Hotel Designs

NEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR HOTELIERS, DESIGNERS AND INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS

THE Park Hotels unveils THE Park Mumbai

 730 565 Hamish Kilburn
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THE Park Hotels unveils THE Park Mumbai

India’s contemporary hotel group, THE Park, has opened the 60-key THE Park Mumbai, which is strategically located opposite Asia’s first Soho House…

THE Park Hotels, pioneers of luxury boutique hotels in India, brings its renowned design vocabulary to the city of dreams, Mumbai, with the launch of its latest hotel. Situated on Juhu Tara Road, framing unmatched sea views, THE Park Mumbai is set to bring contemporary design, rejuvenating spaces, innovative dining and sensuous entertainment into this vibrant part of the city.

Located opposite Asia’s first Soho House, close to sprawling Juhu Beach, the hotel is an uber-cool retreat in this urban hub. A striking charcoal facade by top architect Sanjay Puri is punctuated by burnt orange and fuschia windows that perfectly reflect the spectacular sunsets. The hotel’s eclectic exteriors are completed by stunning interiors designed by Singapore-based firm Ong & Ong.

The 60-key design hotel has six categories of rooms; with spectacular views of either the Arabian Sea or city while some overlook the historic Juhu airfield. The rooms and studio suites have been designed with a monochromatic colour palette with world-class amenities.

Image credit: THE Park Hotels

 Meishi, an elegant space off the lobby is an Asian inspired all day dining fusion restaurant – Japanese, Thai, Chinese, and a hint of Indian; using fresh and organic ingredients and currently open to resident guests.

The Saffron Room, a 2500 sq. ft. banqueting space on the first floor is a perfect place for social events and corporate meetings. The hall has two different types of lighting to enhance and make events even more spectacular.

Contemporary hotel room, framing the sea and palm trees

Image credit: THE Park Hotels

“We are excited to add the new striking address to our collection of hotels, said Speaking about the launch, Priya Paul, Chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels. “Mumbai is a city of interesting contrasts and THE Park Hotels will add to it by bringing immersive and Anything But Ordinary experiences. Our vision is to have a slice of THE Park in every city people travel to.”

Mr. Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, added:, “We are happy to launch THE Park Mumbai today. It is our first managed hotel under THE Park Hotels portfolio. Mumbai is India’s key metropolitan cities and a business hub, and we are delighted to expand our footprint here. The hotel is not only targeted at the business travellers looking for a perfectly calm and rejuvenating experience, but this area is also for media, entertainment and other industries.”

Opening soon is a dramatic whisky bar with a cosy alfresco patio. as well as the addition of more rooms, a Presidential Suite, a spectacular poolside bar on the rooftop, a gym and a spa.

Main image credit: THE Park Hotels

Making a statement in the bathroom with luxe pieces and finishing touches

 730 565 Hamish Kilburn
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Making a statement in the bathroom with luxe pieces and finishing touches

While Hotel Designs is putting the bathroom under the spotlight following ISH 2019, recommended supplier Heritage Bathrooms shares ways in which to make statement using luxe pieces and finishing touches… 

According to the latest hotels forecast from PwC, the number of UK hotel rooms has risen significantly, increasing competition within the industry and providing guests with much greater choice.

And when it comes to the bathroom, these guests are increasingly prioritising hotels which not only have a functional space, but also provide them with a luxury experience that will live long in the memory.

By following some simple steps, this careful balance between functionality and experience-led indulgence can be easily achieved – allowing your guests to enjoy a beautiful, high-end bathroom space made up of bold, statement pieces alongside striking luxe touches.

Modern, quirky bath in contemporary bathroom

Image credit: Heritage Bathrooms

Give the gift of spa-like indulgence

Spa-inspired bathrooms provide guests with a special place to retreat and recharge during their stay. Blurring the lines between vanity areas, bathing areas and the bedroom is key to creating a luxurious spa-like bathroom space.

A statement bath is the epitome of a boutique styling, and a popular choice among hoteliers for bathrooms of all types.

To elegantly combine traditional simplicity with on-trend opulence opt for a stunning freestanding bath such as Heritage’s Madeira. The cast-iron material is also paintable, allowing for designers to select a custom shade of their choice.

Alternatively, a bath with a metallic finish, such as the Hylton from Heritage, provides an instant style statement and is available in copper, gold and stainless-steel effect finishes. The bath is acrylic and a light-weight alternative to traditional cast iron.

For smaller spaces, opt for ‘baby’ versions of roll top baths, which are smaller than the standard size and provide spa style that fits the space without compromising on luxury. We recommend styling a freestanding bath in the centre of a bathroom alongside a display table with toiletries to hand.

Evoke boudoir glamour with a bold basin

Bathroom basins are often viewed as a basic essential and can be overlooked when considering statement styling. However, a bold, on-trend basin can provide a striking, but subtle, focal point for a washroom space. A period inspired basin is an easy way to add a traditional twist to a more contemporary space, creating a boutique styled finish.

Double console basins work well in guest bathrooms and are especially ideal for guests travelling as a couple, with dual sinks and taps helping to minimise stress and create a harmonious atmosphere. The Victoria double console basin from Heritage bathrooms is a beautiful example of this style. The design draws inspiration from the Victorian era with beautiful, curved sculpted legs which offer a striking upgrade to a standard pedestal, giving an on-trend twist to traditional styling.

Alternatively, for rooms where space is not an obstacle, two identical basins in a ‘his and hers’ formation can be used to create a Jack and Jill style arrangement.  Increasingly in demand, this design will not only aid busy morning routines, but each guest will also benefit from their own personal area and additional space for toiletries.

Single basins, such as the Blenheim Console Basin from Heritage, can also provide standout boutique bathroom styling. The Blenheim showcases a wider single basin with sleek, delicately tapered legs, combining sharp angles with sumptuous curves and is reminiscent of the Baroque era, evoking boudoir glamour.

A rainfall inspired shower is an invigorating addition to a bathroom space and a popular choice for those seeking to recreate a personal, daily spa-like experience. Choose a shower with a large eight-inch rose, such as the Avenbury exposed shower by Heritage Bathrooms, for a luxurious, drenching soak.

Image credit: Heritage Bathrooms

With wet-room styled showers becoming increasingly desirable, it’s worth considering replacing shower trays with simple tiling and a glass partition to create a stylish, open plan finish. This walk-in design has a number of benefits, providing guests of all ages with ease of access and plenty of space to bathe while also making a bold style statement.

While well-chosen sanitaryware is key to the styling of the room, the smaller accessories and finishes are also vital to achieving an overall feeling of high-end luxury.  It’s important to consider how the accessories will coordinate and add to the overall styling of the bathroom space.

Stylish brassware in unique finishes, such as Heritage’s Mother of Pearl inlayed Gracechurch taps, can play a key role in achieving a high-end look – transforming taps and showers from practical items into jewellery for the bathroom. Pairing these with soft pink hues and cooler colours like greys and mints is an ideal way to make your metallics shine.

Where possible, hoteliers should look to add practical items in on-trend colours to add interest and a more sumptuous feel to the space. Shelving, statement taps, toothbrush holders and mirrors are all small, but necessary accessories that can help to transform the ambience of a bathroom.

Using mirrors in the bathroom is not only practical, but also helps to bounce light around the room which is perfect for smaller bathrooms where there is no natural light. A plain mirror, white paint or white storage might seem like an obvious choice to keep a room feeling bright, but these will only add to the clinical feel. Instead, consider an oversized statement mirror which will add an element of boutique personality and charm to the space.

With a large mirror, it is important that it’s positioned to reflect and amplify your key statement piece. For example, if you have a statement freestanding bath like Heritage Bathrooms’ Penrose, then by placing a mirror behind it you create double the impact it would have on its own. They can also be used to showcase and accentuate statement wallpapers by reflecting the pattern back into the room.

Another way to turn a bathroom a place of luxury escapism for guests, is to create a blend of the bathroom and bedroom in the design. Complementing an opulent mirror with a gilded vintage upholstered chair, antique lanterns and warm metallic accessories can result in a stunning dressing room-come-boudoir space.

For more inspirational tips and Heritage Bathroom’s full range of gorgeous bathroom products visit www.heritagebathrooms.com

Checking in to Moxy Chelsea, New York

 730 565 Hamish Kilburn
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Checking in to Moxy Chelsea, New York

Tucked into the hustle and bustle of Manhattan’s historic Flower District, Moxy Chelsea is an urban design jungle. Journalist Hannah Kaplan checks in to check it out… 

There is nothing quite like the pulse of New York – its heart beat can be felt from miles away. The thump of excitement and possibilities draw the worldly and well-travelled from near and far in search of great opportunities and the prospect of their dreams becoming reality.

The steady stream of humanity to Manhattan brings with it an expectation of all things beautiful. Manhattan’s Chelsea is not only the entry point for floral beauty, but is now home to the 35-floor oasis that shelters Moxy Chelsea.

“It’s often true that many of New York’s best kept secrets are hidden in pockets sometimes so small one could easily walk right by.”

Part of the Marriott International group and designed by the studio Rockwell Group – and developed by Lightstone – this chic new spot opened its doors three months ago and dares its guests to aspire to all things beautiful in a refreshingly modern environment.

It’s often true that many of New York’s best kept secrets are hidden in pockets sometimes so small one could easily walk right by. However, this is one you won’t want to miss. Tightly nuzzled between dozens of flower shops, guests and locals alike enter through the Putnam & Putnam flower shop designed by Yabu Pushelberg. This charming first visual functions as a sort of a botanical library and homage to the Putnam & Putnam flower shop.

If the astonishing arrangement of freshly cut flowers first draws you through the front door, it’s the palpable smell of Moxy’s signature scent that keeps one floating through the interior space. The rose-like aroma creates a unique ambiance that wafts through the lobby and second floor, drawing guests upwards and on.

The lobby entrance where guests check in is very simple and inviting. There are two floating front desk pods that suspend from the ceiling – a subtle effect that creates more space, while simultaneously drawing your gaze up to the electronic display on the ceiling. The attempt here is to play with one’s senses, to have guests stop, pause and merge into the building’s sensory pulse. The digital ceiling boards were designed with a young millennial perspective in mind, with written messages like “You should Instagram This” flashing across the screen. You can even hashtag the #MoxyChelsea and have your image pop up in the lobby area.

Simple and clean check in area with the words 'meet' and 'greet' hanging on the walls in neon lights

Image caption/credit: Minimalist lobby area at the hotel | Moxy Hotels/Marriott International/Michael Kleinberg

The architectural design of the building is very much influenced by its surrounding flower district, but equally important are the playful touches of modernism and hints of Italian romance scattered throughout. The theme trickles out as far as the street-styled Italian Feroce Café and the Feroce Restaurant – both are an extension of the hotel and serve as a sort of love letter to Italy – an important tribute from Italian chef Francesco Panella.

This ode to Italy continues as guests migrate from the lobby area up a set of charming concrete stairs to the second-floor lounge. The floor’s dimly lit ambiance is matched by the sparse yet modern décor and creates a space that begs to be explored.

There are small spots for the solo traveler who need a space to work and cozy corners for groups who need a small couch and a table to place cocktails between whispered conversations. On the wall above, guests can gaze up at the incredible 20-foot-high life-like green wall, reinforcing the idea of an urban jungle – bringing the outside in.

Towards the back there are even private spaces available to rent for events, dinners, or just to lounge in. The idea is to bring guests out of their rooms – socialise, eat, have a drink – and to make sure the multitasking lifestyle is a communal and immersive experience for all.

Subdued meeting studios

Image credit: Moxy Hotels/Marriott International/Michael Kleinberg

For the guests who want to continue their socialising, The Fleur Room is the next destination. Located on the 35th floor, the intimate rooftop bar is open to hotel guests and locals alike, but for the latter you’ll need to make sure your name is on the list. The alluring glow of light and color birth a heightened space of intimacy and mystery. The sofa material is embedded with a floral design and the bronzed furniture surfaces are smooth and polished. Sink back into the comfortable couches and let your eyes settle on an incredible view of one of New York’s most recognisable charms – the Empire State building.

Dark-lit, open-planned room with lavish bar

Image caption/credit: The Fleur Room | Moxy Hotels/ Marriott International/Michael Kleinberg

As one drifts through the lush lounge space, a set of elevator doors appears midway through. Each elevator bank was strategically positioned to run through the center of the building, giving all bedrooms access to large windows and a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline.

The guestrooms are approximately 200-square-feet but equipped with floor to ceiling length windows that compensate for a new trend in hotel rooms – small and efficient living spaces. And for what it may lack in size, it makes up for in appearance. The urban sleekness of the room supports the space efficiency of modern travel. Clothes can be placed on the hooks that run alongside the wall, which conveniently are located next to collapsible furniture (e.g. a small table and chair) hung vertically on the wall to use at one’s leisure – a contemporary take on “glamping,” if you will.

Image credit: Moxy Hotels/ Marriott International/Michael Kleinberg

The compact tiled bathrooms offer quirky sets of phrases like “GET WILD,” giving the room a playful feel and reminding visitors that the pulse of New York City awaits them outside. And to remind guests of the ever-present and rejuvenating floral theme, each sink knob resembles a steel garden hose frame.

The bold and modern design of the Moxy has created a space that endeavors to reform the way we perceive the hospitality industry as a whole — in this case, through the small and efficient styled rooms offset by the thematic design that encourages guests to get out of their rooms. It is also the romantic sense of Italian Café life and the simple love of flowers that Putman and Putnam won’t let us forget; The Moxy Chelsea reminds us that beauty and efficiency can co-exist and serve as portal for everything in New York.

Main image credit: Moxy Hotels/Marriott International/Michael Kleinberg

Hotel Indigo stylishly arrives in Venice

 730 565 Hamish Kilburn
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Hotel Indigo stylishly arrives in Venice

The new hotel, designed by the in-house design team at IHG, debuts in the undiscovered Venice neighbourhood of Sant’Elena…

Hotel group InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is has announced the opening of Hotel Indigo® Venice – Sant’Elena, which marks the brand’s debut in Venice, Italy. From palaces to piazzas, gondolas to gelato and canals to carnevale – there is no destination quite so magical as Venice. Filled with beauty and world-famous sights, the city that surrounds the new hotel made up of 55,000 residents attracts more than 30 million annual visitors.

Despite its immense popularity, there are still pockets of the city yet to be discovered, such as the Sant’Elena neighbourhood. Sant’Elena is a global hub for modern art and culture, close to the home of  the Venice International Film Festival and the Murano Glass Factory. The neighbourhood will introduce guests to a side of Venice that few tourists see.

Hotel Indigo® Venice – Sant’Elena is located in the heart of the iconic Italian city, next to the canal Rio Sant’Elena. Formally a 1930’s monastery, the 75 room Hotel Indigo® Venice – Sant’Elena is a peaceful sanctuary reflective of its former heritage that exudes an almost spiritual calm, the perfect place to retreat from the bustle of San Marco square. Composed of two wings joined in the centre by a former chapel, the hotel boasts an interior courtyard and large windows with high ceilings, which is evocative of the local neighbourhood and existing architecture. The hotel also has a private garden, a rarity in Venice, where guests can sit and enjoy a refreshing cocktail and relax after a day of exploring.

Plush guestroom with large bed, velvet headboards

Image credit: Hotel Indigo/IHG

The interior design brings to life the building’s original features with oriental influences inspired by Venice’s traditions and history, with touches of modern elements contrasting with the classic Venetian style. Plush velvet pillows layered on leather seating and brass lighting scattered throughout the hotel contrast the deep wood panelling on the walls in the lobby and the emerald green marble bar top. Ebru paintings are dotted in the public areas, bringing to life Venice’s history of introducing the marbleized papers into their famed repertory of woodblock prints, copperplate engraving and book leather binding.

“The hotel is the perfect example of how Hotel Indigo draws inspiration from the local neighbourhood, bringing to life the historical importance of the building through design while also providing the ideal getaway from the busyness of Venice,” said Marco Costa, Hotel Manager of Hotel Indigo Venice – Sant’Elena. “Just a 15-minute walk from all the main attractions, including St Mark’s Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs and the Doge’s Palace in San Marco, the hotel is the ideal choice for those coming to visit our beautiful town.”

Large leafy parks are a rarity in Venice, but a short walk to the north is the Giardini della Biennale, a park commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte when Venice was under French rule at the start of the nineteenth century. The park is a year-round hub for modern art and culture, although it really comes alive during the Venice Biennale, which, as its name suggests, takes place every other year.

In Conversation With: Designer Mark McClure ahead of Clerkenwell Design Week

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In Conversation With: Designer Mark McClure ahead of Clerkenwell Design Week

Ahead of Clerkenwell Design Week 2019, Morgan shares an insight into the mind of one of its latest interior design collaborators. Mark McClure discusses how the Goodwood table came to be… 

Furniture brand Morgan is preparing to once again wow visitors who are attending Clerkenwell Design Week later this month.

As well as inviting artist David Shillinglaw to redecorate the showroom with a vibrant feature wall, the company will also unveil two new interior design collaborations – one of which is with designer Mark McClure. Ahead of CDW 2019, Hotel Designs turned the tables, asking its recommended supplier Morgan to carry out an interview with its new design collaborator.

Morgan Furniture: Why did you choose to collaborate with us specifically?
Mark McClure: I worked with you in 2017 – when you invited me to create an installation and exhibition of artworks in their showroom and I found their whole approach to creativity and crossing over of disciplines very much aligned with my own. That, coupled with the beautiful quality and style of their existing collections, made them the obvious people to approach when I was looking to collaborate on some furniture.

MF: How was the experience/process compared to solo working?
MM: The whole process has been so very much smoother than I imagined. Collaborating in general – and especially with the folk at Morgan – brings the benefit of working with experts in their own field. Their knowledge of materials and processes added a whole new thought angle to my own thought process – and Katerina’s creative ideas overlapped nicely with my own even though we were coming to it from different directions.

Image of Goodwood side table in two sizes

Image credit: Goodwood by Morgan

MF: : What sparked your interest in furniture and combining art with a contract piece of furniture?
MM: I’ve always been drawn to the blurred lines between function and creativity. I’m lucky in that my work can be applied all kinds of disciplines and mediums – whether that be a mural on the side of a building, a sculpture in a gallery, or a mosaic for a table surface. I love that change of context and the change of audience and perception that goes with it.

MF: What inspired your design?
MM: A lot of my work is originally inspired by structural and architectural forms – but I’m increasingly contrasting these shapes with more rounded forms which lend the softer, more organic feel to the designs. This addition of more natural forms definitely feels more in tune with the natural grain and colours of the wood.

MF: What was your starting point for this project?
MM: We looked at a selection of existing Morgan pieces – with a view to combining the Morgan shapes with my design – so it all started with the choice of table shape. We opted for quite an understated Goodwood base in two nested sizes. This understated shape avoids a clashing of styles but also lends a complementing elegance to my work, which can be quite bold. Once that decision was made – I had a literal and metaphorical framework to work within.

MF: What is the collection’s USP?
MM: Bold, dynamic, abstract shapes – held together by the modernist elegance of the framework. The contrasting styles balance really well together.

MF: What was the main goal for the collection?
MM: To create something contemporary but classic – a meeting of styles.

MF: What were the challenges?
MM: The biggest challenge was showing restraint. It’s hard not to get carried away with exciting materials and details. But the saying ‘less is more’ exists with good reason – and after exploring a much broader range of materials and colours – we naturally returned to this palette. Even this restrained version still feels dynamic and exciting.

MF: What materials were used for the project?
MM: A mosaic was made up of Beech & Walnut – both painted and untreated – finished with brass details.  This was then integrated into a walnut table framework.

MF: Where do you foresee the collection being specified? (i.e. hotels, restaurants, etc.)
MM: I’d like to think the tables would sit comfortably in hotels, receptions and workplaces. The elegance of the table shapes make them adaptable – while the tabletop design – although distinct and dynamic – isn’t overbearing.

MF: Generally, where do you find your inspiration?
MM: I like to think of my work as a landscape. I’ve always seen beauty in the architectural shapes and structure of the city and these shapes are a constant, but increasingly sparks comes from everywhere and anything – with more organic, rounder elements coming into play. So whilst the structural shapes often form the base for a work – there’s other contrasting elements creeping in that might be inspired by plants, fabrics, music, lighting. The melting pot of disciplines and styles is what makes things interesting – it all makes up the landscape that surrounds us.

MF: What’s the key to a successful collaboration?
MM: I think the key is to collaborate with people you admire and respect. Everyone comes to a solution from their own direction – depending on their background and experience. That’s the beauty of collaboration – and appreciating those different backgrounds and routes is key.

MF: What’s the most interesting trend you’re seeing for 2019?
MM: Playful, geometric tabletops combined with modernist elegance. You saw it here first.

MF: What technology has made the biggest difference to the way you work?
MM: I’m about 20 years late to the CAD party – but I’ve only just started using it as my work has become more engineered and three dimensional. I created a bar with a drinks brand last year and taking what is quite a painterly approach – and drawing it up in CAD was a challenging – but exciting next step. To become loose and instinctive within that realm of 3D CAD is pretty exciting.

Morgan is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Hotel Designs is a proud media partner for CDW 2019. In order to arrange a meeting with the team, please tweet us @HotelDesigns

Vienna House Wroclaw hotel to open following bleisure boom in Poland

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Vienna House Wroclaw hotel to open following bleisure boom in Poland

Vienna House plans to open a 240-room hotel in the centre of Wroclaw. The group’s seventh hotel in Poland is slated to open in Q1 of 2022 following a rise in the country’s bleisure market…

Following the acquisition of 17 city hotels from hotel brand arcona, Vienna House has announced plans to open its seventh hotel in Poland, further utilising on the destination’s booming business traveller market.

The new smart-casual city hotel is part of a redesigned building complex which surrounds a historically listed bakery. Vienna House Easy Wroclaw will be a base for business and leisure traveller alike, featuring a vibrant restaurant, lifestyle lobby and bar, modern fitness facilities and spacious conference area. Guests will receive a warm welcome from the famous Wroclaw dwarves’, an insight into the city’s history and unique culture. The complex in which the hotel sits also features a student apartment concept from the BaseCamp brand.

“Wroclaw is an exciting, growing market, and the location in the city centre, near the botanical garden, is ideal, ” said Rupert Simoner, CEO of Vienna House, in a press release. “The combination of the casual, service-oriented Vienna House Easy and the lively student concept fits very well together and will develop into a fresh, lively meeting place.” Vienna House Easy Wroclaw, the Austrian hotel group’s seventh hotel in Poland, underscores the enormous interest in the Polish market.

Rendering of modern guestroom with dark-green wallcoverings and twin beds

Image credit: Vienna House

The hotel will be operated by Vienna House under a lease agreement from ST Wroclaw Sienkiewicza Sp. z o.o., which offers student apartment solutions with BaseCamp in Poland, Denmark and Germany.

Vienna House Easy Wroclaw offers 236 double rooms along with four suites. The rooms come with extra-long, super comfortable beds, modern writing and seating solutions, and bathrooms with walk-in showers. The hotel also has a 360 m² meeting and conference area, ideal for working. The fitness area features state-of-the-art exercise equipment, in addition to a massage area.

Vienna House Easy stands for smart casual design, hospitality DNA within our employees, established analogue services and meaningful digital offerings. These include televisions with connectivity for guest devices, high-speed WiFi, mobile concierge, self-check-in/check-out and much more. The hotel lobby provides a cosy meeting place, inviting reception area, cool bar and lounge all rolled into one.

Main image credit: Vienna House

Concept to Completion: Nicky Dobree creating Plaza 18 (part three)

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Concept to Completion: Nicky Dobree creating Plaza 18 (part three)

While Hotel Designs is exclusively following Plaza 18’s creation, editor Hamish Kilburn checks in on designer Nicky Dobree as the project is just weeks from completing…

With her sleeves rolled up, designer Nicky Dobree is on the home straight in the race to design her first hotel project. The finish line, which is getting closer and closer by the day, is nestled within Vejer, which is one of the many white towns of Andalucia.

The new six-key boutique hotel will shelter a home from home, adjacent to the palm-filled Plaza de Espana landmark. Inspired, in part, by Dobree’s travels, the authentic surrounding landscape and even the smell of orange blossom, the boutique jewel will shelter an unmatched luxury setting.

While the full details of the project are heavily under wraps (for now at least), part three of Plaza 18’s concept to completion feature focuses on the final preparations to create an unmatched home-from-home boutique hotel.

Hamish Kilburn: How does travel influence your interpretation on design? 
Nicky Dobree: Travel hugely influences my design and expands my creative perspective. I am fortunate to have travelled extensively and to have lived abroad for many years. I therefore find that I regularly draw on my love of travel to add to the layers of my design. Inspiration can come from anything and everything, be it the local smell of the orange blossom in Vejer to its moorish architectural roots.

HK: How far in the process are you with Plaza 18? 
ND: The end is in sight and we are receiving bookings for the summer.

HK: What can go wrong and what are the major challenges at this stage in the project?
ND: Hopefully not a lot can go wrong at this stage that we are not able to resolve. Timing is key. We’ve just had Easter, which the Spanish take very seriously so the team will break for a couple of weeks. On the positive, the team have returned with a fresh eye to complete the finishes ready for us to install and open.

HK:Do you ever find it difficult to leave a project behind once it’s completed? 
ND: I always find it difficult leaving a project behind and handing it over. It’s like giving birth and handing over your baby. With Plaza 18, I hope that many get to enjoy it and look after it as if were their own.

Various images of bedrooms, door fittings and art

Image caption: Moodboard for Plaza 18

HK: This is your first hotel that you have designed, will there be others? 
ND: I very much hope so. I have really enjoyed the new challenges this project has given me. I really love the art of creating a space and above all an atmosphere that will hopefully make people want to return.

Hotel Designs has been following Dobree on the completion of her first ever hotel. Click here to read part one. Click here to read part two.

Vienna House acquires 17 city hotels from arcona

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Vienna House acquires 17 city hotels from arcona

Vienna House, Austria’s largest hotel chain, has expanded its portfolio of city hotels by acquiring 17 properties from German hotel group arcana…

The Austrian hotel group Vienna House has bought 17 city hotels and two projects from Rostock-based arcona Group. In addition to eight successful arcona Living and four arcona Hotels, the purchase also concerns the five Steigenberger operations of franchisor Deutsche Hospitality as well as two projects in Greifswald and Mannheim.

The parties have agreed not todisclose any details as to the purchase price. “The arcona city hotels fit perfectly into the portfolio of Vienna House,” said Rupert Simoner, CEO of Vienna House. “Here two partners have found each other who are focusing on their brand positioning, who want to grow meaningfully from it and who also get along splendidly.”

“The group currently operates and is developing more than 40 hotels in Europe with a focus on city hotels.”

All employees of the affected arcona city hotels will be taken over by Vienna House. The hotels will be managed as lease operations under the umbrella brand Vienna House. The group currently operates and is developing more than 40 hotels in Europe with a focus on city hotels under the brands Vienna House, Vienna House Easy and Vienna House R.evo.

“A total of 20 Barefoot hotels are to be opened over the next 10 years.”

In contrast, arcona Managing Director Alexander Winter sees his hotel market of the future in the holiday hotel sector. Remaining in the arcona portfolio are six hotels in successful destinations such as Sylt, Kitzbühel and Rügen as well as the Hotel Elephant in Weimar and the Romantik Hotel at Wartburg Castle in Eisenach.

An important growth driver in the future will be the Barefoot Hotels, as arcona recently signed a long-term agreement with Barefoot founder Til Schweiger for theworldwide implementation of the concept as a licensee. “With the remaining houses and theBarefoot concept, we will now be concentrating fully on the growing holiday hotel market andsuccessfully embarking on the future together with our employees,” said arcana shareholders Alexander Winter and Stephan Gerhard. A total of 20 Barefoot hotels are to be opened over the next 10 years. “We see tremendous potential here, both nationally and internationally,” Winter confirms.The arcona headquarters will remain in Rostock, where the group will move into its new corporate headquarters, Villa Zeeck, in the second half of 2019.

Main image credit: Vienna House Easy Wuppertal

Hilton’s brand portfolio overtakes Marriott’s as “world’s most valuable”

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Hilton’s brand portfolio overtakes Marriott’s as “world’s most valuable”

Despite announcing earlier this year to open 30 new luxury hotels, Marriott’s portfolio drops to second place as the value of its brands in the Brand Finance Hotels 50 ranking decreases by 30 per cent, giving way to Hilton…

As luxury brands scramble over one another in the battle for being the best, there has been a change in the tables. Reporting a 17 per cent growth, Hilton now becomes the world’s most valuable brands in the Brand Finance Hotels 50 ranking.

The hotel group, which owns brands such as Homewood Suites, Double Tree, and Hampton, has extended its lead as the world’s most valuable hotel brand and, according to Brand Finance, has overtaken Marriott’s. Hilton’s brand value growth (up 17 per cent to US$7.4 billion) was largely driven by strong revenue increase over the last year, cementing the brand’s leadership position in the industry.

Meanwhile, Marriott suffered a reduction in brand value (down eight per cent to US$5.0 billion) and its brand strength dropped from AAA- to AA+. Marriott has faced several challenges in the North American market from hacking scandals to persistent problems with its loyalty schemes. At the same time, the combined value of Marriott’s brands within the Brand Finance Hotels 50 ranking decreased by 30 per cent, giving way to Hilton’s brand portfolio to claim the title of the world’s most valuable.

“Hilton’s strategic approach to brand growth has allowed it to extend its lead as the world’s most valuable hotel brand,” said Savio D’Souza, Valuation Director at Brand Finance. “At the same time, endorsement from the flagship brand has rendered benefits across the portfolio as Homewood Suites, Double Tree, and Hampton have seen their brand values sore. In its centennial year, Hilton is well-positioned for another hundred years of success.”

“Hilton’s brand value in the top 50 ranking is concentrated across six brands.”

Hilton Worldwide Holdings achieved overall brand value growth of 41 per cent. Hilton’s brand value in the top 50 ranking is concentrated across six brands, up from five in 2018, all strongly leveraging the valuable Hilton brand name and each recording solid growth this year. Hilton has continually committed to its relentless expansion programme and with thousands of new rooms and hotels in the pipeline, the company shows no signs of slowing down in the coming year.

Marriott has not fared so well, with four of its brands dropping out of the Brand Finance Hotel 50 ranking this year. With one new entrant, Marriott now has twelve brands in the ranking, many of which have nevertheless decreased in value. Marriott’s recent announcement of entering the home-rental market however, is a promising move to take back market share from Airbnb and could contribute to an uplift in brand value in the coming year.

The Hilton and Marriott portfolios remain well ahead of third-ranked Wyndham, which also suffered a drop of eight per cent in brand value to US$7.3 billion.

The three hotel brands to grow the fastest in value this year all come from Hilton’s portfolio, and each contributed to its overall growth. Its impressive performance was led by Homewood Suites (brand value up 99 per cent to US$0.8 billion), followed closely by Double Tree (up 79 per cent to US$2.1 billion) and Hampton (up 78 per cent to US$3.2 billion). This growth allowed the latter two brands to reshape the ranking’s top 10, with Double Tree jumping from 17th to 7th and Hampton rising from 10th to 5th place over the past year.

Aside from calculating overall brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Alongside revenue forecasts, brand strength is a crucial driver of brand value.

“Mercure has claimed the title of the world’s strongest hotel brand.”

According to these criteria and scoring high in Brand Finance market research, Mercure has claimed the title of the world’s strongest hotel brand, significantly improving its Brand Strength Index (BSI) score from 75.7 to 86.2 out of 100 and recording a brand rating upgrade from AA+ to AAA. Mercure is also the most valuable brand in Accor’s portfolio, with nearly 800 hotels. The brand has continued to make several acquisitions through its scheme of franchise growth.

Alongside analysing the world’s biggest hotel brands, Brand Finance also ranks the top 10 most valuable brands in the wider leisure and tourism industry.

Royal Caribbean International has narrowly retained its position as the world’s most valuable leisure and tourism brand, with its brand value remaining steady at US$3.8 billion. The brand reported strong financial results in 2018, and with demand high in the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean are on course for future growth.

Meanwhile, second-ranked TUI (brand value up four per cent to US$3.7 billion) substantially closed the gap to the ranking’s leader, only just falling short of overtaking Royal Caribbean.

The fast-growing China International Travel (up 70 per cent to US$3.7 billion) has come third this year, up from 5th in 2018. China International saw a significant increase in its valuation due to a surge in forecast revenue in coming years as the Chinese tourism market continues to develop with unprecedented speed and scale.

The fastest-growing brand in the ranking also comes from China. Happy Valley almost doubled its brand value in a single year (up 97 per cent to US$2.0 billion).

The brand portfolio analysis is based on the Brand Finance Hotels 50 ranking and does not take into account less valuable brands which have not been included in the ranking.

Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand Strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.

Additional insights, more information about the methodology, as well as definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance Hotels 50 2019 report.

Main image credit: Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru at Embassy ONE arrives

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Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru at Embassy ONE arrives

Designed to reflect relaxed luxury in a booming city, the all-new Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru at Embassy ONE is now open…

Developed by India’s leading developer Embassy Group, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru at Embassy ONE brims with modern sophistication featuring interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, beautifully complemented by a carefully curated collection of paintings, prints and sculptures by more than 25 contemporary Indian artists throughout the Hotel.

Rooms and suites offer views of the greenery, some featuring the Palace Grounds. At the Hotel’s dining venues, Four Seasons chefs and mixologists take centre stage in interactive style bringing energy and vitality to the dining experience. Embassy ONE is also home to 105 Four Seasons Private Residences, the first of its kind in India.

“We are delighted to welcome our first guests, and particularly excited to showcase the modern city of Bengaluru to our visitors,” says General Manager Fredrik Blomqvist, who oversees a hand-picked team of nearly 250 deeply dedicated employees. “It’s such an exciting time in southern India, and we are proud to be at the forefront of the city’s business and social lives.”

