The best hotels understand that their guests are looking for a “home away from home” experience and go above and beyond to deliver on that promise. Wayfinding Design in Hotels is the key!
Whether guests are staying with you because of a holiday, a business trip, or an event, you want to ensure that you are doing everything you can to make them feel comfortable, safe, and welcome.
One of the most effective ways to do this is designing and implementing an effective wayfinding system that offers guests an immersive experience instead of just a place to stay. This will help you improve the overall guest experience, while providing you with an opportunity to stand out from the competition. Not to mention that wayfinding design also plays a substantial part in the likelihood of a guest booking a second stay.
From custom hotel signs to wayfinding aligned with your branding, read on to learn everything you need to know about the role of wayfinding design in hotels.
1. Wayfinding design helps a visitor explore everything on offer.
High-quality wayfinding encourages guests to explore everything your hotel has to offer without them recognizing the system is in place.
In other words, when you implement your wayfinding design, it should be seamless enough with the space that guests don’t have to pay a second thought to it. After all, the last thing you want is for guests to get lost within your hotel and start to feel frustrated. This is a surefire way of ruining their experience.
Good wayfinding eliminates any ambiguity related to getting from point A to point B and limits the stress that occurs when guests have to stop and question where to go next continuously. All the interconnected elements of a wayfinding system should add up to assist visitors in navigating your hotel.
Wayfinding signage throughout the property will help guests navigate the space, ensuring it is easy for them to find the lobby, their hotel room, the pool, elevators, restrooms, and other amenities.
By carefully selecting where wayfinding signage is to be placed, you can optimize convenience and help guests feel comfortable. Plus, it will decrease the number of questions directed to the front desk.
Additionally, suppose your hotel has revenue-generating amenities (e.g., bar, restaurant, casino). In that case, you want to make sure that guests can easily find them – otherwise, you are missing out on potential profit. Therefore, a wayfinding design solution is essential to ensure that guests can effectively and efficiently navigate the space and take advantage of everything you have on offer.
2. Wayfinding signage is a vital component of hotel design.
No matter what type of wayfinding system you seek to implement or how extensive the system will be, wayfinding signage is a vital component of the design. Generally, hotels need to have various wayfinding signage ranging from parking signage to hotel branding, directional signage to exit and emergency routes.
Hotel branding is one of the most essential wayfinding signage options that your hotel should have, as it is the first thing that guests (and potential visitors) see before they enter your space.
The standard of wayfinding signage you have on your exterior walls set the tone for guests upon arrival. Therefore, it needs to be easy to read and visible from a distance. This will help guests find where they need to go while also working as an effective marketing strategy.
Exit and emergency wayfinding signage is also essential as you need to be prepared for an emergency. Within your wayfinding system, you want to ensure that exits are clearly marked and visible. Besides wayfinding signage, you should also have directional arrows that show the appropriate movement flows and informational hubs with additional required information.
3. Wayfinding design helps you to stand out and remain competitive.
With so many options to select from, hotels need to work hard on their branding and customer experience if they are going to stand out and remain competitive. Creative wayfinding design is one way of doing this, as it enables you to demonstrate your unique approach to your hotel property.
The small (but crucial) details that are incorporated into high-quality wayfinding design have a meaningful impact on your guests.
When designed and implemented correctly, wayfinding design can transform an average hotel into a destination that patrons would want to visit time after time. By implementing good wayfinding, you will stand out from the competition and will not have to worry that guests are unable to navigate your hotel without getting lost or confused.
Moreover, wayfinding that is aligned with your hotel’s branding also provides an opportunity for you to inject personality and storytelling. This type of wayfinding design transcends just navigation and instead seeks to impart a stronger sense of place for all visitors. It is supposed to offer additional opportunities to deepen the relationship between your hotel and your guests.
You can enhance every element of the wayfinding design to encourage a more brand-aligned experience. By using wayfinding to communicate your brand personality and immerse visitors in your hotel, you are guaranteed to stand out from the competition because your hotel will be the most in-demand option.
Final Thoughts
The wayfinding design you implement throughout your hotel is going to play an integral role in your guest experience. Luckily, wayfinding systems can be designed in various forms, ensuring that you are able to create a strategy that aligns with your branding, your space, and your guests’ needs.
While it is incredible that so many options exist when it comes to devising wayfinding, it can often feel overwhelming to know where to start. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you partner with a wayfinding design firm that will work with you throughout the process.
A collaborative working relationship with experts with years of experience will help you create a wayfinding strategy that enables you to provide the best hospitality experience possible. The best wayfinding design and sign boards in Dubai are what you need to take your hotel to the next level.
What do you think are some of the most essential aspects of wayfinding design? How do you think wayfinding affects the guest experience?
Let us know your thoughts and any additional insights you have in the comments below!
AUTHOR BIO
Zak Zakaria is a Waymaker at dezigntechnic in Dubai who also previously worked as the company’s Graphic Designer and Art Director. Zak is a creative with work experience in multiple multinational agencies such as JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi. Signage design is a family business, making Zak’s personal experience with signage his longest professional commitment.
Related Articles
Good article wish you good luck also write something on Freelance web designer in Dubai