Laufen showcased the results of its 120 year history of producing beautiful bathroom ceramics when it took part in Cersaie in Bologna, Italy, at the end of September.During the four-day fair the Swiss manufacturer took the opportunity to display its very latest bathroom concepts to a global audience. Taking centre stage were new additions to the company’s highly successful Palomba collection, including iconic pieces the Menhir washbasin and bathtub, plus a series of countertop washbasins, and a new range of modular furniture which offers a fantastic way of adding colour and storage space into any sized bathroom.
Another highlight of the Laufen stand at Cersaie was the company’s Case furniture range, designed by Andreas Dimitriadis to offer timeless elegance and minimalist lines. Central to the Case collection is a variety of vanity units, in widths ranging from 450mm to 1800 mm. They are available in different versions with one or two drawers and can be combined with practically all Laufen washbasins. The collection also includes a medium and a tall cabinet and a tall cabinet with two or four glass shelves and is available in the trend colour of white, or limed or anthracite oak.
A perfect complement to the Case furniture is the extensive mirror collection of the same name. The 6mm, high quality mirrors are available in ten different sizes and two kinds of light fitment for true versatility and flexibility in bathroom design.
Further ranges on display at Cersaie from Laufen included the company’s award-winning Palace, Il Bagno Alessi One, Living City, Laufen pro and Living Square ranges, as well as the new Antero and Cinto urinal and divider and details of the manufacturer’s innovative dirt-repellent surface finish, Laufen Clean Coat (LCC).
Laufen UK MD, Alan Dodds, comments: “2012 has been a very exciting and successful year for Laufen and the Cersaie fair offered a brilliant way for us to highlight just some of these. Cersaie has long been a significant meeting point for ceramic products and technologies, the latest designs and new concepts. Once again this year, the fair attracted visitors from all over the world, reflecting Laufen’s own global presence and provided us with the ideal opportunity for us to showcase our latest products and innovations.“
For more information contact Laufen on 01530 510007 or visit www.laufen.co.uk
Today, at the opening of the £10 million, new London Clapham Junction Travelodge hotel, the UK’s first budget hotelier announced that it is seeking to open a further three hotels within the Wandsworth area in response to the ‘Nappy Valley’ effect*. During the last 12 months, Travelodge hotels located in the South West district of London which includes Fulham and Battersea have experienced a new trend of consumers coming through their doors. In the past, the hotels were full of business travellers and tourists but now local residents are taking advantage of the low cost rooms and booking-in visiting grandparents and family members due to lack of space at home.
Tony O’Brien, Travelodge UK Development Director said: “Our Fulham and Battersea hotels enjoy enormous success right throughout the year, and the assumption was that this was primarily due to business customers as well as tourists.
“However, our hotel staff are now saying that over a third of customers tell them they are actually in London to visit their children and grandchildren.
“With so many young people in London, especially in Nappy Valley, starting their families whilst living in small flats and houses, the only option for Granny and Granddad to come and visit is to stay in a nearby hotel. It is a remarkable trend, but one that we are poised to capitalise on as part of our wider growth story in London.”
Just last month, Travelodge opened a 90-room hotel in Balham and the opening of its new 84-room Clapham Junction hotel today means that Travelodge has now added 174 affordable hotel rooms in Wandsworth this year, representing a £17.3 million investment for the area.
These hotel openings reinforce Travelodge’s position as the biggest budget hotel brand in London, with 54 hotels and over 7,000 rooms, representing a 4% share of the Capitals’ hotel market. However, the demand that Nappy Valley is creating means that there is room for further growth within the area, so the company is on the look out for at least another three further locations within the Wandsworth area; Battersea Old Town, Clapham Common and Clapham Old Town/Lavender Hill.
So far this year, Travelodge has opened 30 hotels, representing 2,670 rooms, throughout the UK – 11 of which are in London. Furthermore, the company will open a further eight hotels in the UK in the lead-up to Christmas. All together, this represents a total investment of more than £200m, with over 300 new jobs created in these hotels.
*Nappy Valley is a term applied to a specific area of Battersea, between Clapham Common and Wandsworth Common, South London with a “cafe culture” of middle-class, affluent families
MGM Grand, Las Vegas’ ultimate entertainment destination, has recently announced the completion of its $160 million room and suite remodel in the hotel’s main tower, marking a major milestone in the resort’s “Grand Renovation.”The remodel, which began in October 2011, includes 3,570 Grand King and Queen guest rooms and 642 suites of varying types including the stunning Skyline Terrace and Skyline Marquee Suites.
Created by the team at MGM Resorts International Design, the remodeled Grand King and Grand Queen guest rooms showcase a stylish combination of interior finishes and accents, creating a modern sensibility with an inviting ambiance. For guests seeking additional space for entertaining and relaxing, a variety of newly redesigned one and two-bedroom suites are available, several of which feature expansive outdoor terraces with sweeping views of the famed Las Vegas Strip.
In keeping with MGM Grand’s commitment to sustainability, the newly remodeled rooms and suites incorporate environmentally responsible elements including LED lighting; improved thermostats and solar shades to better manage temperature and guest comfort; upgraded faucets and showers; and bath amenities that are 100 percent biodegradable.
MGM Grand also recently announced the STAY WELL collection featuring 42 rooms and suites designed for guests looking to take their wellness lifestyle “on the road” when traveling. Each room will include more than a dozen features designed to enhance and improve the hotel experience from wake-up light therapy that reverses jetlag to shower water infused with Vitamin C to promote healthy hair and skin. The rooms are available for reservation now and will be ready for guests in late October.
MGM Grand’s evolution continues into 2013 with the highly anticipated opening of Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub, an upscale dining experience combined with multiple nightlife components from Angel Management Group, one of Las Vegas’ preeminent nightclub operators. Located where the iconic Studio 54 stood for 14 years, the venue will deliver an innovative concept evolving beyond Hakkasan’s original restaurant model, incorporating the best of dining and nightlife to create an unimaginable experience that will revolutionize the Las Vegas market. Hakkasan is scheduled to open spring 2013.
The endlessly stylish and resilient Suite carpet concept from Lano Flooring Solutions continues to provide leisure and hospitality environments with the utmost in style, comfort and performance, providing designer colours and fine stripes in the stock collectionas well as a bespoke custom concept service.A tufted graphics range renowned for its stylish linear stripe, Suite’s stock collection offers a minimalist look, in subtle shades ideal for hotels and leisure venues. Available in a choice of six different colourways with a pile weight of 1,100g/m2, this range is shipped from stock in any quantity to provide a sophisticated flooring solution that is particularly ideal for areas such as hotel bedrooms and guestrooms.
For added flexibility and choice, the Suite custom concept allows designers and specifiers to create bespoke carpetsfor projects over 400m2. With three pile weights of 1,100g/m2, 1,300g/m2 or 1,500g/m2 to choose from and available with up to four special colours per design, this service will ensure there is a carpetcompatible with all interior schemes. The heavier pile weight of 1,500g/m2 offers classification 33, making it suitable for public areas and corridors to allow for coordination across multiple areas within the same venue.
All Suite carpets have a hardwearing 80% New Zealand wool and 20% nylon construction to offer superb colour clarity and appearance retention. Backed with a choice of fire safe action backing or fire safe polyester felt backing, which offers extra underfoot comfort ideal for bedroom locations, Suite is a great partner for areas that require soft yet strong carpet.
“Across both the stock and custom ranges, the Suite collection offers a unique combination of elegant aesthetics, inherent robustness and underfoot comfort that matches the needs of leisure and hospitality environments to perfection,” explains Birger Karlsson, UK and Ireland sales manager. “With complementary colourways available in the stock range and customisable designs in the custom collection, Suite provides designers and specifiers with ultimate flexibility. With a bespoke multi coloured stripe engineered specifically for Intercontinental Hotels Group (Holiday Inn Express) and with recent installations at an array of locations including the Lensbury hotel in Teddington and the Crown Plaza Resort in Essex, it is clear that the refined and timeless nature of this collection lends itself to any situation.”
Suite is available in four-metre width.
For further information on all Lano Flooring Solutions ranges, freephone 00800 5266 5266 or visit www.lano.com
After the influx of visitors to the UK over the busy summer period, the rapid changeover of guests in hotels will have taken its toll on the beds. General wear and tear and staining are issues which UK hoteliers expect and are used to dealing with on a daily basis – and those which usually can be rectified quickly. However, a surge of guests can also leave more serious, damaging and lasting problems that unless dealt with immediately will only become worse – bed bugs.Available statistics online suggest that in the UK there is on average a 25% annual rise in reported bedbug infestations, so an increase in guests can only increase the chances of being left with a bed bug problem. Bed bugs are carried in visitor’s clothing and luggage – and mattresses are a classic breeding ground for them.
Bed bugs are not just an inconvenience; they will feed on your guests causing nasty reactions and painful rashes. Not only can bed bugs cause an uncomfortable night’s sleep for guests, their presence can fuel serious complaints, bad reviews, compensation claims and costly pest control. Research by Hypnos shows that hotel guests spend over 60% of their time in a hotel bedroom asleep during their stay meaning they are at a high risk of contact with bed bugs, so it is imperative that hoteliers do not ignore this issue and take the necessary steps to prevent – or eradicate – infestation.
It cannot be stressed enough how important protection against bed bugs is for hotel owners now the busy summer period is over, in preserving their reputations. Recently, a high profile hotel chain in the USA was successfully sued for $382,000 by guests who had been bitten; and entomology studies suggest that Australian tourism has lost $108million a year due to bed bug infestations.
There is now a way to rid your hotels of bed bugs without the expense of having to invest in brand new beds. Vital Protection™ – a revolutionary fabric treatment for mattresses, toppers and mattress renovators, has been designed by Hypnos and HHL to provide long lasting protection against bed bugs for hotel guests. Vital Protection™ is a fabric impregnation treatment which has been independently scientifically proven to effectively repel and instantly kill bed bugs, as well as dust mites and other bacteria.
Vital Protection™ can not only be added to all new beds and mattresses, but also be used on existing beds, by applying a zipped mattress renovator which encases the whole of the mattress. The treatment cannot be washed off and is completely invisible and odourless, having no negative impact on the fabric’s fire retardancy properties.
The time for hoteliers to check they are bed-bug free and act is now, in order to avoid any complaints or bad publicity and most importantly – to ensure that your guests have a night’s sleep to remember, for all the right reasons.
For more information on Vital Protection™, please visit www.hypnoscontractbeds.com or call 0115 973 2180.
Morgans Hotel Group announces the opening of its newest international property, Delano Marrakech. From the shores of South Beach to the African continent, the much-anticipated Delano Marrakech exudes the mystery and exoticism of its surroundings, while offering the style, sophistication and unmatched standards of service that world travellers have come to expect from the Delano brand. In partnership with Moroccan entrepreneur Ahmed Bennani’s Hivernage Collection and Marbella Club (MC) Hotel Group, the 71-room boutique hotel is the ultimate haven of discovery and pleasure. Boasting four culinary destinations, a world-class spa, three pools, luxury boutiques and a dynamic nightlife venue, Delano Marrakech is a self-contained luxury resort in the heart of one of the world’s most magical destinations. Located in the centre of the Hivernage District, Delano Marrakech is Morgans Hotel Group’s second global outpost of its signature luxury brand.
Designed by the acclaimed Jacques Garcia in collaboration with Morgans Hotel Group’s design team, the hotel’s opulent interior blends precious marbles with sumptuous velvet and other rare textiles, creating an intimate atmosphere with a modern edge. A breathtaking central rotunda commands the lobby space, with bold white columns soaring overhead. The unique ceiling made of hand-carved wood, gives way to an airy skylight that drenches the lobby with light.
The 71 guest rooms, comprised of 27 luxurious suites and 44 stately guest rooms, feature king sized beds with Delano’s signature crisp white linens, headboards painted by renowned local artist Noureddine Daifallah, and traditional Moroccan lighting. iPads will be available in every room, allowing guests to order room service or browse hotel amenities at the touch of a screen. Bathrooms exclusively feature MALIN+GOETZ signature bath products including Bergamot Body Wash, Vitamin b5 Body Moisturize and Rum Bar Soap.
Accor announces the opening of Novotel Hua Hin Cha Am Beach Resort and Spa, a 243-room resort located on a prime beachfront between Hua Hin and Cha Am, Thailand’s favourite seaside destinations, just a 2½-hour drive from Bangkok.The resort is well-designed and translates well the Novotel standard, which promises to provide modern living spaces for leisure and business travellers alike, with full relaxation experiences guaranteed. Each modern and spacious guest room offers a balcony with stunning sea views of the Gulf of Thailand and features the latest technologies for convenience and entertainment, including a flat screen TV, a full range of room and bathroom amenities, and free Wi-Fi internet access.
To accommodate the meetings market, the hotel’s meeting facilities include a 576-sqm ballroom, which can hold up to 400 persons, and ten well-equipped function rooms for small to medium meetings/functions. All venues are furnished with innovative audio and visual systems, with experienced technical support teams on-hand to ensure that every function is a successful one.
The resort has four food and beverage outlets where guests can indulge themselves. Guests can start the day off with a sumptuous breakfast buffet with an ocean view at Horizon Café, or enjoy a great a la carte breakfast with a romantic and serene atmosphere at L’Ocean Terrace Restaurant. For lunch and dinner, L’Ocean Terrace serves seafood, BBQ dishes, pizzas freshly baked from the wood oven, and favourite Thai dishes. There are also two bars: Havana Lounge serving cocktails and snacks and the Pool Bar where all family members can enjoy light snacks and a variety of beverages.
For leisure activities, the hotel has designated colourful children’s play areas, including the beachfront outdoor swimming pool with waterslide, The tropical gardens are perfect for morning or evening strolls, and the Kids’ Club can entertain youngsters while parents pamper themselves at the internationally-known Pevonia Spa for treatments, massages and rejuvenation, or work out at the adjoining fitness centre.
Situated between Cha Am and Hua Hin, Novotel Hua Hin Cha Am Beach Resort and Spa is just a 2½-hour drive from Bangkok and a mere 10-15 minutes from both Hua Hin Airport and Hua Hin Night Market.
Hill Cross Furniture are proud to have supplied for Lotus Lounge, Yarm. A variety of loose furniture was supplied for this contemporary and stylish Pan-Asian bar and restaurant which nestles within Fairfax Court, off Yarm High Street. The ground floor café and bar were furnished with the Italia side chair and the Gabriella bar stool. Both were upholstered in a matching Panaz Chablis. Wonderfully complementing the atmospheric, dimly lit interior. The Italia side chair was used within the café dining area and the bar stools served their purpose at the trendy bar area.
The Gabriella Bar Stool was again used within the upstairs restaurant bar, upholstered in a Panaz red, offering a wonderful alternative to the the Chablis used downstairs. The Italia side chair was also used with the same red upholstery, perfectly contrasting the dark wooden Pan-Asian themed interior.
All the loose furniture supplied enabled the venue to have variety while still keeping the interior uniform. With the use of alternate colours, the varying interiors are complemented between the floors. The versatility of the Italia side chair enables it to be used throughout the venue and easily adapts to cater for café, bar and restaurant environments.
The Verona 3 seater sofa was also used within the bar and café area on the ground floor. The sofa was upholstered in a deep Panaz Espresso and featured a contrasting seat upholstered in the same matching Chablis.
All the furniture supplied beautifully complements the fascinating and modern interior. The Lotus Lounge boasts a unique venue that immediately immerses you within the Asian cultures and is well worth a visit.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort, its first all-inclusive resort in Mexico. Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort features 259 luxury rooms and suites and is owned and managed by Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe.Ideally situated in the hotel zone, just minutes away from the international airport and the famous Malecon area, this contemporary all-inclusive resort features elegant architectural design and breathtaking views of the mountains and the Banderas Bay.
Four a la carte dining options are available at the resort: Sea Fire, “extraordinary buffet specializing in international cuisine. La Catrina, offering Fine Mexican cuisine in a traditional ambiance. Le Délice, haute French cuisine. O’West, featuring martinis, tapas and spectacular views of the bay. Fogo, a Brazilian churrascaria. La Bonita, a deli-style eatery with specialty coffee, tea and pastries. In addition, “The Beach” offers cocktails and light snacks.
Guests seeking recreational options can choose to exercise in the hotel’s Hilton Fitness gym, pamper themselves with a flotarium experience in “KI” Spa, refresh in the spectacular courtyard swimming pools, or unwind with a nice cocktail at the Rhythms music lounge, while learning a few steps of salsa. For children, the resort´s kid´s club offers a playground, arts and crafts, interactive games and even camping tents.
Business travellers and locals will find 10,410 square feet of function space at the resort, including seven flexible meeting rooms. Modern AV equipment, a business center and creative catering services make Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort a great destination for meetings and events.
Hilton Puerto Vallarta Resort is located in Av. de las Garzas s/n, Zona Hotelera Norte, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48300 Mexico.
Travelodge (the Company), the UK’s leading budget hotel company, is pleased to announce today that it has successfully completed its financial restructuring. Under the terms of the financing agreement with its three key investors, GoldenTree Asset Management, Avenue Capital Group and Goldman Sachs:
• £75m of new money has been injected into the Company • £55m will be invested into a major refurbishment programme across the estate covering over 11,000 rooms and 175 hotels. The refurbishment programme will commence in early 2013 and continue through to summer 2014 • Bank debt of £235m has been written off and £71m repaid, reducing total bank debt from £635m to £329m • Repayment date of the remaining debt extended to 2017 and cash pay interest reduced significantly to a rate of 0.25% above LIBOR through to the end of 2014
Commenting on today’s announcement, Grant Hearn, CEO of Travelodge, said: “[Following the successful completion of the CVA process,] the financial restructuring completed today will provide further stability to the business. It demonstrates our investors’ confidence in the Company and I believe we have now secured the long-term future of the business.”
The Drayton Manor Hotel is located in Tamworth, Staffordshire and sits in the old estate of Drayton Manor Park. Purchased in 1790 by Sir Robert Peel, the Drayton Manor house (built in 1835) no longer exists and the grand house was demolished in 1929 with only the clock tower left standing as a reminder of the park’s relatively short history.The Drayton Manor Theme Park as we know it today started life in 1950 with one restaurant, a tea room, three hand operated rides, six rowing boats and some dodgems with a small zoo opened in 1954. Gradually through the years, more attractions were added and in 2010, work began on the Drayton Manor Park Hotel.
The four-star hotel has recently celebrated its first “birthday” and boasts that, on average, 200 people stay there each night in its 150 rooms. Perhaps it is due to how many of HotelDesigns’ Directory suppliers were involved with the project! AMS Group supplied bedroom furniture, Contra Curtains Limited supplied the curtains and soft furnishings, Hypnos Limited – Contract Division supplied the incredibly comfortable beds and Hillswood Furniture provided the tub chairs and tables in the guestrooms.
Reception is fairly light and open and contains an enclosed Thomas & Friends™ model carousel and characters. There is a central seating area in brown leather with a few bean bags scattered on the floor for children or the spritely. The reception desk is visible from the main entrance with a short corridor to the right which leads to the Parklands Restaurant, Parklands Brasserie, Carousel Bar and Conference areas. To the left of reception are the stairs to bedrooms and the lift lobby. Beyond the reception desk is a large garden with plenty of outdoor seating on wooden decking and a children’s play park across the grass.
DoubleTree by Hilton has announced the opening of a newly renovated, upscale, full-service hotel situated on Boston’s prestigious North Shore. With its easy proximity to Boston’s historic and cultural center, the 364-room DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore is an ideal location for both business and leisure visits to the Boston area. The hotel, formerly the CoCo Key Water Resort Boston, is owned by The Lightstone Group and operated by Sage Hospitality.Renovations to the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore included all guest rooms and public spaces, including the hotel’s lobby and more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel’s meeting facilities include a 10,000 square foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,300 guests for elegant business and social events. Additional upgrades include the addition of an executive lounge and 50MB fiber optic high-speed internet service that is a complimentary offering.