Developed by India’s leading developer Embassy Group, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru at Embassy ONE brims with modern sophistication featuring interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, beautifully complemented by a carefully curated collection of paintings, prints and sculptures by more than 25 contemporary Indian artists throughout the Hotel. Rooms and suites offer views of the greenery, some featuring the Palace Grounds. At the Hotel’s dining venues, Four Seasons chefs and mixologists take centre stage in interactive style bringing energy and vitality to the dining experience. Embassy ONE is also home to 105 Four Seasons Private Residences, the first of its kind in India.

Render of a dynamic bar with red seating and clever break-out areas

Image credit: Four Seasons

“It is very fulfilling to see Four Seasons open its doors to the city of Bangalore. What started off as a vision of excellence in service and hospitality is now a reality. The many synergies in our culture, service offerings, and vision between Four Seasons and the Embassy Group have brought us together to create this iconic asset. We are positive that the extraordinary experiences that Four Seasons offers will continue to build loyalty among customers, making it their first choice of luxury hospitality in Bangalore.” says Jitu Virwani, Chairman & Managing Director, Embassy Group.

“It’s truly a milestone as we open our second hotel in India,” notes Rainer Stampfer, Four Seasons President Hotel Operations – Asia Pacific. “Together with our property in Mumbai, Four Seasons reflects the vibrancy and poise of modern India through design, experiences and personalised service to meet the needs of both travellers and local residents.”

A Garden Oasis 
Set amid 5.6 acres of landscaped gardens and water features including a (100 feet) outdoor pool, the Embassy ONE oasis mirrors the city’s unique combination of modern urban architecture dotted with calming parks and gardens.

Inside Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, 191 guestrooms and 39 suites are light filled, with crisp lines and thoughtful details designed for today’s luxury traveller, whether in town for business, enjoying a romantic weekend getaway or bringing the whole family for a vacation. Highly recommended are the Garden Suites with a living and dining area opening onto a private terrace, separated from the luxurious bedroom, generous bathroom and double closets.

All accommodations feature the fully customisable Four Seasons Bed with a choice of plush, signature mattress topper to ensure a good night’s rest.

Urban views of the lush tree tops across the city, emphasize the abounding greenery that Bengaluru is famed for.

Main image credit: Four Seasons 

 

Hotel Designs puts ‘Bleisure’ under the spotlight at IHS Amsterdam

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Hotel Designs puts ‘Bleisure’ under the spotlight at IHS Amsterdam

Hotel Designs’ editor Hamish Kilburn was joined on the Hotel Vision Stage at Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam by Zoku’s founder Hans Meyer and Concrete’s director Rob Wagemans to discuss whether designers and hoteliers should be designing for ‘bleisure’ in mind… 

Day one at the Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam concluded with an engaging panel discussion, entitled Designing For Bleisure’ that aimed to disrupt the conventional hotel experience.

“A recent survey carried out by Great Hotels of The World found that 75 per cent of business travellers had extended their trips for leisure purposes,” editor Hamish Kilburn shared with the audience over on the Hotel Vision stage to kick-start the discussion. “What’s more is that in 2017, 2.2 million bleisure trips took place – that’s 10 per cent of all business trips.”

Joining Kilburn for the live debate was Rob Wagemans, the founder and director of Concrete and Hans Meyer, the founder and director of Zoku. “I actually disagree slightly with he whole ‘leisure’ terminology,” said Wagemans. “I think our industry needs to be really cautious not to package trends in this way, because it can really strip the creative process. Instead, I believe that we should be designing spaces around people and their demands.”

One man who arguably understands more than anyone what his guests require when checking in is Meyer, who spent six months ‘living like his guests’ in order to identify exactly how he should design his first property, which was Zoku Amsterdam. “I do agree with Rob,” he said. “I can’t stress enough how important it is to understand your demographic before designing or creating anything. When we designed Zoku, I lived like my target audience for six months to not just understand from a top level what would engage our guests, but also to experience what our guests want from a hotel. The brand was formed around what was lacking in the industry.”

Wagemans, who was a visionary behind many of the CitizenMs and a handful of W Hotels around the world, believes it is the responsibility of innovators in order to create better working spaces in hotels that are designed to last. “There are many times – too many times to count – where I have received a brief from a client, thrown it in the bin and presented something different to them,” he said. “But everything I present to a client has been thoughtfully considered to help the overall guest experience. Of course, we work towards the client’s goals, but we are also delivering a service.”

The trio went on to discuss the idea and concept of opening up the guestrooms to be more than just a bed for the night. “Will there ever come the day when the guest room in urban hotels will be used for meetings,” kilburn asked. “We actually have this already in the guestrooms at Zoku,” explained Meyer. “All areas have been created with emphasis on living and working so that the guest rooms are what you want them to be to an extent.”Wagemans, who actually designed Zoku Amsterdam with Meyer, added: “It’s about creating areas that flow into other areas. It’s down to us, designers and architects, to work with hoteliers in order to challenge what is conventional – that’s very much how we work.”

The session went on to highlight some interesting solutions, encouraging the audience to work outside the box in order to come up with new ideas. It explored how designers, hoteliers and architects alike can innovate the industry and their hotels by presenting practical working spaces. “I don’t take inspiration from other hotels necessarily, but more from other industries entirely,” added Wagemans.

As bleisure trends continue to be on the rise, it is down to the industry to figure out how best to invent new spaces that are practical, flexible and built with people in mind.

The Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam continues…

Hotel Designs is a proud media partner of Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam. Continuing this topic further, Hotel Designs will be with Great Hotels of The World at Hotel Summit to further discuss how to increase revenue by utilising on blesiure trends.

Hotel Brand Dakota launches in Manchester

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Hotel Brand Dakota launches in Manchester

Slated to open later this month, Dakota Manchester is expected to bring a touch of Mayfair to Manchester when it officially opens this month, bringing with it the largest suite in Manchester, a Champagne Room and a Cigar Garden…

Situated on Ducie Street close to Piccadilly Station, Dakota Manchester will transform the city’s skyline, offering a first class service complete with atmospheric spaces, luxurious finishing touches and waterside views.

Following launches in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Leeds, the brand is expanding south of the UK with its latest announcement. Dakota Manchester will shelter 137 luxury guestrooms, including 20 plush suites – the most in Manchester. With the aim to establish a new level of service, the hotel focuses on providing an outstanding experience for guests, with features such as The Dakota Grill, a vibrant neighbourhood brasserie, complete with waterside views, which is expected to become the heart of the hotel.

Image credit: Dakota Manchester

Described by the brand as the “glistening jewel in Manchester’s crown” is the penthouse suite. Known as the Grand Deluxe Suite, the piece de resistance will be the largest and grandest suite in the city, the brand says. Offering the ultimate Dakota experience, the Grand Deluxe Suite is positioned on the top floor of the hotel. This standout, instagrammable suite offers both indoor and outdoor space; with a dedicated lounge, dining area, opulent bedrooms, walk-in wardrobe, modern fire place, ensuite bathrooms with steam showers and a sunken bath. Finished off with a private eighth-floor external terrace, with far-reaching views across the city.

Strategically placed to be within minutes of all the action in the city, the new hotel aims to create ripples within the hotel scene. With so much attention on Manchester at the moment, Hotel Designs is preparing to take its Meet Up concept into the core of the hive of activity for Meet Up Manchester, which takes place on July 1 at Hotel Gotham’s rooftop bar. Tickets are still available here.

Main image credit: Dakota Manchester

In Conversation With: Patricia Urquiola on Laufen’s latest bathroom collection

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In Conversation With: Patricia Urquiola on Laufen’s latest bathroom collection

As Hotel Designs continues its month putting Bathrooms under the spotlight, editor Hamish Kilburn sits down with designer Patricia Urquiola to understand more about her latest collection reveal with Laufen…

Patricia Urquiola is no stranger to Laufen, as the Spanish designer celebrated at ISH 2019 the launch of her third – yes third – generation of SaphirKeramik, and by doing so has created the new collection, Sonar.

Rediscovering the formal scope of the bathroom – and designed to be insurmountable in bathroom aesthetics – the expressive Sonar collection has already gone on to win an iF Design Award. The material, SaphirKeramik, was first used by the designer for Laufen in 2013 in novel washbasin designs that were simply not possible using conventional bathroom ceramics. Six years later, the material has been used in the brand’s Sonar collection and now offers even greater variety thanks to the addition of more washbasins, WCs, a bidet, a new bathtub and a suite of bathroom furniture.

I recently sat down with the designer in order to understand the context of Sonar as well as what she thinks the future holds for international bathroom design.

Hamish Kilburn: Why do you think more attention is being payed to the design of the bathroom within international hotel design?
Patricia Urquiola: I think that more attention is being payed to all aspects of hospitality and not just bathrooms. Hotel design is now all about an experience that one wants to transmit to the unknown user, and bathrooms are no exception. The design of the bathroom in a hotel project is very important, it is part of the whole room space, of the experience that a certain room can offer in terms of relax and wellbeing.

modern bathroom with colour and slick design

Image credit: Laufen

HK: What are your thoughts on color in the bathroom?
PU: My approach to colour, for bathrooms and every aspect of a project, is not absolute; it very much depends on the project. At times, color is central and it is therefore given a lot of importance and space, it becomes essential for forms to come to life. Other times, palettes are a lot more intimate with very little color and more attention to textures or materials. For example, the bathrooms at Room Mate Hotel Giulia in Milano are extremely colorful, they reflect the language that we used throughout the whole project.  On the other hand, for a recent project in Mumbai in which we featured the Sonar collection, the focus isn’t on color but rather on materials and textures: marble and wood contrast beautifully with the ceramic of the collection.

HK: How has SONAR evolved? What’s changed, in regards to bathroom technology, since the first generation of SONAR?
PU: Sonar is manufactured using a high-tech ceramic material called SaphirKeramik, a material developed by Laufen that allows for the ceramic to be very thin for an industrial product. When I started my collaboration with the brand it had already been used for previous collections, what I wanted to do was to really exploit the material’s characteristics: strong yet light, it has a glow to it and a certain amount of detail can be incorporated. I wanted to work with all these positive aspects of SaphirKeramik and experiment with three-dimensional surfaces, to try and add spatial volumes to it.

“I think that in 30 years’ time things will be very different, from the houses we will live in, the cars we will drive, the hotels we will stay in…” – Patricia Urquiola

HK: The inspiration for your latest collection was ‘soundwaves that spread in water’…Was this a lightbulb moment, and if so – when and where were you at the time?
PU: Usually inspiration comes to me in waves of moments, images, trips, people… it is hard to pinpoint it to a specific time. The strictness of architectural minimalism was definitely on my mind, a sense of lines, purity and geometry. But also water, its energy and its dynamic movement that never stops. The meeting point of these two ideas is the inspiration behind the Sonar collection, sort of a game between such contrasting shapes, between softness and severity. The lines etched on the exterior of the pieces fade on one end, disappearing back into the material, just like the waves in the ocean.

HK: In your eyes, what does the bathroom of the future (say 30 years from now) look like?
PU: That is very hard to imagine! I think that in 30 years’ time things will be very different, from the houses we will live in, the cars we will drive, the hotels we will stay in… we are moving towards a smarter future, things will be more specialised, personalised, mobile. Frameworks and systems will become more complex and we all will learn to navigate them. We are already seeing a very big change in materials, in how we make them and reuse them and this will also affect architectural projects, the way in which bathrooms will be designed and built will change radically. Spaces and functions are becoming hybrid, they are being redefined because our focus is shifting towards functionality.

Laufen is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

STR delivers engaging year in review at the Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam

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STR delivers engaging year in review at the Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam

STR Global delivers a special report on independent hotel performance across the Benelux and Western Germany at the inaugural Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam. Editor Hamish Kilburn reports… 

Capturing an overflowing audience to kick-start the inaugural Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam, STR Global delivers its findings on the most investible locations for hotel development as well as releasing the current hotel pipeline across Benelux and Western Germany.

Samantha Mardkhah, Business Development Manager at STR Global, took the stage to unveil its latest relevant findings. “Overall 2018 performance for the Benelux region re ects year-over-year growth in all three countries,” she said. “The highest RevPAR percentage change was achieved by Belgium, which led the region with almost 10 per cent more growth than 2017. This growth was supported by a healthy increase in room demand (six per cent increase), showing that the market has fully recovered after the terror attacks of March 2016. Belgium’s occupancy level of 73.8 per cent was the highest for any year in STR’s database for the country (dating back to 1996).

During the presentation, Mardkhah explained that Luxembourg is the only country in the region that ended 2018 with decreasing room demand (down three per cent), but the country achieved positive RevPAR performance thanks to moderate growth in rates (increase of two per cent). Occupancy, however, decreased by more than four per cent.

Following the same trend of the region, the Netherlands closed 2018 with a six per cent increase in RevPAR fuelled by rates, and it was the country with the highest number of new rooms coming to the market with two per cent growth in supply. “The first quarter of 2019 began with slightly negative performance,” explained Mardkhah. “Gures as the Netherlands ended Q1 with a RevPAR decline of 1.8 per cent, mainly driven by loss in rates (decrease of 1.6 per cent). While supply keeps increasing with new rooms entering the market, demand has maintained at a moderate growth level and increased 3.5 per cent in the rst three months of the year.”

Luxembourg’s room demand comparisons returned to positive territory with a four per cent rise more than the previous year, which helped the country achieve almost seven per cent growth in RevPAR to a level of EUR96.

Belgium’s booming performance continued in 2019 and RevPAR grew 6.5 per cent, fuelled by growth in rates (4.3 per cent increase), while occupancy grew by 2.1 per cent.

In addition, the report looked at the various locations’ supply and demand trends – and the future is bright from the statistics, it seems. RevPAR is expected to grow for the next three years in Brussels, which is largely fuelled primarily by ADR growth.

The session also highlighted key trends in the race between boutiques, independents and larger hotel groups. The analysis of performance for all three segments did not show any major diferences. However, it is clear that independent properties performed better in all three KPIs over both branded and boutique brands.

Looking at ADR, boutique brands held the second position after independent properties with a EUR13 difference and an overall ADR of EUR120. Brands, meanwhile, held the lowest position at EUR111.

Occupancy remained at the highest level with 75 per cent for independent hotels, while branded hotels reported similar levels around 73 per cent.

The evolution of rooms supply for boutique brands reached a peak in 2018 with 11.7 per cent growth over the previous year, followed by a similar trend in room demand, which grew by more than 12 per cent and led to positive RevPAR change.

Hotel Designs is an official and proud media partner for the Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam. The show continues…

Lighting contemporary bathrooms with Vaughan

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Lighting contemporary bathrooms with Vaughan

The Vaughan bathroom wall light collection offers a wide selection of carefully designed and engineered IP44 rated wall lights in a variety of decorative styles…

Whether a project requires contemporary designs either side of a wash basin or a more classic decorative scheme – the Vaughan wall light range offer designs to cover all schemes. The Sudbury bathroom wall light, available in brass, nickel or chrome is a popular design from the Vaughan range.

Defined by its classic scroll arm and oval fluted and scalloped backplate, this wall light is designed to be used with a lampshade to achieve a soft, diffused light.

The Sudbury has recently been chosen for bathrooms in two leading London hotels, The Ned and The Goring, and also internationally in the Hotel Sacher in Salzburg and Le Bristol in Paris.

The Art Deco inspired Olympia bathroom wall light has also featured in many recent hotel projects, such as the Blakeney Hotel in Norfolk and Hotel d’Angleterre in Geneva.   Available in nickel or chrome, both designs have opaline frosted glass to diffuse and soften the light.

To view the entire bathroom wall light collection, please visit the website.

Vaughan is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Hotel Designs takes the stage at Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam

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Hotel Designs takes the stage at Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam

Editor Hamish Kilburn is preparing to join Concrete’s Rob Wagemans and Zoku’s Hans Meyer on stage at the first ever Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam…  

Hotel Designs, an official media partner for Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam, is preparing to go on stage this afternoon for a live debate on how the rise in ‘bleisure’ is dictating how the industry builds and renovates hotels and cities.

Whether travelling for business or leisure, guests are seeking great experiences from their hotel stay. Editor Hamish Kilburn will ask the panel – Concrete’s Rob Wagemans and Zoku’s Hans Meyer -how the hospitality and design community should be reacting to the need of flexible working and living spaces in international hotel design.

About the speakers: 

Hans Meyer, Founder & Owner at Zoku

Hans Meyer is co-founder and managing director of Zoku. Facilitating global living and working, Zoku has created a new category in the hotel industry – a home-office hybrid, with the services of a hotel and the social buzz of a thriving neighbourhood. He is responsible for innovation, culture, concept development, branding, operations and strategic partnerships for the Zoku brand. Zoku has been internationally recognized as being an innovator in the industry and was quoted by Forbes as one of the 25 coolest hotels in the world. A firm believer of value creation and innovation for the international hospitality industry, Hans previously was the initial creator and founding partner of the citizenM hotel concept and held senior corporate positions in Operations and Development for NH Hoteles and Golden Tulip, where he was responsible for projects throughout Europe, Africa, The Middle-East and Central America. Hans is also a jury member for the Accenture Innovation Awards and Ahead, the international Awards for Hospitality, Experience and Design. He was educated at Hotelschool The Hague and Cornell University in the United States.

Rob Wagemans, Founder & Director at Concrete 

Concrete develops concepts in architecture, interior design, urban development and brand development. Wagemans founded Concrete in 1997 and is the architectural visionary behind CitizenM and Zoku. The architectural firm was also behind the design of W Verbier and Ink Amsterdam.

Hotel Designs is attending Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam as a proud media partner of the show. If you would like to meet the team, head over to stand F64!

Statement solutions for the hotel bathroom

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Statement solutions for the hotel bathroom

Continuing this month’s theme putting bathrooms under the spotlight, Bisque Radiator’s brand leader, Ellie Sawdy, explains how hotel designers can add statement and personality in the bathroom… 

A stylish bathroom is at the heart of every chic hotel room. There are a number of elements which have become so synonymous with hotel bathroom design – a freestanding tub, a waterfall shower, marble surfaces and, of course, a gorgeous bathroom towel rail. After all, where else do you plan to dry your towels after a long day in the spa?

Often overlooked in interior design, towel radiators are a key element of glamorous bathrooms. If you have the space, try placing two either side of the bath or basin to create an uber-luxurious effect. For smaller bathrooms, try a tall, slim towel rad that will save valuable wall space.

Here at Bisque we offer a wide selection of towel rails to suit all bathroom styles. There’s the Chime – always a crowd pleaser – which offers a modern take on the traditional towel rail. With a highly polished finish, it’s perfect for providing that extra-special finishing touch – while its chunky rails make it practical, too. For more traditional hotels, there’s the Classic or Tetro radiators, both available for bathrooms with an additional towel rail attached. We’ve recently introduced our first ever traditional collection, too, comprising three timeless designs – the Buckingham, Balmoral and Osborne – for use in these spaces. Finally there’s the Archibald too – a real design statement for contemporary hotels.

Image credit: Bique Radiators

Colour plays an important part, too. Chrome and brass finishes will never go out of style, but it may be worth considering something a little different, such as a sophisticated matt black, dove grey or anthracite. A monochrome scheme has long been favoured by designers and architects for its ability provide balance in a space – plus the opportunity to add a pop of colour through accessories and brighter accents.

Another consideration may be a bathroom-come-bedroom design. Fast becoming more and more popular, many of the most luxurious hotels are merging these two rooms to create one super open-plan suite. Finally, it’s always worth investing in luxe accessories. Whether it’s the finest Egyptian cotton bedding, gold brassware or miniature toiletries, it’s these little touches which make a big difference.

Ellie Sawdy recently sat down with Hotel Designs’ editor, Hamish Kilburn, to discuss key bathroom trends. Bisque Radiators is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Bisque Radiators

SB Architects unveils seven new hospitality projects in North America and Mexico

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SB Architects unveils seven new hospitality projects in North America and Mexico

Architecture firm SB Architects has announced seven new hospitality projects that are opening in North America and Mexico…

Full-service global architecture firm, SB Architects, has been breaking ground in hotel, residential and mixed-use design for almost 60 years, and is delighted to announce seven new hospitality projects that are opening, in progress or breaking ground this year.

“It’s been a very productive and prolific year for SB Architects with so many high-caliber projects in various stages of the pipeline,” said Scott Lee, President and Principal of SB Architects. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to work on such diverse and inspiring projects and in so many interesting destinations. From a luxury destination resort in Los Cabos that seamlessly blends French and Mexican culture, to a sophisticated ski-in, lift-out destination in Utah, these projects showcase the scope of our capabilities and the breadth of our portfolio.”

Sofitel SO Los Cabos (San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico)
Slated to complete: 2021

Render of beqachside luxury hotel

Image credit: Sofitel Los Cabos

Set on a prominent five-acre beachfront site in premier tourist destination, Los Cabos, this five-star luxury resort cascades gently down to the white sandy beaches below, providing unobstructed Pacific Ocean views throughout. Inspired by the vibrant history of Mexican haciendas and the central role of family gathering spaces, the resort embraces bold, contemporary architectural features with vivid interior hues, paying homage to the authentic Zócalo (community spaces) experience. The SO brand is the epitome of sophisticated modern French aesthetic which, when combined with the beautifully rich Mexican culture, creates a unique and inviting experience. The destination resort boasts 210 keys, 40 branded residences, conference and meeting center, spa, specialty restaurant and ultra-lounge, and beach club. The residential resort has 87 units, ranging from 1,960 to 4,329 square feet, along with fitness and entertainment amenities.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota (Sarasota, Florida)
Slated to complete: 2020

Render of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota

Image credit: The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota

The 18-story tower is an additional branded residential component to the existing Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sarasota. Located on Sarasota Bay, the tower has been designed at a distinctive angle, providing both a visually interesting exterior along with unobstructed views of the water. The new tower links to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on level three and offers residents easy access to exclusive amenities. Level three and above houses three- and four-bedroom units with stunning views in two directions. Multiple elevator locations ensure that each residence will share a lobby with no more than one other unit. Wide cantilevered balconies will circle the building, providing each unit with private outdoor space. Additional amenities include a large rooftop pool and entertainment area. Images can be found here.

Pendry Residences Park City (Park City, Utah)
Slated to complete: 2021

Render of swimming pool on hotel

Image credit: Pendry Residences Park City

The luxury ski-in, lift-out destination will add a new level of sophistication to mountain living from its central location in the new Canyons Village. Luxury hospitality brand, Pendry, delivers polished comfort with a modern edge and prides itself on epitomizing the character of a neighborhood, whether that be through art, culture, design, or music. Ideally situated amidst thousands of acres of exceptional terrain, Pendry Residences Park City will transform the traditional alpine lodge into a modern, life-enriching base to call home, featuring 150 fully-serviced guestrooms and suites, ranging in size from studios to four-bedroom. The residences boast the services and amenities of a luxury resort, including a private ski valet, spa, a variety of restaurant and bar options, and the only rooftop bar and pool in the area. With four unique lounges, restaurant and bar experiences, Pendry Residences Park City will provide an exceptional venue for perfecting the art of Apres Ski with music, food and drinks, and good company.

Conrad Playa Mita (Punta de Mita, Mexico)
Slated to complete: 2019

Render of beachfront hotel

Image credit: Conrad Playa Mita

A tranquil respite from Mexico City’s energetic pace, the 154-key Conrad Playa Mita boasts serene natural landscapes, aquamarine waters and uninhabited isles. Designed to exist in harmony with the natural environment and luxurious locale, the rejuvenating Riviera Nayarit destination resort immerses guests in a tropical oasis. With modern expressions of architectural sophistication, Conrad Punta Mita dovetails with the dramatic natural scenery, providing every guestroom and suite with unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean. Drawing inspiration from Mexico’s rich history and unique culture, indigenous artwork integrates with luxurious amenities to create a sense of barefoot resort elegance. In each motif lies a story, a statement and a valued part of the local Mexican identity. Facilities include three dining venues, pool, spa and 45,000 square feet of combined function space; including 30,000 square feet outdoor event space, 10,000 square-foot ballroom, and 3,000 square feet of breakout rooms, each with ample pre-function terraces.

Saltaire Bayfront Towers (St. Petersburg, Florida)
Slated to complete: 2022

Render of towering hotel

Image credit: Saltaire Bayfront Towers

Continuing the ongoing collaboration with Kolter Urban, SB Architects have introduced a timeless luxury addition to the St. Petersburg skyline. Designed in a modernist language quintessential to Florida, the 35-story residential tower employs striking white architectural forms, punctuated by floor-to-ceiling windows, that boast unobstructed views across Tampa Bay. Spacious two-story lofts line 1st Street South and the internalized arrival court is activated with retail frontage. With an average of 361 days of sunshine each year, an elevated, Olympic-length pool has been designed to offer spectacular, unobstructed views over the glistening Bayboro Harbor.

Omni PGA Golf Resort and Spa (Frisco, Texas)
Slated to complete: 2022

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America is moving its headquarters from Palm Beach County, Florida to Frisco, Texas, where it will anchor a 600-acre mixed-use development with an initial investment worth more than half a billion dollars. The PGA of America is teaming with Omni Stillwater Woods (OSW), a joint venture led by Omni Hotels & Resorts with Stillwater Capital and Woods Capital, the City of Frisco, its Economic and Community Development Corporations, and the Frisco Independent School District. The Omni brand is known for its elevated service and amenities, including golf. The PGA Golf Resort, alongside the headquarters of the PGA of America, promises to be a first-class destination attracting avid golfers from far and wide.

Park Hyatt Los Cabos Resort (Los Cabos, Mexico)
Slated to complete: 2021

Render of aerial perspective of hotel show of

Image credit: Park Hyatt Los Cabos Resort

Situated on a spectacular site overlooking the sea with unobstructed water views and two secluded beaches, Park Hyatt Los Cabos is a 162-room destination resort with 35 branded private residences. A modern design, influenced by the surrounding desert scape, the rugged coastline and the indigenous architecture of the region. Guests will enjoy amenities including restaurants, a luxury spa, outdoor terraces and private plunge pools.

With almost 60 years of continuous practice, SB Architects has established a world-wide reputation for excellence in the planning and design of large-scale hotels, resorts, destination resort communities, and all associated resort amenities, as well as large-scale multi-family residential and urban mixed-use projects.

Main image credit: Sofitel Los Cabos

Hotel Indigo to make its debut in Chester

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Hotel Indigo to make its debut in Chester

Hotel group IHG has unveiled a first glimpse of its much-anticipated new boutique hotel, Hotel Indigo Chester, which is slated to open later this year under a franchise agreement with Castlebridge Hospitality… 

Located at the heart of Chester, Hotel Indigo Chester combines the local character and charm with vibrant colours and textures to give the hotel a residential look and feel. Just as no two places are alike, no two Hotel Indigo properties are the same.

Each boutique hotel draws inspiration from the local neighbourhood, culture and popular trends in food, drink and design to create a warm and vibrant atmosphere.

The 75-key new build hotel has been designed by architects Franklin Ellis taking inspiration from three key elements of the city; the material layers of its architecture, the iconic 1897 Eastgate Clock and the world-famous Chester Racecourse. Guests can expect an eclectic combination of fabrics, wood panelling and references to historic people and dress from the city’s past.

The design of the 96-cover restaurant will nod to the chef’s, award winning 2015 MasterChef champion Simon Wood, signature style to create a relaxed natural environment in which to enjoy his unintimidating fine dining making it the perfect new outlet for locals to dine in.  At the heart of the restaurant will be the chef’s table and theatre kitchen providing the perfect vista for guests to watch Simon and his team as they work. The restaurant will also feature a private dining room that will accommodate up to ten people for a meeting or dinner. Guests will be able to enjoy Simon’s tasting menus as part of any event or occasion.

“At Hotel Indigo we believe in providing more than just a good night’s sleep, we want to create an experience as unique as the neighbourhood in which we are found,” said Bethan Johnston, General Manager, Hotel Indigo Chester. “It’s really important to us that we reflect the community around us and offer a personalised stay that is tailored both to the city and the guest.

“It’s a high end boutique experience but without ever being stuffy, we will offer top quality service that, like Simon’s food, is unintimidating, relaxed and welcoming. We believe we will offer something different to any other hotel in Chester.”

“We have added unique elements to the interiors that are relevant to the area, including artwork of local landmarks and items that are made locally.” – Ben Dudley, Franklin Ellis Architects

Partner at Franklin Ellis Architects, Ben Dudley, commented: “It’s been a real joy to be involved in this hotel and signature restaurant project. Like all Hotel Indigo properties, this one is inspired by the city it’s located in and seeks to reflect the surrounding architecture and character. We have added unique elements to the interiors that are relevant to the area, including artwork of local landmarks and items that are made locally.

“On a personal note, it’s fascinating to work with Chef Simon Wood and see how his attention to every detail ensures his guests have a wonderful dining experience. I’m certain this project will be a fabulous new venue for Chester and a delightful place to stay.”

Main image credit: Hotel Indigo

PREVIEW: Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam

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PREVIEW: Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam

With just days to go until the first ever Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam, Hotel Designs, which will be moderating a panel discussion at the event, shares some of the main events that will be on stage in the city famed for its alternative creativity… 

Designed to support hoteliers with an independent attitude, Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam is setting up to deliver aspirational content alongside practical solutions.

Inspired by the hospitality offered in hotels themselves, the show strives to deliver a guest experience above and beyond that of the typical trade fair. So whether you’re looking for inspiration from our sublime designers, innovation from leading technology suppliers, or simply to discover something new for your hotel, we’re confident you’ll discover the solutions you are searching for.

Here’s what Hotel Designs, an official media partner of the show, is looking forward to…

WEDNESDAY May 8

11.00am – 11.45am: The Year in Review

The big picture of the European Hotel Industry. Our expert panel reviews the last 12 months of the European hotel market, outlining opportunities, implications and possibilities for you and your hotel – (in partnership with STR Global)

Speakers: Samantha Mardkhah, STR; Sander Allegro, Allegro INNovations Hospitality Consultancy; Gabriella Esselbrugge, Hotel De Dames van Jonge; Rene van Schie, Met Region Amsterdam

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

12.30pm – 13.15pm: The Travel Future Forecast

This insight-packed presentation will navigate the major cultural shifts that are transforming the travel and hospitality landscape. Has the sharing economy gone luxe? How are Chinese tourists spending? Is room service having an existential crisis, and will robot concierges come to the rescue? The Travel Future Forecast is your ultimate guide to the trends defining travel and hospitality in 2019.

Speaker: Holly Friend, The Future Laboratory 

13.30pm – 14.00pm: Trend Tour

Join trend forecaster Vincent van Dijk for a trend tour, featuring a number of hand-selected highlights at the show which tie in with the most important hotel trends of this moment. From technological innovations to special sustainable gadgets that should not be missing in today’s hotel room! Tours will leave promptly from the Hotel Vision Stage.

Speaker: Vincent van Dijk, HBMEO Concepts

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

14.30pm – 15.15pm: Why Sustainability is Good for Business

Discover the green business practices you need to know now. Join our panel of industry leaders as they outline the direct benefits of taking a transparent, sustainable approach to individual hotels and to the industry as a whole, from influencing customer trust to driving new business opportunities.

Speakers: Marie-Noelle Keijzer, WeForest; Inge van Weert, QO Amsterdam; Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key; Marco Lemmers, Conscieous Hotels

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

15.45pm – 16.30pm: Let’s Get Personal: Attracting, inspiring and retaining your staff

Examining why hospitality is a hot career, This session outlines the new initiatives, opportunities and incentives hotel owners and operators can offer to staff looking to pursue a career in hospitality and how to train and retrain high potential recruits.

Speakers: Joost van Beek, The Student Hotel; Charles van Goch, Mise en Place; Erik-Jan Ginjaar, Postillion Hotels Netherland; Jorn Heikens, Stenden Hotel Management School

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

16.15pm – 16.45pm Curating Design Through Art

Join Rebecca Wilson, VP of Art Advisory and former Director of the Saatchi Gallery in London, for guidance on selecting the best artworks to ensure you are at the forefront of art as well as design.

Speaker: Rebecca Wilson, Saatchi Art

Stage: Social Business Space

17.00pm – 17.45pm: Designing for ‘Bleisure’

Whether travelling for business or leisure, guests are seeking great experiences from their hotel stay. How is the hospitality and design community reacting to this need and designing spaces for ‘bleisure’?

Speakers: Rob Wagemans, Concrete; Hans Meyer, Zoku; Hamish Kilburn, Hotel Designs

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

On stage with speakers

Image credit: Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam

THURSDAY May 9

11.00am – 11.45am: How to use Technology and Personalisation to Maximise your Direct Bookings

Industry expert, Frank Reeves explores the journey that hotels should be using to shift booker intent from OTA’s to their own website through revolutionary technology, and move the focus on from ‘direct bookings’ to ‘direct relationships’. This session will explore the changes in buyer booking behaviors, and how a digital guest-centric approach along with the adoption of emerging technology can revolutionise your guest experience from the start.

Speaker: Frank Reeves, Avvio

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

12.00pm – 12.45pm: Placemaking: Hospitality at the heart of the community

A ‘how to’ for hoteliers wishing to capitalise on their local community’s assets, inspiration and potential.

Speakers: Veerle Donders, Zoku; Sander Allegro, Allegro INNovations Hospitality Consultancy; Gladys Camphuijsen; Annemoon Geurts, Kazerne

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

13.00pm – 13.30pm: The Smart Travel Challenge

The 5 biggest industry challenges of the next decade and how we could turn them into sustainable growth opportunities.

Speaker: Christiaan Uittenbosch, Smart Travel Lab

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

13.15pm – 13.45pm: Elevating Guest Experiences through Art

Rebecca Wilson, VP of Art Advisory at the international art gallery Saatchi Art, will discuss how art can transform the guest experience and lead to increased PR and greater social media exposure. Rebecca has curated art programmes for luxury brands such as Nobu, Hyatt, and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Speaker: Rebecca Wilson, Saatchi Art

Stage: Social Business Space

14.00pm – 14.45pm: Scale Up But Retain Your Independent Spirit

A ‘how to’ for hoteliers looking to expand their portfolio, keeping the guest experience at the heart of the operation.

