At spAce, we explored this idea in depth in our book Office as a Tribe: On the (More Human) Future of Workplaces. The central thesis of that work—and the one we now bring into the world of hospitality—stems from an observation grounded in anthropology and evolutionary neuroscience: one of the most powerful tools humans have ever had to develop, adapt, and flourish has been the tribe.

The tribe is not a cultural accident; it is a biological infrastructure. For hundreds of thousands of years, belonging to a group meant the difference between survival and extinction. That is why our brains are wired to constantly read signals of belonging, hierarchy, inclusion, and social risk. It is why being among others brings us a sense of calm, while isolation can be profoundly destabilizing. It is why a space that does not allow us to understand where we stand socially can, without our awareness, activate the same vigilance mechanisms that once kept our ancestors alive on the savannah.

This has a direct implication for those who design hospitality environments: the guest is not an abstract consumer. They are a social primate entering unfamiliar territory, seeking to orient themselves, assess safety, find refuge, recognize signals of belonging, and only then—eventually—let their guard down.