Imagine walking into a hotel lobby that instantly makes you feel at ease — relaxed, but with an underlying energy that makes you eager to explore. Now imagine stepping into a guest room that feels like a personal sanctuary, allowing you to unwind after a long day of travel. Behind these feelings lies a powerful design tool: colour. In hotels, colours aren't just about aesthetics; they're about crafting experiences. This guide delves into the transformative power of colour and provides room-by-room insights to help you choose the perfect hotel interior colours.
The power of colour: setting the tone
Colour plays a significant role in how guests feel and behave. Warm tones like reds and oranges can evoke excitement and energy, while cool shades of blue and green inspire calm and relaxation. For hotels, the aim is to create an environment where every space feels intentional, tailored to its specific function and the emotions you want to evoke. By understanding how different hues influence mood, you can curate beautiful spaces and enhance your guests' experience.
Guest rooms: crafting a home away from home
In guest rooms, comfort is king. The colours you choose here should make guests feel like they’ve entered a space designed for relaxation and peace. Soft, neutral tones such as light blues, greys and warm beiges are excellent choices to create a soothing environment. These colours help guests unwind, while subtle accent walls or decor elements in deeper hues like navy or emerald green can add a touch of luxury.
Consistency is key when designing your guest rooms. A cohesive colour scheme that flows throughout the hotel can maintain a unified experience, but don't shy away from adding room-specific accents that reflect the mood you want to create in each space—whether that's a pop of colour in the form of artwork or bold curtains.
Restaurants and dining areas: colours that stimulate the senses
Dining areas offer an opportunity to infuse energy and excitement through colour. Bright and energetic tones such as reds, oranges, or even sunny yellows stimulate appetite and create a lively atmosphere. However, it’s important to balance these with more calming elements like soft lighting or muted table settings so the overall experience doesn’t overwhelm.
Consider sophisticated hues like deep burgundy, charcoal, or gold accents for fine dining or more upscale restaurants. These tones signal luxury and provide a refined backdrop, letting the cuisine take centre stage. Matching the colour scheme with your restaurant’s culinary theme can further elevate the dining experience, creating a harmonious, thoughtful and intentional environment.
Conference rooms and business areas: focus and productivity
When designing conference rooms and business areas, your goal should be to boost concentration and productivity. Cool tones such as blues, greys and whites are ideal for these spaces. In particular, blue has been shown to increase focus and clarity, making it an excellent choice for environments where people need to think critically and engage in meetings.
In terms of aesthetics, modernity and professionalism are essential. Stick to clean lines, neutral tones and minimal distractions in your colour choices. Adding subtle accents like soft greens or metallics can break up the monotony while keeping the room focused on its functional purpose.
Spa and wellness areas: tranquillity through colour
Spas are places of peace and rejuvenation; the colours here should reflect that. Soft greens, muted blues and earth tones like taupe or sand are perfect for creating a calming, natural atmosphere. These colours mimic nature, encouraging relaxation and your guests to fully immerse themselves in the spa experience.
It's also crucial to ensure a seamless transition from other parts of the hotel to the spa. This can be done by maintaining a consistent colour palette or using soft, transitional shades that subtly shift from the hotel’s other areas to the spa.
Lighting: the unsung hero of colour design
Lighting is just as important as the colours themselves. Natural light enhances warm tones during the day, while artificial lighting can drastically alter how colours appear. For example, cooler lighting can make warmer colours appear duller, while warm lighting can deepen the richness of cooler shades.
Before finalising any colour decisions, it is essential to test samples under different lighting conditions. What looks great in afternoon sunlight might feel completely different under the soft glow of evening lamps.
Choosing the perfect hotel interior colours is more than aesthetics—it’s about shaping the guest experience. By considering how colours affect emotions and behaviours and tailoring each room to its specific function, you can create spaces that are not only visually appealing but make guests feel right at home.
When it comes to planning your hotel painting project it can be challenging to balance the need for boosting your hotel’s aesthetic appeal with minimising disruptions to guests and staff. That’s why we’re here to help with our Hotel Lookbook: Painting projects to uplift your hotel aesthetic, featuring insights from industry experts and showcasing real-world hotel transformations. Download the lookbook today!