Speakers: Sander Allegro, Allegro INNovations Hospitality Consultancy; Bram Van Der Hoek, EU Hotels Private Collection; Jan Stuurman, V Hotel; Kevin Rockey, The Hoxton

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

15.00pm – 15.45pm: The Hotel Room of the Future

What can we expect from the hotel room of the future? Trend forecaster Vincent van Dijk gives us a glimpse into the future of hospitality. Based on both experiences from his living lab, a hotel room where innovations for the hotel industry are tested, and a trend analysis.

Speaker: Vincent van Dijk, HBMEO Concepts

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

15.45pm – 16.15pm: Trend Tour

Join trend forecaster Vincent van Dijk for a trend tour, featuring a number of hand-selected highlights at the show which tie in with the most important hotel trends of this moment. From technological innovations to special sustainable gadgets that should not be missing in today’s hotel room! Tours will leave promptly from the Hotel Vision Stage.

Speaker: Vincent van Dijk, HBMEO Concepts

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

16.00pm – 16.30pm: Making a Difference – A Leadership Opportunity

Taking responsibility for the two most precious resources: Your People – Our Planet.

Speaker: Wolfgang M. Neumann, Radisson Hospitality Group AB, Guestline

Stage: Hotel Vision Stage

The Hotel Designs team will be exhibiting at the show on stand number F62

Chelsom confirmed to exhibit at HD Expo 2019

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Chelsom confirmed to exhibit at HD Expo 2019

Lighting manufacturer Chelsom has confirmed that it will exhibit at HD Expo 2019, which takes place at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas on May 15 – 17…

Chelsom will once again bexhibit at HD Expo 2019, which takes place at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas on May 15 – 17. HD Expo is the USA’s premier trade show and conference for the international hospitality industry, remaining at the forefront by offering the newest and most innovative products and services, providing inspiration and connecting hospitality professionals from all facets of the business.

This will be Chelsom’s eighth consecutive year exhibiting at the event where it will be exhibiting pieces from the company’s latest lighting collections, Edition 26. Designed by Robert and Will Chelsom, the collections harness and refine the latest trends in finishes and materials and have been created with the requirements of the international hospitality marketplace at its core. The Edition 26 collections are the company’s most distinctive to date both in terms of design and technology with nearly all pieces having an integral LED light source or available with a LED option.

“HD Expo is the number one show in terms of interior design for the hospitality market in the USA and we are very pleased to be exhibiting again,” said Philip Macaulay, Sales Director. As part of our expanding export division we have focussed our efforts on the US market over the last couple of years and HD Expo is a key date in the diaries of many leading hospitality professionals so it’s incredibly exciting to be showing what is undoubtedly our most different and design-led collection yet.”

Chelsom has become one of the leading designers, manufacturers and suppliers of decorative contract lighting to the international hospitality sector working on a number of significant projects in the last 18 months including Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London, Kimpton Fitzroy in London, Ritz Carlton Berlin, multiple Four Seasons projects and Jin Gui restaurant in Hamburg.

Chelsom will be on Stand 2646. For more information on HD Expo and to register to attend please go to: https://www.hdexpo.com/

Chelsom is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

NH Hotel Group to unveil new boutique property in the heart of Rome

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NH Hotel Group to unveil new boutique property in the heart of Rome

Slated to open during the third quarter of 2019, NH Collection Fori Imperiali in Rome will become the Group’s sixth property in the Eternal City…

NH Hotel Group is preparing to open its sixth property in Rome this summer, the boutique-style NH Collection Fori Imperiali. The upper-upscale property will be located within a stone’s throw of the city’s most famous historical sites, including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican.

Built in a magnificent palazzo decorated in 19th Century style, within one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, the hotel will be infused with the hallmark elegance and sophistication of the NH Collection range.

The NH Collection Fori Imperiali will have 42 guestrooms (nine of which will be suites) decorated in a contemporary and luxurious style, with most offering direct views over some of Rome’s most prized archaeological and architectural treasures. The boutique hotel will also feature a rooftop bar on a terrace, from which visitors can admire the Roman Forum and the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument.

The agreement reached with the owner of the historical palace, in which the hotel is located, will allow NH Hotel Group to fortify its benchmark position in the city’s centre, where it will boast six establishments, of which five will be within the NH Collection brand.

The NH Collection Fori Imperiali, which will be operated under a lease regime, consolidates the tremendous growth of the NH Collection brand in Italy where the company has opened 12 hotels under this trademark in the last four years. The opening therefore cements NH Hotel Group’s positioning in the upper-upscale segment in the city of Rome, where it also operates the NH Collection Roma Palazzo Cinquecento, NH Collection Roma Centro, NH Collection Roma Giustiniano, NH Collection Roma Vittorio Veneto and the NH Roma Villa Carpegna. Between them, these establishments offer more than 1,000 rooms located in a range of emblematic buildings which retain their local authenticity and are a source of inspiration for guests looking to discover the ‘eternal city’ from a privileged base.

Main image credit: NH Collection

Bang & Olufsen completes Bronze Collection with four new products

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Bang & Olufsen completes Bronze Collection with four new products

A selection of the complete Bronze Collection was showcased at the renowned avant-garde gallery Spazio Rossana Orlandi during Milan Design Week 2019…

With its earthy aluminium bronze tone, bespoke multicoloured yarn from Kvadrat and premium walnut wood, Bang & Olufsen’s Bronze Collection takes inspiration from the architectural and interior trends of using warm colours and contrasting materials.

Bang & Olufsen completes the collection by adding four new products: the Beovision Eclipse TV, the iconic Beolab 18 and Beolab 50 loudspeakers and the Beoplay H9i noise-cancelling headphones.

Iconic gallerist, curator and doyenne of design Rossana Orlandi is showcasing a selection of the Bronze Collection in her gallery during Milan Design Week— a testament that technological products becoming a more integral part of the interior; they are no longer hidden, but exposed as genuine pieces of art.

“I have been a fan of Bang & Olufsen for many years and have always appreciated their simplicity and formal purity, in addition to their great quality, of course. I find that they have maintained a coherent philosophy evolving and growing over the years, to create collaborations with big names of design like Michael Anastassiades who designed an exceptional product, where interaction with the user becomes an integral part of the object itself”, says Rossana Orlandi on her collaboration with Bang & Olufsen.

Installation: Halo – Celebration of Light

Since the gallery opened in 2002 in Milan’s Magenta neighborhood, it has been the eclectic frontrunner and esteemed platform for avant-garde design and lifestyle. On the first floor of the gallery, the Rossana Orlandi home is adorned with various Bang & Olufsen speakers, and in the basement, Mandalaki Design Studio has incorporated the Beoplay H9i headphones into a holistic, site-specific installation bordering art and industrial design, dream and reality. Light and Sound will become tangible elements, creating a unique and metaphysical sensorial path. The sound is created by artist Sergio Ratti and is experienced through the most luxurious Bang & Olufsen headphones, the bronze Beoplay H9i.

Main image credit: Bang & Olufsen

Autograph Collection Hotels debuts in Kenya

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Autograph Collection Hotels debuts in Kenya

Autograph Collection Hotels debuts in Kenya welcoming Sankara Nairobi to its dynamic portfolio of Passionately Independent Hotels…

Autograph Collection Hotels, Marriott International’s distinctive collection of passionately independent hotels, today welcomed Sankara Nairobi to its diverse and distinguished portfolio around the world, marking the debut for the brand in Kenya.

Set in the heart of Westlands, Sankara Nairobi lies in the epicentre of the city’s commercial, retail, and entertainment quarter and boasts quintessential Kenyan charm and hospitality, contemporary interiors and carefully curated modern African art throughout the hotel.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sankara Nairobi, a distinctive hotel which evokes the spirit and heritage of this vibrant city, to our portfolio,” said Alex Kyriakidis President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. “As the first Autograph Collection Hotel in Kenya, Sankara Nairobi is a significant addition to our rapidly growing portfolio in the region and a testament to our conversion friendly strategy. The hotel perfectly embodies the brand’s unique perspective on design, craft, hospitality and its Exactly Like Nothing Else philosophy. This rebranding is in lockstep with the growing demand from consumers and their desire for differentiated experiences wherever they travel.”

Just a short drive away from the city centre and the United Nations Headquarters, and within easy access from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Wilson Airport, the hotel is situated at the heart of the city’s vibrant social and business life.  It comprises 168 thoughtfully designed rooms, a tempting choice of authentic and award-winning restaurants, destination bars, social and meeting spaces, and fitness facilities. The newly refurbished guest rooms including a brand-new Presidential Suite captures the hotel’s personality with signature elements showcasing a unique character and a defining sense of place.

“We are excited to join the brand’s global portfolio of iconic hotels around the world and deliver a thoughtfully curated and authentic experience,” said Krishna Unni, Group General Manager of Sankara Hotel Group. “Socially and culturally immersive, Sankara Nairobi creates a vibrant and warm character that is deeply ingrained in the art, culture and lifestyle of Nairobi. We are confident that Sankara Nairobi will soon emerge as a preferred choice for travellers to Nairobi welcoming both Marriott International’s loyal members as well as new guests”.

Autograph Collection Hotels advocates for the original, championing the individuality of each of its over 171 independent hotels located in the most desirable destinations across more than 30 countries and territories.

The designer shaping the future of water at GROHE

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The designer shaping the future of water at GROHE

Post-ISH, Grohe’s Vice President of Design, Michael Seum, sits down with Hotel Designs to explain how its latest innovations are vastly reshaping the bathroom industry. Editor Hamish Kilburn writes…

If one were to imagine the bathroom industry as a quiet, glass-like lake, surrounded by tranquil surroundings, then ISH 2019 was a competition between creatives on who could make the greatest and loudest splash with just one throw.

While some manufacturers opted to hurl large rocks at the water, GROHE on the other hand decided to make its impact in numbers, by launching more than 500 new innovations and arguably creating the largest ripple effect, which has ultimately disrupted conventional bathroom designs as we know them today.

Ensuring that each product that launched skimmed across the surface, GROHE had a strategic throw to avoid it become submerged in the noise of the show. Its latest collections were designed around five mega trends, ‘new living spaces’, ‘consumers become creators’, ‘simplicity seekers – the search for simplicity’, ‘taking control’, and ‘intelligent life management’. The man leading the innovation of each product is Michael Seum, the Vice President of Design at GROHE, who describes his role simply as “connecting the creative horsepower design team to a business need.”

Image credit: Grohe/ISH 2019

Seum, who is the bridge between the innovators and the board at the company, knows more than anyone that the bathroom products of today will help to shape the way in which all buildings and hotels that are conceived in the future. “We identified big shifts in society, technology and the rise in rejecting single-use objects,” he explains. “We wanted to understand the mindset of consumers and concluded that we should be giving consumers the ability to take better control over the environment and one large framework was built around looking at the consumer, identifying a problem or strain and coming up with a solution.”

Once the solution has been established and visualised, Seum can unleash his weapon; his world-class team of in-house designers to create a new direction in bathroom design. “We honestly go through about 100 prototypes before the end user sees the result of a finished product ready for market,” Seum explains. “Within these, we explore different means of technology and this really in the power of design at GROHE. In a low fidelity way, we can sketch and build a product that can help to get the industry flowing in a certain way.”

QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Hamish Kilburn: I now have in my head that your house is full of prototypes… Am I correct?
Michael Seum: That’s funny. Unfortunately not, my house is actually very minimalist – think Nordic and simple.

HK: What is your biggest bugbear in design?
MS: lack of originality. In our sector in particular, things are copied a lot

HK: Should designers strive to put more colour in the bathroom?
MS: Absolutely!

HK: What is the number-one travel item you cannot travel without?
MS: Books, my headphones and my sketchbook

HK: What is your favourite trend at the moment?
MS: Lightweight furniture!

HK: Where’s next on your travel bucket list?
MS: Surfing in Portugal!

HK: In your opinion, what is the number-one tool for success in this industry?
MS: Learning and understanding the customer experience!

HK: Sustainability is a huge driving force in what you are doing. Is there a hotel that stands out in your mind as being built purely to be sustainable?
MS: Yes, actually. Zuri Zanzibar, which was designed by Jestico + Whiles, is really cool!

The bathroom industry is arguably the most congested sectors in interior design. Staying ahead in such a landscape takes true innovation and not being afraid to disrupt the current lay of the land – something that Seum does with ease. “Our products are not inspired by the bathroom industry,” he says. “Instead, I am more interested to look outside the boundaries of bathroom design and towards wider trends in, for example, lifestyle, fashion and lighting.

Image credit: Grohe

With bathroom manufacturers specifically, there has been a rise in the number of companies that are welcoming outside renowned designers and architects to inspire the look of new collections, but for Seum who is a former design consultant himself, the demand for this at GROHE is non-existent. “I’m not critiquing the designers when I say this, but I am yet to find a designer who has worked on a collection with a bathroom manufacturer that has done anything to conserve water and/or to eliminate single-use plastics,” he explains. “Therefore, its clear that these collaborations are aimed to purely add aesthetics to a product.”

The result of GROHE’s presence at ISH is that the company has defiantly launched products that are tailored to the needs of consumers as well as architects, interior designers and hotel investors. Creating intelligent water solutions to transform lives for the better, Seum and his team is succeeding in providing products that have the power to help designers build and create more intelligent and sustainable hotels around the world.

Main image credit: GROHE

BESPOKE DESIGN: Italian boutique hotel inspired by natural elements

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BESPOKE DESIGN: Italian boutique hotel inspired by natural elements

Design studio Boxx Creative has completed the interior design of Miramonti, a 21-key boutique hotel in the Italian mountains. Editor Hamish Kilburn writes…

Inspired by its natural surroundings, Miramonti, meaning mountain view, draws its name and design from nature. A deep terracotta facade, which dates back to 1958, evokes the changing seasons and rich natural Italian colour palette.

When it first opened just over a decade after the second world war, the five-storey Albergo Miramonti was the first building in town to feature hot water in every room and it quickly gained in popularity among tourists as well as locals as a place for ultimate relaxation. The new guestrooms, which are divided into five categories over three storeys, feature – in true Miramonti spirit – calming green and blue colour schemes, punctuated with deeper accents.

Design firm Boxx Creative’s first step in its transformation was to maximise every square foot to increase guestroom numbers, providing flexibility of room use and creating defined room types for couples and families. The Deluxe Doubles provide an appealing space for couples to relax in comfort inside the room or outside on the balcony. The spacious Family Suites meanwhile have the option to connect through to en-suite bunk-bed rooms, which comfortably accommodate a family of six.

“Materials were selected for their authentic properties and link to the surrounding environment.”

The firm redesigned each floor of the hotel and created the interior schemes; drawing on the elements of: earth, fire, air, water, wood and metal. Materials were selected for their authentic properties and link to the surrounding environment and feature in the natural stone wash basins, carved wooden bedframes, solid trunk coffee tables, round metal bedside tables and soft natural fabrics.

“We always focus on quality and environmental impact in our work,” said Nicola Keenan, interior designer and Co-founder of Boxx Creative. “All design details have been fully considered across the hotel. Carpet made from recycled fibres line the corridors and is inlaid within the sustainable, hand-crafted wooden flooring. Locally sourced and sustainable materials were used wherever possible and the build contractor was chosen for his energy saving principles and employment of workers within the area.”

Understated living area of the guestroom

Image credit: Mariell Lind Hansen

The majority of the furnishings were made completely bespoke by a talented artisan in his local workshop. The bedrooms feature wooden headboard panelling, metal framed open cabinetry storage and sturdy desks, each thoughtfully hand-crafted. The unique hand-made wooden flooring with individually controlled underfloor heating system, adds warmth and grounding to each room. Beautiful reeded glass panelled doors with curved frame detailing provide privacy to each en-suite and rippled wooden under-sink cabinets hang beneath attractive natural stone basins.

“Lighting was incredibly important to the client,” added Nicola Lindsell, also an interior designer and Co-founder of Boxx Creative. “We chose Italian designed, Flos feature pendants in each of the en-suites and Scandinavian inspired adjustable wall lights to create an appealing focal point in the bedrooms.”

Soft, minalist lobby area. Natural materials, such a stone, used in the casegoods and furniture

Image credit: Mariell Lind Hansen

“When we decided to redesign the hotel we were conscious of finding a suitable partner that matched our values and design style,” said the owner of the hotel. “We loved working with Boxx Creative as they had a great knowledge of suppliers and longterm sustainable options. Throughout the redesign they presented options which reflected our sustainability goals as well as our overall artistic vision for the hotel.”

The hotel has always been within the family and today the management has passed on to the third generation, with strong hope to continue and build upon that original idea, creating an authentic escape for locals and travellers alike.

Main image credit: Mariell Lind Hansen

Edinburgh boutique hotel unveils completely new look

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Edinburgh boutique hotel unveils completely new look

The 49-key The Bonham Hotel in Edinburgh has received a multi-million pound makeover led by designer Nigel Howard… 

Following Edinburgh being named the UK’s number-one spot for hotel investment and development, The Bonham Hotel in the city centre has unveiled the result of a complete renovation.

Led by design firm Nigel Howard Creative, as well as the 49 guestrooms, the refurbishment also included the public areas. The hotel is now complete with and newly branded restaurant – No. 35 at The Bonham.

As well as the lobby and library, the snug – which is perfect for private dining and small events – has been fully refurbished to showcase many of its original features including wood panelling and stained glass windows as well as a stunning hand-painted ceiling.

“Old buildings tell us where we came from – both architecturally and socially,” said Bonham owner Richard H. Driehaus.  “Preserving their beauty enhances our lives, our environments and respects our heritage.  So it is with The Bonham.”

Exterior shot of the gothic-like hotel

Image credit: The Bonham Hotel

The interiors reference both the architectural heritage of the hotel and the soft highland hues that are typical of Scotland’s landscapes.  The colour palette is complemented with a rich choice of materials – including oak, brass, leather and velvet – to create some of the finest accommodations Edinburgh has to offer.

Douglas Campbell, general manager at The Bonham Hotel, said: “This multimillion pound refurbishment has seen our already stunning hotel transformed into a truly sophisticated property combining modern styling with our original Georgian architecture.

Image credit: The Bonham Hotel

“Guests staying in the newly refurbished rooms are already giving us great feedback and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors from near and far to experience a taste of elegance here in the West End of Edinburgh.”

Since the early 1980s, Driehaus has been a vocal advocate for the application of humanistic values in the built environment. International recognition includes receiving the INTBAU Visionary Supporter Award from HRH Prince Charles, being the first U.S. citizen inducted as an honorary member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Architects.

Main image credit: The Bonham Hotel, Edinburgh

MINIVIEW: Hotel Indigo, Warsaw

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MINIVIEW: Hotel Indigo, Warsaw

As Poland becomes a thriving hotel design hotspot, Hotel Designs checks out one of Warsaw’s boutique hotels, Hotel Indigo Warsaw, to understand the combination of colourfully decorated rooms with bathroom solutions from Recommended Supplier Kaldewei…

When historic architecture and modern interior design are skilfully combined, the result is inspiring rooms – perfectly demonstrated at the Hotel Indigo Warsaw Nowy Świat in Warsaw.

This stylish four-star boutique hotel, owned by the InterContinental Hotels Group, is housed in a listed building, more than 100 years old, on cosmopolitan Nowy Świat Street. Later contemporary extensions, some with wraparound glass, afford not only a magnificent view of the old town and the Polish capital’s skyline from all the rooms, but also provide a suitable frame for a minimalist interior with vibrant splashes of colour. As the perfect complement to the interior decoration, the hotel has chosen enamelled bathroom solutions from Kaldewei which guarantee a comfortable showering and bathing experience in the 60 rooms.

The building, Smolna40, which features playful decorative facade elements, was once the residence of Count Branicki and is in one of the city’s most picturesque areas which links contemporary and historic Warsaw. Destroyed during the Second World War, it was rebuilt in the 1950s and later a modern mansard roof and an annex with wraparound glass and a terrace were added based on a design by architect Bogdan Kulczyński. This produced an attractive mix of styles that runs through the entire hotel. Bright rooms with elaborate stucco and elegant columns contrast with the 60 bedrooms that embrace a more minimalist look in plain shades of white and grey. Throughout the hotel, coloured furniture creates exciting highlights that put their own spin on the palatial style of 19th century mansion flats.

Distinctive bathroom design with Iconic Bathroom Solutions from Kaldewei

The bathrooms reflect the property’s exclusivity and individuality. The Hotel Indigo chose bathroom solutions from Kaldewei which offer the perfect fit for the bathroom, thanks to their design language and superb quality. The baths from Kaldewei’s clean-lined, minimalist Puro line possess a persuasively unfussy elegance and, like all bathroom solutions made of Kaldewei steel enamel, are made of an exquisite material. As a highlight, the freestanding Meisterstück Centro Duo Oval brings timeless elegance and calm into the bathroom of the Superior Premium room. In a further 47 rooms, the Conoflat floor-level shower surface ensures a luxurious showering experience, while offering the greatest safety underfoot: because the shower surfaces in the matt shades of Lava Black and Alpine White from the Coordinated Colours Collection feature the anti-slip properties of Kaldewei’s Secure Plus finish.

Modern bathroom with Kaldewei products

Image credit: Hotel Indigo Warsaw/Kaldewei

Worldwide expertise: Kaldewei a winner with international hotels

Kaldewei shower surfaces, washbasins and baths are chosen for top hotels all over the world. The enamelled bathroom solutions, not only meet the highest aesthetic requirements of hoteliers and their guests, but are also extremely cost-efficient thanks to Kaldewei steel enamel’s longevity and ease of maintenance. Another point in their favour is: the intelligent surface finishes such as anti-slip Secure Plus which can optionally be annealed – heated and allow to cool slowly – in order to remove internal stresses and toughen it onto the steel enamel surface and which ensure the greatest possible safety underfoot in the shower.

Kaldewei is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Hotel Indigo Warsaw/Kaldewei

Stay true to life with UNILIN Evola

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Stay true to life with UNILIN Evola

Through a development process that examines the detail of original surfaces, UNILIN Evola brings decorative boards that look and feel true to life…

Every UNILIN Evola design starts with an original surface, from which begins an intensive process of design development. Using the original sample, UNILIN’s design and R&D teams begin to work together to create a surface that’s as close to the ‘real thing’ as possible, examining every detail and translating this into an easy to maintain surface that outperforms the original in many ways.

“If you want real wood, you’ll always choose the original example,” explains Ann De Blanck, product manager, UNILIN. “If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly alternative with lasting looks and real-world performance, then you’ll turn to UNILIN Evola. Easier to look after and far more resistant to scratches and UV light, all of our decors are designed with one ultimate goal in mind – if you put our end product next to the real thing, then you won’t be able to see a difference.”

With 168 decors available in UNILIN Evola, variation is also a key ingredient in the development mix. By treating the original materials, adding saw cuts or patina to the original for example, UNILIN is able to achieve a unique variety that cannot be matched through digital manipulation. The process is always one of skill with a fine-line being tread between attractively authentic and hopelessly overdone.

“Our team experiments and tries things out by hand, day in and day out,” continues Ann. “For example, when the reclaimed trend was all the rage, we created a décor with cracks in the panel. We did this using a drum that we threw nails and screws into; as the drum turned, they made scratches in the décor. It’s this attention to treatment of original materials, rather than digital manipulation that gives UNILIN Evola its authenticity.”

This true to life look and feel is also down to UNILIN’s synchronous structures, where the surface structure follows the pattern perfectly and at a depth reflective of the original. Rustic finishes are given a deep texture that mimics the natural state of the material, while more refined looks have a surface finish that remains true.

“Every element of the design is determined and positioned in minute detail: the size of the knots, colour contrasts and the strength of the grain; it’s an assessment by many people over a long period of time. After all, each person views a design in a different way and the process allows us to be certain that the design is right. Décor development is not a pure science and a feeling for design and styling is essential,” concludes Ann.

The UNILIN Evola collection is available in 168 different decors in HPL, melamine and edging tape. With true to life decors and authentic embossed textures, in combination with a surprising palette of solid colours, the collection offers creative freedom.

UNILIN is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: UNILIN

Bathroom specialist Utopia Projects rounds up ISH 2019

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Bathroom specialist Utopia Projects rounds up ISH 2019

To kick-start our month of putting bathrooms under the spotlight, Utopia Projects reviews ISH 2019 by sharing its highlights of the show… 

In March, the world’s largest bathroom and heating trade fair, ISH, took place in Frankfurt Germany. With the exhibition taking place every two years, ISH this year attracted around 190,000 visitors all in search for the latest innovations. We took a handful of our clients across for the event to see what some of the world’s leading bathroom manufacturers had on offer.

The most evident trend across many of the manufacturers was digital products with integrated home automation. As with many industries technology is becoming increasingly important, and it is clear that this will be a big feature in forthcoming bathrooms. It was great to see colour feature heavily in many of the displays, with several brands presenting various colour options within their ceramic ranges; Villeroy & Boch, Roca and Laufen ranges were all offering strong and subtle tones for sanitaryware.

Including colour into your bathroom is a fantastic way to put a twist on the monochromatic trend that has been sweeping the interior design world for the past few years. A popular colour choice was black; a bold way to create a sultry and high-end space. Colour accents didn’t stop there either, with many of the manufacturers beginning to increase their special finishes beyond just taps, to shower heads, wastes and accessories. Brands such as Gessi and Victoria & Albert have introduced strong metal finishes within their brassware collections, which will create some drama in public area specifications. Having a wide array of finishes to choose from allows every element of a bathroom to be personalised to specific taste. This is due to the Brassware ranges on offer being now being in such a wide variety of finishes.

“Using large format solid surfaces, such as quartz, is becoming quite popular.”

Seamless design was another trend which we saw beginning to come through, and using large format solid surfaces, such as quartz, is becoming quite popular. These bespoke solid surfaces offer infinite design possibilities allowing every bathroom surface to be manufactured from one material, with minimal joints, creating a visually stunning design.

From all the brands displayed at ISH, a stand that really stood out to us was Gessi. This was due to their fantastic designs, not only for their products. The stand was innovative and eye catching, helping you envision how you can push boundaries for design. Gessi’s themeing for its stand was seemingly avant garde, yet on trend, following the popular outdoor-indoor trend in terms of rain showers, deep basins and large plants to finish.

Dornbracht and Alape took a very different approach to their stand, but was nonetheless as enticing. Both of their approach was subtle in comparison, teasing you into wanting to see and know more about the products. A final stand we were inspired by was by Roca. The company displayed their products as complete rooms allowing us to see variation in products as well as visualise them from a designers prospective. The video demonstration we watched on the stand of one of the mirrors showed us how futuristic and advanced the technology of a simple product can be, which is very exciting from a design point of view. We also saw that Emco is offering a lighting system which can be fully customised, even down to the shaver mirror and mirror cabinet, by one switch, to create mood and ambiance for a totally unique bathroom experience.

A final point we found interesting whilst at ISH was something which is very prominent in society today. Taking the theme of sustainability in its stride was GROHE, which launched products following a close look at consumer behaviour. By launching no less than 500 new innovations, the company’s new collections challenges conventional design of bathroom products and offers sustainable solutions designed to give consumers the ability to take better control. Roca also talked about how it is appealing to make its showers more environmentally friendly. The company plans on integrating digital showers into hotels in order to offer an incentive for users to take shorter showers for discount on future hotel stays. Multiple companies, not just Roca, are interested in monitoring how we consume water in homes, hotels and businesses, resulting in a large impact on the environment.

In conclusion, ISH once again gave an impressive demonstration of its importance for German and international visitors and exhibitors. The next ISH will be held in Frankfurt am Main from March 22 to 26, 2021.

Utopia Projects is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Messe Frankfurt/ISH 2019

Leading designers and architects spoke at the inaugural IDAS

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Leading designers and architects spoke at the inaugural IDAS

Taking place yesterday at Hilton London Tower Bridge, the Interior Design & Architecture Summit sheltered some interesting debates for designers and architects – all of which looped back to the elephant-in-the-room topic, sustainability in our hotels and cities…

The sold-out inaugural Interior Design & Architecture Summit (IDAS) took place yesterday at the Hilton London Tower Bridge.

The event, which allowed visionary designers and architects the ability to meet face-to-face with key-industry suppliers, included a speakership programme curated with the aim to put relevant topics under the spotlight.

IDAS 2019 started with an engaging presentation by Constantina Tsoutsikou, the Creative Director at HBA London, who discussed ‘Playfullness & Personality in Hospitality Design’. In addition to referencing key projects to exemplify her points, Tsoutsikou made reference to creative boundaries of modern designers. “Many designers have forgotten how to sketch by hand,” she told the audience. “If we rely on computers then we have forgotten a skill that is very valuable.”

“The reality is that the brief from hotels, investors and operators is never – or very rarely – to build a sustainable hotel.” – Constantina Tsoutsikou, the Creative Director at HBA London

Joining the visionary on the sofa, editor Hamish Kilburn followed the presentation with a live Q&A and it became clear that sustainability was to be a dominating topic to be explored throughout the day. “The reality is that the brief from hotels, investors and operators is never – or very rarely – to build a sustainable hotel,” Tsoutsikou explained. “When consumers start choosing hotels on this credential then developers will follow, and this is happening slowly.”

The designer explained how an ‘open window’ approach during projects – ensuring that the hotels on the boards evolve with ideas and themes throughout from concept to completion – has allowed her and her team to really inject each property they touch with ample personality and, of course, apt sense of place. “Take Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, for example. It has a dutch soul,” she explained. We enriched the level of comfort in the atrium by creating ‘islands’, each providing a distinct experience within the Axis Lobby: reception, lounge library, tech lounge and cocktail bar. Each area is defined by a carpet with a design inspired by the sediment-laden islands and waterways between coastal dunes on the southern coast of the Netherlands.

From one inspirational creative to another, Yasmine Mahmoudieh was invited to take the second speaker session of the day, exploring Hotels of the Future. Following extensive research into the changing behavior of modern hotel guests, Mahmoudieh explained how she has seen – from both a design and an architecture point of view – a large demand in creating intelligent flexible spaces. Mahmoudieh explained that the hotels of the future will house all facilities – for working, living and socialising – under one roof. “New ways of living and working are being developed all over the world,” she said. “Therefore, the need for social interaction has never been as prevalent. It is partly due to social media and the alienation and the loneliness, especially young people feel.”

Returning back to the theme of responsible design, Mahmoudieh, when joined on the sofa by Kilburn, started to highlight the importance of sustainability in architecture and explained the value of finding new eco-friendly materials. “I-MESH, for example, is an innovative material invented to assume a leading position in the field of solar protection indoors/outdoors,” she said. “Its physical, technological, formal characteristics together with its high aesthetical potential makes it eligible as a proper architectural material. It outclasses metallic grids for its design versatility and sustainability; it’s an easily custom made mesh in line with the architectural thought, with the story of the commissioning client, with the brand.”

Following an afternoon of face-to-face meetings with suppliers from the likes of Marco Corona, Hamilton Litestat (recommended supplier), Mitre Linen (recommended supplier), Gessi (recommended supplier), Cole & Sons and many more, the audience gathered for the final session of the day. In the panel discussion entitled ‘The Rising Ceiling of Creativity’, Kilburn was joined on the sofa by Moritz Waldemeyer (lighting designer and recommended supplier), Charles Leon (architect and Past-President, BIID), Gilly Craft (interior designer and President, BIID), Yasmine Mahmoudieh (interior designer/architect) and Robin Sheppard (CEO of Bespoke Hotels). Looking at the creative boundaries faced currently by the industry as well as ‘futuregazing’ towards the hotel room of the future, the panel debated consumer behavior, sustainability in design and how to create authentic installations within hotel design.

Following the success of yesterday’s event, details around next year’s IDAS will be announced shortly.

Media Partner: Future Constructor & Architect

Media Partner: Treniq

Meet Up North: Early bird promotion expires today

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Meet Up North: Early bird promotion expires today

There are now just a few hours remaining for designers, hoteliers, architects, developers and suppliers to take advantage of Hotel Designs’ early bird promotion for Meet Up North, which takes place on July 1 at Hotel Gotham, Manchester…  

The early bird promotion for Meet Up North 2019 ends today!

On July 1, leading designers, architects, hoteliers and key-industry suppliers are expected to gather at the hotel’s exclusive members-only rooftop bar, Club Brass, for drinks and canapés above the city.

The VIP lounge on the 7th floor of the hotel was chosen as the venue for Meet Up North after editor Hamish Kilburn described Hotel Gotham as Manchester’s decadent playground in his interactive hotel review that was published last year.

Suppliers: £99 + VAT (£150 + VAT after early bird offer expires after April 30).
Designers, architects and hoteliers: £10 + VAT (£20 + VAT after early bird offer expires after April 30).

If you are a supplier to the industry and would like to attend Meet Up North, click here.
If you are a designer, architect or hoteliers to the industry and would like to attend Meet Up North, click here.

There are various sponsorship opportunities and packages available for Meet Up North. If you would like to discuss these with our team then please contact Zoe Guerrier by either emailing z.guerrier@forumevents.co.uk or calling 01992 374059.

Agenda for Meet Up North 2019

18.00:
Welcome drinks

18.15: 
Canapés are served

18.30:
Opening address by Editor, Hamish Kilburn

18.45:
Headline speaker: Tom Lindblom, Principal and Hospitality Leader at Gensler (London)
Title: Hospitality is way more than hotels

19.15 – 21.00:
Networking

The inaugural Meet Up North took place last year at King Street Townhouse and was attended by more than 200 designers, architects, hoteliers and key-industry suppliers.

About Hotel Gotham

Hotel Gotham is sheltered in what is arguably the city’s grandest properties and is an exclusive city-centre sanctuary, previously a bank that was designed in 1935 by none other than architect Edwin Lutyens.

The hotel, which opened in 2015, prides itself on offering a modern and comfortable experience in a unique and luxurious environment, with exquisite service all within a bespoke private club in the heart of Manchester.

