Snotels will innovate the lodging market by launching a niche hotel brand, network and experience, for existing hotel owners and developers, solely in ski resorts and alpine towns, across the world. Snotels is a mid-range hotel brand focused on creating experiences, freedom and altitude for hotel owners and alpine enthusiasts. Negotiations with hotel owners are underway. Independently run and resort owned hotels typically struggle with brand awareness, hotel technology, marketing and service innovation. The venture founder, Michael Metcalfe says: “Snotels will increase occupancy, guest satisfaction and revenue for Snoteliers with united brand power, reservations and systems, marketing, international reach and support services”. The team includes Paul Clark, former CEO of Virgin Hotels and Mike Jones, former VP with Hilton International, plus a strong network of advisers.
Michael Metcalfe, a former snowboard instructor and resort executive, created Snotels after experiencing great difficulty in finding quality mid-range hotels when travelling in winter and summer to mountain areas across Europe, North America and Australasia. He says: “Snotels is thrilled to bring crucial benefits to Snoteliers and mountain tourists by pioneering the launch of the world’s first alpine hotel brand”.
With simple and affordable conversions, hotels can implement core brand standards and flexible options, and then relaunch using the Snotels experience. Paul Clark explains: “Snotels is offering major incentives for launch sites which allow for cost-effective rebranding. This will positively impact their operation and financial future”. Mike Jones says: “Our reservation, hotel management and technology systems will maximise hotel revenues and give hotel owners major advantages over regional competition”.
The experience, service touches and marketing will target ‘alpine enthusiasts’ – cash sound, time poor, quality and value focused international and backyard explorers that want brand certainty, empowerment and simplicity. Snotels is introducing a high-tech high-touch guest journey, from booking to check-out and beyond. Guests control their booking experience and unique services, extras and notifications deliver major satisfaction, branding and sales power, that independent hotels cannot feasibly afford or maintain.
A network expansion of 50 hotels by 2016 will be aggressively pursued. Depending on location, sites will have 20 to 150 rooms. Guest rooms will feature hotel basics plus a flat screen television, quality bedding, complimentary wireless internet and many untold secrets to enhance the experience, whether winter or summer. Public areas will include engaging zones, hot tubs, services for skiers, hikers and bikers, with options for restaurant, bar, rental, retail and other spaces.
Frank Hudson have successfully launched some of their most spectacular beds yet.The beautifully hand carved Vanity bed from Frank Hudson demanded attention and is guaranteed to create a stir in any room. Shown here in hand laid silver leaf finish with leather upholstery. Other finishes and COM available. The Glamour Gothic bed was very popular and certainly very different. The Gothic arch detail coupled with the classic combination of burr oak and ash cry out to be the centre piece in a castle, rectory or fantasy environment.
The full 2011 Frank Hudson Collection can be seen on the website.
For 2011 updates to your specifier binder and new TRADE prices or for a complete new binder please contact Keith on 01494 522011 or keith@frankhudson.com
Courtyard by Marriott is thrilled to introduce its new lobby and room design with the opening of the 118-room Courtyard by Marriott Bridgetown. The opening marks the first Courtyard by Marriott hotel to open in Barbados and the second property to feature Courtyard by Marriott’s “Refreshing Business” makeover in the Caribbean. Located at The Garrison Historic Area, Hastings, Christ Church, the hotel owned by Caribe Hospitality of Barbados Limited, will be managed by Marriott International, Inc.The open, bright and contemporary new Courtyard hotel lobby welcomes guests with vivid contrasting colors, including blue, green, orange and red. The traditional front desk is replaced with separate welcome pedestals to create more personal and private interactions when guests check in. This will allow staff to move about to show guests the lobby features and provide assistance. Flexible seating options range from a communal table in the middle of the action, to more private media booths with high-definition televisions, to a more intimate, semi-enclosed lounge area.
Guests can connect to free WiFi and there are ample electrical outlets throughout the lobby to power digital devices. The enlarged business library features several complimentary computer terminals along with a free printer and separate computer stations dedicated to printing airline boarding passes and checking flight status.
Dining has been completely redesigned with The Centro – Eat. Drink. Connect.; offering casual, flexible seating; easier access to food and higher quality, healthier menu options for breakfast; and light evening fare, including snacks, wine and beer so guests can unwind. The MarketTM, a 24/7 shop for snacks, beverages and sundries, is always open for late-night cravings or the toothpaste you forgot to pack.
Green has been Courtyard’s signature color since Marriott launched the brand more than 25 years ago. Now it is even greener with the introduction of a guest recycling program for the environment. Receptacles for paper, glass, plastic and metal will be conveniently located by side exits.
The 118 room hotel features The Centro restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, guest laundry and business center. The hotel also offers 2700 square feet of meeting space to accommodate small meetings and private functions.
Getting it right first time and paying fastidious attention to detail is what ‘cuts the mustard’ at Signbox.When designing wayfinding signage, the detail should be useful, simple and straightforward – letting complexity shine through simplicity. This is the approach we took with the signage and branding for the new offices of Cancer Research UK.
Signbox designed, manufactured and installed floor directories and wayfinding using one of our most flexible interior signage solutions. The hb modular sign system is a strong, yet lightweight interior scheme that suits a diverse mix of signage requirements and budgets.
It comprises a simple assembly of extruded, interchangeable aluminium profiles that are stove enamelled to an exacting paint finish and will accurately match any RAL, BS, NCS or Pantone reference. Text, graphics and icons are usually screen printed and deliver outstanding results every time.
Click here for the full Cancer Reasearch case study.
The ability of Wilton Carpets Commercial to marry design, flexibility and speed through its Ready to Go carpet concept has proved the winning formula for the Bury store of Peter Jackson The Jewellers.Specified by jewellery retail specialist, Hallmark Design & Shopfitting to add to the luxury feel of the interior, the carpet was selected in the striking floral of Fantasia from the Symphony collection and proved perfect in a standard colourway.
As part of the Ready to Go concept, Fantasia can be selected in any of 10 colourways designed to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of hospitality and retail environments. Manufactured in a high performance 80% wool 20% nylon blend for durability, ease of maintenance and appearance retention, the 3.66m wide woven Axminster carpet so impressed that it provided the base for the interior palette of Peter Jackson The Jewellers:
“The Symphony carpet was perfect for this project as it presented a delicate pattern with enough variety of colour to allow the rest of the interior’s colour palette to be drawn from it, hence the pinks and lime greens used on walls and furnishings,” comments Joanne Coleman of Hallmark Design and Shopfitting. “We recommend carpets on a regular basis as they really add a sense of luxury to the environment and this example is no exception. There is no doubt that working alongside a specialist such as Wilton Carpets Commercial will deliver the end result we are after and never fail to impress our client at handover.”
Along with a broad range of traditional and contemporary designs, the Fantasia pattern can also be selected as a Flexiweave semi-bespoke carpet, giving specifiers the freedom to colour from three standard palettes and from any of four qualities to deliver value in a diverse range of locations.
Peter Jackson The Jewellers is a leading independent jeweller with stores throughout the North East.
For further information contact Wilton Carpets Commercial on 01722 746000 or sales@wiltoncarpets.com
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has announced the relaunch of Crowne Plaza Hotel & Suites Minneapolis Airport, following a conversion from the Holiday Inn flag, which is also an IHG brand. Associated Hotels LLC invested $2 million in upgrades to serve Bloomington’s growing business district. The hotel added a Caribou Coffee oasis to the lobby and will continue to cater to groups and meetings with 18,000 square feet of meeting space and the Crowne Plaza’s signature comprehensive meetings program. The Crowne Plaza Hotel & Suites Minneapolis Airport boasts 430 contemporarily renovated guestrooms, including 120 junior suites, five bridal suites and one presidential suite. Guests can also enjoy Martels Restaurant and Lounge featuring savory, Americana fare and Caribou Coffee located in the lobby.
The hotel features an impressive 18,000 square feet of meeting space. The space can be configured into as many as 16 meeting rooms for smaller meetings and one ballroom for large events.
The hotel is located at 3 Appletree Square (at I-494 and 34th Ave.) near Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport, 2.5 miles from the Best Buy campus, eight miles from downtown Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Convention Center and St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center. Companies located nearby include Unisys, Health Partners, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Toro and Ford Motors. For those looking for entertainment, the hotel is eight blocks from the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the U.S., and home to Nickelodeon Universe, and Target Field and Target Center are just nine miles away.
The 13-story hotel is owned by Associated Hotels LLC, which owns six IHG properties, including the Crowne Plaza Englewood, located five miles from downtown Manhattan, and five Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels.
images: All rights reserved by IHG Americas New Hotels
The Barceló Buxton Palace Hotel has unveiled a fantastic new look for its spa and beauty rooms following a £15,000 makeover.Two double treatment rooms, two single treatment rooms, a waiting area, Decléor shop and a beautiful relaxation room have been created, doubling the capacity of the area and creating a luxurious new retreat for guests and visitors.
The chic new look has been achieved using stylish and contemporary décor including ceiling drapes, lamps and comfortable wicker loungers. The warm cream and deep chocolate palette creates a calming and soothing atmosphere – perfect for enjoying a spot of pampering.
General Manager of the Barceló Buxton Palace Hotel, Daniel Graham says: “I am delighted to announce that our new beauty rooms are now open. We have created an inviting and relaxing haven for guests and local residents to come and indulge in fabulous treatments from our professional beauty therapists. We use luxurious Decléor products and treatments start from just £5 which is a bargain!”
The historic Barceló Buxton Palace Hotel which dates back to 1868, is a landmark building situated on the edge of the Peak District. Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, and Bakewell (famous for its Bakewell Tart) are all nearby, making it a fantastic tourist destination.
Right beside the Tower Tube station is a growing little hotel quarter, already home to five hotels with more planned. Mint Hotel is the latest in Pepys Street, on the site of Samuel Pepys house, and I was fortunate to attend the opening party on the 2nd February, although the hotel had a soft opening the 10th January, a few weeks earlier.Opened by Alex Salmond, First Minister of our northern neighbours, this is the latest addition to the Mint Hotel group. You may wrinkle your brow in puzzlement at the name, but this is the new branding being implemented by the previously know City Inns (see our Miniview of City Inn Westminster).
With 583 rooms this large hotel is, as with all the other Mint Hotels, owned as well as operated by the group. Partner David Orr explained that this was because they like to be totally in control of the way their brand operates, a philosophy shared with the UK’s largest domestic hotel operator, Whitbread.
The move from owning to management only has always seemed to me to be a curious way forward for hotels, given the inextricable intertwining of the build, size of rooms, energy conservation and operational philosphy. With teh opening of this hotel and the imminent completion of the property in Amsterdam which will be that cirties largest hotel , Mint now has over 2,400 employees in its 8 properties and continues its growth path.
Falmouth has its place in history, its place as a centre of the web. Not the internet but a network of Royal Mail packet boats – the ‘snail-mail’ of the 17th and 18th Century. From here packet boats took mail, supplies and wages to British armies abroad through a web of sea routes at a speed slightly slower than 6 megabits a second.
Falmouth was also a centre for orders for ships arriving in northern Europe, far enough down the channel to be safe from the marauding French. Here ships would arrive in the world’s third largest natural harbour, the sensible place for ship masters to stop to repair and revictual their ships coming across the Atlantic or up from southern seas. Here they collected orders from ship owners as to where their cargoes could go onward for maximum profit.
So the town was important, boasting two castles and fortifications enough to satisfy any history buff, whilst the grandeur of a town that was second only to London in the number of Embassies (representing those foreign sails making landfall here), still haunts the narrow streets.
Above all this is a maritime town, a jewel of the famed ‘Cornish Riviera’ and the refurbished St. Michael’s Hotel is a gem of Falmouth now. This is a 1920’s building that oddly became an hotel in 1940. I suppose once the conversion to an hotel was underway a little local disagreement with Continental neighbours (perhaps) was no reason to stop, but it was a curious time to launch a new hotel even so.
Like many English seaside hotels the hotel gradually slid into decay and presented an opportunity for new owners to transform into a stylish resort hotel, shaking off the tired tradition of the English seaside in favour of creating an exercise in theatrical charm. For theatrical in many ways this hotel is, in a slightly restrained English manner, mixing concepts and colour in an eclectic mélange that works delightfully.
Theatre starts outside with graphics creating a branding through the use of sails and sailcloth, echoing modern Falmouth’s role as a major builder of luxury yachts and a home to one of the UK’s finest marinas. The external sail motif and the large mural image in reception is enhanced by the addition of real sails and rope echoing Falmouth’s past and present significance with the sea.
Falmouth is also second home to the National Maritime Museum of what was once one of the world’s leading maritime nations. Being in Cornwall, the Museum and hotel alike only acknowledge in passing that they are in England preferring, like the Bretons in France, to pretend they are a separate people: the Cornish, and one of the six Celtic nations.
With family from just across the border in Devon I can, of course, only laugh at their presumptions.
The Reception desk is a lifeboat behind which curved ship-type sliding doors conceal offices. The entrance is marked by two sails and the ‘boardwalk feel’ of the lobby is enhanced by a large image of sailing vessels, the sail of one of which is a real canvas and rope artefact.
From the Reception desk with its faux boat, mast, creels and sails, it is possible to see through into the bar and restaurant. The short passageway, off which goes the staircase to many of the bedrooms, leads not to more slightly Disneyesque theatricals but to sophisticated interiors, linked to reception by colour and in which the nautical theme is played down to subtle hints – portholes in doors, pebbles and fish tanks.
The portholes look into a walk-in wine cellar and award winning Cornish Camel Valley wines feature strongly on the wine list. Walls have been removed to create a large space flooded with light with views across the gardens into the bay beyond. The bar here is the focus and is a delight – a confection of coloured light and tiles, mixing up and down lights with under lighting of the bar top. The wall behind the lounge seating is rippled with subtle echoes of the sinuous ridges waves make in sand and concealed lighting gently changes colour, washing the wall with pale calming colours. There is a small lounge area and a focal point in front of a fire place in which flames flicker warmly.
Through a doorway is a lounge configured like a luxury yacht, masculine in feel, with a floor like a yacht’s decking with leather seating. Already this area is becoming popular for informal business meetings and the large TV is permanently tuned to Bloomberg emphasising this.
Beyond the bar is a lounge area where windows along one side present spectacular views across the bay, overlooking the waves which creates some of the best surfing in Europe. Cornwall is renowned for its surfing industry and is a major element of the tourist business in the county. Another lounge flows down to large picture windows and is separated from the restaurant area by fish tanks and a mirror. This and the restaurant are built out above the swimming pool area. The new owner extended and opened this part of the hotel to maximise the views of the bay and Pendennis Castle, which built in the 16th Century when Falmouth began to attain its vital role in the maritime life of the nation.
This area is quite separate from the bar and the club lounge and offers a pre-dinner drinks space or a place for coffee and brandy afterwards. By day of course it is great for teas or sandwiches. The restaurant varies its layout using different table shapes, etched glass screens and strips of coloured LED lighting to create private areas, breaking the big space up into smaller and more intimate seating arrangements. Colour plays an important role in unifying these disparate elements, with etched glass used throughout the hotel to pull things together.
There are two small conference rooms as well as a larger function room with its own bar, and the hotel, whilst offering free WiFi throughout, also offers internet stations for guests. The division between resort and business is well balanced with the club lounge just keeping enough of the hotel clearly oriented around the needs of business – it could almost be declared a child-free zone as I imagine that in school holidays this will be a very popular destination hotel for families.
The simple finishes are carried through into the bedrooms and the spa area, but here and there are touches that remind one of the location. Ground floor public toilets for example are presented as a pair of beach hut changing rooms and timber cladding is frequently used to evoke that ‘seaside’ feeling.
In the bedrooms timber cladding is used again and the colour is carried through, along with ‘seaside’ art images, which helps keep the coherence of the design. As usual in an old hotel there is a great variety of room types. There are suites, and larger rooms have terraces. All have good work desks and plenty of drawer space for those wanting a longer stay than a couple of nights. The bedrooms have a sophisticated simplicity, their varying sizes giving them an individuality that comes by default with older buildings. The choice of natural finish to the timber furniture harmonises with the driftwood used elsewhere. The use of timber, from flooring to furniture and skylight soffits, is enhanced by the use of driftwood in feature pieces and lamps made of rocks. The colour palette varies in tone but not in hue.
Whilst avoiding becoming kitsch the seaside theme is taken neatly through the bedrooms with striped fabrics echoing deck chairs and simple white and eau-de-nil colour palette making everything look fresh and clean. Most rooms have sea views and the sound of gulls. In the Spa area, rope holds up driftwood display shelves and the timber treatment room panelling echoes the beach huts imagery deliberately invoked with the decor for the public toilet area.
The Spa is very busy and has a very healthy local membership for its gym and four treatment rooms. The pool has been enlarged and opens onto a wide terrace in the summer months on the edge of notable gardens. Gardens are exotic in English terms as the area is warmed by the gulf stream and has a warmer climate than much of England, allowing more delicate and exotic species to flourish.
This is a classic English seaside hotel, which with a sensitive but ambitious makeover transcends the run of the mill to become comparable with hotel such as the Marine (of a similar age) or the 12 Apostles (and the spa is better).
Although not on the beach it is certainly of the beach. Its gardens are separated from the shoreline by the sea road, its elevated position giving it views the redesign has capitalised on.
The refurbishment is already bringing the enhanced occupancy levels it deserves. As petrol prices rise and foreign travel becomes once again the preserve of the rich, English seaside hotels need to emulate the standards set here.
The Vienna-based Austrian hotel group Vienna International is entering the Belarusian market in a joint project with the international architectural office of Moser Architekten Ziviltechniker GmbH. The 280-room business hotel is to open in Minsk, with 1.83 million inhabitants Belarus’s largest city, by the year 2014. Contract partner and owner of the new hotel is Alexandrov-Passage GmbH, a Belarusian-US joint venture.The 4-star superior hotel will be integrated into a 43-storey residential and business tower – a planned landmark building in the Belarusian capital – designed by Moser Architekten Ziviltechniker GmbH. In addition to approximately 280 rooms and suites, the plans also foresee 2,900 m² of conferencing space on four floors as well as a 2,000 m² spa area with indoor pool. The hotel will reach to the 30th floor. A unique feature will be a sky bar on the 41st floor of what will be Minsk’s highest building with views over the city.
Rudolf Tucek, the CEO of Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG, on the latest contract signing: “Minsk has been gaining in importance economically for years, and the country shows stable economic development. These are promising indicators for a growing demand for hotel beds, which justifies our market entry in Belarus.” During the pre-opening phase before the actual hotel opening, Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG will be responsible for providing hotel-specific support in the areas of planning and recruiting and will help set the marketing and communications agenda.
The new business tower is situated along the access road from the airport to the city centre and in direct proximity to the famous National Library, the largest library in Belarus.
On the 3rd April VI announced that they had parted company with their CEO Rudolf Tucek. Mr Tucek said “According to the stock corporation law I am currently not allowed to make a statement regarding the incidents and the approach in relation to my resignation from the function of the CEO of Vienna International Hotel Management AG (VI)”. The press release from VI stated Mr Tucek was “immediately relieved of his duties” and went on to state “Our company’s management must always represent a positive example, particularly as a hotel operator, whose main priority is the well-being of our guests.”
Dawnvale are proud to launch the new website for 2011. It seems only right that the new look website corresponds with the companys continuing expansion of Leisure Interior Solutions, providing the very best in full interior fit out projects to the bar, restaurant and hotel sector. The new website is a visual representation of some of our proudest achievements that we have completed over the years, with details of any aspect of the job provided upon request. Find out recent news on products and projects and see the recently completed Design centre which showcases everything from vip furniture to a fully operational ECO theatre kitchen.
Over the years Dawnvale have carried out full interior fit out and refurbishment projects, designed and manufactured innovative bespoke bars and provided furniture solutions for bars, restaurants and hotels throughout the UK and Europe. Dawnvale has earned an unparalleled reputation for cost effective, industry leading results.
The Rezidor Hotel Group announces the extension of the Radisson Blu Majestic Resort, Galzignano Terme in Italy and will rebrand an additional 201 rooms of the resort complex in 2011. Rezidor had taken over the management of the hotel earlier in 2010 and already rebranded 217 rooms.Combined, the resort will offer 418 rooms split into four separate buildings. It is located in the lush, green Colli Euganei geo-thermal area, just 15 km from the Northern Italian cultural hub of Padua – with its excellent high speed train links – and 40 km from the Adriatic. The famous cities of Venice, Padua, Vicenza and Verona are all within easy reach and the hotel is a mere hour away from four airports: Venice, Treviso, Bologna, and Verona. The Euganean Hills surrounding the resort are renowned throughout Italy for their Salus Per Aquam: Water For Health. Guests at The Radisson Blu Majestic Resort, Galzignano Terme can enjoy the benefits of the local thermal springs and mud in the hotel’s exclusive spa.