The tastefully appointed guest rooms at DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore feature bright contemporary décor and furnishings, as well as modern comforts and conveniences suited to today’s business and leisure travellers, including granite bathrooms; mini fridge; complimentary wireless high-speed internet access (also in public areas); spacious work desks with ergonomic chairs; 32-inch, high-definition LCD TVs with XFinity fiber optics; MP3-compatible alarm clocks; plush bedding and combed cotton linens. Wolfgang Puck in-room gourmet coffee and tea service and Crabtree & Evelyn Citron bath and body products complete the generous amenity package. Guests staying in the seventh and eighth floor executive rooms enjoy complimentary midweek access to the Executive Lounge where the newspapers and signature Wake Up DoubleTree Breakfast, featuring hot entrees and healthy options to start the day off right, are available. Executive rooms also feature large walk-in showers and a wide array of upgraded amenities.
The hotel also has a 24-hour self-service business centre and complimentary printing service that includes “print-from-your room” convenience.
Guests who wish to keep up with their workout programme while travelling at the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore can take advantage of the Atlantis Sport Club, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, full-service spa and swimming pool, and holidaymakers are sure to enjoy the hotel’s 65,000 square foot indoor water park, CoCo Key.
The hotel’s Tradewinds Restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine using locally-sourced, seasonal foods and fresh seafood in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. At the end of a busy day, guests can unwind with a fine selection of refreshing cocktails and snacks in the hotel’s lounge, Tradewinds Lounge, or tropical drinks in the Wet Rooster Bar. Room service also is available during peak dining hours, and Starbucks coffee is available in the hotel lobby.
The DoubleTree by Hilton is located at 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, Mass., near Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS), minutes away from the Beverly (Mass.) Municipal Airport and an hour away from Manchester (N.H.) International Airport.
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) proudly unveiled Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha at The St. Regis Doha on October 4th 2012, with opening performances by the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, featuring members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The debut of Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha marks the first in a series of jazz clubs that St. Regis and JALC aim to create together as part of a unique global partnership announced last year. The opening of Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha coincides with the opening of The St. Regis Doha earlier this year, further solidifying Qatar as an emerging centre of culture, commerce and leisure in the Middle East.The Wynton Marsalis Quintet will be the first of many renowned artists scheduled to perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha. The programming will be led by Wynton Marsalis, Managing and Artistic Director of JALC, and will provide St. Regis guests and the local community a chance to enjoy the music genre in a new, exhilarating destination. Featuring live performances six nights a week with a menu inspired by the musical genre, Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha offers spectacular views of the Arabian Gulf in an intimate setting. The 4,500 square foot jazz club, with acoustics and sound system designed by SIA Acoustics, will seat up to 100 guests in a theatrical ambience that recalls a legendary jazz venue of the golden era.
The opening of The St. Regis Doha marks the brand’s first hotel in Qatar, ideally located within Doha’s newest waterfront destination at Al Gassar Resort between the city’s cultural heritage sites and its emerging commercial hub. The hotel’s distinctive architecture showcases a contemporary design fused with traditional Arabic touches, an impressive addition to the city’s skyline with two 14-story beachfront towers offering 336 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, including 70 elegant suites and two presidential suites.
The St. Regis Doha features 10 restaurants and lounges, including Opal by Gordon Ramsay as well as Hakkasan, which brings authentic yet contemporary Cantonese cuisine to Doha. The hotel features 16,000 square meters of luxury leisure facilities including an Olympic size swimming pool, a private beachfront, 10 luxury pool-side cabanas, the first Remède Spa in the Middle East, a fitness centre and extensive meeting space.
MGallery, Accor’s Collection of distinctive boutique hotels, has added one of Australia’s most historic hotels – the 4½ star Harbour Rocks Hotel in Sydney – to its rapidly growing network.Sydney’s Harbour Rocks Hotel – whose origins date back to the 1880s – has joined Accor’s prestigious MGallery Collection following the completion of a total redesign and refurbishment.
The hotel is the fourth MGallery in Australia, joining The Grand Hotel and Hotel Como in Melbourne and the Fairmont Resort in the NSW Blue Mountains. A fifth, Melbourne’s Hotel Lindrum, will join the brand in December. The MGallery Collection is made up of a group of highly individual and distinctive hotels, each one remarkable for its identity. The hotels in the collection have a striking personality and a special story to tell which guests experience through the hotel’s unique features and characteristics.
The 59-room Harbour Rocks Hotel is located in the heart of Sydney’s historic Rocks district, close to the harbour-front and only a short walk to the city’s central business district. It makes the hotel an ideal base for both leisure and corporate travellers.
Built in 1887 and opened as a hotel in 1989, Harbour Rocks Hotel sits on the grounds of Sydney’s first hospital and has been stripped back to its foundations, exposing its original sandstone and brick walls and its former working cottages. After an extensive renovation programme, the finished result is a striking fusion of raw elegance which blends old and new, featuring European touches throughout.
While satisfying the needs of modern day travellers, many aspects of the hotel reflect the building’s rich heritage, particularly the reverence for the hotel’s resident ghost, Eric.
As the legend goes, Eric was a patron of the premises in the late 1800s and was in love with Scarlett, the Madame of the house. After both declaring their love for one another, Eric had to leave on a three-month voyage overseas, but promised to marry Scarlett upon his return. However, by the time he arrived in Sydney, Scarlett had died of tuberculosis. A heartbroken Eric passed away not long after and to this day, it is said Eric’s spirit lingers in the corridors of the hotel as he longs for his Scarlett. In homage to the tragic lovers the hotel’s bar is named Eric’s and the restaurant is named Scarlett.
One of MGallery signatures is to bring the hotel’s story to life. From the moment a guest walks into the hotel to the experience they have while in its surrounds, guests are immersed in the Harbour Rocks Hotel’s story, For instance, Scarlett restaurant is where guests can experience a Harbour Rocks Pie, a play on a dish settlers enjoyed in the early days of the Sydney colony. On the breakfast menu, freshly made damper rolls are available, which again relate to the hotel’s historical past.
TravelClick, the leading hotel market intelligence provider, looks back at London’s incredible summer of sport to see the impact it had on incoming tourism and how the hoteliers fared.The Olympic period (27 July – 12 August 2012) saw an increase of 62.7% in revenue for London hoteliers in comparison to the same period last year. Overall the average daily rate (ADR) during the Olympics showed an increase of 55.2%, with room rates up an average of more than £60 compared with 2011.
London played host to history’s most successful Paralympic Games and the period (29 August – 9 September 2012) reflected this with an ADR rise of just 1.3% from the same time period last year and a revenue increase of 5.7% year on year.
Jan Tissera, international president, TravelClick, commented:
“London hoteliers had a very successful Olympic Games period, however, the Paralympic Games always takes a smaller stage than its predecessor. Hoteliers were right to be cautious about not pricing rooms too high for the period in order to fully capitalise on the event . They can now look forward to the legacy of the Games hopefully drawing in more tourism to London.”
A beautiful bespoke woven axminster carpet will take the centre stage on the walls and floor of the Wilton Carpets Commercial stand at this year’s Sleep event, the premier interior design tradeshow for the international hospitality sector. The carpet will use colours from the brand new Elements palette that is being launched at Sleep. Presenting an exquisite fusion of rich jewel colours and lustrous metallics, Elements is inspired by leading colour trends evident in today’s interiors and forecast to continue into 2013 and beyond. Shades of antique bronze and brass and burnt copper with contrasting shades of claret, ruby, jade and lime zest for an end result that is both flexible and inspirational, providing designers with a functional and usable carpet colouration palette.
“The Sleep event has become the industry gathering for interior designers specifically working within the hospitality sector and provides us with an excellent opportunity to engage with the people that matter,” comments Suna Jones, marketing manager, Wilton Carpets Commercial. “Our stunning stand at last year’s event proved to many just how inspirational carpets from Wilton can be and we are determined that this year will build upon this, revealing something even more extraordinary.”
Making use of the new palette, the Elements 1 FastTrack Design collection features organic curves infused with damask and florals in 18 striking patterned carpets, each available in three carefully considered colourways. Offering twist-on-a-classic inspiration and fusing the vintage with the contemporary, Wilton Carpet’s new Ready to Go ranges, – Carnaby, Labyrinth and Sculpture – present 30 designs that also use the Elements palette to diverse effect.
Wilton Carpets will be on G36 at the Business Design Centre, Islington between 21-22 November.
For further information contact Wilton Carpets Commercial on 01722 746000 or sales@wiltoncarpets.com
Africa now ranks among the fastest growing economic regions in the world, according to a recent report (June 2011) by the McKinsey Global Institute. The hotel sector reflects this exciting trend with established and international brands and developers entering the marketplace and developing their opportunities with long term growth prospects, including: Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International and The Rezidor Hotel Group. Recent construction pipelines indicate that there are over 190 planned hotel projects in planning and development, with combined guestrooms totally over 37,000, the most popular locations are Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. The continent’s real GDP rose by an average of nearly 5% per annum over the last decade and with the collective GDP of $1.6. Trillion (in 2008) is now roughly equal to Brazil or Russia, reflecting the flourishing growth in sectors including: telecoms, banking, retail and construction with impressive increasing foreign investment.
Examples of recent planned hotel developments and openings include: • Hotel operator Monte-Carlo SBM has teamed up with developer Aerium Atlas Management (part of the Aerium Group) to develop a 34.5 acre site in the Menara district of Marrakech: the £120m Jawhar Resort, Spa and Private Residences. • Rocco Forte Collection is launching a new five-star 90 all suite room hotel, golf and spa resort – the Assoufid Resort in Marrakesh, with the North Africa Holding Company. Rocco Forte will also be managing the 275-room Shepheard Hotel in Cairo with The Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH) to launch in 2013. • Jumeirah Group is developing the Jumeirah Gamsha Bay Resort in Egypt, a luxury 250 room hotel on the mixed-use development of Palm Gamsha. • Sofitel Luxuy Hotels will open its second location in Equatorial Guinea, on Bioko Island in Africa, the Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golf – featuring 200 luxurious rooms. • The Rezidor Hotel Group has recently announced the planning of its 7th hotel in Nigeria, The Park Inn Lagos, Apapa featuring 125 rooms and set to open in 2013. Rezidor has the largest pipeline in Sub-Saharan Africa with new openings planned in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Zambia, Rwanda and Mozambique. • Taj Hotels is set to launch the Taj Palace Marrakesh, later this year, following on from the successful opening of the Taj Cape Town in 2010. • Sol Melia is set to open a new hotel on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania, the Melia Zanzibar – a 5 star holiday resort and following the inauguration of its first hotel in Cabo Verde. The company has 6 hotels on the African continent, with 4 in Egypt.
Providing a unique insight and overview into the opportunities available, Bench Events is organising the inaugural Hotel Investment Conference in Africa (HICA) taking place in Casablanca (26th and 27th of September) and already attracting delegates from around the world interested in benefiting from the networking opportunities, a programme of seminars and sessions with a list of influential speakers which will educate potential investors and developers and raise awareness to optimise the opportunity of sustainable development of the hospitality industry on the African continent.
As further outlined in the McKinsey report, the rate of return on foreign investment in Africa is higher than in any other developing market (from $9 billion in 2000 to $62 billion in 2008) and providing early entry adopters the chance to develop their own markets and establish brand presence and profile whilst shaping the future economic climate and promoting new levels of tourism (both domestic and international).
The World Travel Organisation has recently forecast that in-bound tourism (to Africa) will increase over 50% from 2010 to 2020 while Africa’s combined consumer spending is now $860 billion and set to continue to grow. A recent Financial Times article (published following the World Economic Forum 2011 in Africa) reported that more than 10 African economies are forecast (by the African Development Bank) to grow at more than 7 per cent this year. Finance experts use the returns achieved by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) as a good guide to what is possible. From 2000 to March 2010, the IFC saw a return of almost 22 per cent a year on its African private equity portfolio, higher than for any other emerging markets region – a trend experienced by many of the large investment funds.
The UK’s leading independent wallcovering manufacturer, Dixon Turner is pleased to introduce Cosmos to its Premier collection.This unique embossed texture features intricate twisted textile details framed within a geometric pattern of squares. This ingenious design creates multi level textures on the wall, which alter depending on the lighting conditions and the angle at which they are looked at.
The colouring of Cosmos has been specifically tailored to the hospitality market, but this striking design will be equally at home in all commercial interiors. This exciting design is emphasized by the use of metallic effects – shades of gold, silver, pewter, green and teal – as well as pearlescent, delicate creams, ivories and ecru.
For more information on the Cosmos or any other Dixon Turner designs, please contact our sales team on: 0870 606 1237, alternatively you can email sales@dixon-turner.co.uk
NH Hoteles has taken over the Mövenpick Hotel Prague as of October 1 under a management agreement, 2012 expanding its presence in the Czech Republic. With panoramic views over the Czech capital, and close to the city and the airport, the four star property has 439 stylish bedrooms and 13 conference rooms accommodating up to 300 people.With a unique design comprising two buildings connected by a ‘Lanovka’ inclined lift, NH Prague is ideally located for meetings and conferences in the city centre as the hotel is minutes from the underground and tram station as well as being close to the airport.
The hotel’s 13 conference rooms all have natural daylight, along with cutting edge conference and event technology. There is also a business centre with full secretarial services.
Alan Jaramillo, Director of MICE Sales in the UK, comments: “We are delighted to add NH Prague to our extensive portfolio of over 2,300 conference rooms. The hotel’s location and facilities make it ideal for meeting planners looking for venues in Central Europe, along with the added bonus of its spectacular views over the picturesque Czech capital.”
The hotel has two restaurants. The Italian “Il Giardino” offers a breathtaking panorama from its garden terrace, while wellness and fitness fans will enjoy the hotel’s sauna and steam bath as well the jogging path in the nearby Mrazovka Park, tennis courts and a beach volleyball court.
Eco-friendly faux fabrics and wallpapers featuring leather, suede, sea grasses, wild animal hides and reptile skins are expected be a popular choice this autumn with many new collections now available from Fabrics & Papers, the online retailer of designer curtain and upholstery fabrics and wallpaper.Faux fabrics and wallpapers are ideal for creating a distinctive look in a range of colours but where the actual material is unsuitable or cost-prohibitive.
The fusion of design and function in Thibaut’s Texture Resource collections, available online at Fabricsandpapers.com, deliver eco-inspired materials that allow for a versatile collection of wallpapers.
From supple leathers to touchable raffias and sisals in a bold assortment of colours from earth-toned neutrals through to dynamic metallic, Thibaut’s diverse and sophisticated style always endures. The designs are pleasing to the eye and delightfully tactile with added benefit of high durability. Other highlights include rich alligator skins and burnished leather wallpapers. These tough yet touchable wallpapers are perfect for any room in the home as well as commercial environments such as shops, hotels, bars and night clubs.
Osborne and Little, also available at Fabricsandpapers.com, features the iconic Komodo collection of contemporary wallpaper designs all printed on a durable non-woven base takes its main inspiration from the coats andskins of wild animals.
Osborne and Little also offers Sellier, a faux leather fabrics for upholstery which evokes the craftsmanship of a master saddler (Sellier is the French word for saddler). The 31 colourways include eleven with an unusual metallic finish.
Lyceum is a glossy patent faux leather upholstery fabric inspired by the glamorous theatrical world of the West End in the 1930’s, with a craquelure appearance; it has an excellent Martindale abrasion of 100,000.
Finally there is a collection of wonderful Sabi velvets. Four beautiful velvets named after African game reserves, embossed to resemble animal skins and coats.
By exploring www.fabricsandpapers.com, customers can create their own schemes and request wallpaper samples from over 6,000 carefully selected wallpapers and fabrics. A dedicated design team is on hand at the end of a telephone line (01273 495500) to discuss customers’ individual requirements and offer help and advice.
Once you have decided to start your own design practice you have taken the first bold step down a road that can lead you to fame and fortune. However without good management this first bold step can be over a precipice to disaster. In writing this series I assume (maybe wrongly) that you have your area of expertise identified, and that you have a client or two. I dealt with fee charging in outline in the Guide to Hotel Design Pt.2, but will go into it in more depth in the future in this occasional series. You must register your business as a limited company and take out Professional Indemnity Insurance to protect yourself from liability if things go wrong. If you are not a limited company then you can be personally held responsible for the debts of your company. In the 1980\’s when interest rates were raised to 16% I found myself selling house, shares, cars etc. to pay business debts from my partnership. Bad financial advice led to us trading simply as a partnership not a limited company. Don\’t get caught in the same way, get limited – your liability (unless you behave criminally or with intent to deceive) is the share capital, usually £1.
When you start in business you need to be able to finance the first few weeks, or maybe even months. Most people line up a Client before they go on their own. *Be careful – your contract of employment with an employer may include a non-compete clause, and clauses on copyright which mean you can neither take a client from your employers\’ business nor help yourself to unlicensed copies of your employers\’ software without risk of prosecution and possible imprisonment.*
When proposing a fee to the Client you should understand several things:- 1. You may not be able to resolve issues between you, or come up with a satisfactory solution to problems, so you can get fired (no employment protection here). So your fee proposal should make sure payments are made to cover work to date 2. It is rare for Clients to make immediate payment, and time between invoice and money in the bank can be lengthy 3. VAT etc. must be paid on schedule. HMRC takes the view that tax you collect on their behalf is their money and you cannot hang on to it without risking prosecution. I\’m sure the same can be said of state taxes in the USA or elsewhere So run a tight financial ship, do not give in to temptation when the big cheques come in!
You can see from the attached downloadable cashflow example how you can look at fee income predictions in harness with expenditure to predict that status of your bank account. You should of course do a monthly reconciliation of the bank account against your cashflow forecast (yeah, like you are going to have time for that – not!). Without a formal reconciliation just a check at the end of the month of the rough figures should tell you whether all is under control or not.
Most find the one flexible element in running a business is their own salary, but remember when struggling that you are in this to make money, so your income needs to be a focus. By all means hold back if you are struggling but don\’t forget your fixed expenses such as food, rent etc. demand an income.
You will find using this system the assistance you need from a financial guru is limited. It can be advisable to take a minimum income and the remainder in dividends from the declared profit at year end. You need to submit accounts to the State annually. The advantage of taking a dividend is that it is paid without deduction of PAYE and at a fixed tax rate.
Marriott International, Inc. has said that it has completed the transaction announced on May 31 with Gaylord Entertainment Company, now Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., to acquire the Gaylord brand and hotel management company for $210 million. Gaylord Entertainment’s shareholders approved that company’s transition to a real estate investment trust on September 25, and Gaylord Entertainment merged with Ryman Hospitality Properties and assumed that name today. Ryman will continue to own the existing four Gaylord hotels and Marriott will manage the properties under long-term agreements.
In addition, Marriott will also manage three Nashville attractions, effective 1st October: the General Jackson Showboat, Gaylord Springs Golf Links, and Wildhorse Saloon. On December 1, Marriott will assume management of the Radisson Hotel Opryland, which will then be renamed The Inn at Opryland, a Gaylord Hotel. Ryman will also continue to own these properties. The transaction adds five hotels and approximately 8,100 rooms to the Marriott International portfolio.
Gaylord Hotels are uniquely positioned in the group and family leisure segments with approximately 2 million square feet of meeting and event space. They offer multiple opportunities for recreation, shopping, and dining, as well as entertainment, such as their partnership with DreamWorks™.
Arne Sorenson, Marriott International president and chief executive officer, said, “Our partnership with the Gaylord organization has been exceptional. Both the Gaylord and Marriott transition teams have worked closely together with much skill and dedication to be ready for this exciting day. Gaylord’s proven success in the meetings and family leisure markets, and their “all-in-one-place” properties will greatly enhance our portfolio and will provide new opportunities both for Gaylord associates, called STARS, and Marriott associates. We are delighted to welcome our new Gaylord portfolio and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Ryman Hospitality Properties.”
