Gone are the days when guests are satisfied with simple bedroom suites and functional buffet restaurants. On their stay, guests want an experience around every corner they turn. They want a chance, for just a few nights, to live in a new world that they adore.
To achieve such an amazing guest experience, international themed attraction design company Katapult has listed key principles of creating a magical themed resort design.
#1 The wish fulfillment
Former Walt Disney Imagineer and now Katapult creative director, Andy Sinclair-Harris, has worked on many themed resort design projects across Asia and North America. Having worked with a wide range of Disney, Pixar and Marvel IPs on these projects, he highlights the need to understand the wish fulfillment of guests.
“Creating a successful resort is first about understanding the expectations and, even more importantly, the aspirations our audiences inherently bring when choosing their resort stay. We always consider first:
- Who are the people staying at this resort?
- What will they expect to see?
- What do they want to experience?
“When we design for themed resorts, we call this ‘wish fulfillment’. Each IP or story has their own iconic characters, moments, aesthetic and even colours. We have to be receptive and design to those aspirations to deliver unique and memorable experiences for guests. At Katapult, we challenge ourselves to bring surprise and delight to our work.”
#2 Family-centric design
Katapult’s art director Lily-Ann Bedder has worked on many themed resort and themed holiday village projects throughout her career. Working with the likes of Legoland, Alton Towers and Warwick Castle, Lily-Ann stresses the importance of family-centric design.
“Everyone in the family should feel like the resort was made with them in mind. For the kids, it’s ensuring everything is accessible, from child-height buffet serveries, low-level sinks and child-sized toilets in restrooms.
“For the parents, it’s all about ease, and opportunities to make the stay effortless. From pre-check-in to dedicated buggy parking throughout the resort, the little things keep the guest at the centre of the experience, guaranteeing to make the stay memorable.”
#3 Balancing magic and practicality
Good themed resort design needs to go beyond the pretty concept visuals on the screens of designers. It needs to become a real-world experience. Katapult projects director, Cathrin Winsor, describes the need for a balanced approach to both.
“Wowing guests doesn’t have to mean blowing the CAPEX budget. Studying theatre, we learn that you can tell an impactful story in a dark room. With a themed resort, we have a much bigger canvas but the principles of good storytelling are the same. The way we find balance between the budget and the experience is to prioritise elements that deliver on the story and the key creative messages of the resort.
“Strong executive production is also crucial to keeping costs down. Appointing trustworthy local specialists, using travel smartly, and having clear accountability of design guardianship all help to run the project smoothly.”
#4 Locality and sustainability
Creative producer Victoria Meadows has worked on various resort and hotel projects. This includes the award-winning and nature-inspired Oasia Hotel Downtown in Singapore. She believes a clear approach to locality and sustainability in the design stage can help leverage themed resorts of the future.
“We all have a responsibility for the world and each other. When we hold ourselves accountable, we are able to collaborate and work together to make more meaningful experiences for everyone. Understanding sustainable practices, passive strategies, material selections, energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction tactics – are just some design considerations to improve sustainability on your resort project.
“Be conscious about the environment and introduce landscaping and greenery into any resort. Bring the outdoors in and let nature do a lot of the heavy lifting. Once nature has been given the opportunity to be present, it will transform the experience. Allow the growth and beauty of nature to fill, soften and bring comfort to a space.”
“Even before the concept stage has started, be inspired by the location. Use your senses. What can you see, smell, taste, hear, touch, feel? What elements can be locally found and reimaged or repurposed? The design will intrinsically feel rooted with its surroundings.”
#5 The exterior is just as important
“The resort exterior sets the tone for the entire visit”, according to Bedder. Many themed resorts put effort into the guest entrance. But the building facade itself is a canvas to create the wow moment.
“The exterior is the perfect story starter to get the guests excited for the new world they’ll be a part of during their stay. When working with an IP, the exterior treatment is the ultimate reflection of the brand, without it, it’s just another resort.
“A principle of themed resort design for the exterior is the first big “wow” of the stay. It’s when guests are transported from the real world into this magical, themed experience that they’ll be a part of for the next week.”
#6 Standard is still special
The narrative and/or IP of your themed resort shouldn’t just be for the public areas; standard guest rooms should be just as magical as your lobby, for example. Using custom wallpapers, themed furniture, fixings and equipment, can become statement scenic pieces that continue the magic into the rooms, while also being practical too.
The final words of wisdom from the Katapult team come from Sinclair-Harris. “In the work we do, there is nothing more rewarding than bringing stories and characters to life to be enjoyed by audiences all around the world. When we create themed resorts, we have the opportunity to even further immerse guests into their favourite worlds.”
Katapult will be exhibiting at this year’s IAAPA Expo Europe in Vienna, which takes place from 25 – 28 September, where the team will be showcasing its themed resort design expertise, following more than 10 years of experience working on new-build and existing themed resort projects.