While the thermal spa is the highlight, the hotel also offers 700 square meters of meeting space, a 9-hole golf course with putting green, driving range and clubhouse, six tennis courts and boutique shops.
It was 41 years ago in January that Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened the Inn on the Park in London, its first European property and one that would help define the brand as it expanded around the world. Today (31st January), as the company celebrates its 50th birthday year, Four Seasons returns to Mayfair – and sets a course for the future – with the opening of the new Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane.“It’s a completely new building, with larger guest rooms and more suites than ever before, a dynamic new restaurant concept, and a full complement of naturally lit meetings spaces,” says John Stauss, regional vice president and general manager. “And there’s more to come – we’re turning the idea of the hotel spa on its head with the upcoming opening of a spa, fitness and lounge area on our top floor, with sweeping views across London.”
Introducing Amaranto
Amaranto is a series of three flow-through spaces united by one simple idea: that guests can choose when and where they want to dine, without restriction on seating times or particular menus. With its own entrance in Hamilton Place as well as direct lobby access, Amaranto offers an airy conservatory space and private garden for outdoor seating, a more clubby lounge area including an innovative peek-through wine wall that allows guests to follow sommeliers in action, and a soaring atrium highlighted by a hand-moulded sculpture wall with motifs inspired by nearby Hyde Park.
The striking wine wall is the first sign that there’s something exciting going on at Amaranto. The international wine list focuses predominantly on Italian wines – with all 250 available by the glass.
Executive Chef Adriano Cavagnini and Restaurant Chef Davide Degiovanni have fashioned Italian-inspired menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, featuring the freshest British ingredients and selected fine imports. Typical of the creative fare offered is La Dolce Vita, London’s first Italian afternoon tea, featuring savouries such as bruschetta and focaccia, and sweets including cannolo, panettone and torta.
For the drinks connoisseur, a menu of more than 70 cocktails includes tasting notes and classic cocktail history, and features creative use of unique, original mixes. To try: the “Amarantini,” created especially for the Hotel’s opening using Chase vodka, Aperol, rhubarb liqueur, fresh lemon juice and fresh sage – which may be mixed tableside on the custom-designed martini trolley.
This piece of carved landscape artefact from Venaesthetic Creations is a combination of rough and smooth surfaces that is ideal for gardens and outdoor areas.Made from a single piece of stone, this product is maintenance free.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has announced plans to debut its Four Points by Sheraton brand in the Nashville metropolitan area. Four Points by Sheraton Nashville-Brentwood is scheduled to open in August 2011 just ten minutes from the heart of downtown Nashville. Four Points by Sheraton Nashville-Brentwood will offer 208 comfortable and stylish guest rooms and all the amenities guests need to travel the way they like, for a great price.Owned by Eagle Hospitality, the former Holiday Inn will undergo extensive renovations to all guest rooms and public areas prior to opening as a Four Points by Sheraton. The hotel will be managed by Maximum Hospitality, which also manages Four Points by Sheraton Knoxville Cumberland House, the brand’s highest scoring hotel for guest satisfaction three years in a row and winner of Starwood’s Hotel of the Year award.
Located at 760 Old Hickory Boulevard, Four Points by Sheraton Nashville-Brentwood is convenient to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grande Ole Opry and Cool Springs Galleria Mall, as well as numerous performing arts and sports venues including the First Arts Center, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Greer Stadium and LP Field – home of the Tennessee Titans. The hotel is just 20 minutes from Nashville International Airport and close to the offices of BellSouth, General Electric and United Healthcare.
Four Points by Sheraton Nashville-Brentwood will offer all-day dining and feature great local craft beer at the hotel lounge, courtesy of the brand’s signature Best Brews(R) program. Additional amenities include more than 4,000 square feet of state-of-the-art conference space, an outdoor pool, 24-hour gym and business center.
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts continues to expand its 4 and 5 star portfolio, managing the former city centre, Princess on Portland Hotel.As the group’s second Manchester property, the grade II listed building has undergone a significant transformation as part of its rebrand into Macdonald Townhouse Hotel. A new team has been put in place led by Jane Farrelly as General Manager who has successfully overseen the £3.5 million renovation to the property. Emphasis was placed in creating a more stylish and intimate boutique ambiance, in contrast to the Macdonald Manchester Hotel & Spa which is known for both its size and contemporary interiors.
“With two hotels in Manchester it was important to create two completely different product offerings whilst still adhering to the standards that Macdonald Hotels & Resorts epitomise,” explains Stephanie Hocking, Regional Managing Director, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts. “Particular attention has been placed on the hotel’s 85 bedrooms and versatile dining space, 101 Brassiere, which offers regionally inspired modern British dishes.”
Only a ten minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station, the hotel boasts 85 luxury bedrooms and 8 modern purpose-built meetings and events spaces. As an ideal business venue, the hotel can host conferences and events for up to 70 delegates in the Waterhouse Room, accompanied by the Portland Room for up to 36. Smaller board meetings can also be hosted in the executive boardrooms for 22 delegates and additional syndicate rooms for up to 10 are available for breakout sessions.
Leading soft furnishings designer and manufacturer Cliq Designs has held its prices in the latest issue of Choose, the company’s design specification guide and trade price list.The 2011/2012 guide, which includes specifications for Cliq’s recently launched midi quilted throw range, enables designers and buyers to specify from Cliq’s contemporary throws, headboards, bed covers, quilts, sashes, cushions and valances.
All products within each range feature an easy-to-follow specification and option detail section. Items are illustrated, and the guide also includes tables highlighting fabric requirements across sizes, and costings for different sizes and order quantities.
Choose is available for download from Cliq Designs’ website at www.cliqdesigns.co.uk
Commenting, Cliq Designs’ managing director Adam Bolton said that the introduction of a number of process improvements had enabled the company to maintain prices. “We continue to make innovations in our production processes, which means we’ve been able to hold prices while still delivering the highest standards of product quality and customer care.”
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has announced that its global powerhouse Sheraton Hotels & Resorts will open three more hotels in China before the end of January, including its third in Shanghai and first hotel in Wenzhou, one of the most developed economic centers of Zheijang Province on China’s southeastern coast.The first to open is Sheraton Wenzhou Hotel on December 28, followed by Sheraton Jiangyin Hotel on December 31 and Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel on January 15. With the addition of these three new hotels, Sheraton will boast a portfolio of 35 hotels in Greater China, with another 29 in the pipeline.
Starwood’s largest brand, Sheraton boasts a current portfolio of 400 hotels in 75 countries and 92% awareness among business travelers, higher than all other global hotel brands. Following the recent completion of its $6 billion revitalization campaign, Sheraton is now investing another $5 billion to add approximately 35 new hotels to its portfolio by the end of 2013. Half of the new Sheraton hotels will open in China.
Sheraton to Open First Hotel in Wenzhou
Sheraton Wenzhou Hotel will open on December 28 in Wenzhou and mark’s the Sheraton brands entry into the economic center of the Zheijang Province. Ideally located at the city center, Sheraton Wenzhou Hotel is walking distance to upscale boutiques and the central business district, and just 30 minutes from Wenzhou Yongqiang Airport. The hotel features 303 stylish and comfortable guest rooms and more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
Jiangyin Welcomes its First Sheraton Hotel
Scheduled to open on December 31, the 298-room Sheraton Jiangyin Hotel is surrounded by rivers and lakes, the ancient port city of Jiangyin, which means “River Shade,” The hotel is located adjacent to Huangshanhu Park and opposite Jiangyin City Hall – two of the areas main attractions. The hotel is also close to shopping, entertainment and the business district, making the hotel the perfect choice for both leisure and business travelers. The hotel offers more than 40,000 square feet of meeting space including a 22,600 square meters Huang Jia Grand Ballroom that accommodates 1,500 people for business or social events.
Shanghai Welcomes its Third Sheraton
Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel is slated to open January 15, 2011, close to People’s Square as well as Nanjing Road, Lujiazui and Huaihai Zhong Road central business districts. The third Sheraton to open in Shanghai, Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel will offer nearly 13,000 square feet of meeting space and 471 guest rooms with breathtaking views of the river, city and the Bund – Shanghai’s most famous tourist destination.
The first Swissôtel Living, a new, exclusive residence concept by Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, was recently unveiled at Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul. Sixty-three elegant apartments in a range of sizes, from studios to 1 – 3 bedrooms, offer the ultimate in style and luxury, and allow guests to enjoy the full range of hotel services within the comfort of their own four walls. More Swissôtel Living residences will follow in the future in other Swissôtel destinations. Conceived by interior designer Khuan Chew, the apartments enjoy a panoramic view of the Bosphorus and boast state-of-the-art technology, from LCD TVs to home cinema, fully equipped kitchens and exquisite bathrooms. The trendy interior design is highly appealing, with tasteful colour schemes and well thought-out living spaces.
Guests can dine, meet friends or use the library in the communal lounge at any time of day, while the rooftop pool and spacious roof terrace – for the exclusive use of tenants – provide an ideal place to relax.
All services and facilities offered by the adjoining five-star Swissôtel The Bosphorus, such as the Amrita Spa & Wellness, a “Leading Spa of the World”, extending over 4000 m2, and including 14 treatment rooms, a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, hammam and gym, are freely available to guests of Swissôtel Living. The comprehensive range of facilities also includes the fashionable Gaja restaurant, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, room service, the Business Centre, and extensive gardens.
The multi-award winning Residence Restaurant and Bar sits in the glorious, historic centre of Nantwich. The elegant Regency building – once the Lord Mayor of London’s ‘Residence’ underwent a complete fit out and refurbishment programme in 2007 of which Dawnvale were proud to be appointed. After the success of their original fit-out of the elegant grade-two-listed Regency building, Dawnvale are delighted to work again with the owner of the Residence on the new £1 million hotel planned for the land adjoining The Residence.
The scheme will include an 18-bedroom hotel with adjoining banqueting suite, garden and car-park, designed ’to complement the character of the town centre and its historic surroundings as well as Residence.
The venture, supported through English Heritage will see Dawnvale carry the build and fit out to all areas including the furnishing and interiors of the complete project.
Interior fit out and Bar specialists Dawnvale provide a complete service for the refurbishment of Hotels, Restaurants and Bars. Working nationwide we have developed relationships with many leading architects, designers, principal contractors and independent operators. With the latest additions to our growing portfolio below, the company are delighted to be working on other key projects across the UK.
Encouraged by recent successes in the cruise and passenger shipping marketplace, Chelsom will be exhibiting at Cruise Shipping Miami 2011, which is taking place from 14th – 17th March at the Miami Beach Convention Centre in Florida. Cruise Shipping Miami is the world’s most important and largest annual meeting for the cruise industry and attracts designers and operators from across the globe.
Chelsom has been designing and manufacturing high quality contract lighting for the hospitality, leisure and cruise shipping industries for over 60 years. With vast experience of creating exciting lighting schemes for major worldwide projects, and in-depth knowledge of the specific requirements of the marine industry, Chelsom is now a major supplier of cruise ship lighting.
Working with leading interior designers worldwide, Chelsom can take an idea from concept to completion and has in-house manufacturing facilities to produce one-off centrepiece fittings or large production runs. Chelsom understands the demands of the maritime industry and is skilled at adapting standard products to suit the seafaring environment.
Will Chelsom who heads up the cruise lighting division comments, “2010 was a great year for Chelsom in the cruise ship lighting marketplace, so we thought we’d put our toes in the water and participate in the Cruise Shipping Miami show as it is the leading international show for the cruise industry.
“Last year we appointed a specialist agent for the cruise lighting division, Debra Breslauer, who represents Chelsom with Miami based interior designers and ship operators, so we are delighted to be able to support her at the show by bringing along examples of specialist lighting for cruise ships.
“The Chelsom lighting collection has been really well received by the Miami-based cruise ship designers, so we are looking forward to bringing everybody up to date with our latest designs for cruise ship lighting.”
Travelodge has recently celebrated the opening of its first hotel in Horsham – the poetry capital of the South. Located on Worthing Road, the 67-room hotel represents an investment of £2.5 million and will offer rooms from just £19 per night.The new hotel has created 20 jobs in Horsham and is the budget hotel chain’s 460th opening to date.
Prior to the hotel opening Travelodge joined forces with the West Sussex County Times to go in search of a local modern ‘Shelly’ to pen poetry (themed around sleep or the beauty of Horsham) to adorn the walls of its new hotel.
The poetry competition – which went live in December 2010 – was extremely popular and proves that Horsham is full of budding poets of all ages.
The Editor in Chief of West Sussex County Times, Gary Shipton, chose the top three winning entries which were written by local Horshamites Gordon Judge, Maurice Packham and 12 year old Georgina Easterbrook.
All three winners were invited to a winner’s presentation and poetry recital at the official opening of Horsham Central Travelodge. The event – which took place on the 26th January ‘11 – was attended by the finalists, senior Travelodge management and the hotel team.
The overall winning poem was selected by Mr Shipton and Travelodge’s Hotel Manager, Aleksandra Rendjuk. The winner, 12 year old, Georgina Easterbrook, who is now titled – Horsham’s Sleeping Poet – won the competition and a three-stop literary tour where she and her family will visit the birth place of the UK’s most famous poets and writers plus receive £100 travel/spending money. The runners up won a book titled The Nation’s Favourite Poem’s which includes works from Horsham’s very own PB Shelley. All three winning poems are now displayed in the hotel’s reception area for customers to read.
As a result of the new hotel opening, Horsham is now set to benefit from an estimated £1million boost to its local economy as research suggests that Travelodge’s customers spend, on average, £36 a day in local restaurants, pubs and shops.
It is anticipated that Horsham Central Travelodge will benefit from both business and leisure travellers. Horsham is centrally located between the beautiful Sussex Downland (now a National Park) and delightful Weald landscape of the South East. It is just one hour by train from London, 30 minutes to Gatwick Airport and 40 minutes by car to Brighton and the coast.
Hot on the heels of the launch of their futuristic Spa Tower, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz has now opened eight newly refurbished Suites at the Hotel Quellenhof. Designed by Claudio Carbone, the Suites have a sumptuous, grand feel with all furniture, linens and floorings having been replaced. Having closed in October 2010, the eight 80 m² Suites at Hotel Quellenhof have had the ultimate make-over over the winter at a cost of 600,000 Euros. The new Suites now have a refined, luxurious appearance, designed with guest rest and relaxation being the number one priority. Each Suite comprises a separate lounge and bedroom, a generously sized marble-granite bathroom and its own balcony with views of the dramatic mountain panorama or the green parks surrounding the property. Every imaginable 21st century creature comfort has been thought of – including the latest Bang & Olufsen 32 inch BeoVision10 televisions which have made their worldwide hotel debut at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. Guests have not one but two of these cutting edge screens in their Suite!
According to interior designer Claudio Carbone, who was also responsible for the design of the Resort’s Spa Tower in 2009, his hallmark is his “emotional approach”. Carbone commented “My goal was to create an atmosphere in which guests will instantly feel comfortable. The warmth and harmony of the new Quellenhof Suites was achieved by a careful choice of fine materials as well as a considered muted colour scheme.”
The Spanish hotel group AC Hotels and Marriott International, Inc. have formally announced their joint venture to manage and franchise a new lodging co-brand across Europe and Latin America – “AC Hotels by Marriott.”At launch, over 90 existing AC Hotels in Spain, Italy and Portugal will be re-branded as AC Hotels by Marriott and enter into long term management or franchise agreements with the joint venture.
Antonio Catalan, chairman and founder of AC Hotels said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Marriott. The new AC Hotels by Marriott co-brand combines the strengths of both AC Hotels and Marriott International–AC Hotels’ exceptional product and expertise and the power of Marriott’s engines, global footprint and the power of its development organization. We see tremendous growth potential for AC Hotels by Marriott and will be aggressively pursuing development opportunities throughout Europe and Latin America.”
Amy McPherson, president and managing director of Marriott International in Europe, said, “Marriott could not ask for a better partner than the AC Hotels team. Antonio Catalan is an experienced, dynamic partner who understands this market and delivers an exceptional product, perfectly suited for the European lifestyle. We are thrilled with this opportunity to dramatically grow our presence in Spain, the 4th largest source market in Europe, and deliver a great new lifestyle product to our global customer.”
The 9,100-room AC Hotels by Marriott venture is a significant driver of Marriott’s European growth strategy. At launch, it will represent almost a quarter of the progress toward the company’s goal of doubling its portfolio in Europe over five years to 80,000 rooms.
The partners anticipate that the venture will close in the first quarter of 2011, after receipt of necessary consents and other remaining conditions have been satisfied. Starting May 2011, they expect that all AC Hotels by Marriott hotels will be bookable on Marriott.com.
In honour of its vibrant history deeply intertwined with that of Vancouver itself, Rosewood Hotel Georgia will officially open its doors on Saturday May 7th 2011, exactly 84 years to the day that the hotel first opened its doors in 1927.
Originally opened in the decadent 1920’s, the hotel came to be known as Vancouver’s most elegant retreat, attracting Royalty and Hollywood stars, with musical roots including legendary guests such as Elvis Presley, Ginger Rogers, Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones. With this irreplaceable history the hotel will be revived to its glory days with the help of interior design team at Toronto-based Munge Leung who took the hotel’s historic glamour and elegance as the inspiration for this transformation, keeping many of the original design features, including the ornate 1920’s lobby clock while restoring the cornices and other original features around the reception, ballroom and public areas.
On top of its original grandeur Rosewood Hotel Georgia will reach new heights with the extensive amenities and impeccable service that Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is famous for. These amenities include nearly 10,000 square feet of deluxe banquet and meeting facilities, 24-hour in-room dining, Sense, A Rosewood Spa®, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and a 54’ indoor salt water lap pool that reflects shimmering movement and light over a dramatic porte-cochère, designed to create a real sense of arrival.
The new property features 155 rooms and suites that will be the height of sophistication against the remarkable backdrop of the restored hotel. Decorated using a palette of light blues, ivory and chocolate with the finest furnishings and spa-inspired bathrooms these accommodations will allow guests to embrace the significant elegance present throughout the hotel. Rosewood Hotel Georgia will also offer two exceptional Penthouse Suites, the Lord Stanley Suite and the hotel’s signature Rosewood Suite, both featuring a private rooftop terrace complete with stunning city skyline views, outdoor hot tub and fireplace.
With a view to resurrecting its iconic standing as the social hub of the city, Rosewood Hotel Georgia offers a number of dynamic public spaces for dining, entertaining and nightlife. Operated by one of Canada’s top chefs, David Hawksworth, the ‘Hawksworth’ Restaurant will captivate guests with culinary delights and Contemporary Canadian Cuisine that reflects regional, seasonal ingredients with a uniquely Vancouver-Asian twist. Set over 2,800sqft of floor space ‘Hawksworth’ also includes a seated bar and lounge area plus a first floor private dining room, overlooking the Art Gallery.
Talented Head Chef Ned Bell will oversee additional on premise dining including nearly 10,000 sq feet of event space that has been designed to suit a range of requirements, from boardroom power lunches to elaborate galas for up to 400 guests. The centre piece is the lovingly restored Spanish Ballroom featuring hand crafted cornice, stained glass windows and its original minstrel gallery. ‘Prohibition’, Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s underground vaulted cocktail lounge is built on the rich history of the hotel and will feature top musical entertainment in an intimate, sophisticated setting, while ‘1927’, he hotel’s handsome lobby bar and ‘Reflections’ a picturesque outdoor patio on the fourth floor offer alternative venues to dine and entertain.
Situated in the heart of the city at Georgia and Howe streets, Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s unique ambiance and style will join Rosewood Hotels and Resorts’ distinctive collection of luxury properties throughout the world including The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. The Rosewood Hotel Georgia joins King Pacific Lodge, A Rosewood Resort in British Columbia as Rosewood’s second Canadian property. Rosewood Hotel Georgia opens its doors on Saturday May 7th 2011, exactly 84 years later to the day of its original opening date. The lobby clock stopped at 11.07am and will start again at 11.08am when the new Rosewood Hotel Georgia will welcome its very first guests.
Roman, one of the UK’s leading shower designers and manufacturers, is set to exhibit at ISH Frankfurt 2011, for the first time. The show, which runs from the 15th to the 19th March, will mark the launch of their distinctively unique Desire range of enclosures.With their dedicated Export Team, whose languages include Spanish, French, German and Italian, on hand throughout the exhibition, Roman will be well placed to show visitors from right across Europe around the stand.
Alongside Roman’s new Desire range, the exhibition will also mark the launch of Roman’s stunning new range of valves, together with new products being added to their popular Embrace Range. Roman will also showcase key existing products at the exhibition to the European market.
Desire Sliding Door
The Desire range is a collection of revolutionary shower enclosures which transform the traditional concept that the sliding mechanism on an enclosure with a sliding door, must be at the top of the enclosure. The range has turned showering on its head by incorporating the sliding mechanism into the base of the enclosure, for the ultimate in minimalist styling. This unique concept is an internationally patented design. The range includes the Desire Sliding Door and the Desire Quadrants, available in three different styling options.
