Hybrid Heritage in Hospitality Interiors as an Evident of Cultural Sustainability

Recently, a growing interest is traced among scholars to consider heritage and cultural values as an aspect of sustainable development and even as a fourth pillar of Sustainability. The importance of a country accumulated heritage is equivalent to its future economic growth and therefore needs to be sustained using different tools and aspects. The hospitality industry and especially hotels can best be designed to preserve a countries' heritage and showcase it to visitors and tourists. In this study, we investigate the interior design effect on `cultural sustainability' within `heritage boutique hotels'. This is achieved by analyzing the diverse sustainable design theories, interior principles and elements as well as meanings that can be applied in hotels to convey and sustain heritage, national pride and identities. The analysis relies on qualitative methods, a case study of a recent boutique hotel project in Bahrain titles `Nuzul Alsalam'. The results indicate an existence of a `hybrid interior' within redefined vernacular architecture that can achieve cultural sustainability. The design analysis of this hotels proves that materiality and heritage can be combined for a successful branding image of cultural sustainability. The generated design guidelines and concepts can be further used by other designers and projects to achieve heritage sustainability within green cities. This contributes effectively to a country future image and envision its spaces and user experiences with hidden hints to its past and precious civilization achievements. Such new design culture is a necessary foundation for the transition to a truly sustainable society in the Middle East.