Emerging trends in landscape hospitality design

The first in a series of landscape hospitality design-led articles,

Morphis explore the differentiators in creating unique lifestyle

experiences for guests . . .

It is not just about designing a hotel or a resort anymore – guests for whom life, business, and pleasure seamlessly intersect are rightfully seeking greater expectations and they are willing to pay more for the fusion between expectation, memory + delight.

As designers, we are responsible for creating meaningful and memorable experiences, to ensure powerful brands connect to the soul of the place. So, how can the landscape deliver a unique luxurious experience, an ensemble of orchestrated moments, provoking emotions?

Speaking with a passion for authenticity, Morphis are applying a more integrated vision to connect guests to explore beyond the interiors and the pool deck. Nature can create a living sensorium, a space of tactile experience, an understanding of the symbolism of place; protecting and enhancing these essential ingredients is key to celebrating the unique identity of place and experience.

The relationship is personal and guests are increasingly taking better care of themselves - we are seeing greater health and social needs from guests which can be achieved beyond expectation in the landscape.

We are also seeing more emphasis being placed on the wellness movement to allow guests to recuperate and recalibrate - the goal must seamlessly engage wellness within the landscape without a thought - daily yoga, tai chi and martial arts lessons on lawns, ultimately making the most of local site opportunities through passive and flexible design.

Crucial to the health and wellbeing movement in the landscape is the ability for guests and residents to ‘connect with nature.’ There is a greater desire from developers and operators to go beyond the aesthetic and create ‘performance landscapes,’ both economically and ecologically. Morphis are designing landscapes rooted in the context of place and celebrating its identity, incorporating ecological features such as habitat hotels, migratory bird and wildlife attractants, urban heat island indicators, pollution mitigation initiatives, and kitchen gardens / orchards with ‘field to fork’ culinary delights served in restaurants.

Whilst open space may be tight, flexibility in design is key – utilising hybrid functionality to create a more generous and balanced return on investment to make the gardens work hard – intimate courtyards, dinners on the waterfront, pop-up garden bars, family gatherings around the pool, corporate events and weddings on the Great Lawn define those memorable experiences.

Morphis have designed experiences to achieve new standards for intuitive luxury, comfort and innovation in hospitality landscape design. Working with the leading hotel operators, we are developing outdoor wellness treatments and classes - watsu, meditation, yoga, tai chi, hot springs and herbal signature massage therapy treatment spaces. Landscapes are including outdoor working spaces with external wi-fi points for use during cooler months of the year and initiatives for private membership terraces for the local community integration.

Ultimately, a thorough understanding of the guest experience can only be achieved through a collaborative work ethic and harmony with architects, engineers, interior designers, and operational leaders, all working closely with the developer to deliver an exceptional service revealing the layers of identity embedded in the narrative of design. Photographs copyright © VFMPhotolmport and Mauritius Hotels.