Social trends for a sustainable hospitality business in 2025 and beyond
OCTOBER 2024
You're likely hearing a lot about business for good, social impact, social sustainability and community at the moment, so what is it, what should your business be considering, and why is it a foundation for long-term success?
What is social sustainability?
Social sustainability is about building lasting communities that nourish people and the planet with spaces that nurture collaboration, connection, and wellbeing.
Social sustainability in interior design is how we can create those spaces that answer evolving societal needs and consider the impact that surroundings have on individuals. It's worth noting we're talking about societal trends that respond to shifting social needs, rather than generating social desire and demand. This is a really key differentiator to understand.
As a studio we approach interior design by looking at the desired experience we want to create for people. Linking the purpose and intentions for a space to the way it’s planned and realised is the foundation of great design and placemaking.
With this approach we can influence behaviours through design choices, inspiring naturally positive choices that lead to improved individual and environmental wellbeing; core pillars of sustainability.
Not all social trends will apply to every business and every individual, yet it can be useful to keep an eye on insights to confirm what you may already be starting to observe, uncover blind-spots, opportunities and deepening your understanding of your customers.
Why start with social sustainability?
If you’re a developer or business owner creating a new space - be it a restaurant, hotel, leisure facility, or multi-use development, implementing a social sustainability approach will elevate your project beyond the sum of its parts. It's for you if you;
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want to embrace the ways society is changing and meet their needs, both now and into the future,
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want to be part of a more resilient community that thrives and succeeds,
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want a positive reputation for being progressive, innovative and caring,
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want your place to be noticed as forward thinking and visionary,
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want your impact to be measurable and wide-reaching,
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want a space that won’t date quickly, instead it will delight and inspire long into the future.
Social sustainability is so much more than being seen to make good choices. Customers are getting savvy to token gestures towards sustainability, it requires a mindset shift from 'business as usual' to working holistically and with the community to understand and deliver what they really need. From this starting point you can start to build a resilient, integrated business with a loyal, supportive following.
Why does it matter?
As people continue to adapt to an increasingly uncertain world, they're increasingly looking for a sense of stability, purpose and care from businesses beyond basic needs such as food, drink and sleep. Unsurprisingly, in a poly-crisis era supporting mental wellbeing is becoming a top priority as individuals seek out businesses that add positive value to their lives.
What are the trend insights for 2025 and beyond?
FLEX
People will be seeking out businesses that can support them to flex rather than break:
• Provide options that empower them to choose what's best for them at that time rather than a one size fits all approach.
• Consider if you could add extra services to smooth their day saving the need to rush between places, making you an obvious choice to uncomplicated their lives. Can you team up with local businesses to help?
• Can the space and furniture adapt to a range of needs such as social, work, self-care, play, or to equally flex to serve a variety of groups such as individuals and families?
STABILITY
People love rituals whether it's getting their morning coffee, Sunday brunch, Friday pizza or staying in the same hotel when they're in town. There is a reassurance and comfort that hospitality businesses can provide and many guests are looking for the stability of the basics to be brilliantly executed, forget reinventing the wheel. Instead businesses will compete harder on the quiet luxuries of soft spaces and attentive service.
SOFT SPACES
For overwhelmed people grounding through the senses with space to softly land is essential and this 'quiet luxury' will become increasingly called for. People are asking "does this business care about me?" Our projects take a full sensory, haptic approach to design enabling people to quietly restore, refocus and bring them back to a sense of wellness and reconnection that can so easily be knocked by a fast, slick world and travel. Can your business provide services and spaces that prioritise small acts of care? Read about design for the senses here.
ALL INCLUSIVE
Everybody deserves a beautiful space and with 1 in 6 people worldwide having a disability. According to VisitEngland research, accessible tourism is a £14.6 billion a year market and guests requiring accessible rooms tend to travel with others, take longer trips, and are loyal to hotels that get it right. Are your spaces inclusive to the needs of a spectrum of ages and abilities? Beyond the building regulations basics, examples to consider include black out blinds, adjustable lighting, quiet spaces, connecting hotel rooms.
PETS
People are increasingly considering pets to be part of their family, are there solutions you can implement to support owners that want to bring their pet?
COMMUNITY
People want to experience even more of brands they love and spend time immersed in them e.g. retail brands having in-store cafes or stand alone spaces for their community to create memories and with breweries such as Brewdog moving from product to physical bar experiences and Snapchat teaming up with brands such as GRIND Coffee, Debop and Boots to create AR pop-up events. Could there be an opportunity to approach retail brands for hospitality spin-offs in restaurants and lounges?
CREATE JOY
Its fair to say everyone would choose joy, however 49% of people are more likely to buy from a brand that gives them a sense of joy, be it through colour, a little unexpected delight, positivity, comfort or perhaps getting them out of their comfort zone.
THIRD SPACE
Third spaces continue to be important as the lines blur increasingly between work, social lives and home. Those communal areas in hospitality where work happens, friends, yoga classes, running clubs and societies can meet. Community and connection are vital to the wellbeing of many.
The summary
1. Develop smart, adaptable spaces that can cater to a range of peoples needs and uses.
2. Engage all of the senses, tell the stories behind the brand, create playful experiences that spark joy, heal hearts and minds, create connections and generally make their day.
3. Start now, customers are already using care and kindness as the measure for good businesses and the greatest act of care is to start by listening to what they need.
Maven Design Studio supports businesses to understand and plan spaces that answer people and the planet’s changing needs now and into the future. To discuss a future project or development, contact the studio at hello@mavendesignstudio.co.uk
WRITTEN BY CHLOE