Hotel Designs Brit List HDBritList_eventGuide | Page 42

IN CONVERSATION WITH:
LYSBETH FOX, FOUNDER
& DIRECTOR, FOX PR
The founder and director of Fox PR, Lysbeth Fox, who
was also a judge of The Brit List 2018, caught up with
editor of Hotel Designs, Hamish Kilburn, to find out what
trends were evident in this year’s nominations and entries…
With her PR empire booming, there are less than a handful
of people in the world who are as in-the-know as Lysbeth Fox is when
it comes to predicting international hotel design trends. Therefore, inviting Fox onto the panel
of judges to decide the winners of The Brit List 2018 was a natural conversation – almost as
natural as when I caught up with her briefly ahead of the awards to discuss which trends are
here to stay.
Hamish Kilburn: In your experience, how has
hotel design taken new steps recently?
Lysbeth Fox: There isn’t just one trend for
hotel design anymore; anything goes, as long as
it’s pleasing to the eye and cleverly designed.
I think the female traveller has now being
considered more, and hotels have become
more inclusive of a feminine perspective as
a nod to the female traveller, with full-length
mirrors and proper hairdryers, for example.
HK: What inspired you about this year’s
entries?
LF: Anyone that uses sustainable initiatives
while pushing the boundaries of design wins
for me. Thoughtfulness and consideration, yet
not neglecting what is aesthetically pleasing –
42
some hotels doing it well and proving it can
be done.
HK: What major hotel trends are you
experiencing at the moment?
LF: Personalisation is the key trend that stands
out and of course the “experience economy”
isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In a world
overrun with technology, we are all looking
to personalisation to create that emotional
connection with a place or product to
enhance our experience.
HK: What makes a luxury hotel stand out?
LF: I get asked this a lot and it’s so personal.
For me, it’s that attention to detail, be it
design-wise, service, or amenities; it’s the little
touches that makes a luxury hotel stand out
head and shoulders above the rest.