Main image credit: Hotel Gotham

Editor Checks In: April ‘19

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Editor Checks In: April ‘19

Everyone is talking about Milan…

Italy’s city of the future, which is also its fashion, culture and design quarters, thrives in between Gothic architecture. The fast-paced metropolis of Milan comes alive in April for what is seen as the largest design event in the calendar, Milan Design Week. Leading designers, architects and journalists from all corners of the world descend onto the city. Visitors are warned pre-show by the festival guides to expect the unexpected – and each year, companies come to premiere new collections. Over the six days, everyone is talking about Milan.

But with all the pre-event noise in the world, nothing could have prepared us for what came next. Having attended the annual event now for five years running, the British designer Tom Dixon decided it was time to make his permanent mark on the city. Instead of exhibiting in the traditional way – on a stand at Salone del Mobile – he opened a restaurant and showroom in time for this year’s activities, allowing visitors the ability to browse the studio’s products in an active context.

Witnessing the constant stream of ideas, launches and collaboration announcements made the week an incredible time to be curating the content on the editorial desk – albeit remotely at times. Salone del Mobile recorded 386,236 attendees, over the six days, from 181 different countries. That is what the Italians would regard as a ‘successo’.

Back on home soil, last month I was fortunate enough to check in to what was one of last year’s most anticipated hotel openings. The University Arms in Cambridge, designed by The Brit list 2018’s Interior Designer of the Year, Martin Brudnizki, is a jewel in the heart of a city riddled in history. Taking an aptly earnest approach (when in Cambridge), we published the interactive hotel review after speaking with both Brudnizki and John Simpson from John Simpson Architects who were the visionaries behind the reinvention of the heritage hotel that now shelters a modern soul.

As the sun sets on yet another incredible, immersive and influential Milan Design Week, I am reminded that there’s never a dull day in the life of a design editor (I’m writing this in between seminars at the inaugural Interior Design & Architecture Summit (IDAS)). There’s optimism in the air and London, which has been at the centre of the world’s attention recently for putting the magnifying glass on climate change, is calling for more to be done in terms of building sustainable cities and hotels around the world. As we gear up for Clerkenwell Design Week , will sustainability dominate the talks and sessions as it has at IDAS? Well check out our recently published pre-event guide identifies the major product launches to look forward to.

During May, Hotel Designs will be putting Bathrooms and Bars & Restaurants under the spotlight. If you would like to contribute to these topics, please do not hesitate to email me.

Editor, Hotel Designs

PREVIEW: Creating flexible spaces inside Seattle Redmond Marriott

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PREVIEW: Creating flexible spaces inside Seattle Redmond Marriott

Paradigm Design Group has unveiled flexible designs for one of its latest hospitality projects, the Seattle Redmond Marriott…

Construction began in Q1 of this year to complete the Seattle Redmond Marriott, which is slated to open in Q4 of this year.

Responsible for the interior design/renovation of the hotel’s public spaces, including the MClub, lobby, great room and bar, as well as selecting new finishes for the pre-function/meeting space, was Paradigm Design Group.

The firm approached the project with the goal to cohesively integrate the hotel’s culture and surroundings into the overall design.

Achieving a modern, North West interior, Paradigm Design Group implemented clean lines, light wood, and modern lighting. The design even subtly nods to the Wild Salmon that are plentiful in the adjacent rivers, as well as the beautiful parks and forests in the area.

Located just minutes away from the Microsoft Main Campus, Paradigm Design Group was inspired to bring modern technology into the hotel’s design. The firm will implement a high-tech component to the Seattle Redmond Marriott, introducing modern Tech Pod chairs and various communal tables suitable for guest interaction, both social and work.

PRODUCT WATCH: Chelsom’s Lunar from Edition 26 collection

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PRODUCT WATCH: Chelsom’s Lunar from Edition 26 collection

Lunar is one of the signature ranges from Chelsom’s latest collection, Edition 26…

Inspired by Art Deco designs of the elegant table lamp, Lunar by Chelsom, exudes timeless elegance that would look at home in any interior.

Available as part of a wider collection of coordinated wall and floor lighting, Lunar features heavy stone bases and backplates sit within curved metal surrounds finished with glass globes secured with threaded metal rings to ensure safety and durability. Finish options include Brushed Brass with Natural stone and Opal glass as pictured in addition to Satin Black with Grey stone and Smoke glass.

Please call 01253 831400 or send an email to sales@chelsom.co.uk for further information.

Chelsom is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

UK’s first vineyard hotel opens in South Wales

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UK’s first vineyard hotel opens in South Wales

The UK’s first vineyard hotel has opened its doors in Hensol in South Wales. Llanerch Hotel is the result of a £2m investment by Ryan Davies, owner of Llanerch Vineyard…

Comprising of just 26 rooms and suites, the Llanerch Hotel has opened in South Wales as the UK’s first vineyard hotel, situated quite literally in the heart of the vineyard.

“To become the first vineyard hotel in the UK is a fantastic achievement for the team at Llanerch,” said Ryan Davies, owner of Llanerch Vineyard. “Across Europe, wine hotels are very popular and we wanted to bring that unique experience to south Wales.”

Davies took over the vineyard, which is one of the oldest in Wales, in 2010 with the aim to replicate the successful wine tourism models he had seen whilst working in vineyards in New Zealand and Australia, where vineyards are tourist attractions in their own right, offering restaurants, weddings and events, in addition to traditional wine tasting and vineyard experiences.

Since then, Llanerch has become the largest commercial vineyard in Wales and attracts visitors from around the world with its award-winning restaurant and bar, unique marquee and lodge wedding venues, on site cookery school owned by Angela Grey and wine tasting and vineyard tours.

Davies added: “We have had a number of B&B rooms available at the vineyard since 2010, but as the business grew, so did the demand for accommodation at Llanerch. The popularity of Cardiff, which is just 20 minutes away, as an events destination for everything from rugby to high profile concerts has also pushed up demand for high quality accommodation in south Wales.

“This has been a vision for Llanerch for many years. We have managed every aspect of this project – the biggest we’ve ever undertaken – ourselves to ensure that the hotel offers the highest quality and that every detail has been thought about, from luxury in-room products to maximising the spectacular scenery enjoyed by every room.”

Large, modern guestroom which overlooks green vineyards

Image credit: Llanerch Hotel

The superior rooms at Llanerch Hotel are 42 sq ft and include a super king size bed with a large sofa and living area and a luxury ensuite bathroom with shower.

The four suites, located in each corner of the hotel, are over 45 sq ft and include a bedroom with super king size bed, as well as a large living room with sofas and a seating area, which can be separated by a partition, and a luxury ensuite bathroom with shower.

The vineyard’s existing courtyard rooms, set in one of the vineyard’s original stone outbuildings, have also been fully refurbished in keeping with the new hotel.

Each room has a large widescreen smart TV, allowing guests to stream from their own devices, a Nespresso coffee maker and kettle and luxury interiors, including Welsh wool blankets, made at Pembrokeshire’s traditional woollen mill Melin Tregwynt, and art by local photographer Andy Stoyle.

Main image credit: Llanerch Hotel

Rosewood to open luxury hotel in Ningbo

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Rosewood to open luxury hotel in Ningbo

Rosewood has unveiled drawings for a new luxury hotel in Ningbo, China, which is slated to open in 2024…

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has announced that it will continue to strengthen its presence in China with the opening of Rosewood Ningbo in 2024. The latest project adds to Rosewood’s growing pipeline in China’s ‘megacities’ including Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and Shenzhen, further expanding the brand’s established presence in Beijing, Sanya and the recently opened Rosewood Hong Kong.

Rosewood Ningbo is an example of the brand’s selective approach to strategic growth with unique and highly differentiated projects in locations that are finely attuned to the next generation of ultra-luxury travellers. One of China’s oldest cities, Ningbo has both a storied international trading history and a contemporary culture of dynamic innovation that combined provide a perfect backdrop for Rosewood’s newest project. “Ningbo is a vibrant city attracting a growing wave of young entrepreneurs and technology companies and is at the heart of innovation in China,” says Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. “Combined with its rich history, the destination makes an ideal choice for Rosewood’s growing presence in China. Rosewood Ningbo will join its sister properties across China to create a rich collection of distinct and unique properties for our affluential explorer guests to access the rich diversity of China’s local cultures.”

Rosewood Ningbo will be the main anchor of the integrated property complex Ningbo New World Plaza, a CNY15 billion worth project encompassing 100,000 square meters, in the city’s central business district of Sanjiangkou (Three Rivers Junction), owned by New World China Land. Developed in three phases, Ningbo New World Plaza will comprise Rosewood Ningbo, the latest K11 Art Mall, K11 Atelier offices, high-end residences and the first art park in the city.

Rosewood Ningbo will be ideally situated at the city’s junction of three major rivers and two prominent commercial axes, at the intersection of Zhongshan Road East and Jiangdong Road North. The area will be a new green landmark for the city with Ningbo New World Plaza designed as an eco-friendly environment with key sustainable concepts, including a bioretention pond, a rain-water garden, permeable pavements and ecological rooftops. Within walking distance from the hotel, guests will be able to access Ningbo’s bustling city life at the adjacent commercial districts of Heyi Avenue and the shopping area of Tianyi Square, with its multiple entertainment and dining venues. Rosewood Ningbo will be a perfect springboard from which to experience the city’s many historical attractions, such as Chenghuang Temple, Baoguo Temple, Tianfeng Pagoda and Tianyi Pavilion. Rosewood Ningbo will occupy levels 43-56 of a striking mixed-use high-rise tower. The hotel’s 185 guestrooms and 15 oversized suites will feature unobstructed views of the urban landscape.

Complementing the hotel’s guestrooms, generous and versatile spaces for meetings and events will be a hallmark of Rosewood Ningbo, including a 1,125-square-meter grand ballroom and other meeting facilities totaling an additional 1,055 square meters. Five innovative food and beverage venues promise an exciting addition to the dynamic local gastronomical landscape. The hotel will also feature Sense, A Rosewood Spa, an urban haven to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the city, on the 55th floor. An indoor pool and a fitness centre will complete this sanctuary of wellness for holidaymakers and business travellers alike.

Rosewood Ningbo will join a growing collection of distinctive Rosewood properties in Asia including Rosewood Phnom Penh, Rosewood Bangkok, Rosewood Phuket and Rosewood Luang Prabang. Upcoming locations include Taipei, Yangon, and Hermana Mayor.

More than USD 500m raised for new hospitality fund dedicated to Sub-Saharan Africa

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More than USD 500m raised for new hospitality fund dedicated to Sub-Saharan Africa

In a region that offers robust growth opportunities, the fund raised by Kasada Capital Management will target both greenfield and brownfield projects in Sub-Saharan Africa… 

Sub-Saharan hospitality investment platform Kasada Capital Management has reached a first close on its maiden fund Kasada Hospitality Fund LP with equity commitments of more than USD 500 million.

This is in line with a first announcement disclosed in July 2018 by Katara Hospitality and Accor who are respectively contributing USD 350 million and USD 150 million.

“This is the best structure to address the needs of the region” – CEO, Olivier Granet

The hospitality market is currently one of the most promising and yet underserviced sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa where growing economies and emerging middle class are creating high-growth markets that are left largely untapped. “There is an incredible opportunity ahead to try out an innovative hospitality investment platform in the region,” said CEO Olivier Granet.”While in other parts of the world such initiatives are already thriving, they do not exist with critical size and integrated structure in Sub-Saharan Africa. The time is now for bold strategies to be implemented. Thanks to Accor and Katara’s support we benefit from a unique competitive advantage supported by a strong portfolio of brands enhancing our ability to raise debt efficiently from local banks and international financial institutions. This is the best structure to address the needs of the region, develop attractive products and reach critical mass quickly to take a leadership position. I believe that our team of professionals combining experts from project financing to hotel management all with a solid local knowledge is exceptionally well placed to succeed.”

The first platform of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kasada Capital Management intends to bridge the gap between the local hospitality market players and international investors. The team is co-led by Granet and David Damiba, CIO and Managing Partner who collectively have more than 50 year’ experience in the hospitality industry. They will put in place a unique team of professionals combining world class experience from the hospitality industry, private equity and financing sectors underpinned by track record in the African market.

Kasada believes its positive social impact is key to becoming the number one sustainable hospitality fund dedicated to Africa. Co-investments with local partners will support local job creation and further local business opportunities throughout the hospitality value chain, from investors to constructors and equipment suppliers.

Main image credit: Max Pixel

GROHE continues to demonstrate sustainability commitment

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GROHE continues to demonstrate sustainability commitment

GROHE has launched a number of innovations that save energy, water and materials as the company continues to keep sustainability an integral strategy…

GROHE has presented a record number of new solutions that help save water, energy and material resources, many of which were unveiled at ISH last month. These serve to underline the importance of sustainability in all areas of product design and functionality, and production processes.

In addition to quality, technology and design, sustainability is an integral and crucial part of GROHE’s corporate strategy. It is integrated into all products and processes and shapes the daily actions of employees worldwide. The global brand consistently pursues a 360-degree sustainability approach that incorporates the entire value chain, partners, customers, suppliers, employees and contribution to society in equal measure. At GROHE, sustainability also means responsibility – responsibility for people and the environment.

GROHE products that are embracing sustainability

Individual water management on the go: The new generation of the GROHE Sense water security system provides full transparency of water consumption and energy costs thanks to the new GROHE Sense app. By entering their water and energy prices, customers can receive a precise list of costs based on their water consumption. This not only ensures full control over the valuable resource of water, but also offers the opportunity to adapt user patterns and to use water more consciously.
Regional differences in water quality are becoming obsolete: The GROHE Blue Pure tap, which will be available in the UK later this year, offers state-of-the-art filter technology, delivering tasty water directly from the tap. In addition, in regions with poor water quality, previously non-potable water becomes drinkable. While the production of one litre of water in plastic bottles requires up to seven litres of water, GROHE Blue Pure works with just the actual water which has been drawn off.
Shaping the future of water sustainably: GROHE’s 3D metal-printing process is not only a revolution in terms of design, but also a particularly resource-saving method of manufacturing taps. During production, it is possible to use components such as spouts and handles in a significantly slimmer way, using less material.

Infra-red technology helps minimise water wastage

The Bau Cosmo E range offers infra-red tap technology for the home, a cost-effective solution that ergonomically delivers water only when the motion sensor is activated, benefitting all households from young families to older couples wanting to future proof their home. Not only do infra-red taps have added hygienic benefits, but GROHE’s Bau Cosmo is affordable as well as ensuring that water wastage is minimised. Through GROHE’s EcoJoy technology, water flow is limited to 5.7 litres per minute, helping to save water while guaranteeing an optimum user experience.

More transparency: The new tap in the GROHE Plus range, available from Summer 2019 in the UK, uses a digital display to inform users about the exact water temperature and to make them aware of how often hot water is being used. This promotes responsible use of the valuable resource of water and helps to save energy.

Valuable insight into GROHE’s sustainability highlights

GROHE EcoJoy technology which is incorporated into a number of its tap and shower ranges can reduce water consumption by up to 50 percent. The intelligent GROHE Sense and GROHE Sense Guard water security system avoids wasting water by detecting leaks early on and by shutting off the water supply in the event of a broken pipe. The system’s new generation now also makes it possible to use it in multi-family homes, drastically reducing water damages in 90 percent of the real estate market. Aside from water-saving, GROHE has also carefully considered how it can reduce other vital resources. With the development of its Sensia Arena shower toilet which promotes the gentle yet hygienic washing with water, the need for toilet paper is completely eliminated. The annual consumption of toilet paper per person is about 15kg on average, yet with products like the Sensia Arena, the pressure on this precious resource would be greatly alleviated.

Former Metropolitan Police headquarters transformed into luxury hotel

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Former Metropolitan Police headquarters transformed into luxury hotel

The historic landmark building, which was developed by Galliard Construction, has been transformed into The Great Scotland Yard Hotel, a 153-key luxury lifestyle hotel…

The former Metropolitan Police headquarters in London’s Whitehall has been converted into the 153-key The Great Scotland Yard Hotel, which is operated by Hyatt under the group’s Unbound Collection brand and was developed by Galliard Construction.

Working in association with Galliard’s in-house team along with HBA, and EPR Architects, The Deluxe Group was appointed to manufacture and fit all front of house areas, for the high-end hotel, including double height vestibule, grand entrance lounge, concierge, main cocktail bar, palm court style lounge, whiskey bar/clubroom, signature restaurant, library, gymnasium, 120-seater main conference room/ballroom, meeting rooms and function/private dining rooms. The firm also produced the luxury hotel’s sample bedroom, as part of the multi-million-pound development, which is expected to open later this year.

The bespoke joinery project, which was worth £5.5 million was completed in just six months, with all work completed on schedule and within budget.“We are delighted to have been part of the team which has sympathetically developed this building to give a classic period interpretation, reflecting the immense history of such a landmark site,” Commented Colm Connolly, Director of The Deluxe Group. “We used the highest quality, detailed joinery and luxury finishes throughout all front of house and public areas, with individually themed areas providing a stylish homage  to the crime and policing history of the building.”

“Our commitment to delivering the best in bespoke joinery with the greatest attention to detail and client servicing, ensured the finished project was a true reflection of the client’s vision.”

Luxury public area

Image credit: Great Scotland Yard Hotel

Constructed in 1910, the iconic Edwardian building served as the Royal Military Police headquarters and the British Army Recruitment Office. It later became the Ministry of Defence Library until 2004.

The famed landmark is known for its rich history, providing guests the opportunity to stay in the location where Metropolitan police pursued some of the country’s most notorious criminals, including Jack the Ripper and the 40 Elephants all-female crime syndicate. Reflecting on this, the distinct historical character of the building has been preserved throughout the renovation, including maintenance of its original façade.

Main image credit: The Great Scotland Yard Hotel

PRODUCT WATCH: Thermostatic shower valves from Crosswater

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PRODUCT WATCH: Thermostatic shower valves from Crosswater

Making a statement, Union by Crosswater welcomes thermostatic shower values into the Vanguard Collection… 

Challenging the traditional concept of bathroom fittings, the UNION collection from Crosswater has been engineered to provide unparalleled functionality and designed to make a statement.

Presenting Italian artisan brassware craft at its finest, each piece is cast, precision machined, polished and perfected to offer an elevated bathing experience.

The latest addition to Crosswater’s luxury Vanguard collection, UNION offers a complete range of brassware that includes basin mixers, bath fillers, and an exposed valve with kit and shower head. A premium selection of thermostatic shower valves has also been introduced to the range, which includes multi-flow options for those looking to control additional outlets such as a handsets and body jets.

Designed for the individual, UNION is available in five signature finishes that are offered across the entire collection. Timeless bright Chrome and Brushed Nickel work to add a touch of industrial elegance to bathrooms, whilst those seeking a design statement can opt for the on-trend Brushed Brass and Brushed Black Chrome finishes. For an added design detail, the shower valves are offered with a choice of Lever or Wheel handles, and for those with a penchant for bold colour, there’s also a Red option, which is designed to coordinate with the high-shine Chrome finish. All five unique surfaces are complemented alongside distinctive knurled detailing that is expertly machined as accents onto each individual piece in the collection.

Transforming everyday bathing into an extraordinary experience, UNION takes inspiration from the industrial era and brings it boldly into the 21st century. Smart on the inside, each piece in the collection is manufactured using the most advanced brassware engineering techniques and the latest in cartridge and thermostatic valve technology to offer complete water flow control. Intuitive, high performing and built to last, the stunning UNION brassware collection is guaranteed to command attention in any bathroom.

Crosswater is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Crosswater

First integrated resort in the Maldives to open in June

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First integrated resort in the Maldives to open in June

Crossroads project, which will span a 7km-long lagoon and nine islands in the Maldives, will open in June 2019 and will become the largest integrated resort in the Indian Ocean…

Crossroads Maldives has announced that it will be welcoming guests from June 2019, set to be the first integrated multi-island resort destination of the island nation.

Said to be one of the most comprehensive investment tourism projects to have been undertaken in the Maldives, the project will include the highly anticpated openings of Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton.

At the heart of the Emboodhoo Lagoon, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives will inject music-infused energy, engaging experiences and feel-good vibes into the Maldives. The resort will fuse tropical atmosphere and contemporary design, topped with curated music memorabilia and a regionally inspired twist. 178 expansive family suites, chic beach villas and unspoilt one and two-bedroom overwater villas lie in wait, alongside show-stopping activities and brand-signature amenities that will bring the signature Hard Rock experience to the Maldivian atolls.

SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, meanwhile, will offer guests something different, with a personalised journey from start to finish. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed with the chance to create their own bathroom amenities using natural ingredients from the resort’s Aroma Lab, a place to synchronise with the resort’s signature scents of Relaxation, Refreshment, Rejuvenation and Energy. An Aroma Specialist is on hand to explain the benefits of each scent and the precise techniques used to mix the ingredients. Using this knowledge, guests then are able to handpick from a selection of twelve scents, including cedarwood, lavender and rosemary, combining several of these to create their own delectable bathroom amenities. Once guests are settled, they are invited to drop by Snap: Snack Box and pick up complimentary refreshments.

Render of green shack-like guestroom in the Maldives

Image credit: Curio by Hilton

198 spacious guestrooms, beach villas and overwater villas are dotted across the tropical island, surrounded by al fresco spaces, spacious interiors and personalised comforts, all created with an eclectic yet artisanal touch. Located within walking distance to The Marina @ CROSSROADS, the resort is ideal for families, couples or friends looking for a unique escape.

Crossroads Maldives, a multi-island integrated leisure and entertainment project, will aim to redefine holidays in the Maldives and transform the Greater Malé Region when it opens. In addition to the new hotels, the project will feature a luxurious 30-berth yacht marina, 11,000 square metres of retail space and world-class facilities such as Café del Mar beach club.

Main image credit: Curio by Hilton

GESSI launches bathroom showers inspired by ’90s Hi-Fi systems

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GESSI launches bathroom showers inspired by ’90s Hi-Fi systems

Hi-Fi by Gessi unites design and technology in a contemporary and original collection, perfect for furnishing the bathroom as a room of wellness, beauty and living well, according to the brand philosophy…

With the creativity that distinguishes it, Gessi has created a product to “play” with the water in the search for its rhythm, through a selection system of functions, flow and thermostatic shower mixer that has the aesthetic of a 1990s stereo system.

A bit vintage, a bit futuristic, the new button operated embedded or external Hi-Fi systems are the right compromise between sophisticated technological research, minimalism and functionality. Pressing “play” allows guests to do just that – play, and with the product. Gessi brings its sound, its lightness and vitality to the home-from-home hotel with a pinch of irony that is already a promise of happiness.

The stereo-inspired shower unit

Image credit: GESSI

The Gessi Hi-Fi System shower columns, with its linear design, overturns the concept of the column, hybridising it with the typical form of the shower panel, but with totally external installation, without embedded elements. The column/panel section, in 4 mm thick glass, like the shelf, is offset from the latter, and contains the thermostatic controls, with a highly sophisticated architectural effect. Available with rainfall, waterfall and directional shower kit functionality, these sculptural wellbeing objects are also equipped with a handshower attacked with a magnetic and variable position system.

GESSI is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: GESSI

Clerkenwell Design Week 2019 launches and new designs to bookmark

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Clerkenwell Design Week 2019 launches and new designs to bookmark

Ahead of Clerkenwell Design Week, which takes place from May 21 – 23, Hotel Designs takes a closer look at some of the major product launches and new designs to look forward to… 

Now that the sun has set on Italy’s capital following yet another successful Milan Design Week, Hotel Designs is looking ahead to identify many of the major product launches and new designs that are expected to be unveiled during Clerkenwell Design Week.

Set across seven exhibition spaces, CDW venues include Fabric, The House of Detention, St James Church and Spa Fields. Each venue reflects the unique nature of the culturally rich area, with leading UK and international companies exhibiting and launching new products between May 21 – 23. From luxury interiors to innovative lighting, emerging talent and the best of British brands, the exhibition spaces at CDW encompass every facet of design.

British Collection

British Collection is located in the Crypt of St James’s Church and showcases designers from all over the UK. For the fourth year, quality materials, design excellence and craft techniques will be championed in the striking setting. Iconic British furniture brand, ercol will exhibit its new VON collection by Icelandic designer based in New York, Hlynur V. Atlason which caters for three areas – work, home and play. Following an evident rise in apart hotels, Kitchen designers Pluck will launch Spoke, a new modular shelving unit inspired by Victorian bamboo furniture available in 11 laminate colours including a new palette of fresh yellow laminate with intense fumed oak.

Benchmark, the powerhouse of British craft will be presenting new upholstered versions of the OVO collection designed by Foster + Partners in an ebony finish. Hand & Eye Studio, meanwhile, will present the O-Beam, a highly versatile light that suits a myriad of spaces with a unique texture inspired by ceramics. Other renowned names in the British furniture industry exhibiting include Brixton-based cabinet makers West & Reid, Forest & Maker and Nathan Furniture.

Image credit: Adam Dale

Design Fields

Situated at the northern end of Clerkenwell, Design Fields in partnership with Kitchen Architecture showcases leading furniture, lighting and product design from around the world. Kitchen Architecture’s new outdoor kitchen range by Roshult’s is a unique interpretation of cooking and socialising outdoors. Italian furniture brand Tacchini has chosen to showcase PASTILLES in collaboration with Studiopepe at CDW for the UK launch. The collection comprises of small armchairs, ottomans and coffee tables, with soft, enveloping shapes that bring back childhood memories of sweets. This year sees Bauhaus taking centre stage for its 100 year anniversary and Thonet will celebrate all things Bauhaus at CDW. The company will present new interpretations of the side table series MR 515 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and a new colour concept for the iconic Coffee House Chair 214, both by Studio Besau Marguerre. Other exhibiting companies include Danish company True North Designs, La Cividina and Ondarreta from Spain and SilentLab, all displaying innovation and clever use of technology in their designs.

Light

The former cold-store turned nightclub, Fabric aptly hosts Light, an exhibition dedicated to top international lighting brands within its cavernous brick vaults showcasing spectacular stand-alone installations. Exhibitors include NOVE lighting, which specialises in contemporary products using only natural, sustainable materials including cork from Portugal. Award-winning British brand Bert Frank will also present new lighting designs.

Swedish company ateljé Lyktan will present new lighting for both outdoor and indoor use, whilst Austrian based company XAL will present its revolutionary MOVE IT SYSTEM. Other exhibitors include Graypants, John Hollington Design, Lomas Furniture, Syska and ARKKI by Lovi.

Two women looking at lighting stand at exhibition

Image credit: Sophie Mutevelian

Elements

Design is in the detail – and details are showcased at Elements which brings together a leading selection of ironmongery, hardware, switch plates and architectural accessories within a street-market style pavilion on St John’s Square, becoming a go-to destination for designers looking for the perfect finish.

This year, Australian brand TIRAR will showcase beautifully tactile solid timber door furniture designed and made in Sydney, whilst Harbrine will launch Geo hardware, inspired by geometric forms in classical architecture. Designer Doorware will present the multi award-winning Monte Timber Collection. English ironmongers The Beardmore Collection will showcase contemporary products, whilst their master pattern maker will demonstrate the lost-wax casting process for visitors to witness one of the oldest forms of metal working. Aston Matthews will be exhibiting for the first time, showcasing a diverse range of taps and shower fittings including the Acme collection in scuffed brass and Alto in bronze. Other exhibitors confirmed for Elements include Dowsing & Reynolds, Hamilton Litestat (Hotel Designs’ Recommended Supplier)and Carrson International among others.

Detail

For fine craftsmanship and high glamour, Detail at The Order of St. John celebrates the most prestigious names in luxury interiors. The venues crypt, cloister garden and church are the perfect setting for the finest designs. This year at Detail, Sinclair Till will present Swedish company Kasthall’s latest rugs and carpets. Bespoke wallcovering company, Muraspec will present new products including the Eternity textile and Everglades grasscloth collection. Arte have created the Vanguard collection, inspired by abstract art from the 1950s. The company has also collaborated with Moooi to create a luxurious wallcovering collection, Extinct Animals, which first launched at Maison & Objet earlier this year. Each pattern is inspired by characteristics of one extinct animal from Moooi’s Museum of Extinct Animals. Anna Hayman Designs will present maximalist, luxury homeware inspired by the Bloomsbury movement and the Biba era of the swinging sixties. Other exhibitors include Danish furniture brand Cane-Line, Samuel Heath, Artwood and Altfield.

Platform

Platform showcases new design talent in the infamous surroundings of The House of Detention, a former remand prison which opens for the public during CDW. Junction Fifteen  will make its first appearance at CDW to showcase their new Morf Collection, a contemporary furniture collection made using sustainable materials and local craftsmanship. Trouping Colour’s latest exhibtion will showcase uncovered design talent chosen by a guest curator. Gwendoline Porte Design will present a modular concept RAILS, inspired by the form of railway tracks and the concept of ‘journey’. These limited edition functional sculptures are playful, graphic and ergonomic. They can be stacked on top of one another to form a column, multiplied to form a hexagonal, or separated to become a stool, chair, coffee table or side table. INTARC Design will showcase a modular furniture solution which allows for individual or collaborative working environments within a flexible working space, whilst Takumi Woodwork takes inspiration from Japan to create  handcrafted wooden furniture. Monkey Puzzle Tree will also be presenting a selection of unique designs in collaboration with fine artists. The business has a strong social conscience, paying the artists a generous royalty and supporting British manufacturing. Other exhibitors include Arte&Stili, Olenka, Pete Hill Designs, Decimal Design and Glas Design.

Image of colourful door on a church with the numbers 66 written

Image credit: Alistair Ramage

Project

Set within the beautiful grounds of St James Church, Project brings together a leading selection of contract furniture and surface brands from around the globe.  Project’s first outing was so successful it was extended to cover two linked pavilions and will be even bigger for 2019. AllSfär, a brand dedicated to improving workplace wellbeing will showcase a new range of acoustic products including Muffle and DIFFUSE, an innovative range of modular acoustic furniture. Sixteen3 will present a carefully curated collection of upholstered seating, both new and established. Flooring company Modulyss will present a range of carpet tiles for the contract market, whilst Hawk Furniture will exhibit at CDW for the first time, launching two new products perfectly suited to modern workspace interiors. Other exhibitors include Guialmi, Burgess Furniture, aeris, Amtico and Rigg.

In addition to the pop-up appearances, there are also, as ever, an abundance of new showrooms that are expected to arrive in Clerkenwell including Optelma, Vescom, Fredericia, Workstories, Duravit, Abstracta, Piemme Industrie Ceramiche S.P.A, Haiken Ltd, Savile Row Projects, Parkside and JPMA Global. New Clerkenwell resident, Fredericia will officially launch new pieces by the Danish American designer Jens Risom, in the UK for the first time during CDW. Luxury lighting brand Bert Frank will also open its first showroom in EC1 during CDW.

Hotel Designs is a proud media partner for Clerkenwell Design Week 2019. The team will be on the ground during the event – and if you would like to arrange a meeting, please tweet us @HotelDesigns.

Main image credit: Sophie Mutevelian

‘Fittest hotel in the world’ to arrive in New York

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‘Fittest hotel in the world’ to arrive in New York

Fitness and lifestyle brand Equinox will open its first hotel in June. The 212-key luxury property will throw open its doors in the heart of New York City…

Equinox, a lifestyle brand that is widely known for its high-end premium membership gyms around the world, will open its first hotel in June. The 212-key flagship hotel, designed by architecture firm Rockwell Group, will be the first of many Equinox-branded properties to open with the aim to disrupt the luxury hotel landscape.

The brand’s first ever Equinox Hotel will open in Hudson Yards, and is said to be a true culmination of Equinox’s brand promise that will redefine travel as the world knows it. “We have obsessively pursued our enduring mission of life maximisation, becoming iconic by bringing luxury to a place where none existed,” the brand explains in a press release. “Now we are redefining luxury experience once again as a seamless extension of a life well-lived, elevating fitness, culture, and community for those who rest and play as hard as they work. The result is a place that matches the scale of our ambitions and the ambition of the very people for which we built it.

“Equinox is uniquely positioned to define an emerging category that is disrupting the industry.” – Chris Norton, CEO of Equinox Hotels

“In hospitality, lifestyle hotels have grown up and luxury hotels have gotten younger in their outlook and experience,” said Chris Norton, CEO of Equinox Hotels, in a statement. “Now, as health becomes the new wealth, Equinox is uniquely positioned to define an emerging category that is disrupting the industry.”

The hotel’s guestroom features include what the brand describes as “the ultimate sleep chamber”, complete with total soundproofing, a total-blackout window system, CocoMat all natural fibre mattresses, and Scandinavian-style duvets that enable temperature regulation. In true Equinox fashion, each guestroom will come with a foam roller, yoga mat, blocks and straps, whilst the mini bar contains a juice press and magnesium-based sleep supplements.

Render of atmospheric room

Image credit: Equinox

The overall design of the brand’s debut hotel transcends hospitality and elevates the art and science of fitness. From the moment guests arrive, and throughout their stay, they are promised to be immersed in a world of infinite possibilities, including access to a membership-based co-working community space located within the building. Designed to amplify comfort, creativity, and productivity, the hotel is described as an ideal place to meet and connect. Extraordinary environments and thoughtfully chosen elements come together at Equinox Hotels, reimagining how guests move, eat, sleep, work, and live.

The brand’s debut hotel in New York City will be followed with properties opening in Los Angeles, Santa Clara, CA, Chicago, Seattle and Houston.

Main image credit: 35 Hudson yards via Related-Oxford

AKARYN Hotel Group expands international arm

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AKARYN Hotel Group expands international arm

Intimate luxury hotel specialist, AKARYN Hotel Group, has unveiled plans to launch idyllic Aleenta mountain retreat in Bali and stylish waterfront akyra resort in Hoi An, Vietnam…

AKARYN Hotel Group, Thailand’s home-grown luxury boutique hotel specialist, is preparing to spreads its wings and move into international markets for the first time, with the launch of its pioneering hospitality brands in Indonesia and Vietnam.

In the coming months, two of the group’s much-loved hotel concepts will make their international debuts. Aleenta, the original barefoot luxury brand that first launched in Thailand in 2004, will be introduced to Bali, Indonesia’s “Island of the Gods”, and akyra, the trend-setting boutique brand, will arrive in Hoi An, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed port town in central Vietnam.