“We are thrilled that this transaction is now complete and to be part of Marriott’s industry leading network of hotels,” said Colin V. Reed, Ryman Properties chairman and chief executive officer. “We chose to work with Marriott because they share our commitment to building a strong employee culture and delivering a superior customer experience.”
Hillswood Furniture will be exhibiting at the forthcoming The Independent Hotel 12 Exhibition at Olympia which runs from the 16th/17th October. Amongst other furniture ranges being launched there will be the eye-catching curved settee which is available either left or right handed back. This new design was recently launched in Milan and is the first time this piece has been seen in the UK.
It is part of Hillswood’s highly successful Montbel Collection. Other new pieces can be viewed in their website under the Montbel selection.
FW Lighting represents a collective of lighting and automaton controls manufacturers from across Europe including AVE, Cabelli Luce, Elektra ACB Illuminations and Altatensione (part of the PAN group) and now Baulmann Leuchten. Baulmann have been producing lighting for over 70 years, providing hotel interior designers, architects and specialist lighting designers with creative lighting concepts and lighting systems of the highest quality.
Baulmann have an enviable record of success stories, delivering inspirational lighting designs for every type of hotel project you can imagine, worldwide.
Working closely with interior designers, Baulmann, with their design knowledge, are very adept at interpreting the ideas and creativeness of interior designers, then creating practical, physical designs to meeting their client needs and aspirations.
Part of the Modern Retro Range from Hill Cross Furniture, the Toby Side Chair is available in a wide range of finishes, including stained ply, laminated shell with ply edging, or fully upholstered.Please contact us on +44 (0) 1325 378 307 for more details.
The Modern Retro Range is a stunning range of side chairs suitable for a modern or traditional venues, available in various finishes to create your own retro style. Please enquire with our sales team to discuss your design and venue. Designed to create impact and style in any restaurant, bar or hotel. Ideal restaurant seating, bar seating, golf club seating, cruise ship seating and hotel seating.
Stoneleigh Park is the first exhibition and conference venue in the UK to have installed a revolutionary hotel concept which opened its doors on 1st October.
Stoneleigh Park has more than doubled its number of bedrooms from 58 to 138, meaning event organisers and visitors can easily stay on-site to be at the heart of their event.Called Snoozebox, this transportable modular accommodation offers comfortable and secure bedrooms, along with everything you would expect from a conventional hotel, such as reception services, daily housekeeping and a 24-hour duty manager. The rooms are fitted out to a high standard with modern fixtures and a stylish décor. Sound and heat insulation provides comfort and privacy, and each room has its own thermostatic controls including air conditioning. The rooms include a double bed together with a single bed, flat screen TV, Wi-Fi and a safe. The en-suite wet room comprises a power shower, toilet and wash basin.
Although Snoozebox units have previously been used to support specific events, such as the British Grand Prix and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Stoneleigh Park leads the way in the industry by installing the solution for multiple events.
With a busy calendar of public and trade exhibitions attracting up to 25,000 visitors per event, plus conferences for up to 2,000 delegates at any one time, Stoneleigh Park understands how important and convenient it is for organisers to be on site. The fresh, comfortable, quirky Snoozebox will allow organisers and visitors alike to park for free outside the door of the hotel with absolutely everything they need within easy walking distance.
Ian Pegler, chief executive of Stoneleigh Park, commented: “We have a reputation for being an extremely versatile venue, and with so much indoor and outdoor space we can often do what other venues can’t. When we were increasingly finding our existing on-site hotel accommodation fully booked, Snoozebox provided an ideal flexible and immediate solution to the growing demand. We are thrilled with the high spec accommodation and are sure our event organisers and visitors will be too. Indeed, as well as catering for existing clients, hopefully it will now attract more organisers to consider Stoneleigh Park for their events.”
The Hotel was constructed over two days and is situated next to Stoneleigh Park’s existing 4-star guest hotel.
Robert Breare, CEO at Snoozebox, added: “We are delighted to have installed the first ever Snoozebox at an exhibition and conference venue. Stoneleigh Park has shown itself to be forward thinking and responsive, turning to us for a quick, flexible but high quality solution to a growing demand from event organisers. The accommodation is of a 4-star specification and provides a comfortable, secure base for event visitors with all the mod cons. Set in the vast and beautiful grounds at Stoneleigh Park, we are sure that people will enjoy staying there.”
To meet the demands of designers and specifiers, Focus SB has launched an app for Google Android and Apple’s iPhone that enables users to find a lighting plate to perfectly match the décor of any room in a home, hotel or office.Designed and developed by Bite CP, a bespoke ‘product in place’ mobile app (Room View Focus SB) has been created, best described as a ‘digital swatch book’ of light switch products.
The user can scroll through products and see them in situ by taking a photo of the decor using their camera phone/iPad/tablet and overlaying the range for a realistic impression, which can then be saved for future reference. The app also has direct contact links to Focus SB for any queries or further information.
Roger Kemp, Managing Director of Focus SB, says there has already been significant interest in the app: “A number of designers that we consulted during testing have been very impressed,” he says. “The app makes it easier for clients to make an informed choice on the product range and finish and is easy to use.”
The free app is available through iTunes and through Google’s Android App World.
Wimberly Interiors has recently unveiled the interior design of the Bentley Suite at The St. Regis New York. The signature suite represents a one-of-a-kind collaboration with the masterful minds at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and Bentley Motors.“The exhilarating suite is both sleek and refined, reflecting Bentley’s debonair aesthetic and progressive vision within the Beaux Arts architecture of the St. Regis New York,” explained Liana Hawes, creative director at Wimberly Interiors. “The suite features a seductive and sophisticated slate of neutral colours including ivory, charcoal grey and black, punctuated with exquisite soft Bentley leather, highly polished wood and chrome details that evoke the interiors of a racing car.”
The Bentley Suite is located on the 15th floor of the iconic Manhattan landmark. Upon entering the expansive 1,700 square foot suite through a set of double doors, guests are greeted by the defining characteristics of the luxury automobile brand: a blend of cream and neutral tones, set against the rich wood finishes of the handcrafted furnishings found throughout the space. The suite’s design boasts a unique juxtaposition of elegance and contemporary sleekness that reflects the bespoke elements of both brands. The black leather tile floor pairs perfectly with a linen coloured, perforated diamond leather wall, stitched with one of the 42 custom Bentley leathers. A metallic silver mirror, inspired by a carbon fibber wheel rim, sits above an accent table evocative of the dashboard of a Bentley. The suite combines the modern yet glamorous style of the brand with the timeless and impeccable style of The St. Regis New York.
The dining room features an expansive media wall including a large TV as well as four Breitling clocks marking the time in New York, London, Moscow and Riyadh. Bold, black trim is set against cream walls with artwork that displays the heritage of the Bentley brand: images taken from the brand’s founding to the present day. A crystal chandelier adorns the ceiling, while a sumptuous leather rug and dark stained white oak floors bring to life the understated elegance of the brand.
In the living room, ivory walls are accented with crisp black crown moulding that line the ceiling, ultra-luxe tufted leather sofa and wing chairs provide ultimate comfort and relaxation, and a crystal chandelier decorates the centre of the room. Luxurious menswear inspired herringbone drapery runs from floor to ceiling, framing windows that provide breathtaking views overlooking Fifth Avenue and Central Park. The bedroom features a custom sleigh bed with the classic Bentley burled wood, complemented by the warm colour palette of aubergine, warm greys and ivory. The ‘root burrow’ wood throughout the room is reminiscent of the signature Mulsanne model’s exotic natural wood veneers.
Combining effortless chic with outstanding quality, Vaughan has launched a wonderful new collection of floor lamps for Autumn 2012.The Villon Floor Lamp has a swing arm mechanism; the Faringdon Floor Lamp has a more contemporary style with a swivel jointed hood and the Ludlow Floor Lamp has an adjustable toggle to lower or heighten the lamp.
Each of the three styles are available in brass, bronze or nickel.
Mille Couleurs Ltd is proud to introduce its first Bespoke Furniture Collection named Elysé.Influenced by the Art Deco era, these particular pieces boast sensuous lines that are smooth and sleek in appearance complemented with geometric high-glossed or lacquered finished arm rests that feature elements of polished chrome accents. The seat and back are quilted to ensure comfort.
The aim behind the Elysé armchair is to introduce Elegance and with Versatility, luxurious and luscious furniture in style. This armchair is not to be hidden but to centre of attention in any room.
Each piece is made with an eye trained in art and “savoir faire”, to focus attention on the details and insure quality above all else.
The Hospitality Industry World Congress (HIWC) was founded with the aim of harnessing the knowledge and expertise of the hospitality industry in the quest for global solutions that help the strategic advancement of the sector. It will bring together the leading world experts on the world accommodation sector. The congress will structured around 5 main themes to analyse the different aspects of the hotel industry.
The aim of the opening “track” of the first edition of the HIWC, “The new paths towards hotel efficiency and profitability”, is to provide professionals with the keys to maximum hotel profits.
The sessions in this track, which will take place on Wednesday 17th October, will focus on four lines of action which are regarded as strategic in the development and management of hotel projects: efficiency in construction projects, contract and facilities; efficiency in purchases; efficiency in sustainability; and efficiency and profitability in service.
Michael Nowlis, Executive Programme Director, London Business School, will give the keynote address of this first session. “The changes in consumer behaviour, hotel design, social media and dynamics of setting prices are fast altering the hotel business and need a new, innovative way of thinking. Past successful business models are not a guarantee of future profitability” says Nowlis “The HIWC will act as a forum in which to examine the change in paradigms that are revolutionising the accommodation sector”, he adds.
Internationalisation, an opportunity for growth The internationalisation and expansion of companies is one of the most basic and important options if we are to continue growing in a climate such as the current one. The second track of HIWC conferences, “Expansion and internationalisation. Where to go?, will analyse this topic.
How and where to grow is therefore a key element to be taken into account when designing expansion strategy and, in this sense, the second set of conferences incorporates the two main geographical areas that represent most of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China): Asia and Latin America. Carlos Vogeler, Regional Representative for the Americas of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), will be one of the speakers in this session.
The Dorchester Debuts 22 New Suites by Alexandra Champalimaud
With a fresh take on the eclecticism of the English spirit, The Dorchester has recently unveiled 22 new suites by interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud. Whilst the new suites at Dorchester Collection’s iconic London address in the heart of Mayfair stay true to the hotel’s classic English residential style, the new design fuses contemporary comfort with the timeless glamour and heritage of the world-renowned property. Commenting on the project, Alexandra Champalimaud, president and principal designer of Champalimaud, said: “I have always been fascinated by the way the English live in their homes and wanted to capture that certain quirkiness found in beautiful English properties, whilst building on the history and quintessentially British nature of The Dorchester.”
A short film of Alexandra Champalimaud discussing her inspiration for the project
Each of the 22 suites features an eclectic array of furnishings, inspired by a cosmopolitan collection of influences echoing the British fondness for filling homes with mementos from a lifetime of travel. Craftsmen from a variety of British firms were commissioned to create furniture, mirrors and textiles for the suites, and fabrics and wallcoverings are from exceptional design houses such as Colefax & Fowler, Coles and Son, Nobilis, Romo, Neisha Crosland, JAB and GP & J Baker.
Marriott International has announced the opening of the 220-apartment The Imperial Mansion, Beijing – Marriott Executive Apartments. This is Marriott International’s fifth extended stay property in China, showing great support and commitment for the brand, and is located within the capital city’s busy central business and leisure district, next door of the Forbidden City, the world’s largest imperial palace.Ideally located in the centre of Wangfujing district, the prestigious business, entertainment, and shopping area of Beijing, The Imperial Mansion, Beijing MEA Apartments is just a few minutes’ walk from the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Wangfujing subway station, offering easy accessible to business, commercial and cultural attractions.
The property offers 220 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 64 to 228 square meters. Each spacious apartment is stylishly designed with clean lines, accentuated by hardwood floors, contemporary furniture and modern technology. Internet is available in apartments as well as in common areas. Walk-in closets in the master bedrooms provide guests with ample space to spread out, and a professional workspace and full kitchen give each unit a residential, home-like feel. Most apartments have private balconies and all are equipped with an entertainment system with 42″ inch LED satellite television, iPod docking stations and DVD player.
A western and local delicacy gourmet breakfast is served daily at the residents lounge. Guests have 24-hour access to the fitness centre, complete with a spacious playroom for children and heated 25-meter indoor infinity pool, overseeing the imperial landscape of the Forbidden City. Laundry and personalized concierge services provide guests the advantages of a five star hotel.
Additional amenities at the apartments include a multifunctional meeting space with natural daylight measuring a combined total of 180 square meters.
Autograph Collection continues its global growth with plans to debut three new European hotels by the end of the year. Opening in key gateway cities including Lisbon, Portugal; Rouen, France; and Lille, France; the new additions will expand the current portfolio to 12 Autograph Collection hotels throughout Europe and nearly 40 hotels globally by year end – marking an average of one property joining the collection per month since the brand’s inception in 2010. Other notable additions this year to the Autograph Collection include Turnberry Isle Miami, Brown Palace Hotel & Spa in Denver, and the Blue Moon and Winter Haven Hotels in Miami Beach.
“It’s been very interesting to see how the industry has responded to Autograph Collection,” said Tina Edmundson, senior vice president of lifestyle brands for Marriott International. “Our initial strategy was to draw in existing properties that could benefit from Marriott’s extensive network of Marriott Rewards members and Marriott.com. While we have seen great success come from that approach, the structure of our business model is shifting to include newly built hotels that want the freedom to design and create their own property experience, while at the same time upholding the customer promise expected from a global brand like Marriott International.”
The three new additions to the Autograph Collection include:
Fontecruz, Portugal Fontecruz will join Autograph Collection this Fall as a destination at the center of the Lisbon’s most significant neighborhood. Situated on the city’s main street, Avenida Liberdale, Fontecruz is Autograph Collection’s first hotel in Portugal. The property offers all the luxuries guests may expect from a hotel set along this landmark strip noted for its mixture of historical charm and modern sophistication. Fontecruz features 72 exclusive rooms and suites, onsite dining and panoramic vistas of the surrounding area.
Hotel De Bourgtheroulde, France Autograph Collection’s Fall expansion in Europe also includes the addition of Hotel De Bourgtheroulde in Rouen, France. One of the oldest, most noteworthy stone mansions constructed in 15th century, the property has been transformed into a charming, modernized retreat that offers guests a unique experience in the northern region of the country. Hotel De Bourgtheroulde features a full service spa, multiple dining venues, and space for group meetings and events.
Hotel L’Hermitage Gantois, France Originally built in the 1400s, the Hotel L’Hermitage Gantois will soon join Autograph Collection as a historic getaway in Lille, one of the largest metropolitan areas in France. The hotel’s 72 guest rooms range in size to offer intimate spaces to grand accommodations. Visitors will enjoy all the comforts of the modern day, including Wi-Fi and in-room Nespresso coffee machines. The hotel also offers a variety of food and beverage options.
The stylish 201-room Mercure hotel has opened in the green precinct of Nusa Dua Bali, and is offering some great opening rates for travelers who continue to flock to the holiday island. Australians continue to top the arrivals charts, and Nusa Dua is a favoured destination for couples and families seeking a quieter side to life.The newly-built Mercure Bali Nusa Dua opened on 23 September 2012, just a stone’s throw from the prominent Bali Tourism Development (BTDC) complex, and the hotel is ideally located for access to the Bali International Convention Centre and the many shopping, dining and entertainment options of the Bali Collection Shopping Mall. Located a mere 14 kilometers from Bali’s International Ngurah Rai Airport and 25 minutes from the chic and lively areas of Seminyak and Kuta and Legian, the hotel is ideal for business and leisure travellers alike.
The popular Mercure brand is known for its individually-styled and personalized hotels, each with its own distinctive character. There are now 4 Mercure Hotels in Bali -Mercure Bali Nusa Dua, Mercure Resort Sanur, Mercure Bali Kuta and Mercure Bali Harvestland Kuta.
The hotel features 201 comfortable, contemporary rooms including 150 Superior rooms, 43 Deluxe rooms and 8 Junior Suites. Guests can indulge at the restaurant which serves local and international dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, sit down for a drink in the lobby or relax at the pool bar, work out in the fully-equipped fitness centre, or enjoy the hotel’s unique swimming pool, divided over two levels and connected by a waterfall.
Three meeting rooms with a capacity of up to 200 people can accommodate conferences, weddings and other events, while the business centre services and lobby internet corner round out the hotel’s business facilities.
All rooms are designed to reflect the identity and heritage of Bali, while embracing the contemporary style of Mercure. Each room is equipped with premium in-room amenities including international cable television channels and free WiFi Internet access.
There’s a constant pipeline of stunning new contract furniture designs coming out of Italy at the moment and leading UK hospitality furniture supplier Andy Thornton are launching the very best of these collections. Sleek contemporary chair designs are proving popular with champagne bars, high end restaurants and independent bars operators.The latest design is the stylish Croissant collection by furniture designer Emilio Nanni, which features a solid beech frame with solid square legs which can be polished to any colour. The bar stool shown features a low back rest which along with the seat can be upholstered in any fabric or leather to match all interior colour schemes. These simple but elegant chairs exude comfort whilst being of extremely robust construction.
The comprehensive collection includes two styles of bar stool, a low stool, armchair, lounge chair and side chair. There is also a choice of matching tables which are available with a choice of circular and square MDF tops, available in black or white finish.
To view the full range of restaurant furniture from Andy Thornton visit www.andythornton.com
La Bastide de Gordes & Spa is a warm, intimate five-star residence located in one of France’s most beautiful villages. With its surrounding natural landscapes, it is a haven of peace just 30 minutes from Avignon-Caumont airport and 45 minutes from Avignon’s TGV high speed train station. La Bastide de Gordes & Spa, a luxury establishment in the heart of the Luberon Mountains
This fabulous 16th century building is bordered by terraces that used to be the village ramparts. La Bastide de Gordes & Spa is set into the mountainside in the centre of the village of Gordes and boasts a breathtaking view of its unspoiled natural surroundings and the Luberon Mountains.
The hotel’s 26 rooms and 12 suites are sober and refined. They all have a clear, peaceful view of either the Luberon mountains or the village and some suites even have their own private terrace. Like the rooms, the bathrooms are very spacious and feature hand-crafted tiles.
La Bastide’s gastronomic restaurant is an acknowledged “Grande Table”, or fine dining establishment, in the region. Guests can enjoy lunch or dinner in the large, tranquil vaulted dining room or in the shade on the establishment’s sunny terrace.
The Chef serves authentic, refined cuisine inspired by regional produce. The hotel’s wine steward recommends wines from the establishment’s cellar which boasts 800 different wines and 20,000 bottles.
The hotel also boasts an 800m2 Sisley Spa, which can be accessed directly from the rooms or from outside In this area devoted to the peace and well-being of both body and mind, guests can enjoy “Sisley Phyto-Aromatiques” treatments and massages. The Spa’s many facilities include: a double cabin, five treatment cabins, a chromatic pool with massaging water jets, bubble seats, a jacuzzi and geysers, a Turkish bath, a solarium, a fitness room, an herbal tea room and a relaxation room.
Brintons new commercial website makes a leap forward – we’ve listened to what our customers want and made the whole experience a real pleasure.The new commercial site is easier to navigate, more informative and incredibly social. Our revolutionary clipping tool makes it so easy to share information, simply clip what you like and share it with us or the world.
When you’re rushed we want to make sure you find what you want quickly, so we’ve spent lots of time testing the navigation – search by sector, by collection or even by colour – the choice is yours. And when you’re on the go, the website adapts so you can view it on your mobile device easily with all the functionality of the main site.
Best of all we want you to keep in touch, so have an up-to-date blog and links to our Facebook page, Linked In and Pinterest boards which have been created by our designers around the world.
Come and interact – and see for yourself how Brintons are making the world a more beautiful place. We hope you enjoy using and sharing the site as much as we’ve enjoyed building it.
