences. Whether
such experiences will be mainly physical or
will plunge deep into virtual reality remains
to be seen. – FK
dehorecafabriek.nl
marcelwanders.com
swaqatar.com
xl-muse.comA stained-glass skylight that
resembles the Peony Tiffany
Lamp crowns the poolside area.
SPACES 117