Aleenta Retreat Bali will be a spiritual sanctuary in the island’s mountainous north, an hour’s drive from Ubud. Designed in a classical low-rise Balinese style, this serene wellness retreat will feel a million miles away from the busy tourist resorts in the island’s south. Nestled in the lush, jungle-clad hills, this exquisite hideaway will allow guests to relax and reconnect with each other in paradise. The 50 rooms will be large and luxurious, whilst also exuding authenticity and being equipped with the latest amenities.

A spa village and yoga resort, Aleenta Retreat Bali will feature an extensive Ayurah Wellness centre, where guests can unwind with an array of soothing treatments, including traditional Balinese massages and natural therapies. An outdoor yoga area will overlook reflective ponds and a fitness centre will allow guests to enjoy an invigorating workout in paradise.

A choice of restaurants will focus on fresh, organic ingredients, while the Pool Bar will serve refreshing drinks during the day and after dark. Local handicrafts will be available at the Galleria boutique, and guests will have plenty of opportunities to head out and discover the local area, including Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital. Aleenta Retreat Bali will also provide an elegant setting for weddings and functions, with a choice of indoor or alfresco event spaces.

“Aleenta was our first brand and our pioneering resorts in Phuket and Hua Hin have become hugely popular among guests,” said AKARYN Hotel Group’s Founder and Managing Director, Anchalika Kijkanakorn. “Every Aleenta property is designed to reflect the timeless charm and character of its destination, featuring large living spaces and world-class facilities while also operating in harmony with the environment. Aleenta Retreat Bali will be a fantastic addition to our portfolio; secluded, spiritual and sensual, this sublime sanctuary will allow guests to discover the true essence of the Island of the Gods.”

Image credit: Akaryn Hotel Group

Also opening its doors in 2019 will be akyra Hoi An, unique waterfront resort nestled midway between Hoi An’s historic town centre and golden China Beach. Located on the banks of the Thu Bon estuary, this low-rise boutique retreat will be accessible either by car or by boat and many of the 110 stylish rooms and pool villas will sit on the water’s edge.

Guests can soak up this stunning setting with a morning yoga class, a spa treatment at the Ayurah Wellness centre, a dip in the onsen or a workout in the modern fitness centre. Alternatively, they can simply plunge into the inviting outdoor infinity pool. Young guests will be kept entertained at the kids’ club, and all ages can discover delectable Vietnamese and international cuisine at a choice of two restaurants and a pool bar.

akyra Hoi An will provide the perfect balance between cultural exploration and tropical relaxation; the enchanting port town of Hoi An, with its diverse heritage and alluring architecture, is just a short distance away, while the golden sand and azure sea of Vietnam’s central coast is also easily accessible. It will also provide a spectacular setting for events and dream weddings.

“With its peaceful and picturesque waterfront setting, halfway between the city and the sea, akyra Hoi An will allow visitors to discover everything this charming destination has to offer. Guests who have experienced akyra’s hotels and resorts in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai will be familiar with the brand’s trend-setting style. We look forward to introducing guests to a new era of contemporary, cutting-edge hospitality in this idyllic location,” Anchalika added.

AKARYN Hotel Group currently operates a collection of captivating boutique hotels and resorts across Thailand, including Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi, Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga, akyra Beach Club Phuket, akyra Manor Chiang Mai, akyra Thonglor Bangkok and the most recent addition to its portfolio, akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok. The group will continue to introduce its luxurious and personalised style of Asian hospitality to even more destinations across the region in the months and years ahead.

Floral interior design trends to fall in love with for SS19

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Floral interior design trends to fall in love with for SS19

Ahead of the inaugural Interior Design & Architecture Summit next week, VIP Buyer Delegate Partner TRENIQ has identified some of the major SS19 floral interior design trends…

2019 has announced floral maximalism as an emerging trend and a big favourite among designers. In the wake of such verdicts, we can’t help but rejoice. What’s not to love about lovely and luscious floral designs stealing the limelight in what could otherwise be a boring set up?

To commemorate this trend, TRENIQ has put together a few big ways in which you can bring this trend into hotel design projects. Be it a cosy nook in a living room or a large splash in a dining area, there is a floral design for everyone, it seems.

On the dining table

Floral interior decor available only on Treniq

Quintessentially speaking, cutlery is the most effortless item in every household. Everyone finds comfort in the good old white China, while some are adventurous enough to opt-in deeper hues of cobalt, teal and mustards. But floral cutlery? Now that’s a trend setter right there! We love this Spring inspired brunch tableware in Mandarin rose, for it is both elegant and classy while being fun and quirky.

Pile on the accessories

Floral interior trends on Treniq

One of the easiest tried and tested ways to bring in the trend is by piling on printed cushions on a neutral sofa. Not only does it bring to life the whole room and the sofa itself but it also adds a fun and refreshing touch to any decor plan.

Binge on floral luxe

Floral interior trends on Treniq

Not all florals are bold, quirky and effervescent, some are regal, royal and elegant too. This room is a delightful blend of fun colours against soft Persian floral designs that are a classy variation to a usual bold look. The soft prints are an ode to a palatial interior set up.

A carpet of flowers

Floral interior trends on Treniq

We love how rugs have taken on a rather interesting personality off late. These floral variants to the otherwise classic looks are absolutely refreshing and a tad bit unusual. Pair these with gorgeous floral artwork on the walls and you have for yourself a winner of an interior design.

Treniq  is an international interiors network where you can buy or sell luxury interior products, discover design professionals, connect and build relationships, trade using easy and efficient tools. Create your free trade account today or contact us for more information at customercare@treniq.com.

Main image credit: Pexels

 

Dorsett Hospitality International partners with Sony World Photography Awards

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Dorsett Hospitality International partners with Sony World Photography Awards

Dorsett Hospitality International has partnered with the Sony World Photography Awards this year to support local talent and art globally…

The Sony World Photography Awards kicks off with an exclusive exhibition in London at Dorsett Shepherds Bush opening on May 9, giving guests and visitors the opportunity to experience a selection of award-winning images carefully curated by Dorsett Hotels.

The Sony World Photography Awards is a global platform celebrating the best imagery and photographers worldwide. The exhibition at Dorsett Shepherds Bush, London will showcase 15 award-winning images from the Awards’ Open competition and National Awards programme. The exhibition will continue across Dorsett Hotels located in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China.

Catering to millennials, post-millennials, professionals, and well-travelled guests, Dorsett Hospitality International is a proud ambassador and supporter of local talent and art in each of its locations across the world. Each award-winning image has been carefully selected to support local talent in Dorsett Hospitality International locations through the brand’s Dorsett Discoveries programme, which offers guests access to the hottest events, happenings and dining spots in each city. Award winning photographers include Rachel Yee Laam Lai from Hong Kong, Albert Tan

Chee Hiang from Singapore, Michael Chee Yen Chuan from Malaysia and Pan Jianhua from Mainland China amongst others.

“We are a proud supporter of the Sony World Photography Awards and we are delighted to be the sole official hotel partner worldwide, giving guests and visitors the opportunity to connect with such a prestigious collection across our hotels internationally,” said Dorsett Hospitality International’s Executive Director and President, Winnie Chiu. “Aiming to achieve our brand promise – stay vibrant – the synergy between the Dorsett Hotels brand and Sony World Photography Awards highlights our passion for contemporary art and photography.”

With 54 hotels and a global presence across 27 cities, Dorsett Hospitality International offers priceless travel experiences worldwide, embracing art and culture in every city.

Produced by the World Photography Organisation, the internationally acclaimed Sony World Photography Awards are one of the most important fixtures on the global photographic calendar. Across its four competitions (Professional, Open, Youth and Student) and National Awards programme, the Awards offer photographers unparalleled opportunity to showcase their art to a global audience, with past winning and shortlisted artists enjoying career-boosting benefits such as gallery representation, exhibitions and publishing deals.

The full 2019 Sony World Photography Awards exhibition featuring all winning and shortlisted images will launch at Somerset House on April 18 and will run until May 6, 2019. For anyone who misses the main exhibition in London, visit Dorsett Shepherds Bush from May 9 to discover a selection of award-winning images from around the globe.

Dorsett Discoveries: Sony World Photography 2019 exhibition with Dorsett Hotels schedule:

  • Dorsett Shepherds Bush, May 10 – 26
  • Dorsett Singapore, June 7 – 23
  • Dorsett Kuala Lumpur, July 5 – 21
  • Dorsett Wanchai, August 2 – 18
  • Dorsett Shanghai, August 31 – September 15

Main image credit: Dorsett Hospitality International

7 outdoor products that are changing the hotel design landscape

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7 outdoor products that are changing the hotel design landscape

To mark Hotel Designs’ focus on Outdoor Style, the editorial team have identified outdoor products that are vastly changing the landscape of hotel design…

There’s no doubt about it, the way in which guests consume their hotel experience is changing, and quickly. With this drastic in the demands of modern travellers, which is largely being led by the evolution of social media and technology, hotels are striving to create statement areas many of the public areas.

One way in which to do this is to create arresting outdoor spaces. Whether its bringing the indoors outdoors, shading a statement infinity pool or creating mini escapes in the landscape, it seems as if anything is possible in landscape architecture and style – and here are just some of the products that are leading the way in outdoor style.

1) Tuuci Equinox Cabana

Cabana at the end of an outdoor swimming pool

Image credit: Tuuci

TUUCI Equinox Cabana structures effortlessly transform any patio, poolside or outdoor landscape into open-air living rooms. The structure’s sleek modular design is built to custom specifications; shape, size, finish, walls, seating and lighting options. The outdoors never felt more luxurious.

Its lighting option for the TUUCI Equinox Cabana is marine-grade, LED, and features two lights per beam. Suitable for hotel demands, the TUUCI Equinox Cabana has a number of added features available, including a power outlet option to plug in electronic devices or charge by USB.

 

2) ÖÖD House – Round Wood of Mayfield 

Reflective structure in the middle of greenland

Image credit: ÖÖD House – Round Wood of Mayfield

The ÖÖD house – a stunning, 18 sq/m mini home clad in mirrored glass which blends to its natural surroundings – has been added to Round Wood of Mayfield’s collection of high end outdoor structures.

Originally envisaged as a “pop up” hotel guest room or Airbnb pad by Estonian company ÖÖD, it is now exclusively distributed and assembled by the timber and landscape specialists across the UK.

The stand-alone living space for both commercial and domestic clients, which also make ideal office spaces, guest accommodation or even yoga studios, blends beautifully into any setting courtesy of the striking insulated glazing that covers the front and sides.

Round Wood of Mayfield is one of Hotel Designs’ Recommended Suppliers. 

3) Gina Collection, JANUS et Cie 

Sleek designed outdoor furniture on patio

Image credit: JANUS et CIe

Created exclusively for JANUS et Cie by the renowned Italian design icon Piero Lissoni, the Gina collection is characterised by sensuous contours and sleek lines, precisely executed in harmonious proportion. The collection’s  Gina Recamier recently received the 2019 Red Dot Award for outstanding design and is just one example of many on the furniture market that is allowing designers to bring the interior, cosy feel in outdoor spaces.

4) Glammfire fireplaces

Red seating around low fire

Image credit: Glammfire

From the pleasure of any outdoor space, the Circus brings comfort through its fiery warmth and convenient seats; which can be conveniently stored around the central unit and can easily endure outdoor conditions. Ideal for small-size hotels, the products allows guests to hang out as if they were with friends and family around a cosy fire.

5) Pedrali Soul Outdoor

Image credit: Pedrali

Soul Outdoor is a new, special evolution of the original version made in bent wood and launched by Eugeni Quitllet last year. The inspiration is the same that the Catalan designer defines as “a link between the concrete and the abstract, between the real world and that of dreams, between past and future… the unspoiled state of creation”. An armchair able to express an idea of uncontaminated and pure creativity, defined by its soul.

A curved aluminium tubular frame, with classical shapes but solid proportions, clasps an ergonomic seat in shaped teak slats, almost like an embrace. The contrast between the two outdoor materials and the aesthetic result of the aluminium shininess make this armchair innovative and original. The lines of Soul Outdoor are accentuated by the fluidity of aluminium, which ensures strength and lightness, while presenting a strong visual impact.

6) Outdoor Poufs, Tribù

Modern and contemporary outdoor scene

Image credit: TRIBÙ

TRIBÙ’s eye for detail is evident from the accessories this luxury brand has designed to make your terrace extra cosy. This year irresistible poufs steal the show. They are available in luxurious textured outdoor fabrics, but also in outdoor leather. Thanks to the three dimensions with different heights you can make some beautiful combinations. Ideal as an extra seat or side table. Thanks to the special filling you can leave them easily outside, even if it rains.

7) Case Study: Soho House White City

Jungle-like interiors on terrace

Image credit: Soho House White City House/Modern Garden Company

Set in the former BBC headquarters, Soho House White City House is the newest and largest members club and hotel in London. Modern Garden Company were specified to create a striking outdoor area. Distinguished by its sleek modern design, Cubola is an elegant shade with a slender frame and tilting fabric roof that offers protection against low evening sun, as well as allowing rainfall to run off.

The frame is made from high grade aluminium, joined with specially developed internal corners which guarantee perfect stability, they also ensure that nuts and bolts are hidden from view. The aluminium frames are powder coated producing a very durable finish, available in two standard colour coatings, white and anthracite, although almost any RAL colour can be chosen as part of a special production.

Safety features for the Cubola include a wind sensor, which will retract the Cubola if the pre-set wind speed is exceeded, other options available include rain and sun sensors.It can be installed both freestanding or attached to building walls, and is available with sides to create partially enclosed sides/outdoor rooms.

Main image credit: Round Wood of Mayfield

Hyatt Regency Beijing Shiyuan opens in nature retreat

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Hyatt Regency Beijing Shiyuan opens in nature retreat

The newly opened Hyatt Regency Beijing Shiyuan connects guests with the rejuvenating beauty of nature near the Great Wall…

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Beijing Shiyuan, located in the vibrant Yanqing District of China’s capital city. Yanqing is known as an imperial retreat, surrounded by scenic mountains, rivers and wildlife.

These nature elements have influenced the interior design of the property to create an energising experience from the moment guests arrive. Just steps away from the International Horticultural Expo 2019, the hotel provides guests traveling for business or leisure a seamless, intuitive experience as they connect with who and what matters to them most.

The hotel features 283 contemporary guestrooms, including 19 suites, two Diplomat Suites and a Presidential Suite. Starting at 430 square feet (40 square meters), most guestrooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Expo Park and garden views, while nearly 90 percent of the guestrooms also offer a private balcony. Complimentary Wi-Fi, a 55” SMART TV and Bluetooth stereo are available in all rooms.

Image caption: Hyatt Hotels

Guests can savour enticing cuisine infused with Northern China flair and fresh local ingredients at the hotel’s two signature dining outlets. Mirroring a rustic mountain village, Xiang Yue Chinese restaurant showcases authentic local favorites along with Cantonese, seafood and other regional Chinese specialties. Market Café’s lively culinary marketplace serves specialties from East to West, prepared in an open kitchen. Meanwhile, the cozy Lobby Lounge is an ideal gathering place for casual meetings and refreshments overlooking the outdoor garden.

“We are very excited by the opening of the first international hotel in the Yanqing district and sincerely appreciate the trust and support from our owner, Beijing Horticultural Expo Investment and Development Co., Ltd.,” said Stephen Ho, president, Greater China, global operations, Hyatt. “As a new landmark of northwest Beijing, the hotel looks forward to welcoming local and international guests to discover the history and nature of Yanqing.”

Hyatt Regency Beijing Shiyuan offers seamless, personalised, high-touch experiences for meetings and social events of all sizes. The hotel features a 10,225 square foot (950 square meter) Regency Ballroom, six multifunctional meeting rooms, and a 5,382 square foot (500 square meter) manicured lawn, suitable for weddings and other outdoor celebrations. The hotel’s meeting spaces compliment the facilities of the adjoining Beijing World Horticultural Expo Park, offering an endless array of possibilities for meeting and event planners.

Main image credit: Hyatt Hotels

Interior Design & Architecture Summit becomes sold-out event

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Interior Design & Architecture Summit becomes sold-out event

Starting as it means to go on, the inaugural Interior Design & Architecture Summit becomes sold-out event with 11 days to spare…

The highly anticipated inaugural Interior Design & Architecture Summit, which takes place on April 29 at London Hilton Tower Bridge, is now sold out.

The event, of which its meet-the-buyer concept was born from the success of Hotel Summit, will allow leading designers and architects the ability to meet face-to-face with leading suppliers as well as enjoying a quality speakership programme, curated exclusively by Hotel Designs.

The full list of suppliers attending is as follows:

Ideavit, Marca Corona, Graphica Display, Tribu, Atlas Concordem, Hamilton Litestat, Timage, Wandsworth, KKDC, Bisque, Aqualisa, Project Blinds, Domkapa, Portview Fitout, CP Parquet, James Alexander, Majestic Showers, Sox Furniture, O’Donnell Funiture, CTD Architectual tiles, Gessi, North Made, Moleta Murno, Covers, Hand & Mouth, ITC, Natural Flooring, Cole & Son, Versa Wallcoverings, Wood Flooring & Accessories, Mitre Linen, Sofa.com, Muzeo, Bridgeman Images, Edmund Bell & Co.

Interior Design & Architecture Summit is a one-day event, designed to connect senior executives working within the sector with product and service suppliers for face-to-face meetings and business networking.

The Summit aims to support the design and architecture sector with a unique platform to help create long-lasting and mutually beneficial business connections.

For those who are attending, the full agenda for the day can be accessed here.

Despite the event now being sold-out, there are still spaces available for both suppliers and delegates wishing to attend Hotel Summit, which is specifically organised for senior professionals who are directly responsible for purchasing and procurement within their organisation, and those who provide the latest and greatest products and services within the sector.

How to register for Hotel Summit

If you are a supplier to the hospitality industry looking to meet top hotel professionals, contact Jennie Lane at j.lane@forumevents.co.uk– or click here to book your place.

If you are a hotelier and would like to attend the Summit, please contact Liam Cloona on l.cloona@forumevents.co.uk – or click here to book your place.

MEET UP NORTH: Headline Speaker announced

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MEET UP NORTH: Headline Speaker announced

Tom Lindblom, Principal and Hospitality Leader at Gensler (London), has been confirmed as the Headline Speaker for Meet Up North, which takes place at Hotel Gotham, on July 1, 2019…

Hotel Designs has confirmed that Tom Lindblom, The Brit List 2018 finalist from Gensler, will be the Headline Speaker at Meet Up North, which takes place this year at Hotel Gotham’s rooftop bar on July 1, 2019.

Carrying the light theme of ‘creativity outside the capital’, the event aims to bridge the gap in the north between designers, hoteliers, architects, developers and key-industry suppliers.

During his talk entitled ‘Hospitality Is Way More Than Hotels’, Lindblom will share selected projects and his understanding and appreciation for unique opportunities that the hotel sector is currently experiencing. “I am looking forward to a lively session to exchange ideas about the very dynamic hospitality market – all in the fantastic Hotel Gotham,” Lindblom told Hotel Designs. The architect’s presentation will explain how statement hotels can have the power to change the perspective of an entire destination. Closer to home, he will review hotspots in the UK that are seeing/or will see significant growth in hotel investment. Lindblom will also briefly summarise ideas and trends the Gensler Research Institute has uncovered with our Hospitality Experience Index – EXI.

As well as being Principal and Hospitality Leader at Gensler, Lindblom also teaches and lectures on architecture, lighting design and museum design. He recently sat down with Hotel Designs’ editor, Hamish Kilburn, where he granted the publication with an exclusive look inside the inner workings of the architecture firm. “We are really excited that Meet Up North is returning to Manchester for the second year running and I am delighted to welcome Tom as our headline speaker for this event,” explains Hamish Kilburn, editor of Hotel Designs. “His unquestionable knowledge and his unteachable charm enables Tom to effortlessly cut through the noise in order to participate in conversations and debates that actually go on to make a difference on the international hotel design scene.”

Early bird tickets now available

Between now and April 30, 2019, early bird tickets for the event are available to purchase:

Suppliers: £99 + VAT (£150 + VAT after early bird offer expires after April 30).
Designers, architects and hoteliers: £10 + VAT (£20 + VAT after early bird offer expires after April 30).

If you are a supplier to the industry and would like to attend Meet Up North, click here.
If you are a designer, architect or hoteliers to the industry and would like to attend Meet Up North, click here.

There are various sponsorship opportunities and packages available for Meet Up North. If you would like to discuss these with our team then please contact Zoe Guerrier by either emailing z.guerrier@forumevents.co.uk or calling 01992 374059.

The inaugural Meet Up North took place last year at King Street Townhouse and was attended by more than 200 designers, architects, hoteliers and key-industry suppliers.

About Hotel Gotham

Hotel Gotham is sheltered in what is arguably the city’s grandest properties and is an exclusive city-centre sanctuary, previously a bank that was designed in 1935 by none other than architect Edwin Lutyens.

The hotel, which opened in 2015, prides itself on offering a modern and comfortable experience in a unique and luxurious environment, with exquisite service all within a bespoke private club in the heart of Manchester.

 

Main image credit: Hotel Gotham

Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese unveils hotel design by Jean Philippe Nuel

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Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese unveils hotel design by Jean Philippe Nuel

The redesign of Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese is said to be an elegant Roman retreat, fusing La Dolce Vita heritage with modern French art de vivre…

Located in the heart of Rome, Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese will reopen on July 1 2019, unveiling extensive renovations by contemporary architect and interior designer, Jean-Philippe Nuel.

Situated on a quiet street in the epicentre of Rome, this former 19th century Roman palazzo lies within walking distance of some of the city’s best-known cultural landmarks and parks, including the Trevi Fountain, Villa Medici and the Spanish Steps. Evoking the feel of a Roman home, guests will appreciate the hotel’s relaxed and laid-back atmosphere and the sense of being truly immersed in the essence of this picturesque Italian city.

The hotel will offer 78 guestrooms and suites, with the unveiling of larger suites, a new fitness centre and new well-being programme, and three large event rooms. Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese will also be home to Settimo, an elegant rooftop lounge and restaurant, offering panoramic views overlooking the picturesque Villa Borghese gardens and St. Peter’s Basilica. Adorned with eclectic furnishings and lush green interiors, Settimo will provide a botanical escape on the seventh floor and will serve contemporary Roman cuisine using locally-sourced ingredients. Paying respect to local mastery and heritage, while highlighting the personality of the hotel’s Executive Chef, Giuseppe D’Alessio, signature dishes will incorporate traditional Roman culinary styles such as ‘cucina povera’ and ‘Tripolina’.

Image credit: Accor Hotels

Jean Philippe Nuel’s chic redesigns will combine the heritage and classicism of ‘La Dolce Vita’, with the modernism and design of French ‘art de vivre’. The hotel entrance will feature an iconic display of chromatic counterpoints and vibrant colours, creating a modern lounge with a classical feel. Guest rooms will also exhibit an iridescent ceiling masterpiece, creating the illusion of the bright sky above.

At Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese, guests will feel instantly at home, with dedicated and personalised attention through thoughtful gestures and delightful surprises. The hotel will feature a dedicated candle ritual, inspired by the lighting of the streets of Paris during the reign of Louis XIV, which provided citizens with a sense of welcoming and safety. At sunset, the hotel will light giant candles outside the entrance to welcome guests back from their evenings out touring the city, accompanied by atmospheric music.

The ‘home away from home’ atmosphere with personalised wellness and fitness therapies with the SofitelFIT Wellness Programme, and the Sofitel MyBed Sleep Menu, a signature in-room service, transform the bathroom into a private sanctuary with luxurious options for relaxation. Guests can choose between two complimentary baths – a therapeutic Soothing Bath that invites a lazy soak with calming essential oils, or a Bubble Bath that injects fun into the bath time experience. Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese also provides guests with personalised bathrobes to enhance the bespoke nature of the experiences.

The French ‘joie de vivre’ and the Roman ‘carpe diem’ of the renovated hotel will create a uniquely sophisticated, yet simple and contemporary experience where desires are magnified after a day of exploring the historical Roman streets.

Main image credit: Accor Hotels

Checking in to University Arms, Cambridge

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Checking in to University Arms, Cambridge

Combining the best of British interior design and architecture, the University Arms in Cambridge is an effortless reflection of old and new. Editor Hamish Kilburn checked in to the Franklin Suite – and spoke to the leaders behind the project – to unearth the fascinating design story that’s written inside…

In the race for luxury in tier two cities around the United Kingdom, Cambridge city centre’s lack of statement hotels doesn’t exactly rank it highly among others.

Despite the city being riddled in history and context, substandard independents remain firm, not willing to set themselves aside from others in regards to design. But amidst the unimaginative and limited hotel scene, things are changing and there is one property in particular that is shaking up the competition to become one of the UK’s best luxury hotels. Cue the monumental unveiling of University Arms, Cambridge.

Image credit: University Arms, Cambridge

The 193-key hotel, which started life in 1834 as a coaching inn, reopened its grand doors in August of last year as interior designer Martin Brudnizki’s first full completed hotel project in the UK. “Cambridge has a really rich story that’s not just academic,” Brudnikzi told Hotel Designs. “It has a flourishing art scene – Kettle’s Yard is a haven for modern British art – and a food scene that’s worth investigating further. Of course, the architecture is wonderful and really quite awe-inspiring, however the city also has a unique sociable atmosphere. With it being small, you easily feel part of the city even after just a few days.”

Click here for interactively view room no. 201, the Stephen Hawking Suite | Image credit: ACT Studios

Following a number of large fires that broke out in the hotel, the most recent in 2012, University Arms closed in 2016. Working on the architectural restoration project from concept to completion, the team at John Simpson Architects were briefed to create new guestrooms, public areas, a gym and functional back-of-house spaces. “In terms of architectural language, the brief was to create a timeless appeal,” John Simpson from the architecture firm told Hotel Designs. “We wanted to create an architecture that honours the traditions and creates an aura that is present in so much of the historic buildings in the city.”

While the hotel’s shell was on the boards, Brudnizki and his team took the mass of inspiration from the history and culture around the city and infused it into thoughtfully curated interiors. “I always knew we wanted to create a hotel that reflected the academic heritage of Cambridge, whilst also feeling fun and approachable,” added Brudnizki. “The hotel is in the perfect location for university parents to stay at when visiting children or for those visiting the city for a weekend break. With this in mind, we created a hotel that combined academic references – the tie-patterned carpets, suites named after famous academics and the restaurant that feels like a college dining room – with comfort and elegance.

Guests now enter the hotel through an extravagant Porte Cochere entrance. “This element of the design references the scale style of the neighbouring Downing College, highlighting the historic association the hotel always had with the university,” Simpson added.

Image credit: University Arms, Cambridge

The large lobby is complete with two striking chandeliers that hang above both the minimalist check-in area and the concierge desk. On the walls, art curated by Adam Ellis hangs on chains and has been inspired by Cambridge’s roots, its past heroes and heroines and its many eras of charm. A poster-style piece “The Man in the White Suit” next to the lifts suggest that this hotel has been designed by and for the modern traveller to enjoy.

Upstairs, the corridors and guestrooms include nods at every turn to the heritage of the city. For example, the carpet that leads to the guestrooms and suites has been designed to replicate colour and style of the original Cambridge College tie. Each of the suites are named after a significant individual who had a relationship with the city and the interiors represent the character of the personality. The Franklin Suite, for example, was named after Rosalind Franklin, an English Cambridge-graduate chemist who made contributions to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. The terraced suite located on the top floor includes literature about Rosalind Franklin that sit in a modern setting. “We wanted to make sure what we designed wouldn’t feel out of place or context,” added Brudnizki. “With this in mind, it was important for us to work closely with John Simpson, who is an expert in classical architecture, as well as the local area. The best way for us to achieve this was through carefully selecting artwork that rooted the project to Cambridge and that would tie the narrative together.”

In all the rooms, which come in four categories, attention to detail is immediately evident. The ‘do not disturb’ signs are shaped as bookmarks, while the writing desks – think ink quill and paper rather than emails – were inspired by the traditional student desks that are finished with coloured leather tops.

Click here for interactively view room no. 907 | Image credit: ACT Studios

The bathrooms in the suites, complete with underfloor heating, are both stylish and lavish. Victoria + Albert baths positioned by the windows, accented with gold legs, create an immediate statement – as do the gold shower fittings from Vado. The walls, meanwhile, have been painted in the same light blue that is associated with the city, keeping the interiors balanced and tame in all the right places.

If the lobby lounge area is described as the heart of the hotel, the guestrooms the brains, then the soul is quite rightfully reserved to the bar and restaurant located on the ground floor. Brudnizki’s masterful hands have created a welcoming environment that has attracted not only guests but also loyal locals. Guests entering for dinner or to have a drink at the bar enter via a separate entrance to those staying at the hotel. “They still arrive at the front of the building, through grand doors, so there is a sense of occasion and not a sense of separation,” explains Brudnizki. “The bar itself includes a spacious lounge area, with mixed seating and larger tables to encourage communal imbibing. During the day you can use the bar as a place to work or even enjoy an afternoon tea. Whilst at night it becomes a great place to sit back with friends and enjoy drinks before dinner in parker’s Tavern next door.”

Image credit: University Arms, Cambridge

The public areas overlook Parker’s Piece, a large plot of grass that is rumoured to have been where the rules of Football Association emerged from (probably over gin and tonics). The library, which, when pushed, Brudnizki admits to being his favourite area of the hotel, is a clever blend of indoor/outdoor interiors, designed to be light, bright and open for all.

It’s refreshing to see an upscale hotel in Cambridge bravely achieve what no other hotel in the area has managed to; take on the history and heritage of the city and seamlessly blending into the architecture and the fabrics. Through true collaboration between MBDS and John Simpson Architects – both of which were winners at The Brit list 2018 in their categories – University Arms is now a timeless gem, in a league of its own operating in a modern city with a storied past.

Main image credit: ACT Studios

Hyatt to develop design hotel at Japan’s historic racing circuit

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Hyatt to develop design hotel at Japan’s historic racing circuit

Plans have been approved for an Unbound Collection hotel by Hyatt to be developed at the Fuji Speedway, marking the brand’s entrance into Japan… 

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Towa Real Estate Co. Ltd., an affiliate of TOYOTA Group, to develop a 120-key hotel at the Fuji Speedway, Japan’s historic racing circuit.

Slated to open in 2022, the project will be the first in Japan under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand and the first hotel in the world to be built by Towa Real Estate.

“We are excited to see The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in Japan for the first time with a project at Fuji Speedway, an iconic destination for motorsports fans across the globe seeking a luxury experience,” said David Udell, group president, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “As we look to expand Hyatt’s brand footprint in Japan, we are excited to be entering into a management agreement with TOYOTA group company, Towa Real Estate, as it builds its first-ever hotel.”

Hotel amenities will include multiple fine dining restaurants and bars, as well as indoor pool, fitness center, spa and natural onsen hot-spring bathing facilities. The hotel interior will feature a car museum with an innovative presentation of the site’s attractions that showcase the historic significance of Fuji Speedway. Items such as rare historic automobiles and other museum-worthy collections will provide an unconventional experience that guests would expect from The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand.

“It is deeply gratifying and encouraging to us to have been able to enter into this agreement with Hyatt, which has a history of providing exceptional quality and service to guests in a wide range of cities,” said Masao Ukai, president, Towa Real Estate Co. Ltd. “This luxury hotel will be an integral part of a motorsports-themed entertainment area with Fuji Speedway at its core. Together, Motorsports Village and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand will provide guests with environmentally conscious and unconventional experiences as we aim to make motorsports more accessible and entertaining.”

In the foothills of Mount Fuji, the hotel’s Fuji Speedway location will offer guests convenient access to motorsports events and the upcoming Motorsports Village facility, currently under development by Towa Real Estate in concert with the hotel development.

Situated on the grounds of Fuji Speedway, the hotel will offer unsurpassed views of Mount Fuji, in addition to housing a Motorsports Museum. The site’s immediate proximity to the Oyama Parking Area Smart Interchange, scheduled to open in 2021, will make the hotel’s location accessible to guests arriving from remote areas by car.

The hotel will feature approximately 120 tastefully designed guest rooms and suites of at least 484 square feet (45 square meters) each, a flexible banquet room of 5,381 square feet (500 square meters), and a 2,152 square foot (200 square meter) conference room. These extraordinary facilities will position the hotel as an ideal venue for story-worthy meetings and events.

Main image credit: Hyatt

FIRST LOOK: The Wild Hotel arrives in Mykonos

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FIRST LOOK: The Wild Hotel arrives in Mykonos

The Wild Hotel in Kalafati Beach, designed in collaboration with Alexandros & Filippos Varveris and Sofia & Matina Karavas, will open in Mykonos in May 2019… 

Located on a picturesque cliffside over Kalafati Beach, The Wild Hotel, owned by Interni, will offer a design-led retreat, featuring 40 suites and villas inspired by the colours and lines of traditional Grecian architecture.

Set in a natural amphitheatre, the hotel is home to an infinity pool with views across the Aegean Sea, a private beach for residents and a restaurant – The Taverna – serving classic dishes from the Cycladic Islands. The Wild Hotel is a collaboration of design between Alexandros & Filippos Varveris and Sofia & Matina Karavas, who are both co-owners and architects of the project.

The Wild Hotel offers an unparalleled location on the island of Mykonos; situated on a tip of the island which remains raw and pure, the hotel is situated next to a tiny beach-front village once inhabited by the bravest fishermen of Mykonos, referred to as ‘the wild ones’ by locals. The village is now a tranquil, picturesque port that imbues the area with a rich Cycladic history.

Raw luxury pool

Image credit: The Wild Hotel/Yiorgos Kordakis

Spring 2019 will also see the launch of Ftelia Beach Club, the sister of The Wild Hotel, located on the opposite side of Mykonos Island in the much-loved Ftelia Bay. Ftelia Beach Club will showcase the designs of up-and-coming Italian architect Fabricio Casiraghi. The club’s aesthetic was inspired by the famous resorts of the 60s and 70s in Southern France and coastal Italy, seamlessly blending Mykonos’ buzzy cosmopolitan vibe with the natural beachfront surroundings. Ftelia Beach Club will offer a Mediterranean menu with an emphasis on local produce.