Holiday Inn Farnborough has completed its refresh of The Spirit Health Club – the £50,000 investment has given the health club new high tech facilities and equipment, including new Life Fitness weight machines and a new sauna. All Spirit Health Club members and hotel guests are entitled to complementary use of Holiday Inn Farnborough’s Health and Fitness Club, where they will benefit from the new facilities and equipment. They can also take advantage of the hotel’s existing swimming pool, spa and steam room and expert staff including a lifestyle consultant and beauty therapist.
Mark Ind, General Manager at Holiday Inn Farnborough said: “We’ve made this investment as part of our commitment to Spirit members and hotel guests so we can continue to offer first class facilities, quality services and great value every time they visit our health and fitness club.
In addition to this monetary investment we also offer excellent customer service from our well trained and knowledgeable personal trainers, who treat every Spirit member and guest as an individual – establishing their own personal aspirations and goals.”
Holiday Inn Farnborough is located close to the town centre, adjacent to Farnborough Airfield, home to the Farnborough International Airshow. The distinctive hotel is over 100 years old but has modern facilities including 142 air conditioned guest bedrooms, restaurant and bar, as well as meeting and events space.
Keep an eye out for HotelDesigns’ review on the site soon…
Unmissable as you drive in to Exeter, this 60 bedroom hotel occupies a spectacular example of a re-engineered building. The hotel is a conversion of the West of England Eye Hospital for Swire Group. The foundation stone was laid originally on the 11th April 1899 to a design by Sir Alfred Brummell Thomas. The entrance includes a large 18th century marble fireplace that was taken from the former house on the site.
Swire Group are reputed to be one of the ‘hongs’ portrayed in James Cavell’s novel ‘Noble House’, having existed as a trading house in Hong Kong since the early years of the 19th century. Currently Swire is a UK headquartered multi million pound conglomerate operating shipping, aviation, and property groups. Magdalen Chapter is the second of their Chapter branded hotels in the UK, the other being in Cheltenham. The group also has developed and owns hotels in Asia, including Coral Sea Hotels, Indigo Beijing etc…
When the eye hospital closed in 1992, the building was eventually sold and converted into the Hotel Barcelona at a cost of £2.6 million, opening in 2001. It was acquired by Swire group at the end of 2008. Designers Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios are the masterminds behind this reported £6.8 million relaunch of the Magdalen Chapter, which reopened in 2012, and in fact was not fully completed on my visit, as the spa remained unfinished. The designers have master planned an extension of the old hotel, imaginatively embracing the garden area as a part of the theatre of the building.
At the front the grandeur of the original “hybrid baroque style” exterior is maintained, with the imposing entrance opening into the original hallway. Whilst the original structure is evident, and there remain reminders dotted around of the original use of the building, the architects have not been overawed by conservation, and have created a thoroughly modern set of spaces as public areas.
The operator has adopted a similar ‘deskless’ check in system to that previously shown at Andaz, but here there is a lack of focus and the signage is a little over discreet, causing a little loss of confidence, a little confusion, in the incoming guest, easily solved by having a ‘greeter’ at the front door – maybe necessary too because of the limited car parking available on approach, which may need marshalling. In the Andaz the ‘deskless’ reception is a way of enabling personal service to the guest, with greeters always present to greet arriving guest and to sit down with them and book them in. Here staff are often invisible leaving the guest somewhat baffled as to where to go, although the lonely lap top balanced on top of the carving is a clue that this is the ‘desk’. This half-baked approach, neither fish nor fowl, provides neither an identifiable desk, nor the welcoming smile that characterises the Andaz approach.
The designers have succeeded elsewhere in blending the best features of the pre-existing building with their contemporary extensions. Whilst the bar area is the most cramped space it is actually well placed to service all the public areas. It’s comfortable seating creates a clubby atmosphere, encouraging guests to linger , but behind it is the library and off that a new space has been created to make a large lounge which acts as both a social area and a bistro for less formal dining than that available in the beautifully designed restaurant.
The library itself has a small area which can be used for informal meetings or semi-private dining, as well as the bookshelves and comfortable sofas for guest to enjoy. This new extension is part of a circle of buildings surrounding the garden. What appears as a garden shed is in fact a self sufficient meeting room on one side, whilst on the opposite is a spa with an ‘indoor/outdoor’ pool, treatment rooms and its own log burner for heating. This latter links to the bar/bistro with a patio and the whole, with the restaurant opening to the garden, will be delightful on a sunny summers day, if England ever sees one again.
The link from the front area of the hotel to the restaurant can be through the bar but there is also a quiet corridor link with glimpses into a small internal garden space. The restaurant itself also has a private dining area and a show kitchen. The maitre d’ point is intelligently placed adjacent to the entrance and here the staff seem eminently able to greet all incoming guests. Restaurant design is optimistic. How else can one describe a space designed to open to the garden in one of the wettest summers on record, other than as optimistic?
Tables are a good size , and unlike many restaurants are laid out to leave a sensible amount of space between seated guests for servers to move easily. This may seem a minor point but if waiting staff can serve easily they will serve quickly and with a smile, much easier to do both if the design is enabling, as it is here.
The extension that is the restaurant sits like a tent on the edge of the garden’s lawn area, and doors along the frontage will all open up to allow diners to spill our onto the terrace in summer, but their glazing also allows the interior to be flooded with light. A central supporting column prevents the space becoming the dominant feature allowing a feeling of intimacy to pervade as the space is visually broken up. The column itself is used as the basis for a central circular seating unit, preventing the structure dominating and along with banquette seating along the back wall allowing flexibility in seating types and arrangements. Colour is strong in the upholsteries but otherwise predominantly neutral.There are two areas, on off the restaurant and one off the library that can act as private dining areas, one of which is a formal private dining room that can be closed off , yet is a part of the restaurant itself.
The planning and layout of the areas of bar and the food operation are well done, and allow easy service routes to the main lounge, and to other snacking zones.The planning also allows easy service to be given to the meeting room, spa areas and the external meeting room. The extension and development of the additional areas has been done intelligently and sensibly (the two do not always go together) by the architects and designers. The layout of the previous hospital, into wards etc., also has helped with the bedroom layouts. Corridors have natural daylight and the rooms are generously sized high ceilinged, and a number have his and her bathrooms, a feature also seen in bedrooms at the luxury One and Only hotels, and in luxury establishments such as Bushmans Kloof.
Bedrooms align with the fenestration of the building, giving bright airy rooms. They are large and the high ceilings enhance their spaciousness. Despite the large windows blackout is effective and the beds, with their organic Naturalmat mattresses, have plenty of space around them. Corridor runs are short making guest access easy and the building works well as an hotels – maybe instead of converting office buildings hotels groups should be looking to convert many of the small redundant hospitals appearing as health services coagulate into larger unit sizes offering wider ranges of expertise. Certainly with Victorian healthcare being so strongly linked to fresh air and sunlight these buildings with their large windows and areas flooded with daylight give the guest a great experience and some of the interiors carry heritage items that lift them out of the ordinary.
Click on the image below this script to see an example of what I mean – tile patterns and round windows are surely inherited from a previous existence. Architectural details throughout are a delight and have been sensitively preserved in the conversion. With just 60 high quality rooms and high quality public areas I wonder whether this hotel should be operating at a higher rating than it does. In places the service matches the space – in the restaurant, food operation and bar service, for example, yet I feel that there is potential here that is as yet unrealised by the operator to lift the service to a higher level.
There are problems with guest parking, although the offsite car park is remarkably adjacent, but that apart the building seems to lend itself to its new use. The front has a street presence that is strong, whilst the new additions around the garden area to the rear make this into something special as an hotel. The designer has enhanced the buildings sense of place and created a terrific stage for the theatre of hotel keeping.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced the opening of Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel in King of Prussia, just 18 minutes from downtown Philadelphia. The highly anticipated property offers a vibrant, open atmosphere and all of the Sheraton brand’s recently improved amenities and services. Owned and operated by Wurzak Hotel Group, Sheraton Valley Forge features 180 rooms, extensive, state-of-the-art meeting facilities and a Sheraton Club Lounge.The lobby’s dynamic open design is enhanced by soaring, 25 foot ceilings, an abundance of natural light and custom-designed furniture. At the heart of the lobby is the signature “Link@Sheraton(R) experience with Microsoft®” – the brand’s social connectivity hub. All guest rooms are outfitted with the all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, designed to meet AAA’s Five Diamond Award® criteria, an oversized work desk, ergonomic chair, high-speed Internet and 42-inch flat panel television. Sheraton Club guests will enjoy upgraded amenities, as well as complimentary breakfast, beverages and evening hors d’oeuvres in the Sheraton Club Lounge.
Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel provides more than 25,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space including 13 conference rooms and two executive board rooms. Additional amenities include an indoor pool and full-service restaurant. The hotel’s fitness facility features the brand’s revolutionary new health and fitness program, Sheraton Fitness, Programmed by Core Performance, designed exclusively for Sheraton guests through its partner Core Performance.
The NEW Kiss Collection from Frank Hudson is available in a clean white hand painted finish or you can choose from a palette of any Farrow and Ball or Fired Earth colours to match your interior exactly. The collection includes 5’& 6’ beds, bedside cabinets, dressing table, stool, mirror, chests and wardrobes
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The UK’s leading independent wallcovering manufacturer, Dixon Turner is pleased to introduce Quarry to its Premier collection.Quarry is a new fabric backed vinyl wallcovering launched by Dixon Turner. The embossed texture creates an effect that resembles layers of stones, each one different and individual. The detail and the depth of the texture make this an extraordinary wallcovering.
As well as the colours of natural stones and minerals, Quarry’s colour palette features dramatic shades of blackcurrant and straw, vibrant tangerine and warm straw yellow, and sophisticated shades of moss green and indigo blue.
For more information on the Quarry or any other Dixon Turner designs, please contact our sales team on: 0870 606 1237, alternatively you can email sales@dixon-turner.co.uk
Monday 1st October saw the opening of the new build Holiday Inn Southend in Essex. The £10 million investment provides luxury 4* accommodation and services conveniently located at the entrance to Southend Airport and railway station sector.Reception is immediately visible from the entrance with a reception lounge to the right and lifts to the five floors on the left. Further to the left of the lift lobby is the Lounge – a café option for a quick bite to eat. Through the Lounge is the Laker Suite, a conference and banqueting facility that holds up to 150 guests. The name was apparently selected as a tribute to Sir Freddie Laker, the airline entrepreneur who operated from Southend Airport in the 1950’s. Smaller meeting rooms are available and are named Ambassador, Britannia and Carvair in honour of those planes that featured in Southend Airport’s history.
Similar décor and furnishings are used seamlessly through reception, the Lounge and into the conference area with large floor to ceiling windows veiled with voile curtains. This still allows natural light into the areas whilst keeping the slightly disappointing views of the main road and car park to a minimum. There are incredible views of Southend and the airport, cleverly reserved for the 1935 Rooftop Restaurant & Bar.
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has recently announced the opening of the Crowne Plaza Tulsa, Okla. The eleven-story, 286-room hotel underwent a conversion from a Hilton and features newly redesigned guestrooms and public spaces. The hotel features 13,000 square feet of meeting space with five total ballrooms. The space can be configured into as many as six meeting rooms for smaller meetings. The Crowne Plaza offers a signature comprehensive meetings program that ensures a seamless planning process and an exceptional meeting experience consisting of three key components: a Two-Hour Response Guarantee, a Crowne Meetings Director and a Daily Meetings Debrief.
The Crowne Plaza Tulsa – Southern Hills boasts 286 guestrooms, including one presidential suite and six junior suites. Guests can take advantage of a variety of amenities, including complimentary wireless Internet in guest rooms, king beds with pull-out sofas, a fitness centre, business centre and an all-seasons indoor pool.
The hotel’s food and beverage offering includes Legends Grill; a casual restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast, the Legends Grill features a buffet and made-to-order eggs and omelettes. The Falls Lounge offers dinner and cocktails. Other amenities include onsite complimentary parking and complimentary shuttle service.
The Crowne Plaza Tulsa – Southern Hills is independently owned by McSam Hotels and operated by Packard Management Group, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
Ibis, the benchmark in the economy segment, is pushing ahead with its transformation in line with evolving trends in consumer preferences and cementing its leadership in the worldwide economy hotel sector. This is the first step in Accor’s strategy to modernise all its brands. “What we are doing with ibis is reinventing economy hotels by setting a new standard. Our goal is to open up new territories – I mean new hotel experiences as well as new geographies. This project is unprecedented. It has put ibis’ vision one step ahead. It is treating our customers to unrivalled choice at affordable prices and our franchisees to even more brand appeal,” explains Accor Chairman and CEO Denis Hennequin.
This economy-brand revitalisation project kicked off on 13 September 2011 and involved grouping ibis, ibis Styles (all seasons) and ibis budget (Etap Hotel) within one single ibis family. The project’s goals were ambitious and it is outpacing traditional hospitality-industry cycles: by the end of October 2012, 100% of the UK network and 80% of the ibis network worldwide (1,280 hotels) will boast the new banners. The project will be complete by the end of 2012.
This revolution also involves revamping ibis hotel bedding
The fact that roughly 70% of guests rank comfortable beds as the single most important factor when they choose an economy hotel* prompted Accor to develop an exclusive bedding concept – Sweet BedTM by ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget – to treat customers to unrivalled comfort and establish a solid reputation on that score.
* July 2012 Accor Business Traveller survey
The new ibis and ibis budget, public areas – lobbies, reception desks and bars – have been revamped into contemporary living areas brimming with uncompromising designer class. These areas were unveiled last June and 50 hotels worldwide will have completed the renovation work by the end of this year.
In the UK the first of these designs will be visible in London in 2013.
Although KOBE has continued to be a successful editor of soft furnishing fabrics for the contract interior markets worldwide since 1976, it still acts local. KOBE believes in sharing knowledge and experience with local clients and relies on the collaborative strength. For KOBE it is important to support clients in the application of the fabrics and realisation of tailor made solutions. This intensive collaboration is highly valued because of KOBE’s professionalism and relevance. David Harris, MD KOBE UK: “Our day to day relationship with the local marketplace is important to us. To build relationships and provide the required service level, to exchange knowledge and experiences. Our team at KOBE UK is driven by developing the relationship with you. You can count on us!”
During Independent Hotel 12 (Stand IH31) independent hotel owners are invited to get acquainted with KOBE’s philosophy and be inspired by the new collections existing of innovative high end quality interior fabrics and expressing the unique KOBE contemporary classic style.
As the UK’s first trade event for the independent, luxury and boutique hotel industry, Independent Hotel 12 offers a dedicated business platform for hoteliers to meet over 120 of the industry’s top suppliers, service providers, designers, luxury products & brands.
The event will also provide a detailed learning and networking platform for ambitious hoteliers, who are hungry for the latest ideas, business advice and knowledge industry peers.
Free-to-attend seminar programme will bring together some of the independent hotel industry’s most successful practitioners, to contribute in the Industry Issues and Business Solutions forums.
Viccarbe, represented by exterior-interior, recently showcased a number of their products recently at the Valencia show including those shown at the Milan furniture fair earlier in the year.
The Maarten chair designed by Victor Carrasco was shown in its final form and looks especially appealing in the leather versions, shown here in the yellow.
Other notable items were the Wrapp chair and the thick padded Holy Day chair, the former has undergone revisions to its proportions and is one of the most comfortable and pleasing chairs of its type we have tried in a while.
The bright lacquer colours in mat and glossy finishes were displayed and are of the highest quality, shown here on the Shape tables and Holy Day side table.
Marriott International’s world-class luxury hotel brand, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, has announced plans to convert the existing 118-room Bristol Buenaventura, making it the first resort and first hotel for the brand in Panama. The future JW Marriott Panama Golf & Beach Resort will be located within the master-planned Buenaventura beachfront community, near the town of Rio Hato, about 80 miles southwest of Panama City, on the Pacific Coast of Panama. The property will be operated by Marriott under an agreement with the Bristol Hospitality Group, which will retain ownership of the resort. The property is located in Buenaventura, undoubtedly Panama’s most exclusive resort community, approximately 80 miles southwest of Panama City on Panama’s Pacific coast. The resort is nestled on 1,000 lush acres with 118 accommodations, including five expansive suites and four residence-style villas.
In addition to 118 guest rooms and suites, the resort features five restaurants, a recently opened 18-hole Nicklaus Design course, a fitness centre, spa, kids club and new beach club complete with breathtaking infinity pool and waterfront butler service. The hotel has 517 square meters of meeting space, including a grand ballroom and four smaller meeting rooms.
Hill Cross Furniture are proud to have recently supplied for 60 Hope Street, Liverpool. We supplied a range of loose furniture and tables for this prestigious venue. 60 Hope Street is an award winning, family owned and run restaurant. Spread between three floors of a beautiful Georgian town house, 60 Hope Street serves freshly prepared food all sourced from the British Isles.
The sophisticated Oregon Bodean side chair was used throughout the venue, complimenting the grand and contemporary interior. The Oregon Bodean was upholstered in a tan faux leather and featured an exposed wooden frame finished in walnut. The Oregon Bodean side chair also features a studded detail design, helping to create a luxurious, yet durable side chair.
The Ella side chair, again in a walnut finish accompanied the Oregon Bodean. This classic chair helps compliment the light and modern interior which features large Georgian style windows, high ceilings and exposed wooden floors.
The Napier Round table bases were coupled with a range of table tops including marble, finished with bull nosed edging and thick solid ash, polished to light walnut. The solid ash table tops were supplied in a range of shapes and sizes, creating adaptable dining areas.
60 Hope Street is definitely worth a visit to sample their tasty, homemade food and exquisite venue.
Fine Cell Work are delighted to announce that the lease for our Mayfair pop-up shop has been extended until Christmas.The shop is located at 5 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 4DJ, in the heart of the West End, and is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. If you haven’t been there yet, now is the time to come and see us and start your Christmas shopping. You can buy from our lovely range of needlepoint and embroidered home furnishings as well as a delightful selection of home and fashion accessories.
We also have recent commissions on display of bespoke projects for interior designers and private clients including upholstered needlepoint chairs, patchwork quilts and dedicated wedding gifts.
There are plans for a series of fun and engaging events such as lunchtime ‘sew-cials’ where visitors can stitch tapestries and gain advice from Fine Cell Work’s expert volunteers; evening talks by skilled embroiderers and designers such as stitched wallpaper creator Claire Coles; delightful ‘get to know and sew’ sessions with stars who stitch; fascinating screenings and discussions with ex-prisoners about the beneficial effects they discovered whilst participating in the Fine Cell Work prison programme.
W Hotels Worldwide has announced the opening of the first W Hotel in Singapore with the debut of W Singapore – Sentosa Cove and The Residences at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove. Owned and developed by an affiliate of City Developments Limited, W Singapore is an urban oasis located on Sentosa, the city’s most glamorous island only minutes away from downtown Singapore. Designed by London-based architects WATG and renowned design firm Rockwell Group, W Singapore has been inspired by the buzzing energy of the city set against Sentosa’s natural surroundings to create a new scene in this international capital. Adjacent to the 228 W-branded residences, the hotel offers a fully integrated lifestyle experience, featuring 240 guest rooms and suites, two signature restaurants, a destination bar, the W Lounge experience, WET pool deck and bar, Away Spa, and more than 1,500 meters of modern meeting and event space.Island Glamour Unleashed on Sentosa Island
Located minutes away from Singapore’s Central Business District, fashionable shopping and iconic sights, Sentosa Island is a modern playground for stylish locals and international jetsetters alike, offering lush rainforests, sandy beaches, award-winning spas, luxurious residences, and a deep-water yachting marina. W Singapore and The Residences at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove are situated in the heart of Sentosa and adjacent to Quayside Isle, a unique specialty retail complex with waterfront restaurants and shops.
The design of W Singapore has been inspired by modern interpretations of Sentosa’s lush, tropical landscape. For instance, upon arrival, guests are welcomed by a waterfall with projections of vibrant graphic patterns on the water, while the outdoor terrace features glowing grass lights, rock-shaped daybeds, and an over-scaled rock garden. Patterns evoking Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim Orchid, can be found throughout W Singapore and serving as inspiration for guestrooms. In the hotel’s W Lounge, a DJ console carved out of natural stone creates a centrepiece, overlooking the lawn, which illuminates in the evening.
