The competition, organised by the UK’s leading architecture newspaper BD and Bdonline.co.uk, invited designers to develop a scheme that would make a tiny space (14sq m) feel generous and luxurious.
With budget accommodation accounting for over a third of the new hotels being built in the UK, the competition was a chance to shine a light on the lack of design innovation in these buildings.
The shortlisted designs range from colourful capsule pods that can travel around the country to minimalist square boxes with interactive screens instead of windows.
One predicts the needs of visitors by collecting information at check in and via social media, while another uses low-tech stage-set technology from the theatre to hide a sunken bath under a sliding bed.
“This is a sector that’s in desperate need of reinvention. Most budget hotel rooms are boring and purely functional spaces,” said BD editor-in-chief and competition judge Amanda Baillieu.
“The shortlisted entries are all very different but they share the same ambition – to create a really memorable experience.”

Watch for hotels in 2013 to increasingly cater to guests' every whim when it comes to eating.

In an age when time-pressed, health-conscious travelers are used to customizing their options at coffee shops and casual eateries, hotels are tweaking the type of food they prepare and where they serve it.

"The typical breakfast, lunch, dinner - appetizer, entree, dessert model is not something that our guests are responding to anymore," says Beth Scott, who's in charge of restaurant concepts for Hilton Worldwide's 3,900 properties.

TRENDS: Follow USA TODAY's Barb DeLollis for travel trends

"People don't want to ask to be seated and be given menus," says Brad Nelson, corporate chef at Marriott International, which has nearly 3,800 properties. "They want to sit down, maybe meet for an hour and then order. They want flexibility. We can thank Starbucks for that."

Excellence in hotel restaurant design is more important than ever before for hoteliers. The quality of the F&B experience is fast-becoming a reputation maker for hotel businesses – and with more outlets entering the market, increased competition around hotel restaurant design has emerged.

We speak to Janine Ramsay, Senior Interior Designer at Restaurant Design Associates (RDA), and ask exactly how important hotel restaurant design is in the current marketplace.

Hotel-industry.co.uk: What makes a good hotel restaurant design?
Ramsay: A good hotel restaurant design centres around creating a highly functional interior, which maximises potential and exceeds the customers’ expectations.

We believe that a successful design demonstrates that every element has been considered, from optimising space and operational flow through to design originality and practicality.

The proof of a good design is in the ability of the interior to have a distinctive atmosphere that is welcoming and relaxing, and is subtle enough no to distract from the food itself.

How do you make your company a click magnet--without venturing into shady, underhanded tactics?

I asked a few search engine experts to share their secrets.

1. Make a great YouTube video.

This one might seem obvious, but it works. Web surfers love to click on videos, and a well-done video can entice a load of extra clicks, says Mike Essex, online marketing manager at Koozai.com (www.koozai.com). Start-ups don't need to make a super professional video--even an interview with the founder about why the company exists can help. Most importantly, a video with good metatags and links to your site helps improve search results.

There is something to be said for a highly produced video, however. If you have a bigger budget, consider making a movie trailer for your next product launch, says Robert Granholm, the CTO at IT support company IT Arsenal. A well-made trailer can be like an adrenaline boost for people to start searching. After you watch this video of Tim Ferriss's book on cooking, you'll probably want to do a search to find out more.

2. State your mission clearly.