This Is the Best Hotel Market in 20 Years

Jonathan Watts: “The Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles is a prime area for boutique hotels.”

LOS ANGELES—“We are currently in the hottest hotel development market in 20 years,” Jonathan Watts , a partner at KFA , tells GlobeSt.com. Watts recently joined the architecture firm as a partner and will be leading the firm’s hospitality design, along with newly appointed partners John Arnold and Lise Bornstein . According to Watts, this is a golden age for hotel and hospitality design. “It’s leading to an explosion of concepts: hotels in new buildings, additions to existing properties, remodels, adaptive re-use (both historic and decidedly non-historic), conversions of apartments and tiny, house-like facilities that offer unique personalization and service,” he adds. KFA’s approach to hotel design is focused on the guest’s experience, which Watt says takes a lot of collaboration with interior designers and landscape architects. “In this environment, egos are left at the door. In many cases, it’s about setting a tone: Shiny, hard and corporate is old school, and have given way to textured, comfortable, fun and irreverent,” he adds. “Those are the calling cards of successful design today, resulting in several amenities trends: Lobbies become living rooms; restaurants become hangouts for the surrounding neighborhood. And pool areas are about drinks first, food second, sunning third and swimming fourth, if at all.” The firm is currently working on several projects, including NoMad LA from the Sydell Group and Freehand L.A. , both of which are in the Downtown market, where hotel development in the city is especially booming. “The Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles is a prime area for boutique hotels,” Arnold tells GlobeSt.com, adding that development in the Arts District Downtown is also strong with the new SoHo House , another KFA project. For these projects, Arnold says the firm tries to create a sense of individualism as well as experiential design. “Many of these places will build on previous successes in New York and London. For boutique properties, it’s all about creating a brand without being seen as a chain,” he says. “You may see innovations such as apartment-style units with kitchens and other comforts of home. Others may express an air of exclusivity. The speakeasy concept is one approach—where one goes down the hall and rings a doorbell, or takes a private elevator to a rooftop lounge. Of course, all hotels want to maximize food and beverage revenue, so many will offer multiple choices for dining and drinking.” KFA doesn’t exclusively focus on hospitality design. The firm works in all four product types as well as niches, like adaptive re-use .