Image credit: The Wild Hotel/Yiorgos Kordakis

“We are excited to announce the opening of The Wild Hotel and Ftelia Beach Club on the island of Mykonos and we are confident that both properties will bring something new and dynamic to the island,” said Alexandros Varveris, Owner and founder of Interni Group. “We have already established our brand with Interni Restaurant, and are excited to watch Interni grow on the beautiful island of Mykonos.”

With these two new properties, The Wild Hotel and Ftelia Beach Club, Interni Group aim to merge the traditions of the island with new cosmopolitan thinking to offer something fresh and different for Mykonos.

Main image credit: Yiorgos Kordakis

London’s first hotel unveils new lobby design by Olga Polizzi

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London’s first hotel unveils new lobby design by Olga Polizzi

Brown’s, a Rocco Forte Hotel, has unveiled the new British springtime-inspired floral front lobby, which has been designed by Olga Polizzi…

Since opening in 1837, Brown’s, which is London’s first hotel, has always been at the forefront of design and, in this latest unveiling, Olga Polizzi, Director of Design for Rocco Forte Hotels pays homage to Brown’s British heritage and illustrious legacy through the exquisite décor and ornately crafted patterns of its new reception area.

The piece de resistance of the new front hall is the hand painted wallpaper featuring whimsical wisteria, created exclusively for Brown’s by renowned British Interior Designer and Artist, Adam Ellis.

Olga Polizzi, the creative mind behind the design process commented: “I wanted to convey the quintessential English garden feel in a fun and playful way. The oversized wisteria, the bright colours and strong patterns are an ode to spring in the United Kingdom and make the front hall interesting and joyful.”

The harmonious palette of blue and mint green hues combine to create a residential-style space where guests are welcomed to their home-away-from-home. The new front hall also features a signature belvedere glass roof that brings an abundance of natural daylight into the centre of the space.

“The new Belvedere glass roof has flooded the reception with light and added a sudden skyward view,” said Polizzi. “The concierge team also now have their own reserved area where they can attend to guests in private.”

Stuart Johnson, Managing Director of Brown’s Hotel, said of the new design: “Olga Polizzi has triumphed once again in completing the final piece of the jigsaw and remodelling the entire ground floor, with an opulent space and feeling of a walk through an English country garden.”

The new front hall follows a larger restoration of Brown’s. The signature Donovan Bar exudes luxury with rich green velvety tones and the restaurant Beck at Brown’s boasts playful foliage patterns. Both spaces were renovated in 2018, and collectively furnish a stunning new look for the entire ground floor.

The front hall celebrates a fresh new approach to welcoming guests whilst continuing Brown’s legacy of being London’s original luxury hotel for more than 180 years.

Mandarin Oriental announces new hotel in Istanbul

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Mandarin Oriental announces new hotel in Istanbul

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that it will manage a second luxury hotel in Istanbul, Turkey…

The hotel group Mandarin Oriental has announced that is will unveil a 158-key luxury hotel and residences within three standalone towers that is slated to open in 2022.

One of the towers will house Mandarin Oriental Etiler, Istanbul with 158 guestrooms and suites and 16 serviced apartments.

The remaining two towers will house 251 luxurious Residences at Mandarin Oriental. UNStudio from Amsterdam has been appointed as the master planner and architect.The hotel will have three restaurants and bars, and a selection of adaptable meeting spaces with outdoor areas and terraces, ideal for hosting both business and leisure events. There will also be a spa and fitness centre, offering the Group’s award-winning signature wellness programmes as well as locally inspired treatments.

The hotel will have both an indoor and outdoor swimming pool.The Residences at Mandarin Oriental will feature some of the most exclusive homes in the city, providing owners with extensive private gardens and impressive views of the Bosphorus. Owners will also enjoy Mandarin Oriental’s legendary service and direct access to the hotel’s facilities.  In addition, there will be a full suite of bespoke resident facilities, including two outdoor swimming pools with city skyline views, a fitness centre and six beauty treatment rooms.The owners and developers of the project are Astaș Holding A.Ş and Yapi & Yapi.

This is the Group’s third venture in Turkey with Astaș Holding A.Ş who is the owner of the Group’s two other Turkish properties – the award-winning Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum and Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul which is scheduled to open in 2020.

“We are delighted to be announcing a second Mandarin Oriental property in Istanbul, together with an exciting luxury residential project. We look forward to extending further the Group’s presence in one of the world’s most historic and vibrant cities,” said James Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental. “Operating two complementary hotels in a single city is something that the Group has already done successfully in Hong Kong and will soon do in London. We believe there is room for more than just one Mandarin Oriental hotel in certain select destinations around the world.” he added. “Having strengthened our successful collaboration with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Bodrum, and through the upcoming opening of Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul it is our intention to establish this second Istanbul property, uniquely located in the prestigious district of Etiler, as one of the world’s most impressive addresses.

The project is slated to cater to a discerning clientele who enjoy this legendary city so rich in history and culture, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia,” said Astaș Holding A.Ş, and Yapi & Yapi’s Board of Directors.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has grown from its Asian roots into a global brand, now operating 32 hotels and six residences in 23 countries and territories, with each property reflecting the Group’s oriental heritage and unique sense of place. Mandarin Oriental has a strong pipeline of hotels and residences under development, and is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

NH Hotel Group unveils hotel room of the future

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NH Hotel Group unveils hotel room of the future

The innovative concept of The Mood Room allows guests to customise their guestroom using a tablet to control lighting, music, curtains and temperature to suit their emotions and specific needs…

NH Hotel Group, Signify and CYBEROBICS have launched Mood Room, the “room of the future”, at NH Collection Berlin Mitte, the first hotel to feature the concept since a pilot project at NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding in Spain and now featuring new fitness options.

This follows technology expert Jason Bradbury’s hotel review with Hotel Designs where he identified future hotel design trends, one of which was intelligent rooms.  Designed around three parameters – personalising guests’ experience, connected technology and sustainability – Mood Room enables guests to regulate the lighting, music and temperature to adapt the mood to their own tastes. Using only the touch of a tablet, guests can choose between six main pre-set modes and 19 moods to help them sleep, work and relax better, and enjoy a unique technological experience.

“Digitalisation is already an intrinsic part of everyday life in many areas,” said Maarten Markus, Managing Director Northern Europe NH Hotel Group. “Hotels must not be left behind; we need to be even more determined to open the way to change, testing out new services and solutions and offering them to our customers. With the introduction of Mood Room in our offering, our Northern Europe business unit now has a magnificent new easy-to-operate product, making a hotel stay an even more pleasant experience”.

“Guests can choose between six main pre-set modes and 19 moods to help them sleep, work and relax better, and enjoy a unique technological experience.”

For Signify, too, this partnership is an excellent example of how interconnection is generating entirely new models in the hotel industry: “The four Mood Room at the NH Collection Berlin Mitte are like a window into the future”, says Karsten Vierke, PR Manager of Signify in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “Smart lighting and interconnection are becoming the order of the day at home and at work. Naturally, these changes should not suddenly stop at the hotel door. For me, a really satisfactory hotel stay involves a combination of good service, atmosphere and convenience. By working with our partners in climate control, lighting, music and fitness, we’re showing how smart technology and automation can create a whole new hotel experience.”

One of the new and distinctive features of the Mood Room at the NH Collection Berlin Mitte is the sports and exercise settings provided by fitness and lifestyle brand, CYBEROBICS. By selecting the “Set the Tone” mood, guests can interface with CYBEROBICS’s workout exercises, choosing between four different fitness videos: Yoga Power, Six Pack Attack, Quick Fit or Just Relax. Again, the system chooses the right type of lighting and mood for the occasion.

For Oliver Schulokat, CEO of CYBEROBICS, the Mood Room ties in perfectly with the new move towards ‘on-demand fitness’: “Digitalisation will have wide-ranging consequences for the way people train in the future to improve their physical fitness,” he said. “Our goal is to promote with CYBEROBICS that evolution, making fitness available to even more people and in this way turning it into a natural part of their everyday lives. That’s why CYBEROBICS covers all areas of life—at home, at work and in the hotel when we’re away. We see the NH Hotel Group as a generator of innovation in the hotel industry, using digitalisation to take its guest experience to a whole new dimension. At this point we are seeing many points of contact with CYBEROBICS’s vision. We’re therefore very happy to be launching this partnership”.

The Mood Room project, presented for the first time at the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding, has taken sustainability, connectivity and customer experience into account as key factors. Thanks to Philips RoomFlex, the Mood Room™ has become a totally individualised stay experience. Philips RoomFlex is a fully programmable system for controlling lighting in the hotel rooms, which can be easily integrated into the sensor technology and other systems, such as heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, visual protection and booking software.

Spotlight On: May’s features announced

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Spotlight On: May’s features announced

Hotel Designs has officially dropped its May editorial features, which are Bars and Restaurants and Bathrooms… 

Throughout May, Hotel Designs’ Spotlight On features will look at two highly topical features, namely Bars & Restaurants and Bathrooms – both areas of which are transforming drastically in order to cater to modern travellers’ demands.

Bars and Restaurants

Colourful and lavish restaurant

Image credit: Dukes Dubai

With Gastronomy evolving to be a major travel trend, the design of a bar and of a restaurant has never been so important. Hotels are recreating and reopening these areas to become just as much of an experience as checking in or walking into a stunningly designed guestroom or suite. Instagrammable moments can now be captured in a design hotel’s dining areas, once a space reserved for guests-only, which is now desired to be the life and soul of the city open for all to enjoy.

Bathrooms

Modern bathroom in a shell of wooden structures

Image credit: Kaldewei

With our highly regarded Recommended Suppliers, we will explore, post-ISH, the heavily congested arena of bathroom design. Will colour finally find its way into the modern bathroom, and will the bathroom spa become a popular choice for designers who want to recreate amazing spaces? We will go beneath the surface to uncover all the hottest bathroom trends and we will try to discover what the hotel bathroom of the future will look like.

If you wish to find out more, or know of a product that we should be talking about, please contact Zoe Guerrier on 01992 374059 or z.guerrier@forumevents.co.uk

Main image credit: The Cow Hollow Hotel, Manchester

Hilton expands its presence in Morocco

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Hilton expands its presence in Morocco

Hilton expands its presence in Morocco with opening of Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa…

Set on a pristine beach, Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa has opened, marking the group’s third property in Morocco. With its upscale accommodations, beachfront location and extensive range of leisure facilities, the resort is an oasis for relaxation and rejuvenation. The 304-key Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa is located within a protected national park, offering direct access to five kilometers of idyllic white sandy beach.

Tangier, a cosmopolitan port-city on the Strait of Gibraltar is the embodiment of culture with its UNESCO sights and nearby attractions, such as The Kasbah. Famous for its year-round pleasant weather and beautiful beaches, the city is seeing increasing numbers of visitors every year.

“Morocco is a flourishing tourism destination which welcomed more than 12 million visitors last year,” said Rudi Jagersbacher, President, Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, Hilton. “We are delighted to be expanding our footprint in the country and hope this will continue to support the Moroccan government’s tourism ambition to make Morocco one of the top 20 tourist destinations in the world by 2020.”

Spread across an impressive 850m², the hotel’s eforea spa is equipped with state of the art treatment rooms, a beauty salon, hairdresser, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and a 24/7 gym. For those looking to perfect their swing during their stay, the hotel offers two spectacular golf courses alongside a Golf Academy.

In addition, The hotel boasts 4,500m² of flexible event space with capacity for up to 1,400 guests. The hotel offers 15 flexible meeting rooms as well as two pillarless ballrooms. With an expansive foyer that leads to an outdoor terrace, the space is ideal for hosting coffee breaks, cocktail receptions and buffets.

Meanwhile, the culinary experience is said to be at the heart of the hotel with the hotel boasting a total of five restaurants and bars.

Boasting 304 exquisite guestrooms and suites, including 50 apartments, all guestrooms feature a blend of Moroccan and international design touches with private balconies overlooking either the Atlantic Ocean or 11 hectares of garden.

“We are excited to introduce Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa to our growing brand portfolio,” said Vera Manoukian, senior vice president and global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “The opening of this property highlights our commitment to expanding in key destinations across the world, in the world’s most sought-after destinations for guests who know that where they stay matters.”

With more than 585 hotels across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties are located in the world’s most sought-after destinations for guests who know that where they stay matters. This particular opening marks a significant growth in North Africa.

Main image credit: HILTON TANGIER AL HOUARA RESORT & SPA

New bathroom designs join Crosswater’s affordable Essentials Collection

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New bathroom designs join Crosswater’s affordable Essentials Collection

For more than 20 years, the Crosswater brand has been associated with quality bathroom solutions. Its new Essentials collection continues this strong tradition by presenting a range of modern and stylish products at an affordable price point. 

The latest designs are brought together to offer customers a top-to-bottom product offering that makes choosing a bathroom suite and fittings simple, without ever compromising on quality or function.

From user-friendly sanitaryware solutions and brassware designs for bath, basin and shower, to those all-important finishing touches, Essentials combines everyday functionality with on-trend appeal to ensure that each product meets the demands of the modern bathroom.

Smarter product design and efficient manufacturing processes conform to and exceed required British and European quality, performance, safety, sustainability and water-saving regulations. This dedication and confidence ensures that you can enjoy a genuine Crosswater experience at an approachable price point.

Joining the Essentials collection for 2019 is a new range of brassware, sanitaryware and towel warmer designs:

NORTH – Contemporary brassware with signature Matt Black and Chrome finishes

Catering to the increase in demand for statement bathroom brassware, the new North collection is offered in a trend-led Matt Black finish. The range includes basin monobloc taps in three size options and a thermostatic bath / shower mixer with additional handset. A classic Chrome finish is also available.

NOVA – Modern form with everyday functionality

Simple lines and gently curved edges are brought together in the new Nova brassware collection. With practicality at its core, this simple yet modern selection of basin and bath taps is designed to complement the choice of Essentials sanitaryware.

KAI TOWEL WARMERS – A warming bathroom solution

The new range of Kai towel warmers offers a suitable heat output for every bathroom size, from large family suites to small cloakrooms. Choose from classic Chrome or contemporary Anthracite finishes across four width and height options to ensure your space is warm and your towels are toasty.

KAI S TOILETS – Designs for every modern bathroom

A combination of style and function, Essentials toilets are all made in Europe to the same exacting standards. The new Kai S WCs come in a range of both close-coupled and back-to-wall designs, all complete with soft-close seats; the close-coupled option comes with an ‘Eco-flush’ function.

KAI BASINS – Quality materials and design for everyday practicality

Manufactured using the latest casting techniques, each Kai basin is produced in durable vitreous china and available in a range of designs and installation formats. Six new designs join the collection, including a compact corner style and smart inset option for pairing with a coordinating furniture unit.

Crosswater is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

JO&JOE opens in Paris with longest house-warming party

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JO&JOE opens in Paris with longest house-warming party

The design hotel in Paris “where youth hostels meet hotels” opens with interiors by global architecture and design studio PENSON…

After first launching in 2017 in the city of Hossegor, JO&JOE has opened a hotel that shelters its disruptive design concept in Paris. The brand, which was launched by Accor in 2016, is described as a “a vibrant living space, a home that is open to the external world and designed to meet the expectations of Millennials and all those who value sharing, spontaneity and experience”.

JO&JOE is a hybrid hospitality concept, a mix of hotel and hostel, called Open Houses, offering a completely fresh experience in terms of design, dining options, service and customer experience.

JO&JOE Paris has developed its interiors with global (UK based) architecture and game-changing design studio PENSON. At the Open House of Paris Gentilly, street art is everywhere thanks to the work of nine local and international artists who have covered the walls with their creations.

The rooms at the hostel-like hotel are split into three categories: Together (dorms), Yours (private hotel-like guestrooms) and Cabins (Private space with access to communal bedrooms and restrooms).

For launch of the new property, the brand is hosting what it is calling “the longest house-warming party with events taking place between April 25 – June 6.

By 2020, the hotel aims to have launched Open Houses in London Budapest, Glasgown, Paris, Rio de Janero and Rome.

JO&JOE welcomes everyone in its engaging and vibrant Open Houses, offering a completely fresh experience in terms of design, dining options, service and customer experience.

Main image credit: JO&JOE

LIVE FROM MILAN: Mario Bellini granted Salone del Mobile’s Special Award

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LIVE FROM MILAN: Mario Bellini granted Salone del Mobile’s Special Award

The Italian designer and architect was awarded the Special Lifetime Award during Salone del Mobile. Milan…

The Salone del Mobile.Milano has celebrated its 58th edition with an evening at Palazzo Marino during which it has presented a Special Lifetime Award to Mario Bellini, the multifaceted and innovative Milanese designer, many of whose furnishings and objects have become icons capable of anticipating or revolutionising taste and style.

The award has been made in recognition of his creativity and talent, as a plaudit for his ability to translate ideas and projects into products, initiatives and architecture, and as a thank you for his huge contribution to the Salone del Mobile through his collaboration with so many exhibiting companies.

The official motivation for the award is as follows: “For the genius with which he has conceived both design masterpieces and great pieces of architecture For the consistency with which he has built his work and the story of Italian design For his tireless desire to innovate and explore new frontiers For his constant dialogue with the business world For his generosity in his relationships and for having always believed in and supported his city, Milan For his contribution to the Salone del Mobile through his collaboration with the many, leading companies for whom he has designed iconic products that have helped forge the history and the success of the event.”

Modern table

Image credit: Mario Bellini, Grand Canyon Oak Design

The evening, one of the many climaxes of Milan Design Week was a perfect occasion for thanking the exhibiting companies for their productive and organisational commitment, which has, yet again, gone into making the Salone a unique experience, and for paying tribute to all the designers and people who do their utmost to make Milan the most attractive place in the world for an entire week. During the show, Bellini has been presenting his latest creation, the tables ”Canyon and Grand Canyon” produced for Oak Design.

Main image credit: Diego Ravier

£5.5 million transformation for Edinburgh city centre

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£5.5 million transformation for Edinburgh city centre

Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre to add 25 new rooms as part of major refurbishment…

Managed by the UK’s leading independent hotel management company, RBH, the Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre is about to undergo a £5.5 million refurbishment.

The hotel’s existing 161 bedrooms have already been refurbished to ensure today’s smart travellers enjoy all of the amenities they are used to.

And the Edinburgh property has also received extensive remodelling to its lobby and public areas, with over £350,000 spent upgrading its facilities to Holiday Inn Express’ new Generation 4 standards.

The refurbishment programme does not stop there, with an extension featuring a further 25 brand new bedrooms, also following the Generation 4 concept, set to be added to the property by mid-July this year – taking the total rooms available to 186

The substantial investment will see the new rooms feature large beds with padded, noise reducing headboards, as well as flexible work and rest corners where traditional desks are replaced with comfortable, ergonomically designed multi-use tables and chairs that can be easily moved around the room.

“The transformation of Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Centre really gives us an edge when it comes to providing excellent city centre accommodation, and is proving to be a very exciting time for the hotel,” said Stephen Harron, Divisional Director for RBH. “The bedrooms and public areas have been completely revamped, along with the installation of air conditioning and high speed IHG connect complimentary WIFI throughout the building, ensuring we can offer the best in guest experience, whether staying in Edinburgh for business or leisure.”

Edinburgh is currently the UK’s most desired destination for hotel investment and development, and last year reported higher room occupancy rate – at 83 per cent – than anywhere else in Europe.

Morgan’s latest art installation portrays colourful ‘confusion of the world’

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Morgan’s latest art installation portrays colourful ‘confusion of the world’

Ahead of Clerkenwell Design Week 2019, Morgan unveiled ‘Alive in the Human Hive’, an art installation in its London showroom created in collaboration with artist David Shillinglaw… 

Last week, contract furniture design studio and manufacturer Morgan welcomed artists, interior designers, visionaries and the press to an exclusive viewing of its new art installation by David Shillinglaw at its Clerkenwell showroom.

Celebrating the spirit of collaboration and imagination, Morgan has been sharing its showroom with artists since opening in 2014, transforming the interior’s blank walls into thought provoking galleries and colourful canvasses.

Entitled ‘Alive in the Human Hive’, the new installation is a dynamic, large scale mural alongside a selection of Shillinglaw’s recent artworks.

Image credit: Morgan

“We all suffer and celebrate: appetites and desires, fears and misfortunes,” he said when describing his work. “How can I paint a picture of the world? The local and global landscape. Planet Earth is a place so strange, so full of beauty and wonder, mistakes and confusion. This confusion is very important to me, it feeds me and my work.”

The artist brings his energetic imagery to the Clerkenwell showroom for a second time, ever growing his relationship with Morgan. Since graduating from Central Saint Martins 17 years ago, he has been commissioned by Converse, The Dulwich Picture House and agnès b.

Beyond the UK, he has exhibited in galleries from Japan and China to The Gambia and Turkey. Evading categorisation, Shillinglaw’s work includes small handmade books, paintings, album covers and set design.

The installation will be on display throughout Clerkenwell Design Week, providing an eye-catching backdrop to an exciting series of events and product launches.

Morgan is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Morgan

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Queer Frontiers’ launches 2019 exhibition & programme

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EXCLUSIVE: ‘Queer Frontiers’ launches 2019 exhibition & programme

‘Queer Frontiers’, which was set up in 2018 by ARTIQ, launches 2019 exhibition & programme for LGBTQ+ artists…

Queer Frontiers, founded in 2018, was set up by leading art consultancy ARTIQ as an expression of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community globally, with a particular focus on profiling the work of LGBTQ+ artists and raising awareness of issues important to the community.

Last year – for the first ever Queer Frontiers event –  ARTIQ took over a pop-up space on Old Compton Street during, and with the support of, Pride in London, to provide a platform for and showcase the outstanding talents of a diverse range of international artists, with all artworks available for sale and profits given to LGBTQ+ charity London LGBTQ+ Community Centre.

This year, Queer Frontiers is back, bigger and better than ever, with the exciting news that the event will be sponsored in 2019 by specialist insurer and arts supporter Hiscox. Artworks this year will be sold in aid of the event’s partnering charities, Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) and Switchboard, and the event will once again take place during Pride in London week.

‘‘We are absolutely delighted to welcome Hiscox on board as the new event sponsor this year,” said Patrick McCrae, CEO of ARTIQ. “As a business, our whole ethos is about bridging the gap between the creative and business worlds. This event, with the new support of Hiscox, is a perfect embodiment of that.”

“Celebrating Pride wherever you are means different things to each of us”, added Richard Watson, Group Chief Underwriting Officer, Hiscox. “We’re looking forward to seeing all the artists bringing it to life in the exhibition and beyond.”

The 2019 event will feature a week-long exhibition in central London from July 4 to 10, open to the public, alongside arts programming, including a life-drawing workshop for the young people AKT supports and a panel discussion with Creative Industries Federation.

To kick off proceedings, ARTIQ has released its call-out for artworks to be submitted for inclusion in the exhibition/event, with a final submission date for artworks of midnight, 13th May 2019. Artworks – to be submitted by LGBTQ+ artists and allies – could take any form, from paintings and photographic work to sculptures or screenprints. For 2019, ARTIQ invites entries that celebrate our shifting world and growing awareness around notions of pride, community, and social progress. This could include works responding to the themes of diversity, inclusion, equality, creativity, optimism and kindness. Artists can elect either to give 50 per cent or 100 per cent of the sale of each artwork to our partnership charities, as they see fit, with ARTIQ foregoing all usual commission or fees. Further submission details are available here.

Full exhibition details:

Thursday July 4 – Wednesday July 10
ARTIQ & Hiscox present: Queer Frontiers, 8-10 Brewer St, Soho
OPENING TIMES
Thursday July 4: 10am-5pm (charity workshop 12-2pm)
Friday July 5: 10am-5pm
Saturday July 6: 3pm-5pm (Pride party)
Sunday July 7: 10am-5pm
Monday July 8: 10am-5pm
Tuesday July 9: 10am-5pm (charity workshop 12-2pm)
Wednesday July 10: 10am-3pm

Art consultancy ARTIQ, which celebrates ten years in business this year, encourages businesses to embed creativity into their cultures, harnessing the power of art to improve wellbeing, enhance experience and promote the values and character of their business or brand. To date, ARTIQ and its clients have paid out over £3million to artists, makers and arts institutions. The company also founded and co-sponsors The Graduate Art Prize, now in its seventh year in 2019, which promotes the best young artistic talent emerging from Britain’s colleges and universities.

Christopher Hyde Lighting launches two twists on hotel lighting

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Christopher Hyde Lighting launches two twists on hotel lighting

Christopher Hyde Lighting, based at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, has added  two new products to its contemporary collection…

Christopher Hyde Lighting, which has more than 25 years’ experience in providing lighting for a wide range of interiors, has unveiled two new lighting products that are suitable for a wide range of interior scenes and styles.

A new handmade pendant ‘The Lucerne’ is a satin brass adjustable frame incorporating LED with bubble glass. “This exciting new piece is great for over tables and bars and will compliment and be a talking point for any interior,” said the brand in a press release.

Meanwhile, the dynamic collection of the ‘Granada’ and ‘Seville’ lights has captured a different take on the Christopher Hyde Brand. With inner finishes available in gold, silver and copper leaf these lights are given added luxury.  This exciting collection comes with LED lighting technology.

LEDs are the most energy-efficient bulbs. They use 90 per cent less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs and can pay for themselves through energy savings in just a couple of months. They are customised to fit the clients’ needs and any interior.

Christopher Hyde Lighting is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Christopher Hyde Lighting

CASE STUDY: Surfaces in flexible working areas

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CASE STUDY: Surfaces in flexible working areas

Creating a fresh new look for its offices and stores, Belgian supermarket giant, the Colruyt Group, has turned to UNILIN, division panels, to help it complete the circle and repurpose its old retail and office interior fittings…

The family-owned Colruyt Group is famed for its sustainable approach to retailing and is active in many initiatives positively impacting its entire supply chain.

As part of its drive towards a circular, sustainable approach – that it sees just as important as competitive pricing – the retailer has placed reuse high on its agenda. So, when it came to creating a fresh new look for its offices, it turned to its long-running relationship with UNILIN, division panels, to see what could be done:

“Our current chipboard is 100 per cent circular,” explains specification director, Christof De Poorter. “Comprising 85 per cent recycled wood, the remaining 15 per cent is sourced from thinning and waste flows from the timber industry. We save an average of 5,000 trees per day and reduce CO2 emissions by some 1.2million tonnes a year.”

Colruyt Group took this circular process one step further, delivering its old panels and shelves directly to UNILIN, so that they could be recycled and returned for use in its new offices. UNILIN undertook a sophisticated cleaning process involving a range of technologies including NIR (near infared), sifting, induction and magnetism, before working them into new Evola panels to be used within the retailer’s offices. Selecting H720 BST White Birch and 625 BST Silicon, Colruyt has selected a look that’s fresh, yet easy to maintain and resistant to the knocks of modern working environments. More importantly, it has brought new transparency to the materials it specifies.

“We sense just how important sustainability is to our customers and our circular approach helps them to take action,” continues Christof De Poorter. “Colruyt’s approach and commitment to taking every step possible to become more sustainable shows that consumers are no longer buying just a product, they place a great deal of importance on the complete production chain.”

Colruyt is not the only company to take advantage of UNILIN’s circular chipboard production with more and more organisations looking for positive actions on sustainability to increase transparency and gain competitive advantage.

UNILIN is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: UNILIN

LIVE FROM MILAN: Inside Tom Dixon’s new restaurant and showroom

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LIVE FROM MILAN: Inside Tom Dixon’s new restaurant and showroom

British designer Tom Dixon has gone beyond the exhibition hall at Milan Design Week by unveiling his latest collection of products in the studio’s new permanent restaurant… 

After five years of exhibiting in the traditional way during Milan Design Week, British design studio Tom Dixon has opened a new restaurant and showroom called The Manzoni in Milan to display his latest collection.

The new space has pre-opened and will reopen after the show as a permanent epicentre for guests to view the studio’s latest lighting, furniture and accessories collections.

Aptly named The Manzoni after the Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni, the new 100-cover restaurant has been created by Dixon’s Design Research Studio.”With the city being so active and engaging right now, it is the right time to forget being temporary and build something permanent,” said Dixon. “Just like in London, we don’t think it’s enough to just have a showroom. We need a place where people slow down and experience our products in a live setting.”

Operating as the designer intends his products to be promoted – by being used and handled – The Manzoni is a living and breathing showroom and restaurant, which will be styled in true Tom Dixon style – think reimagined simple shapes, clean and crisp colours and even an immersive green jungle.

“The Manzoni is more than a restaurant,” says Dixon, “It is also an experimental space, a theatrical backdrop.” The concept was created so that guests to the restaurant can browse before they dine while showroom visitors can grab a bite to eat before of after browsing the latest products within the season’s collection. Visitors to both the restaurant and the showroom will be able to see the studio’s products in an active context.

Main image credit: Tom Dixon Studio/The Manzoni

St Regis opens “curated mansion” in Hong Kong

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St Regis opens “curated mansion” in Hong Kong

Renowned interior designer André Fu completes his latest project, St Regis Hong Kong, located in the vibrant district of Wan Chai…

An ode to the cultural diversity and timeless elegance of Hong Kong, The St. Regis Hong Kong has opened and is described as a curated mansion which has been realised through the masterful lens of designer, André Fu.

Design elements throughout the hotel seamlessly combine classic luxury with modern sophistication, incorporating signature details which pay homage to Hong Kong’s rich culture and heritage.

“Hong Kong has always been one of the most attractive destinations for global luxury travelers, and the St. Regis brand is synonymous with timeless luxury and impeccable standards of hospitality,” said Henry Lee, Chief Operations Officer and Managing Director, Greater China, Marriott International. “We are very glad to add The St. Regis Hong Kong to Marriott International’s strong luxury portfolio in the market. The St. Regis Hong Kong represents the very best of the St. Regis brand, with its distinctive design, exquisite fine dining and truly exceptional service.”

Designed for business travellers and culture seekers alike, the 27-storey property boasts 129 appointed guestrooms and suites featuring warm and inviting touches throughout. A residentially-inspired retreat in the heart of Wan Chai, guestrooms at The St. Regis Hong Kong feature wood flooring and accents infused with understated Asian sensibility, deep soaking bathtubs and expansive windows with sweeping views of the harbour and city. The hotel is also home to a heated swimming pool and poolside bar, as well as a health club with a spa treatment room and other luxury amenities.

Image credit: Marriott International/St St Regis

The St. Regis Hong Kong also introduces two exceptional dining concepts to the region with L’Envol and Rùn, each spearheaded by award-winning chefs. At L’Envol, guests can indulge in French Haute cuisine created by chef Olivier Elzer who has accrued a remarkable 18 Michelin stars throughout his career to date. The hotel’s signature Cantonese restaurant, Rùn, is led by renowned chef and winner of the Silver Award in the 2012 Best of the Best Culinary Awards, Hung Chi-Kwong. Famed for his contemporary interpretations of Cantonese cuisine, Chi-Kwong’s restaurant will serve innovative takes on traditional Cantonese fare.

The Drawing Room is an all-day eatery with views of the Terrace. Meanwhile, the St. Regis Bar is a contemporary bar for after-hours digestifs.

The St. Regis Hong Kong is also an all-encompassing events destination with approximately 12,000 sq. ft. of event space across five venues. The sophisticated Astor Ballroom, with its cathedral high ceiling design, is perfectly suited for grand-scale events; while the Rockefeller Room is a versatile space for corporate meetings or more intimate affairs.

The hotel’s opening follows Marriott’s plans to open more than 30 luxury properties this year.

Main image credit: Marriott International/St Regis

LIVE FROM MILAN: The story of LAUFEN captured in installation

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LIVE FROM MILAN: The story of LAUFEN captured in installation

LAUFEN has told its story at the FuoriSalone, Milan, through the eyes of the New York-based studio Snarkitecture: from the clay to the finished ceramic product, an installation reveals the key to LAUFEN’s success…

During the FuoriSalone 2019, Laufen has presented an installation by the visionary New York-based group Snarkitecture, a creative, original way of narrating the company, on the borderline between art and architecture.

The location is Teatro Arsenale, in a building that dates back to 1272, at Carrobbio, inside the 5Vie district in the historical centre of Milan, now an avant-garde hotbed of cultural initiatives.

“The term innovation has many meanings, and all of them become fundamental for us at Laufen,” said Alberto Magrans, Senior Managing Director, LAUFEN. “Beyond our extensive focus on a technological plane, we believe it is important to grow along a path of multi-level research, interaction with stimulating creative counterparts, cultural influence open to a wide spectrum of the world of design and the arts. Collaborating with eclectic personalities and visionary artists like Snarkitecture gives us an opportunity to look at our history, our experience in a new perspective, to live it through new codes of interpretation, with constant reference to our true identity.”

At the entrance to the large space set aside for MATERIALMESSAGE, visitors have been immersed in a sort of canyon, whose walls face off in a dialogue of vivid contrasts: to the left, a mountain composed of 198 tons of raw clay, the same material that is stocked every day in the company’s warehouses, to become the basis of all manufacturing and to te right, a monumental three-dimensional construction composed of 701 Laufen washstands in SaphirKeramik.

Walking through the ravine visitors were able to experience the extraordinary difference between the raw material, in an imposing grey mass, impressive in terms of weight and volume, and the finished industrial product, perfectly designed, always identical, bright white, ultra-light, with a very pure, smooth surface and amazingly limited thickness. To underline these contrasts, Snarkitecture designed a theatrical illuminated scenography with a dramatic passage leading to a secondary installation of two other important protagonists: a large vat of vibrant slip, a mixture of clay and water, representing the first passage of the process of ceramic workmanship, and a video projection that reproduces sequences, sounds and images of the manufacturing.

