Today’s hotel guests arrive with high expectations. They want more than a place to sleep—they’re looking for experiences that justify premium rates and create lasting memories. That means every square inch within a hotel needs to do more.
The good news? This opportunity doesn't require new construction or major investment. It’s sitting right there in every underutilized corner and quiet hour. Successful properties are already capitalizing, transforming single-use spaces into multipurpose venues that evolve all day long, delighting guests and driving revenue with authentic, distinct experiences.
The pressure to keep up with their lead is real. A recent industry report found that property-level costs rose faster than revenue in 2024, with expenses tied to operations and maintenance, sales and marketing and IT each climbing nearly 5 percent. Meanwhile, vacation rentals continue to grab market share, raising the stakes for hotels to stand out through personalized service, seamless tech and standout amenities. In this climate, underused space is a missed opportunity.
Gone are the days when a lobby was just a lobby or the pool deck sat quiet after dark. Today, lobbies moonlight as co-working spaces, cafes, cocktail lounges, pop-up shops and DJ nights. Pool decks host live music or movies in the moonlight. Meeting rooms double as yoga studios, private screening theaters, or escape rooms. Even suites can shift into wellness studios, wedding salons, wine tasting venues or art galleries.
The possibilities are as long as your imagination is wide—and as effective as your ability to deliver them with intention and consistency.
The Casino Playbook
Casinos are the original pioneers of multipurpose guest space experiences, expanding beyond gaming to drive revenue from shows, restaurants, retail and luxury accommodations. Their loyalty systems captured behavioral insights to personalize service before most hotels had a CRM, enabling casinos to rebuild floorplans into entertainment ecosystems that shift by the hour.
These efforts proved that adaptability and data fuel immersive experiences with constant reinvention that keeps guests engaged longer.
Today, those same principles are finding their way into trend-forward hotels. From rotating pop-ups and surprise event planning to soundscapes that evolve throughout the day, hotels are shaping environments that stay memorable, magnetic, and in motion.
Designing for Multipurpose Reinvention
The flexibility we're talking about demands more than movable furniture. Yes, you need multiple sets of furniture pieces and staging equipment, but that's just the beginning. Think like a theatrical designer: Your hotel’s stage sets should be complete with layered design elements, lighting, acoustics, and technology that transform the mood without rebuilding the room.
Executing on that vision requires combining smart technical systems with thoughtful material choices—durable finishes, timeless materials, and select furniture pieces that can be applied to multiple scenarios, complete with creative partitions that can adapt alongside lighting and sound systems.
It also requires a coordinated approach from the get-go. Early on, it’s important to coordinate and solicit support and feedback with the operations team to ensure setups are seamless and repurposed space works for the guest—and that any changes are also viable from an operations perspective. After all, successful transformation, from creative storage to staging, depends on full alignment with the operations team.
Meanwhile the infrastructure foundation must be ready for anything. You can't easily add power or reroute plumbing later, so plan for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems design with margin and adaptability for a range of potential futures. HVAC systems need to handle dramatic shifts in occupancy, while electrical systems need enough capacity to accommodate everything from intimate dining to conference setups to full light shows. Floor outlets rarely land exactly where you want them, highlighting why flexibility must be built into the core systems from the start.
Beyond technical infrastructure, repurposing space involves navigating complex building code requirements. Structural limitations and zoning compliance are immediate concerns when repurposing existing areas, as spaces zoned for pools carry different egress and occupancy rules than the same areas when functioning as nightclubs or private event venues. Occupancy, fire safety, and ADA access all shift dramatically depending on how a space is used.
These factors also get more complex when third-party partners are involved. Food and beverage operators often join midstream and bring needs that weren’t in the original plan. For example, one hotel hired a high-profile chef halfway through construction who insisted on a different kitchen layout with different equipment. Valuable input, but when late in the game, these changes are costly and create delays.
Even experienced restaurant partners can struggle in the hotel environment. Unlike independent restaurants, hotels need service across multiple parts of the day: breakfast, dinner, banquets, and room service. That means rethinking workflows, back-of-house needs, and staff roles—all easier to do when consultants are involved early and operational goals are crystal clear.
Future-Ready Spaces
Getting all these elements aligned starts with proactive planning and selective use of technology. Apps, AI concierges and energy-management systems are often essential for creating seamless multipurpose experiences. But execution matters—service robots with dead batteries and voice assistants that spark privacy concerns can turn off guests more than impress them.
The real edge comes from coordinated planning that anticipates change. Instead of scrambling to react, future-ready teams plan for long lead items and build in time to test, adjust, and improve. The most successful projects integrate all these pieces—from MEP systems to modular furniture to technology rollouts—with careful sequencing and contingency planning.
Of course, innovation takes time. Many properties now plan soft openings so they can test real-world use and make refinements. A sensible buffer helps make bold ideas into durable successes—if it's never been done before, it's likely to take longer. Planning extra time is part of planning smart.
Coordinating for a Cohesive Guest Experience
Success begins with tight coordination. Bringing together designers, engineers, operators, IT teams and consultants early in the process helps prevent issues later. Creative concepts only succeed when they align with the realities of budgets, timelines and buy-in from the operator to execute.
As your hotel innovates, don’t forget the essentials. Guests still expect comfort, quality and care. Even as room service becomes opt-in and staffing remains tight, properties must deliver the kind of experience that makes people want to return.
Dynamic, multi-use spaces work when they’re built on thoughtful design, smart systems and early team alignment. Casinos proved how much value lies in rethinking what a space can do. Now it’s time for hotels to shine, too. By planning for flexibility from the start—and delivering on that promise—your hotel will be better positioned to lead in a 24-hour world.
Rhonda Rasmussen is project director at Project Management Advisors.