Getting the Most Out of Your Hotel’s Outdoor Space

Hotels and resorts serve many purposes, from hosting events and weddings to providing a relaxing area for guests. With that in mind, a well-planned outdoor space is a must. When designing outdoor areas for resorts and hotels, you have multiple things to think about, from choosing the right furniture to deciding what amenities you will include.

Fortunately, crafting a hotel outdoor space doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right tips and sufficient planning, you can design an outdoor area your guests will enjoy for years to come. Here’s your guide to making the most of your outdoor hotel space.

Table of Contents:

• Benefits of Effective Outdoor Design
• 10 Tips to Leverage Your Outdoor Hotel Space
• Create a Comfortable, Relaxing Outdoor Space With Wabash Valley Furnishings

Benefits of Effective Outdoor Design

You can see an incredible return and other benefits when you consider comfort and enjoyment when building your space. Below are some advantages of a well-designed outdoor space.

1. Positive Guest Experience

Customers are more likely to return to your hotel and leave positive reviews if they have a comfortable, pleasant experience. Part of ensuring an enjoyable stay is creating a practical indoor and outdoor space.

Design your outdoor area with your guests’ utmost comfort in mind. That could involve cozy and durable seating, relaxing music, a dip in the pool, al fresco dining, or anything else that speaks to your vision.

2. More Brand Recognition

A beautiful outdoor space can draw attention to your hotel or resort. Posting dazzling photos on your brand’s social media accounts is a great way to showcase your newly designed outdoor area, encouraging people to come and check it out.

With more social media users sharing and interacting with posts of your outdoor space, people will start to recognize your hotel and brand. Additionally, positive reviews from previous visitors can prompt people to visit your website or social media, attracting more prospective customers.

3. Extra Amenities

The more elements you incorporate into your hotel’s outdoor design, the more amenities your guests will have to enjoy. For instance, they have multiple areas to socialize and eat, such as the patio, rooftop, pool, or garden. You can also include additional features and perks, like a fire pit, bar, television, or outdoor exercise classes.

4. More Revenue

Adding an outdoor hotel area can be an excellent way to maximize profits. A comfortable outdoor space with multiple amenities can increase customer capacity and satisfaction. As a result, they may be more inclined to extend their stay or book again. Longer and more frequent visits translate to an increase in revenue.

Additionally, happy customers will be more likely to put in a good word for your hotel or resort. Good reviews can prompt others to come and stay, boosting your business’s sales further.

10 Tips to Leverage Your Outdoor Hotel Space

From choosing lightweight, weather-resistant materials to creating a multipurpose space, there are various ways to optimize your outdoor hotel or resort area. Here are some tips for maximizing your outdoor hotel space’s flexibility, functionality, and comfort.

1. Use Easy-to-Rearrange Furniture

When incorporating picnic tables, benches, dining sets, and other furniture into your outdoor space, you will likely need to move them around or swap them out at some point.

Portable furniture is ideal for outdoor spaces that require frequent setting up and changing for events. Additionally, you may want to replace dirty and rusted furniture or change up your outdoor space’s aesthetic for a new season. Whatever the case, furniture that’s easy to move and rearrange will come in handy. That means choosing lightweight, portable materials like wood, plastic and aluminum.

2. Incorporate Weather-Resistant Materials

When planning seating, tables, bar tops, flooring, and other outdoor space elements, choose weather-resistant materials that can withstand a range of conditions. You’ll want strong furniture that doesn’t compromise comfort. With that in mind, here are some of the best materials for outdoor furniture:

