On this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we’re featuring Amy Hulbert, Vice President, Boutique and Upscale Brands at Best Western® Hotels & Resorts.

Though Amy no longer has the word design in her title, she’s been responsible for creating the look and feel of the company’s brands such as Glo and Vib, and actively helped create its newest brand entrants.

In this episode Amy reveals her design approach to the changing nature of hotel rooms sizes, and what it takes to reinvent a guestroom layout in a clever way when creating efficient rooms that are typically smaller but feel the same size as traditional hotel rooms. Plus, Hulbert shares great information on materials and smart strategies for creating a terrific bathroom experience.

She also shares what the process is like when designing a new hotel concept, and the critical nature to creating a product featuring a strong value proposition that differentiates the brand concept from competitors, while also appealing to the hotel franchising and development community.

And, of course, she discusses the importance of focusing on the overall experience when it comes to brand elements such as food, music, signature scents and creating compelling features that both hotel guests and locals will enjoy. Plus, she shares insights on seating, lighting and programming the lobby to appeal to people during multiple day parts.

The conversation then shifts to the extended stay market and how Best Western is capitalizing on this popular trend with its Executive Residency brand.

Finally, Amy shares about how she finds inspiration for new brands to create, and her methodology to discovering new ideas to incorporate into the company’s established brands. Plus, she shares her secrets to finding great product ideas for hotel inclusion.

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