Desire Three Quadrant
New to the Embrace range is the Folding Bath Screen, a carefully styled screen which is approved for use with power showers and neatly folds away when not in use; and also the Embrace Three Panel Sliding Door Enclosure. This enclosure offers an extravagant door opening due to its cleverly designed three panel sequential sliding system, which incorporates an ‘active’ middle door to ensure a smooth gliding opening.
Folding Bath Screen
Roman’s new collection of luxury shower valves will also be showcased for the first time, with several key designs from the range on show. This exquisite range encompasses a choice of exposed and concealed models available in a variety of configurations. There are a series of drench heads in opulent shapes from square, rectangular and circular headed designs to a curvaceous oval option. A number of models are available with a second multi-function hand shower.
Sculptures Range
Together with these new products, Roman will also showcase existing products from their luxury Sculptures collection. The lavish Sculptures range is styled for the top end of the market, incorporating stunning 10mm thick toughened glass and standing at an impressive height of 1950mm. Roman will also launch their new invisible fix system, available in this range, to highlight their Bespoke capabilities – in this case with the Sculptures Etched Glass Wetroom Panels. This made to measure Bespoke Service can design a solution to fit in accordance with an individual’s specific requirements – creating tailor-made, truly unique showering solutions.
Roman’s Managing Director, David Osborne commented: “We are very much looking forward to being involved in this year’s ISH exhibition. The show is the leading name in our industry and a natural progression for our Export team who already work with customers from right across Europe, the Middle East, the USA, Canada and Asia. Roman’s product range is perfectly placed for the European market, with something for all, from bathroom retailers, to interior designers, architects and hotel specifiers. We offer a solution for all pricing points, from market entry products through to our exclusive designer range of enclosures.”
Much loved Hôtel de Toiras, a splendid 17th century former ship owner’s residence on Île de Ré (just off the West coast of France), will open a stunning sister property in May 2011. Situated in the heart of the charming port of Saint Martin de Ré, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, just a short stroll from the Hôtel de Toiras (that acquired the historical “Gabaret’s Tower” in 2008 and opened three stunning new bedrooms) Villa Clarisse is housed in one of the town’s most beautiful houses. With Pierre Yves Rochon overseeing the refurbishment of this intimate 10-room property guests are assured a truly beautiful and very special experience. A privately owned, listed 17th century home, Villa Clarisse is undergoing a meticulous transformation into a truly charming hotel under the expert eye of Pierre Yves Rochon, who has helped to create some of the most fabulous and famous hotels around the world. Housing just 9 rooms and suites Villa Clarisse will exude a light and airy ambience. All of the guest rooms will be very spacious, offering a minimum of 30 square meters, and all will feature an original, working fireplace and dreamy views over Saint Martin.
With tranquil gardens at the rear of the property, guests at Villa Clarisse will be able to relax beside a heated open air 60 x 70 square metre swimming pool (open all year round) or enjoy a hammam. For more serious pampering there will be a boutique spa with two lovely treatment rooms set within the hotel’s gardens.
The lobby at Villa Clarisse will house a tea hall where guests can enjoy a refreshing pot of Earl Grey or a more exotic infusion and a range of delicious patisseries. Villa Clarisse will also serve breakfast and guests will be able to use La Table d’Olivia, the restaurant at Hôtel de Toiras which is just a short walk away.
Surrounded by fortifications built by Vauban in the 17th century and perfectly preserved to this day, Saint Martin de Ré is the historical capital of Île de Ré, a tiny sliver of land stretching out into the Atlantic Ocean for 30km from La Rochelle. Villa Clarisse is sure to become a favourite among the island’s regular visitors and, with its ample gardens, will be a lovely choice for families or those looking to spend a week or two discovering the island’s endless beaches, vineyards, pine forests and cycle paths.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has announced that the owners of the Liberty Hotel in Boston have signed a license agreement for the award winning historic property making the Liberty the 100th property to join Starwood’s Luxury Brands: St. Regis & The Luxury Collection, and its first in Boston. The hotel is owned by a joint venture between HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI), the nation’s fastest growing private owner/operator of hotel real estate, and Cambridge, Mass.-based Carpenter & Company, Inc., the original hotel developer and co-owner of the Liberty. HEI also operates the property.
Sitting at the foot of Boston’s Beacon Hill and overlooking the Charles River, The Liberty Hotel is a 300-room urban retreat infused with a distinctive personality that honors the building’s rich history while imparting contemporary vibrancy. The building preserves the original structure’s commanding 90-foot central rotunda, soaring ceilings, exposed-brick walls, and authentic portions of its historic jail cells. Three floors of balconies are restored prison catwalks, and the property includes a landscaped courtyard designed to be a hidden gem in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
The Liberty Hotel is anchored by several restaurants, CLINK, Alibi, Scampo, and the Liberty Bar, which makes it the perfect spot for experiencing all that Boston offers. CLINK. boasts a unique modern American menu prepared by classically-trained Chef Joseph Margate, the room is designed with vestiges of original jails cells that create cozy nooks for an intimate dining experience. Scampo redefines Italian food with cuisine unrestrained by borders, drawing on flavors from the Mediterranean and Middle East and curated by award-winning chef Lydia Shire. And Alibi is a hot spot for cocktails and late night snacking with original bluestone floors and brick cell walls; and with an outdoor patio, it is a rare off-street locale for enjoying drinks and watching the sunset.
Vogue is a stunning contemporary mix of modern geometrics; dramatic classic damasks; elegant floral trails and subtle, understated textures, recreated in a collection of contract quality fabric-backed vinyl.Inspired by the excitement and energy of modern day living – still drawing on the grandeur and sophistication of our history, Vogue works perfectly in any classic or contemporary interior be it a boutique, city, or country hotel.
The wallcoverings in the Vogue collection are designed to be used individually or in complementary groups, giving countless combinations and creative possibilities, from the delicate and calm to the daring and dramatic.
The extensive colour palette reflects this theme and is designed and presented in easy to use colour groups, showing options of blending modern and classic design through colour always with the temptation that accent colours, from other groups, can be used where a real statement is required. With colours that include sophisticated metallics and that extend from soft neutral tones to rich atmospheric black, steel and indigo, and from soft warm gold, fresh hints of pistachio through to striking pink, Mediterranean terracotta and exquisite aubergine, the Vogue palette is an amazing resource of inspiration.
For more information on the VOGUE collection or any other Dixon Turner designs, please contact our sales team on: 0870 6060 1237.
Barceloneta chair designed by deepdesign and available through Design-Conscious is a clever outdoor seat inspired by the Barcelona pavilion chair designed by Mies van der Rohe. It’s almost like a caricature of the design classic Barcelona chair – with details imitating the capitonné buttoning and the swish of the crossed leg frame.Robust construction, weatherproof and with a lightweight aluminium frame and rotationally moulded seat and back, these low chairs are great for relaxing areas outside or indeed inside, poolside or on roof terraces and balconies.
Easy to stack (three high) and store, these chairs can add a modern twist to Bar, terrace, poolside, balcony, exhibition or other public space inside or outdoors
Barceloneta chairs also look fabulous used in conjunction with the new Sirchester sofas and armchairs – another design classic given the DeepDesign makeover – available as a sofa and armchair in a wide choice of wacky colours – along with an internally illuminated version.
Sirchester 3 seat sofa and accompanying armchair design by deepdesign is a modern take on the classic chesterfield sofa. Made in rotationally moulded plastic, this seating is lightweight yet robust, making it easy to move around if required.
The capitonné button detail on the back, and quirky colour choices make this range a modern seating option for terraces, roof gardens and swimming pool seating areas, these products are weather resistant and the neutral coloured version can also be internally light with either low energy Fluorescent lamps or an LED colour change kit (fully safe to ip65 for outside wet conditions)
The Sirchester sofa and arm chair work well together creating zoned seating areas in large public spaces and used in combination with the Barceloneta low chairs you can create homage to classic design for all seasons outside!
Adding seating and lighting to outside areas creates a welcoming extension of the inside. We also have a comprehensive selection of outside lighting and planters that will compliment these ranges and extend the usability of these areas well into the evening.
The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba has been certified with the “Green Key” certificate by the International and National Green Key Eco-Rating Programme, the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) with the presence of Mr. Jean-Gabriel Peres the President & CEO of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. Green Key is an eco-label for tourism facilities that aims to contribute to sustainable tourism by awarding positive and meaningful initiatives. The Green Key aims to further improve the practices and behaviours of tourism actors including enterprises, authorities, guest and local communities and to involve them in taking responsibility for their own environment.
“We are very proud having received this international and prestigious certification” says Hubert Klemenz, General Manager of the resort. “This certification will now also support our great efforts in meeting the criteria of Green Globe – The Premier Global Certification for Sustainability. Our resort is the first property among all the Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts around the world to register to the Green Globe” adds Klemenz.
As part of the resort’s commitment, ‘best’ practices in all areas of sustainable hotel operations has been applied such as water and energy conservation, and use, solid waste management and community outreach by: • Implementing a recycling programme in cooperation with Entity Green Recycling and distributing additional waste bins for the separation and collection of waste. • Installing energy saving bulbs and led lights as well as motion detectors and dimming system. • Putting into operation a key card system to control electricity in the rooms by turning off the electricity supply once the guest leaves the room. • Using the drip irrigation method and irrigating before sunrise or after sunset to avoid water loss due to evaporation. • Using environmentally friendly and ISO 22000 certified cleaning chemicals. • Biodegradable bathroom amenities are being used, and locally produced. • Installation of water saving devices, for basin, mixers and showers throughout the resort.
Introducing the Green Key programme at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba is another positive step for the resort to support sustainable development and environmental efforts in the region.
Stephen Roberts Chair of the Liverpool Hoteliers Association and Manager of Crowne Plaza is urging the North West’s top hotels to get behind Alder Hey Imagine Appeal, the official charity of the John Smith’s Grand National this year. For the past few years Stephen and The Crowne Plaza along with other hotels have helped to raise over £10,000 for the Imagine Appeal by inviting their race going customers to add a voluntary £1 donation to their bill for Alder Hey Imagine Appeal over the famous horse racing festival period.
Stephen said, “We’re more than happy to offer our support once again to such a worthwhile cause. I’m confident we will be able to count on hotels and restaurants from all over the North West to offer their support to Alder Hey Imagine Appeal. All of our customers have been happy to give; we’ve even had some wanting to give even more! Last year we had a certain jockey staying at The Crowne Plaza who insisted we bump up the donation to £50 instead of £1.”
Imagine Appeal spokesperson Chris Done added, “We’re absolutely delighted with the support we’ve received over the years from the Liverpool Hoteliers Association. They’ve raised a fantastic amount of money for our hospital over the world famous John Smith’s Grand National period”.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Newcastle (170 rooms, opening 2013) will be one of the best-located hotels in town: with frontage on the central thoroughfare (Westgate Road) and adjacent to the main train station. Besides 170 rooms and suites featuring signature services such as free high speed internet access, the property will offer a restaurant, a bar, 400 m2 of conference space and a fitness centre. Parking will also be available.
Newcastle, located in Northern England on the River Tyne, is part of the sixth largest urban area in the UK. It is also one of the best performing hotel markets: in addition to corporate travellers, the city attracts strong leisure demand thanks to its active nightlife, frequent events/conferences and popular soccer team. Moreover, the market has proved resilient through the economic crisis with stable occupancy and rate levels.
The Park Inn Bournemouth (172 rooms, opening 2013) will be located in the city centre, equidistant from the beach and the main train station (journey time to London by train is under two hours). Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) is also within walking distance, making the Park Inn the perfect choice for leisure and business travellers. Besides 172 comfortable and contemporary rooms, the property will have a restaurant, a bar, a gym and meeting rooms. With a highly-visible, hilltop location, upper floor guest rooms will have sea views. The hotel is an integral part of a mixed-use development which will include residential towers, office space, retail areas and extensive parking.
Bournemouth is one of Southern England’s largest cities and has always enjoyed a reputation as a premier conference and leisure destination, attracting over one million visitors per year. Summer business is particularly strong, as its 12 km sandy beach attracts visitors from throughout the UK.
Lano Flooring Solutions has breathed new life into its Walk of Fame collection with the introduction of eight stunning new shades in a revamped line-up for its 16 strong colourbank.Created to offer hospitality interiors an on-trend colour choice alongside shades that have been proven in many prestigious installations, the new colourbank is joined by three updated stock designs in two stripe and a pindot styles. The new colours and designs can both be discovered in the new Walk of Fame presentation folder, which is now available from Lano Flooring Solutions.
Three state-of-the-art Max Vande Wiele 63 Axminster looms produce all carpets within the Walk of Fame collection, using the latest software to make carpets of outstanding quality and employing Smart Creel robotic yarn feed technology to give complete flexibility in bespoke creations. On projects of 100m2 and over, specifiers and designers can use this fast and flexible production to create a semi-bespoke carpet in any stock pattern, choosing from any of the 16 shades. All carpets produced from the stock collection are available in a nine-row broadloom or 10-row Axminster tile quality.
With an extensive library of designs on offer, including the entire Stoddard archive, from 400m2 designers are also free to work with Lano Flooring Solutions to create a carpet that draws from a palette of 320 colours. For orders over 800m2, Lano Flooring Solutions’ unique in-house yarn dyeing facility and experienced design team can be called upon to create completely bespoke carpets. With a range of qualities from seven to 11-row available, specifiers can also fine-tune the carpet to suit individual areas.
Manufactured from a high performance combination of 80% wool and 20% nylon in a three-ply yarn for superior surface finish and improved design imagery, Walk of Fame custom carpets can be delivered in as little as four weeks, with Kibby samples supplied within just 48 hours. IMO certification is available for passenger ships.
For further information on all Lano carpet ranges, freephone 00800 5266 5266 or visit www.lano.com
Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa, one of Aruba’s most intimate beach resorts, has introduced newly refurbished Deluxe Ocean and Deluxe Garden View rooms, following a series of extensive renovations. Located on Eagle Beach, Aruba’s widest stretch of beach, the two-storey Manchebo is a luxury boutique style resort, featuring just 71 ocean and garden view rooms with contemporary décor and top-range amenities.
With the Deluxe Ocean View Room visitors can enjoy views of turquoise blue sea from a private balcony or patio. The newly renovated rooms boast luxury bedding and spa bathrooms with a waterfall shower.
The Deluxe Garden View rooms have been decorated with a fresh island palate of warm furnishings complimented with contemporary textiles and view of lush tropical gardens.
Spa del Sol, Manchebo’s Caribbean-Balinese style spa retreat, features outdoor massage cabanas overlooking the turquoise blue sea; a selection of individualised treatments, such as hot stone and shiatsu massage therapy and a variety of body scrubs and wraps, are available.
I’ve lost count of the number of trips I have made into what we must now call Central Europe over the last ten years. A fascination with the changes being wrought in the formerly oppressed states of what was called ‘Eastern Europe’ has grown into a love of the sense of history contained in the architecture and landscapes.
This, my second visit to Slovakia, was sparked in part by Kempinski’s announcement of the opening of their Grand Hotel in the mountain resort of Strbske Pleso. It was all about driving through the High Tatras, the mountains that span the border between Poland and Slovakia, due south of Krakow, although my ultimate destination was the Angelo in Katowice.
Long a traditional resort for Poles, the area has spectacular scenery of mountains and lakes and the clean air has been seen as a remedy for the ills of city life since the 19th Century. The drive from Austria through the mountains and across Slovakia was beautiful, the roads quiet. The Grand Hotel started life as a great residence visited by European royalty and morphed into a sanatorium in the peoples republic. It has now become a people’s playground again, albeit with a level of luxury that was probably undreamed of by previous users.As we drove up the mountain road there were tantalising glimpses of turrets and roofs along the hill crests.
The main building has been painstakingly restored with the help of the discovery of light fittings and original colour schemes protected first from invaders and then from state confiscation. The development has been extended along the lakeside by the addition of apartments that will be serviced from the hotel once completed, sharing with the hotel spectacular views across the lake to the mountains in one direction and over the valley in the other. All around are B&B’s and hotels under refurbishment.
Time warped hotels await attention as the state struggles to identify the descendants of owners long gone. Many died in concentration or labour camps or fled from repression. The task is complicated by destroyed documentation and forged documentation alike, so there are still boarded up hotels with hints of previous glories perhaps from the 1930’s lining the roads through an area that even in winter is served by an efficient mountain railway and roads I am told are nearly always passable.
The local community has now taken possession of a ski jump built to service Olympic competitions but then allowed to fall into disrepair. The redevelopment of the ski trails and the infrastructure to create another fine European winter sports area is now well under way, with Kempinski leading the the way with this impressive property.
The status of the hotel was marked by a pale blue Bentley parked in the entrance as we arrived, and the area was thronged with families enjoying a stroll around the lake behind the hotel. The views are spectacular, indeed Slovakia is very beautiful, the mountains even more so, rising to over 9,000 feet/2,700 metres in this region. In the typically changeable August weather we were able to watch lightning playing along the mountains peaks across the lake from the windows of our bedroom.
The Soviet influence is now only apparent in small ways – the hat worn by the porter for example being one of those outsized round Soviet style peaked army hats, an outsized wagon wheel of a hat. Behind the reception counter the striking red dressed Kempinski ‘woman in red’ stood ready to answer all our questions as we checked in. Welcome was five star and one of the memorable things about this hotel was the GM, Gerd Ruge, who’s wealth of experience made a distinct difference to how the design worked, and who stamped his personal style on the hotel as the best GM’s do. The reception lobby is large and stylish with a traditional reception desk down one side. Guests are offered a welcoming drink and are then shown to their rooms.
Proximity key cards are used but amusingly one of Herr Ruge’s angry moments was when I asked why it showed a red housekeeper when the room was ready to make up, and he revealed he had repeatedly tried to resolve the working of the indicator panel outside the room door as the colour was showing wrongly. I remember reading once how fatalities were caused in hospitals because engineers use red and green in the reverse way to most people, causing confusion with operators. Green means all OK no action needed, red that something needs doing in this reverse thinking, and it seems the well engineered product adheres to this rather than orienting for us normal mortals for whom green means go, red stop.
The buildings are long and straggling, producing changes in level as well as twisting as they follow the line of the lakeside. The forests around the lake have a scattering of villas, some abandoned and overgrown as the state struggles to establish normal ownership patterns. Lakeside paths are busy but on normal workdays and early morning/late evenings a few joggers are all that disturb the wild life. With windows open the room echoed mainly to the sounds of bird song and raindrops, and the tradition of the buildings as a sanatorium suits it well to be a spa resort. The twisting of corridors and changes in level made this an interesting building to walk through and corridor view lines were always short.
The bedrooms are well laid out and furnished, with rugs laid on timber floors. Although the wardrobe was large there was not quite enough drawer space – but then travelling for weeks by car does leave me with quite a large amount to place in an hotel bedroom. The timber floors were broad real timber planks, a little spoiled by faulty maintenance, with the cleaning liquid used leaving a kind of bloom over the plank and not cleaning it effectively either. The bathrooms were truly luxurious, well planned and laid out with soaking tubs and separate walk in showers. The impressive iteration of this in the room for those with disabilities gave one of the most luxurious versions of a DDA room I have seen.
The use of timber in the schemes was extensive and successful and the sophisticated luxury feel was harmonious and restful – no shrieking colours to scream and assault the eye yet the variety of colour tone and texture gave sufficient interest to the eye for the rooms to appear very stylish. This subtlety in the use of materials continued throughout the public areas, the restraint allowing the real fire in the bar lounge for example not just to register visually though its rosy glow, but to literally glow against the traditional polished timber wall panels, its crackling logs providing an aural and olfactory experience to match the visual sophistication.
The restaurant was on the first floor along with the function room dining and the kitchens, its own log fire burning in the evenings. In the restaurant the skill of Herr Ruge shone through. He had created a small play area for children to one side of the restaurant and whilst they played the tables around were filled with their families , parents acting as a barrier between their offspring and other guests. It was subtly done by the staff, but seemed to work to the benefit of children (who became engrossed in each other) their parents (who watched but rarely needed to intervene) and the other guests.
The restaurant was on the front of the hotel and at first floor gave spectacular views across the valley. The layout, positioning of the waiter stations, separation of the tables and its height gave a sense of space and luxury. The light fittings had been rescued from where they were hidden in 1938 and restored again grace the room. Note of caution – if anyone offers you a Slovakian spirit aperitif beware, damn things remove your throat lining! Private dining ranged from a wood panelled room with views across the lake to a small turret room offering romantic dining for two at the very top of the hotel with 360° panoramic views all around. In addition there is a healthy eating area in the spa and leisure complex.
The spa and leisure complex is large and comfortable. The pool has views to the mountains and the lake and there are plenty of loungers and small cabana style areas for day long lounging. The reception desk bar counter an office are grouped together , minimising staffing needs, and there is a small gym and well designed treatment rooms for massage and other therapies.