• Wood: Wood furniture can serve your outdoor space well for many years with proper maintenance and care. It can resist sun and heat damage while providing a comfy place to sit. Just make sure the wood is practical for outdoor use. Species like redwood, cypress, mahogany, oak, and teak have natural moisture-wicking properties, making them ideal for outdoor furniture. Meanwhile, softwoods like pine and cedar are better suited to indoor spaces.
• Aluminum and cast aluminum: Aluminum outdoor furniture is robust and affordable with a striking finish. While cast aluminum is slightly heavier than standard aluminum, both are lightweight, portable options for outdoor furniture. Aluminum often has a powder coating that boosts its weather resistance further.
• Recycled plastic: Recycled plastic outdoor furniture is lightweight, environmentally friendly, and low maintenance. It resists moisture, warping, fading, cracking, corrosion, and rotting. It also comes in an array of patterns and colors, making it easy to match your outdoor space’s aesthetic. Recycled plastic is a popular choice for picnic tables and benches. It can even imitate other materials like metal and wood. You can also incorporate your brand’s logo into the material.
• Steel: Steel has superior weight-bearing capacity and strength. It’s also highly resistant to rust and corrosion. These qualities make it suitable for outdoor tables and seating. The material is typically used to construct the framework for benches and picnic tables.
• Hybrid: Since different materials suit different needs, many outdoor furniture pieces combine materials to increase durability further. For instance, the furniture might include a steel frame with recycled plastic seating.

3. Design Multipurpose Spaces

Allowing guests to enjoy multiple amenities in one outdoor area is a convenient way to save and leverage space. For instance, you might have a covered bar and restaurant area, fire pit, and pool accessible in one large outdoor area. That way, guests can go from dining to swimming to socializing by the fire as they please.

4. Create a Cohesive Space

You should aim for a smooth transition between your indoor and outdoor hotel space when designing your new layout. There are multiple ways to do this, such as creating a consistent flooring design. For example, if you use tiles in your downstairs lobby area, you might carry this concept into your outdoor and pool areas for a more natural flow.

When adding shade structures, like commercial patio umbrellas or canopies, select harmonious colors and custom graphics for a cohesive outdoor space. Whether putting similar furniture in each area or incorporating your brand’s colors and logos, every component of your indoor and outdoor hotel space should reflect an overarching concept or theme.

5. Determine and Plan for Amenities

As you plan the design and layout for your outdoor space, think about the different features and activities you’d like to offer. There are limitless possibilities to consider, but here are some ideas for amenities to get you started:

• Rooftop restaurant and bar: A rooftop eatery and bar can be an excellent profit booster. It especially appeals to guests looking for a unique dining experience with a stellar view. Giving your customers a fun way to enjoy food and drinks can encourage them to return and tell their friends. If you’re in a colder area, you can integrate an indoor section into your rooftop area. Installing heaters can make your rooftop restaurant usable year-round.
• Pool: A swimming pool gives guests a place to relax, socialize and escape the scorching sun. If you want to expand your pool area and revenue stream further, you could include unique options like rentable cabanas or a swim-up bar.
• Trail area: If it is feasible for your space, you might include a trail area for guests to walk, jog or ride bikes. This amenity can appeal to anyone looking to exercise or grab some fresh air. Consider installing bike loop racks near the trail and parking lot. Better yet, you could invest in a fleet of bicycles for guest use. If your area is bike-friendly and you have the capabilities, you could offer daily or weekend guided tours. This is a great way for guests to explore the city, get outdoors, and go green.
• Gaming and sporting areas: Lawns and courts with various games and activities can be another way to delight guests. For instance, you might include a tennis or pickleball court, cornhole boards, or a sanded area for volleyball. Another possibility is incorporating a bocce ball court, pool table, or other recreations into your rooftop restaurant. Sports and games allow guests to socialize, unwind and have fun. The more fun they have, the more likely they will be to book another stay.

6. Create Comfortable Temperatures

Temperature control is an essential consideration when designing outdoor hotel or resort spaces. Guests cannot relax and enjoy themselves if the outdoor area is too hot or cold. Ensure you have sufficient heating in colder months and air conditioning for warmer seasons.

Shade structures can also help shield guests from the harsh UV rays. Heavy-duty patio umbrellas, ceiling fans, canopies, and pergolas can deliver some much-needed shade while creating a cozier, more relaxed feel for your outdoor space. If possible, try to shade every seating space, including outdoor restaurants and poolside lounging areas.

