From vanishing minibars to disappearing closets, hotel rooms are shrinking. With the rise of Airbnb and hotel occupancy rates plateauing, operators are on the hunt for the most profitable design to maximize profits. Take Marriott’s Moxy brand, for example — its rooms are less than half the average size yet can generate up to 20% more revenue than its peers.
WSJ speaks to a leading hotel designer to find out how some hotels are keeping guests happy with less space.
Chapters:
0:00 Why your hotel closet vanished
0:39 How to shrink a hotel room
3:04 Encouraging guests down to the bar
5:02 Finding opportunities in the local area
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This is the epitome of corporate greed and not listening to what your customers really want. I always avoid these hotels because who really wants to sleep in a shoe box, wash and iron clothes in a public area and check in/out at the bar?!
Profits profits profits
Sooooo rooms aren't being filled so let's make them smaller so we have more of them?
EVERY choice made here.. drives me away. I don't WANT to be in a public space to do what i could do in the hotel room. Small rooms are a turn off that makes me leave a LOW score.
I prefer hotels, I hate being in someone's house, yuck.
Appalling trends.
Wow america sure sounds like a dystopia because I've stayed in budget hotels with select service and they're not nearly as bad as the design here. No closet? Foldable tables? Bathroom sink is outside? Check in desk is same as the bar???? These all sound horribly inconvenient!
Can i get those minature stuff😭😭
✅ Excellent short video. ✅ Clear, concise, no BS and a very nice narrator. I hope he’s human and not AI. ✅ So very well done, easy to understand, interesting and useful. Bravo! Please do lots more.
Thx -Lorne in Calgary Canada 🇨🇦 8April2026
Next time I stay somewhere tiny, I’ll be thinking about how every square foot is a money move.
thought the thumbnail was project zomboid
It never seems to be about guest comfort, it always seems to be about maximizing profit. Corporations are no longer happy making a profit, they're always looking to make more profit.
I prefer staying at small locally owned, private hotels since I get much better, personalized service and amenities. I'll choose a local boutique hotel over a McHotel any day.
Wall street ended practices for a trade internationally. Please change the name of the journal. Gold reserve ended. Dollar reserve ended. Four accounting firms ended up restructured to a non accounting service.I am I.
Hate the shared ironing board
Any bloxburg player?
Hey Chicago!
This guy really just said “we stripped out every amenity physically possible and removed as much staff as we can, now it’s up to hotel staff to keep guests happy”
I wonder if the younger generation will ever experience what a hotel stay truly is.
I want space in my room. I always make sure there a refrigerator and microwave. Where else are you going to put your food.
While checking in I wouldn’t want the front desk serving drinks while I’m standing after along flight.
First I look location, stars, and reviews to make my final decisions. One thing I don’t like is having a big bar in the hotel, it can a bit noisy.
You know, this doesn't actually sound that bad….. if the hotel prices also decreased.
Not a fan of smaller rooms. I will just book with ARBNB
His name’s really Ron Swindler
I hate almost everything about this…. the hotels they are describing are everything i try to stay away from..
PROJECT ZOMBOID MENTIONED RAAAAH WHAT IS A FULL RELEASE
I don’t care I’m still staying at the Hilton.
Love their hotels.
I stayed at a moxy, I took a table (with permission) from the lobby/bar to have something to put my things on.
Next we will have bunker pods like in Japan – life sucks and it is getting worse.
We are Lifetime Titanium at Marriott and Moxy is awful.
this is sad
I HATE THE BARN DOORS
Nowadays, I choose my hotel based on the type of bathroom door. I expect a real hotel to have a real door!
being checked in by a person who's also trying to field bar orders sounds miserable for both guest and employee tbh
Well, not work for me! Lol
Because, like virtually everything is in today’s America, it’s all and only about corporate profits and not about customers or even pride on the part of the company. These attempts to deal with the competition from AirBnB, VRBO, etc. would, in fact, make me more likely to choose one rather than a hotel.
Check in at the bar
HARD PASS