Design Versatility That Grows Your Business From Above
Creating inviting, relaxing, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor spaces is just as important for a hospitality business as creating beautiful indoor spaces. Professionally designed outdoor spaces give your guests the opportunity to make the most of nice weather and great views. And it will make them want to keep coming back and tell their friends about your business.
Pergolas with retractable canopies make it easy to create carefully curated outdoor spaces that provide sun and weather protection, privacy, and comfort so that your guests will have a truly memorable experience.
Pergolas with retractable canopies can be matched to the design of your existing building to create a seamless environment that solidifies your brand identity without sacrificing quality or beauty.
Retractable Canopy Styles
The type of retractable canopy that works best for a business is going to depend on factors like the climate, the location of the pergola, and what the pergola space is going to be used for.
A large pergola with a retractable canopy over an outdoor dining area or bar is going to need a much different canopy style than a small canopy for a pergola that is set up to be an intimate conversation space. The most popular retractable canopy styles for commercial use pergolas are:
Slide-on-Wire Canopy
A slide-on-wire canopy is typically made from fabric panels that can slide back and forth on steel cables or thin wires. This is the most common type of retractable canopy for a pergola because it’s easy to adjust manually and it creates a relaxed and airy space.
Pergolas with retractable canopies like this can be found in cafes and restaurants, as part of the outdoor space at resorts and high-end hotels, and at spas that incorporate outdoor space into the atmosphere of the spa.
Track-Guided Retractable Canopy
Track-guided retractable canopies are fabric canopies that run on aluminum or steel tracks attached to the pergola. Track-guided retractable canopies are great for businesses because they run smoothly and are easy to operate, even if they are manual. It’s difficult for people to break them or pull the canopy out of line because it’s mounted on the track.
These canopies also allow businesses to create a pergola with a more structured and sophisticated look that is ideal for high-end restaurants or resorts and hotels that have a clean, modern, simple aesthetic.
Roman-Style Folded Canopy
Roman-style folded canopies work like a Roman shade on a window. They have a simple but soft silhouette and can be easily adjusted by hand to allow light and air flow through a pergola. This is a popular retractable canopy style at hotels and short term rentals where the outdoor space should be relaxing and customizable so that every guest can get just the amount of light they want.
Louvered Pergola Roof Canopy
A louvered retractable pergola canopy is an elegant canopy of adjustable slats that tilt open or closed. Typically, louvered pergola canopies are motorized for easy operation by staff members. They offer superior weather resistance and shade, so they are the perfect choice for outdoor bars, outdoor seating at restaurants, and poolside accommodations for guests who want to get out of the sun.
Louvered pergola roof canopies come in beautiful natural woods and sleek metal slats, which are the perfect complement to hotels and resorts or even office buildings that have a modern industrial design.
Retractable Awning-Style Canopy
A retractable awning-style canopy has a classic look that evokes nostalgia and vintage charm. It works like an awning on a building, but it’s mounted on a pergola and is extended or retracted with a crank. A retractable awning-style canopy is a fantastic way to create private space with pergola because the awning offers full sun and weather protection for the entire pergola area.
Motorized Pergola Covers with Solid Panels
Solid panel motorized pergola covers are a beautiful way to update an existing outdoor space. These canopies are made of solid panels of wood or aluminum that retract with a remote control or through the use of a smart speaker or app. They are fully waterproof, which makes them perfect for beachside resorts or hotels and resorts in wet coastal climates.
Retractable Canopy Materials
Choosing the right material for a retractable canopy is just as important as choosing the right style of retractable canopy. The material that the canopy is made from must be able to withstand the local weather now, and in the future. Low-maintenance retractable canopy options that will last include:
Fabric
Fabric is the most popular material choice for retractable pergola canopies because it’s easy to customize, easily available, and affordable. Some of the different fabrics that are used to make retractable pergola canopies are:
- Polyester: Polyester fabric canopies are lightweight, and resistant to mildew and UV rays when treated.
- Acrylic: Acrylic fabric is extremely durable and fade resistant. It’s also water repellent, which makes it a popular choice for resorts, restaurants, and hotels.
- Mesh Fabric: High-tensile mesh fabric has the clean and polished look of metal, but it’s light and allows for great air flow and light penetration.
- Vinyl-Coated Polyester: Vinyl-coated polyester is almost totally waterproof. It’s also UV-resistant, mold-resistant, and easy to clean.
Metal & Rigid Materials
Metal slats and panels are a great choice when aesthetic appeal is just as important as function. For modern, industrial, or mid-century buildings aluminum, steel, and Polycarbonate slats and panels turn pergolas into piece of architectural beauty.
Aluminum is rust and corrosion resistant and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance to look great. Steel panels are ideal for use in tropical or coastal projects where canopies need to provide all-weather protection and not just sun protection. And shatter-proof polycarbonate panels are perfect for areas that get high-impact storms.
