For the guest room challenge, students reimagined a two-night stay at the hotel through the perspective of three personas: Cornell parents and friends visiting their student, an invited speaker or faculty candidate experiencing campus for the first time, and an alumnus returning to campus and reconnecting with fond memories.
Students toured a Statler guest room and met with Arthur Keith, the hotel’s general manager. He encouraged them to envision the Statler as a “collegiate lifestyle hotel” with approachable luxury and spaces that evoke emotion.
Eden Brachot ’15, M.M.H. ’22, a design strategist and the director of product experience and prototypes at Hilton, led a master class in design strategy. The DEA alumna shared how her own undergraduate experience shaped her career and offered practical advice such as designing for both guest experience and ease of maintenance and the power of storytelling in developing a brand.
“Imagine travelling for hours, you’re exhausted, it’s cold because it’s Ithaca, and you just want to get there,” said Brachot. “The doors to the Statler open. It’s warm, you hear the buzz from the Regent Lounge, and a friendly agent checks you in quickly. When you open the door to the guest room, what is waiting for you? What are you looking for after that journey?”
Twelve student teams pitched their guest room designs and presented posters to a panel which included Brachot; Keith; Helen Chun, associate professor at the Nolan Hotel School; and Sam Everett, director of rooms at the Statler Hotel.
“I was impressed to see these students capture the spirit of our hotel brand so well in their designs,” said Keith. “They really considered the customer’s point of view and made design decisions based on customer experience, which is essential but not always done.”
Their guest room plans offered “wow” moments and sensory experiences, such as custom lighting and signature scents, intended to resonate with guests long after their stay.
“Through community-engaged learning we are connecting with the community in a different and meaningful way to create a story,” said Yoon. “We are having fun and the students are having fun.”