MATERIALMESSAGE portrays the intrinsic power of a simple material like clay, capable of giving form to excellence when crafted in an impeccable way. The connecting link is the winning formula of Laufen, which blends knowledge, experience, technological innovation, design and fine workmanship.

Laufen is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Laufen

Mercue Brighton Seafront Hotel completes £3m refurbishment

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Mercue Brighton Seafront Hotel completes £3m refurbishment

Mercure Brighton Seafront Hotel has undergone a £3 million-pound transformation of its 116 guestrooms and communal spaces…

Led by local interior designer, Helen Hooper, Mercure Brighton Seafront Hotel haws completed the interior design renovation, which included all 116 guestrooms and public spaces. The redesign of the nineteenth century hotel encapsulates the perfect blend of exquisite Regency splendor, with a dash of quirky Brighton charm.

As a listed building, no structural changes have been made, but the bespoke refurbishment has introduced modern décor throughout, with elements of Brighton’s rich history seen in every room.

“The bespoke carpet is set to make waves, as design inspiration was taken from the ripple effect of the tide going out from the sea.”

A colour palette of inky blues and welcoming whites has transformed the lounge and reception area. The bespoke carpet is set to make waves, as design inspiration was taken from the ripple effect of the tide going out from the sea – which is only a few yards away from the hotel’s doorstep. The lounge has been transformed into an impressive gallery showcasing the finest creations from local artists, really putting Mercure at the heart of Brighton’s buzzing art scene.

“The modernisation of the hotel will make the Mercure a thriving cultural hub for guests, the artwork that can be seen all around the hotel shows how proud we are to be a part of the busy Brighton community,” commented Iain Lindsay, General Manager at Mercure Hotel Brighton Seafront. “We are so happy with how the refurbishment has gone and we are looking forward to welcoming guests, old and new, and hearing their thoughts on our new look hotel.”

The updated cocktail bar and restaurant is unrecognisable with splashes of jewel colours sapphire, emerald, and amber adorning the walls. It’s not just the furnishings that have been given an update, a new food and drink menu will also be launching that reflects the culinary delights that can be locally sourced in and around Brighton. Taste buds will tingle with diners choosing from many delicious options on the menu from the Chef’s signature locally caught fish and chips, battered in Harveys Beer (brewed in Lewes), to the Brighton Deli Burger, made with Sussex Cheddar – for those with a sweet tooth finishing up with the signature Brighton Rock Knickerbocker Glory.

The bar front has become the new home to pieces from the iconic West Pier, which were salvaged from the fire that destroyed it almost two decades ago. The restaurants ceiling has been restored to its original height of just over three meters, making it a decedent room to sit back relax and enjoy drinks, dinner or an indulgent afternoon tea.

Guests of Mercure will step into a seaside wonderland in the newly refurbished bedrooms. The new throws, curtains, carpets and bespoke furnishings provide a fresh and modern look. The 16 sea view rooms have been updated with a plush grey silk effect décor, beautiful glass and brass chandeliers and antique mirror glass on the desk and bedside tables.

Main image credit: Mercure Brighton Seafront Hotel

Managing Director of The Lanesborough confirmed as speaker for Hotel Summit

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Managing Director of The Lanesborough confirmed as speaker for Hotel Summit

Managing Director of The Lanesborough, Marco Novello, has confirmed that he will speak at Hotel Summit, which takes place at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire, on July 8 – 9… 

One year on from succeeding Geoffrey Gelardi as the managing director of The Lanesborough, Marco Novello has confirmed that he will be a speaker at Hotel Summit, which takes place at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire on July 8 – 9.

Novello, who was a finalist at The Brit List 2018, will address the audience at The Summit with a 15 minute presentation on himself and where he is at one year into his role. He will then join editor Hamish Kilburn on stage for a live Q&A, which will focus the conversation on Marco’s plans for the future, how trends dictate what a hotel should offer and the importance of wellness – even in the centre of London where space is limited. The pair will also discuss how The Lanesborough blends technology into its interiors, the importance of a strong relationship between hotelier and interior designer and the challenges that come with being one of London’s most prestigious hotels.

Kilburn, who reviewed the hotel when it first reopened in 2015, said: “We have never had a speakership programme like it for Hotel Summit, and it is such an honour to announce that Marco will join us at this year’s event in its new home at Heythrop Park. Marco is a one-of-the-kind managing directors who, with his incredible team, manages to keep one of London’s most prestigious hotels current and relevant to the luxury market by effortlessly and sensitively reacting to key travel and luxury trends. Marco’s modern vision was exactly what The Lanesborough needed when he was appointed last year, and I look forward to discussing his and the hotel’s journey ahead.”

How to register 

If you are a supplier to the hospitality industry looking to meet top hotel professionals, contact Jennie Lane at j.lane@forumevents.co.uk– or click here to book your place.

If you are a hotelier and would like to attend the Summit, please contact Liam Cloona on l.cloona@forumevents.co.uk – or click here to book your place.

Rendering of beachside project

Corinthia Hotels to debut in the Middle East

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Corinthia Hotels to debut in the Middle East

Corinthia Meydan Beach Dubai, which is slated to open in 2020, will be Corinthia Hotel’s debut property in the Middle East…

Corinthia Hotels has announced that it will open the brand’s first hotel in the Middle East. Due to launch in 2020, the contemporary beachfront hotel marks the beginning of ambitious expansion plans by the hotel group. Corinthia Meydan Beach Dubai will be located on the prestigious JBR beachfront, reflecting the enriching brand values for which Corinthia is known.

Rendering of beachside project

Working in partnership with Meydan Group, Corinthia Meydan Beach has been designed as a new beachfront resort and destination that will aim to reflect both the bliss of the beach and the excitement of the city.

“The energy, vision and quality of resources assembled for this project by Meydan means that this hotel is in the enviable position of offering the market something fresh and new.” – Matthew Dixon, Area Managing Director Middle East, Corinthia Hotels

Situated within Dubai Marina, overlooking a pristine stretch of white sand, the 55-storey hotel will be home to 360 guestrooms and suites. This beachfront landmark will be complete with cascading infinity pools, the region’s first ESPALife Spa and unforgettable culinary experiences. It’s also intelligently designed for spectacular views across to the Dubai Eye and Palm Jumeirah. Internationally renowned American design professionals AE7 have ensured each detail of the hotel has been meticulously considered to create a tribute to the region’s tradition of architectural grandeur and cultural traditions.

Plush interiors in render

Image credit: Corinthia Hotels

“Corinthia Meydan Beach is an exciting addition to the region’s hospitality landscape, representing both a landmark milestone for us as a brand, and for Dubai,” said Corinthia’s Area Managing Director Middle East Matthew Dixon. “The energy, vision and quality of resources assembled for this project by Meydan means that this hotel is in the enviable position of offering the market something fresh and new; an interpretation of heritage, culture and service values that we feel have not yet been bought to the UAE. We are confident that this property will enhance the Corinthia brand in the region, brilliantly enhancing our existing portfolio.”

The existing Corinthia portfolio features the flagship Corinthia London, as well as award-winning Corinthia Hotels in Budapest, Malta, St Petersburg, Prague, Lisbon, Khartoum and Tripoli. From city-centre hotels to coastal resorts, each one is connected by a strong Corinthia philosophy. Inspired by its Mediterranean, family-run heritage, the brand is dedicated to providing uplifting moments, unforgettable experiences and exquisite service.

Main image credit: Corinthia Hotels

In Conversation With: Harry Allnatt, Richmond International

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In Conversation With: Harry Allnatt, Richmond International

Following Hotel Designs’ public unveiling of its 30 Under 30 at Meet Up London, editor Hamish Kilburn catches up with one of the winners, Harry Allnatt from Richmond International, to discuss challenges and opportunities that come with being a young rising star of the industry…

Among Hotel Designs’ celebrated 30 Under 30s, which were spectacularly unveiled at Meet Up London, is Harry Allnatt (29).

A unique and talented young creative whose ability is most certainly not defined by his date of birth, Allnatt is a senior designer at Richmond International. Having been at the firm for eight years, he is now a vital team member who has worked on some of the company’s most important hotel and hospitality projects in recent years, including Four Seasons Hvar, Langham Boston, The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, P&O Britannia and many others.

The foundations of Allnatt’s career started following an early admiration of design. He attended Nottingham Trent University to study furniture design having been inspired by the ethos of the likes of Jasper Morrison. “My goal at the time was more to be an architect and, in my head, furniture design was like mini architecture.” he says. “As part of the course, in 2009, I was encouraged to partake in a placement year. Before I knew it, I was working for an architectural practice in Milan that specialised in hospitality and high-end design.” It was at this point in his career when Allnatt’s curiosity took over. “Why stop there, I thought. I started to think about more than the pieces I was creating, to the room and space around the furniture,” he explained. “Milan certainly enriched my interest in furniture design, but the placement year also exposed me to so many new projects, which led me into the path of interior design.”

As a result of his studies and the valuable experience he gained in the design incubator of Milan, Allnatt started to acquire a unique set of skills as a creative designer in order go beyond  decoration. “It’s actually really helped me to add value to projects, especially when required to design certain looks,” he said. “It also allows me to design interiors and furniture that is not just aesthetically pleasing, but that also meets operational standards – standing the the test of time and enabling staff to maintain excellent service.” An exceptional example of this is The Sterling Suite in The Langham London, which is frequently praised for its effortless functionality and timeless feel. Allnatt admitted to working on almost all of the six-bedroom suite’s casegoods and laughs: “I don’t think I could do that one again.”

The plush Sterling Suite at Langham London

Image caption: The Sterling Suite, Langham London

Approaching every project around peoples’ movements and behaviors, Allnatt’s ethos is a tight fit for Richmond International, which is known for being a company that designs awe-inspiring hotels that are also practical spaces. “I’m inspired by stripping things back to discover what is necessary,” he says. “To me, that’s what makes a beautiful project – and it’s this approach that is now very relevant in interior design. If a space is designed to be used well, then it will enrich the overall experience of the people using it.” Allnatt’s explanation gives credence to the obvious shift in how modern design is perceived by those checking in; the knowledgeable and more aware consumer.

Unchartered waters ahead

With its prestigious reputation on the international hotel design stage, Richmond International was asked to repackage its luxury hotel visions onto the high seas. With the aim to modernise all spaces, the team, led by Director Terry McGillicuddy, were asked by P&O Cruises to redesign two new ships, Britannia and Iona. “Britannia was by far the most challenging project, purely because of the amount I had to learn and work out on the job,” explains Harry. “I learnt quickly about the regulations from Terry, P&Os incredible technical team and the shipyard. However, going from designing for land to designing for sea was a challenge, but I am so proud that we were one of the first hotel designers to really tackle a project of that magnitude at sea.”

Simple, minimalist cabin on board P&O Britannia

Image credit: P&O Britannia

Following the success of both vessels, Allnatt, the retentive designer, is now a senior designer working on the firm’s next marine project, to create the interiors of a new luxury cruise liner of which the details are yet to be unveiled. “It really is like designing a city on the sea,” Allnatt laughs. “The beauty of it [designing cruise ships] is that we get to create so many different spaces – from the casinos to the theatres, cabins to bars.”

The challenges for young designers

Being young in an industry full of legends can be daunting, to say the least, which adds to weight on the shoulders of having to prove oneself as an individual. The somewhat right-of-passage feeling of unease and overwhelming responsibility that comes to us all in the start of our journey, was for Allnatt the time to stand out. “The industry is saturated with great designers, and the landscape is so subjective,” he explains. “Creating an identity and establishing yourself, inside and outside the company I believe is one of the major challenges that young designers have to face in our industry.”

QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Hamish Kilburn: What’s your favourite colour?
Harry Allnatt: Blue, I love grey and all the different shades.

HK: What’s been your favourite year so far?
HA: 2018 was the year that shaped me the most. It’s been lovely having a local project in London and seeing it through from concept to site completion. Seeing something take shape on a daily basis has been very rewarding, but not without it’s problems.

HK: What is your favourite hotel?
HA: Rosewood London because it all ties together. The rose-bronze gallery from the courtyard entrance, the staff uniform… even the guest signage, which is an open book sitting on a plinth. There is an unmatched sense of discovery in this hotel. Details you notice makes the space more than just a good-looking luxury hotel.

HK: Are there any shortcuts or secrets for getting ahead?
HA: I wish I knew them. It’s as simple as working hard and soaking up information as a sponge. Being a designer is a lifestyle.

HK: Where’s next on your travel bucket list?
HA: I would love to go to the Amalfi Coast.

HK: Who is your current design icon?
HA: Tony Chi and Yabu Pushelberg. They both fool you into thinking a detail is simple, but the process of making something look simple is complicated. 

Having worked on a variety projects, Allnatt is grateful to the company that supports him in becoming a rising star. “Without Richmond International I would not have been given these incredible opportunities to work on so many amazing projects,” he says while reflecting. “Working in collaboration with Vivienne Westwood’s team, for example, on the London West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, was an incredible experience. The aim was to merge fashion and design together, and during this project we created a feature console inspired by their prints and graphics – it was great!”

Large and spacious public area of plush suite

Image Caption: Penthouse of London West Hollywood

The sensitive designer who sits before me is a knowledgeable leader who makes the most of the opportunities that present themselves – and is, as such, a worthy name alongside 29 others who deserves to be included in Hotel Designs’ 30 Under 30.

Rendering of the Wet Deck, one of the hotel's two pools

W Hotels announces second arrival in Bali

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W Hotels announces second arrival in Bali

W Bali – Ubud is set to bring a new level of W’s bold design to the cultural heart of Bali…

W Hotels Worldwide has announced the signing of W Bali – Ubud, the brand’s newest W Escape, which is being developed in partnership with Indonesia’s Ruang Teknik Group.

The expansion into Ubud marks the second W Hotel in Indonesia, following the opening of W Bali – Seminyak in 2010.

Rendering of the Wet Deck, one of the hotel's two pools

Positioned on a hilltop, deliberately oriented toward the morning sun rising in the east, and southwards over stunning, unobstructed views of the Tanggayuda Valley, W Bali – Ubud is expected to reinvent the dreamy Ubud experience with eclectic, surprising art and design set amongst a versatile vibe that is at once laid back and social.

“Ubud is a hidden destination like no other, where legends and nature intertwine with everyday life to create a magical sense of adventure,” said Anthony Ingham, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide. “W Bali – Ubud is an exciting next step for us. We are applying a unique, vibrant sensibility to this hotel, one that has not been seen before on the island. W Bali – Ubud will combine the brand’s boundary-breaking approach to design with the rich cultural, spiritual and artistic influences of Ubud to show off the best of this incredible locale and all we’ve learned in the decade since W debuted in Indonesia.”

The hotel’s design will redefine modern luxury in the destination, taking inspiration from social, historical and physical insights and embedding elements of each into the rooms and public spaces. Upon entering the hotel, guests will be immersed in modern interpretations of traditional Balinese art styles with works from local artists, that lead to breath-taking lounges perfect for soaking in spectacular jungle sunsets as sounds of cool beats drift through the air. The hotel will offer 100 inspired guestrooms, including 10 villas with private swimming pools and an EWOW suite (the brand’s take on the traditional Presidential Suite).

As the brand’s newest W Escape, W Bali – Ubud will bring a bold new take on international cuisine with a Balinese twist to multiple on-site bars and restaurants. Traditional Asian flavors intertwine with international influences at the stylish all-day dining restaurant Morinda. Meanwhile, Synn, a specialty restaurant featuring the finest of Balinese and world cuisines will be an underground sensation, literally. The new restaurant is partially underground, opening towards a jungle cliff.

“Bali’s hotel market continues to see strong growth and it remains a major destination in Marriott International’s footprint,” said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “We look forward to partnering with Ruang Teknik Group in introducing W Bali Ubud, the second W-branded hotel in this market.”

W Bali – Ubud is slated to join the brand’s robust portfolio of more than 50 hotels around the globe, including the recently opened W Dubai – The Palm (February 2019), as well as the soon-to-open W Aspen, W Ibiza and W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island following Marriott announcing that it will add 30 new luxury hotels to its thriving portfolio this year.

Main image credit: Marriott International/W Hotels

LIVE FROM MILAN: Minotti unveils 2019 indoor collection

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LIVE FROM MILAN: Minotti unveils 2019 indoor collection

During Milan Design Week’s Salone del Mobile, Minotti has finally lifted the lid on its highly anticipated 2019 indoor collection…

Hot off the heels of being at the centre of the action as the style partner for Meet Up London, Minotti has yet again raised the level of furniture design with the unveiling of its 2019 Collection during Milan Design Week.

Collection after collection, year after year, Minotti’s unquenchable passion can be sensed from all corners of the design-hub city.

For the 2019 Collection, the furniture company has conceived a new stylistic code, a new vision of the interior with surprising suggestions and atmospheres which play host to our new designs. Its intention is to provide food for thought in a surprising, creative, practical and dynamic way, to all those who choose our brand around the world.

The new collection, coordinated by Rodolfo Dordoni with Minotti Studio, brings a new vision of the living area to life, in which seating systems and furniture outline structured spaces and reveal new geometries in a continuous alternation of curves and straight lines. The result is a surprising variety of compositional solutions featuring unexpected combinations of textures and materials.

“Our partnership with designers with strong identities rooted in different cultures forge ahead with the 2019 Collection,” the company explains in its press material. “By seamlessly becoming part of the “Minotti project” they [the designers] have joined us in enhancing the new collection, so creating a renewed stylistic code with an international flavour.”

Alongside Rodolfo Dordoni, the new collection welcomes the signature of Christophe Delcourt from France, Nendo from Japan and Marcio Kogan / studio mk27 from Brazil, also witnessing the début of Danish studio GamFratesi.

Below is a handfull of the individual pieces in the collection:

DANIELS – Christophe Delcourt design

Comparable to a landscape design project, where carefully plotted combinations of elements create a new domestic scenery, the Daniels seating system redesigns the living areas with brand new compositions, in which regular curves and ellipses interrupt the linearity of the layouts, imbuing them with a more dynamic momentum.

The seats are designed based on the concepts of full modularity and maximum comfort, and feature a single cushion. The vast design system also includes decisively large chaise-longue couches with curved seating areas.

The frame of the back, and the combination of two different depths produces an effect in which the backrests appear to overlap, creating movement at the back which dispels the perception of the sofa as a continuous screen when set in the centre of the room, as well as making it possible to add the Clive console table, which further accentuates its motion.

AMBER – Christophe Delcourt design

With a design that develops a quarter, eighth and sixteenth of a circle into three-dimensional elements, the Amber low units give the impression of modular furniture with countless configurations, flaunting forms that twist and turn in the space.

They are designed to stand alone or for use as part of an arrangement, as individual features or combined in seating systems, creating interesting contrasts between hard and soft materials that convey a dynamic effect to the various solutions.

LAWSON – Rodolfo Dordoni design

With the fluid line of its shapes and the equilibrium of its soft volumes, the Lawson seating system explores different types of seats, offering innovative solutions that push out the traditional style boundaries, ranging from small lounge armchairs to the larger easy chair, and even sofas.

WEST – Rodolfo Dordoni design

A faceting effect livens up and interrupts the cubism that sets the morphology of the West seating system apart from the clichés of modern design. Characterised by its suitability for use in a wide range of different contemporary and traditional arrangements, West also features glints of pure creativity, such as the chaise-longue, available in pentagonal or hexagonal form and the elements that stand out for their striking backrests in saddle hide, ergonomically shaped to rise and support the rear cushion.

ANGIE – GamFratesi design

A saddle hide element designs a wing that embraces the armchair, sustaining the frame like a sculptural bustier, characterised inside by the inviting softness of the seat and backrest. Behind the apparent simplicity of the design lies an advanced technological process used to make both the padding with different textures of foam and the saddle hide bustier, made using two different Baydur moulds, which perfectly follows the curved line of the armchair and available in Bordeaux, Ash, Dove Grey, Sage, Mud, Moka and Black colours.

The GamFratesi studio, signing the design, worked on the idea of contrast, emphasising it and juxtaposing the stiff frame of the saddle hide element with the softness of the upholstered part, which can also be seen on the back, so setting the scene for interesting colour combinations of saddle hide and fabric.

SHELLEY – GamFratesi design

Distinguished by its elegant formal cubist shape, Shelley sports a linear geometry, enhanced by the presence of saddle hide and its accurate processing technique.

Its characteristic alluring saddle hide volume hosts cushions covered in fabric and opens at the front on the sides to reveal the inviting seat, while the rear part accommodates the body in a soft embrace. The saddle hide also serves to bind the legs together, wrapping itself round them and allowing the top part to emerge, ending in a fine decorative detail with Black Nickel finish.

The bearing frame reveals interesting shape solutions, such as the sloping front legs, slightly open at the sides or the tightness of the saddle hide at the base of the chair, which gradually loosens in an elegant tapering effect towards the exterior of the top part. Sartorial details, such as neat piping, define the edges of the cushions, with those of the backrest and armrest designed as three separate elements.

SUITCASE LINE – Rodolfo Dordoni design

The iconic cubic Suitcase armchair, designed by Rodolfo Dordoni in 1997, gets an overhaul in the 2019 edition of Suitcase Line, providing a contemporary take on the concept and geometric rigour of the original piece, characterised by new details.

With the chrome feet that originally supported the armchair now removed, the volume sits on the floor and features four flawless strips in aluminium on the corners that provide a glimpse of the upholstery at the end. The strips are painted in an all-new Brandy colour finish that adds depth to the metal.

As recalled by Rodolfo Dordoni, who designed it the same year he had started the collaboration with Minotti, “Suitcase was born as a declaration of intent, indicating the change that Minotti wanted to give to its new path. It was an armchair without particular features, without exuberance in form, minimal, but with a different interpretation. It was enough dressing it up, putting a dress on it to mark the subsequent phase of interpretation of the product. We have added new sensations to its lines, the same work we did on the shapes has been applied to the surfaces, too. This has been the strong intuition.”

GRANT – Rodolfo Dordoni design

A coloured top – in Mulberry, Olive, Rust and Smoke – that plays around with the transparencies and texture of the glass, treated using a special fusion process, is the distinguishing feature of the Grant coffee table.

Made of metal, it has a one-piece crown-shaped frame in a polished Chrome or painted Black finish, with legs tapered towards the bottom.

The tactile sensoriality of the top, with its slightly wavy surface characteristic of pieces in fused glass,  is contrasted by the plasticity of the forms, endowing a simple furnishing element with a sculptural feel.

Minotti is an Italian company, established in 1948, with a solid reputation at an international level as an excellent expression of “Made in Italy” in the field of contemporary furniture design and ambassador of a classic-modern lifestyle in the residential and hospitality segments.

Show-stopping LED illumination installation unveiled at One Bartholomew

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Show-stopping LED illumination installation unveiled at One Bartholomew

Signbox, the award-winning signage pioneer, has transformed a wall art concept into an LED illumination installation at One Bartholomew, London…

Following the completion of Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Limassol, the signage company Signbox has completed a complex neon bar code wall art concept into a show-stopping LED illumination installation at One Bartholomew, an iconic new Grade A office building in Barts Square in the City of London.

Commissioned to deliver a CAT A signage project by architect, Sheppard Robson, on behalf of contractor, Mace Group, Signbox went on to devise a compelling solution for the architect’s ambitious bar code scheme that would create an exhilarating visual impact within the building’s vast, double-height reception space.

One Bartholomew is a 12-storey, 221,000 sq.ft office building with stunning views over Barts Square, St Pauls and the City skyline and is owned by property investor, Helical plc. Its ground floor is now dominated by the remarkable installation that spells out the building’s name in bar code and the commanding presence of its unique neon composition has led to a remarkable transformation for users and visitors of this cutting-edge space.

This was, however, to prove a demanding project, as Greg Bailey, Senior Project Manager at Signbox, revealed. “Creating a solution that would articulate the architect’s vision was not without its difficulties,” he explained. ‘The complex cabling and environmental factors had initially seemed insurmountable but, after much collaboration and feasibility research, our team devised a solution that would enable us to interpret and execute the scheme to achieve the desired impact.

“The project was not without its physical challenges either – the installation was huge, weighing in at almost a metric tonne and measuring 15,000 x 3,000mm overall. Maintaining the physical integrity of the unit along with the elaborate lighting and cable systems that would support it, meant we had to come up with a highly imaginative approach to both the manufacture and delivery of this project.”

The installation is suspended in front of a mechanically fixed stone wall cladding system and recessed lighting troughs were required to render the intricate LED cabling invisible. The lighting raft was also a substantial size – it was manufactured in aluminium in five, three-metre sections so it could be transported to the new building ready for assembly on site. The face elements of the bar code were fabricated from a specialist Perspex that would optimise the installation’s colour performance and impede any potential LED hotspots, while 3M translucent vinyls ensured the precise colour gradients could be achieved and present this ingeniously branded signage exercise to best effect.

Indeed, such has been the impact of the installation on this City space, it has fast-become a referenced landmark for visitors to One Bartholomew, and also to those in its immediate vicinity where the illuminated bar code is projected across the interior space – and out onto the streets outside.

LIVE FROM MILAN Foster + Partners and LG unveil world’s first rollable LED TV

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LIVE FROM MILAN Foster + Partners and LG unveil world’s first rollable LED TV

Architectural firm Foster + Partners has collaborated with LG to design and launch the world’s first rollable OLED TV during Milan Design Week…

Launching during Milan Design Week, architectural firm Foster + Partners has unveiled the world’s first rollable OLED TV in reaction to the rising demand for discreet technology. Raising the bar in consumer technology, the new LG SIGNATURE OLED TV R, the world’s first rollable TV.

The practice has designed the TV’s external geometry and finishes as well as playing an active part in creating specific internal mechanisms. The screen technology is set to redefine the idea of the television and the living spaces it occupies.

“The design is a creative response to the challenge of creating invisible technology that is unobtrusive with a quiet sculptural presence,” said Mike Holland, Head of Industrial Design at Foster + Partners. “It dematerialises the screen, which can be automatically rolled in and out of a discreet minimalist rectangular enclosure when needed, offering a sense of liberation to design interior spaces.”

The television is omnipresent in most living spaces, and with screen sizes getting bigger it often dominates a room even when not being used. The new LG OLED rollable screen allows freedom from walls and offers a sense of liberation to design interior spaces. It features a sculptural minimalist rectangular volume crafted from aluminium, which contains the rolling mechanism and integrated speaker, fronted by matching tonal fabric. The ultra-thin screen rises from the top of this box, supported by a sprung steel backing and slender arms. The minimal detail and simplicity of design allows it to become part of a variety of interior spaces.

The stand will be on display at Tortona Zone, Superstudio Più from April 9th to April 14.

Main image credit: Foster + Partners/LG

Great Hotels of The World confirmed to speak at Hotel Summit

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Great Hotels of The World confirmed to speak at Hotel Summit

Pedro Colaco, the CEO of Great Hotels of The World, will join editor Hamish Kilburn  for an engaging seminar at Hotel Summit on how hotels can increase revenue by channeling bleisure trends… 

Following an exclusive interview with Hotel Designs, Great Hotels of The World (GHOTW) has confirmed that it will speak at the up-coming Hotel Summit, which takes place on July 8 – 9 at Herythrop Park, Oxfordshire.

The CEO of the company, Pedro Colaco will join editor Hamish Kilburn for the live seminar and Q&A entitled: How to increase revenue by utilising on blesiure trends. “I’m delighted to be a part of this year’s Hotel Summit representing Great Hotels of the World, discussing the importance of bleisure travel in today’s market,” said Colaco. “We believe that the lines between leisure and work are blurring, and will dominate the travel industry for years to come. Hence, we handpick the upscale hotels that we represent in the GHOTW portfolio to cater to this growing demographic of corporate travellers who expect more from their hotel experience, and advise our members on how to make the most of their offerings and market them proactively to fit the bleisure trend.”

The topic was decided after a recent study by GHOTW concluded that 75 per cent of business travellers would extend their business trip for leisure purposes. The live session will explore how hoteliers can operate flexible working spaces that are suitable for both business and leisure travellers. The seminar will aim to identify ways in which hotel owners and managers can increase revenue.

“Pedro’s knowledge and first-hand experience in transforming hotels into becoming beleisure gems is something that really inspires me to ‘go big or go home’ on this topic,” said Kilburn. “I am thrilled that Pedro and I are putting this topic under the spotlight for this session, and I am looking forward to hearing the conversations and debates ripple out of the seminar room.”

The Hotel Summit is specifically organised for senior professionals who are directly responsible for purchasing and procurement within their organisation, and those who provide the latest and greatest products and services within the sector.

A highly focused event that brings together hotel professionals and key industry solution providers, the Summit consists of one-to-one business meetings, interactive seminars and valuable networking opportunities; in less than two days!

How to register 

If you are a supplier to the hospitality industry looking to meet top hotel professionals, contact Jennie Lane at j.lane@forumevents.co.uk– or click here to book your place.

If you are a hotelier and would like to attend the Summit, please contact Liam Cloona on l.cloona@forumevents.co.uk – or click here to book your place.

LIVE FROM MILAN: Tarkett collaborates with Note Design Studio to unveil Formations

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LIVE FROM MILAN: Tarkett collaborates with Note Design Studio to unveil Formations

Tarkett and Note Design Studio have joined forces during Milan Design Week to collaborate on the installation Formations…

Inspired by forms on multiple scales, an installation between Tarkett and Note Design Studio is described as an echo of archetypal design principles, a modern industrial material like no other and an iconic backdrop rich in history.

During Milan Design Week 2019, Tarkett, which was an event partner for Meet Up London, together with Note Design Studio are exploring the creative possibilities of its new collection iQ Surface.

Formations is an exhibition that questions notions of scale, by taking architectural archetypes and turning them on their head. Owning the space of the historic Circolo Filologico Milanese, the installation is a celebration and homage to how design language can be twisted into new creative phrases.

Formations introduces the new sustainable vinyl collection iQ Surface – the first collection created for Tarkett by Note Design Studio. Made from 25.5 per cent recycled material, iQ Surface is designed not just as a flooring material, but as an architectural surface for walls and furniture too. In Formations, Note use the creative versatility of the new collection to explore notions of scale and colour blocking. By presenting material normally found underfoot in a startling new context, Note aims to provoke a powerful emotional impact on the public – and inspire architects, designers and other material specifiers to push the boundaries of material convention.

Main image credit: Note Design Studio

LIVE FROM MILAN: Pedrali unveils new collection

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LIVE FROM MILAN: Pedrali unveils new collection

Pedrali has presented its latest collection at Salone del Mobile during Milan Design Week… 

Ten new products are currently being presented by Pedrali at the Salone del Mobile during Milan Design Week. The pieces are being unveiled alongside some of Pedrali’s more iconic collections, giving character to the Palace of Wonders.

Soul Outdoor – pure creativity
Design: Eugeni Quitllet

Soul Outdoor is a new, special evolution of the original version made in bent wood and launched by Eugeni Quitllet last year. The inspiration is the same that the Catalan designer defines as “a link between the concrete and the abstract, between the real world and that of dreams, between past and future… the unspoiled state of creation”. An armchair able to express an idea of uncontaminated and pure creativity, defined by its soul.
A curved aluminium tubular frame, with classical shapes but solid proportions, clasps an ergonomic seat in shaped teak slats, almost like an embrace. The contrast between the two outdoor materials and the aesthetic result of the aluminium shininess make this armchair innovative and original. The lines of Soul Outdoor are accentuated by the fluidity of aluminium, which ensures strength and lightness, while presenting a strong visual impact.
The Soul original version, suitable for furnishing elegant and refined indoor spaces, has a solid ash frame combined with an ergonomic polycarbonate seat, which appears suspended.

In January, Soul received the Special Mention of the German Design Award 2019 in the Excellent Product Design Furniture category.
Materials: Soul Outdoor with aluminium tube frame Ø30 mm and seat with teak slats. Soul with solid ash frame and polycarbonate seat.
Finishes: Soul Outdoor with polished, anodized or powder coated aluminium combined with teak seat with water-based oil treatment. Soul in bleached ash with a transparent or white seat; black ash with a transparent smoky grey or black seat; walnut stained ash with a transparent or white seat.

Colourful scene with chairs

Image credit: Pedrali Soul Outdoor

HÉRA – fluidity of shapes
Design: Patrick Jouin

Wood – the ultimate natural raw material – is the inspiration behind Héra, the new armchair designed by Patrick Jouin for Pedrali. In true respect for the material Jouin chose to preserve it by purifying this design and presenting an extremely refined, fluid form.
Available in ash or American walnut, this armchair embodies the concept of lightness, fusing it with comfort: the backrest, in three-dimensional bent plywood of 6mm thickness, has a remarkably elegant and ergonomic design, while its upholstered seat in polyurethane foam supported by elastic belts gives great cosiness.
The rectangular-section legs with round edge display an attention to detail that makes this item particularly suited for use in some of the world’s leading hotels and restaurants.

This armchair blends the Italian company’s know-how with the finest handcrafted joinery techniques; it is the result of years of interaction, research and close collaboration between the French designer and Pedrali.
The wooden elements of the ash version of Héra are FSC-certified and finished with organic water-based paints. The use of raw materials sourced from certified forests and of water-based paints made principally from plant-derived resins is a guarantee of the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Materials: frame in solid ash or American walnut; three-dimensional bent plywood backrest of 6mm thickness; seat upholstered in flexible expanded polyurethane foam, with elastic belts.
Finishes: bleached ash or American walnut; upholstery in fabric or leather.

FOLK – now traditional chair
Design: CMP Design

Folk collection accentuates the quest for simplicity. Its friendly character, the warmth of ash wood, the soft and compact dimensions, human lines seamlessly convey the concept of a chair that speaks a universal language. The power of proportions is clearly evident in the time-tested forms, re-elaborated with the new possibilities offered by technology. A light, durable die-casted aluminium ring, becomes the structural and distinctive element which enables the piece to be easily disassembled for recycling purposes or to replace its components. The solid ash frame snugly embraces the aluminium ring that holds the seat, which is available in ash plywood, upholstery, or cane seat. This last version guarantees visual lightness and maximum durability thanks to the nylon yarn woven into the wicker material. The bent plywood backrest ensures total comfort and cosiness.