Sip and Mix, Indulge and Escape in Singapore’s New Urban Oasis
Setting a new gourmet scene in Singapore, SKIRT, the W brand’s first contemporary grill restaurant, makes its debut with a slick bar for sipping the latest cocktails and aging cabinets serving the finest meats, sensational seafood, signature soups and tantalizing desserts. The Kitchen Table all-day dining restaurant features an interactive experience with various live food stations and tastings at the whim of the chef. WOOBAR, W Singapore’s destination nightclub, offers innovative cocktails creations by the W mixologist and sounds by the hotel’s resident DJ at nightfall. For a chill out moment, WET Bar is a poolside spot to socialize, sip and nibble under Singapore’s glistening sun.
W Singapore features an Away® Spa, the W brand’s signature spa concept that offers an escape for both guests and locals to detox and refuel for what’s to come. Guests of the spa are greeted by rainforest-inspired decor and natural sculptural pieces that personify the exotic gardens of Singapore. Away at W Singapore exclusively features iLA products and highly-customized beds that offer maximum comfort. For guests seeking the ultimate spa experience, W Singapore offers nine Away guest rooms and suites, located on the spa level of the hotel and each featuring a private plunge pool. The hotel also features GYM state-of-the art fitness center and WET pool deck, featuring a 1,300 square meter outdoor pool with 24 underwater speakers.
All guest rooms and suites at W Singapore feature a signature W Bed, Munchie Box stocked with exclusive amenities, 40″ LED HD TV, state-of-the-art surround sound system, high-speed Wi-Fi, and MP3 player plug-and-play device. All bathrooms are stocked with Bliss® amenities to ensure a relaxing experience after a day of sun or night of fun. The hotel offers W’s signature Whatever/Whenever® service philosophy, offering guests whatever they want, whenever they want it, as long as it’s legal!
W Singapore features more than 1,500 square meters of meeting and event space, including an 732-square-meter Great Room, seven meeting rooms, and a stunning outdoor space outfitted with adaptable conference furniture and state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment. W Singapore is the first hotel in the city to feature private berthing stations along the shore with direct access to the Great Room for an enhanced grand entrance.
About The Residences at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove
The Residences at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove is an award-winning, W-branded high lux condominium by the marina with berthing facilities for yacht owners right at its backyard. Supported by the neighbouring W Hotel’s Whatever / Whenever® concierge services, The Residences at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove boast of a complete W lifestyle for the affluent unlike any other. Complimented with Quayside Isle’s dining and retail experiences at its doorstep, residents at this superbly located Sentosa Cove home that is minutes away from the city, will be spoilt for choice. Be one of the few to live and own the W lifestyle. This integrated luxury enclave, which comprises The Residences at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, W Singapore – Sentosa Cove and Quayside Isle, has been envisioned and developed by City Developments Limited (CDL), Singapore’s trusted property pioneer since 1963.
The Wandsworth Group is to help architects and self-builders understand how they can combine wow factor, comfort and energy efficiency when it showcases the company’s range of KNX intelligent control and visualisation tools at Grand Designs Live (Stand B10).Designed to co-ordinate lighting, heating, A/V systems and blind controls in the home, the KNX systems available from The Wandsworth Group combine advanced technology with a simple to use touch screen panels. Homeowners can run pre-programmed scenes, operate centralised controls or even access the system remotely, making it easy to create an intelligent home that is flexible, controllable and energy efficient.
Wandsworth is the exclusive UK distributor of Jung KNX products in the UK and will launch the Jung Smart Room Controller at the show, a new compact, wall-mounted control screen that has been designed to offer intuitive operation, just like an iPhone. Designed to enable easy browsing, scrolling and management of complex controls, the Smart Controller features a touch screen and touch buttons in a discreet unit that allows the user to select the individual rooms and functions. Users can even customise the unit, using the ‘homepage’ and ‘favourites’ page options to provide fast, direct access to their mostly frequently used functions and locations.
Explains The Wandsworth Group’s KNX technical specialist, Gordon Fry: “Sometimes people can be put off specifying a KNX system because the technology is very advanced and they mistakenly think it means that you need to be technically-minded to use it. This is simply not the case: all our KNX systems have been designed to offer ease of operation and complete flexibility for the end user and now, with the launch of the new Smart Controller, we can confidently tell customers that if they can use a smart phone, they can operate a KNX intelligent home installation.”
The Smart Controller complements the existing Facility Control Pilot offered by The Wandsworth Group, a software and touchscreen package which enables centralised control, visualisation and monitoring of integrated KNX controls. Visitors to The Wandsworth Group’s stand will be able to find out how this can align functions such as heating, lighting, air conditioning and blind controls providing energy savings of 40% with shading control, 50% with individual room control, and 60% with lighting and ventilation control simply by avoiding energy wastage. The system can even monitor the percentage energy consumption from different energy sources, making it an ideal choice for homes that have been designed to combine renewable energy technologies with connection to the grid.
Demonstrating the same level of chic design and advanced technology, The Wandsworth Group will also be showcasing a number of other products from its Jung range. These include the wall-mounted iPod dock; a discreet and compact unit that can be integrated to a KNX installation; and the door entry system which combines superb audio and picture quality with touch screen controls and an integrated voice memo function.
The company will also be showcasing some of its latest wiring accessory innovations on its stand. The Wandsworth Group’s new Penthouse range of low profile and screwless switches and sockets will be on show. Designed with a metal grid to enable a sleek screwless finish, the range is currently available in six finishes: polished brass; unlacquered polished brass; bright nickel; satin nickel; antique bronze and yellow etched primer, with other finishes to follow. Wandsworth’s new look Jung LS 990 in high-quality brass will also be on display at Grand Designs Live. Treated and finished by hand, the new sockets and switches are available in three shades: Classic, Antique, and Dark.
GRAND DESIGNS LIVE EXHIBITION; 12-14 October 2012 THE WANDSWORTH GROUP, HALL 5, STAND B10
Recognized worldwide for its stunning accommodations, Bellagio announced recently that it will remodel all 928 rooms and suites in the resort’s Spa Tower beginning August 19. Following Bellagio’s $70 million redesign of 2,568 guest rooms in its main tower in 2011, the Spa Tower remodel will encompass 819 guest rooms and 109 suites including the prestigious Chairman and Presidential suites. The $40 million project is expected to be completed by December 2012.
“The Spa Tower remodel will broaden our distinct selection of luxury accommodations and strengthen our commitment to the overall evolution of the Bellagio experience,” said Randy Morton, president and COO of Bellagio. “The new designs and layouts of the suites are exquisite and complement the contemporary ambiance we’ve created throughout the resort.”
In addition to the Resort King and Resort Queen guest rooms, the Spa Tower features a wide range of suites including the 850-square-foot Salon Suites; the 1,000-square-foot Bellagio Suites; the 1,500-square-foot Penthouses; the 1,900-square-foot two-bedroom Bellagio Suites; and the 4,000-square-foot Chairman and Presidential suites.
Additionally, as part of this remodel, Bellagio will introduce three new Executive Hospitality Suites created with entertainment and technology in mind. The 2,500-square-foot suites each will feature a billiards lounge and separate home theater living area allowing guests to comfortably host intimate, yet interactive events in a vibrant setting.
Created by the talented MGM Resorts International Design Group, the new Spa Tower Resort Rooms will be consistent with the three designs represented in Bellagio’s main tower. The Resort King Rooms will feature an indigo and silver combination or a green tea and plum palette while the Resort Queen Rooms will welcome guests with an amber and butterscotch motif.
Remodeled Resort Rooms in the Spa Tower will be available for reservation in early September. The new suites will be available beginning in November.
Menzies Hotels, one of the UK’s leading independent hotel groups has launched a brand new look, feel and vision across its portfolio and unveiled details of an impressive redevelopment plan for 2012. The simple but impassioned core ethos of; ‘You’re in a good place’ has be created to run throughout all elements of the business. It will be particularly prominent in the areas of; breakfast, welcome and farewell, bedrooms, business services and leisure stays – the crucial elements identified by guests of Menzies Hotels that make up an enjoyable hotel experience.
A new brand identity has also been designed which features a modern logo in blue and gold, new signage for both external and internal usage, fresh new brochures and a cleaner, easier-to-use website featuring great offers.
Niall Geoghegan, Chairman, Menzies Hotels commented; “Menzies Hotels aims to be one of the UK’s leading hotel brands, offering an experience that is so consistently good, relaxing and friendly that it feels like home. Our new messaging; “You’re in a good place is a really important phrase in delivering this and will sit right at the heart of everything we stand for and in every communication with guests, no matter how big or small.”
Throughout 2012, Menzies Hotels will also be investing around £7 million into its portfolio with a variety of redevelopment projects.
This includes a £2.2 million refurbishment at its flagship property; Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Spa & Golf Club in Stratford-upon-Avon, a £1.1 million investment at both Bournemouth properties; Menzies Carlton and East Cliff Court as well as significant investment to the bedrooms at Menzies Prince Regent in Chigwell and Menzies Cambridge.
Most recently, the hotel group has unveiled a brand new breakfast menu, developed following an extensive review of its current offering and feedback from guests who were able to trial it before it was officially launched last month.
Marriott International, Inc. has recently announced the first TownePlace Suites hotel to open as part of its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environment Volume Program) Volume Program – the TownePlace Suites Denver Airport at Gateway Park in Colorado. TownePlace Suites is the hospitality leader’s second brand to construct a hotel built using Marriott’s LEED Volume Program. The hotel will be the brand’s first exemplary property using the LEED Volume prototype. Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED Volume Program removes the guess work from the process for property developers, such as hotel owners who want to build a LEED-certified hotel, saving them time and money. Volume certification provides a streamlined path to LEED certification based on a pre-approved prototype and process.
Owners of these hotels save about $100,000 in upfront costs and six months of design time. Additionally, owners can expect to save 25 percent in energy and water consumption and should recover their additional investment in five to six years—possibly sooner depending on federal and local government incentives.
Opened May 8, the TownePlace Suites Denver like all Marriott LEED Volume hotels features a number of elements that focus on energy and water efficiency and recycling. Some of those elements include: – Light-colored roofing that reflects heat and saves energy; – 70 percent ENERGY STAR® certified appliances including refrigerators, TVs, computers and kitchen equipment; – Water-efficient toilets and aerated bathroom faucets; – 10 percent of the building materials used contain recycled content; – “On Demand” ventilation that provides fresh air for occupied spaces without wasting energy on unoccupied areas of the property; – LED lighting – controls that turn off the lights; – Incorporates high-tech daylight sensors to reduce electrical lighting with natural sunlight and – Uses renewable energy sources such as solar or wind.
The TownePlace Suites Denver also features a warm lobby and friendly “hello” signage that welcomes guests to the check-in area. Guests and staff interact using a floor-to-ceiling TowneMap® that helps guests settle into the local area by featuring great places to eat, popular night spots, recreation areas, shopping and services, such as dry cleaners and local car wash outlets.
The hotel offers a complimentary continental breakfast every morning in the lobby area, as well as 24-hour complimentary On Us℠ coffee service, guests who want a quick snack can also select food and beverage items from the 24-hour access In a Pinch® Market.
Marriott’s entire select-service and extended-stay portfolios — Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites – are all LEED Volume certified. In addition to the LEED Volume certified TownePlace Suites Denver, the Residence Inn Austin in Texas, which is scheduled to open in early 2013 will be the first of its brand to be LEED Volume certified. The SpringHill Suites and Fairfield Inn brands have projects under development. Across the Marriott portfolio, there are more than 90 hotels that are LEED- certified or registered by the USGBC.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced that it plans to debut the Aloft brand in South Korea in late 2014, signing an agreement with development partner Youngshin HRD. Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of OKHOW Co., Ltd. The hotel, Aloft Suwon, will be the first Aloft hotel in South Korea, adding to the brand’s global expansion plan and growth momentum in Asia Pacific that has been building up in recent years. A game-changer since its 2008 debut, Aloft Hotels and its vibrant “style at a steal” brand proposition is geared toward the next generation of travellers, pioneering initiatives in music, design, and technology; and providing modern comforts and a fun social guest experience at an affordable price point. The Aloft brand has consistently garnered high guest satisfaction scores since its launch, with select hotels ranking among TripAdvisor’s 2012 “Top 25 Trendiest Hotels in the US and around the world.” In addition to new developments, the Aloft brand’s global growth plans include conversions and adaptive-reuse projects.
Aloft Suwon is located in Yeongtong-dong in the heart of historical Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Suwon is a major industrial center, housing Samsung Electronics’ digital city and a large factory complex; it is also home to 14 university campuses. Located about 60 kilometres from Incheon International Airport and 30 kilometres from Seoul, the hotel is well connected by various modes of transportation. It offers easy access to numerous sights, including the impressive UNESCO World Heritage site of Hwaseong Fortress, the Suwon business district, and local government offices.
Slated to open in October 2014, Aloft Suwon is part of a mixed use development that also consists of retail and residential spaces. The hotel occupies the 4th to 11th floors, featuring 120 guest rooms, including 114 standard rooms and six suites, in a modern, fresh, and fun setting. It also boasts a 404 square meter meeting and function space, and two food and beverage facilities, including the buzzing signature lounge and bar, and an all-day dining restaurant. Other amenities include a 275 square meter recreational facility, with a well equipped gym, and it is situated adjacent to an 854 square meter spa that provides signature rejuvenating treatments.
Continent Worldwide Hotels is proud to commence the soft opening of its business hotel Altis Hotel by Continent, Langkawi – Malaysia in September 2012 and following openings a new tourist destination in Bangladesh, Continent Sea Princess Cox’s Bazar alongside Continent Centrepoint Panakkukang – Makassar, Indonesia in December 2012.Following these three diverse openings, Continent Worldwide announced another city hotel and the third property in Indonesia, Urbana Hotel Jemursai by Continent which is expected to open early 2015.
Group currently has in Bangladesh another two developments beside of Continent Sea Princess in Cox’s Bazar; Continent Grand Titanic Hotel (opening 2013), Ancyra Dove Hotel (opening 2015), two developments in Kuakata, Continent Grand Hotel (opening 2013), Princess Prithy Resort (opening 2014) and one development in Rangamati, Continent Titanic Resort (opening 2013)
“There are a lot more ongoing negotiations in Asia and I believe we will be announcing soon our new “Urban Hotel Collection” branded hotel developments and also “Continent” branded hotels in Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Malaysia” said, CEO Mr. Kenan Saral and added “We are rapidly growing not just in Asia but in another regions as well, by slow but stable steps. Due to the economic turn downs in Middle East and Africa; there are a lot of hotel owners who are started to look alternative brand licenses and operators; who has reasonable fees and better values than other well known hotel chains. We are experiencing and receiving more and more inquiries every day.”
Visit Andy Thornton on stand G18 at The Restaurant Show, 8 – 10 October at Earls Court 2, and check out their very latest collections of contemporary restaurant furniture.This year Andy Thornton will be showcasing new side chairs from renowned Italian designers Emilio Nanni and Werther Toffoloni. Each striking piece combines unmistakable Italian style with contract quality and comfort.
New collections to be showcased include the high-quality Croissant range, which includes lounge chairs, bar stools and tables, and the versatile Cordoba collection, with versatile upholstery options.
Register for The Restaurant Show now
If you can’t wait until the show to see all the new ranges, view the complete collection online now at www.andythornton.com
These Rococo Mirrors, available from Decoratif Design, are all named after towns in the South of France that reflect their style and character. These mirrors are available in Gold, Silver and White/Cream.Tarascon Gold Rococo Mirror
Named after the historic town of Tarascon Sur Ariege, this lovely mirror is a perfect way to add style and presence to any room.
Nice Cream Rococo Mirror
Nice is one of the most beautiful towns in France and our Nice Cream Rococo Mirror reflects the style and stature of this beautiful town. The mirror can be hung in Landscape or Portrait and come in Silver, Gold and Cream.
Monaco Gold Rococo Mirror
Monaco is the Sun Capitol of Southern France this lovely Gold round mirror reflects the style and history of the French Rococo Design. The Mirror comes in Silver, Gold and White.
Toulon Silver Rococo Mirror
Elegant French Silver Rococo Style wall mirror offering a touch of class at a very affordable price. This style of mirror also comes in Gold and Cream.
If you click the links you will be taken to our online showroom where you will see many different Rococo styled mirrors. If you have any questions please call us direct on 01525 854654.
Marriott International, Inc. continues to grow its world-class JW Marriott hotel brand with the opening of JW Marriott Essex House New York, the brand’s first hotel in New York City. The 509-room hotel is located on Central Park South in Manhattan’s renowned midtown neighbourhood, boasting sky-high views of Central Park and situated just steps from famed Fifth Avenue shopping, dining and entertainment. The property was most recently the Jumeirah Essex House and reopened today as JW Marriott Essex House New York. An anticipated addition to Marriott International’s luxury JW Marriott global brand portfolio, the landmark hotel features 509 guestrooms and suites ranging from 300 to 2,500 square feet. JW Marriott Essex House New York is a destination for leisure and business travellers alike, offering world-class dining, expansive meeting space and a tranquil spa and fitness centre. A beautifully appointed Executive Lounge – an autograph feature of JW hotels worldwide – will be built in early 2013. Travellers also have the opportunity to enjoy one-of-a-kind experiences from JW Marriott’s brand partners, including fine art exhibitions from Christie’s, signature in-room bath amenities from Aromatherapy Associates and nutritious, balanced menu options from Keri Glassman.
Mr. Stephen Batta was named General Manager of JW Marriott Essex House New York. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Batta has spent the majority of his career in the New York City market. Most recently, Batta was the General Manager of the Renaissance New York Hotel 57, where he led his team to achieve exceptionally high associate engagement levels and placed a strong focus on leadership development.
The iconic Essex House first opened its doors in October 1931 and at that time, was the tallest tower in New York City. Marriott International operated the hotel from 1969 to 1984 and though the hotel has grown and changed under several hospitality brands over the years, the building remains one of Manhattan’s most revered Art Deco masterpieces of the 1930s. JW Marriott Essex House New York is one of more than 200 hotels and resorts across the country that is recognized by Historic Hotels of America for preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture and ambiance.
Baulmann Leuchten is going to present the latest product developments at the international hospitality exhibition “Equip’Hotel Paris” in hall 7.2 stand P51. The exhibition is held in Paris from November 11th to 15th. Only one week later the team of Baulmann Leuchten will also attend the “Sleep Event” in London (November 21st-22nd). The exhibition booth will be located on M6.
Baulmann Leuchten is going to present several novelties with a focus on energy saving LED-lighting.
All pictures are copyright by “Baulmann Leuchten”.
Accor is set to open four new hotels in London in October; a Novotel and ibis hotel in Blackfriars, a second ibis hotel in Shepherd’s Bush and a new addition to the growing Mercure hotel portfolio, opening in Greenwich.During this incredibly important year for London, Accor aims to further expand its presence in the city by developing new hotels, creating jobs and investing in the training and development of young people in the hospitality industry.
This year alone Accor UK & Ireland is opening more than 1000 additional bedrooms in London, across six new hotel openings and two extensions to existing hotels. In addition, this year Accor is investing in the refurbishment of a further 12 London hotels. This brings the Group’s London portfolio to 53 hotels and well over nine thousand bedrooms across the Capital. The announcement follows recent openings in Croydon, Whitechapel and King’s Cross.
Commenting on the opening of the new hotels, Thomas Dubaere, Managing Director, Accor UK & Ireland said: “2012 is an incredibly important year for London. As the market leader in Europe and a key business player in the hospitality industry, Accor has treated this important year as a strategic opportunity to boost our presence in the UK’s capital by investing in upcoming areas such as Shepherd’s Bush, Blackfriars, Whitechapel and King’s Cross, and improving the training and development of young people in the hospitality industry, to ensure a long term legacy for 2012 and beyond.”