7. Increase Seating Capacity

With a few simple solutions, you can boost your outdoor area’s seating capacity without detracting from the experience. For instance, a large cantilever umbrella increases usable space under the structure, allowing for more tables and seating capacity. Multi-canopy solutions let you cover larger areas with a single mast without compromising your table layout.

8. Add Some Comfy Textiles

Soft cushions, pillows, rugs and throw blankets go a long way in creating a cozy outdoor space. Consider colorful, plush textiles to add flair and comfort to your outdoor space. As mentioned above with designing a cohesive space, try choosing colors that complement each other and other outdoor elements to tie the area together.

9. Prioritize Cleaning and Maintenance

Your outdoor hotel area’s cleanliness is as vital as that of your indoor space. Even a properly covered and enclosed outdoor space is prone to leaves, twigs, bird droppings, and other outdoor debris.

Your guests won’t want to visit an area that appears dirty, unkempt, and neglected. Be sure to stay on top of cleaning and maintenance to keep your outdoor area looking its best. Regular outdoor cleaning and maintenance should include:

• Sweeping away cobwebs and debris from floors, walls, and ceilings.
• Washing flooring, siding, windows, shutters, walkways, decking, furniture, and equipment with a power washer or hose.
• Cleaning or replacing textiles, umbrellas, and other furnishings to remove dirt, mold, or mildew.
• Touching up chipped paint on walls, furniture, and other elements.
• Cleaning trash receptacles and changing out bags frequently.
• Removing leaves, twigs, and other debris from gutters.
• Flushing gutters and downspouts with a hose to identify potential leaks.
• Taking inventory of flowers and plants and planning for new additions.
• Trimming overgrown shrubs and trees.
• Mulching garden beds.
• Removing weeds and dead foliage.
• Washing exterior lighting fixtures and replacing burnt-out bulbs.
• Cleaning outdoor grills and refilling their propane tanks.

10. Choose Proper Lighting

Lighting can truly make or break a space. Cozy and welcoming lighting can create a pleasant atmosphere for guests, while insufficient or harsh lighting can have the opposite effect. Light fixtures should be both visually pleasing and functional. Here are some exterior lighting fixtures to consider for your outdoor hotel or resort space:

• Ceiling fans: Outdoor ceiling fans deliver sufficient overhead lighting, maintain cool temperatures and keep pests away. They are ideal for screened porches, entryways, and other covered areas. Remember to choose ceiling fans specifically rated for outdoor use.
• Safety and security lighting: Consider motion-activated, dusk-to-dawn, dark-sky, or flood lights for security purposes. LED solar-powered lights are also effective for outdoor spaces. They can charge during the day and offer the same light quality as hard-wired fixtures at night.
• Accent lighting: Decorative lighting provides many opportunities to enhance your outdoor space’s ambiance. Whether lining a porch swing or potted plants with strip lights, installing string lights on roof eaves and trees, or hanging rope lights beneath umbrella canopies and porch railings, the possibilities are endless. Options like string and rope lights are simple to install on your own, merely requiring a nearby outlet. Options like post-lighting and lanterns require professional hard wiring.
• Landscape lighting: Landscape lighting fixtures help create a sense of depth on patios, decks, and architecture. There are various options to choose from, including spotlights, sconces, deck lights, and pendant lights.
• Path lights: Path lights add security, function, and visual appeal to outdoor spaces. You can place rows of path lights along gardens, in-ground pools, steps, or walkways.

Create a Comfortable, Relaxing Outdoor Space With Wabash Valley Furnishings

Quality furnishings are essential if you are incorporating an outdoor space into your hotel or resort. At Wabash Valley Site Furnishings, we have a variety of affordable products designed to withstand the elements, such as outdoor restaurant tables and seating, trash receptacles, patio umbrellas, grills, and more.

We also offer hassle-free site furnishing installations by licensed professionals. Whether you’re looking to furnish your outdoor restaurant, pool, spa or lounge area — or all of the above — you’ll find many necessities at Wabash Valley Furnishings.

Browse our extensive product selection to find furniture and other amenities for your outdoor space today. We look forward to helping you transform your outdoor space into the ultimate enjoyment area for your guests.