Kempinski have a gem of a hotel in a fantastic position. Location, location, location is the mantra, and this is wonderfully located to take advantage of developments in the High Tatras, one of Europe’s remaining underdeveloped scenic areas. As the popularity of this area grows and it increases in prosperity so the hotel will inevitably prosper.
Many things can drive the genesis of a new hotel chain, but mostly it is driven by personal views of owners. Room Mate was a response by three friends in Madrid to their inability to find an hotel that satisfied their view of what an hotel should be. Setting out objectively to list what they were looking for they created the first Room Mate Hotel. Following a well-trodden path, they looked for city centre ‘location, location, location’. They wanted creative design and value for money, personal service without unnecessary extras, just a good breakfast.The formula worked and there are now a dozen hotels in Europe, the US and South America, each with its own personality and each with a person’s name to reinforce the sense of them as individuals. Oscar is the latest of the four Madrid Hotels, opening in a Bauhaus building in Chueca. Lead designer on Oscar was renowned Spanish Interior Designer Tomas Alia.
The designs for Oscar are youthful, bold and avant-garde, the overall image is sensual and sophisticated. The designer uses subtle variations of finish and texture to enrich the visitor experience.
One of the Australia’s most famous tourism landmarks, the Fairmont Resort in the Blue Mountains of NSW, is to be revived following the purchase of the iconic property by new owners and its new management under Accor’s prestigious MGallery Collection of hotels.Now the hotel will undertake a major renovation programme that will see upgraded facilities and services to meet the demands of today’s travellers. There will be a particular family focus with the launch of a new kids club, a new indoors merry-go-round, a full activities programme including film nights, and enhanced recreational facilities.
Renovation works have already started and will continue progressively throughout the year, without interruption to guests thanks to the resort’s vast layout and design, which means renovations can be isolated in each wing. As a sign of things to come, a new-look outdoor swimming pool has been unveiled, and work is underway on new decking in front of the restaurants to make the most of the panoramic views. The gorgeous gardens will also be returned to their best.
Access to the Blue Mountains is also being upgraded with the roadworks on the Great Western Highway scheduled to be completed by next year. Even now the Fairmont Resort is just 90 minutes from the Sydney CBD which makes the venue ideal for groups, conferences, functions, weddings and short breaks.
MGallery Fairmont Resort – a destination in itself
The MGallery Fairmont Resort is perched on the edge of Australia’s World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, just a 90 minute drive from Sydney.
Featuring 210 deluxe rooms, the Fairmont Resort is a destination in itself. Set in 10ha of grounds, the property has three lakes and walking tracks, and boasts views over the Jamison Valley and adjoining Leura Golf Course. It offers an extensive array of leisure facilities including two restaurants, a lounge bar, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis and squash courts, table tennis, gymnasium, indoor theatre and spa treatment facilities. The resort’s famous paddle boats will be reintroduced and a carousel added to make it even more family-friendly and the gardens are being returned to their best.
With MGallery’s fundamental philosophy of “pleasure”, the Fairmont will focus even more on great food and wine and will upgrade its day spa to become the most luxurious in the area. The restaurants will showcase regional produce, celebrating locally grown fruit, vegetables and herbs, as well as Blue Mountains chocolates, jams and preserves in its signature breakfasts, high teas, lunches and dinners.
The 18-hole Leura Golf Course is located adjacent to the resort and offers some of the best golf in the Blue Mountains. The Fairmont Resort is also a great base to explore the local attractions including Leura Village, Wentworth Falls, the Three Sisters, Zig Zag railway and much more.
Guests have one of Australia’s most dramatic natural wonders at their doorstep, with rainforests, canyons, hidden caves and endless bushland to explore. From bushwalking and mountain biking to canyoning and abseiling the area is perfect for nature lovers.
Wilton Carpets Commercial has announced the appointment of Mario Sorano as Business Area Manager for the East and West Midlands, East Anglia, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Mario brings over 13 years experience within the carpet industry to the role and he will be responsible for developing relationships with designers, specifiers and end users throughout the regions, helping to create tailored solutions across a broad spectrum of environments.
“With Wilton Carpets’ stunning bespoke and semi-bespoke Axminster carpet solutions, as well as a broad range of stock creations, I am confident that we will be able to provide a solution that meets the most demanding requirements in terms of style, durability, appearance retention and value,” says Mario Sorano. “I’m looking forward to building upon existing relationships and spreading the good name of Wilton Carpets Commercial to an as yet undiscovered audience.”
Mario began his career in retail carpet manufacture before spending time in both retail and commercial sales at Carpets of Kidderminster.
The 5-star Hotel & Spa “Der Steirerhof” in Bad Walterdorf in Austria has recently finished the most intensive investment in quality since the opening of the hotel.Situtated in a famous region of thermal salt springs, the hotel is surrounded by 60.000 m² of natural herb gardens, which are an essential part of the Spa concept of the hotel. On request, the guests can have guided tours through the herb gartens to learn about the healing powers of the hundreds of different herbs.
In economically diffult times, the owners invested about 4 million Euros only in the quality of the hotel, without adding any additional room or beds. After the refurbishment the concept of the rooms is now based on cherrywood furniture and warm-coloured fabrics.
The elegant table- and floorlamps of Baulmann Leuchten do match this concept with its natural loom-surfaces and the cream-white shades. The use of energiesaving flourescent lamps and LED reading-lights do also consider the aspect of climate protection.
Pictures are copyright by Der Steirerhof – Bad Walterdorf, Austria
The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened their new flagship in Sweden: the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm with direct connection to the Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre – one of Scandinavia’s largest facilities for meetings and events. The brand new hotel and congress centre have been designed by White, a leading Scandinavian architectural agency, and feature chic and contemporary interiors by RPW Design (London). The hotel and congress centre are owned by Vital Forsikring, a company in the DnB NOR Group, and have been developed in close cooperation with Rezidor.
A prime location The Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel awaits guests in Stockholm’s city centre, within walking distance of the Arlanda Express rail link to the airport and the central railway station. The hotel’s position makes it the ideal choice for business travellers and also tourists, with its close proximity to Stockholm’s business district, shopping, Gamla Stan, the Royal Palace and the City Hall.
Rooms with a view The hotel’s 414 modern, non-smoking rooms and suites styled by RPW Design offer views of the Riddarfjärden stretch of water and the City Hall. The 3 suites are situated on the top floor with panorama windows facing Lake Mälaren, Riddarfjärden and the City Hall. The largest suite has 74m² of floor space, consisting of a bedroom with a king size bed, a bathroom with a round bath tub, a living room with a sofa suite, a dining table and a television, and a separate guest toilet. All rooms and suites feature Radisson signature services such as free high speed internet access.
Swedish & international specialties The Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel invites guests and locals to the concept restaurant RBG Bar & Grill; a casual venue with a relaxing ambience, offering views of the bustling city streets and waterways of Lake Mälaren from RBG Bar & Grill. The menu features both national and international dishes, and RBG can host up to 230 guests. A Lobby Bar with light snacks and refreshing beverages as well as 24h-roomservice complement the gastronomic program.
Fitness facilities After a day of sightseeing or a business conference, guests can enjoy the hotel’s modern and fully equipped gym, the “Exercise Lounge” which is free of use.
Green meetings The Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre with its spectacular glass facade has been designed by White and styled by RPW Design. Sustainability and flexibility were key aspects in the creation of the building: The facade for example acts as 1,040m2 of solar panelling and generates an average of 1MW of heating energy per day. The warm air that is generated warms water that is then sent to colder parts of the building. And during the night, cold water is taken from Lake Klara for the 250 ton ice storage. Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre will be certified in accordance with the new “Green Building” EU standard, and is actually twice as energy effective than this standard requires.
The congress centre has 14,000m2 of floor space, including an auditorium with a ceiling height of 17m and large enough for an audience of 3,000 people. The complex also includes a banqueting hall with space for up to 2,000 guests, and there is a business centre on the 2nd and 3rd floors that consists of a number of meeting rooms of varying sizes and with space for approximately 1,000 people. Many of the walls and ceilings can be moved around or lifted away in order to divide up the area or create larger spaces. Advanced solutions for lighting, sound and telecommunications are also integrated, and Rezidor’s internationally experienced service teams guarantee successful events – from smaller board meetings to big business conferences and sport highlights.
Decorative electrical wiring accessories and lighting control specialists Hamilton Litestat will be displaying a new crystal clear range of switch plates and sockets at 2011’s Interiors event.The stylish new Perception range, which features completely concealed fixings, has been designed to blend subtly against the wall, allowing the wall covering to be visible through the clear plate. The snap-on front plates allow simple fixing whether on to paint or wallpaper; in the case of wallpaper a template is provided from which a swatch of wallpaper can be cut and inserted behind the front plate for a seamless finish.
The switch and socket inserts themselves are available in a range of colours and finishes to complement all types of wall coverings from traditional to contemporary.
Hamilton’s stand will also feature the rest of its largely British-made range of switches, sockets, lighting control systems and door furniture. Highlights include scene-setting Digital Mercury lighting control packages, Hamilton’s popular piano black switches and sockets, and the Perfect Partners door furniture range designed to match many of Hamilton’s plate finishes.
Whether you’re looking for an entire bespoke integrated wiring accessories and lighting control solution for a major development, or just after some stunningly stylish light switches to provide the finishing touches to a particular interior scheme, the Hamilton team will be happy to meet you in hall 3 at stand E28.
One of the world’s most luxurious five-star properties, Wynn Las Vegas, unveiled a brand new chic wine lounge called La Cave last month which was designed by Chicago-based design and fabrication firm, 555 International. The designers created the 4,000 square foot, 120 seat wine bar to allow guests to enjoy three distinct environments which are broken down by The Cave, Main Dining Room and Garden Room.Guests visiting La Cave will notice the beautiful wood marquetry inlay panels that meticulously feature its engraved logo, surrounding the “cave-like” revolving door entryway made up entirely of glass. Serving as the inspiration to its name, once visitors step inside, they will be greeted by the first room appropriately called The Cave which features cobblewood flooring in oak with a detailed ribbon inlay, low vaulted plaster ceilings, and a large sign which hangs over the center tables made up of red LED lights that reads, “In Vino Veritas” (Latin for “In Wine [There Is The] Truth).
The furniture inside The Cave features custom made chairs and tables with brass legs, along with four wood arch details placed over the bars, the opening to the kitchen, and decanting station that include festive Latin phrases celebrating food, wine and the arts engraved into the wood. The back bar inside The Cave is made up of reflective tiles with LED lights shining on it for a desired visual effect. A prominent eyebrow arched steel metal gate which also features Latin phrases offers guests the opportunity to feel like they’ve stepped inside an exclusive wine cellar in Tuscany, allowing one to peek into the next space which makes up the Main Dining Room.
In this open space, the eye is immediately drawn to the dark red wall on the left which is made up of burlap and also features a large rectangular mirror and flat screen television. Custom made lanterns adorn the ceilings with ivory candles that provide muted lighting. Two large, masculine wine rooms provide a bookmark on the left and right hand side of the center bar which features a herringbone walnut pattern offering an asymmetrical detail, against a back bar that features the La Cave logo engraved. The Main Dining Room floor features cement tile, along with custom made walnut tables and chairs. A clever decanting station is also available in this space which features a prominent rectangular walnut table perched on top two large wine barrels which is specifically set up for intimate wine tastings and special events.
The third space that provides another unique wine experience inside La Cave is the Garden Room which was designed to mimic an oversized living room, featuring mix and match custom made chairs and tables that allow guests to unwind and enjoy a glass of wine, charcuterie or cheese. The walls in this room are made entirely of burlap and open up to the other spaces, with the main wall lined with plants to create a “green” environment, over a long sofa that adds a dramatic effect. The carved teaked ceilings, which also hang custom made lanterns, contrast the neutral concrete floor which is softened by the addition of area rugs.
La Cave, which is located just off the casino floor adjacent to the Wynn pool, features a wide range of wines from around the world, as well as artisanal beers and hand crafted cocktails. In addition to its extensive drink menu, the wine lounge also features house-made charcuteries, international and domestic cheeses, grilled tapas and decadent desserts.
After much anticipation and years of preparation, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) officially opened its doors on the 12th January 2011. The 341-room hotel, with 124 executive residences, is the second Ritz-Carlton in Dubai and the sixth property in the region for the luxury hotel company.Herve Humler, president and chief operating officer for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. said, “The company philosophy is to design hotels that are casually elegant, with the occasional classical influence as appropriate. This hotel is a stunning example of that strategic direction.” Humler added “Being able to expand our presence in Dubai and be part of a region of substantial growth is a tremendous opportunity. Of course, we were quick to welcome the chance to provide an outstanding meeting venue for the international companies that already have a presence in this complex.”
As the only hotel to be directly linked to the complex of buildings in Dubai International Financial Centre, the social hub will be at No. 5, the hotel bar located in the prime welcoming position at the end of this pathway. A dramatic 30 meter (100 feet) wine wall that is home to 3000 bottles of the finest varietals in the world is a focal point for gourmands and wine connoisseurs. Other dining selections include Blue Rain, the signature Thai fine-dining restaurant; Can Can, a French all-day dining brasserie and the Center Cut steakhouse, providing multiple settings for the enjoyment of the cuisine made famous by The Ritz-Carlton chefs. The Lobby Lounge & Terrace offers a casual elegance for the enjoyment of afternoon tea. Each restaurant boasts an expansive outdoor terrace.
A unique design facet of The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC showcases a 10-storey outdoor waterfall cascading down the building directly into the courtyard facing the lobby. A total of eight striking water features are situated throughout the hotel, which are not only aesthetically and aurally pleasing, but lend themselves to the feng shui belief that the constant flow of water signifies wealth and prosperity.
Recreational amenities include a fully equipped health club and luxurious Ritz-Carlton Spa, offering 13 treatment rooms.
Aloft Hotels has announced the opening of a second Jacksonville property with Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park. Aloft made its Jacksonville debut in 2009 with Aloft Jacksonville Airport.With 137 loft-inspired rooms, Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park will bring urban-influenced, modern, open, and vibrant design – at an affordable price point – to Tapestry Park’s European-inspired streetscapes. Aloft will also buzz with a social guest experience that includes the dynamic re:mixSM lounge, a playful place to work or relax, and the always-happening w xyzSM bar, with its signature cocktails and surprise sets by star local artists and DJs.
Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park will pursue a coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Starwood currently has 10 LEED certified properties throughout its portfolio, including two other Aloft properties – Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne and Aloft Tempe.
Guests can choose to check in via touchscreen through Aloft’s signature kiosk, which allows them to select a room and view floor maps. Inside guest rooms, urban-influenced design rules. The centerpiece: An ultra-comfortable plush platform bed. Loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows create a bright, airy environment. Large, stylish bathrooms complement the guest experience with walk-in showers featuring rainfall showerheads and signature bath amenities by Bliss(R) Spa. Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park is pet-friendly, with special arf amenities and treats for Fido or Rover.
Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park guests will find close to 30 restaurants and entertainment options within walking distance in Tapestry Park, an urban village boasting a unique combination of residential, retail, office space, and popular eateries.
Originally a neglected Franciscan priory, the Hotel Monopol site was purchased and works completed in 1892. Architect Karl Grosser was responsible for transforming the abandoned building into a very modern hotel with beautiful Neo-baroque façade.Recently taken over by new owners, the hotel has undergone a careful renovation resulting in a stylish yet modern hotel that retains the glamour, opulence and authentic period details. Great attention was taken to ensure the contemporary styling was in keeping with its historical settings.
The Walle range of wall and ceiling mounted lights are manufactured from Fibreglass, Orgilex and Dibond and are available many finishes with personalized colour options available on request.
Organic are pioneers in the use of new materials (such as Orgilex) in the construction of their light fixtures; in fact, Orgilex was first conceptualized and put into production by Organic. Orgilex is a chemically treated, hand finished material, creating a new and flexible light diffusing medium.
Light sources available in the Walle range include halogen, metal halide and Power LEDs, offering the architect and lighting designer countless application possibilities.
Organic lighting products are available in the UK through FW Lighting.
design-conscious have supplied Alessi tableware and accessories for over 16 years and have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with this forward-thinking design house with a respected manufacturing history of quality. design-conscious have supplied Alessi tableware to Michelin starred restaurants, cutlery to Royal Estates, barware to Premiership Football clubs and a variety of accessories to 5 star Hotels for breakfast service, In-room tea/brew facilities and conference catering facilities.
Alessi have a wide range of products which include cutlery, china, crystal, tableware and serving accessories including design classics and up-to-date styles by some of the worlds top Designers and Architects. New designs by David Chipperfield, Future Systems, Jasper Morrison, Wiel Arets and Marcel Wanders can be seen as well as quintessential tableware by Achille Castiglioni, Ettore Sottsass and Stefano Giovanonni; objects that, without doubt, make the ritual of dining and eating a joyous experience.
Stylish and well-made, Alessi is a good investment for a professional environment and for commercial use in Hotels, Restaurants and Catering.
Popular items include: • Barware, Cocktail shakers, Champagne buckets and stands, • Cutlery & Tableware • Trays, platters & service tableware • Condiments & cruets • Dishes, bowls and baskets • Tea & Coffee making and serving • Pots & Jugs inc Kettles
A lot of effort is often put into creating the interiors of restaurants and hotels and by incorporating Alessi products into your environment, the user experience can be extended into the objects that your customers interact with, therefore enhancing your reputation by using this recognisable brand.
Alessi is a market leader; with two seasonal design launches every year, there’s always something new and design-conscious always look forward to exciting new designs as well as extensions to popular ranges.
For projects, products can also be customised and branded on request. Please contact design-conscious for further information.
Morgans Hotel Group Co. (“Morgans”) has recently announced the opening of Mondrian SoHo on March 1st, with an exclusive preview at the end of February. Fantasy meets sophisticated chic with Morgans Hotel Group’s unveiling of its third Mondrian, the renowned lifestyle brand known for its distinct style of hospitality, nightlife and entertainment, and the company’s downtown debut in Manhattan’s famed SoHo neighborhood at 9 Crosby Street. Morgans Hotel Group selected Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, the visionary behind the re-imagined Mondrian Los Angeles, to create Mondrian SoHo in collaboration with the company’s renowned in-house design team. By weaving in elements of the signature Mondrian brand ethos in subtle yet provocative design features throughout the property, Morgans Hotel Group has created a luxurious, yet approachable destination. The romantic design draws inspiration from Jean Coucteau’s 1946 French fantasy film “La Belle et la Bête”, an iconic romantic adaptation of two French fairy tales, awakening the imagination and inviting guests into a vibrant escape. All the while delivering the luxurious, chic and comfortable style for which the Mondrian brand is best known.
As guests enter Mondrian through a lush green garden topiary facade on Crosby Street, the story of “La Belle et la Bête” is unveiled in the lobby: a powdery French blue color palette unifies a series of seating vignettes over a pale oak floor. The casual and eclectic seating groups featuring custom furniture echo the whimsical environments of other signature properties within the Morgans Hotel Group portfolio.
At the highly anticipated Imperial No. 9, located just off the lobby, Chef Sam Talbot will introduce his sustainable seafood concept with a 150-seat restaurant. In keeping with Noriega’s dream-like theme, an opulent cluster of crystal chandeliers hangs over a large, mirror-topped communal table and anchors the main dining room. White washed oak floors and sandy-beige walls accented with antique mirrors embellish the airy atmosphere. A long bar clad in white-washed oak and cream colored stone serves as a casual imbibing spot with a selection of handcrafted cocktails that Morgans Hotel Group’s nightlife destinations are famous for. A play of sand colors and textures complement subtle references to ocean motifs, giving the room a sense of refined elegance while maintaining the allure found throughout the hotel.
Lano Flooring Solutions has deployed a significant revision to its Carve hotel-specific textured carpet concept in the shape of a new and improved bank of colours.
From floral inspired textures to the river-like Carve 07 and geometric Carve 25, each design uses Lano’s manufacturing capability to produce a multi-level cut and loop pile carpet in high performance 100% Aqualon nylon. From stock, specifiers and designers can now select from 19 beautiful new shades that have been introduced to meet the colour demands of modern hospitality interiors. With tones ranging from camel through to almost black, each is available in the standard C 72 design. In addition to the stock offering, Lano has added 15 beautiful new designs within the collection. A felt backing has also been introduced to provide improved levels of fire performance and adding reassurance in the specification of Carve.
“The Carve concept has been delivering the hospitality industry a dedicated solution for several years and has proved itself a worthy choice for hotel environments, providing texture in a range of plain colourways that complement our Walk of Fame axminster portfolio,” comments Birger Karlsson, UK and Ireland Sales Manager.
“The Carve concept allows designers to provide visual stimulation uniform in its colour, making it easier to complement interior décor, even more so with the carefully selected stock colour options. From 400m2 designers can even re-colour any existing design in their own unique shade.”
