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ACTIU Berbegal y Formas, S.A.
Live Love Lobby: the transformation of common spaces in hotels

Live Love Lobby: the transformation of common spaces in hotels

SEPTEMBER 2019 | 4 minutes

The hotels are already much more than a place to sleep far from home. To its function of providing rest to the traveler, whether for pleasure or for business, many more are added. The hotels seek to create socialization environments and spaces where guests and visitors can hold work meetings and move forward with their professional projects. Spaces that are increasingly equipped with functional and comfortable furniture, which ensures comfort and ergonomics.

“Live Love Lobby” was Actiu’s slogan at the furniture trade show Feria Hábitat Valencia 2019. A stand that has allowed all visitors to experience first-hand everything Actiu furniture brings to common spaces in hotels, in terms of innovation, functionality and comfort.

Live, Love, Lobby

An opportunity to rediscover new uses for the ranges Whass, Badminton, Bend, Longo, Prisma, Power and Talent, among others, and to get to know the new Noom collection, a very versatile line of chairs, armchairs and stools, which adapts to every space and every moment of the day. Noom has also been one of the proposals from Actiu to create environments tailored to each need at recent events including Designjunction in London and Maison&Objet in Paris.

Actiu’s stand showcased the latest collections to delimit and make the most of the different environments that can be found within a lobby, such as the reception itself, restaurant areas, terraces, multipurpose rooms, collaborative spaces and even private VIP areas with the exclusive design of the Karbon chair. This space, designed by ESNE, also served as a forum for debate on the future of the hotel sector with the panel discussion “Live Love Lobby. The transformation of common spaces in hotels”.

“The factor that has changed hotel lobbies the most are new technologies. Today’s hyperconnectivity allows you to work from any space. As designers, we have an obligation to reconvert that space into an attractive environment. Into spaces for a new way of life”, Cutu Mazuelos argued, Founder and Designer of Stone Design.

In this sense, Miguel Tello, Interior Designer at Utópicus, stressed that boundaries are increasingly being erased. "The line between the professional and the personal has been blurred. Conciliation is also about being able to alternate tasks and to be able to work from anywhere and not sit eight hours a day in the office," he said.

Amparo Pérez-Jorge, Architect & Product Design Manager of the NH Hotel Group, was responsible for providing the hotel sector’s vision, who explained that NH’s strategy for common spaces is to create settings where guests can work, socialise and organise events but that also attract an audience that does not necessarily stay in the hotel. "We configure spaces so that the guest does not need to stay in their room to work, but they can work in the open spaces and also socialise if they wish. They can sit quietly to read or work while charging their mobile phone. In some hotels we are reducing the reception area and expanding the common areas and their use is growing exponentially," he explained.

Rosa Colet, Interior Designer and Creative Strategist Designer at Rosa Colet, highlighted the importance of focusing the design and strategy on the use that is required of a space, making a profit on the investment and making these spaces available to a wider audience. "Hotels are opening their terraces and even their kitchens, organising specific cooking classes. The hall of the hotel can also be used for various functions. In this sense, “the furniture has to be very versatile because you cannot have different tables for each use”, she indicated.

Soledat Berbegal, Brand Reputation Director at Actiu, insisted on the importance of the collaboration between furniture manufacturers, interior designers, designers and architects to create each project collaboratively. "You have the vision of the strategy and we have the experience and knowledge of the industry. We have to be linked to each other and to the users. We must be up to date on their needs and on those demanded by the market, which are sustainable, efficient and profitable solutions”, Soledat Berbegal concluded.

At its stand Actiu also officially presented the movement Women in Office Design with its founder Harsha Kota and its president in Spain Gracia Cardona, through a round table in which professionals from the fields of design, interior design and architecture addressed the importance of giving visibility to the work of women in the sector.

This talk was participated by Anna Boscà, Director of the Architecture Department of Ramón Esteve Studio; Sophie von Schönburg-Glauchau, Director at CuldeSac Experience; María Antón, Director of the Interior Program of ESNE and Secretary of the College of Architects of Madrid; Amparo Bertomeu, Director General at ANIEME and President of the Spanish Directors’ Association (AED) in the region of Valencia; and Andrea Cañada, Sales Director at Viccarbe. Pilar Marcos, Director of the magazine Diseño Interior moderated the debate.

Actiu together with Finsa, also sponsored the Talento Nude Award, an award recognising the best piece of design presented to the young talent at the Habitat fair.