Short answer

Incorporate design elements that foster a sense of 'home'—comfort, familiarity, and personal connection—into hotel spaces to encourage guests to adopt more sustainable behaviors.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: PLoS ONE (2023)
Method: Mixed-methods research combining qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires.
Evidence: Strong effect

By designing hotel environments that tap into guests' functional, emotional, and imaginative connections to their homes, designers can foster a greater propensity for pro-environmental behaviors. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in PLoS ONE. Using Mixed-methods research combining qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Incorporate design elements that foster a sense of 'home'—comfort, familiarity, and personal connection—into hotel spaces to encourage guests to adopt more sustainable behaviors.

Study

User-Centred DesignRecentStrong effect

Designing hotel spaces that evoke 'home' can significantly increase guests' pro-environmental actions.

By designing hotel environments that tap into guests' functional, emotional, and imaginative connections to their homes, designers can foster a greater propensity for pro-environmental behaviors.

PLoS ONE · 2023

Key Findings

01Hotel guests' experience of 'home' in hotels is characterized by function, emotion, and imagination.
02Both the functional and emotional aspects of a home-like hotel experience positively influence guests' pro-environmental behavior.
03The imaginative aspect of a home-like experience positively affects pro-environmental behavior both within and outside the hotel.
04Guests' existing pro-environmental behaviors at home strengthen the link between their hotel 'home' experience and their pro-environmental actions in the hotel.

Application

Design takeaway

Incorporate design elements that foster a sense of 'home'—comfort, familiarity, and personal connection—into hotel spaces to encourage guests to adopt more sustainable behaviors.

How to apply

When designing hotel rooms or common areas, consider incorporating elements like comfortable seating arrangements, personalizable lighting, natural materials, and amenities that promote a sense of personal space and routine, similar to what one would find at home.

Project actions

01When designing a space, think about what makes a user feel 'at home' and how those elements can be translated into the design.
02Consider how the emotional connection to a space can influence behavior.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate whether designing hotel spaces to evoke a 'home away from home' experience influences guests' pro-environmental behavior.

MethodMixed-methods research combining qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires.

ProcedureResearchers interviewed hotel guests to understand their experiences of home-like spaces in hotels and then surveyed a larger group to quantify the relationship between these experiences and pro-environmental behaviors, considering the moderating effect of home-based pro-environmental habits.

ContextHospitality design, hotel guest experience, sustainable behavior.

Variables

IVDesign elements evoking 'home' (functional, emotional, imaginative dimensions).

DVPro-environmental behavior in the hotel context.

CVGuest's existing pro-environmental behavior at home, hotel type (luxury).

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Combines qualitative and quantitative methods for a richer understanding.
+Addresses a novel intersection of place experience and behavioral research.

Limitations

The subjective nature of 'home experience' can be difficult to measure consistently. Generalizing findings across different cultures and demographics may require further investigation.

Reliability & validity

The use of mixed methods enhances validity. Reliability would depend on consistent application of interview protocols and questionnaire scales.

Think critically

To what extent can the 'home experience' be intentionally designed, and are there potential negative consequences of trying to replicate home in a transient space?

Design Principles

"The 'Home Resonance Principle': Design environments that evoke the functional, emotional, and imaginative qualities of a user's home to positively influence their behavior and attitudes."

This research suggests that the physical and experiential design of hospitality spaces can have a direct impact on user behavior beyond mere comfort. Understanding how to translate the 'home' experience into a hotel setting offers a powerful avenue for encouraging sustainable practices within the travel industry.

What This Means for Your Design

Hotels can get guests to be more eco-friendly by making the rooms feel more like their own homes.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify design choices aimed at influencing user behavior, especially in contexts where sustainability is a goal.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This design project draws upon research indicating that evoking a 'home away from home' experience in hospitality settings can significantly promote pro-environmental behavior among guests. By incorporating elements that resonate with the functional, emotional, and imaginative aspects of a user's home, the design aims to foster a greater inclination towards sustainable practices during their stay.

Source

PLoS ONE

Can the home experience in luxury hotels promote pro-environmental behavior among guests?

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about designing hotel spaces that evoke 'home' can significantly increase guests' pro-environmental actions?: Incorporate design elements that foster a sense of 'home'—comfort, familiarity, and personal connection—into hotel spaces to encourage guests to adopt more sustainable behaviors. Evidence: PLoS ONE (2023).
Why does "Designing hotel spaces that evoke 'home' can significantly increase guests' pro-environmental actions." matter for design?: This research suggests that the physical and experiential design of hospitality spaces can have a direct impact on user behavior beyond mere comfort. Understanding how to translate the 'home' experience into a hotel setting offers a powerful avenue for encouraging sustainable practices within the travel industry.
How can designers apply this research?: Incorporate design elements that foster a sense of 'home'—comfort, familiarity, and personal connection—into hotel spaces to encourage guests to adopt more sustainable behaviors.
What were the main findings?: Hotel guests' experience of 'home' in hotels is characterized by function, emotion, and imagination.. Both the functional and emotional aspects of a home-like hotel experience positively influence guests' pro-environmental behavior.. The imaginative aspect of a home-like experience positively affects pro-environmental behavior both within and outside the hotel.. Guests' existing pro-environmental behaviors at home strengthen the link between their hotel 'home' experience and their pro-environmental actions in the hotel.
What research method was used?: Mixed-methods research combining qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from PLoS ONE.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing hotel rooms or common areas, consider incorporating elements like comfortable seating arrangements, personalizable lighting, natural materials, and amenities that promote a sense of personal space and routine, similar to what one would find at home.
What are the limitations?: The study's findings might be specific to luxury hotel contexts and may not generalize to all accommodation types. The definition and measurement of 'pro-environmental behavior' can vary.