This bespoke colour offering is created through Lano Flooring Solutions’ in-house piece dyeing technique and specifiers can also select from either fire safe action or felt backings. From orders over 400m2, designers can also work with the manufacturer’s in-house design team to create a completely bespoke carpet including design and colour.
The hardwearing 100% nylon construction features inherent stain resistance, making the Carve collection adaptable to a wide range of design-led hospitality environments.
For further information on all Lano carpet ranges, freephone 00800 5266 5266, or visit www.lano.com
The recent refurbishment of the spectacular five-star Grange City Hotel has seen bespoke carpet from Axminster Carpets Commercial installed in meeting rooms, the auditorium, guestrooms and corridors. Following the recent installation of carpet from the Devon-based manufacturer at the Grange Hotel Group’s highly acclaimed Grange St Pauls Hotel, Axminster Commercial’s design team worked with the group and interior designers Buchanan Associates to develop all the designs for the City hotel.
Wendy Purser, Buchanan Associates elaborates:
“The design came through overlaying two pattern concepts originally developed for the Grange St Pauls Hotel. The combined organic ripple and multi-directional barcode designs capture the mood of other carpet design within the hotel, picking up on their organic base while adding a corporate slant with the strong linear focus of the bar codes. Within the conference centre the stripes also tie in well with the zebrano wood panelling and throughout we selected a colour palette that complements the existing scheme.”
All carpet throughout the hotel is constructed from a durable 80% wool 20% nylon Home Spun yarn on Axminster Commercial’s famed Super 8 pitch looms for maximum durability and appearance retention, while upholding the luxurious underfoot comfort of traditional Axminster carpets. All have been specifically engineered to provide performance for the different requirements of individual areas.
The refurbishment was carried out while the hotel was operational with Handflow Flooring working to a schedule to minimise disruption. Within the auditorium, the flexible floor can be raised or lowered to create staging and different seating levels. Here Handflow Flooring cut and matched the carpet into panels edged with nosings.
Made in various widths to minimise waste, manufactured in the UK and delivered via Axminster Commercial’s dedicated vehicle fleet to minimise disruption in the day-to-day running of the hotel, the carpets have proved to be a sound ecological choice for the hotel.
For further information telephone 01297 630630 or visit www.axminster-contractcarpets.co.uk
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group has recently announced the opening of the new Staybridge Suites Houston Stafford-Sugar Land, the first hotel in the brand’s portfolio to open with one of the new innovative interior designs created by Savannah College of Art and Design’s (SCAD) interior design students. First announced in 2009, SCAD, one of the top five interior design programs in the nation, partnered with IHG to help completely refresh the Staybridge Suites standardized room décor packages. The Staybridge Suites Houston Stafford-Sugar Land features the Vista scheme, which focuses on fresh color, organic patterns and subtle textures. “We collaborated with graduate students at SCAD, who are truly the next-generation of business travelers, to create these designs from a fresh perspective,” said Robert Radomski, vice president, Global Brand Management, Extended-Stay Brands, IHG. “The flexibility, customization and environmentally-friendly materials in the new suites bring the Staybridge Suites brand into the future, while still maintaining the warm and comfortable residential atmosphere that is an important part of our identity.”
The new Staybridge Suites Houston Stafford-Sugar Land, at 11101 Fountain Lake Drive in Stafford, close to the Southwest Freeway – US Highway 59 – and behind the Fountains Shopping Center, is just 15 miles southwest of downtown Houston and less than an hour from Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport. The hotel offers a complimentary area shuttle within a five-mile radius, which includes the facilities of several major businesses, such as Chevron, Texas Instruments, Flour Daniel, Baker Hughes and Schlumberger. The hotel also offers travelers easy access to shopping and dining as well as area attractions such as The Sugar Land Science Museum, the Museum of Southern History, the Galveston beaches and NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
With four stories and 90 guest rooms, the new Staybridge Suites Houston Stafford-Sugar Land offers three well-designed spacious suite options (deluxe studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom/two-bath).
With the new Vista design, each room includes several features intended to reduce environmental impact.
• Kitchen counter tops and bathroom vanities are made of quartz, an abundant natural mineral that is virtually maintenance-free and requires no chemical sealing. • Modular carpet tiles are 100 percent recyclable and produce less waste upon installation and replacement. • Low-VOC paint throughout the suites helps eliminate toxic airborne chemicals. • Tile selections incorporate pre- and/or post-consumer recycled material. • Many fabrics will be dyed and printed in a revolutionary process that does not require water, meaning left-over chemicals won’t be flushed out into the environment.
Hospitality 2011 will be the perfect opportunity for Andy Thornton to showcase new products and popular collections from their extensive ranges of furniture and lighting for hotels, restaurants and bars. The company is constantly introducing new and innovative furniture and lighting products to the UK hospitality market.Andy Thornton will be launching the new Stylus table base from Pedrali at the show. Stylus combines well with many chairs from the range and is ideal for use in bars, bistros, cafes and coffee shops. Stylus stands out for its minimalist look and organic outline, with an elegant slim centre column and rounded corners to its square base.
They will also be featuring their most popular side chairs including Lina, which combines the luxury and comfort of a traditional chair with an unmistakably modern shape. Offered in antique brown leather with a classic button back, it can also be supplied in any fabric of your choice. This versatile chair is perfect as a dining chair in restaurants and bars, or can be used as an occasional hotel bedroom chair.
Andy Thornton will also be showing a selection of armchairs such as the Gloria. This stylish low-backed chair can be used in a variety of applications. The simple classic shape of Gloria complements and enhances any setting and is particularly suited to restaurants, hotel rooms and reception areas. It is shown here in an eye-catching black fabric with cream stripe.
Finally, Andy Thornton will be introducing their new Lighting catalogue, which features decorative lighting for hotels, restaurants and bars.
Visit Andy Thornton on stand 530 at Hospitality 2011, from 24 – 26th Jan at the NEC, Birmingham.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc has announced it will debut its new Aloft brand in Oklahoma City in early 2013. Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown-Bricktown will be located right at the heart of the revitalized Bricktown district – the city’s hotspot for arts and entertainment. Owned by New Century Investments, the newly constructed hotel will offer style at a steal with 140 spacious, loft-like rooms, intuitive and accessible technology and a vibrant, social atmosphere.”We are delighted to infuse even more energy into Oklahoma City’s dynamic Bricktown district with this stylish new hotel, designed to appeal to today’s savvy travelers,” said Paul Sacco, Senior Vice President of North American Development for Starwood. “Aloft has shaken up the hospitality industry with one of the fastest and most successful brand launches in industry history, opening more than 40 hotels in less than two years.”
Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown-Bricktown will offer an ideal location at NE 2nd Avenue and Walnut, surrounded by a variety of upscale urban residences. Just minutes from Will Rogers World Airport, the hotel will be walking distance to shops, restaurants, night clubs and bars, and convenient to Cox Convention Center, AT&T Bricktown Ballpark and Oklahoma City Arena, home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. The new Aloft will offer 5,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, an outdoor pool, indoor spa and sauna, and wxyzsmbar. Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown- Bricktown will be the brand’s second hotel in Oklahoma, joining Aloft Tulsa.
“Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown-Bricktown will deliver a compelling blend of urban style and social interplay to downtown Oklahoma City,” said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood. “With its bold design and lively social atmosphere, Aloft caters to the next generation of travelers who expect their lodging to facilitate their constantly evolving lifestyle.”
Suitable for all healthcare, leisure and multi-residential applications, the V12 shower and diverter range from Rada offers the design conscious specifier all the aesthetic appeal of contemporary shower controls, but with the build quality and safety features necessary in a non-domestic environment.A natural successor to the popular and trusted Meynell V8, the new V12 raises the bar for safety among showering controls. It features Rada’s ground-breaking InsutechTM safe-to-touch technology, which reduces the temperature of the hot inlet so there is no risk of accidental scalding. Safe hot water is delivered consistently and safely thanks to the TMV3-approved thermostatic mixing valve, making it entirely suitable for hospital and care home environments.
The V12’s ergonomic design includes a light-touch sequential control – simpler to use for those with reduced grip – that rotates around a fixed temperature ring that has clear, permanent graphics that are easily understood.
Healthcare guidelines recommend that each shower is serviced every six months – an onerous task in a large hospital – so Rada has designed the V12 to cut maintenance to the minimum. The filters can be reached without it being necessary to remove the valve from the wall and the single-piece, factory-tested, cartridge is easily replaced in minutes.
Installation is made simple too, as the V12 is designed for either surface mounting or as built-in installation complete with easily accessible isolators, filters and check valves. The V12 offers the choice of a top or bottom outlet together with a comprehensive set of fittings so that it can be installed as either a fixed shower head or flexible shower kit without reversing the body.
For extra convenience and flexibility the V12 diverter enables the user to switch between shower heads, for example between a standard fixed shower head and a hand held unit, which is a great solution for applications such as assisted showering.
With the launch of the V12 shower, Rada is reclaiming its showering heritage while offering a contemporary take on style, safety and performance.
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has announced the opening of the Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport Convention Center. After a $13 million conversion from a Quality Inn & Suites, the hotel features newly designed guestrooms and over 5,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel features more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space, with an additional 5,500 square feet of outdoor function and event space. The space can be configured into as many as nine meeting rooms for smaller meetings.
The Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport boasts 166 guestrooms, including four suites with a king bedroom, deep soaking tubs, floating glass showers, dual vanities and refrigerator. The hotel also features 14 junior suites perfect for the extended stay traveler with a granite wet bar, refrigerator, microwave, etc. Guests can take advantage of a variety of amenities, including complimentary wireless available in both guest rooms and public areas of the hotel, a Precor Fitness Center with cardio equipment for on-the-road workouts, a 24-hour Business Center and an outdoor pool.
The hotel’s food and beverage offering includes the Sweetgrass Restaurant & Porch, a restaurant open seven days a week, serving regional cuisine, and the Sweetgrass lounge, which offers nightly beverages and a community table with multimedia connectivity to make catching up e-mail and work a breeze. Other amenities include onsite complimentary parking, complimentary airport shuttle service and a smoke-free facility.
The five-story, 166-room hotel is owned by Inland American Lodging Advisor, Inc., which also owns two additional IHG properties, including the Holiday Inn Harmon Meadow Secaucus, NJ and the Holiday Inn Express Clearwater Gateway, FL. The hotel is managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
The only Crowne Plaza in the Charleston, SC area, the hotel is located at 4831 Tanger Outlet Boulevard near Charleston International Airport, Tanger Outlet Mall, the Charleston Convention Center and in close proximity to Interstate 26 and Highway 526, making it an easy commute to historic downtown and the islands right off the coast. Nearby businesses include Boeing, Federal Express, Hagemeyer, Life Cycle Engineering, Mead Westvaco, SAIC, US Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), Verizon and Vought Aircraft Industries.
Bespoke carpet from Wilton Carpets Commercial now adorns public areas of the stunning Grand Central Hotel Glasgow as it takes its place once again as the city’s leading four-star hotel. As part a £20m refurbishment and commissioned by Karen Cleaver, design director of hotel owner Principal Hayley; Axminster woven carpets from Wilton Carpets Commercial are now providing stunning looks and superb underfoot comfort for guests throughout the Grand Ballroom, Champagne Lounge and upon the grand staircase, as well as within meeting rooms, meeting room corridors, the first floor corridor and bedroom corridors.
The Axminster carpets were manufactured on Wilton Carpets’ state of the art Electronic Jacquard looms in a high performance 80% wool 20% nylon blend to provide durability and appearance retention throughout all areas and within the tight timescale set out by the refurbishment schedule. The refurbishment of the 350,000ft2 space involved stripping the hotel back to basics, uncovering many original features, such as marble floors and intricate cornicing that have been brought back to life.
The carpet created for the first floor meeting rooms and corridors took inspiration from a unique marble floor found in the hotel’s original Black and White club. This bold square motif was translated into carpet and coloured to harmonise with the more contemporary palette now adorning the hotel. This pattern was then used in varying scales for the first floor areas – a larger version for the corridor and a much smaller one for the meeting rooms. In other public areas a free flowing design, appearing in several colourways, was used to link different areas throughout the hotel, but while still retaining the same essence.
“Working with Wilton Carpets’ in-house design manager, Julie Robertson, we tried to achieve carpet designs that could bridge the gap between the traditional listed architecture of the hotel and contemporary influences,” explains Mark Santon, senior project designer, Charles Leon Associates; the interior design company responsible for the refurbishment. “Yet we also wanted to give each area an individual treatment, reflective of its ambience and usage.”
“The two stand-alone areas in terms of design were the Champagne Lounge and the Grand Ballroom,” continues Mark Santon. “For the Champagne Lounge we wanted to complement the gold and black of the feature wall coverings and to have an almost Art Deco quality. We achieved this through a striking chevron pattern in strong black, grey and gold colours. Due to the scale of the space, the Grand Ballroom needed to have a statement carpet and so we turned to a traditional Scottish theme – the thistle. We gave it a contemporary twist by the use of over-scale pattern and bold purple and silver hues, giving the resulting grandeur required of such a room.”
The Design Director of Principal Hayley, Karen Cleaver has worked with Wilton Carpets Commercial for many years, finding the manufacturer’s design service unrivalled, with in-house design manager Julie Robertson’s ability to interpret briefs first time round helping with time pressures. Wilton Carpets have provided solutions for other venues in the Principal Hayley group including the Grand Connaught Rooms, London.
“Working with Wilton Carpets Commercial was a pleasure,” says Mark. “We feel that Julie’s ability to interpret innovative designs added greatly to the process and helped to produce an end product we can all feel very proud of. We have given the Grand Central Hotel back a sense of importance that it so deserves.”
For further information contact Wilton Carpets Commercial on 01722 746000 or sales@wiltoncarpets.com
Macdonald Compleat Angler at Marlow aims to maintain its status as one of the top UK hotels by offering an exceptional level of customer service through professional training. All the front of house team have now completed a nationally recognised NVQ Level 2 in customer service and two of the hotel’s key departments have been awarded the status of Centres of Excellence. Service based training is also now fully integrated into the induction for all new team members. In May nearly 30 front of house staff successfully embarked on an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) level 2 in customer service. Over a period of three months they all completed Maths and English tests, answered a series of questions about providing customer service and undertook the Macdonald Hotels & Resorts customer service training initiative – Commitment to Excellence. They were also observed by the NVQ assessors while carrying out their day-to-day roles.
Commenting on the retraining, Macdonald Compleat Angler General Manager, Gaius Wyncoll said: “This was a fantastic initiative for all front of house staff to be involved in and means that 27 of our employees have been awarded with a nationally recognised qualification in customer service”.
The hotel’s bar and housekeeping departments also received Macdonald internal Centre of Excellence awards last September. After completing a long series of set criteria they were assessed by the group’s training and development team. These criteria act as a benchmark for other hotels within the group. Once achieved, they demonstrate consistency of training and management dedication to providing an excellent service to the hotel’s employees and guests. It also means that qualifying departments become a training site for new hotel managers who need to understand the ‘way it should be done’.
The AA has also just confirmed that the Compleat Angler has retained its four AA Red Star status for next year – all setting the scene for a great start to 2011.
The Raphael Hotel, Kansas City’s landmark property, is thrilled to announce its official affiliation with the Autograph Collection beginning on February 1, 2011. The Autograph Collection is a portfolio of upscale, independent hotels and resorts, each with a distinctive personality. The Raphael is among the first to become a part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection in the iconic historic hotel category, taking its place alongside other legendary properties including The Algonquin Hotel of New York City. The Autograph Collection is a new collection of hotels within Marriott International, Inc.’s global portfolio. It takes an innovative approach to selecting hotels with distinct personalities that promise guests a unique experience. Hotels in the Autograph Collection can fall into boutique arts, iconic historic, boutique chic, luxury redefined or retreat categories.
The Raphael, as part of the Autograph Collection, will be featured on Marriott.com and affiliated with the award winning Marriott Rewards program, where guests can earn points at more than 3,300 hotels in 69 countries. As a member of the Autograph Collection, The Raphael taps into Marriott’s industry-leading global reservations system, and powerful consumer outreach through its leading technology, and sales and marketing platforms which have helped build Marriott into one of the world’s leading hotel operators.
About The Raphael Hotel: The Raphael is a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel patterned after Europe’s small, elegant hotels. It combines the charm and intimacy of a locally significant landmark with highly individualized service. Constructed as Villa Serena Apartment in 1927, the Italian Renaissance Revival style structure was designed to complement the nascent Country Club Plaza. It was reborn The Raphael in 1975 following a renovation that preserved its landmark historical virtues.
The Raphael concluded a multi-year total renovation in December 2009 at a cost exceeding the property’s original development cost in today’s currency. The project’s scope encompassed all new construction in guest rooms, including plumbing, heating, ventilation and cooling as well as new bathroom features and fixtures; completely new guest room decor, including carpet, beds and bedding, furniture, art and amenities; refurbished corridors; the addition of dedicated meeting space, including an executive boardroom that seats 12 and a meeting room that accommodates up to 40 for banquets; a new fitness center and a 24-hour business center; restoration and enhancements to the lobby; refinements to the patio; and a completely remodeled, new concept restaurant, Chaz on the Plaza. Historically significant features, including original wood millwork and travertine marble flooring in the lobby were faithfully restored. A renovation to upgrade the kitchen of its signature restaurant was concluded January 3, 2011 and a makeover of the hotel’s historic lobby will be completed in February 2011.
The Gatwick Manor Royal Premier Inn has been rated the number one hotel in Gatwick on TripAdvisor beating the award-winning Alexander House Hotel and Spa who have retained the number one position for three years running.Just four months after opening, the newest Premier Inn hotel in Gatwick, situated just 2.5 miles away from Gatwick Airport has stormed to the top of the list beating 27 hotels in the area.
The site has been awarded this prestigious title as a result of the friendly customer service from the staff and the comfort and quality that the hotel offers to its guests. The hotel’s mission this year was to become, ‘The best hotel and restaurant in the Gatwick area’ and this rating is testimony to the fact that the hotel is well on its way to achieving this.
Stephen Clayton, General Manager of Gatwick Manor Royal Premier Inn says: “We are delighted to have been rated number one hotel in Gatwick on TripAdvisor. We believe that our customers’ needs should come first and we always make sure that they are completely taken care of. This award is fantastic as it recognises the hard work the team put in everyday and they truly deserve the praise for this result.”
A new series of directional LED luminaires is now being introduced by Baulmann Leuchten.
Being integrated in a solid stainless-steel housing, a 3W warm-white LED provides a wide-beam light distribution for corridors, staircaises, guestrooms, etc. Especially in corridors these luminaires can be used for a 24 hours safety lighting; all components are also suitable for the use with motion sensors.Using the latest energy-saving LED-technology these products are the most-effective way for lots of applications.
In the standard version, these luminaires are available in 3 different sizes for remote LED-driver and in another version with integrated LED-driver. The standard-finishes of the housing can either be stainless steel polished, painted silver or dark-bronzed.
As usual, Baulmann Leuchten is capable to provide also special-made versions in different dimensions and finishes.
Marriott International, Inc. said on the 10th January 2011 that A. Bradford Bryan, Jr. will retire as Executive Vice President and head of the company’s Architecture and Construction division on March 31. He will be succeeded by Ronald T. Harrison as Global Officer, Architecture and Construction. Mr. Bryan’s career has spanned 31 years, and he has led Marriott’s pivotal Architecture and Construction area over the past 15 years during a period of major company growth and transition as the portfolio tripled from 1,200 to more than 3,500 hotels.
Joining the original Marriott Corporation in 1980, Mr. Bryan rose through a range of significant roles, including Executive Vice President and Group President for Courtyard, Fairfield Inn and Residence Inn hotels. He assumed his current position in 1996.
William J. Shaw, Marriott’s vice chairman of the company, said, “During Brad’s leadership of Architecture and Construction, Marriott became synonymous with consistent best-in-class hotels. He played a central role in such benchmark achievements as the dramatic increase in our limited-service hotel portfolio and overseeing our 31-year old headquarters building’s achievement of LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Existing Building Gold certification. I am grateful for Brad’s invaluable contribution. We are leaving his legacy in Ron Harrison’s capable and talented hands.”
Mr. Harrison, a 28-year veteran of the company, will oversee the company’s global architecture and interior design, construction management, estimating, finance, procurement services, and corporate facilities in his new role. Most recently, he has served as Senior Vice President of Full Service Domestic Design and Project Management for the Architecture and Construction division. In this position, he has been responsible for the design and construction of new hotel products and concepts, conversions of existing lodging products to Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Edition and Autograph Collection brands, and ongoing renovations of existing full-service properties throughout the United States and Canada.
Mr. Harrison brings broad experience and deep industry knowledge to his new role. He has served as President of Marriott’s lodging operations in Canada, Regional Vice President of Renaissance Hotels, and Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis. In addition, Mr. Harrison led Marriott’s industry-leading Worldwide Reservations System and was a hotel General Manager at several locations around the globe, including the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong.
HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF, a sophisticated, flexible, hardware system for sliding doors now available from Hafele UK.
The new Antea system will replace the HAWA-210 Vorfront system and is suitable for glass or wooden doors, or a combination of glass and wooden doors on one cabinet. It is ideal for high quality cabinets and commercial applications such as hotels. Hardware is available for wooden and glass sliding doors running in front of the cabinet body and weighing up to 50 or 80 kg. The HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF system is characterised as much by aesthetic appeal, freedom of scope and an orientation toward design as it is by unique running smoothness, ease of installation and a love of detail. The four design options available for the glass solution are combinable with wooden sliding doors, whilst the top tracks and bottom guide profiles as well as all fastening components disappear behind the cover profile.
The sliding doors run effortlessly and with next to no noise in front of the cabinet as a full overlay version; up to 50 kg door weight on high quality sleeve bearings whilst doors weighing up to 80 kg provide the same performance on plastic coated ball bearings.
The soft closing system gently brakes and closes the doors in both sliding directions. A centre bumper is used on systems with three or more doors. It positions the centre outer door precisely and still allows doors to slide in both directions.
The system sets new standards through top tracks and bottom guide profiles available for retrospective fitting from the front and door installation without using tools.
Features of the HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF system:
Maximum door weight 50 kg and 80 kg Door width 800-1500 mm Maximum door height 2600 mm Door thickness, wood, 19-28 mm Door thickness, glass, ESG: toughened safety glass 8 mm 4 design options with a modular all-glass system Combinable wooden and glass sliding doors (glass doors always run closer to the cabinet body) Tool-free installation of wooden sliding doors Flush, point-fixing and form-fitting glass suspension Retrospective installation of top tracks and bottom guide profiles possible from the front (niche or recess installations) Alignment hardware for wood and all-glass doors No visible fastening screws, neither inside or outside of the cabinet Optional soft-closing system fits discreetly on top of the cabinet body.
Roman, the UK’s leading shower manufacturer and designer, came to the rescue and showered one family with a stylish new shower enclosure, tray and valve in the Christmas Special of DIY SOS.DIY SOS came to the rescue of Mike from Littlehampton, who had spent his life savings on home improvements so his sons could come and visit, but he was left in the lurch by rogue builders who essentially destroyed his house. Roman worked with DIY SOS to give Mike the bathroom of his dreams.
To ensure Mike would be showered in luxury, Roman supplied an enclosure from their exclusive Sculptures collection – a luxury range of enclosures featuring 10mm thick glass and contemporary minimalist framing. Roman also supplied a high specification shower valve from their range and, to complete the look, the Sculptures solid surface low-level tray for the ultimate in minimalist styling.
Roman are regulars on DIY SOS, having worked on a number of bathroom projects over the last five years. Roman works with the research team to both recommend the types of products that would work best for a particular project and to supply and deliver the products that will transform the bathroom.
David Osborne, Managing Director at Roman commented: “It’s great to work with such a well known and professional programme. DIY SOS is a well established part of the BBC schedule and to help them out with such a big project as the one featured in the Christmas Special was fantastic. Their team is great to work with and this particular programme was quite a special one to be involved with.”
London is looking forward to two of its best trading years ever in 2011 and 2012 as the world’s attention focuses on the capital at the end of April for the royal wedding, and next summer for the London Olympic Games.“These two opportunities represent a marketing dream,” said hotel consultant Russell Kett, managing director of HVS London. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for London and the rest of the UK, and one which will inevitably boost both room rates and occupancy in hotels, not just during the events themselves but with a longer term spin-off potential too.”
Many of London’s hotels are already fully booked in the days surrounding the Royal Wedding, particularly those properties that line the route to Westminster Abbey. Hotels are now able to charge full room rates and are insisting on minimum stays during this period.
Hotels in other major UK cities such as Edinburgh and Manchester as well as those in the London suburbs will also benefit from increased bookings as demand exceeds capacity in the capital.
This year London sees an unprecedented number of new openings and refurbishments in the luxury hotel market including the new 137-room Waldorf-Astoria London in Syon Park, the revamped Four Seasons Park Lane, the new Corinthia London and 45 Park Lane. Estimates suggest that over £1bn-worth of luxury hotel rooms will open in London over the next two years.
“Far from creating an over-supply, these openings are long overdue. London has been under-bedded in terms of hotels for many years,” added Kett.
“Bookings in London’s hotels have shown remarkable resilience over the past 18 months, there is real confidence for the future and the number of new hotels is merely correcting a long-term under-supply. As confidence continues to rise, so will hotel values although it could get to the point that London becomes too expensive for some investors who could instead be tempted to look at regional cities.
“Business travel is also picking up – the signs are that corporate travel budgets have increased for 2011. As business bookings improve, we would then expect the meetings and conferences sector to pick up as well.”
In response to the call for more environmentally sympathetic and ecologically sound sign systems, Signbox introduced timber fin. Available in a range of profile shapes and sizes, timber finis versatile for landscape applications within the hotel and leisure sector. Supplied from a sustainable source that meets class 1 requirements, timber finis produced by laminating off-cuts of western red cedar. The result is an extremely durable product with a rich, warm colour, whilst the texture of cedar makes an individual architectural statement that blends naturally with the environment.timber fincan be used as a natural alternative to aluminium signs and can be supplied in either monolith or twin post format incorporating individual letters or toughened glass panels with branding or text. Characters can be routed into the profile with the finish left untreated to weather over time, giving an attractive silver grey patina, or alternatively can be protected with pigmented finishes.
With a service life of up to 60 years above ground, timber finwill enable architects and specifiers to design and create a natural, yet future-proof sign to meet the sustainability requirements of environmentally conscious organisations and can assist corporate goals for compliance to ISO140001.
timber finreinforces Signbox’s position as a single point resource for any and every type of signage solution. For further information on timber fin or to view the full range of Signbox’s products, visit the website at www.signbox.co.uk
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company and member of Dubai Holding, has signed an agreement with Azinco Holding Company to manage VENU Bilgah Hotel, Baku, a new contemporary lifestyle hotel on the shores of the Caspian Sea, scheduled to open in 2011.The hotel has been constructed in a wave-like structure reflecting the style of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. Designed by local architect Nazim Valiev, the hotel will consist of 176 sea-facing guestrooms and suites, an all-day dining restaurant and bar and a further two rooftop restaurants and bars. Leisure facilities include a 300m2 spa with traditional Turkish and Finnish bath areas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a 1500m2 conference centre. The hotel complex will also include 14 villas.
VENU Bilgah Hotel, Baku, is the second hotel to be announced in the rollout of VENU – Jumeirah’s contemporary lifestyle luxury hotel group. The hotel offers the promise of “Local Soul”, allowing guests to connect with the location by providing a platform for discovery and an enriching experience. The service philosophy of VENU is designed to be both intuitive and engaging.
VENU Bilgah Hotel, Baku is the first management agreement signed by Jumeirah Group in Azerbaijan. This agreement brings the total number of properties under development or in operation by Jumeirah globally to 49.
RJD Interiors have recently been called in by New World Group, who manages the Ramada Encore at the NEC in Birmingham, to work their magic on marked and dented meeting room doors.The doors looked shoddy and were not a good first impression for the business meeting rooms. RJD Interiors’ fitters, who are trained in using wax and touch up pens, got to work to transform the doors to their original ‘good as new’ state.
The hotel’s manageress was thrilled with the work, and is considering calling RJD in to touch up and repair bedroom doors and furniture.
Daran Jones, Director of RJD, said, ‘it is a much cheaper option to have the woodwork touched up rather than replace the furniture. It is also, therefore, more eco-friendly’.
RJD Interiors are sub-contract interior fit out specialists. They are serious about health and safety and have an excellent track record with our clients for carpentry and joinery fit out projects.
They work in the hospitality and leisure, education, commercial and healthcare sectors manufacturing and fitting bespoke joinery such as reception counters, bars, bench seating and the like.
Their latest projects involving the supply and/or fit out are: • St Mary’s Imperial College Hospital, Paddington – floors 1,2,9 • London Clinic, Westminster – floor 8 • Express by Holiday Inn, Tamworth, Leeds, Manchester and London – bedrooms and front of house • Travelodge – bedrooms across the UK • Hampton by Hilton, Newport – bedrooms and bar area • City Inn, Birmingham and Manchester – bedrooms • Hilton, Reading – bedrooms and bar area
RJD’s staff are up-to-date with the latest health and safety courses, including the CITB Site Supervisor’s Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS), asbestos awareness and manual handling. They also hold relevant CSCS cards.
Call Daran on +44 (0) 7974 914896 or the office on +44 (0) 1827 60274 or why not visit their website? www.rjdinteriorsonline.co.uk
The birthplace of jazz is about to get even cooler. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and its “style at a steal” Aloft brand have announced the opening of Aloft Harlem, its first New York City hotel. Located in the heart of Harlem at the corner of Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 124th Street, Aloft will soon become the area’s hottest destination and the first hotel from a major brand to open in the neighbourhood in a century.Featuring 124 loft-like guest rooms, Aloft Harlem is part of a mixed-use project which also includes Apex, 44 contemporary condominium residences, and retail space. The hotel offers easy access to Columbia University as well as Harlem’s most buzzed about destinations, from the iconic Apollo Theater to the cutting-edge Studio Museum. Aloft Harlem is just steps away from the 125th Street subway station and a quick and convenient ride to anywhere in Manhattan.
“We’re delighted to celebrate the grand opening of the first Aloft hotel in New York City which will provide a modern and luxurious escape for leisure and business travelers alike,” notes Richard Gorsky, who leads the RCG Longview Development/Ownership team. “Harlem is a resurgent community which has retained its timeless charm while embracing new lifestyle attractions – particularly along the bustling Frederick Douglass Boulevard corridor.”
Engaged with the local community even before its doors were open, Aloft Harlem put its own spin on the traditional job fair and held “auditions” to recruit the very best local talent at the Apollo Theater.
“We could not be more excited to become a member of one of the richest and most historic New York City neighborhoods,” said Daniel Fevre, General Manager of Aloft Harlem. “Harlem has long been a highly visited destination in Manhattan and we look forward to providing a unique lodging alternative in the area.”
The Best Western Swan hotel has launched a new initiative to cut cigarette butt litter. Every smoker who stays at the hotel can now have their own environmentally friendly cigarette butt holder from ‘Butts Out’. The device acts as a re-useable personal ashtray and fits easily into a pocket or purse. In return, the hotel is asking for a small donation to The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, which goes towards their adopted Swan called Wooton.Commenting on the enterprise, Head of Sales and Marketing, Natasha Mingo-West said, “Over the past few years the hotel has worked hard to improve its green credentials and we were delighted that our latest efforts have recently been recognised with a Silver award by Green Tourism.”
A seminal test case for fire safety in hotels is due to heard on 26 January 2011 which could have huge implications for Hotel Managers, designers and fire safety consultants.
The case involves the Penhallow Hotel in Newquay which burnt down in August 2007. Peter Hughes, 43, his mother, Monica, 86, and Joan Harper, 80, all from Staffordshire, died. John McMillan, a director of O&C Holdsworth Ltd (the Hotel Owners), Nicola Burfitt, the company’s group administration manager, along with the company itself, all face four charges under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Charges include
• failing to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, • failing to take general fire precautions, • failing to ensure the hotel was equipped with an adequate fire detection and alarm system, • and failing to ensure a quick and safe means of escape.
The offences are alleged to have occurred between 1 October 2006 and 18 August 2007, the date of the fire, and are some of the first charges to be brought under the RRO, where a death has occurred as a result. The current highest fine is £400,000 awarded against high street retailer New Look, though the trial judge stated that the starting point for a fine was £600,000 and was only reduced to £400,000 in view of nobody being killed or injured, the company pleading guilty, co-operating with the investigation at the earliest opportunity, and demonstrating that it had taken significant steps to remedy fire safety shortcomings across its stores.
Many hoteliers still believe that if a fire certificate was previously issued for the hotel that this means that they are compliant with the RRO. However, this a mistaken belief and many of the early Fire Certificates of the 1970’s were issued before modern codes of practice came into being. Once a certificate was in place the Fire Authority could only insist that the certificate was maintained and could not require anything that could be described as betterment. However, this all changed on 1st October 2006 when the RRO came into force and the statute bar was removed – as a result Fire Authorities have been ramping up prosecutions ever since.
In this case the issue of the competency of the Risk Assessor will also be addressed as a fourth defendant ( Martin Tricker of Hawthorne Safety Consultants) also faces one charge of failing to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment between the same dates. Hoteliers are advised to ensure that their risk assessments are up to date – including any alterations they have made or propose, and that the risk assessor is suitably qualified to undertake the risk assessment.
A city centre oasis situated in the heart of Sydney’s vibrant CBD; Park8 Hotel, a new member of Epoque Hotels, is the latest addition to the 8Hotels collection of boutique hotels.36 oversized rooms and loft apartments offer the ultimate luxury in-room amenities, ultra comfort bedding and bathrooms featuring rain showers and some with separate baths. Sydney’s natural setting and fashionable comforts inspired interior designer Connie Alessi to create a unique, original and intimate property. This fused with the well-known 8Hotels personalized guest services will give an unforgettable accommodation experience.
Previously known as the ‘Central Park’, this new Sydney boutique hotel was recently acquired by 8Hotels and has undergone a broad renovation to all guest rooms, lobby and common areas.
Park8 Hotel appeals to guests with a creative flair as its style is far from the big hotel chain franchise and ideal for those seeking something different in their hotel experience whether travelling for business or leisure.
Many things can drive the genesis of a new hotel chain, but mostly it is driven by personal views of owners. Room Mate was a response by three friends in Madrid to their inability to find an hotel that satisfied their view of what an hotel should be. Setting out objectively to list what they were looking for they created the first Room Mate Hotel. Following a well-trodden path, they looked for city centre ‘location, location, location’. They wanted creative design and value for money, personal service without unnecessary extras, just a good breakfast.
The formula worked and there are now a dozen hotels in Europe, the US and South America, each with its own personality and each with a person’s name to reinforce the sense of them as individuals. Oscar is the latest of the four Madrid Hotels, opening in a Bauhaus building in Chueca. Lead designer on Oscar was renowned Spanish Interior Designer Tomas Alia.
Photo from Hotel Oscar website
The designs for Oscar are youthful, bold and avant-garde, the overall image is sensual and sophisticated. The designer uses subtle variations of finish and texture to enrich the visitor experience.
The designer tried to create walls of contrast, using different materials to bring different qualities. In the public areas the lighting plays a principal role in softly changing the colours and subliminally transforming the space.
Photo from Hotel Oscar website
There are 75 rooms and suites arranged over seven colour–coded floors, which look out over the Plaza Vazquez de Melia. The predominantly white bedrooms all feature cool contemporary furniture and striking design flourishes such as bright block colour, bold patterns or giant monotone photographic images. If you want a night in, or a bite to eat before you go out and party, there is a restaurant, cocktail bar and rooftop terrace bar with plunge pool.
With curling organic forms allied to light and subtle colour accents Oscar breaks away from the vernacular to introduce a new aesthetic.
Dernier & Hamlyn’s work can be seen extensively at the recently opened Savoy Hotel in London, following the most ambitious restoration in British history. Its light fittings at the hotel include over 100 floor standards, more than 200 ceiling fittings and hundreds of handmade silk shades all manufactured at Dernier & Hamlyn’s UK factory to meet the exacting standards of the hotel’s guests and of Savoy’s owners Fairmont.Jeremy Quantrill, Dernier & Hamlyn’s joint managing director comments:“We were delighted to be asked to be involved in the rebirth of this iconic London hotel and for a range of our products to help create the elegant and glamorous ambience at the Savoy.”
Corinthia Hotels has received the ‘Award for International Achievement’ at the Arabian Business Achievement Awards ceremony in Burj Khalifa, Dubai. The prestigious award recognises the rapid growth of the collection of Corinthia Hotels, culminating in the launch of its flagship hotel in London, set for an official opening in spring 2011.Alfred Pisani, Founder and Chairman of Corinthia Hotels, collected the prize at a gala dinner attended by many of the region’s business leaders, with awards being granted across a wide spectrum of business sectors. The Arabian Business Awards are hosted by the ITP Publishing House and this year’s guest of honour was Princess Ameerah, vice-Chairman of the Al Waleed Bin Talal Foundation.
Corinthia Hotels is a collection of distinctive hotels, starting as a family business and since growing through the acquisition, development and management of landmark hotels in cities as diverse as St Petersburg, Budapest, Malta, Tripoli, Prague, Lisbon, Khartoum, and soon, London.
The Corinthia Hotel London is under development in a Victorian-era grand hotel, which has been entirely rebuilt to feature 295 luxury bedrooms and suites, signature bars and restaurants, 12 ambassadorial residences, and a stand-alone luxury spa operated as the global flagship of ESPA, world leaders in the spa industry. The hotel will open for guests in spring 2011.
The ITP hosted Arabian Business Awards have been presented for 11 years and are the most prestigious in the business calendar. They celebrate the best achievers in Arab business, both at corporate and at individual levels. This year’s awards spanned 17 categories, including technology, media and retail. The editorial team decides on three nominations per category, and the winners are then chosen by a special judging panel.
The Rezidor Hotel Group announces Hotel Missoni Belek, Antalya: The 138 rooms-property on the famous Turkish Riviera will welcome the first guests in 2013. Hotel Missoni, Rezidor’s bold and fashionable lifestyle brand, debuted in 2009 – each hotel is personally designed by Creative Director Rosita Missoni, founder of the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni.“We develop Hotel Missoni in carefully selected city centres and upcoming resort destinations. Antalya is a perfect location for this exciting, design-conscious and authentic brand”, said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. The very first Hotel Missoni opened its doors in Edinburgh, Scotland – further properties are under development in Kuwait, Oman and Brazil.
“In my many years of cooperation with Rezidor, I have been very proud of the fact that the collaboration has always been a great success. I am looking forward to having Hotel Missoni as the crowning icon of our new project in Belek,” added Haluk Kaya, CEO of Bekay Property Partners and owner of the property.
Hotel Missoni Belek, Antalya will be a golf- and wellness resort located 5 km east of the city of Belek on a hilltop overlooking olive groves, fruit orchards and the sea. It will form an integral part of a high-profile mixed-use development; featuring residential villas, a country club, a sports club, and boutique retail shops. The focal point will be an 18-hole golf course adjacent to the hotel; designed by the Swedish golf champion Annika Sörenstam.
The hotel will offer 110 stylish guest rooms and 28 luxurious villas ranging from 200 to 900 m2. All will feature Missoni’s dazzling design and colour scheme. Two restaurants, including the signature “Cucina Missoni”, will be available in addition to a ballroom and meeting space. For relaxation after a round of golf guests can enjoy the 1,100 m2 spa and leisure area, offering two swimming pools, a spa, Turkish baths, a fitness centre, and a kids club.
Antalya is Turkey’s most visited tourist area (even surpassing Istanbul!): Visitors are drawn to its miles of sandy beaches, year-round sunshine and a wealth of tourist and historical attractions. It is also an established golfing destination with over a dozen courses. In Turkey – a strong and high-potential market for Rezidor – the group has now 4 hotels in operation and 2 under development.
The 15th century Best Western Swan hotel has installed 21st century technology, which is relatively new to the hospitality industry.All 48 bedrooms and the luxurious Cathedral Suite now boast state of the art locking systems, installed by Yorkshire based TLJ security systems. Guests are issued with a card that allows them to gain access to their room without physically touching the lock. The locks also interface with the hotel’s electronic booking system.
The work caused the minimum of disruption to guests as it took 3 fitters only 5 days to complete.
Commenting on the project General Manager, Terri Chichester said, “Although these new locks are 600 years younger than parts of the hotel they do not look out of place. The sheer speed of the work meant that we had one instance of a guest returning to their room after breakfast only to find that the door lock had changed!”
Matthew Cronin, Business Development Manager at TLJ security systems said, “Key card locks are a recognised form of access control throughout the hotel and accommodation sectors. Our latest RFID hotel lock system takes this technology up a new level and we are delighted that such a unique and charming establishment has embraced the latest in hotel guest room security.”
EPR Architects have just gained Planning Permission for Bristol Airport’s first hotel. The 251 bed, sustainable hotel will be located close to the Terminal Building arranged in two wings that front onto a new landscaped area in front of the building. The hotel has been designed to have a strong horizontal emphasis with colour used to articulate the form, and the striking metal cladding system used to disguise the regimented window arrangement common in budget hotels.The social heart of the hotel is the ground floor reception area which can be entered either from the car park or from the pedestrian path from the terminal. The restaurant and bar seating will spill out into this space to create a busy, welcoming and lively space. 3 meeting rooms, staff accommodation and administration offices are located close to the reception area in the north wing.
The building is designed to be sustainable, minimising the consumption of energy, materials and water through the selection of construction materials and technologies that minimise site wastage and that are locally sourced wherever possible.
