interihotel, Europe’s leading event for hotel and restaurant design, explores how design shapes the guest experience. As part of the Interiors Living Lab, AMBIT is conducting a design thinking process to generate new insights into how interior design can respond to the needs of emerging guest profiles. This research culminates in interihotel’s Concept Rooms Lab.

In this edition, the Concept Rooms Lab will showcase two new Concept Rooms developed in collaboration between prestigious interior design studios and renowned hotel chains. The goal is to analyze their usability, user interaction with objects, and emotional responses to interior design through neuromarketing techniques.

In each of these spaces, interior designers propose a conceptual design that responds to the needs of new travellers: from well-being and sustainability to hyper-personalisation of the experience. Visitors will be able to visit these spaces and see first-hand how the studios have addressed the needs of guests and the requirements of hotel chains. The Concept Rooms at interihotel BCN25 are as follows:

  • Mindful Explorer Concept Room: the renowned ILV* studio, led by Isabel López Vilalta, has designed a hotel room inspired by the Cal Duc estate in Alella, owned by the Mercer Hotels group. In developing the concept, the team considered both its geographical setting and the profile of its guests. The estate is located in the Maresme region, in a mountainous area about two kilometres from the sea. The village is known for its wines and cavas, and the property is surrounded by vineyards. The hotel caters to a tranquil clientele with a passion for gastronomy and a genuine interest in the history and heritage of the area. The ILV* Concept Room is an exclusive, sophisticated space with a serene atmosphere that embodies calm and elegance. Here, travelers are embraced by a sense of understated luxury and a feeling of belonging, enhanced through local art and craftsmanship. The studio has used natural materials such as wood, stone and textured lime paints, as well as high-quality cotton and thread textiles. The colours used are earthy tones: brown, ochre and white. The studio drew inspiration from the wine-making tradition and the Mediterranean landscape, incorporating textures and shades that evoke the land and vineyards surrounding the estate. The open layout and selection of timeless pieces seek to create an immersive experience, where luxury and simplicity coexist in harmony with nature.

  • Nomad's Concept Terrace: designed by the international studio PhiBa Architecture, with offices in Philadelphia and Barcelona, and inspired by MedPlaya, this Concept Terrace-Bar redefines the notion of inhabiting collective space. Here, the social ritual of gathering merges with the constructive logic of a modular system that revolves around an unconventional bar, a discreet yet vital core that serves its surroundings rather than dominating them. Inspired by the fluidity of tree houses, PhiBa’s project unfolds across multi-level platforms that adapt to their context, generating diverse spatial experiences and unexpected forms of interaction. These platforms — sometimes elevated, sometimes enclosed or semi-buried — compose an architectural landscape that invites users to pause, observe, or converse. They become stages for exchange, designed for people from different backgrounds to share a moment, a view, or a word. The bar, discreetly and strategically positioned, serves these spaces from behind, fostering a visual connection with the surroundings that not only integrates the environment but also encourages dialogue among those who inhabit it. The material mood board comes to life through the staggered geometry of the space, where terracotta tones, soft pinks, and deep greens create a warm, timeless atmosphere. The composition is shaped by two key influences: on one hand, the structural fragmentation of Picasso’s Cubism, inspiring an open, abstract, and multifaceted spatial organisation; on the other, the Mediterranean tradition, reflected both in the materiality and in the social essence of the design. Arabic-inspired ornamental textiles embellish the modular seating, while woven fibre lattices bring lightness and visual depth. Hanging vegetation introduces freshness and shade, evoking the idea of an oasis. Graphic ceramic flooring bridges tradition with a contemporary, more structured vision — a synthesis of memory and modernity.

A total of 30 exhibitors from interihotel BCN25 are taking part, contributing their products to furnish and decorate the Concept Rooms: Ambiazza, Astral Contract, Blasco&Vila, Bambó Blau, Bariperfil, Casual, Cosentino, Danyé, Fama Solutions, Feelgood Designs, Finsa, Florim, Gancedo, GOFI, Grohe, Hobby Flower, Ideal Work, Insolit, J&T BCN, Kave Home, Mobliberica, Musola, Riel Chyc, Roca, Rojas Contract, Simon, Stora, Suddart, Viccarbe & Voolcan.

On the other hand, AMBIT's Interiors Living Lab has prepared other innovative installations for interihotel, such as the Xperience Lab, el Materials Lab o el Craft Lab.