Hotel lift design and modernisation – completing the guest experience

Standing out from the crowd

When you walk into a Four Seasons hotel or Movenpick hotel, everything about the design - from the lighting to the furniture - screams luxury. You know you’re about to be pampered. Step into a 25Hours hotel, on the other hand, and you immediately notice the youthful, trendy aesthetic.

If you want your hotel to stand out from the one down the street, your design choices must communicate a clear message to guests. The most successful hotel brands have refined this message so well that you know the minute you enter the lobby what kind of experience you can expect.

Now, imagine your guest gliding through your beautifully designed lobby, calling the lift and stepping inside only to be greeted by a plain box. Or worse, a shabby lift that hasn’t been updated in 20 or 30 years. In a flash, all your hard work is undermined, and the guest’s positive experience fades.

By modernising your lifts, you can avoid that scenario. Here are the things you should consider to make sure your lift upgrade goes smoothly and the final result fits with your brand.

Lifts can be thoughtfully designed, but they should also reflect their main use. If it’s a cleaning or service lift, then a robust, stainless steel design might be the best choice. Steel adds character while also minimising potential damage from cleaning carts or equipment.

For hotels with dedicated guest lifts, the sky’s the limit. With a full lift modernisation, you can upgrade the interior with mirrors, glass, steel, vibrant laminate colours. Or you can design a custom interior that perfectly matches the design of your hotel.

The fixtures in your lift immediately tell your guests if you’ve modernised or not. Fixtures from the 90s are just as outdated as a Discman. But people don’t feel nostalgic about old lift fixtures. 

Some things to consider when modernising your lift with new fixtures include:

• Accessibility: Well-designed lifts help all guests move around your hotel. Fixtures with larger, or high-contrast, buttons, braille, and voice announcements make it easier for visually impaired individuals to use the lift.
• Style: Fixtures come in many different styles. Half-height options are great if your budget is tight. Full-height fixtures that sit flush in the wall are the premium choice.
• Security: Many hotels use lifts to control floor access. This is done using card readers inside the lift or a destination dispatch system that controls access from the lobby.
• Destination dispatch: For larger hotels, with banks of three or more lifts, a destination dispatch system is the fastest way to get guests to their room. Lifts are assigned based on destination. Since the lift is assigned in advance, guests don’t have to scramble to get to the lift with their bags and even robots can use your lift. 
• Communication: With screens, like the Linea 800 SmartTouch, installed directly in the lifts, you can share important information, such as check-out time and the location of breakfast, to keep guests informed during their stay.  

If you want to take things to the next level and truly wow your guests, digital technology has the answer. The Schindler SmartMirror and AdScreen fill an entire wall of the lift with high-definition content. You can upload still or moving images to share information, promote products, or simply entertain guests.

Another possibility is to turn your lobby into an infotainment centre. The Schindler DoorShow projects content directly on to the lift landing doors. It turns waiting for the lift, usually a boring necessity, into a visual feast.

With these digital products, the look and feel of your lift can be easily changed using an online content management system (CMS). You can change the content to highlight specific services or set it to change at certain times of day. It can even be used to shout out guests who are celebrating a birthday or anniversary in your hotel. Now that’s personal service!