After the success of their recent fit-out of Epernay in Manchester city centre, interior fit-out specialist Andy Thornton Ltd was delighted to work again with Thornton Inns Ltd on the £300,000 fit-out of the new bar and bistro at Manchester Airport.Situated at Terminal One, air side, the new Epernay site was positioned in an unusual half-hexagon shaped area within the concourse. The brief from the client was to repeat the successful template of Epernay in Leeds and Manchester city centres.
As the Principal Design and Build contractor, Andy Thornton handled everything from the building works, all mechanical and electrical services, building partition walls, to the air conditioning and plumbing. The projects team took the site from a bare shell through to the stunning, finished interior.
Continuing the signature Epernay look, the bar front features reclaimed bricks from a local supplier. The bricks add a pleasing warmth and texture to the interior, with the added benefit of being environmentally friendly. The long bar is finished with a sleek pale granite top, with bespoke stainless steel glass racks from Andy Thornton’s Architectural Metalwork department. For the back bar, Andy Thornton’s design team used back-painted glass in duck egg blue, which reflects and bounces light around the bar area.
Furniture from Andy Thornton’s extensive contract furniture range was used throughout the site, including deep upholstered Como bar stools in attractive polished timber, slab oak high tables and Harley side chairs in sleek black leather.
The concourse seating area has a very open, outdoor feel with huge windows looking out onto the Terminal’s apron. A striking 11-m long oak drinkshelf enables customers to enjoy a drink whilst watching planes coming into the gates, including the super jumbo Emirates Airbus A380. Furniture from Andy Thornton’s outdoor furniture collections perfectly complements this outdoor feel, including Salerno side chairs and Maldives three-seater sofas.
With the team on site for 6 ½ weeks from start to finish, both Andy Thornton Ltd and the client are delighted with the finished look and the fact that the Epernay brand is going from strength to strength.
A recent recruit to the expanding Hillbrooke Hotel Group The Bull and Swan has reopened its doors after many months of careful restoration. The listed building originating from a medieval stone-built open hall house once used as a travellers’ inn is owned by the Burghley House Preservation Trust and situated in the St. Martin’s area of historic Stamford.Interior designer Christine Boswell was given an unusual brief when the Hillbrooke Hotel Group asked her to design the extensive refurbishment of historic coaching inn The Bull and Swan at Stamford.
Norfolk based Christine had to convert the seven bedrooms, large restaurant and three bar spaces into quirky, individual and eccentric rooms based on the gentleman’s drinking club called ‘The Honorable Order of Little Bedlam’ which allegedly frequented the original Bull and Swan in the 17th century.
The gentleman’s club was based at Burghley House and was founded by The 5th Earl of Exeter in 1684 and had an eclectic bunch of 27 members, each with their own animal identity. Hillbrooke chose to name the bedrooms after seven of these members and the designs for Ram, Greyhound, Lamb, Wild Horse, Badger, Stag and Lyon take inspiration from their namesakes.
Christine has designed each room synonymous with their names and in ‘Stag’ guests can enjoy a Scottish ambience with tartan wallpaper and a resin stag’s head; in ‘Lyon’ a four-poster bed with a lion’s head carved on the bedhead has a more colonial theme. Framed portraits of some of the drinking club members adorn the large restaurant giving guests a hint of the historic origins of the hotel.
Most of the furniture was made in Rajasthan, a theme that follows through all of the Hillbrooke Hotel Group, and many pieces were made to Christine’s designs from references sourced at Burghley House. Aside from their ‘quirky’ touches the rooms are decorated in a restrained style with ticking curtains or blinds, muted colours, close fitted carpets and loose rugs. All have ensuite bathrooms, many with claw foot baths and separate showers.
Christine said: “‘The Honorable Order of Little Bedlam’ was a superb basis to work from when creating the interior design for The Bull and Swan and a tour of Burghley House with owner Miranda Rock and the curator Jon Culverhouse was a valuable source for design references. We have married the history of the building with the group’s ‘quirky, luxury’ ethos to achieve an appealing environment with the emphasis placed on comfort and a sense of fun.”
Created by Signbox’s in-house design team, signet was developed in response to customer demand for a contemporary glass nameplate, illuminated with an energy saving light source – creating an iconic focus for hotel, restaurant, and leisure facility signage.signet incorporates the latest LED technology, with a fit and forget IP67 rated device housed within a sleek and elegant profile, finished in a micro sandblasted silver anodised aluminium. This glare free luminaire comes complete with structural glass fixings to support a 10mm thick toughened glass panel. The stainless steel security fixings are countersunk to fit flush, with branding or wayfinding reverse-printed onto the glass.
signet is available from stock with an A3 size panel in either portrait or landscape format and graphics can be CAD-cut, screen or digitally printed vinyl. Other sizes and material finishes to special order.
For further information and to see the full range of architectural sign solutions visit: www.signbox.co.uk.
The Rezidor Hotel Group has increased their portfolio in the Romanian capital Bucharest to 718 rooms: Besides the Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest (424 rooms) which opened in 2008 Rezidor has now signed an agreement to also manage 294 apartments adjacent to the hotel. Approximately 62 of the apartments will be re-branded in December 2010, with the remainder coming in early 2011. Both the hotel and the apartment block are under common ownership.The Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest is already one of the largest and best-quality hotels in town. Besides 424 modern guest rooms featuring signature services such as free high speed internet access, the property offers various Food & Beverage outlets: “Prime Steaks and Seafood”, the Northern Italian “Caffé Citta” and the all-day-dining restaurant “Dacia Felix”, a Lobby Bar and an Irish Pub. An additional Bistro restaurant will be available for guests of the apartments. Further services of the hotel complex comprise a fitness and spa including a swimming pool, a heath academy, a casino and 12 meeting rooms equipped with latest technology.
Bucharest fascinates with a wealth of historic treasures and tourist attractions, and the hotel is ideally located to enjoy all of them. It is close to the major shopping areas, the business district, museums, art galleries and theatres. The Radisson Blu Hotel, Bucharest is under the leadership of an award-winning General Manager: Yilmaz Yildirimlar was recently honoured with the prestigious “Hotelier of the Year 2010” award by Hospitality Trends.
Kuwait-based Action Hotels recently opened its second property in the city, the ibis Sharq in the presence of more than 50 senior executives representing Kuwait’s business sector.
The reception at the 160-room property was hosted by His Excellency, Sheikh Mubarak Al Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah, Chairman, Action Hotels. It was also attended by Charlie Langlais, Chief Operating Officer Accor Hospitality Middle East, Africa, Indian Ocean and Caribbean Islands, and Christophe Landais, Managing Director, Accor Hospitality ME. Sheikh Mubarak thanked the parties involved in the successful completion of the project and advised that by 2012 a further nine, mid-scale properties will come on stream in the region to join Sharq, Salmiya (2008), Muscat, Oman (2009) and Amman, Jordan (2009).
“Kuwait represents an important step in our commitment to the burgeoning economy tier and we are confident that the ibis Sharq will do well following in the success of the ibis Salmiya,” he said.
Sheikh Mubarak also confirmed his vision to develop the mid-tier segment in the Middle East region and emphasised on the strong partnership that with Accor Hospitality.
“I believed that there was an opportunity to develop the economy hotel segment in the Middle East and the strategy is proving to be the right one.
“Our focus is on providing quality accommodation at exceptional value in central and convenient locations. ibis is about simplicity, consistency and great value. It is really about everything you want at a reasonable cost.”
Meanwhile, Mr Langlais said: “The opening our second ibis hotel in Kuwait further strengthens the long-standing partnership of Accor Hospitality Middle East and Action Hotels. Together, both companies are well-positioned to expand the ibis network in emerging destinations throughout the region.”
The ibis Sharq is located in the heart of this vibrant district, adjacent to Al Hamra. It features 160 en-suite rooms with large double beds – including 64 connecting rooms, plus two for guests with special needs, complimentary high-speed wireless internet connection, LCD flat-screen TVs and direct-dial phones. Other facilities include a 24-hour snack service and a buffet breakfast served daily from 4am to 12noon.
Meanwhile, the Open Restaurant offers an unlimited choice of recipes for tailor-made menus where guests can create pasta and grilled dishes. A designated web corner has been thoughtfully designed, and there is WIFI access in the public areas. Health enthusiasts can also use the gym which is equipped with up-to-the-minute equipment.
After the opening of the angelo Designhotel in 2008, the hotel group Vienna International has signed a further management contract for a second hotel project in Munich. The 207-room hotel, which will likewise operate under the angelo name, will be built in direct proximity to Munich’s Theresienwiese, the venue for the world-famous Oktoberfest. Construction on the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, will be managed by UMB Realitätenentwicklung AG, Vienna, via its Munich-based subsidiary Münchner Grund Immobilien Bauträger AG.
“The demand for hotel beds and the constant high occupancy rate of our first angelo Designhotel have encouraged us to enter into another agreement,” argues Rudolf Tucek, the CEO of Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG. Münchner Grund Immobilien Bauträger AG is already a partner of the Vienna-based hotel group through the first angelo Designhotel at Leuchtenbergring in Munich.
The construction project is located on the property at Albert-Roßhaupter-Straße 41 in Munich’s Sendling district south of the city centre. Points in favour of the hotel’s location include above all the excellent access by both car and public transport. Underground and metro railway stations are located nearby, such as the “Partnachplatz” underground station offering a direct link to the city centre. The Theresienwiese, where the world’s largest popular festival is held every year, is easily reached on foot.
The 4-four star hotel, which is expected to open by the end of 2012, will feature 207 rooms and suites, a restaurant, a jazz bar with bistro, eight conference rooms with a total area of 440 square metres, a spacious sun terrace, as well as a sauna and fitness area. “The new angelo Hotel in Munich will orient itself along the lines of the established and very tasteful design of the angelo brand of hotels,” says Rudolf Tucek optimistic about the future. The hotels stand out for their harmonious blend of materials, colours and form in combination with comfort and state-of-the-art equipment.
Editors Note: You can find additional images and information on the Angelo design hotel in Katowice in both the Review (link below) and in the DesignClub Gallery
Carlson has announced the further expansion of the Radisson brand in Chile. The opening of the Radisson Petra La Dehesa Hotel in Santiago marks the brand’s expansion in the country as part of its Ambition 2015 growth strategy. “Radisson currently operates six hotels in the country with another one in development,” said Thorsten Kirschke, president of Carlson Hotels, Americas. “The addition of a third Radisson hotel in Santiago represents a continued momentum in our Ambition 2015 growth strategy and is aligned with plans to expand Radisson as a vibrant, contemporary and globally consistent brand in key cities, resorts and airports.”
Carlson announced its Ambition 2015 growth strategy earlier this year. The strategy is fueled by an investment program of up to USD 1.5 billion focused on positioning Radisson as a powerful, globally consistent first-class brand.
“We are thrilled to be joining Radisson during this exciting turning point in the brand’s history,” said Mauricio Moya, co-owner of the Radisson La Dehesa Hotel.
The 105-room, Radisson Petra La Dehesa is located in Northern Santiago, the most upscale residential area of the city and features an avant-garde design and includes a spa, an indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center and 3,600 square feet of meeting and banquet space. The hotel’s full service restaurant ZAFRAN, offers Mediterranean and international cuisines.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® is pleased to announce the early 2011 opening of The St. Regis Bangkok. This development by Minor International PLC marks the first St. Regis hotel in Thailand and the Indochina region. Located on the prestigious Rajadamri Road in the heart of the city, The St. Regis Bangkok is located in the city’s key commercial corridor, worldwide corporate offices, magnificent high-end shopping and Lumpini Park, with BTS skytrain connection link to the station. Occupying levels 12-24 of a 47-story building that includes 176 guest rooms, 51 suites, and 53 residences, The St. Regis Bangkok combines timeless elegance with the cosmopolitan energy of a modern metropolis. The hotel will also be the first hotel in Bangkok to introduce the signature St. Regis butler service to all guests who stay in the hotel, as well as the first Elemis Spa in Thailand.
Guests at the hotel will experience the true art of hospitality – from unique gourmand adventures, savoring the very best vintages from the wine cellar, personalized indulgences at the exclusive Elemis Spa – the first in Thailand – to the well-appointed exercise room, inviting outdoor swimming pool and contemporary poolside café. The St. Regis Bangkok also offers a state-of-the art business center, premier meeting technology, superbly appointed function venues and bespoke butler event services that ensure every event is flawless and memorable.
Exquisitely styled and lavishly appointed, the accommodations re-define luxury in Bangkok. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer unobstructed views of the city skyline and the greenery of the local parks and golf course. The luxury of space in the guest rooms ranges from 44 square metres to 300 square metres for the signature suites, which are ideal for extended stays and feature an appointed pantry. During their stay, guests will enjoy discreet attention from the St. Regis Butlers, whose senior management trained at the original St. Regis property – The St. Regis New York, who will flawlessly attend to every request twenty-four hours a day.
A world of epicurean experiences awaits guests of The St. Regis Bangkok, where they may choose to indulge in a variety of international and local cuisines while enjoying panoramic views of the surrounding city. At Viu, located on the 12th floor next to the Sky Lounge, guests are enticed to sit down for a dining experience that includes spectacular views over the Royal Bangkok Sports Club and Bangkok skyline. JoJo offers diners a taste of authentic Italian cuisine in elegant contemporary surroundings. Decanter is the perfect place for wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs; featuring an extensive wine cellar from the world’s most celebrated vineyards with private rooms for exclusive tastings and wine dinners, guests will savor every sip. The Drawing Room is a rare haven of refined luxury in which guests are welcome to enjoy the enduring tradition of Afternoon Tea. Guests and patrons will delight at The St. Regis Bar, where they can enjoy The Champagne Menu and The Bloody Mary Menu, featuring the ‘Siam Mary,’ Bangkok’s own take on the original cocktail created at The King Cole Bar at The St. Regis New York. Finally, a rare treat awaits guests at the hotel’s Infinity pool bar – the oasis of serenity where guests can savor delectable cuisine and refreshment in an alfresco setting, while taking in panoramic views of the city.
Designed by leading New York-based Brennan Beer Gorman Architects, The St. Regis Bangkok is destined to become one of the city skyline’s defining silhouettes. Brennan Beer Gorman Monk Interiors design for The St. Regis Bangkok translates a century of glamour into cutting-edge elegance.
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf, located in the heart of the trendy Media Harbour area in the capital of the state North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf is located in one of two newly built 19-story towers at the tip of Media Harbour’s peninsula. A pedestrian bridge connects the hotel with the opposite side of the harbor. With its central location close to the city’s international airport, and the most important exhibition and conference centers in the city, the hotel will attract business and leisure travellers. The hotel opens today with nearly all guestrooms available. DOX Restaurant, including its bar and sushi bar, the fitness centre, and the hotel’s meeting rooms and ballroom are also open. Additional hotel services and amenities expected to be complete by mid-February 2011 include the Regency Club™, Rive Spa, the hotel’s premier suites, and Pebble’s restaurant.
Design and Guestrooms Renowned Dutch interior design firm FG stijl Amsterdam used warm colors, glass and plenty of daylight to create Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf’s distinctive appearance. Ceiling-high windows in the public areas allow for expansive views of Media Harbour and Old Town.
The hotel’s 290 guestrooms and 13 suites will feature modern technology, including flat-screen televisions, high-speed Internet access, MP3 docking stations, tea- and coffee-making facilities, as well as separate work areas. Large bathrooms, including rain showers and bath tubs, will create an in-room wellness experience for travellers.
For guests who desire an extra level of personalized service, the hotel will offer Regency Club accommodation, which includes the services of a dedicated concierge and access to a private lounge on the 18th floor of the hotel. Complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon coffee and tea are available, as well as a selection of beverages and canapés in the evening for a minimal surcharge.
Any ski hotel will fill if it is positioned at the bottom of the ski-lifts. The Royal Spa sits on the edge of Jochberg, just 7 km from Kitzbühel, and at the bottom of not one but two ski lifts. As Mr. Hilton famously said ‘location, location, location’. It provides the ultimate in skiing luxury. The trick for most is not filling rooms whilst the ski season is in full swing, but in filling rooms out of season. Kitzbühel is one of Austria’s main ski centres, a busy trendy place to be off piste, in summer still busy but still presenting hotels with the same problem – what do you do without snow?
For Cube the answer lay in attracting mountain bikers and the hotel was structured with the cycle path within the atrium so that the bikes could be taken to the rooms and the audience was clearly defined. Here in the atmosphere of luxury and indulgence the task is much harder – five star resort luxury and Lycra do not easily go together, although the hotel does offer mountain bike hire as part of the draw.
Golf too makes up part of the attractions on offer, with four courses in Kitzbühel and the hotel constructing its own driving range, putting and chipping greens and a golf simulator with a golf pro in attendance. Curiously Austrians are required to taken an exam before being allowed to golf on the country’s courses – a measure perhaps of how elitist the sport is here? More likely a measure of how little flat land there is on which to build a golf course.
The Royal Spa has, as its name suggests, created as a part of its answer to attracting the guests one of Europe’s largest and most luxurious Spas. Here we are not just talking about massage or beauty treatment, although both are covered, but the full sybaritic experience with added attractions, such as plastic surgery to extend the range of holistic cosmetic and beauty treatments available. The Spa and Leisure areas cover two floors with the Spa and treatment rooms on the lower level. The Reception is supersized with a large sales counter for beauty products and a waiting area.
Twin corridors lead to pampering and treatment rooms, some of which are for couples. Design is sophisticated and the space is broken up by good lighting and changes of surfaces. The range of available treatments is enormous and with a plastic surgeon in attendance for face lifts etc, it extends the range of beauty treatments well beyond what is normally offered in an hotel spa.
The separation from the Leisure area has enabled the creation of a totally different ambiance in the Spa proper, and it is silent and calming with the mix of sophisticated fabrics and surfaces perfectly enhanced by the lighting. Treatment rooms are also well designed with good indirect lighting, their own showers and good sound insulation.
As well as the more antiseptic treatment rooms there are rooms for couples which have rich loungers with scatter cushions. Apart from the timber front of the reception desk the slightly rustic treatment of the Leisure areas is avoided in favour of black against stone and rich reds of upholstery and paint finishes. Access is through the dedicated lift and its own lobby, so staff have easy control of the entrance area from the front desk, enabling privacy and security to be maintained quite simply. The upper Leisure area has two pools – an indoor pool and a separate pool outdoors. The outdoor pool can be entered from the inside for those hardy souls who like to swim throughout the snowy Austrian winter. The design of the upper area is curious.
The ceiling echoes a wave form, but the room is divided by partitions that appear to be a pastiche of the Austrian local vernacular homes own wood stores. Maybe there is some local tradition that I am unaware of whose symbology is being echoed, but the use of logs of various kinds along with simple planks to break up a large area is unconvincing. The theme is carried through the front of the areas reception and food counters bringing a slightly primitive touch into an otherwise sophisticated interior space.
The adjacent bistro area enables guests to spend the day in their ‘cossies’ without venturing into the other areas of the hotel, and the space has large lounging areas, including discreet private cabanas, two seat enclosed chairs and quiet zones to offer alternatives to the pool.
To be honest, I don’t understand the decor around the pool. I understand that desire to use natural materials and even the urge to reflect locale – indeed if that is the intent then I applaud it – but the way in which the timber is used seems to lack finesse to my English eyes. The larch trunks, planks and logs screening the various seating areas around the pool leave me floundering to see the logical underpinnings and the apparent randomness of the arrangement may reflect the random log piles around local homes but leaves me struggling to see the aesthetic. Indeed it leaves me with a strong urge to look for a stove to stoke.
Yet the designer demonstrates such sophistication in areas such as the signage and the lift lobby that I think the failing must be mine, and must be cultural in some way.
In the bedroom areas the local timbers have been used again, so the pale bleached look of new knotty pine – sorry, native larch, dominates. The timber has been used freely and works well with the rich gold and red colour scheme of the fabrics and carpets. Until that is it comes to flooring where the softness of the larch means that flooring is of white oak, close in tone, similar in colour but quite different in grain. Further wood confusion strikes in the suite, where the mahogany of traditional furniture competes with the light flooring and bleached look of the larch.
Detailing in the use of the timber is however beautifully done, and it will no doubt darken with age to the deep honey colour that can be seen in the bars and bistros that dot the area. The light wood has also been used for the furniture throughout, so the overall effect is harmonious.
The bathrooms are a glass cube containing both wash hand basins, soaking tubs and walk-in showers with both rain heads and hand shower units. However the openness of the glass cube has apparently led to guest complaints, so a curtain has been added around the outside – which makes peeking a more voyeuristic pleasure! Bathrooms and bedrooms are both well lit and where the room is a suite there is a separate toilet in the lobby. Red mosaic tiling and rich brown stone complete the bathroom colour scheme. The power of the showers and the fit of the doors combine so that when a shower is on full the door opens slightly with the pressure change letting water accumulate on the bathroom floor, a phenomenon I have noticed in other bathrooms.
