Created following a six figure investment in ‘state of the art’ print technology, Signbox’s new Environmental Graphics (EG) division is now fully operational.
Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox Ltd, comments, “The new EG division was established to simultaneously exploit the extraordinary capability of our new Durst Omega 1 UV inkjet printer and meet the growing demand for digitally printed environmental graphics.“Increasingly companies now recognise that the ambience of the workplace – how it both looks and feels – can positively affect and influence staff, customers, visitors and stakeholders. Environmental Graphics can personalise workspaces with inspirational imagery, text and logos that encapsulates messages and reinforces brand identity. Breakout areas, meeting rooms, internal office spaces, and reception and sales areas can all be transformed into bright, energising spaces that stimulate senses and enhance well-being.
“With our new EG division we can now manage the production process of large format printing in-house. This allows us to be far more competitively priced, yet with a capability to print at high resolution, up to 1728 dpi, direct-to-surface on a range of material from metal to coloured media, as well as achieving perfect results on transparent surfaces including glass, acrylic and film.
“The Durst Omega 1 allows us to manufacture and supply wall coverings, glass manifestation, partitions, banners and screens, with a fine art quality that ensures consistently accurate printing for us to maintain the highest quality benchmarked standards that we’re renowned for.
“The new EG division is very much in keeping with the Signbox ethos of providing a single point resource for consultancy, signage strategy, design, manufacture, project management and installation”.
Now that the EG Division is operational, Signbox have produced a free presentation pack with print samples that demonstrates the extraordinary variety of surfaces and materials that can be printed onto and the finished quality. For a free sample pack call the company on 01784 438688 and for further information about Signbox visit www.signbox.co.uk.
Hilton Coylumbridge has recently announced completion of a £1.1 million refurbishment and upgrade programme to its Grant Restaurant. Guests will now be able to enjoy the completely re-designed Inverdruie Restaurant, which replaces the former space in the Highland property.The new restaurant, which serves classic British and European dishes, also features a stunningly redesigned glass frontage, perfect for taking in the sights of the beautiful Aviemore countryside.
Head chef, Frank Morrissey has taken the opportunity to refresh the restaurant menu, focusing on family favourites to accommodate the many parents and children who choose to holiday at the popular resort, located at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.
The 320-cover restaurant has been fully re-modelled including the installation of new fixtures and fittings, fresh décor and a brand new look and feel to the space, which is used for breakfast, lunches and dinner. The interior design was completed by Cunningham McLean.
The investment follows the recent installation of a brand new £210k gym. Open to hotel and lodge guests, the new gym combines the very best in state-of-the-art exercise equipment, complete with entertainment screens. The gym has been installed to offer a 21st century interactive experience for guests at Hilton Coylumbridge optimising their workout programs.
The Wandsworth Group has launched a Bluetooth version of its innovative ‘i-fi’ docking station, enabling wireless MP3 play-back for any Bluetooth enabled device.Believed to be the first Bluetooth innovation of its kind on the UK market, the discreet 50mm x 50mm wall mounted-unit is designed to pair with any Bluetooth phone or music media storage device capable of streaming music data files via Bluetooth technology when the user comes within range. Unlike Wandsworth’s existing i-fi unit, the Bluetooth unit does not include a docking station as it can communicate with the device anywhere in the room and within the Bluetooth range and the user simply selects the music playlist or podcast file from their device to play it through either the inbuilt, external or speaker system linked to an existing Hi-Fi set up via the aux output.
Explains head of sales of The Wandsworth Group, Andy Howe “Space-efficient, wall-mounted docking stations have become increasingly popular in the wiring accessories market because so many people now store their music collection on their mobile devices rather than in hard copy. Our new Bluetooth i-fi takes that thinking one step further and allows the user to play back their MP3 files without attaching their device to the unit, which also ensures that unit design can be smaller and less obtrusive than anything else available.”
While many docking station products are compatible only with Apple devices, the new Wandsworth Bluetooth i-fi can be used with any Bluetooth-enabled device that plays MP3 files, including mobile phones, android phones, tablets, laptops and MP3 players. The unit can be installed along with a Wandsworth speaker system or can be retrofitted to operate with existing amplifiers and is available in any Wandsworth ‘Series Two’ finish or as a custom-made special.
Howe continues: “The flexibility of this unit makes it ideal for the hotel sector or student accommodation developments because it is compatible with such a wide range of devices and has such a small plate size. We also expect it to be a popular product for the residential market where multiple units would allow the end user to move from room to room with uninterrupted play back and in the commercial sector it could offer some serious wow factor for the boardroom.
This ingenious device even has its place in the world of medicine where, installed in operating theatres, it could provide some peaceful background music for minor operations allowing the surgeon to listen to his or her favourite classical track to relax the mood of the room.
Once again Wandsworth has proved the company’s drive to innovate and our ability to keep pace with both developments in technology and consumer trends.”
London’s oldest railway hotel, The Grosvenor Hotel, marks the completion of its 18-month renovation this month with the opening of an opulent suite commemorating its most infamous former guest.The creation of ‘Courtesan’s Boudoir – The Cora Pearl Suite’ celebrates a significant moment in the hotel’s 150-year history, when the feted Parisian courtesan Cora Pearl was turned away from its doors.
Cora, who counted royalty among her illustrious clientele, made a rare visit to London in 1870. On arriving at Victoria Station – the gateway to London – she booked a suite at The Grosvenor Hotel only to be refused entry when stories of her hedonistic lifestyle surfaced.
The luxurious rococo-themed suite draws its inspiration from the French interior styling of the late 1800s.
Amid the glass chandeliers, feather trimmed lamps, damask wallpaper and silver finished French inspired furniture is a free-standing ‘infinity’ bath, elevated on a marble tile plinth – a replica of the personally engraved, bronze bath that Cora had specially cast for her in Paris and which she famously filled with vintage champagne in which to bathe with her suitors. The Grosvenor Hotel’s general manager, Michael Parker, explained:
“Much of the work to restore the hotel has been in association with English Heritage. The incredible architectural features have all been fully restored – including the gold leaf finish on the lobby’s original white marble pillars. The hotel now truly captures the charm and grandeur of the era in which The Grosvenor Hotel first opened its doors, and we felt that to celebrate, it was fitting to mark one of the many rich stories from our history. Cora had an amazing story – rising from poverty to become one of the most notorious figures amongst the elite of her time. The suite is perfect for anyone who would like to discover the luxury and glamour of Victorian high-society.”
Choice Hotels Europe is proud to announce the addition of its second Clarion Collection property in central Paris: the Clarion Collection Etoile Saint Honore hotel. Holder of the “eco label”, this 4-star property offers a new destination for business and leisure travellers.Nestled in the heart of the 8th district, in one of the most popular Parisian avenues, the Clarion Collection Etoile Saint Honore hotel is composed of 85 recently-renovated rooms and suites, a breakfast room, a private car park and one fully-equipped meeting room for up to 80 people.
With three levels of service — Superior rooms decorated in a Louis XVI-inspired style; Premium rooms with modern lines and contemporary design; and large Suites, allowing a panoramic view of some of the most famous monuments of the French capital — this 4-star hotel offers travellers all the charm, luxury and elegance of Paris.
Three nearby metro stations providing direct access to La Defense, Porte Maillot, Saint Lazare and Gare du Nord train stations, make the Clarion Collection Etoile Saint Honore hotel the perfect base for its business customers.
A few minutes away from the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees Avenue, the Louvre Museum and the Parc Monceau, the Clarion Collection Etoile Saint Honore hotel is the ideal lodging solution to explore the City of Lights and its history. The many shops and restaurants of the Champs-Elysees, the golden triangle of the Madeleine and the Grands Boulevards, not far from the hotel, will delight fashion lovers and the finest gourmets.
TeleAdapt is pleased to announce London’s Eccleston Square Hotel has included its MediaHub HD™ connectivity panel as part of ultra-modern in-room entertainment amenity. MediaHub HD wireless music streaming is one of the many technologies that offer that ‘wow factor’ our guests expect from the most high-tech hotel in London,” said Olivia Byrne, hotel director. “In searching for the most cutting edge technology that will impress our guests, we were advised to use the MediaHub HD for its ability to pair guest iPods or other music players and play them wirelessly in the room, without using any cabling or docks. It was intuitive, easy to use and had the contemporary features we were looking for.”
In addition to wireless music streaming, Eccleston Square Hotel guests can use MediaHub HD to plug-and-play all of their portable electronics to enjoy their own music, videos, games and other media through the in-room 46” 3D TV. Other in-room technology amenities include VoIP phones with free local calls, Blu-ray player, personal iPad®, complimentary high-speed Internet, bathroom mirror-embedded TV, and lighting & heating automation.
“When integrating the in-room technologies for this hotel, modern functionality and ease of use were our top concerns,” said Robin Courtenay of SMC, system integrators responsible for designing and installing the hotel’s in-room technology systems. “For added convenience, we also chose to include the PowerHub™ in the rooms with UK, EU and US 110v power sockets so international guests can easily charge up their mobile phones and power their personal electronics devices in the rooms.”
Eccleston Square Hotel provides the latest in hospitality and domestic control technology to provide a high-end environment that guests can control and enjoy. Their ultra-modern in-room amenities have won hotel industry acclaim and were recently named the winner of the European Hospitality In-Room Technology Innovation of the Year award for 2011.
Providing a dedicated and inspirational place for designers and industry specialists within the hospitality and leisure sectors, the North West Design Centre is showcasing the creative power of Wilton Carpets Commercial with a stunning first floor installation more akin to art than carpet. As a creative hub and materials resource for the hospitality and leisure industry, the North West Design Centre is a melting pot of high-end interior inspiration, featuring furniture, lighting and flooring from some of the most exciting and exclusive brands operating in the industry today. Now an associate of the North West Design Centre, Wilton Carpets Commercial enjoys preferred supplier status for interiors developed through the facility.
Working in tandem with interior design practice Gerald Bowering Associates and the North West Design Centre, Wilton Carpets Commercial developed a bespoke design in a performance mix of 80% wool 20% nylon, using inspiration from previous designs produced for luxurious hospitality environments such as those at the Glasgow Grand Central Hotel.
“We chose the first design to come from Wilton’s design manager, Julie Robertson,” comments Samantha Savage, Gerald Bowering Associates, designers in residence at the North West Design Centre. “Using subtle and timeless colours, we thought it exactly the sort of look we want to achieve at the centre and that it would appeal to the clientele, namely architects and designers. The carpet will help to showcase the creativity and flexibility of what Wilton Carpets Commercial can achieve.”
With an extensive back catalogue of bespoke work, as well as the Flexiweave and FastTrack concepts, Wilton Carpets Commercial specialises in delivering to hospitality and leisure environments beautiful high quality woven carpets, manufactured in the UK. Along with a collection of tufted carpets for use in less demanding applications such as guestrooms, Wilton Carpets Commercial can provide a carpeting solution for any hospitality environment.
“The North West Design Centre is far more than a regional hub for the industry, it works on a national basis to delivers designers and specialists a unique opportunity to witness the very latest in material innovation for the hospitality sector,” comments Stefan Heins, Wilton Carpets Commercial. “Being involved within the space helps us to showcase the creative potential in our carpet, aligning us with other inspirational brands and proving that carpet can be one of the most motivating and thought provoking surfaces within any hospitality interior.”
For further information contact Wilton Carpets Commercial on 01722 746000 or sales@wiltoncarpets.com
With the highly anticipated debut of Aloft Bogota Airport in Colombia this past December 10th, and Aloft San Jose, Costa Rica opening on February 1st 2012, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. brings its sizzling style at a steal Aloft brand to Latin and Central America for the first time. Aloft’s South American premiere means the brand is now represented on four continents.Aloft Bogota Airport features 142 loft-like rooms, along with the smart technology and social atmosphere that has made Aloft a worldwide hit. Guests are able to meet and mingle with friends at Aloft’s buzzing w xyz bar and happening re: mix lounge. The hotel also features the hugely popular Aloft signature amenities, including re: fuel by Aloft, its 24/7 pantry, and re:charge, Aloft’s 24/7 gym. For meetings and events, Aloft Bogota Airport also offers 1,054 square feet of flexible space, and the hotel is strategically located to allow guests easy access to El Dorado International Airport. Aloft Bogota Airport is part of the ultramodern Connecta Business Ecosystem, a sustainable, mixed-use real estate development including more than two million square feet of corporate offices and featuring conference spaces, food and beverage outlets, support services, and entertainment options.
Aloft San Jose is also a bold new hotel located in Lindora, one of San Jose’s most dynamic business and entertainment districts. The hotel features 150 loft-like rooms and over 1,840 square feet of meeting space, in addition to Aloft’s signature amenities re: mix lounge and w xyz bar. Aloft San Jose offers business and leisure travellers easy access to the Juan Santamaría International Airport, located a mere ten minutes away. The hotel is conveniently located in the Forum II office park, perfectly positioned for work and play near the Escazú district and across from Momentum Plaza.
Both properties are owned and developed by Bogota-based Terranum Hotels.
Villeroy & Boch are challenging Hotelympia’s visitors to get creative. Show off your design skills by drawing your very own pattern on one of the brand’s iconic NewWave plates. Create the most memorable tableware design and you could you win a voucher worth £250 to enjoy lunch or dinner in the 10 in 8 restaurant of your choiceThe restaurants to choose from include*
• L’ortolan, based in Reading, Berkshire and already boasting one Michelin Star under Alan Murchison’s name. • La Bécasse, based in Ludlow, Shropshire now run by the young and highly talented Chef Will Holland and also proudly carrying one Michelin Star. • Paris House in Woburn which the group opened in February 2010 and was awarded one Michelin-star in January 2011 • The group’s newest acquisition Restaurant Angélique in Dartmouth, which opened in January 2011.
Just stop by the Villeroy & Boch Stand, No N2019 at Hotelympia where the team will be ready and waiting to help you create your winning plate design. When your artwork is complete the team will upload a photograph of all entries to the H and C News Facebook page, where voting will take place for one month following the show.
The plate that gets the most votes will then be announced in TableTalk, the H and C News website and the H and C News Facebook page. All that’s left for the winner to do is to decide which of the 10 in 8 restaurants you want to experience.
Fringed in silk tiers, these elegant cascades from Chelsom feature opal glass pendants suspended from polished stainless steel ceiling plates, above the bar in the highly contemporary K Lounge at the 4-star K West boutique hotel in London’s Shepherds Bush.Created to fill the vast ceiling void and add focus to the bar area, the twin luminaires drop over 3 metres in height from 1200mm diameter solid ceiling panels.
With each single pendant providing the equivalent of 60w light output, the complete cascades offers an abundance of light through fine quality glasses sheathed in a diffusing silk curtain.
Leading UK shower designer and manufacturer, Roman, have given their enclosures and bath screens the ultimate in glass protection by adding Roman Ultra Care pre-coating to their products. This is a unique glass protection system that has been designed to work in tandem with their award-winning Roman Ultra Care in a bottle.Roman were one of the early adopters of glass protection technology, originally launching this back in 2001. Since then the company have progressed their offer in a number of ways and have been using Roman Ultra Care in a bottle, which won the House Beautiful award for best cleaning product back in 2009. Roman believes Ultra Care is the most durable system on the market as it can be maintained and topped up on an on-going basis by the consumer.
The shower manufacturer have now taken this glass protection one step further by adding Ultra Care pre-coating as standard to every Roman enclosure and bath screen, from each of their ranges (including their sister company Haven’s products).
Roman has developed a glass protection system that is designed to become stronger and more effective over time. Unlike most other glass protection systems, the pre-coat can be maintained with Roman Ultra Care in a bottle – this builds up the coating every time you clean. Many other pre-coated glass protection systems diminish in their effectiveness over time, depending on how often the shower is used and how often it is cleaned.
Roman Ultra Care pre-coat and Ultra Care in a bottle work by creating a chemical barrier that provides protection against the build-up of grime, lime scale and stains. The protective barrier means water glides off the glass with ease. This results in the protected surface remaining easy to clean by simply applying a mild detergent and wiping with a damp cloth.
By topping up the protection of the pre-coat, the life of the Roman product will be considerably prolonged. The use of the glass protection system also eliminates the need to use harsh chemicals and cleaning products during the cleaning process which is beneficial to the environment.
To ensure your glass protection is given a kick-start, Roman also includes a complimentary starter bottle of Ultra Care in the box, with any purchase from their Sculptures, Desire or Orbital Ranges.
David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman commented: “Roman Ultra Care is an award winning bathroom protector and it has a 10 year track record for successfully protecting our extensive product range. The addition of the pre-coating is just the next step in the protection of the enclosure – it gives guaranteed glass protection from day one. Being a UK manufacturer we have the flexibility to easily add additional features to our products. The pre-coating is now added during the manufacturing process on our factory flow lines. We are pleased to offer this fantastic feature with no additional cost for our customer or the end user.”
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced it has reached an agreement with Lilianfels Hotel Blue Mountains Pty Ltd and Echoes Hotel Blue Mountains Pty Ltd to rebrand Lilianfels and Echoes resorts in Blue Mountains, Australia. Under The Luxury Collection brand, the two hotels became Lilianfels, A Luxury Collection Resort, Blue Mountains, Australia and Echoes, A Luxury Collection Resort, Blue Mountains, Australia. They debuted on 13th February 2012. Located on the bluff of the Three Sisters and the World Heritage Area, Lilianfels is the former residence of New South Wales Chief of Justice, Sir Frederick Darley, dating back in 1889. Lilianfels features 85 guest rooms and suites, 235sqm of meeting space, 2 restaurants including the award winning Darleys, lobby lounge, bar, outdoor swimming pool, indoor heated pool, floodlit tennis court and an impressive luxury spa. Lilianfels was named the Leading Resort in Australia by World Travel Awards in 2011 in addition to being honored on Travel & Leisures Top Five Resorts in the Oceana region.
Adjacent to Lilianfels, Echoes is a former retreat for a renowned Australian writer Thomas Keneally. Perched at the very edge of the Jamison Valley at Echo Point in the Blue Mountains, the resort offers guests an intimate experience with 14 contemporary-designed rooms and suites featuring an uninterrupted and panoramic view of the National Park. Refined facilities include award-winning Echoes Restaurant, the private spa and sauna.
Under The Luxury Collection brand, Lilianfels and Echoes will introduce the signature Luxury Collection Concierge service, which will provide extraordinary access Blue Mountains indigenous charms and treasures.
The signing of Lilianfels and Echoes follows The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts recent opening of The Hongta Hotel in Shanghai. The renowned brand continues its plans to grow globally with four new hotels and resorts opening in Asia within the next six months, including The Royal Begonia in Sanya, Twelve at Hengshan in Shanghai, ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, India and Keraton at The Plaza in Jakarta. Starwood continues to lengthen its lead in luxury hospitality, with nearly 150 luxury hotels under its St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W Hotel brands, offering guests and residents exceptional levels of service and luxury experiences in a wide range of destinations around the world.
Great Hotels of the World is thrilled to announce that a total of 12 awards were won by nine Great Hotels of the World member hotels at this year’s World Travel Awards in Doha, Qatar. For over 18 years, the World Travel Awards have acknowledged excellence in the world travel and tourism industry. Often described as the Oscars of the travel industry, the awards aim to stimulate world-class competition, provoke creativity and innovation, and maybe most important of all, guarantee travellers quality customer experience. The awards are voted for by thousands of travel professionals from 183,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organisations in over 160 countries. The awards are regarded as the very highest achievement a hotel can hope to receive.
Great Hotels of the World member hotels were awarded with the following accolades:
Airways Hotel, Papua New Guinea: World’s Leading Airport Hotel and Australasia’s Leading Airport Hotel for the second consecutive year Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg, St Petersburg: Russia’s Leading Conference Hotel Forte Village, Sardinia: World’s Leading Resort for the 14th consecutive year, World’s Leading Green Resort for the second consecutive year and Italy’s Leading Resort for the eighth consecutive year Jetwing Ayurveda Pavillions, Negombo: Sri Lanka’s Leading Wellness Hotel Jetwing Lighthouse, Galle: Sri Lanka’s Leading Spa Resort Londa Hotel, Limassol: Cyprus’ Leading Hotel Mandala Spa, Boracay Island: Philippines Leading Resort for the third consecutive year Moevenpick Hotel Istanbul, Istanbul: Europe’s Leading Business Hotel Sandton Sun, Johannesburg: Africa’s Leading Business Hotel
Great Hotels of the World’s member properties awarded TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Hotel Awards 2012
TripAdvisor has revealed that 14 of Great Hotels of the World’s member properties have been honoured, receiving TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Hotel Awards in a number of categories. These awards reward the world’s best hotels, earning their distinction from the experiences of real travellers.
Great Hotels of the World is delighted to announce that The Toren in Amsterdam was chosen as a winner in the luxury, service and top 25 hotels in the Netherlands category. Hotel 1898 in Barcelona has been listed within the top 25 hotels in Spain, at number eight. Royal Wing Suites and Spa in Pattaya was also voted by travellers into the esteemed top 25 best hotels category, as well as the luxury, relaxation/spa and best service categories for Thailand. Reviews for Royal Wing Suites and Spa have all been overwhelmingly positive and there has not been a single negative experience posted on TripAdvisor thus far.
Elounda Gulf Villas and Sensimar Royal Blue Resort and Spa have been listed in the top 25 relaxation/spa hotels in Greece. St. James’s Hotel and Club and The Landmark in London have been honoured with the Traveller’s Choice Award for the top 25 luxury hotels in the UK. Domes of Elounda in Elounda and Royal Olympic in Athens have both been listed in the top 25 luxury hotels in Greece. The Plaza has been voted in the top 25 luxury hotels in South Korea. Gloria Serenity Resort has been voted in the top 25 relaxation/spa hotels and luxury hotels in Turkey. Hotel BLOOM! in Brussels was listed in the top 25 trendiest hotels in the World category at number 13 and Cavo Tagoo in Mykonos was voted number 10 in the top 25 trendiest Hotels in Greece. In addition, Hillside Beach Club in Fethiye has been recognised as one of the top 25 all-inclusive resorts in Turkey, voted number four. As TripAdvisor has continued its growth globally, featuring sites in 30 countries and in 21 languages, the Travellers’ Choice Hotel Awards now highlight a broader range of spectacular properties across the globe.
As the countdown kicks off for the official launch of InterContinental Doha The City, the new team hosted a sophisticated fashion show for colleagues, showcasing the latest designs that the hotel’s team will be wearing when the property opens in the coming weeks. Forty members of the team took to the catwalk in the stunning lobby of the five-star hotel, which is set to bring a new perspective on design to Doha’s West Bay area. In front of an audience that included staff, the hotel owners and guests from the InterContinental Hotels Group office in Dubai, the chosen models for the day displayed a range of leading-edge outfits that will be worn by the various teams at InterContinental Doha The City. Outfits premiered at the event included fashion wear for the staff at six restaurants and two lounges to the sporting attire for trainers at the Health & Fitness Club.
“As the opening date for InterContinental Doha The City approaches, our team is creating a stylish and cohesive form of hospitality fashion which echoes and complements the décor within the property. The new uniforms reflect the bold direction that this hotel will take as a modern, sophisticated destination with its roots firmly placed within the city of Doha,” said David Todd, General Manager.
The uniforms have been designed specifically for InterContinental Doha The City by the Lebanese designer Emile Rassam, using natural fabrics, elegant cuts and a neutral colour palette to complement the hotel’s interiors.
Bespoke woven carpet from Axminster Carpets Commercial has helped to transform the interior of Reading’s BJ’s Bingo as the venue underwent a complete transformation to create a luxurious environment for over 1,000 players. As part of the complete refurbishment of the popular venue, Abstract Design specified some 2,100m2 of woven axminster carpet in a durable 80% wool 20% nylon construction, equipping the main auditorium, new Chatroom and AWP areas with a long lasting, comfortable and striking floor covering.
Conceiving anintrepid contemporary design with a swirl motif and bright colours that are reflective of the building’s purpose to provide a fun day or night out for visitors, Abstract Design looked towards Axminster Carpets Commercial as being the ideal partner to work with in creating floor coverings for BJ’s Bingo:
“Axminster Carpets Commercial were able to deliver a competitively priced product, but more than this they were able to deliver a carpet that was also manufactured within the UK,” comments James Jones, Abstract Design. “Carpet from Axminster is great quality and the company’sgood service levels makes it easy to work with. In short, Axminster Carpets Commercial proved an ideal carpet supplier for the transformation of BJ’s Bingo Hall.”
Axminster Carpets Commercial offers a fully serviced bespoke facility as used by Abstract Design, as well as the Ready to Weave semi-bespoke concept. Manufacturing all woven carpets at its Devon facility, Axminster controls every aspect of the spinning, dyeing and weaving processes involved in production, ensuring some of the most stringent quality control used in the industry, resulting in carpets of unrivalled quality.
Sourcing 95% of its wool from UK flocks, recycling waste into Axfelt underlay, and with the reduced transportation impact of localised manufacturing, Axminster Carpets has one of the lowest environmental impacts within the carpet manufacturing sector.
The iconic building that once housed Amsterdam’s premier music conservatorium has completed a sophisticated transformation into the city’s most unique and fashionable hotel. Design Hotels™’ new member, Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam combines luxury, lifestyle, and heritage with an exceptional level of personalised service. Thanks to the vision of owner Georgi Akirov, the meticulous metamorphosis was overseen by designer Piero Lissoni. Focussing on a mix of old and new with a locational emphasis has resulted in a careful layering of classic and contemporary styles. Lissoni sought to pay homage to the building’s history while adding his own inimitable touches such as the glass-covered atrium and ubiquitous exposed beams.The property, which is part of the new luxury hotel collection The Set, pays tribute to the Amsterdam Conservatorium’s legacy as soothing classical music selections echo through its vaulted ceilings. Several communal dining outlets such as the Conservatorium Brasserie & Lounge and Tunes Restaurant & Bar by Schilo, offer guests the opportunity to enjoy convivial outings and discover new local flavours and culinary talents. The 129 rooms and suites provide a respite for the weary while the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Center promises to replenish and refuel in the most inspired of settings.
Italian Touches First designed by revered Dutch architect Daniel Knuttel at the turn of the 19th century, the Conservatorium’s well-known structure served as a major bank for 77 years before becoming Amsterdam’s premier music conservatory from 1983–2003. Intrigued by its architecture and past, Lissoni uses the building’s historic backdrop to create a hybrid of modern heritage. The original lofty ceilings have been left intact in almost half the rooms and transformed into stunning duplexes with large windows and exposed structural beams. A spectacular element is the courtyard covered entirely in glass, which is indicative of much of the hotel’s design, creating a wonderful contrast between the old and the new, between the classic and the modern.
Musical Heritage Music also plays a big part in the hotel’s aesthetic and connects the building’s past with its present. For instance, the Concerto Suite boasts a Steinway Baby Grand piano.
Location and rates Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam has a prime location in the cultural centre of the Museumplein, next to the Stedelijk Museum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. The hotel is situated opposite the Royal Concertgebouw and parallel to the prestigious shopping district of P.C. Hooftstraat and the famous Vondelpark.
SOURCE: Design Hotels™ Bookings through www.designhotels.com.
It used to be said that if you stood at the base of the statue of Eros you stood at the centre of British Empire. It was also believed that if you stood there long enough you would meet someone you knew. These days it sometime feels as if everyone from the old Empire wants to test this saying as the crowds of tourists flock to London. Piccadilly Circus punctuates one end of Regent Street – the other ends in another Circus, Oxford Circus.
The guys responsible for this area are no clowns though, and the Crown Estate has embarked on a £1 billion remodelling of a street that has moved from the genteel decay of my first visits in 1960 into the throbbing heart of another Empire – a retail empire. Piccadilly Circus is the area onto which faces the Quadrant group of deco buildings that has at its heart the former Regent Palace hotel, now known as Quadrant 3, together with the Café Royal, Charles Fortes first major property buy and now part of a major restoration programme of slightly mind boggling ambition.The team of architects – Atkins, Dixon Jones and Donald Insall, have been backed by Crown Estates in challenging circumstances, undertaking an extremely sensitive demolitions programme with the the retention of key external facades . The grade 2 listed interiors of the original Regent Palace Hotel have been kept but now sit a floor lower than originally.
The original Regent Palace Hotel was built by the Lyons Corner House business as a cheap hotel in the centre of the city, and its main bedroom block was considered no longer fit for purpose. Only the facades of the buildings fronting the street remain, their beautifully understated cream Edwardian stonework cleaned and gleaming as no building in London did in the days of smog and coal fires. Behind the facade has taken place what one hotelier inelegantly referred to elsewhere as a ‘gut job’ and a new gleaming office block has risen in the central part of the site, much of it already let to organisations such as Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management
Phil Fanning, Head Chef at Paris House restaurant in Woburn picked up gold at this year’s annual Hi-Life Dining Awards, where he won the much sought after ‘Best Chef’ award sponsored by Dawnvale. As Bedfordshire’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and set in 22 acres of stunning deer park on the historic Woburn Estate, the restaurant has won numerous awards and is a ‘must-do’ for food-lovers.Phil went head to head in a final cook-off competition with Tom van Zeller, Enzo Mauro and Christopher Cleghorn filmed at Dawnvale’s recently launched North West Design Centre’s theatre kitchen.
Elizabeth Carter, Editor of the Good Food Guide and Food Writer and Restaurant Critic Matthew Norman from the Daily Telegraph were joined by Hi-Life member and Sponsor Denise Jones of Dawnvale.
This year’s Hi-Life Awards (www.hi-life.co.uk) or HILDAs as they are fondly known in the industry took place on Friday 3rd February, 2012 at The Midland Hotel, Manchester.
The Hi-Life Dining Awards are considered the leading food and drink awards in the industry, with nominees and winners voted for by the dining public.
Presented by TV presenter and journalist Paul Ross, guests enjoyed a champagne reception followed by a four-course dinner and a glittering line-up of first-class entertainment including American singing sensation Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce fame.
Stars from stage, screen and sport presented thirteen awards to some of the best restaurants and chefs in the UK and Ireland.
Said Lisa Lund, Hi-Life’s Commercial Director: “Tonight was a fantastic showcase of the very best in dining excellence and congratulations to all our winners and short-listed entries. The calibre of participants this year has been exceptionally high. With more sponsors and partners than ever before this has been our most successful event to date and I would like to thank everyone for their wonderful support and enthusiasm, including, in particular, our loyal Hi-Life Dining Club members and restaurants.”
This year’s nominated charity was the Five Stars Appeal. A live auction and raffle raised over £10,000 pounds for the charity.
RHA Furniture offers a wide range of furniture from award winning Designers.
Winner of a RedDot Design Award & extremely impressive looking item of furniture, is the i-Sit wing back. The chair achieves the highest standards of both form & function; this is a chair that has been designed to be aesthetically pleasing from all angles whilst delivering the highest levels of comfort. The Flow seating system and Sputnik tables are equally impressive looking pieces of furniture. The Sputnik tables have also won a RedDot Design Award and look great as a standalone piece or when used in combination. The Flow seating system offers many style & layout options, it can be used to form regular lounge seating, rows, circles or serpentine formations; this flexibility makes it ideal for use in hotel lounges, reception areas & visitor waiting rooms.
Hilton Garden Inn recently announced its debut in Central Scotland with the opening of its latest UK hotel in Glasgow City Centre. The former Mint Hotel has been converted to Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow City Centre and is one of the eight Mint Hotels across the UK and the Netherlands to join the Hilton Worldwide portfolio under the Hilton Garden Inn and DoubleTree by Hilton brand names.Situated on the banks of the River Clyde next to the Clyde Arc Bridge, Hilton Worldwide has invested £1 million in the new Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow City Centre. The hotel offers 164 stylish and fully refreshed bedrooms, all featuring new fixtures and fittings including a spacious desk and an ergonomic chair.
Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow City Centre features a contemporary design lobby, 24-hour business centre, complimentary Wi-Fi internet access throughout the hotel, as well as the Hilton Garden Inn 24-hour Pavilion Pantry which provides a selection of food and beverage options. The City Café restaurant serves contemporary, locally-sourced food from an enviable riverside location and Head Chef Ian Hale has already built up a fantastic reputation in the city for offering the very best in casual dining for the discerning customer. Guests can choose to dine indoors or al fresco on the stunning outdoor terrace space which can accommodate up to 180 covers. Overlooking the Clyde, it offers spectacular views of the nearby SECC, Armadillo, Glasgow Science Centre and the Finnieston Crane.
A new hi-tec Precor gym has been introduced to the property, doubling the size of the previous facility, offering the very latest in state of the art equipment for gym users. A guest laundry has also been introduced to allow guests the convenience of freshening up during longer stays at the hotel.
For meetings, conferences and special events, including weddings, the Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow City Centre has some of the finest space in the city. The online event planning tools give meeting organisers complete control over their events, including choosing the desired space, and the option to download and print guest reservations as well as creating seating styles and personalised web pages specifically for an event. The meeting space is versatile and functional, accommodating up to 60 guests theatre-style and up to 100 for receptions.
As a preferred supplier for AB Hotels, Lano Flooring Solutions was called upon to provide carpet throughout the 194-bedroom Colchester Five Lakes Resort.
Now run by worldwide hotel group, Crowne Plaza, the Colchester Five Lakes Resort is the first of its kind in the UK for the chain and provides sporting and conference facilities, luxurious accommodation and fine dining for business and pleasure travellers. Working closely with AB Hotels and Richard Daniels Design (RDD) to develop a suitable flooring scheme, Lano Flooring Solutions manufactured and supplied carpet for guestrooms, corridors and public areas, varying construction and wear quality to provide maximum value from the 5,000m2 of carpet required.
For public areas and corridors, Lano Flooring Solutions manufactured a total of 2,500m2 of bespoke axminster carpets. Working from provisional sketches from RDD, Lano finalised patterns and colours before weaving five different contemporary designs in an 80% wool 20% nylon mix for maximum durability and appearance retention. Ranging from linear designs to full blown circular motifs, the bespoke carpets are varied, reflecting the diverse usage of public areas throughout the hotel.
Within corridors, 1,700m2 of 10-row has been installed to cope with the wear from narrow traffic lanes, while high footfall levels and wear experienced in 800m2 of public areas is being combatted by an 11-row construction, currently one of the most durable axminster carpet constructions available.
Within the bedrooms of Colchester Five Lakes, Lano turned its attention to the value-orientated tufted graphics with the Suite collection specified in a 1,100g/m2 pile weight. Again, in a performance combination of 80% wool 20% nylon, the carpet provides a durable solution for less intensive areas such as bedrooms, helping to maximise value throughout the location.
Kevin Beasant, UK Contract Sales Manager, Lano Flooring Solutions, said:
“Set in over 300 acres, in close proximity to London and with two 18-hole golf courses and a spa, the Crowne Plaza Colchester Five Lakes Resort stands apart as a destination for business and pleasure travellers looking for a luxurious place to stay with some of the finest facilities in the South East of England.With this in mind, it is imperative that the flooring throughout the venue reflects the ambience and quality of the establishment and so working closely with AB Hotels and RDD we developed a scheme that maximised value where suitable and provided durability where necessary. Using both stock and bespoke qualities, the scheme provides the Crowne Plaza Colchester Five Lakes resort with a carpet that makes for an environment that is welcoming and purposeful.”
For further information on all Lano carpet ranges, freephone 00800 5266 5266 or visit www.lano.com
Hilton Garden Inn has recently announced the opening of its latest UK hotel in Birmingham’s prestigious Brindleyplace development. The former Mint Hotel has been converted to Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham Brindleyplace and is located in the heart of the city centre within close proximity to the National Indoor Arena, International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall. In the coming weeks, two additional former Mint properties will also join the Hilton Garden Inn portfolio, in Glasgow and Bristol.Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham Brindleyplace features 238 bedrooms all with Apple iMac computer which functions both as a TV and computer, mini-refrigerators, floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a newly refurbished fitness centre. The hotel also offers meeting space for up to 120 people in its six flexible conference rooms, all of which benefit from natural light and provide the latest in audio visual technology.
Dining options include the continental-style brasserie, Bank, which has views over the city from its terrace and relaxed fine-dining restaurant, Edmunds – open to both hotel guests and non-residents. In addition, guests of the hotel will be able to enjoy the 24 hour Pavilion Pantry, which stocks a range of healthy snacks and drinks.
Designed for the opening of the Four Seasons Prague at the end of 2011, this contemporary tea stand is a beautiful addition to the ranges available from Heritage Silverware Ltd.Available in a choice of finishes, such as silver-plate or 18/10 high mirror polished stainless steel, it is a simple yet elegant design which will complement a variety of tea sets.
This tea stand design can be adapted to accommodate any size of china plate. Please enquire for further details.
Thailand-based hotel management company ONYX Hospitality Group offers two innovative and unique spa brands as part of its strategic growth plans. With each brand catering to very distinct market segments; Breeze Spa is the ‘fun’, mid tier offering whilst Maai Spa will offer exclusive, luxury spa experiences for a discerning, spa-savvy clientele. Stemming from a comprehensive review of the existing spa offering and with due consideration given to ONYX’s strategic growth plans, a conclusion was reached that two brands were needed.
Breeze Conceptualised from the premise that happiness is a key foundation for wellness, Breeze Spas will appeal to a wide-reaching demographic, encompassing the seasoned spa aficionado to the wellness newcomer. The spa brand presents a simple yet innovative Mood Therapy Treatment concept. Designed to be a complete sensory experience, each treatment is aligned with a carefully chosen traditional body therapy or massage technique as its centrepiece, enhanced by specific aromatherapy oils, herbal teas, musical selections and even colours to provide a package that delivers the mood each guest is looking to bring to their life.
In addition to a range of customised treatments and products under the Breeze label, the spas will also feature offerings by leading Thai natural skincare brand, Panpuri and the award-winning Italian spa products brand, Comfort Zone.
The first Breeze Spa will open its doors at Amari Hua Hin in June 2012. Plans are also underway to refurbish the existing spas in all Amari properties to fully encapsulate the vibrant Breeze design.
Maai This is an exciting luxury wellness brand borne from the tradition of authentic Thai healing combined with modern day science, all encased within the elegance of Thai silk. Offering a combination of private suite based treatments, unique Thai herbal programmes and advanced skincare science, Maai Spas offer results-driven beauty treatments and technology delivered through personalised programmes, amidst a backdrop of contemporary luxury.
Maai Spa’s authentic treatments draw from the 2,500-year history of indigenous Thai healing with influences from Indian, Chinese and Tibetan healing practices. The traditional therapies will be combined with modern scientific wellness.
In an interesting parallel, the origin of Thai silk follows a similar path across Asia as the country’s ancient healing techniques. Thus, Maai (which means silk in Thai) blends the attributes and traditions of this sumptuous, handcrafted fabric to create luxurious, elegant spa surroundings.
These two distinctive spa brands will enable ONYX to enhance the facilities within its own portfolio of managed properties whilst also offering management services for these spas to be set up in third party hotels, standalone luxury residential or mixed used developments and even airport lounges.
Bespoke Glass Art table lamps and Connoisseur Crystal floor lamps from Chelsom have been used throughout the 245 Barlow House guestrooms and Chambers suites at the luxurious St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London.Flanking the bedsides in the opulent Victorian interiors are unique free-formed solid glass sculpture lamps in a deep turquoise hue, specified by designers G A Design to enhance the subtle scheme of aqua-marine and natural beige. Teamed with crisp cream shades, the fine quality and considerable weight of these hand-made pieces reflects the status of the hotel as an icon of English hospitality.
Elegant cast floor lamps finished in polished nickel with clear crystal sections provide supplementary reading light in the suites. These tall transparent lamps offer scale without dominating the graceful interior.
The 5-star St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London is a stunning restoration of a spectacular Victorian Grade II listed building, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1873. Created to offer rail travelling guests a world of grandeur and luxury, the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is still renowned as London’s most romantic building.
The anticipation is building for the launch of the latest luxury hotel in Doha as InterContinental Doha The City makes its name public, bringing new perspectives to the city. Set to be a glittering addition to Doha’s hospitality scene, the hotel and residences offer guests a complete “In the Know” experience of the booming capital city of Qatar.InterContinental Doha The City (opening Q1 2012) will offer 58 storeys of the highest standards in accommodation and facilities, surrounded by the towering skyscrapers of Qatar’s growing business district, West Bay.
“Our name reflects the style and ambience of the hotel itself and our prime location, in the heart of financial and diplomatic districts of the exclusive West Bay area, will ensure that InterContinental Doha The City mirrors the bold ambitions of the surrounding city,” said David Todd, General Manager.
The five-star hotel and residence brings a new perspective on luxury, along with superior standards of service, fresh innovative concepts, elegant accommodation and the unique local knowledge that is synonymous with the InterContinental brand across the globe.
“It is an exciting time for us all as InterContinental Doha The City comes together in the final stages before opening. We are strengthening an established brand in an ambitious and forward-looking city and we are confident with our offering as we look to welcoming our first guests,” added Todd.
Morgan Furniture, the design-led British manufacturer of contract furniture, has produced a new standalone brochure that spotlights their inspiring collections of dining, pedestal, coffee and console tables. Rather than being presented by table type however, the glossy, picture-led content is organised by collection, all of which have been created under the auspices of, or directly by, Morgan Design Director, Katerina Zachariades. The Morgan table portfolio is wide and eclectic. Each table is designed and manufactured in-house with either a timber or metal frame and a versatile choice of tops including inset glass, sandblasted, coloured and patterned glass. Ideally suited to contract environments, bespoke tops can also be ordered such as additional lay-on glass to protect the veneer, or decorative tops of mirrored or bronzed glass, marble or stone.
The 43 colour pages include new additions to existing collections as well as two new collections: Lima and Siena, plus a stunning Seville large dining table to match the existing Seville bar tables. With flared timber legs and suggested two colour timber finish, the new Lima coffee tables have a contemporary and light feel. They are designed to harmonise aesthetically with the existing Lima seating collection and match the varying seat heights. The new Siena tables, offered in metal and timber variants, echo the relaxed but elegant lines of the comprehensive seating collection of the same name. The single pedestal design with four-point cross feet and square or circular table top, has softened edges that are also a perfect match for the newer Metro and Oslo seating collections.
The new taster brochure accentuates Morgan’s design competence and also streamlines the table product portfolio with seating, which is already presented by collection. With distinctive, sophisticated designs, the brochure will help interior designers to effortlessly select tables that will blend together across a range of different functions and, in many cases, match with the seating collection of the same name. To cater for every specification need, however, the function remains to search by product type, for tables and seating, on the Morgan website.
Click here to contact Morgan Furniture in the Directory
IHG announces the opening of the new Holiday Inn Express Atlanta Downtown. The 11-story, 130-room hotel at 111 Cone Street Northwest, which had previously been the Centennial Inn Atlanta Hotel, underwent a $7 million conversion that included enhancements throughout the hotel.The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta Downtown is just a short drive from the Hartsfield-Jackson International airport and within walking distance to several major corporations and universities, including Coca-Cola, Georgia-Pacific, SunTrust, Turner Broadcasting, Southern Company, Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University. It is also near many downtown attractions such as Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Underground Atlanta and the Georgia Dome. Other attractions just a short drive away are the Martin Luther King, Jr. Museum and Zoo Atlanta.
The new hotel includes features in keeping with the $1 billion Holiday Inn re-launch, the largest project of its kind in the history of the hospitality industry.
Guests will enjoy free high-speed wireless Internet connections in guest rooms and the lobby as well as in the hotel’s 24-hour business centre. The hotel also features a fitness centre and flexible meeting space able to accommodate meetings of up to 200 people.
The Holiday Inn Express Atlanta Downtown is owned by Jay and Nat Patel and managed by Luckie J. Management LLC under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
Leading UK Shower Manufacturer, Roman, have had their luxury Embrace Wetroom Panel with Designer Motif and space efficient Orbital Bi-fold Door both filmed for brand new Channel 4 series, Home of the Future, which starts February 12th, 7.00pm on Channel 4.What happens if you ask a normal family to boldly go where no-one has gone before – to live in the future? This five-part Channel 4 series, co-funded by one of the UK’s leading energy companies E.ON, and produced by Twofour, transforms the lives of a family, filling their home from top-to-bottom with futuristic technology and gadgets.
As well as having cutting-edge technology and gadgets to play with, the Perera family in Sheffield will be challenged by scenarios likely to come in the next twenty to fifty years. Overseen by expert Chris Sanderson, the Pereras will discover how we may work, rest and play – as well as eat, travel, stay healthy and power our homes.
The series looks at the effects of working from home and living in multi-generational households and asks: what will we eat when cheap food is gone and mass-produced meat is unsustainable? And the family face being shamed by their bin if they don’t recycle enough and being temporarily banned from short car journeys (electric and hydrogen-powered, naturally).
But the future is not all bad news as the Pereras discover mind-controlled games, domestic power stations that slash their bills, robots they can control from the other side of the world, waterless washing machines, cars, lawnmowers and vacuums that drive themselves and the joys of growing your own fish supper.
The first episode of Home of the Future airs on February 12th, 7.00pm on Channel 4.
Great new additions to the fabric collection with new soft tumbled bed linens, heavy linen throws and much more are now available to view on www.volgalinen.co.uk.Trade Application: Click Here (Trade price list available on request)
IHG has announced the opening of the new-build Holiday Inn New York City Midtown-31st St. The 20-story hotel features more than 120 guest rooms and a rooftop lounge with a spectacular view of the New York City skyline.Centrally located at 30 West 31st Street, the new $52 million Holiday Inn New York Midtown-31st St. is just a short cab ride from major airports serving the metropolitan area; a short walk to Times Square and the Empire State Building; near Broadway theatres and Madison Square Garden; and by dozens of restaurants and night life locations.
The Holiday Inn New York City Midtown-31st St. is home to Contorno’s – a boutique Italian restaurant staffed by world-class chefs.
The design creates a residential atmosphere that is warm, trend forward and comfortable. The hotel will feature a natural, fresh colour palette punctuated by pops of energetic colours. Standard Holiday Inn guestroom accommodations feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, 32-inch cable televisions, cable television, hairdryer, coffeemaker, iron and ironing board.
Tucked into an elegant urban setting between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, the hotel is owned by Chesapeake Lodging Trust and managed by Real Hospitality Group, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
Forbes Group’s stand S2109 at Hotelympia from 26th February – 1st March gives you a chance to take a look at the company’s Buffet-Rite table tops that are currently becoming a specified item among international hotel groups.
Buffet-Rite is a heat-resistant waterproof table top that fits over standard buffet tables, making them double up for outdoor or indoor service. Buffet-Rite’s non-porous, laminated surface shrugs off spillages and wipes clean, resisting stains and keeping its uniform good looks for years with minimal care.
Ask to be shown how Buffet Rite can give your tables a contemporary twist, by simply putting it over a table covered with Forbes’s Silcra stretch cover. Silcra gives a table a completely new look, instantly updating your buffet displays with a sleek, sculpted contour.
On the Forbes stand you will also be able to inspect its popular Alu-Lite® tables, cocktail tables, staging and chairs, as well as its well-known skirtings and conference covers in a variety of styles. New in the fabric range is the Mode cover – a familiar sueded top combined with stretch side panels, updating your conference look while retaining the easy-care durable qualities for which Forbes’s products are appreciated.
Forbes Group is also the European distributor for US brand Forbes Industries, so will be showcasing familiar products like the famous Birdcage brass luggage cart, and room service tables.
A one-stop stand to freshen up your venue with value-for money products developed with professionals in the hospitality industry. Forbes Group staff look forward to seeing you there.
Having spun a yarn in Pt 1, now I want to weave you the tale of how the yarn turns into high quality contract carpet. Axminster Carpet’s design library goes back to the days of Thomas Whitty in 1775, with royal palaces representing the peak of their special contract weaving, recognised by the recent award of a Royal Warrant. However the company recognises the importance of their relationship with designers, and their willingness to create bespoke carpets is enhanced by their vertically integrated operation which enables rapid specialist dyeing for matching the designers needs in colour terms, through to their technologically advanced looms (so advanced no photography of the back of the loom was permitted) that cuts the time and cost of changing the loom for custom weaving.Weaving sheds are noisy places. Older generations of weavers, especially in the larger textile weaving sheds of Lancashire, for example, became adept at lip reading to make themselves heard over the clatter of the looms. Carpet looms are not as noisy as textiles looms but the familiar clack and thump of the weaving frames brought a smile to my face as we entered the weaving sheds. There is something magical about seeing wool coming in one end and carpets going out the other.
Of course the starting point is the design. Bespoke design can be presented in many ways. I used art historical references and coloured pencil sketches which were worked up by the designers into detail design. Others make accurate 1:1 scale drawings of the carpet and refer to the tuft box for colours.
Holiday Inn’s iconic Heathrow M4J4 hotel has completed a series of refurbishments following a major £1.2m investment which will see the hotel become a firm favourite with all guests – local – international, for business or pleasure. The 617 bedroom hotel, which is 40 years old, has developed a new hi-tech kid’s zone which includes the latest gadgets and videogames such as Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 Kinect and iPads; in addition a soft play area for younger children has also been created.
In addition, the hotel’s reception area has received a complete overhaul to provide a bright and modern space for welcoming guests, including up-to-the-minute flight information on new plasma screens.
Food and beverage standards have been taken to the next level with the creation of a modern and relaxed open-plan Rotisserie restaurant which boasts lots of natural light, views of the landscaped gardens and a private dining area. There is also Sampans, a pan-Asian style restaurant, a lounge bar and Callaghan’s Irish Pub, all of which have received extensive upgrades and refurbishment.
The Health Club has also been fully refurbished and has been fitted out with the latest fitness equipment including machines compatible with iPads.
The investment is part of ongoing plans for the hotel to establish itself as a major gateway hotel for guests from across the globe. General Manager, Steve Shipley said: “We are a very big hotel in a great location and therefore welcome a lot of people from very different backgrounds. Through our continued focus on guest service, including listening to and understanding our different customer’s needs we have been able to create a destination that caters for all – we have areas perfect for families, where mum and dad can relax and enjoy a dinner, while the kids enjoy the free entertainment available in our kids zones.
He added: “Not only that, but we have created three dedicated crew lounges to enable flight staff to relax away from the main hotel in a home from home environment.
He continued: “We are continually aiming to improve our standards and stay one step ahead to ensure we are constantly meeting guest needs. We recently introduced valet parking to save our customers time and there is further investment planned this year to develop our bedroom product.”
A quintessentially English dining experience, Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar will celebrate the best of English when it launches at the end of March 2012.
Located in the 5* London Marriott County Hall hotel, Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar will be the most English of English dining destinations, from the interior design to each cut of beef. Set in the County Hall, built 100 years ago to house London’s government, with views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, few can claim a more inherently English location or vista.
The choice of namesake, James Gillray, a famed caricaturist of the late eighteenth century, reflects the political history of the County Hall’s past, and the intelligence, style and humour of the English personality. James Gillray’s work punctuates the menu and will be exhibited on the walls of the bar and steakhouse restaurant.
An English steakhouse of the finest design, the 110-cover Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar is a homage to top quality beef -35-day dry aged Hereford Cattle from the Duke of Devonshire’s Bolton Abbey Estate in Yorkshire. The menu features nine cuts of steak – bone-out and bone-in – 300g Fillet on the bone, 450g Porthouse and 600g T-Bone steaks. The signature dish, a 1000g ‘Bulls Head’ steak, will steal the show – a 1000g-butterfly cut, double rib steak with the bone in.
As Denver Jeffrey, Director of Food and Beverage, says, “Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar is all about indulging in great English produce – we want it to speak English at every level”. Every inch of the menu reflects this, displaying English food at its best.
The design is sophisticated but unpretentious, playing on the eccentric but charming details of classic lighting and furniture pieces, such as Chesterfield sofa and Waterford chandeliers, all bespoke designs by designers Blacksheep.
The bar offers a sophisticated and stylish Thames-side destination, featuring one of the finest selections of gin in London and an impressive cocktail collection designed by head bartender, Carlos Santos. The newly created cocktail menu is ordered by historical era, from the Georgian era – cocktails such as National Debt, Wife & No Wife and Very Slippy-Weather each taking their name from popular James Gillray sketches – through to contemporary and modern English concoctions. The cocktail collection doesn’t stop there, but gives a nod to the next generation of cocktails – molecular mixology
The Englishness of Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar is evident throughout the bar menu, populated by 10 English beers (and two Scottish beers from Innis & Gunn), 29 English gins (including a few British favourites such as Hendrick’s) and five English vodkas. The bar snacks menu brings Englishness to life in bite-sized morsels – Pigs in Blankets, English Crumpet & Soft Boiled Egg and Venison Sausage Rolls with HP Sauce – England on a plate.
Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar opens at London’s County Hall at the end of March 2012.
design-conscious’s rich collection of coffee tables by Vibieffe offers a wide choice of models, styles and sizes that will be sure to have something to fit almost any space and requirement. These coffee tables are all manufactured with high quality selected materials with tops in wood, steel, glass, leather and the most beautiful (and serviceable) marble.
Conceived to be versatile, they can easily used separately, in combination with each other and, of course, in conjunction with all of our seating and sofa collections.
Available in a multitude of models, dimensions and heights that can all be mixed and matched due to the continuity of the materials used and most have multifunctional uses – as coffee tables, sofa side tables, bedside tables and occasional tables – we even have a particularly useful table that can be positioned over a sofa arm to serve drinks.
So if you fancy our coffee tables – drop us a line to find out more.
2012 is going to be a very exciting year for Burgess as we are launching not one but two superb new products!Two years in the making and designed by Broome Jenkins, starting with cardboard modelling and progressing to rapid prototyping, the new Meet-U™ meeting table system includes simple features to allow for agile working and modern technology.
Carefully designed with the user in mind, a variety of top shapes including rectangles, squares, triangles and quadrants link together to form the perfect layout for any meeting room environment. The full range of tables can be further complemented by bridging units, minimising the number of table legs needed and so allowing more people to sit in total comfort around the table layout.
In addition to this we are also launching a stylish new chair range called Orvia, which has been designed by Peter Roth and was modelled on our best selling Vario range.
The Orvia with its unique extrusion and ergonomic design makes it an ideal product for conference and banqueting venues.
Orvia will be available as a side chair, arm chair and task chair, and is complemented by an extensive range of quality contract fabrics and finishes.
It can be stacked, if required, up to ten high and is available with and without linking and numbering.
Come along to our stand S2420 and see both products in action.
Following Germany, Israel, Belgium, Hungary and Switzerland, Leonardo Hotels is now also to have a presence in Vienna. In the middle of next year, the Israeli hotel chain will be opening its first Leonardo Hotel in Austria — the 3-star Superior Leonardo Hotel Vienna. “By coming to Vienna we’ve been able to add another important European location to our hotel portfolio,” explains Daniel Roger, CEO of Leonardo Hotels Europe. “In a major renovation project led by hotel interior designer Andreas Neudahm, the premises will then be transformed into a modern, fresh lifestyle and business hotel.”
The re-opening is planned for July of 2012. The reconstruction will be financed by the IMMOFINANZ Group, the owner of the hotel property: “We are very pleased to have gained a strong partner for this appealing location with Leonardo Hotels. Together we will further highlight the growing district around the recently newly opened Westbahnhof railway station in Vienna,” says Manfred Wiltschnigg, Member of the Board of the IMMOFINANZ Group.
Vienna’s soon-to-be Leonardo Hotel is located in a central position right on Europaplatz just 100 m from the city’s main shopping street, Mariahilfer Straße, and post conversion will have 213 bedrooms and 3 function rooms with up to 100 sqm. Also planned for the hotel is a spacious, open lobby that will combine bar, restaurant and lounge in an expansive entrance area. “This is designed to be the heart of the hotel, its ‘living room’, and to encourage people from all over the world to linger, chill out and make new contacts,” says Neudahm, explaining his concept.
In order, despite the purist style and modern design, to nevertheless create a link to Vienna and its sights, several special artworks featuring typical Viennese scenes are being produced exclusively for the hotel and will be found in varying sizes throughout the premises.
The world-famous Viennese charm will characterise the atmosphere of the hotel and offer guests a relaxed stay in the hotel – the new rooms in particular should contribute to this. Andreas Neudahm has opted here for warm red tones, offset by fresh contrasting touches of pastel green on pillows, pictures and decorations.
One very special feature of the hotel will be the business level. Extending over two floors, its bedrooms will be tailored specifically to the needs of business travellers and will match the comfort and convenience of 4-star hotels. The business-class bedrooms will, for example, have large desks at which guests can sit in extra comfortable ‘Relax chairs’. The colours will be more subdued, conveying an especially elegant and refined ambience.
In addition to the business-level bedrooms with their high-quality fittings, business travellers staying at the new Leonardo Hotel Vienna will also benefit from a well-lit conference area with its own entrance, foyer and additional small kitchen facilities. And for anyone for whom that is still not enough, the VIP lounge will offer exceptional exclusivity – a relaxing atmosphere combined with a comprehensive range of additional services, such as separate check-in, an extended culinary offering and free Internet access will leave nothing to be desired.
Built by the authorities of Steyr, Austria, the retirement home Ennsleite celebrated its opening ceremony on the 1st. of December 2011. The building is offering up to date facilities for more than 120 elderly people, including care facilities and spacious common areas.
Considering the special needs in this kind of institution the building owner commissioned Baulmann Leuchten to develop and deliver large volume luminaires for the public areas and hallways.
All pictures are copyright by ND Beleuchtungstechnik.
Fameed Khalique, an expert in innovative and inspiring surface materials for the interior design industry, introduces an extensive range of exceptional quality stone finishes including laser-cut marble and stone, ceramic mosaics and semi-precious stones. Khalique and his team works in partnership with their clients to deliver an exceptional level of service and will see the project through from selection and ordering to installation and sign-off from the client. Their mission is to find and create exquisite and rare finishes that provide the wow-factor in a project.
Marble and Stone This collection of laser-cut marble and stone is at the forefront of revolving laser saw technology. The effects yield dramatic three-dimensional applications for interior and exterior use. The effects of light and shadow give the tiles a highly decorative value, transforming a wall into a sculptural masterpiece. The technique used to create the designs has been developed to create curved tiles which were recently added to the collection for the first time. The laser-cut natural stone has excellent sound absorbency properties, making the material an ideal application for walls in theatres, cinemas and libraries in commercial projects or within the home.
Mosaics and Ceramics This collection is expertly crafted in India combining metals with stone, including, brass with sandstone and steel with marble. This unusual way of combining materials and patterns produces an outstanding, contemporary range of wall coverings.
Semi-precious Gemstones This is an unrivalled collection of over 50 gemstones, available in numerous styles from small mosaics tiles to large slabs (max size 240 x 120cm) and finished products. The dazzling stones are solid or veneered onto a variety of substrates and are hand assembled by the finest craftsmen ensuring the highest quality product offered in the UK. The beautiful yet resilient properties of the gemstones make the collections suitable for numerous applications including walls, floors and as counter- and table tops.
Vaughan have had a successful 5 days exhibiting at Maison et Objet in Paris. This bi-annual event is the largest and possibly the most important of its kind catering for the interiors and creative sector in Europe.The show highlights high end design led furnishings across a series of vast exhibition halls, bringing together some of the best of designs of edgy new as well as long established companies.
Vaughan were exhibiting in the prestigious scenes d’interieur Hall 7 with a large inspirational stand designed by Vincent Dane. Vincent’s whimsical creation incorporated silver trees to set off an array of nickel, silver and glass products: Mirrors, Tables, Table Lamps and Floor Lamps to stunning effect.
The Sales Team saw many long established clients and were pleased to make many new contacts. However, if you missed Vaughan at Maison et Objet please contact contract-sales@vaughandesigns.com to be sent the show brochure and for further details of the comprehensive range.
The world’s only Southern Indian restaurant to hold a Michelin star has closed its doors to the public whilst designLSM completely redesign the interior. Design inspiration was realised when Steve La Bouchardiere – Managing Director, and Karen Mitton – Senior Designer, went on a whistle-stop tour of Southern India with Executive Chef Sriram Aylur. The first ports of call were Kerala and Cochin whose architecture combines Indian, English Colonial and Portuguese influences. Bangalore proved to be a high-tech emerging city and in Mangalore the team visited a heritage village where the owner had painstakingly acquired and renovated the houses. Mumbai proved to be a full assault on all the senses – it was here that the grand hotels provided a welcome sanctuary from the heat and noise. The final destination was Goa – an eclectic mix of sights and colours – where International visitors and past settlers provide a multi-cultural vibe.
The client’s brief was for the designers to create a unique, contemporary interior, which reflects the spirit and authenticity of Quilon. Dark grey tones are accentuated by vibrant splashes from amber, jade, green and blue fabrics throughout the 200sqm restaurant, 17sqm bar area and 79sqm private room. Layered and intricately-patterned Jaali screens finished in bronze, limestone-rendered walls, weathered timbers and atmospheric lighting provide greater depth of textures, as well as areas of interest. A bespoke, wenge candle wall – inspired by a Hindu temple in Kerala – consists of small portholes filled with tea-lights which throw out a warm, magical glow. Remarkable attention to detail has been executed with stained grey, curved wooden slats applied to the low ceiling, creating a soft wave-like effect. Striking elements include a hanging feature consisting of 1,100 individual, hand-printed ceramic discs, and an imported bespoke 8ft Indian fishing boat, which will be transformed into a glass top bar.
The Quilon Restaurant will re-open in March with the official launch party on 28th March 2012.
Autograph Collection, one of Marriott International’s newest business ventures, announced recently that the 128-room Hotel & Spa do Vinho in Bento Gonçalves in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, will join its distinctive portfolio comprised of similar upscale and independent hotels in early 2012, under a franchise agreement with Harvest Administração de Bens Ltda. Located in the heart of the Vale do Vinhedos (Vineyard Valley), the Hotel & Spa do Vinho opened in 2007 in a Tuscan-style building on 18 hectares (44.5 acres) in an exclusive setting of spectacular scenery, history and culture. The Vinothérapie Spa, under license with French beauty and spa company Caudalie, specializes in unique therapies with patented wine- and vine-related products. The hotel has two restaurants, Leopoldina Restaurante and Trattoria Damigiana, the Sabrage Bar, and a splendid wine cellar with more than 660 international and national labels for true wine lovers. All outlets serve wine grown on the estate, which specializes in the exclusive Merlot VE wine. The resort also offers five meeting rooms totalling 502 square meters/5,400 square feet. In addition to the Spa, recreation facilities include wine tours, a swimming pool, fitness centre, sauna, tennis court, hiking trail and library.
“We are pleased to be part of the Marriott International portfolio through Autograph Collection to showcase our beautiful retreat to a wider audience,” says the couple Aldemir and Deborah Dadalt, directors and owners of Prisma Engenharia SA, a regional real estate development and construction company based in South America which will continue to manage the retreat operations.
“The Spa do Vinho has an excellent local reputation as a luxury hotel with unique identity and experience, making it a perfect fit for the Autograph Collection.” said Guilherme Cesari, vice president of hotel development for Marriott International in Brazil. “This hotel is renowned by the Brazilian bon vivants and connoisseurs, and we are excited about the opportunity to reveal this one-of-a-kind experience, for the rest of the world to also enjoy.”
As part of a complete multi-million pound restoration of The Grosvenor Hotel, part of the Guoman Hotels collection, a magnificent crystal basket chandelier from Chelsom takes centre stage; an elegant addition to this spectacular listed interior dating back to 1862. Suspended from a silk covered chain within the vast entrance void, the chandelier has an overall drop of 8 metres, comprising over 300 individual strands of Egyptian crystal secured onto a slim metalwork structure finished in French Gold. Lit from within by sixty-five E14 LED lamps, the fitting adds sparkle and glamour to the reception area whilst subtly highlighting the restored ornate plasterwork and rich marble columns with gold leaf capitals.
Initially created as the first of London’s great railway hotels, The Grosvenor Hotel was a stunning example of Victorian architecture and opulence. Under the careful guidance of English Heritage the restoration, along with the new interior specification by ADS Design, has ensured that this spectacular 4 star, 346 guestroom hotel meets the client’s intention “to skilfully blend the ambition and confidence of a bygone age with the comforts and technology of today”
Agua continues to strengthen its Field Sales Team with the appointment of Aimee O’Donnell to cover Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Agua now has a team of seven covering the UK and Ireland but are continuing to look for additional representation for the South West.
Agua continues to see an increase in demand from all market sectors despite the current market conditions.
Plans are also in place to launch a new Upholstery collection in March.
The industrial ‘lived-in’ look is certainly in big demand and the Factory leather bar stool from the NEW Urban Vintage from Andy Thornton collection ticks all the boxes. This simple bar stool features a hard-wearing tubular steel frame that is both lightweight and sturdy, providing all the qualities needed in high-traffic environments like bars and clubs.The frames are finished in a tarnished iron patina and have plastic bungs fitted to the bottom of the legs to protect timber and tiled floors. The upholstered seat and backs are available in a choice of either distressed leather, as shown, or hard-wearing washed denim. They are fixed to the frame with leather loops and rivet-style fixings.
The complete range of retro/industrial furniture, lighting and retail display fittings is featured in a 36-page brochure. This eclectic collection is perfect for bars cafes, restaurants and retail environments.
The Urban Vintage range is ever-changing, with newly sourced pieces coming in daily, so please refer to www.andythornton.com for up to the minute stock and availability. And, if you can’t find exactly what you want, you can have it designed and manufactured to order (minimum quantities apply).
IHG announces the opening of the Crowne Plaza Suites Tequendama Bogota, located adjacent to the iconic, 573-room Crowne Plaza Tequendama Bogota. Both properties are owned by Sociedad Hotelera Tequendama. The 30-story, 271-suite Crowne Plaza Suites Tequendama Bogota is located at the International Center Tequendama, a mixed-use building featuring meetings facilities, offices and apartments. It is just minutes from downtown and the financial district, modern shopping malls, gourmet restaurants and cultural attractions. The property is also located just 20 minutes from El Dorado International Airport.
The hotel, which was a conversion from an independent property, underwent an extensive renovation and features two well-designed, spacious suite options (deluxe and executive club), ranging from 580 square feet to 1,000 square feet. All suites have breathtaking views of the city’s skyline and include a living room with a sofa-bed, a dining room table, a fully-equipped kitchenette and a highly-functional work station with wireless Internet access.
The Crowne Plaza Suites Tequendama features rich marble and wood decor, along with a variety of amenities, including a spa facility, health and fitness centre, business centre, four restaurants and an indoor pool. The new property also boasts three meeting rooms on the 30th floor that can accommodate up to 700 people.
The Crowne Plaza Suites Tequendama Bogota is owned and managed by Sociedad Hotelera Tequendama under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
The English aristocracy didn’t just build their country houses in England. Scattered across the whole British Isles are grand houses that remind one of the divide between a land owning aristocracy and the rest of us. Nowadays we still see trappings of wealth in large houses but few on the scale of the English country house. These country houses have become famous as the basis of fine hotels, frequently charging such expensive rates that they become the playground of latter day aristocrats.
When a country house is used as the basis for an hotel it often stands apart from the new build sections. At Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa, the aristocratic mansion first became a home for nuns; then for a while it served as farm buildings before a six year planning battle (perhaps more English than Irish for its lengthy disputation) finally saw the house incorporated in a new hotel. Incorporated because it is indeed incorporated, not separate from but embraced by the modern structure that hugs its side and rear walls.
The hotel sits in 100 acres of ground next to newly developed commuter homes for Dubliners. The landscaping is a little bleak and the new estate is kept apart through fencing from a rear ‘garden’, an area with a sunken pond and meandering path that sits in a piece of unattractive grassland and car park. More life and vitality, along with possibly more custom for the hotel, might have been generated if the community had been embraced. Instead very formal front landscaping reinforces the separation achieved to the rear. The overall effect is a rather crass new building sitting in a very institutional piece of imitation country house parkland, with the country house standing uneasily alongside.
The institutional feel carried through into an interior spoiled by a mania for cost cutting (see also Irish Hospitality pts 1 & 2) has led to understaffing and other operational ‘savings’. These lead to a visual destruction of good design and poor guest experience alike.
The country house is not central to the interiors, but sits on the side of the modern interiors. Much of the lighting was turned off, creating an uninviting feel which serves to help keep the country house section feeling closed. Its rooms are beautiful and deserve to be fully utilised, instead of which they are kept for weddings and the smaller business meetings. Most of the new building extends to the rear with a magnificent and very large spa. Function rooms and exhibition areas are centrally placed continuing to one side whilst the bedroom block goes off on the other side. From the front the old mansion house is treated with grace and sensitivity but from the back it is lost, its Georgian proportions hidden by the new buildings.
Internally the junction between old and new is again handled well architecturally but is let down by the lighting. I find it difficult to make up my mind whether the lighting is badly designed in the public area or whether management practices which dictate leaving lights off are to blame for the lack of sparkle in these area. The corridor alongside the bar lounge and the old mansion is top lit by daylight, but the lighting in the adjacent spaces is left off it seems in daylight, making the whole area uninviting. I have heard some Irish operators blame the green hotel policies of the Irish government, but this is hotly disputed by the agency concerned and seems more to do with management using any excuse in a difficult market to keep lights off to cut costs. It makes the spaces very unattractive to guests, robbing them of life as the comparative images of the reception area show.
In the old house, with its glorious public rooms, the lack of lighting is a deterrent to guests using the spaces. However the impact of this approach is shown in the bar operations. With so much of the income generated for the hotel now coming from functions, I noted one evening when there was a large wedding reception on the lower bar/bistro closed as staff were seemingly diverted to service the wedding and its bar upstairs.
The physical separation of the bedrooms from the function area does not insulate them from noise either. The outside terraces into the function rooms allow noise transmission and a number of guests commented on this happening in the early hours of the morning when presumably the terrace doors are thrown open to encourage function guests to leave quickly. The artwork is all reproduction Vettriano prints – love’em or loath’em this is the 21st century equivalent of Trechikov, supposedly the most reproduced artist of the 20th century. Like the artwork, the colour scheme is bland and inoffensive but rooms are well lit, all the switches in the right place, and many with balconies and opening windows.
There is a good sized work desk and large mirrors, together with a dining table and chairs meeting criteria for five star rating (unlike some hotels in the UK I have seen recently which fail to meet Visit Britain five star standards yet are given a five star rating – I wonder how?).
Here where inspection is tight and a hotel has to meet certain criteria before it can even be called an hotel, the generous room size would embarrass many London hotels who are second rate by comparison. The UK is increasingly out of step with European rating practise and moves now adopted by nine countries to harmonise standards. The suggestion by UK ministers that TripAdvisor should be used is risible. These rooms are well sized and fitted out and offer free WiFi too.
I say the bedrooms are almost the best part of this hotel, because they are second to a beautifully designed sumptuous Seoid (meaning Jewel) spa area over three floors. It claims to be one of the most luxurious spas in Ireland, and this I can believe. It has all the usual therapies, but also includes a full razul experience. The whole area is well lit and doesn’t suffer from the cheap ‘energy saving’ approach characterising the rest of the hotel. Instead it creates the ambience and luxury to be expected in a top quality spa. The lighting sparkles where it needs to and is subtle where warmth and relaxation are the key. The location of the hotel, close to Dublin but out in the country, makes the spa a good draw and there are also several leading golf courses within a few minutes drive.
The spa reaches over three floors and includes a slightly bleak outdoor whirlpool. The indoor pool is nicely designed (apart from the intrusion of the columns). Interior designers really should whip the architects and structural engineers into line as so many interiors are spoiled by columns being unnescessarily visually intrusive. The outdoor areas really don’t work here. It is almost as if they are awaiting further development. More planting would help keep down noise and add colour to the rear, sorely missed in the views from the bedrooms. For such a luxury spa the outdoor whirlpool is functional rather than indulgent.
Treatment rooms are well designed and offer a range of treatments, whilst relaxation areas are warm and womb like, supporting the therapies offered. There are stylish touches throughout the hotel that combat the slightly institutional feel created by the architecture and landscaping. For example, the staircase down to the sports bar/bistro has been turned into a seating area by simple addition of a sylish throne chair and a small banquette seat. The lighting is the key to all these areas and with it turned off there is a gloom pervading that robs the hotel of the theatre and sparkle it deserves.
Couple this with understaffing (and the staff here are very, very good) and the whole guest experience is downgraded. The sports bar/bistro staff appeared to be transferred to service a wedding bar on my second night so it was closed. The second bar, a snug Irish pub, was deserted – like the Marie Celeste abandoned to voyage alone.
This is a well designed hotel, seemingly caught up in the recessionary pressures that characterise so many Irish hotels and which management is fighting with desperate measures. The ‘coming out balls’ are a great saviour of hotels all over Ireland at the end of the school year it seems, but the view of many in the industry is that there are 30% too many hotel rooms in Ireland.
With over 100 of 900 hotels basically in the hands of the receivers, tourism here will need to recover a long way to turn the hotel economy around. Dunboyne has the location and the Spa, plus nearby golf courses which will makes this one of the flourishing survivors if the short term management solutions being applied don’t deter the well-heeled punters it needs to attract.
Best Western has recently launched their first ever payment card for business travellers. The card is free to all UK businesses and is set to simplify business travel across the country. The Best Western Business Account is also the first in the country to combine hotel accommodation with discounted train travel (up to 51%) making it even easier for businesses to book and pay without the need for time consuming expense claims, receipts and petty cash.
From 1st February, account holders can use the payment card for hotels stays, room service, restaurant spend, bar bills, newspapers, phone calls, leisure activities such as golf and spa treatments, as well as other hotel expenses at any of the groups 278 British hotels – all with no fees. What’s more, a full breakdown of all travel and hotel spend is available through an online centralised billing and reporting facility with regular email updates sent to the account holder.
Further benefits include up to six weeks interest free credit, VAT reporting and Best Western Rewards points for employees.
Keith Pope, Managing Director of Best Western said, “Business travel is a key part of the industry and a real focus for Best Western in 2012. The Best Western Business Account will ease booking and paying for our business guests and eliminate the need for claiming expenses on hotel and train travel.
“By launching the Best Western Business Account we are making our guests lives easier and more enjoyable, with more time to spend enjoying life rather than worrying about expense payments.”
Working with one of the group’s partners, Atos, the launch of the Best Western Business Account will strengthen the group’s business customer base.
Natura is the latest woven collection from Skopos, consisting of textural weaves echoing nature in a vast range of subtle neutral colour tones. Ideal for curtains, Natura fabrics are wide width and have been designed to be railroaded allowing for seam free curtains. The feature design ‘Talia’ is a calming ogee with a gentle gradation of tranquil colours. It is accompanied by ‘Calista’ a smart herringbone with an organic twist, and ‘Linette’ a subtle textured stripe. An extensive colour range of ‘Felicity’ co-ordinates add a lustrous element to the flat matt appeal of the collection.
Emulating the feel and texture of fine wool the delicate weave constructions drape beautifully whilst also offering all the easy care benefits essential for all contract interiors.
All the fabrics are made from 100% Trevira CS, inherently flame retardant to full UK and International contract specifications, and washable to 40oC.
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.
Premier Inn is leading the hospitality industry to become more sustainable with the opening of another green hotel and restaurant at Camborne in Cornwall.The 65-bedroom hotel and 210-cover restaurant is the tenth sustainable purpose-built hotel developed by Whitbread and features an array of sustainable technologies including 10 kW solar photovoltaic panels mounted onto the hotel roof to offset four electric car charging ports at the site – a major innovation for a budget hotel chain.
Chris George, Head of Energy and Environment for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, said: “Camborne is a clear example of Whitbread using its expertise to lead the UK hospitality industry to become more sustainable. Our intention with the project was to learn from our existing sustainable hotels at Burgess Hill in West Sussex and Tamworth in Staffordshire and design an even more impressive and sustainable product. We have done that and demonstrated, once again, that green hotel design is possible within the mainstream market and does not have to mean ‘boutique’ or ‘expensive’.
“Not only is the hotel a major achievement in its own right but the project will help us to upgrade our existing network of more than 47,000 Premier Inn bedrooms at 600 sites to become more sustainable as we incorporate the best performing technologies from Camborne into future newbuilds and the retrofit programme of our existing estate.”
Whitbread has invested more than £5.9m in the hotel and restaurant which will employ more than 40 people and bring important new jobs to the local area. Locally sourced building materials were used in the build including Callywaith Cornish stone.
Whitbread’s commitment to sustainable hotels is part of its strategy to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 26% by 2020 and its water consumption by 20% by 2020.
Hotel Indigo yesterday announced the February opening of the Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara. The hotel, located at 121 State Street in downtown Santa Barbara, offers guests a unique hotel experience with the modern design and intimate service associated with boutique hotels, along with the peace of mind and consistency guests expect from staying with a large hotel group. Opening after a multi-million dollar renovation, Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara combines the historic Santa Barbara splendour with the architectural sophistication of modern design. The forty-one room boutique hotel has thirteen guest rooms featuring private outdoor gardens and fourteen guest rooms with views of the Riviera and mountains or urban scenes dotted by palm trees. The hotel houses the CAF Satellite @ Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara, curated by the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, which provides exhibitions of thought-provoking artworks and site-specific, commissioned installations by local artists.
Local architecture firm AB Design Studios Inc, designed the hotel with a sleek interior inside a deceptively traditional exterior. When guests enter the main lobby of the new hotel, they step into a space of modern elegance and sophistication couched in a timeless and familiar setting.
Interior design by Level 3 Design Group in Los Angeles complements the contemporary architecture with clean lines and a modern aesthetic. Innovative touches include a plant-filled living wall and green space and energy efficient elements, including double-pane windows, on-demand water heaters, ionized water cleaning system, filtered water bottle refilling station and European-style bathrooms with collapsible glass-wall showers.
Colourful murals of artist implements, such as brushes, film, paints, pastels and welding torches by local artist Elizabeth Harper grace the common areas and guest rooms. Guests can browse the collection of exhibition catalogues and publications, including those by area art luminaries, in the hotel’s Art Library and rub elbows with artists during talks and openings provided in conjunction with exhibitions.
Class, from design-conscious, is an upholstered seating range consisting of two sofas, three chair varieties and a footstool.The high-backed versions of the sofas and chairs are reminiscent of a classical ‘bergère, or wingback; traditional, with a modern twist. These are a great solution for creating private seating areas with free-standing furniture as it can be easily rearranged if the function of the space changes. The high-back sofas and wing-back chairs also wraps the sitter a cosy, draft-free environment for those quiet, reflective moments – even in busy hotel receptions.
Class has been designed with generous proportions for that extra luxurious feel. When upholstered in different fabrics, Class sofas and armchairs can satisfy different spheres of aesthetic taste. Class upholstery fabric is available in cream, beige and chocolate brown, denim and graphic patterns with a choice of Feet in either walnut wood or brushed metal.
Whatever your scheme, modern or traditional, our Class sofas and chairs will always create a stylish and exclusive personality.
Class is just a small part of the Upholstery ranges we supply, all of which can to be made to suit your specification. Please feel free to contact us for further information. www.design-conscious.co.uk
Mille Couleurs are widely renowned for their beautiful bespoke products, creating rooms that envelop you with style and irresistible comfort. With Mille Couleurs London you can add a touch of luxury to your environment without the luxurious price tag, whether you’re opting for the simple elegance of antique furniture or need a bespoke design for a more contemporary feel.
Our headboards are upholstered with the best quality materials available and with premium attention to detail. They offer soft luxury with a smooth finish, with a sleek, modern design, handcrafted individually and precisely. We can fit just the space around your bed, from floor to ceiling or even wall to wall. We also offer wall lights and sockets neatly fitted on the headboard.
Our craftsmen bring creativity and essential technical skills of the highest level to each and every product – with graduates in interior decoration and upholstery from Geneva and Paris. Each headboard is handmade to the highest standards in the UK.
Our luxurious handcrafted headboards will bring unrivalled style, glamour and comfort to your hotel room.
In the 1980’s I went to Kidderminster to visit a well known carpet manufacturer. The factory had a stream or river running through it, and the operation took sheep’s fleeces in one end and carpet came out the other. At the time the design studio was adding Mac II’s to their desktops and a large room was occupied by the computer (looked after by two geeks) that controlled the dye mixes for the wool. With the company concerned broken by a combination of poor decision making and the banking crisis, I thought the days of ‘vertical integration’ in this industry were over.
Vertical integration is of course ‘business speak’ for production methods that go back in time. It presupposes local production with the raw materials gathered locally coming in and finished products going out the other end. Ecologically sound ‘green’ manufacturing. What is ‘green’ about there being no market for English sheep fleeces because we get our carpets made abroad? What is green about carpets that have enough air miles to get a free flight to Florence by the time they are down on the hotel floor in the UK? Fortunately vertical integration still exists, and I had the pleasure of a trip to beautifully sunny Devon to see the fleece to flooring operation of Axminster Carpets in the eponymous town. No coincidence that the town is eponymous, as it gave its name to the particular kind of weaving called Axminster. The carpet company has existed here, in rich sheep and cattle farming country, since 1755 – before some colonies achieved their independence.
In this first article of three, I will show you the making of the carpet yarns. Almost as much goes into the making of yarn as goes into the weaving of the carpet itself, and the process is closest to those images of gambolling sheep in green fields that are so characteristic of images of countryside. Wool produces staples of differing lengths depending on the breed it is from and most carpet today uses a mixture of British wool and New Zealand wool, a mixing of longer softer staples with shorter tougher ones. Wool arrives in the factory in large bales and I wish this was ‘smellyvision’ as bales are not just a sight to behold but also a smell that is quite an olfactory experience!
The different wools are thoroughly washed and spun dry ready for breaking down into the slubbing that is the beginning of making yarns. Slubbing? Don’t worry all shall be revealed if you read on
Seating by Design at Knightsbridge is helping to create a special atmosphere for golfers and non-golfers alike in the clubhouse at the award-winning Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. From its idyllic position next to the King’s and Queen’s 18th holes, the intimate Dormy Clubhouse allows guests to enjoy panoramic views across the world-famous Gleneagles golf courses. Although the sporting heritage is ever-present, the clubhouse still exudes a relaxed and cosy ambience, thanks to sensitive interpretation by London-based design company Sedley Place. Arranged around a circular central fireplace, the comfortable lounge is complemented both by a distinctive horseshoe-shaped bar and by a restaurant where picture windows present diners with a spectacular vista.
Helping to generate this warm welcome is an array of seating selected by Craig Abbott of Sedley Place from the exclusive Design at Knightsbridge portfolio. The Ticino collection is well-represented in the order, with a dozen two-seater settees, eight easy club chairs and nearly 80 upright armchairs. Created for Design at Knightsbridge by James A Wright, Ticino is inspired by timeless geometry, with its understated styling echoed across a wide selection of product options. Backs are buttoned or plain – as selected for the Dormy Clubhouse.
The Ticino seating is complemented perfectly by 40 Maya upright armless chairs, also by Design at Knightsbridge. Making an equally subtle design statement, Maya features deep and supportive chair backs topped by curvaceous wooden capping rails which sweep sensuously down to graceful tapered legs. In addition to upright armless chairs, the collection includes armchairs in upright and easy forms plus matching bar stools.
Both Ticino and Maya are available in fabric or hide upholstery. Show-wood details are in Cherry, Mahogany, Natural Beech, Wenge, Walnut and Oak, and the seating is manufactured at Knightsbridge headquarters in West Yorkshire, using timber from renewable sources.
Contemporary in style and yet traditional in craftsmanship, Design at Knightsbridge furniture captures perfectly the ethos of a company which traces its heritage back over some 75 years. A dedicated sales division and supporting website are the global gateway to the company’s full portfolio of products and services: call 01274 731900 or visit www.design-at-knightsbridge.co.uk
Frank Hudson pride themselves on being experts in their field, with the skills and craftsmanship of furniture making passed down through three generations of the Hudson family.Today the company is run by three Hudson brothers who have all been involved in the business from a very early age. All three brothers were brought up in the industry and trained on all aspects of furniture production, design and management. Each added a different string to the bow; Tim – the beautiful finishes; James – a master carver and Tom – quality control. All three now run the business with Tim and James heavily involved in design and tom in customer service and logistics. Together they have taken the company onto a new level, ensuring they are supported by a team who are also experts in their fields.
This not only includes designing and producing the best quality products, but also the experienced sales function headed up by national sales Manager Andy Shingler, the first class service provided to customers, the warehouse and systems they have in place to support this as well as a complete after sales service.
Their belief in the value of good design is reinforced by constantly investing in new ideas developed by Tim and James and by also working with consultant designers including Paul Galley.
Keith Clarke, who manages the contract side of the business and is a trained and talented furniture designer, often sketches beautiful detailed drawings of product design ideas within moments, which can then be sent to the factories to bring to life.
Frank Hudson’s high quality service encompasses a complete warehouse facility based in the UK where the team are on hand to deliver products to customers quickly. The efficient service team ensures customers are looked after from the start of the order process to the after sales service, with skilled on-site craftsmen available to provide immediate solutions to ensure that each piece of furniture remains in perfect condition. Frank Hudson’s attention to detail throughout the business ensures their standing as a high quality designer and producer of beautiful furniture remains intact.
Sleeperz Hotels, the innovative budget hotel business, opened its second UK hotel in Newcastle city centre last week.
The 98-bedroom, six storey hotel welcomed its first guests to the Westgate Road property on Tuesday, less than two minutes walk from Newcastle’s Central Station.The hotel development has created 25 full time jobs in the North East economy.
The hotel has been built on the site of a former derelict Parcel Works and is the first premium budget design-led hotel in the North East’s capital.
David Myers, chief executive of Sleeperz Hotels, said: “We have introduced a completely new and different product to the North East hotel scene today and one that is perfectly positioned for business and leisure tourism markets in the current economy.
Sleeperz Hotel Newcastle is affordable and stylish, it’s convenient and comfortable. It’s functional and desirable. We are offering a modern urban living experience, in the heart of the North East’s most cosmopolitan city, at great value rates.”
Sleeperz’s philosophy of creating stylish hotel properties with modern cutting edge architectural design sets the brand apart from other competitors in the budget hotel sector.
Boutique hotel owner and interior design expert Janine Powell, who owns the Hamptons Hotel in Ilfracombe, Devon, has been hired as a consultant to advise on the project and create an air of sophisticated vibrancy at Sleeperz Newcastle.
Newcastle’s glass fronted hotel has compact rooms with fresh, colourful and contemporary interiors perfect for both business and leisure travelers.
Wet rooms have under floor heating and steam proof mirrors and rates start from £60 including free wi-fi access and local telephone calls.
David Myers said: “Newcastle is not just the capital of North East England; it’s a thriving visitor destination and a great city for business and conferences.”
Newcastle’s hotel sector is among the highest performing of any UK city, according to the latest figures from destination marketing agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative and national tourist board Visit England,
Average room occupancy for hotels in Newcastle is 78 per cent compared to a national average of 65 per cent according to Visit England.
The company has plans to expand and Sleeperz has earmarked major UK cities, including Liverpool, Manchester and London as potential venues for hotels in the next phase of development.
Interior design is by Janine Powell of Hampton Design Studios
According to experts, the combination of post-Christmas blues, credit card bills, dark, cold weather and the return to work after the seasonal holiday make for true January Blues.
A study by Best Western reveals that Brits feel down up to four times a week during January, meaning the nation feels potentially below par on more than half of the month’s 31 days.
In an attempt to offer some cheer to commuters throughout the capital city, and help kick the January blues, Best Western headed to the streets of London with its own brass band on Monday 16th January.
The 18-man band, consisting of tubas, cornets, trombones and even a tambourine, hit key locations across London including Paddington Station, Marble Arch and Westminster Bridge, playing Tom Jones’ classic It’s Not Unusual.
Hearing the words “I Love You” from a friend or family member we care about deeply is enough to snap 21.7% of Brits out of their January blues, whilst a hot, freshly-brewed cuppa is guaranteed to do a similar trick for a further 16.7% of the UK, according to the national poll by Britain’s biggest group of independent hotels.
The poll was commission as part of Best Western’s Cheer Up campaign. The group is offering up to 50% off stays at their 280 UK hotels throughout January, February and March.
We live in an age of international travel and commerce. Unfortunately the movement of people all over the world has also lead to the global spread of bed bugs. We can easily transport bed bugs and their eggs through the movement of our luggage, clothing or bedding. It is therefore unsurprising that some of the most affected places in the UK are hotel rooms. It’s certain the 2012 London Olympics will have a huge impact on the UK bedbug population. For example, following the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the number of cases of reported bed bug infestations in Australia has risen by 15,000 per cent. This is a clear warning to UK hoteliers that necessary precautions must be taken, and unlike the London Olympic Games, imported bed bugs will be here to stay. However innovative Devon based mattress manufacturer Naturalmat have come up with an excellent solution for hoteliers. They have created a clean, healthy, hypoallergenic and most importantly anti bed bug mattress. Naturalmat uses a unique chemical free treatment that is based on Geraniol (citrus) in the final finishing of all its mattress covers. In tests this revolutionary process has proven to eliminate any bed bug that comes into contact with the cover within 72 hours, which will guarantee peace of mind for both the traveller and the hotelier.
In addition to Naturalmat mattress covers being anti bed bug, the organic West Country wool used within all Naturalmat mattresses is anti dust-mite, anti moth and anti mosquito. This is achieved through a treatment of essential oils including lemon, eucalyptus and lavender, which is added to the lambswool during the scouring process in Devon using water from the River Dart.
Naturalmat set an excellent example for other mattress manufacturers. They emphasise how important it is to use natural resources and operate a business with minimal environmental impact. These are key consideration behind the creation of every Naturalmat mattress, especially as they are made from sustainable and biodegradable sources, including organic coir, lambswool and cotton.
Naturalmat mattresses provide superb comfort that is long lasting and numerous hoteliers have called upon them recently. In early 2011 Naturalmat successfully won the contract to manufacture all 686 mattresses for Yotel New York City and all mattresses for Z Hotel Soho. Naturalmat have worked with other high profile clients in the past including the Connaught, Claridges and several boutique hotels. Naturalmat already have a busy 2012 ahead of them but they will be unsurprised if further hoteliers decide to invest in their mattresses prior to the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Naturalmat Hotel mattresses ensure that guests really do sleep tight and the issue of bed bugs biting them at night is simply one less thing to worry about.
RHA Furniture has a wide selection of outdoor tables & seating for restaurants, cafes, hotels & spas.It’s not too early to start thinking about outdoor furniture and with the Olympics fast approaching we are expecting an increase in demand, so it is important not to risk ordering at the last minute.
If you’re looking for contract quality furniture on a low budget you should take a look at RHA’s outdoor Classic collections; featuring designs in metal, wicker, teak and a wide variety of design styles to suit any environment.
Cambi, Arc en Ciel & Pigalle folding tables plus stackable chairs are ideal for pavement cafés & multi-functional spaces. For restaurant seating & tables you should consider Ronda, Antonietta, Varanda, Charleston & Nilo.
For some really impressive looking outdoor tables & seating at trade prices you should take a look at RHA’s Advanced & A4-H2 collections.
Collections such as Net, Heaven, Round and Re-Trouvé are highly aesthetic, with styles to suit both a modern and traditional setting; all made to high levels of contract quality & available at trade prices.
View details & download the PDF catalogues by visiting the RHA Furniture website.
Hilton Worldwide has recently announced continued expansion of eforea: spa at Hilton, its innovative global spa concept. Refined at seven properties owned or managed by Hilton Worldwide since debuting in late 2010, the turnkey spa solution is now available to franchise owners across the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Embassy Suites Hotels brands. Hilton Worldwide leverages its expertise as one of the world’s largest spa providers. eforea: spa at Hilton provides a cutting-edge spa concept that meets guests’ needs around the globe while also being cost effective and easy to implement. Thespa’s design concept ensures consistent spa installations globally while honoring local cultures and a sense of place. Design standards are complemented with the ease of standard operating procedures, global supply agreements, training curriculum and an exclusive treatment menu, which can make opening a new spa simpler.
eforea: spa at Hilton also offers owners an online booking engine, pre-opening support, sourcing and distribution of retail products by L’ITYA, Vitaman, Kerstin Florian and Peter Thomas Roth, and a distinct brand identity with standards and a full collateral suite.
In 2011 Spa magazine readers ranked eforea: spa at Hilton as a top five spa brand. The eforea experience is shaped by three signature treatment journeys – the Essentials Journey, Escape Journey and Men’s Journey – all which customized to provide balance and wellness for body and soul.
Marriott Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Marriott International, and Sunstone Hotel Investors have announced the completion of a four year, $30 million full property renovation of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf. Anchoring this extensive renovation is the reinvented lobby, and the adjoining new Waterline restaurant and bar, where guests can work alone or in groups, eat, drink and socialize throughout the day and evening. This landmark hotel also now offers a new Harbor View Ballroom, an expanded health club and concierge lounge, and completely renovated meeting space, guest rooms and suites. Architecture and interior design firm, BBG-BBGM, re-imagined the 412-room Boston Marriott Long Wharf, showcasing picturesque waterfront views at every turn. All of the hotel’s guest rooms have been newly appointed with ergonomic furnishings, luxurious bedding, iPod clock radios and HD LCD televisions with split screen technology and plug-in connectivity for digital devices. Twelve Executive King Suites and two Luxury Waterfront Suites with private balconies have been added, while the hotel’s largest suite, the Long Wharf Suite, has been completely redesigned. An expanded Concierge Lounge provides comfortable dining and lounge seating, complimentary high speed wireless internet access, a laptop station and colour printer.
On the lobby level, Waterline restaurant offers an inviting bar, communal dining table, cosy booths, and a private dining room. Waterline’s menu features quintessential American cocktails and classic New England fare with a focus on local ingredients. The restaurant also provides service to the reinvented lobby, where guests can catch up on work and emails, thanks to WiFi and plentiful electrical outlets.
The newly-added Harbor View Ballroom features floor-to-ceiling windows, a seasonal outdoor patio and panoramic views, making it a breathtaking backdrop for weddings and social events. All of the hotel’s pre-existing meeting spaces have been fully renovated, from the 8,200-square-foot Grand Ballroom, to the 5,750-square-foot Palm Garden with its soaring 55-foot atrium, to the 2,530-square-foot Commonwealth Ballroom, divisible into five break-out rooms. Now with the Harbor View Ballroom, this waterfront hotel provides 21,000 square feet of flexible, modern meeting space.
A significantly expanded 24-hour fitness centre contains the latest equipment, including stationary bikes, Precor treadmills and elliptical trainers, all with 9-inch televisions. The hotel’s indoor pool and whirlpool area open onto a sundeck overlooking the water.
Electrical accessories manufacturer Focus SB will be showcasing its bespoke range of control plates to suit other system suppliers at the 2012 Arc Show.The Hastings-based company can engineer the tools needed to make cover plates for many of the popular existing control systems including Lutron, Teleadapt, and Control 4. With no minimum quantity or order charge this gives designers and installers the option to bespoke these items to match the rest of the room décor.
Focus will be displaying its range of AV plates and modules that can be personalised to meet practically any customer’s specific requirements, including Focus’ extensive range of finishes.
Also on its stand will be the HAL lighting control system: “HAL’s modular design enables it to be expanded from a simple switching and dimming operation to a control system that can operate all lighting circuits within a building,” says Managing Director of Focus SB Roger Kemp. “The system can also be operated and programmed using the infrared handset, allowing four or more scene buttons to set lighting ‘moods’.”
ARC Show, Business Design Centre, London. 29 February – 1 March 2012 (Stand M13A)
Blending classic style with contemporary design, London Syon Park, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel features Glass Rocks cascades from Chelsom in each of the 137 luxury guestrooms. Suspended within ornate moulded recesses, the bespoke fittings comprise individual rocks of polished Venetian glass, threaded onto drop wires which hang from polished stainless steel ceiling plates. Each luminaire uses six 35W MR16 lamps which are low energy halogen-equivalent lamps giving sparkle and drama, without the excessive heat and high energy use of conventional halogen.
Themed to reflect the 18th Century “Syon Pleasure Ground” designed by Capability Brown, the hotel aims to offer its guests the best of both worlds – a tranquil escape in the quality surroundings of the Syon House Estate, home to the Duke of Northumberland, teamed with contemporary state of the art amenities for which Waldorf Astoria is renowned.
Hilton London Olympia has unveiled its redesigned bar and restaurant, Society. The re-launch sees the introduction of new menus by Executive Head Chef Grant Ferguson, and the creation of a new logo identity, designed by cutting-edge agency, Social.The concept behind the bar and restaurant has been inspired by the Victorian era in Kensington, which is typified by a sophisticated sense of style. In Victorian times a person’s hat was an indication of their position in society, and the designers have cleverly featured this idea in the menu illustrations which features rows of silhouetted hats in a variety of styles from the period.
Interior design company, design LSM, was tasked with revamping the bar and restaurant. The bar now boasts a colour scheme of cyan, dark chocolate brown and burnt orange. The dark chocolate brown of the wooden benches and high-backed leather chairs are complemented by bursts of orange and electric shocks of cyan throughout. The crushed velvet armchairs bring texture and luxury to the bar, and low hanging singular coloured glass lights, contrasted with candle chandeliers, mix the old with the new.
The restaurant exudes a sultry atmosphere with a mixture of red, black and cream. The simplicity of the black and cream is complemented with a splash of red in the lampshades hanging above each table.
The bar now offers classic bar food with a twist including a miniature full English breakfast; an onion ring tower (with Japanese panko breadcrumbs) and burgers (3 mini sliders with a custom baked bun), as well as signature cocktails. The restaurant offers more complex dishes with an emphasis on sustainable, locally-sourced ingredients. There are comforting dishes such as steak and kidney pie with mash; gammon with fruit jus; braised beef rump with root vegetables; alongside a succulent pork fillet with creamed cabbage and apple sauce; and a delicate salmon with saffron cream. The dessert list includes firm childhood favourites such as profiteroles, trifle, bread & butter pudding, sticky toffee pudding and apple and blackberry crumble, all with a bit of a modern-day makeover to appeal to a discerning, cosmopolitan audience.
The renovations are part of an ongoing refurbishment plan that has seen a £7million investment into Hilton London Olympia and is due to continue into 2012.
Worldhotels is proud to present a new addition to its growing portfolio of branded hotels: The Worldhotel Grand Winston, named after Sir Winston Churchill, ideally located between the cities of The Hague and Delft in The Netherlands, offers luxury and comfort in a unique design setting.The hotel boasts 252 luxurious guest rooms, suites and apartments in a contemporary and elegant design. Key themes include light, glass and transparency; elements that all contribute to the worldly, cosmopolitan atmosphere that characterises the hotel. All guest rooms have recently been updated to include new bed linen, and several room types feature a Nespresso coffee machine and Rituals bath amenities.
The restaurant Grand Canteen features three menus by Chef Bas Vermeijden: the ‘Classics’, ‘Trends’ and weekly specials. His young, pure and honest cooking style uses fresh and local ingredients. The private dining room LEDS invites groups to dine in an exciting mezzanine space with views of the brightly coloured LED wall. In addition, the hotel features six state-of-the-art event rooms that can host up to 200 people.
The Worldhotel Grand Winston is easily accessible from major highways and offers complimentary parking to guests, while public transport connections to the airport, the city and the beach are available right at the front door.
A Best Chef Hi-Life Award is an accolade that is respected UK-wide and attracts entries from the crème de la crème of the industry. This time for the first year the event took place in the recently launched specialist theatre kitchen at Dawnvale’s North West Design Centre located in Hollinwood, Greater Manchester. Four of the five finalists were filmed so that those attending the prestigious Hi-Life Awards Dinner taking place at The Midland Hotel on Friday 3rd February can see the chefs and judges in action as well as the outstanding food they prepared on the day. Unfortunately, Nigel Smith from The Villa in Lancashire was unable to attend the event due to a prior engagement.
Judges for the Cook-Off included: Matthew Norman, The Daily Telegraph’s Food Critic, Elizabeth Carter, Editor of the Good Food Guide and Denise Jones, a Hi-Life member and Manager of the North West Design Centre. Chefs prepared one dish in a timed environment and presented them individually to the three judges in the Boardroom.
The North West Design Centre was chosen not just for its superlative facilities and equipment but also its close proximity to the motorway network – less than five minutes from the M60.
The five shortlisted chefs were;
Christopher Cleghorn, ABode Chester. Phil Fanning, Paris House. Tom van Zeller, van Zeller Restaurant. Enzo Mauro, Stock Restaurant. Nigel Smith, The Villa (not present)
The winner will not be announced until the awards night which will be held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.
Hi-Life currently has over 3,500 restaurant partners throughout the UK and over 200,000 members of their Club including Platinum Members all of whom enjoy 2 for 1 dining on an annual basis.
This year the event will be raising funds for the Five Stars Appeal.
There are still a small number of tickets to the event available – costing £75 each they include a champagne reception, four-course meal and fabulous entertainment. Tickets can be obtained by e-mailing awards@hi-life.co.uk or call Stacy on 01253 608910.
One of the first 2012 diary dates for all in our sector is Hotelympia so do please come and visit Villeroy & Boch on stand N2019 where we will be delighted to show you around our product ranges on show.We will be celebrating NewWave’s birthday with some great new pieces and an extra 10% discount show offer.
We have added some new innovations to Stella, Marchesi and Cera and we would love to show these to you too.
CLICK HERE to register on the Villeroy & Boch Registration page with your chance to win one of three great prizes of £250 Gift Vouchers for 10in8 at L’Ortolan, Paris House, La Becasse or Angelique. Also register with Villeroy & Boch and we will email you a voucher to pick up a complimentary gift at the show.
It’s just a couple of weeks now until the Surface Design Show at the Business Design Centre, where we will be promoting Signbox EG, our new digital print division.There will be a range of direct-to-surface printed media for the workplace on display as well as a collection of ‘smart surface graphics’ incorporating NFC (Near Field Communication).
This exciting technology also features in Enlighten – our revolutionary new smart poster system that delivers enhanced customer engagement through NFC proximity marketing.
For more information, or to see the products first hand, visit the Signbox stand number 400 at the 2012 Surface Design Show
7th – 9th February 2012 Business Design Centre, London.
If you would like a ticket for the VIP Preview Evening and save £15, please contact enquiries@signbox.co.uk or freephone 0800 970 1313
St Kilda’s landmark icon, the Cosmopolitan Hotel (Melbourne), welcomes hotel guests for a revamped hotel experience after a lobby refurbishment by interior & furniture designers Hecker Guthrie and hotel room facelift by Rachel Kraus Interior Design totaling up to over $100,000. Rooms are not only aesthetically enhanced with bed heads and fashionable cushions, the practicality has improved just as much with more lighting, additional in room lounges and outdoor furniture in the rooms with balconies.
The hotel lobby now offers a true living room feeling with a new seating area, dining table, rug, fresh plants and a working station.
Panaz are very proud to announce the delivery of more than 12,000 metres of fabric for the prestigious Disney Hollywood hotel in Hong Kong.Working closely to a design brief formulated by the Disney Imagineering studio, Panaz were asked to interpret a range of designs showing the Disney theme and the ubiquitous Micky Mouse motifs.
The designs were closely monitored to provide the right impact and the correct ambiance for the hotels many child guests, whilst still appealing to parents. The designs produced are fresh original and accurately reflect the resorts image.
Whilst getting the designs right it was also necessary to provide the functional performance needed for such an environment. The essential qualities required included – anti microbial, Stain resistance and Fire retardancy, three very difficult qualities to apply.
In order to achieve this Panaz harnessed its latest ‘Shield technology’, an advanced nano technology formulated by Panaz and its business partners for use in healthcare environments.
For more information on Shield Technology please visit www.Panaz.com
Hammer Carpets, the design-led Danish manufacturer of high quality contract carpets, is delighted to announce the appointment of Charles Rae to the new position of UK Business Development Director.
Following a distinguished 15 year textile career at Skopos Design, Charles comes to Hammer Carpets with a wealth of experience and is a well-known personality within the contract furnishing industry due to his position as Social Director of the BCFA.Hammer Carpets have had excellent success in supplying carpets to many of the world’s leading Hotels and Cruise ships and recently won the refurbishment contract for 32.000 m2 carpets on Cunard`s (Carnival) luxury liner Queen Mary 2. With the successful combination of good Design, Quality and fast lead times Hammer are keen to expand their UK Hospitality business.
The new Business Development Director role marks a continuation of Hammers investment and commitment into the UK Contract market and will be a key contributor to the future growth and success of the company. Charles Rae can be reached via email cr@hammercarpetsuk.com
Tom Moller Jorgensen, owner and Managing Director, Hammer Carpets comments, “I am delighted to have Charles on board and I know he will play a leading role in developing our UK contract business.”
The Lubner Group has recently completed the total renovation and installation of new furnishings for five “Old Conch” styled buildings with a storied past at the Coconut Beach Resort in Key West, Florida, positioning the resort to enter a new phase in its legendary history.Located at 1500 Alberta Street on the Atlantic side of Key West, the vacation ownership resort is set against lush gardens and quiet walkways with white verandahs and French doors opening to the sea. The design challenge was to blend existing Victorian gingerbread architecture – rich with living history – with a fresh lifestyle in an updated tropical design that invited guests to relax in serene tranquility. Amenities include a pool, Jacuzzi, and private beach. The resort has been named an Interval International Select Resort.
The Group completed the six-month total interior renovation project in three phases. Work included the selection of all furnishings and energy-efficient appliances for 32 one- and two-bedroom/two bath units plus the resort’s lobby. An important requirement was to create a unified design package for each of the five buildings (two of which were previously single-family homes), with room sizes ranging from 800 to 1,150 square feet and different ceiling heights. The design firm ensured that work was completed with limited inconvenience to guests during continuous high occupancy levels at this popular hospitality destination property.
Some new lighting products from Foscarini, available through UK distributor design-conscious, are definitely making a concerted move away from the tradition archetype of light fittings, where a table lamp must have a base and a shade and are moving more towards being designed as a work of art or sculpture. Obviously new light sources, and in particular LED, is breaking down the traditional barriers to shape the profile of lights that have previously been limited by bulky incandescent and even bulkier fluorescent sources.A beautiful example of utilising LED into a sculptural form is the new Anisha light designed by formidable design team of Studio Lievore Altherr Molina.
This table lamp conceals the LED light source on the underside at the top of the form. This relinquishes the need for a shade and the fluid organic shape of the body itself couldn’t be further from the standard lamp base. The openness of the shape casts a beautiful shadow whilst still effectively lighting the surface of the table. The design embraces the idea of the full and the empty; an object of nothingness, yet fulfilling its purpose with grace and style. Sculptural essence you will fall in love with at first sight.
To complete its minimal essence, the Anisha light has a touch switch integrated into its shape that responds to the simple touch of a finger. It is available in two sizes and two colours: white and red.
The inspiration behind the new Fold wall light designed by Odoardo Fioravanti is the ancient art of paper folding Origami.
Folding a sheet of paper means transforming a two dimensional entity into something 3 dimensional with just a simple gesture.
Fold is a simple form that conceals the light source whilst projecting a direct light upwards and reflecting light off the wall.
Fold is both a serviceable and decorative wall light, even when switched off. The light has a simple aesthetic that is highlighted by the pure white colour of the polycarbonate shade. Available with a choice of halogen or fluorescent source.
The Maki suspension light is also influenced by the simplicity of a sheet of paper. Designed by Nendo the inspiration came from rolling two sheets of paper together. The result is a form that resembles a seashell or a flower; a simple poetic shape.
The light is constructed from two sheets of aluminium, creating an effect that is dynamic yet soft.
While most of the light is cast directly downwards as a soft beam, a little light also filters through the edges, highlighting the curves, giving Maki a charming effect.
Position alone, in groups, or in linear compositions over tables and bar counters, Maki is available in white and grey in a satin finish.
For more information on our stylish lighting ranges, including Maki suspension light, please contact us. For project quantities of 50 lamps or more special colours can be accommodated to your specification. www.design-conscious.co.uk
DoubleTree by Hilton has recently announced that two of Central London’s largest hotels have officially joined the upscale, full-service hotel brand with the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton London-Tower of London and DoubleTree by Hilton London-Westminster. The hotels are two of eight Mint Hotels across the Netherlands and the UK joining the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotels under the DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn brand names during the coming months. The 583-room DoubleTree by Hilton London-Tower of London is ideally positioned in the heart of The City near the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, with easy access to Barbican, The Globe Theatre, The Whitechapel Art Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral. Located adjacent to the Tate Britain museum, the 460-room DoubleTree by Hilton London-Westminster is within walking distance of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye. Both hotels are moments from many of London’s key business, government, historical and tourist centres.
The DoubleTree by Hilton London-Westminster and DoubleTree by Hilton London-Tower of London share modern architectural designs that are characterised by their transparency and versatility. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows are featured in each guest room, meeting room and all bars and restaurant spaces within the hotel, providing plenty of daylight and impressive views of the city and the River Thames.
Guestrooms and suites at each hotel are spacious and designed for comfort, featuring a variety of essential and innovative in-room amenities including an Apple iMac computer which functions both as a TV and computer, generous work desks and a gourmet in-room coffee and tea service. Complimentary high-speed internet access is available throughout the hotel as well as in each guest room.
For meetings, conferences and events, DoubleTree by Hilton locations at Tower of London and Westminster present some of the most innovative space in the city. Meeting rooms throughout the hotels have been thoughtfully designed for productivity, technology and spatial orientation, with natural daylight from floor-to-ceiling windows, soundproofed walls, complimentary wireless, high-speed internet access and an iMac for use in each room. Flexible and neutrally designed meeting rooms are ideal for small meetings as individual rooms, or when combined can comfortably accommodate large events.
DoubleTree by Hilton hotels at Tower of London and Westminster both feature a City Café – an informal, yet sophisticated restaurant where guests enjoy modern cuisine with an emphasis on seasonality. The Millbank Lounge and Fenchurch Bar at the Westminster and Tower of London locations respectively present relaxed, contemporary lounge spaces with a Whisky Bar and a wide range of cocktails, beers and wines as well as light lunches and sharing platters.
Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton London-Tower of London is one of London’s most vibrant rooftop venues for both cocktails and fine dining. The stylish venue offers picturesque city views 14 storeys above the city, looking out to Tower Bridge, the historic Tower of London and the River Thames from the south terrace, and the Gherkin and St Pauls from the north terrace. Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton London-Westminster may be reserved for private receptions with outstanding Westminster views for up to 45 guests.
Axminster Carpets has joined an elite group of companies to beawarded the Royal Warrant, a mark of recognition for the supply of goods and services to Her Majesty The Queen for a period of at least five years and adherence to stringent environmental requirements. Awarded to Axminster Carpets in the Queen’s Jubilee year and regarded as a symbol of excellence and quality, the Royal Warrant demonstrates the family-owned company’s manufacturing prowess that has seen it create a world-wide reputation for carpets of the highest quality.
“Being awarded the Royal Warrant is testament to our commitment to manufacturing carpets of the highest possible standard while also striving for exemplary service levels,” comments Josh Dutfield, Group Managing Director.“The Axminster Carpets brand is synonymous with quality, and the Royal Warrant is further evidence of our ability to meet the highest expectations.”
With its Devon manufacturing sites, Axminster Carpets is one of the few carpet companiesstill producing within the UK. The company also has the only fleece-to-floor operation, which sees the manufacturer source British wool and spin and dye its own yarn before the carpet manufacturing process begins.It is this attention-to-detail and complete control of the entire production process that sees the company regarded as one of the foremost carpet manufacturers operating today.
In January the Heimtextil international trade fair took place in Frankfurt and for Trevira CS, its premium brand, Trevira presented a new marketing concept to top customers and trade press representatives. The fibre manufacturer from Germany will be supporting its customers even more strongly, with the aim to expand, on a global basis, their brand for permanently flame retardant textiles, which is particularly well known in the contract sector.Key aspects of the concept are new additional measures to protect the brand and to increase market awareness. The main focus, however, is on further improvement of the traditionally close relationships with customers, as Anke Vollenbröker, head of Marketing, explains: “Trevira CS stands as a trademark for the textile fabric and with every new collection it is our customers that give the brand significance. If we want to expand our product even more, then the best way to do this is to support our partners at the separate processing stages to bring their Trevira CS products to market successfully, and that means on a world-wide basis as well.”
The Trevira CS Club – the community of partners
At all stages of the supply chain there are a large number of suppliers who process flame retardant Trevira fibres, finish the yarns or manufacture and distribute Trevira CS textiles. Trevira is introducing a club model, on the one hand to reward particularly important, committed and dedicated partners for their loyalty, and on the other, to grow further business with flame retardant products. All companies that have a trademark contract and use the Trevira CS brand, belong to the “Trevira CS Club“, the members of which have the standard services of Trevira available to them. These include, for instance, the trademark test, IMO testing, technical support and trend advisory, product literature and certification, and also some participation in fabric catalogues. For top partners the Club model envisages award of Silver or Gold status, which can be gained on the basis of established criteria. The criteria do not reflect turnover alone, but also take account of such factors as loyalty, creativity or the international presence of the partner. Gold and/or Silver status are awarded in each case for one year.
Club members with this status may call on special additional services. The latter will cover a variety of measures, from fast track processing of trademark applications, to offers of participation at trade fairs, promotion of international projects and communication measures. Partners will be classified annually, so that other members of the community too will have the opportunity to acquire Gold or Silver status.
Gold and Silver members
The Gold and Silver members for 2012 were introduced on the occasion of a customer event at Heimtextil.
Silver members are yarn manufacturers Spinnerei Lampertsmühle and Textilgruppe Hof (D), Selvafil (E), Torcitura Fibre Sintetiche and Torcitura Padana (I), fabric makers Gebrüder Munzert, Pongs Technical Textiles, Rohleder and Spandauer Velours (D), Velours Blafo (F), Fiorete Group, Tessitura Mario Ghioldi, Lodetex and Pugi R.G. (I), Ludvig Svensson (S) as well as the converters Exclusive Wind Design (B), Höpke Möbelstoff-Handelsgesellschaft, Kupferoth Interiors, Schewe Textil and Zimmer + Rohde (D), Lelièvre (F), Panaz and Sekers Fabrics (UK).
Gold members include:
yarn manufacturers Fil Man Made Group and Torcitura Lei Tsu (I); fabric makers Müller-Zell, Schmitz-Werke and Verotex (D), Gaudium (NL), FIDIVI Tessitura Vergnano (I), Dina Vanelli (TR) and Creation Baumann (CH) as well as the converters Sonnhaus (A), JAB Josef Anstoetz, Nya Nordiska Textiles and SAHCO Hesslein (D), Kvadrat (DK) and Kobefab International (NL).
In his address Trevira CEO Robert Gregan explained the aim of the new concept: “Working with our customers and partners we want to pool our strengths along the supply chain and exploit the growth potential lying in our strong brand and in the many creative products that are technically and qualitatively outstanding. We are investing in this potential“.
The brand seen from a customer’s perspective
Guest speaker Andreas Heydasch, CEO of Müller-Zell, reported on his experiences gained in 27 years of partnership with Trevira and explained why the brand Trevira CS is important from a manufacturer’s point of view: “With every problem we had solved and with every crisis we had mastered during these two and a half decades our trust in Trevira CS increased. We realized that Trevira CS helps us to be different from our competitors. The worldwide contract-market will continue to grow also in the future, and with our customers, partners and with Trevira we have excellent partners for this concept. We should be proud of our brand.”
Amazing Retreats, a collection of iconic and spectacular properties has revealed their development plans for Stanbrook Abbey, a former monastery located in Callow End, Worcestershire. Following approval of phase one planning applications, the magnificent property will be beautifully restored and transformed into a premier weddings and events venue following a multi-million pound investment from owner Mike Clare.Previously home to a community of Benedictine nuns since 1835, Stanbrook Abbey is largely unseen to the general public and is currently undergoing extensive renovations, phase one of which will be completed in spring 2012.
The developments include the renovation and restoration of the ground floor of the building including the Pugin Chapel, refectory and kitchens. The front entrance will be reconfigured and parts of the grounds will be restored to their beautiful former glory. Once completed, the venue will be available for weddings, banqueting and events and will comfortably seat up to 80 people.
Phase two of developments will be completed by the end of 2012 subject to planning permission. The proposed plans include new stairs and lifts and the former Nun’s bedrooms will be converted into 55 luxuriously appointed bedroom suites. Plans for the second phase of developments will be submitted in February 2012.
The final phase of works and the completion of Stanbrook Abbey is scheduled to be completed in late 2013, subject to planning approvals. Proposed plans include the refurbishment of Stanbrook Hall and the old library. Remaining outbuildings will be converted into a spa and swimming pool complex with leisure facilities.
Decorative electrical wiring accessories, audio and lighting controls manufacturer Hamilton Litestat has announced the appointment of new regional manager Jim Berry, who will work mainly with architects, designers and contractors in the London area across both residential and commercial markets. Hamilton created the new role especially for Jim, 31, who recently returned from the Middle East where he worked as a sales director in the electrical industry. He has expert knowledge of the whole supply chain having trained as an electrician and worked in wholesale and manufacturing. The new role with Hamilton involves working with contractors and consultants to tailor wiring accessory solutions for each project, drawing from Hamilton’s wide range of products and bespoke design service.
Jim will be able to meet clients at Hamilton’s dedicated space at The Building Centre in central London and will be primarily based out of the capital, where he lives.
“It’s fantastic to be joining a UK company with over 40 years’ experience supplying mainly British-made products,” said Jim. “What also really stood out for me is that Hamilton can provide a bespoke product design service for projects that require something unique. Whether it’s a particular function or visual design we can produce special products to meet our clients’ briefs, no matter how big or small. Meeting specifiers and answering these challenges is something I’m looking forward to doing with Hamilton.”
Demonstrating its commitment to providing innovative bathroom solutions for hotels across the globe, Swiss manufacturer Laufen will have a strong presence at all three international Sleep Events, in Europe, China and India in 2012, starting in Shanghai in April.With China now the third most visited country in the world, the Chinese hotel market has witnessed phenomenal growth in recent years and is projected to overtake Japan as the world’s second largest tourist market by 2013, with an 8% share of global tourists and the number of hotel rooms set to hit 6.1 million by 2025, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. The Sleep Event China offers Laufen the opportunity to bring its luxury European brand to this rapidly expanding market.
With accreditation already in place from major international hotel groups including Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, and Palmerston Hotels/ Resorts, the Laufen brand assures high quality, innovative and reliable sanitaryware and furniture specifically designed with the hotel market in mind, coupled with a dedicated international sales team delivering the best possible service throughout the project.
On the back of the company’s extremely positive first outing to the Sleep Event Europe last year, Laufen’s stand at The Sleep Event China will be packed with designs and innovations that meet the needs of the hotel and its guests. Products on display will include Palace, a luxurious collection combining timeless design with maximum functionality. The range features an elegant washbasin with ceramic storage shelf and a co-ordinating WC, bidet, furniture and accessories. Also on show will be Laufen’s Living Square washbasin which is both stylish and practical, and like Palace can be fitted with a matching ceramic shelf below the basin, providing an open storage area. The washbasins in both of these ranges can also be cut-to-size at the Laufen factory to fit snugly into a recess.
“The Sleep Event and Laufen share an ambition: to offer inspiration in the design, development and architecture of hotels across the globe,” commented Laufen’s Director of Export and Project Sales, Russell Barnes. “As one of the leading hotel brands, Laufen will use the Sleep Event China to introduce its innovative and design-led hotel bathroom solutions to this emerging new market.”
Visit Laufen at The Sleep Event China, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 9 to 12 April 2012.
When Hotel Bel-Air is mentioned, the mind suddenly becomes awash in ambrosial images of elegant seclusion and natural wonders. Nestled on Stone Canyon Road, just minutes from the bustling centres of Beverly Hills and Westwood, its quiet reputation has swelled over the years to almost mythic proportions, and there isn’t a celebrity or dignitary worth his or her Guccis who hasn’t graced its hallowed space.Over the past couple of years, however, this idyllic portrait has been altered considerably. Although it is generally frowned upon to tinker with works of art, in this case the changes are embraced. Hotel Bel-Air, owned by the Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Collection, underwent a comprehensive multimillion-dollar renovation in which just about every aspect of the interior has been nipped, tucked, cleansed, and updated—in fact, it was closed for approximately two years, considered lunacy among the commoners of the hostelry world—leading to its grand reopening last month.
Thanks to the design collaboration of Alexandra Champalimaud and the Rockwell Group—Champalimaud oversaw the rooms and suites for the most part, while Rockwell handled the dining and entertainment venues—the hotel maintains the dashing aesthetic of Spanish Colonial architecture that lured countless members of Hollywood royalty through its corridors for decades with a deft mixture of pleasing indoor/outdoor experiences.
AEB (UK) Ltd has secured the manufacture and installation of a 120 bedroom Holiday Inn Express in Dunstable. The sample room has already been completed in January 2012 with the full Installation during February and March 2012.The company and its individuals have a vast experience of this brand which is constantly developing and evolving improving it all the time.
Declan Hodgson, AEB (UK) Ltd states, “We are very pleased that we have secured this project as we have a lot of previous experience working on Holiday Inn Express contracts and we hope to build on this now and in the future”
All the items are manufactured in the UK and to the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) design and brand standards. This coupled with the company having its own dedicated installation team will ensure the projects success.
DoubleTree by Hilton has announced two former Mint Hotels have officially joined the upscale, full-service hotel brand and are now welcoming guests as the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester-Piccadilly and the DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds City Centre. The hotels are two of eight Mint Hotels across the UK and the Netherlands joining the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotels as DoubleTree by Hilton or Hilton Garden Inn properties. The 285-room DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester-Piccadilly occupies a landmark site in the Piccadilly Place development, and reflects the warm and welcoming feel of this lively city. With an award-winning City Café, the stylish Piccadilly Lounge and elegant Blue Bar, the hotel offers guests a welcoming stay right at the heart of Manchester.
Overlooking the revitalised Leeds waterfront, the 333-room DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds City Centre is part of the architecturally renowned Granary Wharf area. Nestled between the working Leeds Liverpool canal and Leeds Railway Station, the hotel is ideally placed in the centre of Leeds, close to many cultural hotspots such as Opera North, Northern Ballet, Leeds Grand Theatre and the Victoria Quarter.
The DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester-Piccadilly and DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds City Centre share modern architectural designs that are characterised by their transparency and versatility. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows are featured in each guest room, meeting room and all bars and restaurant spaces within the hotel, providing plenty of daylight and impressive city skyline views.
Guestrooms and suites at each hotel are spacious and designed for comfort, featuring a variety of essential and innovative in-room amenities including an Apple iMac computer which functions both as a TV and computer, generous work desks and a gourmet in-room coffee and tea service. Complimentary high-speed internet access is available throughout the hotel as well as in each guest room.
For meetings, conferences and events, DoubleTree by Hilton locations at Manchester-Piccadilly and Leeds City Centre present some of the most extensive, innovative space in each city. Meeting rooms throughout the hotels have been thoughtfully designed for productivity, technology and spatial orientation, with natural daylight from floor-to-ceiling windows, soundproofed walls, complimentary wireless, high-speed internet access and an iMac for use in each room. Flexible and neutrally designed meeting rooms are ideal for small meetings as individual rooms, or when combined can comfortably accommodate large events of more than 200 guests in Manchester and more than 300 guests in Leeds.
DoubleTree by Hilton hotels at Manchester-Piccadilly and Leeds City Centre both feature a City Café – a informal, yet sophisticated restaurant where guests enjoy modern cuisine with an emphasis on seasonality. The Granary Lounge and Blue Bar at the Leeds City Centre and Manchester-Piccadilly locations, respectively, present relaxed, contemporary lounge spaces with a Whisky Bar and a wide range of cocktails, beers and wines as well as light lunches and sharing platters.
Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds City Centre is the city’s premier rooftop venue for both cocktails and fine dining, with picturesque Leeds and Yorkshire views 13 storeys above the city centre. Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester-Piccadilly may be reserved for private receptions with outstanding city skyline views for up to 60 guests.
Preferred Boutique™, an elite collection of intimate hotels and resorts and a brand of Preferred Hotel Group™, is pleased to announce its newest members in South Africa – 26 SUNSET AVENUE LLANDUDNO in Cape Town and 10 2ND AVENUE HOUGHTON ESTATE in Johannesburg. Nestled on the slopes of the Atlantic Seaboard next to the Sandy Bay Nature Reserve in the prestigious residential suburb of Llandudno, 26 SUNSET AVENUE LLANDUDNO provides six luxurious suites and an intimate service. Chapman’s Peak Drive and the renowned Camps Bay, Hout Bay, Noordhoek and Constantia villages are all within easy reach, as is the centre of Cape Town. Guestrooms offer a magnificent 180 degree view of the ocean with the sound of waves crashing a mere 130m away, and the main deck provides unforgettable sunsets.
Spacious and light-flooded, the six one-bedroom suites open up onto large private sun decks and feature floor-to-ceiling glass doors that completely retract into the walls, exposing the outstanding sea-views. For an indulgent stay, services from a butler, masseur, shopping assistant and personal chef are available. Each villa is equipped with a home theatre system, gourmet kitchen, spacious living areas with Wi-Fi , under floor heating, and private sun decks. Other facilities include a heated swimming pool and steam room.
Located in the exclusive suburb of Houghton Estate in Johannesburg, 10 2ND AVENUE HOUGHTON ESTATE is an established five-star boutique hotel with 11 rooms and a Presidential Suite. The 5000 square metre24-hour secure estate is surrounded by lush landscaped gardens within easy reach of the business hubs of Johannesburg, Braamfontein, Rosebank and Sandton as well as just 5 minutes away from the Rosebank Gautrain Station.
