The Real Work of Hotel Design? Building Belonging

Designing hotels today means navigating more complexity than ever, global standards, brand systems, shifting guest expectations, and nonstop innovation in tech.
At HotelSpaces, Savinien Caracostea, Co-Founder of META Foundation, offered something rare: a pause to ask bigger questions.

Not about trends or materials, but about meaning.

What if hospitality isn’t just about what we build...

But how it connects people to place, to culture, and to each other?
His talk spanned architecture, digital platforms, and even French pastry—but the message was clear: the future of hotel design is about care and intention.
So… what does designing with that level of care actually look like?

The Building Isn’t the Experience

"Architecture is the hardware. Hospitality is the software."
That’s how Savinien framed the difference between space and experience. Buildings set the stage—but what guests remember is how it feels, how it flows, and how they’re treated within it.

He pointed to early department stores, theaters, and temples as examples of spaces designed for movement and meaning. They evolved throughout the day, offered layers of experience, and created a sense of discovery.

His message to designers and developers: Don’t stop at the finished product. Build something that invites people in—and keeps them coming back.

Don’t Just Build Sustainably—Build Responsibly

"Sustainability is a step, but it's not the destination. The destination is hospitality."
Savinien made the case that sustainability, while critical, can’t be reduced to a checklist. Real responsibility comes from considering how a building affects not just the environment—but the people and community it touches.

He described hospitality as a relationship. Not just between host and guest, but between a property and its surroundings. Are we acting as good neighbors? Are we respecting the land we build on? Are we considering cultural context?
That’s what it means to design with care.

Avoiding the Global Copy + Paste

"A lot of Airbnb feels the same… we are at risk of producing a monoculture."
His point wasn’t to criticize, but to caution. When design is driven by brand templates, social media trends, and fast execution, it’s easy to lose the soul of a place.

Savinien urged the audience to resist that pull. Every project presents an opportunity to reflect the local character, culture, and identity. Not through obvious theming, but through materials, light, rituals, and the feeling it leaves behind.
Good hospitality, he argued, should feel like it could only exist in that one place.

Tech Is Fire. Hospitality Is the Filter.

"Technology is like fire. It can warm or it can burn. Hospitality is the filter."
Whether it’s AI, VR, or automation, Savinien sees technology as a powerful tool—but one that needs human guidance.

He warned that without intentional design, technology can lead to disconnection, not efficiency. It can strip away the very things that make a space feel human.
His challenge: Don’t build around the tech. Build around the people who will use it.

Designing for Belonging

"Sustainability saves fish. Hospitality saves people."
Savinien closed with a reminder that felt especially timely: we’re living in a moment of global burnout, loneliness, and cultural flattening.

Hospitality—real hospitality—has the potential to fight that. But only if it’s designed with that goal in mind.

His version of hospitality isn’t just service. It’s a way of building spaces that help people feel grounded, cared for, and connected—whether they’re guests, staff, or neighbors.

Why It Stuck With the Room

This wasn’t a talk about design trends or finishes. It was a challenge to think differently about what we build, how we build it, and who it’s really for.
For hotel design and construction leaders, the takeaway is clear: the next era of hospitality won’t just be about what gets built—but how intentionally we shape the experience around it.

And, according to Savinien, that starts with care.

Watch his full talk here: