Howdy! Editor Hamish Kilburn here to round off your week with my top headline picks, including debut hotel openings from JW Marriott, W Hotels, Hyatt Hotels as well as the latest episode of DESIGN POD. Get comfy and start scrolling…
So it seems this week’s theme on the pages of Hotel Designs is hotel development, which gives me a rather warm and cosy feeling on the editorial desk as the stories published this week reflect light at the end of the tunnel as we emerge once more from yet another forced hibernation. Specifically, the emphasis seems to be on new hotels sheltered under lifestyle brands that are polishing their worktops to be ready for when the international travel floodgates open and a new era of modern travellers land with new expectations for one-off experiences that are so far removed from being locked up and forced to adhere to social distancing measures.
And with this new hospitality era that we are on the cusk of entering comes a new perspective, which is what we want to celebrate and amplify across our online platform. With that in mind, here are our top stories from the last few days.
The latest episode of DESIGN POD has dropped
In the third episode of DESIGN POD, editor Hamish Kilburn and co-host Harriet Forde welcome technology guru Jason Bradburyas their special guests to discuss tech’s role in design and architecture. In association with Bathroom Brands Group, the episode explored where Bradbury saw technology being injected in tomorrow’s hotel experience, delved into the new possibilities of CAD software, questioning the current conventional process of design and architecture in residential and hospitality and explained the concept of ‘the democratisation of everything’ when discussing the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
W Rome on track for Q3 opening
Image credit: W Hotels
For many hotel projects, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in unavoidable delays. Not for the W Rome, which we first heard about in 2017 and is impressively on track to open as the W Hotels brand’s debut property in Italy in Q3 this year.
Virtual roundtable: Tomorrow’s perception of clean
To cut through the noise and with the aim to identify meaningful solutions, Hotel Designs’ next virtual roundtable, in association with Geberit, tackles the hygiene debate to ultimately understand tomorrow’s perception of clean.
Inside out – are your outdoor spaces ready for the post-pandemic world?
Image credit: Art Story/Elegant Clutter
When you consider art for bars or art for restaurants, the first thing that springs to many people’s mind is the interior spaces, but with the demand for outdoor spaces following the pandemic set to rise what are the possibilities of outdoor art? Elegant Clutter’s in house art consultancy Art Story discuss how art can still tell a story when the party moves outside.
Case study: Fires in Public areas – The Southern Ocean Lodge
Image credit: Focus
If you have ever wondered where architects source those dramatic sculptural fireplaces, look no further; Focus is the design manufacturer for these outstanding statement centrepieces. Just look at The Southern Ocean Lodge as a case study behind how architectural fireplaces can completely transform an interior design space.
JW Marriott to open debut hotel in Spain
Image credit: JW Marriott
Marriott International has signed an agreement to introduce the JW Marriott brand to Madrid, offering discerning guests a new destination to rediscover a balance in mind, body and spirit, in the heart of the city. Located in the central Plaza de Canalejas, JW Marriott Madrid will be developed by Millenium Hotels Real Estate as part of their lease agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Belagua and is expected to open in 2022.
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