The hospitality industry is undergoing a gradual transformation. While the primary focus once centered on providing comfortable accommodations, the key differentiator today is the creation of unique, experience-oriented environments.
According to designer, entrepreneur, and founder of Kat Gorobets Design Studio, Kateryna Gorobets, known professionally as Kat Gorobets, the central question for decades was where people would sleep. Today, however, a more important question is emerging: why people are coming to a destination in the first place.
Modern hospitality properties are increasingly expected to provide environments tailored to guests’ specific goals and experiences. These may include family celebrations, corporate retreats, wellness programs, creative workshops, educational events, or professional networking gatherings. As a result, both design and functionality are becoming more closely aligned with the intended use of the space and the expectations of a defined audience.
Specialized properties created for specific guest groups and travel purposes are gaining popularity because they offer a more personalized experience.
Gorobets believes this is the direction in which the future of hospitality is evolving.
The Concept of Purpose-Built Retreat Properties
Kat Gorobets says that groups looking for a functional space that meets their goals and planned activities are today creating demand for specially designed vacation homes (retreats, corporate teams, coaches, wellness communities).
Corporate groups need environments where they can collaborate comfortably throughout the day without having to rent separate conference facilities. Wellness retreats require spaces that support relaxation, movement, and community building, while coaches and educational organizers need flexible environments for learning, interaction, and informal discussions.
Kat explains that purpose-built retreat properties fundamentally change the way hospitality spaces are planned. Traditional residential design begins with the question of how a family will live in a house, whereas purpose-built hospitality properties begin with the question of how a group of people will interact and experience a space together. She notes that this distinction influences almost every design decision.
Instead of emphasizing dining rooms and bedrooms, the focus is on multi-functional areas for spending time together, comfortable spaces for relaxing, easy navigation of the space, separate work areas, the use of open spaces, and the creation of interaction zones that still provide privacy.
She cites her Reno project as an example. Technically, it is a single-family home, but it was not designed as a typical family residence. Each bedroom was created as a separate semi-suite with its own bathroom and spacious walk-in closet. Kat notes that while this arrangement might be redundant for a typical family, it is ideally suited to corporate retreats and wellness programs. The design ensures that everyone has the privacy they need while also providing access to spacious common areas for networking, workshops, teamwork, and relaxation.
The Reno project began in 2025 and is currently under development. Its complexity lies in simultaneously addressing architectural, operational, and financial objectives while creating a hospitality asset with no direct equivalent in the Las Vegas market. According to Gorobets, the Reno project is expected to have an estimated market value of more than $2.35 million upon completion, although the final valuation will depend on market conditions and the completed property.
In the same year, Gorobets launched another project: Florence.
Unlike traditional renovation-based developments, Florence is being constructed from the ground up on previously undeveloped land. This approach makes it possible to integrate innovative architectural and design solutions without the limitations imposed by existing structures.
Gorobets projects that the Florence property could have a market value of approximately $1.75 million upon completion and potentially generate more than $300,000 in gross rental income during its first year of operation. These figures are projections and will depend on occupancy, pricing, operating costs and market conditions.
The completed project is expected to serve multiple functions: a high-performing premium short-term rental property, a valuable resale asset, and a demonstration project intended to test the scalability and repeatability of Kat Gorobets’ hospitality design approach.
Spatial Design Strategies for Group Hospitality
According to the designer, the most important principle when designing for retreats, teams, and communities is achieving the right balance between collective interaction and personal privacy.
For this reason, she frequently designs bedroom suites of comparable size and comfort, avoiding the common hierarchy of a “best” and “worst” room.
Shared kitchens, dining areas, outdoor lounges, and activity spaces encourage interaction, while private suites provide opportunities for rest and solitude.
Another challenge is adaptability.
A single property may host entirely different groups over short periods of time. One week it may serve as the venue for an executive leadership workshop, the next for a wellness retreat, and afterward for a multi-generational family gathering.
To achieve this flexibility, Gorobets incorporates modular furnishings, seamless indoor-outdoor integration, multifunctional event spaces, multiple relaxation areas, private suites, dedicated workspaces, and amenities that appeal to diverse lifestyles.
The Future of Hospitality Development in the United States
Gorobets predicts that over the next five to ten years, hospitality will become significantly more specialized.
She believes that the most successful properties will be designed around clearly defined audiences and specific use cases. The industry will likely see more properties developed as creative residencies, wellness destinations, sports tourism facilities, educational retreat centers, family celebration venues, remote-work retreats, and professional networking hubs. Travelers will choose destinations based on the quality of the experiences they provide.
Gorobets believes purpose-built retreat properties may offer a differentiated proposition compared with conventional vacation rentals, particularly where properties are designed for clearly defined guest groups.In her view, uniqueness is becoming one of the most valuable assets in the hospitality industry.
She notes that while the number of short-term rentals continues to grow, most of them offer essentially the same product. By contrast, specialized retreats are carving out their own niche rather than competing solely on price. According to Kat, these properties are designed to address the specific needs of certain categories of guests, making them more memorable, encouraging repeat bookings, and often allowing for increased value for money. For investors, this model may support differentiated positioning and potentially stronger asset utilisation, although outcomes will depend on location, demand, operating costs and market conditions.