Reminiscent of an English country house, the rooms are a spacious 42 square metres and softly decorated in elegant furnishings. Centred around private courtyards with soothing water features, some feature a private balcony while two share a terrace area. For those seeking relaxation, there is a swimming pool, library, lounge room with fireplace and outdoor veranda to enjoy the gardens. The restaurant features an extensive menu with freshly baked pastries for breakfast and seasonal products. Three boardrooms can accommodate corporate gatherings for up to 24 guests.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has relocated its global headquarters from White Plains, NY to Stamford, bringing more than 800 jobs to Connecticut. Located in the Harbor Point development on Stamford’s historic waterfront, Starwood’s new 290,000-square-foot global headquarters comprises a two-tower office complex and is just minutes from downtown Stamford. The new global headquarters will be LEED certified, which aligns with Harbor Points own LEED certification.Starwood will pursue LEED certification from the US Green Building Council for its new office space. Designed by renowned firm HOK, the rejuvenated offices boast a sleek design that utilizes eco-friendly materials to create open spaces with ample natural light. Energy-conserving LED and CFL lighting was installed, along with recycled carpeting, Forest Stewardship Council-certified woods, low-VOC finishes and water conserving plumbing fixtures. Starwood expects to decrease energy use by 15 to 25 percent and water consumption by approximately 40 percent from its previous flagship offices.
Though the global headquarters has moved from White Plains to Stamford, Starwood is not leaving New York state where the company has 27 hotels and more than 4,000 associates. Starwood is also one of the largest hotel operators in New York City which is the only city in the world to boast all nine Starwood brands.
Premier Inn was awarded the ‘World’s Leading Budget Hotel Brand’ at the 2011 World Travel Awards, beating off strong competition from the likes of Best Western, Travelodge and Holiday Inn Express.The awards, voted for by world-wide travel agents were held last night in Doha, Qatar. Described by the Wall Street Journal as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’, they are renowned for recognising the best hospitality and tourism brands throughout the world.
Patrick Dempsey, Managing Director for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award and would like to thank everyone who voted for us. To be recognised internationally in this way, whilst still only having a relatively small presence outside of the UK, demonstrates the strength of feeling towards the Premier Inn brand and the excellent standards and levels of customer service that the Premier Inn teams offer across the UK and worldwide.”
Manchester’s Holiday Inn Express on Oxford Road saw a 19.2 per cent increase in revenue during December 2011 having seen an 8.5 per cent increase in occupancy compared to the same period 12 months ago.However, other Manchester hotel occupancy rates only increased by 2.2 per cent in December and hoteliers saw a 1.0 per cent drop in revenue.
Jonathan Smith, general manager at Holiday Inn Express, Oxford Road, said: “December was a great month for us. Being situated so centrally in Manchester and offering rooms of a high standard at reasonable prices enabled us to capitalise on local events on the run up to Christmas as well as key sporting fixtures taking place in the city.”
Since opening, the Holiday Inn Express Oxford Road which is operated by Zinnia Manchester Hotels, has had almost 72,000 guests take advantage of the new style bedrooms, hot breakfast, contemporary bar, function space including meeting facilities and impressive entrance lobby.
Louvre Hotels Group is announcing the signature of a partnership with Groupe ACI OUTREMER, which specialises in real estate and hotel investments, to expand its positions in the French overseas departments and territories under its Première Classe and Campanile brands (two and three stars respectively). A partnership of trust between Louvre Hotels Group and Groupe ACI OUTREMER The partnership between Groupe ACI OUTREMER and Louvre Hotels Group will pave the way for the launch of 16 new projects in the French overseas departments and territories over the next three years, with five hotels in La Réunion, four in Guadeloupe, three in Martinique and four in French Guiana.
Eight of these hotel projects have already been firmed up and will account for a total of over 490 rooms: – Guadeloupe – Pointe à Pitre airport: Campanile (80 rooms) and Première Classe (40 rooms) – French Guiana (Cayenne) – Route de Baduel: Première Classe (70 rooms) – French Guiana – Cayenne airport: Campanile (60 rooms) and Première Classe (40 rooms) – La Réunion – Saint-Pierre: Campanile (100 rooms) – La Réunion – Sainte Clothilde: Campanile (100 rooms) – Martinique – Le Lamentin: Campanile (100 rooms)
For each of the hotels covered by this partnership, Groupe ACI OUTREMER will arrange and finance the infrastructure development plan and sign a franchise agreement with Louvre Hotels Group. Likewise, Louvre Hotels Group will support the construction of the projects under hotel technical assistance agreements to ensure that the standards of the Première Classe and Campanile brands are met. Louvre Hotels Group will provide Groupe ACI OUTREMER with the benefit of its expertise in both the monitoring and smooth execution of the business plans for each hotel and the recruitment and training of hotel managers, as well as handling reservations via its global and centralised booking system.
French overseas departments and territories: a market in which Louvre Hotels Group boasts numerous strengths Under this agreement with Groupe ACI OUTREMER, Louvre Hotels Group is seeking to expand its presence into the still undeveloped market of standardised chain hotels in French overseas departments and territories. The hotel complexes located to date in Martinique, La Réunion, Guadeloupe and French Guiana are situated a long way from the economic centres and are primarily intended for leisure travellers and thus do not meet the needs of business visitors.
The creation of economic hotel chains, such as Première Classe and Campanile, aims to cater to this emerging need in the French overseas territories. Louvre Hotels Group, which will enable business travellers in the French overseas departments and territories to pay 30% to 50% below the usual local hotel rates, is very well-placed to capitalise on the opportunities in this market.
Bolster its global positions through a partnership-based strategy With this latest partnership, Louvre Hotels Group is again demonstrating its determination to bolster its presence outside mainland France and in international markets by joining forces with high-calibre local partners. This partnership-based strategy will give Louvre Hotels Group the benefit of in-depth knowledge of the local market, establish its expertise and raise the profile of its flagship brands in new regions of the world.
What’s more, the Group is looking to help drive economic development in the regions into which it is expanding. Working with a high-calibre partner such as Groupe ACI OUTREMER, which boasts genuine expertise in hotels and real estate in the French overseas departments and territories, will help to secure a long-term future for these projects. This program was presented to the cabinet of the Minister of Overseas France.
The implementation of these projects going ahead will pave the way for the development of new activities in the French overseas regions, by providing accommodation capacity for business customers. These projects will have a positive impact on the performance of the regional economies.
Matthieu Evrard, Chief Development Officer of Louvre Hotels Group, commented: “This agreement will help us to establish and speed up the expansion of the Group and of our brands in these French departments by harnessing Groupe ACI OUTREMER’s first-class knowledge of and experience in the local markets.”
Stéphane de Reynal, Chairman of Groupe ACI OUTREMER, added: “This partnership with Louvre Hotels Group represents a tremendous opportunity for us to harness the benefit of its acclaimed expertise and its very well-known brands to build hotel projects that will meet genuine demand in French overseas regions.”
Marriott International, Inc. has recently celebrated the grand opening of the 107-room Residence Inn Edinburgh, the first Residence Inn branded property in the United Kingdom. The hotel, operated by Marriott International under a management agreement with Gladedale Ventures Limited, is centrally located in the Scottish capital’s new Quartermile development, the city’s most exciting new address.Colourfully dressed stilt-walkers, Scottish bagpipers and giant pandas “Sweetie and Sunshine,” representing Edinburgh’s most famous new residents since their arrival at the Edinburgh Zoo in December, also joined in on the festivities to mark the occasion.
Boasting 107 stylish and spacious studio and one bedroom suites designed by architect Foster + Partners and interior design house ICA Interiors, the Residence Inn Edinburgh is located near the picturesque Edinburgh Castle and the famed Royal Mile, as well as Edinburgh’s bustling business district, University and Haymarket and Waverly rail stations. Each suite offers a kitchen and expansive living, dining and working zones, designed for comfort for travellers staying five days or more. Special amenities include complimentary hot breakfast and Wi-Fi, grocery delivery service, 24/7 marketplace and fitness centre.
Scottish Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing commented, “I am delighted that Edinburgh is home to the first Residence Inn in Scotland. They have chosen to make the most of an excellent location in Quartermile which reflects the unique heritage of the city but also underlines the opportunities for development and growth. Around four million people visit our capital every year to make the most of our world renowned festivals and this will provide Marriott with an excellent platform for success with this new venture.”
As part of The Crown Estate’s £1 billion investment to develop London’s famous Regent Street bespoke lighting specialists Dernier & Hamlyn restored and recreated light fittings in art deco style for the bars and restaurants in the recently completed mixed use development known as Quadrant 3. For Dernier & Hamlyn it was a complex project with the aim of producing light fittings that would help to take the bars and restaurants back to their original style when they were opened in 1915 as part of the Regent Palace Hotel which, at the time, was the largest hotel in Europe with 1028 bedrooms. Since then not entirely sympathetic changes had been made to the lighting and it was The Crown Estate’s intention to re-invoke the unique ambience of the hotel.
Established in 1888, Dernier & Hamlyn has a long and distinguished history in the design and manufacture of light fittings for commercial, historic and residential sites and worked closely with developers Stanhope and main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine at Quadrant 3 which was delivered four months ahead of schedule and under budget.
Based in South London many of the Dernier & Hamlyn team’s varied skills were utilised during this project. For example in the main restaurant three large oval lights made of cast aluminium and glass and eight u-shaped fittings required extensive renovation. Over the years various glass panels had been replaced leaving a mishmash of styles and designs which were removed and replaced, although they have been stored for heritage recording purposes.
In order to replace the glass sections Dernier & Hamlyn first had to produce a variety of straight and curved moulds to produce the various sizes and types of glass panels required which were then installed in the restaurant.
During restoration it was also discovered that the formerly beautiful mirrored columns had been plastered over. Dernier & Hamlyn’s skilled craftsmen have removed this aberration and refurbished the mirrors to their original peach shading to reflect and complement the restaurant’s updated historic lighting.
Dernier & Hamlyn’s joint managing director Jeremy Quantrill comments: “This was an extremely demanding project but one that we are extremely proud to have been involved in. Helping to reinstate the hotel’s former splendour as part of this major historic restoration programme was very exciting and seeing the lights installed makes me extremely proud of our team and what they are capable of.”
As specialists providing comprehensive interior fit out services to Bars, Restaurants and Hotels across the UK, Dawnvale’s in-house manufacturing facilities provide bespoke bars and Joinery, through to contract furniture, commercial kitchens and ventilation. We have the skill sets and experience to provide you with a professional and cost effective solution even within restricted timescales.
Simply put, we offer as much or as little as you require for your project.
From the shell of the building to the bespoke leather on the seating, we manufacture, fit out and deliver project solutions for Restaurants, Hotels and Bars throughout the UK and internationally. We work with Designers, Architects and Industry Professionals to create interior and exterior places and spaces, in individual or roll out developments.
Why not contact our team to discuss your project and arrange an appointment to see our extensive contract showrooms and production facilities in Manchester on 0161 684 7879 or sales@dawnvale.com
This cosmopolitan and elegant chair from Style Seating is ultra functional, lightweight and stackable for ease of storage. Available in a choice of upholstery and frame colours to enhance its surroundings, the DE14 is sure to be a winner and new for 2012!
ITC Hotels has announced a new addition to its Luxury Collection of Indian hotels – ITC Rajputana, in Jaipur, joins the eight other prestigious hotels inthe Collection.
Designed along the lines of a haveli (a traditional Indian mansion), this sprawling redbrick complex, with its split levels, hidden courtyards, manicured gardens, minimalistic lattice work and sumptuous decoration, is a tribute to magnificent local Rajput architecture.Being unveiled early in 2012, another of Jaipur’s palaces will open to the public for the first time – Jal Mahal (‘lake palace’) is set on the banks on the man-made Mansagar Lake and has been painstakingly restored to its former glory.
Jaipur together with Delhi and Agra make up India’s famed Golden Triangle – three must-visit destinations for any discerning tourist. With the addition of the ITC Rajputana to the Luxury Collection, this portfolio now has a presence in each of these cities and it is excellent timing for those wishing to explore Jaipur’s newly opened palace as part of their Golden-Triangle experience.
ITC Rajputana’s luxurious accommodation is made up of 201 rooms and 17 exquisite suites. Guests will be able to choose from a range of options including elegant Royale rooms, luxurious chambers and Executive Club rooms featuring workspace for the corporate traveller.
ITC Hotels’ acclaimed dining concepts are represented in this property by five restaurants and bars with highlights including an outpost of award-winning Peshawri, which dishes up the authentic, rustic flavours of the North West Frontier and Sheesh Mahal – nicknamed the ‘Palace of Mirrors’ – well-known as the best bar in town.
A wealth of leisure facilities include the luxurious and award-winning Kaya Kalp Spa, an outdoor pool, a spacious indoor gym and jogging track for keen runners. World-class conference facilities are also available for the adroit business traveller to India.
As the first premium brand in the world to achieve LEED Platinum rating when all original eight of the Luxury Collection hotels were awarded this prestigious accolade in 2011, it was ITC Rajputana’s commitment to ITC Hotels’ ethos of Responsible Luxury that elevated it to Luxury Collection status. Already in place are a wealth of eco-friendly measures that make the hotel water positive, carbon positive and solid waste recycling positive. ITC Rajputana is Rajasthan’s first and only LEED Platinum rated hotel.
Gracing the halls of London’s Excel with its latest innovations in sanitary systems, Geberit will be at Ecobuild 2012 in March with a stand packed full of excellent examples of the lengths it goes to in offering ease of installation combined with durable, high quality products.Taking centre stage at Ecobuild will be Geberit’s UP320 concealed cistern, the first of its kind to require no tools to maintain. Boasting a number of innovative features, the cistern which is fitted into the Duofix framing system, has been updated to ensure a top-rate performance while helping specifiers adhere to ‘green’ guidelines for sustainability. . Primarily, the flush valve has been adapted to feature an additional low flush volume setting of 4.5 which can be simply activated and therefore provides flush volumes of 6 and 3 litres, factory set, or 4.5 and 3 litres for use with WC pans that have been designed for low flush volumes.
Alongside the UP320, Geberit will also be showcasing its comprehensive range of products, from plumbing and drainage solutions through to easy to install frame systems for wall-hung sanitaryware, stylish flush plates and touch-free infra-red sensor brassware.
Also, making its debut at Ecobuild will be a new self-sustaining power supply for Geberit infra-red taps.
To find out more about Geberit’s innovative sanitary systems and plumbing solutions visit Stand S225 at Ecobuild, Excel London, from Tuesday 20 to Thursday 22 March 2012.
The stunning range from Hill Cross Furniture comprises side chairs, bar stools and armchairs which add to their already extensive portfolio of products.
The contemporary solid wood Cristiana collection is designed to create impact and style. There are eight design variations to choose from which will allow you to mix and match armchairs, side chairs and bar stools to create your desired look.
These chairs can be upholstered in any fabric of your choice and can be finished to match any wood sample.
This range would perfectly complement any dining area or hotel reception area.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts continues to be at the forefront of digital innovation in the luxury travel industry with the introduction of a new, highly experiential global website. The new fourseasons.com offers an immersive and user-friendly experience, combined with rich global content, impactful design and social media integration. Guests can transport themselves to a distinctive Four Seasons destination with just a click. “Four Seasons has always provided an unparalleled hotel experience, and this level of service and engagement extends into our online presence,” says Susan Helstab, Executive Vice President Marketing, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “The new website anchors our already strong digital presence online, in social media and with the various communities we facilitate.”
As the first luxury hotel brand to fully embrace social media, Four Seasons moved digital to the forefront early on with Four Seasons magazine online, the introduction of blogs such as Have Family Will Travel, and a strong presence on social networking sites to suit the ways guests and travel partners communicate. The new Four Seasons website was thoughtfully designed in the same vein, to deliver an immersive and effortless experience tailored to every user. The brand’s signature service, locations and experiences are showcased through photo-rich, informative property and destination pages.
In addition to the new site, Four Seasons held focus groups globally to better understand guest and travel partner needs. This insight informed the content of the inaugural issue of the 2012 Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report. The first issue, The Luxury Consumer in the New Digital World: Then & Now, is now available online.
Axminster Carpets Commercial will be showing its new Revelry stock contract axminster range, Dunmore tufted stripe collection and the improved Ready to Weave online facility and service at this year’s Hotelympia.The manufacturer will also use the show to underline its position as one of the UK’s foremost hospitality and leisure carpet suppliers, showcasing its capabilities for high quality carpet suitable for everywhere from receptions, bars and restaurants through to meeting rooms and guest suites.
With the 80 strong Revelry stock collection providing specifiers with a wide portfolio of traditional and contemporary carpets, the Ready to Weave concept allowing recolouration of a huge design library in 32 different shades and a bespoke service, Axminster Carpets Commercial offers a complete solution for all hotel environments.
“We are using Hotelympia as a platform to showcase our talents for meeting the needs of specifiers no matter how big or small their project,” comments Richard Lawrence, head of marketing. “Whether owners refurbishing a few rooms to large hotels employing interior designers for a complete refit, Axminster Carpets Commercial has a solution that delivers excellent quality and great value, with the service and speed of UK-based manufacturing.”
Axminster Carpets Commercial is exhibiting in the Interiors & Technology zone on stand S2529.
Frank Hudson unveils the spectacular Shakespeare bed at Interiors 2012 at the NEC. The fourth generation family company has returned to its roots in designing and creating a highly detailed and hand carved four poster bed to showcase the carving skills and rich heritage of British furniture making.Perfectly proportioned to become a focal point in any, castle, hotel suite, or feature bedroom each bed is custom made to order. This bed must be seen to appreciate the quality and craftsman ship. It will be exhibited for the first time on Stand G6, Hall 1. Interiors 2012.
There is also a chance to win a sumptuous Chesterfield bed simply by leaving you business card at the stand.
Contact Keith Clarke, Frank Hudson Limited 07738 540287 or visit www.frankhudson.com
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