All the bathrooms have balconies which are very private from each other. Deep enough too that even on a wet August afternoon it is possible to sit out, be dry and read a book. The rich curtains provide very effective blackout and room lighting, desk etc are all well judged. The timber is again used in the restaurant to create completely panelled spaces. Whilst its lightness works well for eyes whom oak is the most beautiful of timbers, its use falls short of suggesting luxury. Also the use of light oak in the floors only emphasises the difference in grain – it might have been better to use a darker oak against the larch.
The restaurant opens on a large mezzanine area which is a library by day and a pre-dinner drinks area at night. It also leads through to the well designed and extensive conference facilities which are also a part of the answer to the lack of snow. In Austria there is a surprising amount of industry on the valley floors and the new facilities are already successfully attracting a high level of business. Dramatic lighting pieces bring interest to the lounges and they also have large fireplaces for those coming in off the slopes in winter. The bar is large and carries the red theme through contrasting it against black. Again there are library areas adding a green colour to the mix, and a cigar room too. These area are dramatic with their strong colour and lighting.
The mezzanine leads through to the lift lobby and a grand staircase from the ground floor. The balcony overlooks the main entrance and the reception lobby below and panels of natural stone contrast against black and red with strong black and white upholstered chairs and red sofas. The interior drama reflects the drama of the building as one approaches from Kitzbühel, its modernity and physical presence dominating the drive across the valley bottom from Kitzbühel to Jochberg. This is a confident modern statement architecturally, backed up by a confident modern set of interiors, both of which have drama and presence in a landscape which is itself full of the drama of the mountains.
The £20 million four star Casa hotel has officially opened its doors, with a glittering preview evening attended by over 160 business partners, media and local representatives. Casa is the town’s only 4-star hotel and excitement has been building for visitors to be able to enjoy unrivalled luxury accommodation, state-of-the-art facilities and a touch of Spanish flair.‘Casa’ is the Spanish word for ‘home’, and this is at the heart of the hotel’s aspirations with 100 luxury bedrooms complete with state-of-the-art technology, facilities for weddings, 176 free car parking spaces and a number of bars to unwind in. The Spanish theme runs throughout the decor and interiors, to help create a vibrant, warm ambience. The 94 deluxe bedrooms come complete with rain-showers, 32″ flatscreen televisions, Wi Fi, Super King size beds and stunning floor to ceiling windows.
For that extra special break or simply for those who prefer the finer things in life, guests can enjoy a stay in one of the 6 stylish suites. These ultra-luxurious suites include Jacuzzi baths, a lounge and dressing area, separate shower cubicle, double basins, super king or four poster beds and balconies. Two suites boast hot tubs on the balcony, which are a perfect indulgence for any guest seeking the ultimate retreat and relaxation.
Guests can also enjoy a wide range of facilities: a 100-cover restaurant, Cocina, which serves top-class traditional Spanish tapas, the latest leisure facilities in the Gym, open terraces and landscaped gardens. And, with the picturesque Peak District National Park on the doorstep, guests can easily access a host of attractions, including Chatsworth House, Bolsover Castle and the neighbouring towns of Matlock Bath, Buxton and Bakewell.
Stuart Downham, Hotel Operations Director, said “Casa is a unique property that combines really beautiful design with forward-thinking ideas about how to best use modern buildings. Having worked in hospitality for a long time, we are overwhelmed with the amount of personality the hotel holds and the hotel will be a huge asset, attracting more visitors, to the town itself, to the surrounding area and to the wider region.”
Holiday Inn Leicester has been significantly transformed with a contemporary new look thanks to a £500,000 investment.The hotel – the first ever Holiday Inn to open in the UK has been completely repainted and remodelled, ahead of its 40th anniversary next year.
General Manager at the hotel, Michael Lyons, said: “Following our refresh the hotel now boasts a glistening exterior and the island we’re located on has been beautifully landscaped to reflect the hotel’s modern and welcoming positioning.”
“I hope our investment will benefit the local community and encourage locals to come and visit us. We have a fantastic Vermont restaurant and Spirit Health Club which includes an impressive swimming pool.”
Earlier this year the hotel underwent an extensive rebrand with a fresh new look. Most visible is the new contemporary logo which can be seen outside the hotel. Inside stylish new design touches, crisp white linen and a menu where guests can choose from a selection of soft and firm bedroom pillows has been added.
Every little touch has been designed to ensure guests feel welcome and enjoy their stay. Other changes include new music and even a signature scent in the lobby.
The whole team at the hotel has also been through a bespoke training programme called Stay Real, ensuring they are fully in tune with guests’ needs.
The rebrand also included new staff uniforms and enhancements to the main function room.
Marriott International, Inc. has reached an important milestone in the creation of a platform for multi-unit hotel growth in Brazil with the announcement of a preferred partnership with PDG Realty for the development of 50 Fairfield by Marriott hotels throughout Brazil.The hotels in this partnership will be constructed with environmentally friendly design for greater energy efficiency. Additionally, Marriott and PDG Realty have agreed to make financial contributions for each hotel constructed to support Amazon rain forest preservation through the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS).
The companies have identified the potential to develop 50 Fairfield hotels in Brazil. Each new hotel will be built with a focus on saving energy and minimizing its impact on the environment. Fairfield is Marriott’s leading brand in the moderately priced lodging segment and the eighth brand in the company’s lodging portfolio to be developed outside the U.S.
In addition to hosting two major sports events over the next six years, Brazil represents the Americas’ largest growth market, fueled by the rising domestic traveler. This transaction reflects Marriott’s continued commitment to sustainable global growth with a local focus.
PDG Realty merged with Agre in May of this year, resulting in a combined publicly traded company with a market value of approximately R$ 12 billion Reals ($USD 7B), and now the largest real estate development company in Brazil. PDG’s headquarters is located in Rio de Janeiro and Agre’s is in São Paulo and, combined, they have the broadest national footprint with 2,000 employees in 18 offices throughout Brazil. Their land banks have a potential to generate a total sales of R$ 31 billion in real estate value.
With the addition of these new Fairfield hotels, Marriott’s global portfolio will range from luxury to moderate segment. Already, the company’s worldwide pipeline of hotels under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development totals nearly 95,000 rooms.
One of the largest listed hotel companies in Hong Kong and newly listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, Kosmopolito Hotels International Limited (KHI) have announced the launch of Yue @ Century Park, Shanghai. The design-led hotel is the first in the Boutique Series by Kosmopolito in China. Other hotels in the Boutique Series include award-winning Lan Kwai Fong @ KauU Fong, Central Park, and Cosmo Hong Kong. Hotels under the Boutique Series by Kosmopolito are experiential with design elements weaved into creative features to enchant guests.KHI owns, develops and operates 22 hotels with close to 7,000 rooms across Asia. Of these, 15 are operating hotels and seven are under development. It currently has two hotels in Shanghai and Wuhan and two more are to open in Zhongshan and Chengdu. Among the hotels that KHI owns, manages and operates is the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which was formerly the landmark building that housed Xin Hua News Agency in Hong Kong. Apart from Boutique Series by Kosmopolito, KHI owns and manages three more hotel brands — upscale Hotel Kosmopolito, mid-scale business hotel Dorsett Regency and good value hotel Silka. The Group aims to launch them in China, targeting gateway and second-tier cities.
Yue @ Century Park has 264 well-appointed and spacious guestrooms and suites, ranging from 35 to 188 square metres, with breathtaking cityscape and surrounding views of Century Park. These rooms are ultra-contemporary in design with clean lines and soft hues, accentuated with glass decors in vivid colours, complemented with stylish and elegant furnishings and luxurious amenities. Rooms will also have high-speed and wireless internet access and iPod dock.
The main feature in its Park View rooms is the floral-etched mirror, beautifully and delicately designed adding to the chic and charm of the room. Backlit embossed colour glass accents add splashes of cheer to the white interiors and these vary from green, red, blue, orange or purple, depending on the floor that the room is located. Linear patterned carpets further provide a delightful contrast to the room’s decor. Guests staying in these rooms have bay windows and balconies looking out towards the panoramic view of Century Park’s greenery and vast lake.
The Loft Suite is designed in a contemporary style with an emphasis on the play of accent colours of the furnishings in pleasing neutrals of white, cream and beige. Floor to ceiling windows ensure that the room is filled with natural light. The classy stairs lead up from the living area to the bedroom on the mezzanine level. A modern rendition of a traditional Chinese mask adorns the feature wall, from the ground to the mezzanine level of the suite, creating a striking note to the suite’s modern decor. Guests staying in Loft Suites can enjoy Club Floor benefits such as the use of the Club Lounge, free internet access and whole-day refreshments at the Lounge.
For culinary delights, guests can indulge in dining pleasures at Gusto on the Green Restaurant that offers east and west-influenced delicacies, renowned Xin Guang Restaurant that serves its famous Shanghainese hairy crabs, enjoy refreshments at Breeze Cafe and the cosy Lobby Lounge, or unwind at the oriental-styled Feng Shui Bar after a hectic day. To stay fit, guests can keep in shape using the state-of-the-art exercise equipment at the hotel’s Health Club. The hotel has a Business Centre and two function rooms — the Magnolia Room and the Bauhinia Room — to cater to corporate or social events.
Conveniently located in the heart of Pudong in Shanghai, the hotel is situated in front of Century Park, Shanghai’s largest city park, and within easy access to the city’s Lujiazui Financial & Trade Zone via the metro station located next to it. It is a 7-minute ride on the Maglev high-speed train to reach Pudong International Airport from the nearby Maglev station.
The Rezidor Hotel Group has taken over the management of the existing Hotel Rezydent in Sopot, Poland on 1st December 2010. The property featuring 64 rooms is under common ownership with the nearby Radisson Blu Hotel, Gdansk, and will keep its former name. “We are delighted to welcome Hotel Rezydent to our family. The property which originally opened in 2001 is in a very good condition – a further renovation will even improve its services and performance”, said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor.
Besides 64 guest rooms, Hotel Rezydent offers an all-day-dining restaurant, 1 meeting room and a small spa. It is located within walking distance of the beach: Sopot is a popular seaside resort destination and features a nice selection of Art-Nouveau buildings, many of which were built during the pre-war era when Sopot was a fashionable German resort. Today, in addition to beaches, the city includes a lovely boardwalk, numerous museums, and Europe’s longest wooden pier which stretches over 500 meters into the Baltic Sea.
Poland is one of Rezidor’s key development markets in Eastern Europe, where both of the company’s core brands Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson enjoy an excellent reputation. The group’s portfolio across the country currently comprises 8 hotels with a total of 1,594 rooms in operation and under development.
AVE’s Hotel Domina lighting controls (available through FW Lighting) were chosen for the extensive remodeling of a former US military naval base in Sardinia. The 96 bedroom “La Maddalenda Hotel and Yacht club” underwent extensive remodeling and has been transformed into a fabulous 5*hotel in the beautiful Costa Smeralda.As a leader in automation, AVE’s creative design team continues to bring new and innovative ideas to the hotel and home automation sector. For over 100 years AVE have been manufacturing lighting controls, and it has always been their guiding principle to incorporate the latest advancements in technology and materials into their products.
With its advances in design and flexibility, Domina Hotel marks itself out as one of the most important developments in hotel industry standards this century. Using cutting-edge solutions, AVE has created a hotel management system that fully meets the needs of small independents to large multinational hotel chains.
A complete hotel management system, Domina Hotel provides everything from the consumer unit to lighting control, data and power sockets and, temperature control. Their door entry system incorporates future proof 125Khz Mifare security technology for optimum protection.
Fully networked, Domina provides an interface to the reception desk using PC Server, LAN, and the Web allowing total control from one point. AVE can also monitor and apply the latest software updates directly from their production facility in Italy to any hotel in the World, ensuring your system is updated with the latest software updates and safety protocols.
The Domina Hotel system can be used with Life 44 and Touch ranges of crystal glass and Zamak front plate, and surrounds.
Touch and Life 44 crystal are fully customisable, enforcing brand awareness on a subconscious level by allowing the personalisation of front plates with corporate branding or pictograms. Front plates can also be supplied in corporate colours, so further enforcing the values associated with your chosen hotel brand.
For more information on AVE Domina Hotel please click on the PDF, or for more products from FW Lighting please visit our website: www.fw-lighting.com.
On Thursday 25th November the North West Society of Chartered Accountants Annual Business Awards were held at Stanley House Hotel in Blackburn. Porter Mathews and Marsden nominated Panaz in the Innovation Award category for the NWSCA Accountancy & Business Awards 2010, sponsored by Uclan.
After completion of our formal application, Carmel Satterwaite, Head of Healthcare Sector Sales made a presentation of new technical healthcare product to a panel of judges referring to specific judging criteria.
The Award recognises a business or organisation that has really pushed the boundaries of how they operate, either through developing new products or services, finding ways of delivering existing products or services, or identifying new ways of operation.
Finalists were:
C-MAC Partnership Limited Line Mark UK Limited Panaz Limited SHP Limited
Situated on the prestigious Königsallee – the “Kö“ – the InterContinental Düsseldorf offers five- star-superior-standard. André Behncke, whose signature work includes the interior of renowned addresses such as the InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden and the Schlosshotel Elmau, has referred to the generous boulevard lined with sycamores both thematically and in colour. Thus André Behncke mirrors the colour red in the restaurant.The two oval, wine-red ceiling lamps by Baulmann support the staged atmosphere significantly. The highlight of the lavish lobby is the four metre high lamp, which André Behncke designed specifically for the hotel and Baulmann was able to realise. In the form of an oversized mobile this light sculpture with eight luminaires in the hotel lobby is an impressive eye catcher, defining the 15 metre high lobby from the bottom up, whilst providing perfect lighting at the same time. This light creation was inspired by the mobiles of the US-American sculptor Alexander Calder (1898-1976), who is famous for being the primary representative of mobiles.
W® Hotels Worldwide celebrates the opening of W Austin and The Residences at W Austin, the brands 38th hotel globally. Owned and developed by Stratus Properties and the Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund II, W Austin is located in the heart of Austin’s 2nd Street District, connected to a 3,000 person capacity music and performance venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater that will also serve as the new home of the iconic Austin City Limits television show. In this casually cosmopolitan city where the unconventional is enthusiastically embraced, evidenced by the city’s unofficial slogan ‘Keep Austin Weird’, Austin is a perfect fit for the W brand. Locals, guests and residents will find a new beat at W Austin through its innovative design concept, Remix, developed by Andersson-Wise Architects and emerging designer Heather Plimmer of Stratus Properties.
Design Remixed
Indoor luxury meets outdoor inspiration in W Austins vibrant, cutting-edge design, courtesy of Arthur Andersson and Heather Plimmer, whose partnership led to a playful juxtaposition of masculine and feminine throughout the space. Dark metallic tones are met with pops of vibrant reds, blues and layered fabrics, and the influence of Austin artists are prominent and prevalent. Surprises abound, from a guitar strap design around each bathroom mirror, to lacquer in the AWAY® Spa that feels more lounge than leisure.
The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club introduces its 10th Club location in one of the country’s most sought-after ski destinations, Vail, Colo. The Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton Club, Vail are now welcoming Members to the newest club property at the base of Vail Mountain in LionsHead Village and neighboring the banks of Gore Creek. Featuring Vail’s traditional Bavarian-style architecture hailing from ski resorts in Europe, The Ritz-Carlton Club, Vail offers beautifully appointed two-, three- and four-bedroom Club residences.Co-located with The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail, this spectacular property will afford Members all the comforts of a vacation home coupled with the legendary, personalized services and amenities of The Ritz-Carlton. Such luxuries include the following: a dedicated concierge staff, including a ski valet and ski nanny; a fitness facility with a movement studio; Ritz-Carlton spa services and treatment rooms; Ritz Kids program; a great room with a fireplace and bar; a library; an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool spa; a fire pit and a heated underground garage with valet parking.
With an annual average of 350 inches of powder, more than 5,200 skiable acres, expansive back bowls and 15 miles of recreation paths, Vail has something for every member of the family including tubing, ski biking and ice skating. The new Ritz-Carlton Club, Vail is located within walking distance to the world famous shopping and dining of LionsHead including the Arrabelle at Vail Square, and will eventually become part of the proposed pedestrian village named Ever Vail, the largest green and LEED-certified, multi-use resort project in the country.
The Ritz-Carlton Club, Vail residences will incorporate spacious floor plans ranging from approximately 1,300 to 2,874 square feet. Club residences provide magnificent views of Vail Mountain, fully-equipped kitchens with the finest appliances and marble-slab counters, beautifully-appointed room finishes inspired by a contemporary interpretation of Alpine-style architecture, fireplaces, coffered ceilings, hardwood flooring in living areas, high-speed Internet and twice-daily housekeeping.
Club Members benefit from an exceptional level of service as they are paired with their very own member experience manager who serves as their primary travel liaison. The member experience concierge coordinates everything from airport pick-up and pre-arrival provisioning of the residence, to unpacking and pressing pre-sent garments and arranging a complete vacation itinerary.
As HotelDesigns enters its tenth year online it continues to build its archives and useful information for designers. In the last ten years there have been visits to over 200 hotels with still and video cameras in hand, to show the influence of the specialist hotel design profession on hospitality.We add breaking news to the area that is not available in the public area of the site including development news from hotels chains.New starts, hotels planned etc. are all feathured here In the process we have gathered to gether a host of things of interest to specialist hotel designers.All are in our fully searchable archives, and much is being distilled in images and a series set up as a Guide to Hotel Design.
The DesignClub not only has a growing searchable collection of interior photographs of hotels (some 17,000 interior photographs) but also 1,500 images of the town and cities they are in, including (for example) over 200 images of New York in 1976, Bicentennial Year.
Membership allows access to the Gallery of these images where all can be downloaded full size for personal use. Images cover brands such as Hilton, Kimpton, Intercontinental, Rezidor, Starwood, Accor, Louvre Group, Rocco Forte Hotels, Vienna International, Seymours, Shire Hotels, One&Only, Red Carnation, McGraw Collection and many more from 27 countries on 4 continents,
The Downloads area carries useful information such as guides for Fabric specification, the branding guides from some of the chain hotel groups,a guide to copyright,lighting specs and so on.
There is an Ask the Experts area where suppliers and other DesignClub members will try to answer your questions and problems solve with you.
With profiles of companies and designers, this is an area that is slowly but steadily growing into one of the webs important resources for designers. Many items of news are archived and only available to DesignClub members and exclusive access is possible to the Guide To Hotel Design, a ‘part work’ building week by week into a comprehensive look at what is involved in the interior design of hotels.
A full year membership costs about $50/£35 and makes the perfect last minute gift for a Designer or Client
Adina Apartment Hotels has announced the launch of its latest property to open in Germany, the Adina Apartment Hotel Michel, Hamburg, which opened on 1st December with 128 apartments.Named after its close proximity to Hamburg’s landmark St Michaelis (‘Michel’) Church, and offering wonderful views over Hamburg’s harbour and downtown – also the city’s commercial hub – this latest addition to the Adina portfolio offers apartment living with hotel service, including a wellness area and pool, conference rooms and a bar/restaurant.
The Adina Apartment Hotel Michel, Hamburg embraces the homely comforts synonymous with the Adina brand, such as separate lounge and sleeping areas and fully equipped kitchens and laundries (in the one and two bedroom apartments) as well as stylish and contemporary décor.
Adina has a further property under construction in Germany; the Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Hackschermarkt, which is due to open in February 2011 with 145 apartments. This will bring the number of Adina hotels in Germany to five, with further hotels in Copenhagen and Budapest.
Adina’s Director for Europe, Andrew Hunter, said: “Adina is becoming known as the leading upmarket apartment hotel brand in Germany. Our Frankfurt hotel opened just one year ago and has given us excellent exposure to many national corporate clients who until now have been unfamiliar with the product. Hamburg is a wonderful travel destination and we’ve seen an immediate success within both the corporate and leisure travel sectors.”
With a committed investment in excess of €180m in Europe, Adina plans to continue investment into Germany as well as entering the UK and other core European markets such as France and Spain in the future. For investors, Adina believes its attraction lies in its proven ability to maximise performance through efficiency and operate with lower volatility compared to traditional hotels – smoothing out income fluctuation through seasonal and economic cycles.
Hunter concludes: “After just one year the Adina Apartment Hotel Frankfurt is reporting higher RevPAR than the five star hotel market average. By the time we open our next apartment hotel at Hackschermarkt in Berlin, we will have more than 650 rooms in Germany and will be the biggest upmarket apartment hotel operator in the country. ”
Adina is part of the Toga Group, a privately owned company based in Australia. Adina has been operating in Europe for almost 10 years, starting with the launch of the Adina Apartment Hotel Budapest in Hungary. Adina is the vision of Toga’s Managing Director, Mr Allan Vidor, who saw the opportunity to become the first pan-European, professionally managed, corporate quality apartment hotel brand.
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