Designing a New Generation of Hotel Rooms at Marriott’s Innovation Lab

Travel by Design

What can travelers expect from the next generation of hotel rooms?

To find out, Hamish heads to the top secret innovation lab at Marriott Headquarters — where more adaptable, interactive, and locally connected hotel rooms are being crafted as the ideal home base for millions of travel journeys to come.

He learns why the near future of hotel rooms isn’t a dogpile of technology for technology’s sake. Instead, it’s a future where we can adjust our room to be what we need right in the moment, by pressing a single button or pulling on a single handle.

In this episode, Hamish gets a glimpse of that future by going behind the scenes at a massive workshop, where (with the help of a power saw, foamcore, and VR headsets) new ideas can become new hotel rooms in a single day. Then, just across the street he explores an entire floor of prototype rooms, where travelers are invited to stay the night and help shape their final form.

And along the way, Hamish meets the passionate designers who strive to help travelers get immersed in their destination — and walk away from every trip with a feeling of perpetual discovery.

Featured Hotel: Marriott Bethesda Downtown at Marriott HQ

Featured Designers: Jeff Voris, Senior Vice President of Global Design Strategies at Marriott; Jason Robertson, Vice President of Global Design Innovation at Marriott; Aliya Khan, Vice President of Global Design strategies at Marriott

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Follow host Hamish Kilburn's hotel design reviews @HotelDesigns