The newly built Novotel and ibis London Blackfriars hotels occupy unique expansive purpose-built adjoining buildings, offering easy access to the city and Eurostar connections at St. Pancras International. Forming part of the regeneration of the Blackfriars area, these two new hotels have led to the creation of more than 70 jobs in the local area.
Encompassing the latest in consumer technology, visitors to the 4* Novotel London Blackfriars will be greeted by self-service touch screen check in systems, in addition to the standard check-in desks, to allow guests to check in quickly and easily. All 182 bedrooms in the hotel include a media hub for iPads, iPods and tablets. The new-build hotel also features restaurant, bar, seven meetings rooms, a state-of-the-art gym, saunarium and swimming pool.
The 297-bedrooms flagship ibis London Blackfriars hotel also comprises a modern and fresh feel with a new-style open plan reception and living space that opens up the hotel’s public spaces with contemporary design and sleek, modern interiors.
The contemporary ibis hotel in Shepherd’s Bush features 128 rooms and is situated next to the up-and-coming West12 centre and within five minutes of the Westfield Shopping Centre. Westfield was created following significant investment to regenerate the area, investment that continues with the plans to revitalise Shepherd’s Bush Market and the surrounding area including Shepherd’s Green, directly in front of the new hotel. Providing a further boost, ibis Shepherd’s Bush has led to the creation of 30 jobs in the local community and will ensure more visitors to the London suburb.
Both of the new ibis hotels will deliver a high quality food offering, focusing on dishes from around with the world.
The 145-bed Mercure Greenwich will open its doors in October, following a major conversion of the 1930’s Maurice Drummond House in Greenwich. The building, which won RIBA’s London Architectural Medal in 1946, will become Mercure’s 72nd hotel in the UK. The opening will create up to 70 jobs.
Dubaere added: “2012 provides a real opportunity for London to raise its profile as a business centre and tourist destination. It’s encouraging to see so many businesses in the hospitality industry responding to this opportunity by investing in the city and its people, so that we can reap the benefits in the long term. It is important to look at the successes of today and the ‘afterglow’; what are we going to do tomorrow? For Accor, the focus remains on our people and the continued investment in their development. Opening four new hotels in the Capital in one month is testament to our commitment to growth in London and in the UK.”
Following hot on the heels of the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and the much anticipated Paralympics, what an inspirational year it has been for Great Britain so far. With this in mind, Aqua-Innovations drew on inspirational British design talent and partnering with British manufactures to deliver a superior quality product with total quality control and no costly delays at customs.
Their in-house design team has created a beautiful set of unique designs that can be retrofitted to existing wet rooms and bathrooms to fit all major manufacturers or customised as required.
So whether it’s gold, silver or bronze Aqua-Innovations’ designer drain covers can fit the bill to complete the designer detail to your finished project. Available in a range of materials including: Gold Plated, Stainless Steel and Bronze.
For its July 2012 issue, Consumer Reports asked more than 22,000 readers about their stays at 44 US hotel chains. The survey revealed that 27% of respondents had at least one complaint, the most common being uncomfortable hotel beds. It seems that more hotels are getting it wrong than right, but the ones who are doing a good job, certainly are boasting about it. In essence a comfy bed is good for business. In fact 10% of respondents cited a luxurious bed and linens as an important factor in choosing a hotel. Hoteliers need to realise that the most important item within any hotel room is the bed and much more attention should be paid when choosing a mattress. Innovative Devon based mattress manufacturer Naturalmat has the solution to these complaints. Hoteliers should opt for environmentally responsible, organic, handmade and above all comfortable mattresses.Naturalmat are pioneers in natural fibre technology and have developed the perfect natural sleeping environment from creative new raw materials such as Soil Association organic wool (which is anti-dust mite, anti-mosquito and anti-moth, through a natural treatment). All Naturalmat mattress covers which are guaranteed anti-bed bug too. Another exciting component is organic coir fibre. This sustainable material greatly enhances the ventilation and spring of the mattress and is another example of intelligent use of renewable natural resources. Other sumptuous materials found within a Naturalmat mattress are mohair, cashmere, horsetail hair and bamboo from environmentally conscious sources, and all biodegradable that combine to create a truly green products made by a great British company.
In 2011 Naturalmat successfully won the contract to manufacture all 686 mattresses for Yotel New York City, the largest newly opened hotel in New York last year. This year Naturalmat have created all mattresses in the brand new Z Hotel Soho and Z Hotel Victoria, as well as supplying the Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, Chewton Glen and Cliveden. Previously Naturalmat have worked with other high profile clients including The Connaught, Claridges and several boutique hotels.
’The single most important thing in any hotel room is the bed, and what makes a great bed is a great mattress. The perfect mattress is one that is extremely comfortable, sumptuously supportive, long lasting and consistently good. It is the mattress that will give the hotel guest the definitive ‘wow’ factor. A well made mattress will have high quality natural fillings, be robustly made by hand and offer excellent support, breathability, ventilation and insulation, and ideally offer hypoallergenic benefits as well. The very best mattresses will be all this, manufactured from fully sustainable raw materials, organically sourced where possible and produced by environmentally conscious companies,’ says Peter Tindall, Naturalmat Company Director.
Naturalmat mattresses are available to buy at their London shop at 99 Talbot Road, London W11 2AT. Tel: 020 7985 0474 or look online at www.naturalmathotel.co.uk to see Naturalmat’s full range of hotel mattresses.
Marriott International, Inc. continues to grow its world-class luxury JW Marriott hotel brand with the opening of the 153-room JW Marriott Cusco. The much anticipated hotel stands at an altitude of 11,154ft above sea level, the company’s highest-altitude hotel, and is situated at the gateway of the Andes mountain sanctuary Machu Picchu. The hotel will feature a highly customized design built around a colonial church and ancient Inca artefacts found on the site. The property will also epitomize the approachable elegance that distinguishes the JW Marriott brand, a global portfolio of 52 luxury hotels and resorts. For dining and recreation at the JW Marriott Cusco will feature two restaurants – Pirka Restaurant, which will include an original colonial wall from the convent and offer modern Peruvian cuisine; and the Qespi Bar & Ninna Sonnco Lounge. The hotel will also feature 24-hour room service, a foreign currency exchange office and retail stores such as HStern, Ilaria and Kuna. To ensure guest relaxation and well-being, the hotel will boast a state-of-the-art fitness centre and a 3,300 square foot Spa with dry saunas, steaming rooms, and a relaxation pool.
The 153 rooms and suites will all include luxury bedding, high speed internet, 42’’ plasma TV, alarm clock with iPod/iPad docking station, high-end coffee machine and the brand’s signature Aromatherapy Associates bathroom amenities.
Located in the heart of Cusco’s historical district, the JW Marriott Cusco will feature archaeological exhibits with the findings uncovered during excavation work dating back from Pre-Hispanic to Colonial and contemporary cultural superimposition. During the construction phases of the hotel, property owners Inversiones La Rioja, collaborated with national and international institutions that provide protection to human heritage. These institutions include:
• United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) • The National Institute of Culture (INC) • The Municipality of Cusco • San Agustin de Cusco University
Few leisure destinations in the world compare with Cusco, designated a World Heritage site in the 1980’s and located in the Andes 11,000 feet above sea level. The city has witnessed the rise of the Inca Empire as well as its demise with Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 16th century. The city’s colonial art school is recognized as one of the most prolific in the Americas. Above all, Cusco serves as the gateway for the world-renowned mountain sanctuary Machu Picchu – accessible only by train along the sacred Urubamba valley – as well as other landmarks, such as the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the Inca sites of Kenko, Puca Pucara and the market towns of Pisac and Chincheros.
At an elevation of 11,200 feet above sea level, the JW Cusco will be the first Marriott property to have an in-room supplemental oxygen system to alleviate altitude adjustments.
Curtis Furniture is delighted to announce the appointment of Stan Barry as Business Development Director. This is a new role created for Stan, who joins Curtis with a wealth of experience and expertise in the contract furniture industry. Having worked across the UK and Europe as sales director and production director, most recently for CS Contract Furniture and DP Business Events, his role at Curtis is to spearhead the drive to increase and improve the ranges available of loose furnishings, in terms of range, quality and cost. Curtis Furniture, which supplies contract furniture to the hotel industry, is enjoying a period of growth and in welcoming Stan to the company, Managing Director Andrew Reynolds said, “I am delighted to welcome Stan Barry to the Curtis team. This is an exciting time as we expand our product portfolio and I know Stan is the right person to work with us on this project. Both myself and the Curtis team are very much looking forward to working with him.”
In response to this statement, Stan explained “I am thrilled to be back in the furniture industry, especially with such an ambitious and reputable organisation as Curtis. In response to customer demand, I will be developing new and existing product ranges for Curtis to position Curtis at the forefront of the industry in terms of product range, quality, cost and customer service.”
Morgan Furniture, the market-leading British designer and maker of contemporary contract furniture, has provided a wide range of soft seating for the Saga Sapphire cruise ship. Nine inspired collections from Morgan, including some specially-adapted designs, appear on board this latest addition to the Saga fleet providing comfort and ocean-going style for up to 706 passengers. Designed to appeal to more modern tastes, the Saga Sapphire has a fun, quirky feel which was inspired by the British seaside. Young-at-heart travellers can enjoy gourmet fish and chips, traditional sweets and ice cream at the pool-side Beach Club; the top deck 12 features St Andrews crazy golf and Cooper’s bar, named in honour of Tommy Cooper, is complete with red Fez-like lampshades and scatter cushions bearing corny jokes. All bar areas, including Cooper’s, Britannia Lounge and the Aviator’s Bar are decked out in furniture by Morgan. The relaxed Siena tub chair features a flowing, curved profile and simple turned wooden legs, while the Seville wing armchair provides a modern twist to a traditional winged-chair. With the same name as the Long Island seaside resort famous for its historical Summer colonies, Hampton sofas and armchairs set a mood which feels breezy and familiar, but at the same time prestigious and in tune with the modern world. Elegant and with a compact footprint, the timeless styling of Hampton makes it a perfect choice for cruise lines.
Dining is a fundamental part of the cruise experience and, with passengers frequenting the same restaurants on numerous occasions, the seating must be memorable for all the right reasons. Atlantic is one of the most popular dining chairs from Morgan with its sculptured, curved back which makes the chair both comfortable and elegant. The version chosen for the Saga Sapphire also features fully upholstered arms edged with polished wood to match the legs. Upholstered in creamy leather, this original design ensures the height of luxury in the Pole to Pole restaurant which is styled to the theme of different countries from around the world.
Inspired by cruise liners and colonial hotels, the Boston collection looks right at home in The Grill and Verandah. A dining venue where passengers can grab a lighter meal and watch their food being prepared in a state-of-the-art show kitchen, this area demanded a more informal seating style and a seamless transition from inside to outside for those choosing to dine alfresco. Boston and Boston Terrace provide exactly that with their finely crafted wooden frame available in a choice of timbers including Iroko sustainable African hardwood for outdoor models. The design features an attractive finger joint on the arm, which also adds strength, and a woven leather back for the indoor chairs.
Always a hive of activity, The Drawing Room looks out over the ship’s bow and is surrounded by impressive observation windows. The wide variety of seating here mirrors the activities which include reading from the well-stocked library, using computers or iPads, taking part in one of the many classes and lectures, or enjoying a snack from the larder or drink from the bar. With its square, low form, Verona chairs, sofas, daybeds and corner units from Morgan add contemporary style to the space. A specially adapted version was created for Saga with a higher and firmer sit.
Seville winged-chairs and Siena tub chairs feature throughout the space upholstered in tactile and vibrant blue and orange fabrics.
Morgan worked closely throughout this project with RPW Design and Joanna Knight Interiors, who acted on behalf of Saga for the product procurement and project.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent KG officially opened the newly-restored Wivenhoe House hotel, home of the Edge Hotel School, in Colchester on the 20th September.
The UK’s first hotel school where degree students combine their studies with work in a commercial luxury hotel, the Edge Hotel School is where the future leaders of the hospitality industry will learn their profession.A partnership between the University of Essex, its academic partner Kaplan, and the Edge Foundation, the Edge Hotel School took its first students in June and July, allowing them to be involved in opening a new hotel.
Andrea Tye, 28, from Tiptree, who is studying for a BA in Culinary Management, said: “ At the moment I am still really living the dream, everything I could have possibly have wanted in terms of a course and work experience is here.”
Andrea, who escorted the Royal visitor around the hotel, added: “It was really good to meet HRH The Duke of Kent. He seemed really interested in what we are doing.” Martin Kilgariff, 20, who also showed HRH around the public rooms and two of the bedrooms, said: “He found the whole idea of The Edge Hotel School extremely interesting. He was very keen to know of my experience in the hospitality industry.”
Students of the Edge Hotel School are working towards fast-track two year degrees, learning by doing through combining academic study with working in all areas of the hotel and restaurants, supervised by leading industry professionals. The hotel school curriculum has been developed in collaboration with employers and industry leaders and with industry needs in mind.
The eighteenth century Wivenhoe House, in Colchester, which was painted by John Constable, has undergone a £10 million-plus refurbishment, restoring it to its Georgian and Victorian grandeur.
The Duke of Kent met representatives of the three partners involved in establishing the Edge Hotel School, unveiled a plaque and signed the Visitors’ Book, before having lunch in the hotel’s Signatures Restaurant, prepared by Executive Chef Paul Boorman.
The Crosswater Group has enlisted the expertise of independent consultant Richard Hurst of RAH Consultancy, to assist in their bid to improve their customers’ wellbeing and become the leading supplier within all segments of the bathroom market.As technical issues and regulatory responsibilities have become increasingly important within UK and European regulations, the appointment will greatly assist with WRAS approval processes as a route to voluntarily providing for the wellbeing of their customers and contract market by meeting water regulations.
Highly knowledgeable and respected in the water industry Richard, an independent consultant, has over 20 years experience in all aspects of water regulations and compliance both in the UK and abroad. The aspect of the move signifies Crosswater’s expansion plans and intention of dominating market share, as few competitors have embraced this level of responsibility on a voluntarily basis.
Richard says: “I am excited by the opportunities this offers to me by working with a company that is demonstrating commitment to best practice. I look forward to working with what is proving to be a highly motivated team who believe in bringing the process to fruition.”
Only the top manufacturers that make up Crosswater’s supply base are paying strict attention to the materials of construction and mechanical endurance testing which will prove the durability of their products. With public procurement directives and recent stories dominating the news on Legionnaires Disease, the appointment sees Crosswater going to great lengths to meet the Water Regulations and taking important steps to act on behalf of the welfare of their customers.
More and more companies are investing in inspirational environmental graphics such as digital wallpaper as they recognise that the ambience, aesthetics and visual appearance of the workplace can have a profound effect on staff, visitors and stakeholders. Meeting this demand for more inspirational working or sales environments is Signbox’s new EG Division that uses revolutionary new print technology to create large format graphics at fine art quality.More and more organisations are adopting a bold approach to create inspirational working or sales environments, recognising that the ambience of the workplace – how it looks and feels – will affect staff, customers, visitors and stakeholders. Signbox’s EG Division is at the forefront of these positive developments in the workplace with digital wallpaper produced from high-resolution imagery.
Digital wallpaper can be used to create a dynamic visual impact that stimulates the senses and enhances well-being, transforming breakout areas, meeting rooms, internal office spaces, reception and sales areas into bright, energising spaces that maximise natural daylight.
Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox Ltd, comments, “Our new EG Division uses revolutionary printing technology to create large format graphics that are digitally printed on to Class O fire rated, Digimura 2.1. It gives us the capability to print at high resolution, up to 1728 dpi – effectively fine art quality – direct to virtually any material such as metal, glass, acrylic, vinyl, wood and composite board.
“So it’s not just wall coverings that can benefit but also glass manifestations, partitions, banners, screens, blinds and more besides”.
To illustrate how digital wallpaper and other environmental graphics can transform the ambience, aesthetics and visual appearance of the workplace, Signbox has produced a new booklet for the EG portfolio of products. This comprehensive guide is an invaluable tool for architects, interior designers, brand managers, shop fitters, developers, building contractors, property managers and anyone else with a professional interest in the look and feel of the built or working environment.
For a free copy call Signbox on 01784 438688 and for more information on workplace graphics, visit their website at: www.signbox.co.uk.
Stay amidst the treetops in Alila Ubud’s new Terrace Tree Villas
The boutique Balinese resort of Alila Ubud will launch four exclusive new Terrace Tree Villas this autumn, providing guests with the chance to experience the lush natural landscape.Set high above the Ayung river valley overlooking a stunning vista of alang alang plantations and rice paddies and perfectly positioned to capture the sunrise, the new villas combine a luxurious retreat with a true back to nature experience.
Designed as the most exclusive accommodation in the resort, the four spacious 120 sqm Terrace Tree Villas feature an indoor & outdoor living experience with a huge alfresco wood-decked living area providing the perfect place to dine, unwind and stargaze to a backdrop of the sights and sounds of its forest location.
The open-plan interiors are inspired by the natural setting combining the warmth of wood and recycled teak with elegant furnishings to create a relaxing, magical hideaway. Stunning views are available from every corner of the villa with the opportunity to wake up with the sun and take in the views from the bathtub that seemingly floats above the valley.
Each villa also features a generous King-bedded room, indoor bathroom with shower, bathtub and His & Hers Vanity, as well as a spacious lounge with day bed for whiling away lazy afternoons. For cosy evenings, a flatscreen 40’ Apple TV offers a selection of documentaries of ‘old Bali’ as well as movies and music.
The first hotel to be awarded Palace status in France, Le Bristol Paris, is now the place to enjoy a drink in Paris following the opening of the beautiful Le Bar du Bristol. Designed by architect Pierre-Yves Rochon and Mrs Maja Oetker, Le Bar du Bristol, with its classical and modern décor, is already welcoming customers from Paris and around the world to its famous home in Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. Le Bar du Bristol exudes timeless elegance, with a glass roof at the entrance, a mural fresco by French artist Thierry Bruet representing a lush garden, and the authentic Aubusson tapestry by Charles Pinçon dating back to 1740 which decorates the bar walls and depicts a Chinese garden with slender pagodas in the distance and a peacock in the foreground. The atmosphere in the bar itself, which is closed off with thick silk curtains for greater intimacy, evokes old English clubs, with a wooden floor made from Versailles oak and magnificent panelling that is over 100 years old and made of natural pine from Esher in Surrey. Two bookcases flank the 19th century fireplace, which is made of marble from Sienna in Italy.
Furnishings in the bar include beautifully-made ochre-coloured winged armchairs, duck-egg-blue wall seats made by the prestigious Venetian company Rubelli, the small English Petworth Chairs in red and blue Italian leather and leopard-effect fabric produced by the silk manufacture Le Manach for the Giacometti stools from the House of Porto Romana. There are also touches of red leather for the bar stools and an imposing double-sided couch in the centre of the room, continuing the modern yet timeless theme.
Every evening, behind the panelled bar with its long top made of golden-coloured granite from Montana, a huge mirror becomes a screen reflected in the 18th century French mirror hanging opposite over the fireplace. Bottles of alcohol, carefully chosen for their exceptional qualities by Head Barman Maxime Hoerth are displayed in their purpose-made bottle holder, with smaller bottles of prestigious alcohols being displayed in the showcases that make up the lower half of the bookcase.
Why Seattle has a reputation as a rainy city is beyond me. Every time I have visited this exciting hi-tech city the sun has shone into its tree lined streets. Home to Boeing, Starbucks and Microsoft this is a thriving city. Sometimes I am brought up short by references to it as part of the ‘Pacific Rim’ area that so excite investors as it seems so ‘East Coast’ in so many ways. Tourism here flourishes, in part because of its rôle as a jump off point for so many cruise liners taking tourists up the West Coast into Alaskan and Canadian waters. This is a competitive market, and Vancouver fights hard to take the business away, but the new cruise dock maintains Seattle’s position as does the constant refurbishment of its many superb hotels.Among the latest to refurbish is Kimpton’s Monaco, with the refurbishment completed in May 2012. My tour in August 2012 was opportune timewise, catching the hotel still fresh but at ease with the refurbishment. The scheme was developed by local designers Dawson Design Associates, based in Pioneer Square a short walk from the hotel. Of course no walk in Seattle can be done without going uphill – my companion pointed out that wearing high heels meant her feet were actually horizontal going uphill. Yeah, and downhill they do what?
