Hilton Design Criteria and the DTBH Hotel Design Process: Afyon
A Marathon that Began at a Disadvantage: the Handicap of an Existing Shell
When this unique hotel project arrived, the structural shell was almost complete and the fit-out phase was fast approaching. For a chain hotel design, this is one of the most demanding scenarios: the approach of fit-out means a compressed concept phase and imminent deadlines for material decisions. What made things truly difficult, however, was not time but the global hotel brand's uncompromising standards of guest satisfaction and safety.
Hotel projects usually come with an unavoidable investor psychology: just six months after the investment decision is formally made, they want the first room sold to guests. Yet as a team (HTIDS) that has managed global chain hotel design processes in the field for years, the reality is this: we have almost never seen a hotel of this scale open its doors in under two years.
The Brand's Limits of Flexibility in Chain Hotel Design
The Hilton group periodically publishes a design directives book covering all of its sub-brands. For each brand, the book has three main variations:
- New Build: Projects still on paper, where construction has not begun.
- Existing Shell: Buildings whose structure is complete but whose interior fit-out is not. (Afyon DTBH fell exactly into this category.)
- Conversion: A ten-year-old hotel changing brands, or a building with another function being converted into a hotel.
The standards and tolerances applied differ for each type. Throughout a Hilton hotel design process, full compliance is expected — while innovative solutions must be found for the constraints of existing buildings.
The Marble Certification Process and Dazzling Details
Afyonkarahisar is home to some of the world's most important marble reserves. At our investor's request, we decided to use marble instead of ceramic at every point of the project. To increase marble surfaces inside the rooms, we added marble borders beneath the window lines — beyond the bathrooms and entrances — and integrated underfloor heating below them.
To comply with Hilton bathroom standards, we applied a special sandblasting treatment to the quarried natural stone surfaces, bringing their slip-resistance values up to international standards. Using these certified Afyon marbles at room entrances, in the transition to seating areas, in the bathrooms and even in the custom shower niches gave the project remarkable originality. The result was not only beautiful: with its quality and safety standards it comfortably exceeded the brand's expectations, producing a striking bathroom design that defines the hotel's visual identity.
An Energetic Oasis, in Contrast to the Weight of Geography
The moment you step into the lobby, the specially worked marble floor, the recessed carpet of the lounge and the expansive library detail combine to create a sincere feeling of "home" that embraces the guest. This energetic palette continues in an uninterrupted design language from the lobby and bar into the rooms themselves.