Natural Materials
For businesses that have a more organic and rustic design aesthetic like spas or tranquil resort cotton canvas panels are a great choice for pergola canopies. Relaxed natural cotton panels have beautiful movement and flow that make a covered pergola a relaxing space to nap, do yoga, or just enjoy the view.
Wood slats, bamboo panels, and other woods can create a more upscale but still natural look. To create social media-ready show stopping spaces for events like weddings or private parties layer living plants on wood slats in patterns and colors.
How A Pergola With A Retractable Canopy Can Transform Outdoor Space
Pergolas with retractable canopies add value to a commercial space because they transform the outside space from a blank canvas to intentional multi-purpose spaces. Adding pergolas with retractable canopies helps define a space, create relaxation spaces throughout the property, and give guests and visitors a truly luxurious experience.
Hotels
Hotels can use pergolas with stylish retractable canopies that fit the brand aesthetic to create an association between the brand and comfort in a guest’s mind. Pergolas with retractable canopies also provide:
Comfort & Weather Protection
Guests at a hotel want to get the most out of their stay, including enjoying the outdoors. Hotels in coastal areas, waterfront areas, or mountain areas that have great views can provide pergolas with canopies so that guests can enjoy the stunning views and nice weather while they stay.
Retractable canopies allow guests to adjust airflow and sun exposure for their comfort. And pergolas with panels are great for controlling wind.
Aesthetic Appeal & Luxury Atmosphere
Pergolas with canopies really bring out the beauty of patios, courtyards, firepit areas, poolside lounges, or waterfront viewing. With many customizable features like canopy material and lighting you can create unique, sophisticated spaces that upgrade the overall appeal of the property.
Multi-Use Spaces
Pergolas are a fantastic way to create multi-use spaces and direct the flow of people in outdoor spaces. You can use beautiful custom pergolas with retractable canopies to define a bar area, a dining area, a swim up bar, or other spaces in an elegant way. Pergolas with canopies also are a smart way to create dedicated event spaces for events like weddings or private parties.
Guest Experience & Satisfaction
Creating inviting outdoor spaces that offer shade, great views, and some privacy encourages guests to spend more time outside, and more time at the hotel. Pergolas are a wonderful way to create unique social-media ready photo and video spots with great natural light for influences who can promote the hotel brand and the uniqueness of the space that you’ve created.
Resorts
Resorts can use pergolas with retractable canopies to really up their game when it comes to creating fantastic guest experiences. Pergolas can be used to:
Create All-Weather Outdoor Lounges
Guests at a resort want to have fun, and a great way to give them more ways to have fun is to use stylish pergolas with beautiful retractable canopies to create all-weather outdoor lounges. Pergolas with retractable canopies will shade guests during the heat of the day and offer protection from the rain so that outdoor spaces are accessible no matter what the weather is like.
Enhance Dining Experiences
With a pergola that has a gorgeous custom retractable canopy for weather and sun protection a resort can turn their dining space into indoor/outdoor dining space that seats more guests and gives guests the option to enjoy a meal in the sun or under the stars at night. Cabana-style dining under private pergolas is a fabulous way to create VIP seating or private dining experiences.
Design Relaxing Wellness & Spa Areas
Resorts that are more geared towards wellness, restorative spa treatments, and lots of relaxation can make use of pergolas as part of their outdoor design too.
Pergolas with natural materials can create shaded meditation spaces, outdoor spaces for group yoga or meditation groups, or even outdoor spa treatments to take advantage of beautiful weather and views. Guests can use retractable canopies to create privacy and shade.
Improve Guest Flow & Wayfinding
Using pergolas is a smart way for resorts to direct people and traffic through transitional spaces like pathways leading to pools, the beach, bars and lounges, or dining areas. And a pergola with a canopy can shield guests as they walk from one part of the resort to another or load and unload their bags.
Restaurants and Cafes
Restaurants and cafes can use pergolas with retractable awnings to upgrade their dining spaces too. Adding pergolas outdoors creates additional seating and can even be used to create an outdoor lounge bar to take the pressure off of the inside bar.
Adding outdoor seating and pergolas with custom canopies, lighting, and other elements can upgrade and expand existing space to accommodate more guests and give them a better experience.
Find The Right Pergola With Retractable Canopy
Learn more about how Trex Pergolas with retractable canopies can elevate your space with style, versatility, and superior functionality.
Whether you’re designing for restaurants, hotels, resorts, or other spaces, our innovative retractable canopies provide the perfect blend of durability, functionality, and sophisticated style. Contact us today to learn more about our pergolas with retractable canopies and how they can enhance your next project. Let’s create outdoor spaces that impress and perform—together!