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Creating Space: Small Hotel Room Design Is on the Rise

Creating Space

Small Hotel Room Design Is on the Rise

In a world brimming with complexity and overstimulation, the hospitality industry is finally scaling back—and elevating design—room by room, one square inch at a time.

Embracing a ‘less is more’ philosophy for 2024, hospitality executives, the A&D community, and travelers are equally on board for minimized guest accommodations (coined as ‘micro hotel rooms’). By streamlining to essential amenities and physical space, small hotel room design ironically offers more room and inspiration for guests to explore the city itself (rather than stay in). For today’s millennial and Gen Z crowds, these micro hotel rooms are not confining, but rather, redefining the intention of their getaway experience, be it for business or pleasure.

Petite Suites from the '70s to Today

Space-saving and savvy, the micro hotel traces its roots to Japan’s capsule hotels of the 1970s—compact pods about 6.5 feet long and 4 feet wide (roughly the size of a full bed) built for solo travelers seeking a basic overnight stay. This groundbreaking hospitality concept evolved into the “micro hotel” in 2007, when hoteliers Ira Drukier and Richard Born opened Pod 39 in New York.

Today’s micro hotels embrace minimalism with guestrooms far smaller than the typical 330-square-foot room—ranging from 91 square feet to around 141. Affordable and efficient, they’re designed to draw guests out into the city, from global hubs like New York, London, and Tokyo to small cultural destinations.

Designing Small Spaces with Purpose

Like a well-planned studio or travel trailer, micro hotel rooms prioritize efficiency without sacrificing comfort. Common design hallmarks include:

Multifunctional Layouts

Fold-down desks, under-bed storage, and modular furniture maximize every inch while keeping spaces uncluttered.

Tech-Forward Amenities

Smart lighting, app-controlled services, and reliable high-speed Wi-Fi create seamless, guest-friendly experiences.

Minimalist Calm

By stripping away excess, rooms foster clarity and embrace the “joy of missing out” (JOMO).

Small hotel rooms get elevated with clean layout and glam-chic details.

Balancing Private & Public Energy

Beyond the serene guestrooms, vibrant communal spaces—restaurants, bars, co-working hubs—offer a lively counterpoint. This yin/yang between calm private rooms and dynamic public areas reflects today’s wellness-minded and “bleisure” travel trends.

The Art of Illusion: Living Large in Small Space Design

When it comes to first impressions, certain interior design features make a difference, especially in small spaces.

When decorating a micro hotel room, designers may want to use a refreshingly cool and light palette of greens, blues, purples, or neutrals like misty grey, crisp white, and more, which naturally make tight or narrow areas look—and feel—wider and longer.

Adding Shimmer & Shine

Mirrored or metallic fabrics also play with light, creating the illusion of depth and more expansive space. Textiles like shimmery half-circle Lustrous II or the metallic dotted Sweet Spot (right) add pretty, polished glamour to compact hotel rooms—especially when reflections of disco ball-like sparkles glisten and dance around the room as light hits its surface.

View Lustrous II - 5 Colorways View Sweet Spot - 8 Colorways

Expanding with Stripes

Stripes redefine compact hotel rooms, shifting perspective without adding square footage. Timeless vertical options—like wallcoverings Amari Stripe, Conundrum Stripe, Irving Stripe, and the raffia-like Lustre Strie—visually raise ceilings. For narrow layouts, horizontal designs like Loire or Linguine II 484 extend walls outward for a wider feel. This simple geometry creates order and calm, while subtly guiding the eye across the room.

View Amari Stripe - 8 Colorways View Linguine II - 9 Colorways

Framing the Outside World

Drapery in small hotel rooms creates a natural optical illusion—framing the view and drawing in sunlight or city lights to expand the sense of space. Designers can layer sheers, like Stencil from our Simply Sheer Collection, for soft daylight, paired with Snooze blackout panels for restful privacy at night—balancing openness with peace

View Stencil - 3 Colorways View Snooze - 5 Colorways

Elevated Havens: Avant-Garde Micro Rooms

Large suites are no longer the standard of luxury. In micro hotels, it’s the details that define the experience—stylized finishes, layered textures, and balanced palettes that make compact rooms feel personal and refined. Designers can mix warm tones, linear motifs, tactile fabrics, and even digital wallcoverings (like Matsu, right) for a custom, one-of-a-kind backdrop. The result is a space that’s intimate yet impactful, delivering sophistication in a smaller footprint.

Takeaways

Merging high-end fashion with practicality, the modern small hotel room trend is set to make a big impact on the hospitality industry in 2024. These micro rooms, embracing both luxury and simplicity, offer travelers a serene retreat without sacrificing the excitement of the city just outside.

For more trends and the latest in textile and wallcovering designs, visit us at one of our showrooms or online at momentumtextilesandwalls.com.

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Creating Space

Petite Suites from the '70s to Today