Walking anywhere in Seattle is a delight, with cross streets steeply raked down to the harbour giving views across Puget Sound and its busy water traffic. Building and redevelopment carries on throughout Seattle and across the road from the Monaco is the remarkable bulk of the new (2004) Central Library, designed by Rem Koolhaas of OMA, making this junction of Spring and 4th Avenue totally unmissable. The Monaco is itself housed in a tall building – well this is the USA, right – housing 189 guestrooms and suites.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is delighted to announce the opening of the 176-room Mövenpick Hotel Ankara, a new contemporary hotel based in the heart of the Turkish capital’s fast-developing Söğütözü business district, ideally located for meetings, seminars or conferences. With nine meeting spaces including the stylish 390 sqm Bern Ballroom, Mövenpick Hotel Ankara offers flexible function spaces that can be customised to host between eight and 450 guests. The hotel is just 500 metres from the biggest convention and exhibition centre in Ankara, the newly opened 80,000 sqm Congresium, and next door to the prestigious five-storey, 155-store Armada Shopping Mall, a winner of the “Best Shopping Mall of the Year” voted by the International Council of Shopping Centres.Just 30km from the city’s international airport, the district is rapidly becoming a business base for global companies such as EON, BP and Oracle as well as home to Turkish government ministries, cutting edge medical facilities, ambitious media companies and luxurious residential developments.
“Ankara’s success as an international business hub is helping to shape Turkey’s reputation as a global economic powerhouse,” says Ola Ivarsson, chief operating officer for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in Europe. “The city is the perfect location for our third hotel in Turkey after openings in Istanbul and Izmir and a great demonstration of our confident international growth. The combination of a convenient business location and the reputation for Swiss reliability, care and authentic warm welcome that Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts brings to the hotel are certain to ensure it will be a great success,” said Enis Pekuysal, president of Varan Otelcilik A.S., the owning company of the property.
The Mövenpick Hotel Ankara is a welcome addition to the 21st century skyscraper success of Söğütözü, offering a bold architectural statement of its own. The design of the hotel reflects the curved shape of Turkey’s famous Nazar Boncuğu – the eye-shaped amulet traditionally worn to ward off evil – with a 12-storey central atrium and glass ceiling that floods the hotel with natural light. Despite the confident contemporary feel there are motifs and materials that reference traditional influences from the Turkish marble swirling around the spacious floors of public areas to the enormous glittering lobby chandelier created from hundreds of handmade crystal balls, a reminder of the country’s proud glass-making heritage. Large flat-screen televisions, glass partitioned bathrooms and stunning city views are signatures of many of the superior rooms, while the dedicated Executive Floors on the 11th and 12thfloors offer exclusive access to an Executive Lounge, terrace, meeting room, complimentary snacks and drinks and private check in. The hotel’s wellness and fitness centre includes four massage rooms, a Turkish ‘hammam’ bath, sauna, indoor plunge pool, whirlpool and cardio fitness zone. International spa classics as well as Turkish treatments are available.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced the opening of the Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel in Fuzhou’s newly built, modern business district in China’s Fujian province. The hotel is owned by the Zhonggeng Group, and the introduction of the Sheraton brand to this vibrant, bustling port city represents Starwood’s vigorous expansion plan in China, extending its footprint to gateway cities as well as emerging markets across the nation. The Sheraton brand’s impressive global pipeline is being fuelled by phenomenal demand in China with 12 new Sheraton hotels slated to open across this fast-growing market by year’s end driven by strong demand in second and third tier cities.Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel fulfills a growing demand for upscale accommodations among business travelers, MICE planners, and convention participants. Situated in the heart of Fuzhou’s newly developed commercial district, the hotel is conveniently located beside China’s largest exhibition center, the Cross-Straits International Conference and Exhibition Centre, on the banks of the Minjiang River. Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel also offers easy access to the city’s transportation network. It is about 8 kilometers from the Fuzhou South Railway Station, 14 kilometers from the Fuzhou Railway Station, and 45 kilometers from Fuzhou Changle International Airport.
Sheraton Fuzhou Hotel boasts 396 exquisitely appointed rooms and suites comprised of Deluxe, Premier, River-view and upgraded Club Room categories and offering a full range of amenities, including the plush, all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, designed using the AAA Five Diamond Award® criteria, high speed internet access, and luxurious bath and body products. The heart of the lobby features the Link@Sheraton® experienced with Microsoft®- a social hub in the lobby providing complimentary WiFi and PC workstations so guests can surf the internet, email loved ones, review local attractions and print boarding passes while on the road. Guests can also indulge in signature spa treatments at Shine Spa for Sheraton and keep fit through the brand’s revolutionary new health and fitness program, Sheraton FitnessSM programmed by Core Performance, designed exclusively for Sheraton guests through its partner Core Performance.
Three restaurants provide a range of world class cuisine. Feast®, the Sheraton brand’s signature all day dining restaurant, indulges guests with international favorites, while Yue® Chinese restaurant specializes in authentic Cantonese fare, focusing on locally sourced and sustainably produced ingredients. Japanese restaurant Miyabi showcases the freshest foods in an innovative Japanese style. The comfortable Lobby Lounge serves refreshing cocktails, premium spirits, and freshly brewed coffee – an ideal venue for relaxing and socializing with colleagues or family members.
The hotel’s 4,200 square meters of function space includes a 1,800 square meter pillar-free Grand Ballroom that can be separated into three individual rooms and 17 other meeting and conference rooms, ranging from 48 to 400 square meters in size.
Encompass are pleased to announce that the following products will be on display at this year’s Decorex which takes place between the 23rd and 26th September at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London.The CIMA LOUNGE collection from FueraDentro – Modern design, modular garden lounge furniture in a range of colours and materials. Specifically we will be showing a corner sofa and table from this collection.
The Doble Table and Doble Bench with the Butaque chair from FueraDentro – Modern design architectural dining furniture for outdoors, available in a range of colour finishes and materials.
Sillon high bar furniture for outdoor use, again from FueraDentro – High bar table and bar stools.
Tracks planters from Flora – contemporary planters in galvanised, powder coated steel in a range of sizes.
The Zero fire pit from AK47. A large circular fire pit with integrated log storage and a striking design. Zero is an impressive log burning fire pit and is part of a large range of unique outdoor fire places available from Encompass.
Where do you want to go next? For many, the answer this year will undoubtedly be Baku. As football fans worldwide look forward to the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup this Autumn, and the country’s first Four Seasons now welcoming guests, the capital of Azerbaijan is clearly marked on the world map. What was once a well-kept secret among oil industry executives who did business in the region in the past century, it is now attracting the interest of a much broader range of travellers. With its recent hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest, rich cultural history and vibrant arts scene, designer shopping, developing wine industry, ever-changing skyline and pulsing nightlife, as well as the business opportunities that continue to emerge in the country’s post-Soviet era, people from all over the world are now making their way to the city by the Caspian Sea.
Located on the promenade on the shores of the Caspian Sea in the Azeri capital, Four Seasons Hotel Baku offers the city’s finest accommodation in 171 rooms and suites, four restaurants and bars including the high-style Kaspia and Kaspia Bar, the exclusive enclave of the Jaleh Spa and Pool, lavish meeting spaces, and the signature service of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. The Beaux Arts-style Four Seasons Hotel Baku is the first in Azerbaijan, and the 90th property in the company’s worldwide portfolio of hotels and resorts.
Hand-Holds Enhance Appeal of Mondrian Upright Chairs
Visitors to Sleep 2012 will be amongst the first in the international hospitality sector to view the extended Mondrian range of seating by Design at Knightsbridge. The latest additions to this distinctive collection include a series of upright chairs featuring integral hand-holds to ease chair positioning and avoid fabric wear and soiling.Ideal for restaurants, dining rooms and flexible conference facilities, the new Mondrian armed and armless chairs join versatile easy chairs, armchairs and twin-seat sofas. Inspired by the powerful artistry of Pieter Mondrian, the range is characterised by the painter’s idiosyncratic geometry and simple, uncluttered lines, and has been created exclusively for Design at Knightsbridge by James A Wright.
Mondrian upholstery is in either fabric or hide, with the rounded styling and crafted timber frame emphasised by piping to the inside and outside back. Show-wood is offered in six standard finishes – Cherry, Mahogany, Natural Beech, Wenge, Walnut or Oak – and the new upright models feature stretcher rails for enhanced stability.
All Mondrian seating is manufactured in the UK using timber from renewable sources: Knightsbridge Furniture holds FISP and FSC/PEFC certification, ISO 14001:2004 for its environmental management system and BS EN ISO 9001:2008 quality management accreditation.
A dedicated sales division and supporting website are the global gateway to all Design at Knightsbridge collections of seating, tables and occasional furniture for the international hospitality arena. To view the full portfolio, visit www.design-at-knightsbridge.co.uk
More than 300 lighting plates from the Focus SB range have been specified during the refurbishment of Peppering House near Chichester. The ranges specified included Prism II Clear Acrylic, Ambassador Primed White and True Edge.Martin Ellwood, Managing Director of Bognor Regis-based installer Homepower, said: “Due to the nature of the property and the variation of the interior design themes in each room, the owner was looking for an array of lighting plate finishes to complement the paint and wallpaper. Focus SB has a very wide range of finishes suitable for all ages of properties and we were very pleased with what it had to offer.”
Now that the project has been completed, Martin says he would not hesitate to specify Focus SB plates again: “The finished quality on the products was superb. Both myself and the customer are extremely pleased with the end result.”
If you have a similar project you would like us to quote on, however large or small, please Telephone 01424 858060 or email sales@focus-sb.co.uk.
Don’t forget to visit our newly designed stand (G217) at Decorex 2012, on 23-26 September at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London where we will be exhibiting our best selling range of plates with bespoke finishes.
Best Western International (BWI) – the World’s Largest Hotel Chain® – is continuing its rapid expansion in Asia Pacific with the launch of its first hotel in Nepal.Scheduled to open its doors in the Q1 of 2013, the 60-room Monty’s hotel signed into Best Western hotel chain will be a brand new midscale property in the heart of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.
The new hotel will be located on Thamel Road, an area of downtown Kathmandu famed for its vast array of local restaurants and boutique shops selling handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as mountaineering outlets catering to Nepal’s booming adventure travel market.
“Nepal’s travel industry is booming, and Best Western is proud to offer a brand new hotel catering to the growing number of tourists wanting to experience this breathtaking country,” said Glenn de Souza, Best Western International’s Vice President International Operations – Asia & the Middle East.
“We are confident that the Monty’s hotel will be extremely popular both with our loyal guests and first-timers. Travelers are increasingly demanding excellent service levels and convenience at reasonable prices, and Best Western is perfectly positioned to meet their needs,” Mr. de Souza added.
The hotel feature includes; free Wi-Fi, local calls and complimentary breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant.
Nepal has witnessed a surge in tourist arrivals in recent years. In 2011, which was designated ‘Visit Nepal Year’ by the country’s Ministry of Tourism, more than 544,000 tourists entered the country through Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport – 21% more than in 2010.
This trend has continued in 2012, with arrivals increasing 23% in the first four months of this year, to almost 208,000.
With an increasing number of flight connections to Kathmandu, including the launch of new low-cost services by flydubai, Air Arabia, SpiceJet and IndiGo in recent years, demand for this enticing destination looks set to grow and grow.
We spend all our summer holidays in our fab little house in the Pyrenees Mountains in France and often visit the great Maisons and Chateaux in Toulouse.
We are adding lots more products onto the site but the four here give you a feel of opulence at a realistic price.If you have some images of antique rococo mirrors hanging within great buildings we would love to see them and showcase them in our review section.
Paris Gold Rococo Mirror
A beautiful Rococo styled mirror, this style of mirror could come straight out of a Classic French Chateau, ornate and eye-catching.
The mirror is made up of five mirror panels with an internal mirror size of 33 X 21, the external dimensions are shown above.
Lyon Gold Rococo Mirror
Stunning ornate Gold Rococo Mirror, opulence on a grand scale at an affordable price. The Lyon Gold Rococo Mirror makes the perfect centre piece for the grandest of rooms.
Octagonal Gold Rococo Mirror
Nine panels of cut glass come together to form this beautiful Octagonal Gold Rococo Mirror. In a style that takes you back to the days of Kings and Queens in France.
Toulouse Gold Rococo Mirror
A simple but elegant Gold Rococo Mirror offer you the style you want at an unbelievable price. Perfect for turning a guest room into a Palace.
All of the above mirrors come in gold and silver and are just a small selection of the dozens of different Rococo Mirrors available through Decoratif Design, want to know more? Call us on 01252 854654.
Accor has announced the opening of its first Pullman branded hotel in the UK, the Pullman London St Pancras.
Accor is establishing this international upscale brand in the UK in a move to widen its hotel brand portfolio in the UK, which currently includes Sofitel, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget. Pullman London St Pancras, previously home to Accor’s Novotel brand, officially opens this month (September) following a comprehensive refurbishment which has seen the complete transformation of the hotel into one of London’s most contemporary and stylish hotels.
Entering the market as London’s newest upscale hotel brand, the UK’s first Pullman hotel is a cosmopolitan home of style and modernity. Situated just three minutes from King’s Cross St Pancras, the hotel features 312 bedrooms, with panoramic views of the London skyline, and a restaurant and bar named Golden Arrow. There are also 17 spaces for events and business meetings, including a 446-seat tiered theatre for arts and corporate use.
The hotel offers Pullman’s best signature services: Welcomer, Pullman bed, docking station, free Wi-Fi, Connectivity Lounge in partnership with Microsoft®, Co-Meeting offer for the MICE market, Nespresso® services, Vinoteca by Pullman wine selection and Open Kitchen in the new restaurant, Golden Arrow.
A stylish hotel for a cosmopolitan city Today, the Pullman London St Pancras has been designed to exude high quality coupled with comfort and functionality to suit clientele of seasoned travelers.
The highly contemporary architecture and design of Pullman London St Pancras is instantly striking. The essence of modern London is captured in the design of the hotel’s public areas. The design takes much of its inspiration from its location, drawing on the urban connectivity or the area, the linear images of railway life and the bustling and energetic style of modern city life, all visible throughout the hotel’s creative, textured and colourful design.
A culinary journey Guests can enjoy fabulous cuisine at the ‘Golden Arrow’ bar & restaurant which seats 94. The new restaurant is named after Golden Arrow, the famous all-first-class Pullman train service between Paris and Calais from the 1920’s which connected London to Paris, opening the UK up to the cultural, business and culinary influences of France and the rest of Europe. Chef Rees Smith centres Golden Arrow’s menu around modern European cuisine and the fine wines that match. Guests can enjoy the innovative Vinoteca by Pullman wine libraries which offer a wide range of wines by the glass; all perfectly paired with a range of dishes, or to be simply enjoyed on their own.
Decorative electrical wiring accessories specialist and lighting and audio control systems manufacturer Hamilton Litestat will showcase its full range of products at this year’s Decorex event. New for 2012 is a collection of architectural ironmongery from artisan Italian brand, Giara®. Hamilton has recently begun supplying a variety of luxury door handles from Giara®, which are cast in sand moulds using a technique dating from 5,000 BC and finished by hand; each one possessing a unique individual character. The handles are crafted from high quality Britannia metal and bronze, both of which are resistant to corrosion and require no lacquer, allowing the natural beauty of the metal to shine through. Hamilton’s expert team is able to design and supply bespoke wiring accessories to complement the natural finishes of the Giara® handles collection.
The introduction of Giara® handles follows the success of the ‘Perfect Partners’ handles introduced in 2010 from Tupai of Portugal. The Perfect Partners collection is still available and has been especially chosen to match the existing range of finishes available across many of Hamilton’s plate designs.
Other products on display include the crystal clear Perception CFX range, which features completely concealed fixings, allowing the wall covering to show through for a subtle, contemporary look.
Visitors will also be given demonstrations of Hamilton’s Mercury Lighting Control system, which provides intelligent lighting control from simple dimming to sophisticated scene-setting. The system can be integrated with other control systems including Hamilton’s Mercury Multi-room Audio Control.
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio in Turkey is being expanded with two new deluxe hotels: a beach resort and a city resort in Bodrum. In addition to Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, Bodrum will become another important feature destination in the Turkish market for this international hotel group with Swiss roots. The two new properties are scheduled to open in 2013 and 2014.Swissôtel’s future beach resort lies directly on the waterfront in Turgutreis, approximately 20 kilometres from the centre of Bodrum. The main two-storey hotel comprises 66 rooms and suites offering at least 40m2 per room, complemented by villas and duplex terraces in front, which house 72 residences that are 85 – 274m2 in size. Rounding off the offering are indoor and outdoor pools, Pürovel Spa & Sport, a wide variety of sport opportunities and various restaurants.
The Bodrum city project of Swissôtel is located in the hills of Bodrum, with a fascinating panoramic view over the city. 56 elegant rooms and suites, 45 private residences, three restaurants and Pürovel Spa & Sport will be available to all guests. The centre of Bodrum is 10 minutes from the hotel and the airport is just 20 minutes away. “Our hotel group has had a presence in Turkey for over 20 years, establishing an excellent reputation,” says Meinhard Huck, President Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts. “Both holiday resorts in Bodrum are the perfect addition to our existing hotels in this very important market.”
The owner and developer of the project is Çagdaş Holding, advised by one of the world’s leading hospitality consultancies, Servotel Corporation. Both projects will be designed by internationally recognized architect Gokhan Avcıoglu (GA architects), who won several design awards in 2011. “We are happy to see our vision to diversify into luxury hotels internationally unfold with two world class properties in the fastest growing resort destination in Turkey”, says Cağdaş Çağlar, Vice President of Çağdaş Holding. “We are also happy to progress in this venture with our brand partner, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, representing quality, professionalism and excellent recognition both in the Turkish and international markets.”
Within the ever changing world of design, interior designers and commercial clients are looking for unique pieces of furniture that give a new dimension to any project.
With this in mind Stylematters have developed a team of experts that can take you through the design process. Whether you have a sketch, detailed schematics, or just an idea our team can lead you through the process to create furniture that is truly yours.Our 12,000sq sq mtr showroom and production facility here in Knutsford employs a fantastic team of skilled designers and craftsmen that are capable of manufacturing any piece of custom furniture you desire.
We invite you to come visit us to discuss your requirements with our team, select fabrics from our extensive fabric library, see our factory and be inspired by our bar, lounge, bathroom and bedroom areas.
The day is drawing nearer when consumers with NFC enabled smartphones will use their phones in a different way – with paying for goods and retrieving information becoming second nature. With NFC predicted to make the greatest impact in the world of retail, Signbox’s Mark Bartlett, a leading expert on NFC technology, comments on how NFC will transform the retail environment.It’s now widely recognised that the ubiquity and multi-functionality of smartphones positions mobile technology to replace the physical wallet. Mobile payments that use contactless technology are simply an alternative to paying with cash, credit cards and contactless cards. The mobile phone becomes a point of sale wallet replacement – a mobile or digital wallet. Google, Apple and Microsoft have all moved into the market for digital wallets. For now, these technology companies are working with banks and credit card companies to implement mobile payment solutions.
Consumers, and indeed many retailers, could be forgiven for a lack of understanding or confusion about contactless technology, especially with all the global “noise” surrounding the arrival of Near Field Communication, or as it is more commonly known, NFC. It’s NFC that is behind many mobile payment solutions and what is driving the inexorable rise in contactless technology.
