A Guide to Hotel Design Pt 17: Reception – Make it Function Better

Your Reception staff smile and the guests feel welcome. But does your reception area reflect the quality and ethos of your brand? Does its design enable staff to work happily and efficiently and the two do, of course, go together. In this part I want to look at how reception works at different levels of service.

First a sideswipe at star ratings or rather the attitudes that they engender. For someone staying in a three star hotel their stay may be something they have scrimped and saved for. They may not have a millionaire daddy to indulge them as if they were George Osborne, but their money will have been hard earned and their decision to spend it with you is a high compliment. They deserve to be treated with the same respect and concern as if they were a multi millionaire buying the top suite at a five star. If you are a five star and some bum turns up in jeans he may actually be a millionaire so don’t give him the ‘bum’s rush’ out the door because true class doesn’t judge by appearances – and after all he might be Charlie Sheen!

Whatever level you operate at treat your guest as you would like to be treated yourself. It’s called being professional. As designers have learned, you must obey the Golden Rule – he who has the Gold, Rules.

Ergonomic efficiency and the efficient setting of staff levels are all a part of both operational and design criteria. I have already given examples of receptions which appear unmanned with an alarm calling staff to the counter before the guest gets there, freeing staff for other tasks. With staff costs a major part of any operation an efficiently staffed and run Reception is not just essential for good guest relations but is also an ingredient of profitability.

In three star brands cost efficiency in terms of staff numbers are essential, and with typical 3 star 100 bed units operating with between 30 and 40 staff good design can assist with minimising the staff numbers needed.

Travelodge have taken the approach typified by RyanAir. Processes are automated as far as possible in order to minimise costs – costs which are in turn reflected in a minimised room rate. Increasingly this means on line check-in processes validated by automatic terminals in the reception lobby. Human intervention is kept to a minimum.

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.