For many years identikit hotel formats have been one of the main culprits in the demise of a sense of place. The only variation in style was between classical, bourgeois or “country”. In recent years, however, more and more hotels are impressing with innovative concepts and contemporary design. Amidst this upsurge of ideas, one or two main trends can be picked out. The first one is individuality, the trend towards a more personalised style. Faceless monoliths are passé, business travellers and tourists alike want to feel at home in a hotel. And so hoteliers are looking to design as a way of creating the atmosphere to match these wishes – and of staying ahead of the competition. Colour concepts are a popular tool, both inside and out. Hotel Wedina in the?St Georg district of Hamburg, for example, consists of four adjacent buildings. Julia Liese