241 | Let’s Stay Together: New design concepts connect small-group travelers and local communities

Summary: In the 19th and early-20th centuries, hotels in America offered more than room and board. They defined a community by attracting crowds to their lobbies and restaurants and establishing themselves as vital centers of civic life, writes A.K. Sandoval-Strausz, author of “Hotel: An American Story.”<br> “Hotels,” writes Sandoval-Strausz, “were points of contact between local communities and the larger society beyond.”<br> As the saying goes, “Everything old is new again.”<br> Modern-day hotels are returning to the communal spirit that early accommodations depended on to attract business from travelers and locals alike.<br> In today’s episode of Lodging Leaders, we explore the concept of shared space and spotlight companies answering travelers’ quests for more communal experiences – both in their rooms and in the hotel’s common areas.<br> We hear from Clay Markham, head of the global hospitality sector at CallisonRTKL. We also feature Jason Fudin, CEO of WhyHotel; Philip Bates, CEO of Bode; and Mike Mueller, senior vice president of Super 8 Hotels at Wyndham Hotel Group.<br> Resources and Links<br> <br> * <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/claymarkham/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clay Markham</a> of <a href="https://www.callisonrtkl.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CallisonRTKL</a><br> * <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fudin-16613ba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jason Fudin</a> of <a href="https://whyhotel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WhyHotel</a><br> * <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/batesphilip/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Philip Bates</a> of <a href="https://www.bode.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bode</a><br> * <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mueller-7792a05/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mike Mueller</a> of <a href="https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/super-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Super 8 Hotels</a> at <a href="http://www.wyndhamhotels.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wyndham Hotel Group</a><br> <br>