Hospitality interiors can exclusively reveal the design inspiration for The Lobby feature area at the Independent Hotel Show 2024, which this year has been undertaken by OMO Interiors.
OMO Principal & Founder Natalia Shchyra explains more.
Tell us about your design for the Lobby at the Independent Hotel Show this year
The Independent Hotel Show Lobby, like a hotel lobby, is the gateway to the visitor experience. Beyond directing traffic and arranging organic circulation, we challenged our team to create a dynamic and memorable space featuring unique AI-aided art murals.
Thanks to productive collaborations with the Independent Hotel Show and our partners, Artbuz, Orbital Design Collective showcasing Calligaris products, and sofas by Swyft, we were able to fill the space with striking sculptures, comfortable lounge furniture, and premium seating options. SWTW’s building control expertise ensured the project’s smooth execution.
What inspired the design?
This year’s show theme “Beyond the Bustle” perfectly aligns with our vision of modern interiors, serving as a primary source of inspiration and evoking feelings of soothing, relaxation, and escape from the modern world’s noise. Our design technologies inspired us to create theme-related custom art prints.
The area’s particular challenge — creating a “beyond the bustle” experience within the bustling area — evolved into a strong source of inspiration as we worked to solve it.
Both aspects triggered numerous thoughts and ideas around the topic. Balancing stakeholders’ expectations, project budget, and timeline refined our imagined design into a practical reality.
How does this design relate to the show’s theme of escaping the hustle and bustle?
To complement the show’s main theme of escaping the bustle, the lobby design, titled “Oasis of Discovery”, features two key elements: escaping the urban bustle (especially for those living or operating in large cities) and escaping the everyday noise that surrounds us with screens and devices.
For relaxation, breakout sessions, and meetings, the Lobby area houses a variety of lounge retreats, each with different combinations — sit or stand, low or tall, open or semi-isolated, single-seaters or lounges for larger groups.
To engage visitors’ minds and promote relaxation, we experimented with a range of “mental games and visual illusions” that focus on observation, attention, and puzzle-solving.
As a sneak peek, one of several features includes art prints containing visuals of foliage hiding some species that Londoners might frequently see in the city. You can learn more about these features as we unveil the project closer to the show.
What sort of work does Omo Interiors do with hospitality businesses?
OMO specialises in local and global commercial design projects. Our services encompass interior design, quick-turnaround design concepts, and large-scale AI-aided artworks.
Each of our projects is a tight collaboration with the client, incorporating their unique brand, values, and requirements through the prism of design. This approach ensures that each project becomes an authentic piece.
Among OMO’s featured projects are the award-winning Radisson Blu Hotel Kyiv projects (International Property Awards. Best Hotel Interior Ukraine, Five-star award, В2В Interior of the Year (Winner) of the East Europe Real Estate Awards. Lobby & Lobby Bar areas — Winner International Property Awards and finalist in SBID International Design Award, Wellness design — LIV Hospitality Design Awards finalist), Focus co-working Dursley (Finalist at London Construction Awards, Commercial Project of the Year), numerous award-winning collaborative spaces and wellness projects.
Why are you eager to meet with independent hoteliers?
We have been following and attending the Independent Hotel Show for some time, finding it a valuable source of inspiration and knowledge. This annual event consistently highlights interesting themes and industry challenges.
By observing the topics discussed, we are eager to contribute our knowledge and many years of experience to addressing the hoteliers’ challenges of today.
Our use of rapidly evolving modern technologies enables us to deliver dynamic, diverse solutions that optimise time and budgets. We are always excited to tackle new challenges and share our insights with our clients.
What trends are popular in the world of hospitality design this year?
Popular hospitality design trends include personalised experiences, sustainability and eco-consciousness, wellness and well-being, biophilic design, and technology integration.
Many projects now incorporate these trends, either fully or partially. Regardless of current trends, we prioritise highlighting local and authentic experiences, promoting well-being, creating multifunctional spaces, designing for timelessness, and seamlessly integrating technology and equipment.
The Independent Hotel Show, in partnership with James Hallam Insurance Brokers, takes place on 15-16 October at Olympia London. To find out more about everything happening at this year’s event, and to register for your complimentary trade ticket, visit indepenenthotelshow.co.uk.