Mark Bartlett, whose company Signbox Ltd has pioneered the development of smart posters that incorporate NFC technology, comments, “NFC is unequivocally the breakthrough technology – with NFC we can look ahead to the day in the near future when consumers with NFC enabled smartphones will use their phones in a different way – with paying for goods and retrieving information becoming second nature; leading to a seismic shift in the retail landscape with NFC predicted to make the greatest impact in the world of retail.”
Bartlett says that the tipping point for NFC mobile payments will come in 2015 when there will be a sufficient volume of NFC enabled smartphones, with the forecast being that, worldwide, NFC enabled handset penetration will reach more than 51% or 863 million smartphones. At this time consumers around the world could generate over $50 billion in sales through NFC-based mobile payments.
Bartlett adds, “Basically NFC facilitates data transfer between two ‘devices’ when placed a few centimetres apart – swiped or “tapped”. With NFC there are no services to sign up for. No PINs or passwords to enter. NFC is a wireless technology that enables data exchange or information delivery and communication to occur between any two electronic devices when they are in close proximity of each other. If you tap your NFC enabled device to another NFC enabled device or tap point, like a smart poster or label, you can retrieve almost any kind of data.”
Utilising NFC, campaign managers and retailers can deliver payment options, coupons, loyalty programmes, brand apps, links to join interactive games, product information, social media connections and so on.
“In fact one of the biggest misconceptions is that NFC is just about mobile payments. Yet the focus of the NFC market is actually shifting from payment applications and it is forecast that by 2016 70% of NFC tag shipments will end up being used in marketing and promotional applications,” Bartlett points out.
He adds that store owners and brand custodians can already embed the technology into a variety of marketing collateral such as advertisements, signs, business cards, stickers and smart posters – the latter probably becoming the biggest marketing use of NFC technology. Bartlett concludes that, “When a smartphone becomes a portable NFC reader, the possibilities really are endless. With NFC the retail landscape will change forever and forward thinking retailers are now making plans to exploit the amazing opportunities presented by this breakthrough technology”.
Aqua Innovations are excited to be selected to exhibit at the largest and most prestigious single-site design event in the UK. As one of the world’s most important design trade events, 100% Design is the commercial cornerstone of the annual London Design Festival.Earls Court London 19-22 September 2012
Visit Aqua Innovations on Stand K5 in 100% Kitchens & Bathrooms, Earl’s Court, London.
So don’t delay, register now to see fresh and innovative designs from Aqua Innovations. Click here to register for tickets.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is to open its first two properties in Sri Lanka during the second half of this year named “Centara Passikudah Resort & Spa Sri Lanka” and “Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa.” Both resort hotels will be operated by Centara under a management contract and will be part of the company’s core brand of four-star properties.
Centara Passikudah Resort & Spa Sri Lanka is a 126-room property located next to the beach at Passikudah, renowned for its long stretch of shallow coastline, while Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka is located on the Paradise Island peninsula at Bentota, flanked on one side by the Indian Ocean and the other by the Bentota River.
Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa with 166 units is flanked by a river on one side and a pristine beach on the other, the hotel is accessible only by ferry and all rooms have spectacular views.
Room types include Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe Pool Access, Family Residences, and Suites.
Restaurants include an all-day dining outlet serving Sri Lankan, Asian and international cuisines and features live cooking stations while a seafood restaurant and the Ceylon Club will have an emphasis on the Ceylonese tea heritage. The hotel will also operate dinner cruises up and down the river each evening.
Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa will have a Spa Cenvaree with six treatment rooms designed for singles and couples, and a Kids’ Club.
Centara Passikudah Resort & Spa is located on a long sweeping portion of Passikudah Beach, whose shallow waters are ideal for windsurfing, kayaking and bathing.
Room types include Superior, Deluxe and Premium Deluxe, Family Residence and Suites.
As well as the all-day restaurant and an attractive bar lounge, the hotel will feature Spice Market Restaurant and Elements, with interactive cooking stations focusing on freshly prepared Asian, Indian and Middle-Eastern dishes.
The hotel will feature a Spa Cenvaree, a fitness centre, and a Kids’ Club.
Meetings and events will form an integral portion of the market mix featuring Vandeloos Bay Ballroom which can welcome up to 150 guests at one time and complemented by state of the art audio visual equipment and professional event specialists to assist guests and delegates in exceeding their expectations.
Schulte & Loughborough would like to welcome you to their new website: www.evoline.co.ukDesigned with you in mind, the UK customer, evoline.co.uk gives you fast and instant access to information about EVOline® power and data solutions.
Discover the story behind EVOline® and learn more about who we are, what we do and how we do what we know best.
To help you to make the right decision for power and data solutions, evoline.co.uk provides precise and detailed information on: • Applications – Our individual approach to a spectrum of industries • Product Brochures – A full list of our modular capabilities • Latest news and Innovations – Keep up to date with our latest product news & developments • Installation – Download and save your copy
If you would like more please send us your enquiry using the contact page.
We look forward to hearing from you soon. The Schulte Team.
With its premium brand Trevira CS, polyester fibre manufacturer Trevira is making its 17th appearance in September this year at the Brussels trade fair for home textiles. A total of 62 Trevira CS partners are among the 210 exhibitors at MoOD, representing, as always, a substantial element in this market segment with their contract collections.The financial crisis in the eurozone continues to present the sector with new challenges, particularly in the important southern European countries with their large base of high quality textile manufacturers. Nonetheless, there are still opportunities for specialties, despite the difficulties. The Trevira CS brand attracts constant interest, as the trademark approval statistics show – the number of approvals rose by almost 8% on last year’s figure. Many Trevira CS fabric manufacturers and suppliers are represented in the growth markets in Asia and the Middle East, with a successful business there. Fibre company Trevira supports its partners in their efforts to increase their business in “made in Europe“ textiles and to raise market awareness. Together with its representatives in these markets, Trevira offers its customers an information and service network.
Joint appearance with partners at trade fair
At this year’s MoOD Trevira is making a joint appearance with its top customers from the yarn and weaving sectors. With 11 weavers from among its Gold and Silver customers participating, the Trevira CS satellite stand in Hall 9 will be a top-class venue. Trevira has attracted some prominent names to MoOD, either returning to the exhibition or making a first appearance there as exhibitors. At the Trevira CS Square are: Création Baumann, Dina Vanelli, Fidivi, Lodetex, Ludvig Svensson, Müller Zell, Pugi, Rohleder, Spandauer Velours, Velours Blafo and Verotex. In the stand decorations trade visitors can find in addition some of the latest creations in Trevira CS from prestigious editors/converters. Of the eleven exhibitors at MoOD Yarns six are also involved in the Trevira CS partner concept of Gold and Silver Customers, some of whom are in Brussels for the first time. Fil Man Made, Hof Garn, Torcitura Lei-Tsu, Torcitura Padana, Selvafil and Torcitura Fibre Sintetiche are displaying yarns for the manufacture of Trevira CS materials. The joint appearance at the trade fair forms part of the Trevira CS Club concept, a further instance of Trevira’s close cooperation with its partners. The Trevira CS Award – now an established tradition at MoOD – is much appreciated by Trevira CS customers, as it is seen in the market as a marker of high value innovation. The prize is awarded for an outstanding new Trevira CS creation from amongst the exhibitors. Winners in the last three years were Dina Vanelli, Lodetex and Bruvatex.
The Club Concept: focussed service and competition of creativity
Following its launch in January, the Trevira CS Club Concept is being expanded during the fourth quarter with an online platform on the Trevira website. Trevira CS partners will be able to register here and find their points score, which provides information on the level in the Club and offers access to the corresponding services. Today the Trevira CS brand not only stands for the flame retardancy function, it also stands for high textile quality and innovative design. Trevira is particularly keen to show its appreciation of its customers’ creativity within the framework of the Trevira CS Club and in the 4th quarter will be announcing a creativity competition. The action, dubbed “Fabric Creativity Competition“, will give every fabric manufacturer and supplier the opportunity to secure additional points with particularly innovative developments – and thus increase their entitlement to service. There will be a reward for each entry. A panel made up of prominent professionals will be the judges and their assessments will take account of various criteria, such as degree of innovation, technical execution, suitability for the contract market and trend setting. On the panel will be: Corinna Kretschmar-Joehnk, JOI-Design Hamburg, Prof. Bettina Göttke-Krogmann, Burg Giebichenstein – the Kunsthochschule Halle, together with Natalija Zimmermann, interior designer and stylist, BZ.Bildung-Beratung-Innovation, Leipzig. There are prizes for the 10 best fabrics. They gain extra Club points, are highlighted on the Trevira stand at Heimtextil and will receive some effective publicity. Selection of winners is due to be complete at the end of November.
W Hotels Worldwide has recently announced it has signed an agreement with Terranum Hotels to debut a new W Hotel in Bogota, Colombia. Slated to open in 2014, W Bogota will be a part of a larger mixed-use development, which will also include premium office space and high-end retail. W Bogota will be located in the heart of the fashionable Usaquen district in the northern part of the city, just steps away from the neighbourhood’s trendy restaurants, cafes, and shopping. W Bogota will be designed by New York-based Studio Gaia, who has drawn inspiration from Colombia’s famous El Dorado legend. According to the legend, during the pre-Colombian period, every time the indigenous Muisca tribe had a new Chief, the people would make offerings to their god by throwing gold, emeralds and semi-precious stones into the Guatavita Lake. The mystery and adventure of the El Dorado legend will come to life in the design of the hotel in innovative and unique ways, using colour, light and texture to bring in the vibrancy and glamour of Colombia’s varied landscape.
“The W brand’s expansion into Colombia is another milestone in bringing the global design powerhouse to the world’s most exciting cities and vibrant resort destinations,” said Vincent Gillet, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels and Le Méridien. “W will offer a completely new and distinctive experience to the hotel market in Bogota, providing a stylish escape and innovative design in one of the city’s most premier districts.”
W Bogota will provide an integrated contemporary lifestyle experience, offering 168 stylish guestrooms, including 20 suites and one Extreme Wow Suite (the W brand’s interpretation of the Presidential Suite), the signature W Lounge experience (the W take on the traditional hotel lobby), destination restaurant and nightclub, Away® spa, and 3,000 square foot Workout fitness centre. The hotel will also be an ideal venue for meetings with more than 12,000 square feet of function space, including a Great Room and five state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Guests will also be treated to the W brand’s iconic Whatever/Whenever® service philosophy, providing guests with whatever they want, whenever they want it.
W Bogota will be located only seven miles from the El Dorado International Airport in one of the premium areas in Colombia’s capital city, where many of the most prominent companies are based.
September sees the launch of an innovative, environmentally responsible new collection from the Accents range by Skopos. Etienne arrives on the market as an impressive linen-look drapery fabric, created specifically for the contract market. Made from 100% inherently flame retardant polypropylene, this quality presents fantastic opportunities for both the contract hotel and leisure sectors. A strong fit with the Skopos environmental ethos, the Etienne manufacturing process uses reduced water consumption and fewer chemicals than production methods associated with traditional piece dyed cloths.
This unique and innovative quality performs to the high level expected of flame retardant fabrics; Etienne is resilient whilst boasting an easy care guide for laundering, perfect for contract interior solutions.
Available in 15 French inspired colours for drapery solutions – Etienne presents a structured yet natural drape and rustic simplicity for contract interior schemes. It is competitively priced and has short lead-times with no minimums.
Customer interest has been evident prior to the official September launch.
Skopos is an ISO9001 accredited company and has over 30 year’s specialist experience in the design and manufacture of high performance FR contract fabrics for the hospitality sector.
Following the success of its inaugural outing to the Sleep Event last year, Laufen is delighted to be making a return visit to this leading show for the hotel sector at London’s Business Design Centre from 21 to 22 November 2012. The Swiss manufacturer will have double the space at this year’s event, which in itself is a reflection of its continued commitment to the hotel sector.
Visitor’s to this year’s Sleep Event will find the Laufen stand split in two – with one side showcasing its inspirational Boutique hotel bathrooms, whilst on the other side the latest sanitaryware to enhance public wash spaces will be unveiled.
This will be the first time that the new Palomba Collection 2012 has been seen in the UK and as such it will take centre stage on stand G21. This new collection has been designed with the hotel bathroom firmly in mind, with a feature being a freestanding bathtub, with a high back that is ergonomically sloped and natural lines that mould to the contours of the body to create the last word of bathing comfort.
Offering a truly flexible option, the Collection now also includes new furniture modules. Available in a range of colours and open at the front, the furniture can be stacked, lined up in a row or combined with the range’s medium and tall cabinets.
Also on stand at Sleep 2012 will be Laufen’s award-winning Antero water-saving urinal and the Cinto urinal divider. Designed by Toan Nguyen, the bowl of the Antero urinal, set on a large format base plate, rises organically towards the user. The practical requirements of the hotel environment are met as the Antero features a needs-based electronic control system, which flushes thoroughly yet economically and is available in a mains, battery or flush-mounted version. An integral overflow protection ensures that flushing stops if the outlet is blocked, preventing flooding.
Representatives of the Global Projects Team will be present at Sleep 2012 in London and look forward to welcoming visitors to the stand.
See Laufen on Stand G21 and G23 at Sleep 2012 at the Business Design Centre, London, from Wednesday 21 to Thursday 22 November.
The landmark building developed by Quintain Estates and Development plc is situated directly opposite the world famous Wembley Stadium and RHA Furniture was proud to be working with leading Interior Designer – Jane Johnson at The Manser Practice.RHA was involved in all areas and manufactured many bespoke pieces in their UK factory as well as supplied standard products from well known Italian brands.
The large walnut club table was designed as a centre piece for the stylish Executive Lounge and RHA’s custom made seating in the Icon Bar helps to achieve a contemporary look with a sense of “quintessential Britishness”.
Hilton’s welcoming Lobby has RHA bespoke wooden tables scattered around.
The Sky Bar on the 9th Floor has an impressive outdoor terrace overlooking the iconic Wembley Stadium, a perfect place to have a cocktail before a big event.
For these areas, RHA made high poseur tables in fumed oak finish and supplied all coffee tables. The outdoor seating features internal lighting which helps to create a fantastic atmosphere in the evenings.
Visit www.rhafurniture.com to browse and specify furniture for your next project.
COMO Hotels and Resorts has recently unveiled a detailed design concept for Point Yamu by COMO, a new resort in Thailand with interiors by Italian architect and designer, Paola Navone.Opening Summer 2013, Point Yamu on Phuket will be the Italian-born Navone’s first ever hotel project, her powerful vision bringing a fresh aesthetic to Thailand while reflecting the group’s ongoing commitment to the very best in contemporary design.
The beachside development – COMO’s first in Thailand outside Bangkok – will comprise a full-scale, 79-room resort with 30 villas, a spa and two restaurants. This is in addition to a clutch of private residences available to purchase; when they open in July 2013, these residences will occupy the same peaceful peninsula on the east side of the island with views out to the limestone karsts of Phang Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea.
Navone is creating at Point Yamu an environment that encapsulates the easygoing, sophisticated spirit of the company’s ‘by COMO’ island resorts – Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos and Cocoa Island in the Maldives. Point Yamu, inspired directly by the sea, will also be distinct in character by way of its contemporary look blended with elements of Thai culture.
Says Navone: “It’s about building a resort where you feel relaxed, you feel soft and not stressed by anything that surrounds you. To my mind the best hotels are contemporary places but at the same time they root you in a locale, so you know where you are. This balance is vital.”
At Point Yamu, Navone is employing a dazzling palette of bright aquamarines, inspired by the sea views, and blazing-hot oranges, reminiscent of Buddhist robes. Her clever use of Thai artisanal techniques put to new effect includes the traditional wood tiling in the restaurant – in this instance, used as the scales of a huge fish – and outsized, balloon-like lampshades fashioned from local woven rattan inspired by local crab and lobster traps.
Navone’s interior detailing also plays with proportions – a whimsical, magical approach that juxtaposes the outsized with something delicate, like the installation of stacked Thai tables supporting a single Thai ceramic vase.
Paola Navone has been at the forefront of worldclass interiors for over 30 years, as well as designing products for numerous leading brands, including Driade, Gervasoni, Guzzini, Poliform and Emu. Most recently her ‘Secret Garden’ at the Milano Salone del Mobile 2012 received high praise: big blue nests, interwoven with 13,000 hazelnut branches, hiding some of the most beautiful chandeliers of the Murano glassmaking tradition by Barovier&Toso. Based in Milan, she has lived in Hong Kong and worked extensively in South East Asia including Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Gabriela Henrichwark, Global Marketing Director for COMO Hotels and Resorts, said: “From the outset COMO wanted to work with Paola on Point Yamu. She is a true original in contemporary design, and as a westerner who has lived in and experienced eastern culture, her work embodies COMO’s global spirit.”
Point Yamu by COMO is just 20 minutes by car from Phuket International Airport and will be an attractive proposition for Asia-based guests looking for a short break to rejuvenate as well as long-haul guests seeking a comprehensive escape. Point Yamu will also offer a 100m swimming pool, a COMO Shambhala Retreat featuring eight treatments rooms as well as a yoga studio, an Italian and Thai restaurant, ‘glow’ featuring COMO Shambhala’s healthy cuisine, and a private beach. On opening, it will become the tenth property by COMO Hotels and Resorts.
This September, Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong unveils its new, effortlessly stylish dining rooms at its two-Michelin star jewel, Ming Court.Alongside its design evolution, Ming Court’s mastermind, Executive Chef – Tsang Chiu King, reveals his new menu to complement the fresh aesthetic of his restaurant. In keeping with his vision of innovative Cantonese, his menu introduces both tradition and influences into his dishes, perfectly incorporating them into Ming Court’s reputable Cantonese menu to delight regular clients and welcome new diners.
Highlights of Chef Tsang’s new culinary creations include the luxurious Gold On Gold with Gold Caviar, Golden Sea Urchin, Lobster and Silky Egg White, presenting an unexpected, elegant blend of European caviar and multiple flavours from the sea. The bold, Boxed Australian Wagyu Beef with Black Truffle harmoniously combines black truffle with Wagyu, marrying Chef Tsang’s mastery of ingredients with his technique for creativity and delicateness.
Reappearing on the menu is all-time sensational favourite in Chef Tsang’s repertoire, Chilled Silk Bean Curd, Black Truffle and Gold Leaf. This culinary showstopper reflects the essence of modern Cantonese with Chef Tsang’s artistic touch in plating, designed to inspire each and every sense.
“We are delighted with the new dining rooms at Ming Court including one private room housing a single round of 16, and private rooms for up to 48. With these intimate dining spaces, we add another focus of exclusivity and stimulating hospitality to modern luxury.” says Shaun Campbell, General Manager of Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong.
Speaking about the evolution of Ming Court and its menu, Chef Tsang says, “Over the past 8 years, we have created dishes with our heart and soul to bring guests a true, Cantonese dining experience. In the years to come, we will continue to engage our guests in many more unforgettable culinary journeys.”
Known for their original take on unique dining, Wine Guy Zach Yu and the team of passionate wine talents take the wine helm to enhance the culinary experience with over 450 wines from around the world, at Ming Cellar.
The highlights of July’s performance include: • Profit drops but London still tops Europe as the UK capital hosts the world; • Eastern European hoteliers enjoying strong summer trading.
A pair of Aloft hotels opening this month will have more in common than bold design and a buzzing social atmosphere; both are conversions of existing hotels, and highlight an exciting new growth channel for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s ‘style at a steal’ brand. Aloft San Francisco Airport will open its doors next week after 14 months of extensive renovations. The 253-room hotel marked a milestone as the first external conversion project undertaken by Aloft in 2011. The property, owned by Starwood, brings the in-demand Aloft brand to the Bay Area for the first time.
Aloft Nashville West End opened on the 6th September. The 139-room hotel marks Aloft Hotel’s debut in Nashville, and replaces the Hotel Indigo Nashville Music Row. The property itself is an adaptive reuse of an office building originally constructed in 1970.
Conversion or adaptive-reuse projects are also underway for Aloft in Tucson, Calgary and Atlanta. For guests, who have made Aloft one of the world’s most prized hospitality brands, conversions mean access to their favorite hotel at more key locations.
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