The collection includes a chair and a barstool in two heights (650 and 750 mm) with a footrest.
The wooden elements of Folk are FSC-certified and finished with organic water-based paints. The use of raw materials sourced from certified forests and of water-based paints made principally from plant-derived resins is a guarantee of the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Materials: frame in ash, ring in die-casted aluminium. Seat in ash plywood, upholstery or natural cane seat, with grey nylon yarn woven into the wicker.
Finishes: bleached or black lacquered ash; aluminium, polished or powder coated in various colours. Fabric, leather or simil leather upholstery.

Jamaica – Italian bohème
Design CMP Design

Designed by CMP Design, the name of this collection was inspired by Bar Jamaica in Milan’s Via Brera, a legendary hub for intellectuals and artists in the twentieth century. The elegance of this chair speaks of an age in which art,
technology and the imagination came together to give a human face to the aesthetics of machines, reimagining a peaceful world with creative sociability.
The result is a modernist collection which reworks the classic forms of the past with a contemporary edge by changing the ways in which traditional materials of bent plywood and tubular metal are used. In Jamaica, the warmth of the ash plywood used on the legs, with a variable tickness, and the shell, featuring a central lumbar support, is masterfully paired with the tubular steel backrest, which adds a subtle chromatic element and is more curved in the armchair version. The shell can be fully padded and upholstered in fabric, optimising the comfort of the seat and allowing numerous customised options. The wooden elements of Folk are FSC-certified and finished with bio water-based paints. The use of raw materials sourced from certified forests and of water-based paints made principally from plant-derived resins is a guarantee of our company’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Materials: legs and shell in ash plywood; steel tube Ø16 mm.
Finishes: bleached or black lacquered ash; powder-coated steel, antique brass, black nickel. Fabric or leather upholstery.

Image credit: Pedrali Jamaica

ELINOR TABLE – a classy hug
Design: Claudio Bellini

The Elinor collection is the result of the collaboration inaugurated last year with Claudio Bellini, leader designer of the office furniture contemporary scene. Elinor table springs from a new perception of space; the concept brings to mind the soft, curving lines of the namesake executive chair, conveying a refined yet contemporary image. The result is a product with premium aesthetic credentials that meets the needs of a constantly-changing market. Designed to furnish contemporary office spaces and domestic settings, the Elinor table has a simple yet distinctive design, with carefully refined details. The base is formed of two moulded elements of fixed dimensions, made from rigid polyurethane foam and upholstered in genuine leather; they support a table top in ultra-thin 6mm solid laminate, with rounded lacquered MDF support beneath it which conceals the steel structure. The Elinor tables can be adapted; the two elements of the base can be positioned in several ways to create different geometric arrangements, allowing a variety of aesthetic results. These moulded elements, when arranged in an asymmetric way, donates lightness to the setting thanks to the space between them, by ensuring great stability. The table tops can be square (1500 x 1500mm) or rectangular (1100 x 2000mm, 1100 x 2600mm, 1100 x 3000mm), always feature soft edges.
Also available with a central cable management for office environments.
Materials: top in solid laminate; support in MDF, structure in steel; base in rigid polyurethane foam upholstered in genuine leather.
Finishes: genuine or simil leather upholstery; tops in black, arabescato white or black marble Fenix, or in white compact full colour solid laminate.

BUDDY SOFA – friendly spirit
Design: Busetti Garuti Redaelli
The successful Buddy collection expands its horizons, enriched with a new furniture solution: a two- and three-seater sofa designed for the living room at home, but equally suitable for waiting rooms, informal office meetings, or lounge areas in the contract and hospitality sector.
While it still reflects the collection’s friendly, reassuring design, this sofa adds further comfort to the seat, thanks to a combination of four different densities of polyurethane foam supported by elastic belts, offering greater softness for a domestic environment in which one feels truly pampered.
The sofa is incredibly versatile: not only is it available with or without armrests, but several seating modules can be positioned together. Available in two sizes: 2480 x 900 x 735 mm and 1800 x 900 x 735 mm.
Version with removable covers available on request.
Materials: fireproof polyurethane foam in four different densities, upholstered in fabric, leather or simil leather; steel frame, aluminium legs Ø25 mm.
Finishes: powder coated aluminium or antique brass.

TRIBECA LOUNGE – Fasten your seatbelt!
Design CMP Design

Tribeca collection gains new elements, highlighting its fresh, dynamic, colourful and playful side. A lounge chair and a two-seater sofa which, like the chair, armchair and stool, evoke the comforting echoes of the past, offering a modern reinterpretation of the classic Sixties patio chairs made from steel and woven cord.
An outdoor icon, revisited through new materials: a webbing in vertically-woven extruded PVC with a nylon core that is truly durable, easy to clean and colourful, is combined with the solid tubular frame. Handcrafted with the highest attention to detail, this chair is incredibly soft and comfortable, and puts a contemporary twist on tradition with cutting-edge design and quality.
Materials: steel tube frame Ø20mm powder coated for outdoor use, back and seat in woven extruded PVC with nylon core, UV resistant.
Finishes: white, pink, red, terracotta, brown, blue, sage green.

REMIND – between mind & heart
Design Eugeni Quitllet

“Remind, or call back to mind – a concept rendered in Latin by the word ‘re-cordis’, meaning ‘to pass through the heart”. (Eugeni Quitllet)
Mind and heart have been both essential to create Remind: the heart in its creation and the mind in its production. While evoking the soft sinuous curves of wooden chairs from the late nineteenth century, Remind’s organic silhouette recalls “something never seen before”, a universal shape able to fit into any space and style of decor. The result is an innovative polypropylene armchair, in which each element is conceived to ensure total comfort and cosiness. The breathable texture makes it airy and even lighter. Made from injection-moulded polypropylene, the armchair is functional and versatile, perfect for both outdoor and indoor spaces.
REMIND PIXEL: It’s time for creative flair and personalisation. Now, the perforated backrest of Remind can be decorated with tiny colourful pixels made from polypropylene, so anyone can become an artist by creating infinite patterns: a number, a letter of the alphabet, an object, or simply a dash of contrasting colour.
Pedrali’s plastic furniture is made using premium raw materials and is recyclable and eco-compatible. Our polypropylene products are 100% recyclable, demonstrating the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Materials: single-material chair in polypropylene charged with glass fiber; polyopropylene pixels.
Finishes: beige, sand, green, red, grey, black. Pink, red and black pixels.

TAMARA – roaring Twenties
Design Basaglia Rota Nodari

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of its lighting collection, coinciding with the thirtieth edition of Euroluce, Pedrali presents Tamara, a lamp that successfully blends style and elegance. This new suspension light takes inspiration from the shape of the headlights of early twentieth-century automobiles, paying homage to Tamara de Lempicka, modernist painter, icon of elegance and charm, who in her famous self-portrait is behind the wheel of a green Bugatti. Made from aluminium powder coated in various colours, Tamara stands out for its soft form, in which fleeting, rounded yet angular lines combine to make a versatile product. The light produced provides direct illumination of the surface beneath; however, an opening in the upper section of the shade, and the convex profile of the closer in opaline polycarbonate, allows a delicate band of light to shine onto the ceiling.

Tamara offers interesting compositions for geometric effects that give a unique look to any room.
Materials: aluminium diffuser Ø180 mm; opaline polycarbonate closer.
Finishes: powder coated aluminium with matte paint in various colours, or in satin brass or satin copper finishes; cable and ceiling rose available in black or white.

ARKI-TABLE adjustable – a perfect balance
Design Pedrali R&D

Arki-Table optimises its ability to meet the needs of flexibility and functionality of most modern working spaces, with a new version with the height-adjustable top. Suitable for meeting rooms and work stations, this table is able to adapt to his users and their needs, making real the concept of smart and dynamic office.
Two electric actuators, connected to a control unit and activated by two buttons placed under the top, move as one and allow to choose the ideal height of the top, from 740 to 1140 mm, to have maximum comfort during the workday.
Available in white or black full colour versions, Arki-Table adjustable has an ultra-thin 6mm solid laminate top with central cable management with a cover (150 x 600mm), steel trestle legs and an extruded aluminium support.

Top in solid laminate 6 mm in three dimensions: 1000 x 2000mm; 1000 x 2400mm; 1000 x 3000mm white, black or grey.
Materials: solid laminate top 6 mm; steel legs; extruded aluminium support.
Finishes: top in white full colour, black, in three different grey or in black Fenix.

designjunction to return to Kings Cross

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designjunction to return to Kings Cross

The highly anticipated trade and consumer event, designjunction, will return to Kings Cross, London from September 19 – 22…

designjunction, which annually arrives fashionably late for London Design Festival, will return to Kings Cross in London from September 19 – 22. The trade and consumer event, which last year for the first time in its history took place on the city’s Southbank and was attended by more than 27,000 visitors across five days, will present more than 200 global design brands across multiple King’s Cross locations surrounding UAL Central Saint Martin’s building.

Following mass transformation to the area, King’s Cross is home to Coal Drops Yard, which is a shopping and restaurant district designed by architecture firm Heatherwick Design Studio. The area is now the home for 67 acres of inspiring businesses including Google, Universal Music Group and Tom Dixon Studio. With an annual footfall of approximately 20 million people, the area has become a vibrant cultural scene.

Presenting the latest in cutting-edge design each year during the LDF, designjunction is described as London’s leading contemporary interior design show, facilitating connections between architects, interior designers, retailers and exhibitors. Encompassing the best in furniture, lighting, jewellery and home accessories, the event is a place for industry leaders to gather with the widest variety of influential and international designers.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be returning to this vibrant, connected part of London, and to once again be working closely with King’s Cross,” said designjunction’s Director, Mark Gordon. “Coal Drops Yard has opened since we were last at this location, so there’s a whole new experience we can offer our visitors. This is an incredibly exciting year for designjunction and our return gives us the opportunity to continue working with the best designers in the industry to create fantastic installations.”

Cubitt House will be the go-to-place to see more than 100 international furniture and lighting brands. The Canopy will shelter a curated mix of design-led products and high-end accessories to cutting-edge tech, jewellery, ceramics and stationary. Cubitt Park will become the discovery area, where the show will present the latest cutting-edge design alongside eateries, bars and installations.

For eight years running, designjunction has attracted thousands of architects, interior designers, specifiers, retailers, buyers and consumers to its show doors. Each year its exhibitors make lasting connections with influential figures in the design industry, designed to create partnerships that are made to last.

Main image credit: designjunction

LIVE FROM MILAN: First images of Swedish Design Moves’ exhibition

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LIVE FROM MILAN: First images of Swedish Design Moves’ exhibition

The first images of Swedish Design Moves’ returning exhibition at Milan Design Week have been released…

Inspired by sustainable materials and the complex relationship between nature and technology, Swedish Design Moves’ HEMMA gone wild has launched during Milan Design Week. The exhibition, which takes place until April 14 in the Brera Design District, is a sequel to the 2018 exhibition, HEMMA – Stories of Home.

Curated and designed by Joyn Studio, HEMMA gone wild invites visitors to experience an abstract and playful vision of home, from hallway to living room and onwards through an unfolding scenography that showcases the best of Swedish design, drawn by curiosity and a mood of mystery. Home is a place of refuge and security – but it can also be a place from which to escape.

“Swedish landscape represents where we are from but it is only one element of our story. It was important to us that this dynamic flow of influence be reflected throughout HEMMA gone wild”, said Joyn Studio.

Image credit: Swedish Design Moves

The exhibition explores the complex relationship that we have with home and the influences of both nature and technology as they shape our experience of living and our connectedness with the changing world around us.

Just as a home is a reflection of a personality, all of the pieces within the exhibition have been selected for what they have to tell us and positioned with careful consideration to how they speak to each other. Among them are a number of the 82 new objects created for the Nationalmuseum’s NM& Collection – a unique collaboration between 32 Swedish designers and 20 manufacturers, unveiled late last year. These include the Curve lamp for the museum’s library designed by Front and produced by Zero, Sand dinnerware designed by Carina Seth Andersson in collaboration with Design House Stockholm, the Ateljé dining table designed by Matti Klenell (artistic director of the NM& project) and produced by Gärsnäs, and the Botero chair, also designed by Matti Klenell in collaboration with Peter Andersson and produced by Källemo.

Other featured designers include Monica Förster, one of Sweden’s most acclaimed designers who is represented with her Retreat sofa for Fogia, which also brings pieces by TAF Studio and fashion designer Lars Nilsson who has collaborated with Vandra Rugs on a number of projects including Snö & Kol which brings Vandra Rugs to exhibit at Milan Design Week this year for the first time.

“Swedish design finds its unique expression in deeply felt values of equality and accessibility paired with innovation and creativity – all reflected by the multitude of talented designers and brands invited to participate in this year’s exhibition in Milan“, said Michael Persson Gripkow, Brand & Strategic Marketing Officer at Visit Sweden and project manager for Swedish Design Moves.

Sustainability is a driving influence for Sweden’s designers and manufacturers. Two leading design brands to highlight in this regard are Bolon, which launched in 1949 with rugs produced from textile waste and today uses 33 per cent recycled materials in its flooring products, and acoustic product producer Baux, which was founded on the belief that building materials should be sustainable, surprisingly functional and remarkably beautiful.

In addition to these designers and brands, the breadth of design talent across furniture and lighting will be represented by established design brands Asplund, Blå Station, Gemla, and Tre Sekel and some of the country’s newest studios and brands: Massproductions, Myltha, Pholc and Studio Mia Cullin. Bringing Swedish design to every element of the home, other brands exhibited include Electrolux, office design brands EFG and Ogeborg, bathroom specialists Westerbergs, urban design company Nola and wood-fired bathtub manufacturer Hikki.

Emerging talents throughout HEMMA gone wild will be accentuated by the inclusion of the work of students of Beckmans College of Design and HDK Academy of Design and Crafts and the winners of the Swedish national award for young designers (Ung Svensk Form), many of whom will show graduation and prototype projects.

HEMMA gone wild is an exhibition of contrasting colour, light, material and sound as well as of feeling.

Main image credit: Swedish Design Moves

LIVE FROM MILAN: Zaha Hadid Design at ME Milan Il Duca

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LIVE FROM MILAN: Zaha Hadid Design at ME Milan Il Duca

Zaha Hadid Design has announced that its Milan Design Week will be anchored at ME Milan Il Duca hotel, where it will host a thoughtful exhibition featuring contrasting textures… 

The ME Milan Il Duca hotel has collaborated with Zaha Hadid Design to host an exhibition during Salone del Mobile 2019 at Milan Design Week. In honour of the ME Dubai, due to open in December 2019 with its interiors designed by Zaha Hadid, ME by Meliá is dedicating the month of April to the architect and designer, continuing the hotel brand’s commitment to supporting excellence in design.

Investigating the evolution of Zaha Hadid’s formal language, the “Zaha Hadid Design at ME Milan Il Duca” exhibition explores the interrelated fields of architecture and product design. As a singular composition, it presents a variety of works – limited edition furniture pieces, lighting objects, vases and other accessories – manufactured in materials that include glass, marble and ceramics.

“Zaha Hadid Design at ME Milan Il Duca” is a celebration of the studio’s diverse repertoire of designs realised in collaboration with some of the world’s most renowned brands as well as Hadid’s signature collection.

Fabrics and surfaces

Image credit: MHI property

The exhibition features:
• Moon System Sofa for B and B Italia
• ZH One Armchair for Cassina
• Mercuric Collection, Tela Shelving and Malea Table for Citco
• Serac Bench for Italian Lab
• Lapp, Weave and Strip vases for Rosenthal
• Cellular and Ribbon hand tufted rugs for Royal Thai
• Aria Suspension Lamp for Slamp
• Z-Chair for Sawaya Moroni
• Crystal Architecture Collection for Lalique
• Zaha Hadid Design Collection

“Zaha Hadid Design x ME Milan Il Duca” exhibition is open until Tuesday 30 April 2019. Originally designed by Aldo Rossi, the ME Milan Il Duca hotel is located in Milan’s Piazza della Repubblica, at the heart of the action in Milan this week.

Main image credit: Zaha Hadid Designs

Al Faya Lodge: A boutique hotel made from stone and steel

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Al Faya Lodge: A boutique hotel made from stone and steel

Architecture firm Anarchitect was inspired by the desert location and opted to use raw materials to design the five-key boutique hotel…

Located in Sharjah, the third largest emeritus that make up the UAE, Al Faya Lodge is a striking architectural gem that was developed by SHEROOT. The lodge-like boutique hotel sits on undisturbed desert, of which architecture firm Anarchitect used as inspiration when crafting it out of raw materials and earthy colours, resulting in a camouflaged hotel within the red sands and baron landscape.

Embracing its heritage, the location of the lodge was formerly occupied by a clinic and grocery store in the 1960s, which were located next to one of the UAE’s first petroleum pumps.

Now the three single-story stone constructions have been transformed, including the addition of a luxury spa and salt-water swimming pool. Featuring just five guestrooms, its contemporary feel combines aspects of its original features, blended together with luxe, minimalist modernity.

image of seats by pool

Image credit: Sharjah Collection

Featuring a dining room, reception room, library and viewing deck, every aspect of the design looks to emphasise its surroundings. The guestrooms feature a skylight for star-gazing at night with a fire pit primed for recapping adventures.

The boutique hotel, steeped in authenticity, becomes one of of the main components of the Sharjah Collection, a unique group of luxury lodges and boutique hotels.

Main image credit: Sharjah Collection

Inside a sustainable shipping container hotel in Chile

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Inside a sustainable shipping container hotel in Chile

The Winebox Valparaiso was created by local winemaker, Grant Phelps, who claims to have opened the city’s first sustainable hotel and winery to be made out of shipping containers… 

Capturing one of Valparaiso’s most eye-catching architectural displays, The Winebox Valparaiso is a fully sustainable aparthotel and winery that is sheltered within 25 decommissioned shipping containers. 

Self-designed by hotelier and winemaker Grant Phelps, the aparthotel and winery features 21 graffiti-styled guestrooms, two public terraces and even the city’s debut winery.

Perched at the top of one of the city’s vibrant undulating hills, the aparthotel which opened last year offers panoramic views over the city. The industrial-like guestrooms are long, narrow and either offer porthole windows or larger terraces, both of which allow natural lighting to fill the space. Designed with young adults in mind who are seeking adventure, the interiors are fully sustainable and are complete with quirky and loud accents that reflect the city’s edgy graffiti qualities. Natural materials such as wood pallets have been used to create headboards and mirror frames, while recycled wine bottles have been used to create mood lighting.

Phelps, who is as much the creator of the aparthotel as much as he is service provider, wishes to educate his guests checking in on living sustainably. In a hotel review conducted by the New York Times, he revealed that his vision of the hotel was inspired by the way in which “Christchurch used shipping containers to rebuild after New Zealand’s 2011 earthquake.”

The hotel, which prides itself on offering alternative accommodation with attitude, is a disobedient take on modern hotel architecture. Throwing the rule book in the bin, The WineBox is anything but conventional as it attracts tourists to see the city from alternative lenses.

Main image credit: absafilms/YouTube

IN THE FACTORY with Knightsbridge Furniture

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IN THE FACTORY with Knightsbridge Furniture

To stitch together how Knightsbridge makes its contract furniture, editor Hamish Kilburn travels up to Bradford in West Yorkshire to step inside the modern factory that chooses to do things the traditional way…

Priding itself on being 100 per cent British-made is something that has become somewhat of a unique selling point for contract furniture company Knightsbridge.

Giving ‘in-house’ a whole new meaning, every item that has a Knightsbridge logo on it was conceptualised, sketched, prototyped and produced in the hearty West Yorkshire town of Bradford – and has been for 80 years.

In an average week, around 700 items of furniture are made in the Victorian factory – and all pieces start as nothing more than a stacked load of timber or Birch plywood, which is imported from Russia and Europe. While many factories internationally have chosen to use automated machinery to carve their frames, Knightsbridge is among the minority that still, to this day, cuts its materials by the hands of skilled workers. “Many of our employees come through the apprenticeship scheme, which is something we are very proud of,” said Craig Weston, Operations Manager at Knightsbridge. “Because everything at Knightsbridge is handmade and hand-cut, the role in the factory therefore requires a very specific set of skills, which isn’t easy to teach just anyone.”

Stack of timber

Image credit: Knightsbridge Furniture

As we walk from process to process, I notice that an arm of a chair starting to take form. “This is one of the most difficult pieces we make,” says Weston who points to the worker on the cutter who is meticulously carving out detailed incisions. “As a strategy, we ensure that we always have a higher stock of the items that are more complex to produce.” With high demand for Knightsbridge products and limited facilities, this is a resourceful method that reduces the possibility of delays in the manufacturing process.

Contract chair in the process of being upholstered

Image credit: Knightsbridge Furniture

Once each frame is cut, sanded, assembled, tinted, polished and dried, it is then ready for the upholstery process. On average, it takes the team at Knightsbridge approximately one hour to upholster a typical sofa. As the demand in hotel interior design renovations increases, the company also offers a reupholstery service whereby it will reupholster any piece of furniture (even if it’s not a Knightsbridge product). The cluster of seamstresses working is impressive and the decision to keep a cap on fabric stock is reassuring. “To reduce waste and save space, we only stock as much material as we need in this area,” Weston explains. “What’s more, although we have colour and fabric options, we will match any colour the client wants.”

Seamstress working

Image credit: Knightsbridge Furniture

Elsewhere in the factory, away from the main production line, is the design and development team. Led by Director Jason Brown, who lives and breathes by the ethos that you can’t turn down the volume on creativity, the soul of the factory is my home-from-from during my visit. “I have every furniture designers’ dream job, right?” laughs Brown. “It’s such a privilege being able to have all the tools, kit and skills to be able to prototype products in-house.” Brown is a man after my own heart who seems to wear many hats in his role. “The most obvious element to my role is that I sketch and design the future collections,” he explains. “But what most people perhaps don’t know is that my team, which is magic by the way, also have to provide the factory workers with all the technical drawings when we start producing a new product. As you can imagine, there is no margin for error in this department. We are always looking for new ways to be innovative, while being mindful of time, quality and cost for the overall business.” For Brown, like all great designers, thinking creatively and thinking commercially are difficult plates to spin at the same time. “It’s a challenge, but that’s why I love it,” he adds.

Despite Knightsbridge having the ultimate in-house design dream team, led by a visionary who clearly leads within the pack, the company is also proud to work with outside influences when designing future products. The latest collaborations to come out the factory include the likes of John Coleman, Sean Dare, Jim Hamilton and David Fox.

Knightsbridge is a modern company like no other. Proud of its heritage and confident to push boundaries, it seems as if this British-born company has all the materials, workforce and ideas – all stored under one roof – to lead the contract furniture market into another 80 successful years of business.

Milan Design Week 2019: What’s on

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Milan Design Week 2019: What’s on

This week, hundreds of designers from all corners of the world will descend onto Europe’s soulful design hub that is Milan for the Salone del Mobile furniture fair, the Euroluce lighting show and other events happening within the city walls. Editor Hamish Kilburn cuts through the noise to identify what to bookmark over in Milan…

Design lovers are arriving in Milan today to attend what is arguably the most significant event in the design calendar.

From April 8 – 14, the Italian city  centre transforms into a creative hub that witnesses product launches, emerging trends, which this year are expected to be themed around health and wellbeing, bringing the outdoors indoors and creating closer human interaction.

Salone del Mobile, which is arguably the main event of the week, will be split into three categories this year there are: Classic – Tradition in the Future, drawing on the values of tradition, craftsmanship and skill in the art of making furniture and objects; Design – products that transmit functionality, innovation and a great sense of style and finally xLux – the section you’ll want to spend most of your time at – the luxury section devoted to timeless objects in a contemporary key.

Meanwhile, Euroluce the International Lighting Exhibition. The show, which has run every two years since 1976, presents the most innovative solutions in the field of light for interiors and exteriors.

As the shows open their doors, here are a few events to bookmark:

Sebastian Herker – Milan man of the moment

Image credit: Sebastian Herkner/Freifrau

Hot off the heels of becoming Maison Objet’s Designer of the Year, Sebastian Herkner is moments away from launching new products in Milan. On the both upcoming shows Salone del Mobile and Euroluce in Milan, the studio will showcase new products for brands like Ames, Dedon, Emu, Freifrau, Gloster, Pulpo and Thonet as well as designs for our new partner Vibia.  The studio will also present collections for Schönbuch, Wittmann and Zanotta.

Turri – architectural furniture

Image credit: Turri

The furniture company has confirmed that it will launch a new collaboration with architect Daniel Libeskind who will be on the company’s stand at Salone del Mobile on Wednesday April 10 to discuss the new project with the company. Until then, the furniture company thats motto is ‘The Italian way to Beauty’ is keeping extremely tight-lipped about what we can expect.

Swedish Design Moves – HEMMA goes wild

Image credit: Swedish Design Moves

Swedish Design Moves returns to Milan this year with HEMMA gone wild – a sequel to the 2018 exhibition, HEMMA – Stories of Home.

Curated and designed by Joyn Studio, HEMMA gone wild invites visitors to experience an abstract and playful vision of home, from hallway to living room and onwards through an unfolding scenography that showcases the best of Swedish design, drawn by curiosity and a mood of mystery.

Humanscale – Human touch

Todd Bracher, long-time collaborator with Ergonomic leaders Humanscale, and Studio TheGreenEyl have designed an immersive, interactive experience. Bodies in Motion will invite visitors in to explore human movement, as represented through dramatic beams of light. The display can be seen in the historic vaults located under Milano Central Station, as part of the third edition of Ventura Centrale.

USM

The Swiss furniture innovator USM will be returning with their mega-structure at the Fair in collaboration with UNStudio. Visit their stand (A07/B06) in hall 20. If you’re visiting on Tuesday, CEO & Great-Grandson of USM’s founder Alex Schaerer will be on the stand, as will Ben van Berkel, UNStudio founder and Ren Yee, Head of Design/Strategies, UNStudio. If you would like an interview with Alex, Ben or Ren let us know and we will help make arrangements.

Minotti 

Returning to the fair, the Italian furniture company in familiar surroundings will launch its 2019 Collection of luxury and timeless pieces. The premium furniture brand, which was Hotel Designs’ Exclsuive Style Partner for Meet Up London, will unveil all on its stand. Minotti will premiew the new collection, coordinated entirely by Rodolfo Dordoni, which also includes some products designed by Christophe Delcourt. The collection is a return to its roots, but with a vision of the future, to innovate while staying true to our style and our traditions. The inspiration for a collection marked by an intriguing layering of influences and styles, for a timeless elegance that is nonetheless strikingly unexpected.

Brodie Neill – Plastic in the ocean

Image credit: Brodie Neill

Following the sustainable Gyro table – a circular table featuring a top made from inlaid fragments of recycled ocean plastic, designer Brodie Neill will launch yet another public statement to highlight climate change. He will unveil a contemporary hourglass filled with microplastic instead of sand during Milan Design Week in order to highlight the issue of ocean plastic pollution.

Nendo – Breeze of Light

The Japanese studio Nendo will present a new lighting display entitled Breeze of Light. This installation, in collaboration with Daikin, evokes the sensation of a comfortable breeze by the movement of light and shadows, not actual air. A virtual flower garden is illuminated using 115 individually-controlled spotlights directing light on 17,000 flower-shaped polarising films. Changes in shadow intensity of the flowers produce the effect of a breeze passing through the garden.

Tom Dixon

Going against the grain, Tom Dixon took the decision not be showcasing products at Salone del Mobile. Instead, he’s opening his own restaurant and his furniture, lighting and accessories will feature throughout the restaurant’s dynamic mise en scene.

Salone Satellite 

Exhibition hall

Image credit: Salone del Mobile

As Hotel Designs continues to support young emerging designers, the Salone Satellite is to place to be if you want to discover new talent. Back for its 22nd edition, this year’s theme ‘Food as Design Objects is aimed to challenge designers to debate climate change and

Ahead of the event, Claudio Luti, President of the Salone del Mobile, had this to say: “At this particular time of great success for Milan, it is important to consolidate the Salone del Mobile’s powersof attraction, offering its visitors not just a wide range of products, but, especially, opportunities for international interface and for reflection on the relationship between creativity and business.”

Milan, the moral capital of a thriving design hub, has opened its doors as designers, architects flood in. The small city with a large personality is ready to witness many moments that are about to written and no-doubt go down in design history.

Main image credit: Salone del Mobile

SPOTLIGHT ON: Fabric interior design trends

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SPOTLIGHT ON: Fabric interior design trends

As part of Hotel Designs’ month of putting interior design in the spotlight, Mitre Linen breaks down some of the emerging trends in fabric design… 

Sustainability, classic neutral tones and tactile fabrics are key themes in interior design this year. The hospitality industry continues to adopt an environmentally friendly approach to all aspects of business operations. Warm and understated palettes complete this trend, projecting a calming and relaxing atmosphere for guests, which can be augmented with a luxurious touch of velvet.

Sustainability

Recent research from Mitre Linen reveals that 75 per cent* of hoteliers believe that environmental initiatives are now expected by guests and the desire to be more ethical in source has reached furnishings, with sustainable fabrics increasing in demand.  The new Mitre Eco range was developed in response to exactly this business need. The soft 100% per cent organic cotton bed linen has a 200 thread count, while the duvets and pillows are filled with hollowfibre created from 100 per cent recycled plastic, redirecting plastics from landfills and oceans. Mitre Linen’s Eco duvets and pillows also complies with OEKO-TEX 100, certifying the range’s skin-friendly properties.

Warm Neutrals

The return to a classic neutral palette is a subtle shift from the dominance of cooler grey tones that have pervaded colour schemes in recent years.  Creating a warmer ambiance within a hotel, these colours offer a timeless and stylish touch.  Mitre Linen recently launched two new soft furnishing ranges: Deco and Tundra, to allow a larger choice of colourways for hoteliers wanting to update their rooms.

Velvet Touch

Texture has a striking impact in a room and there is no other fabric quite like velvet to impart an opulent feel. A velvet cushion or bed runner will immediately convey luxury and indulgence.  The rich colours of the Mitre D’Arcy range of velvet cushions complement this material perfectly and work well to add a touch of luxe to natural colourways.

*Mitre connects research with 142 hoteliers conducted in March 2019

Mitre Linen is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Main image credit: Mitre Linen

Minimalist Muji opens first hotel in Japan

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Minimalist Muji opens first hotel in Japan

The Japanese retailer, Muji, opens its first hotel in Japan, Muji Hotel Ginza – and it’s a minimalist’s dream…

Spread over six floors, the 79-key Muji Hotel Ginza designed by UDS has opened as the brand’s first hotel in Japan following the successful openings in Beijing and Shenzhen last year.

Muji Hotel Ginza’s thoughtful design is true to the company’s sustainable principles, using upcycled materials such as flagstone of Tokyo’s tramway from 50 years ago and even the waste materials from ships.

The 79 guestrooms all vary in size and are presented in nine categories. Designed to fill a gap in the market between luxury and mid-scale, the hotel’s interiors are true-to-form minimalist.

Minimalist interiors - writing desk

Image credit: Muji Hotels

The interiors convey an atmosphere typical of Muji; natural materials, alongside upcycled products with a small number of rooms including traditional Japanese textiles. Fuji Hotel’s pricing structure remains the same throughout the year, regardless of seasons and holidays, which supports the brand’s commitment to fairness and affordable living as the hotel aims to become a base for visitors to enjoy a deeper immersion in Ginza and Japanese culture.

“Great care has been taken to ensure that the room will restore travelers in body and spirit alike,” the hotel’s website states. The mattresses have been designed informed by posture research, while the lighting designed in order to aid sleep quality.

The hotel opens together with the global flagship store Muji Ginza as the “anti-gorgeous, anti-cheap” alternative hotel.

Main image credit: Muji Hotels

 

 

SALT of Palmar opens in Mauritius as brand’s first hotel

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SALT of Palmar opens in Mauritius as brand’s first hotel

SALT of Palmar, the first hotel in a new sub-brand from The Lux Collective, has opened in Mauritius…

With a strong commitment to sustainability, SALT of Palmer opens in Mauritius. Setting the foundations for a series of planned openings within the SALT brand, the 59-key hotel introduces a new breed of hospitality for the culturally curious, challenging perceptions of often unexplored regions.

The completely new sub-brand for The Lux Collective has been designed and created by branding agency & SMITH with aim to appeal to a younger generation – one that would celebrate the undiscovered beauty of destinations where travellers may hold preconceived ideas or would traditionally stay within the confines of a resort rather than exploring the local area.

“The first SALT had to be in Mauritius. It’s our home, our love, and our pride and joy,” the hotel’s website states. “Its colours, stories, customs, sounds, and flavours form a brilliant, heady mix that is impossible to ignore or forget. If you experience it. ”

“Every element of the SALT experience is rooted in the island culture.”

Inviting guests to continue this journey of exploration, the hotel offers its guests a guidebook called ‘This is Mauritius’ when checking in. Working in close collaboration with locals, the illustrated book is full of tips and advice for discovering the island’s hidden gems, including maps of where to go in Port Louis, the best sunrise spots, or where to listen to live music.

Back at the hotel, every element of the SALT experience is rooted in the island culture, from the handwoven baskets in each room created by a local craftswoman to the curated menus of seasonal produce and the opportunity to visit a house near the resort to learn how to make rum the Mauritian way.

“Every SALT hotel will have its own farm to provide guests with menus designed around what is in season.”

No endless buffets, no bath menu, no single-use plastics

At the heart of the SALT identity is a brand-wide commitment to sustainability. In addition to prioritising fair trade, organic and non-toxic produce, and limiting energy use, waste and emissions, every SALT hotel will have its own farm to provide guests with menus designed around what is in season and nothing more.

“For Mauritius, the common perception is endless images of white sandy beaches under cloudless blue skies, perfect for honeymooners drinking cocktails or having dinner for two on the beach,” said Rachel Smith, Creative Partner at & SMITH. “From our past visits to the island, we knew the island had so much more to offer and could attract a different audience.

“It’s bursting with vibrant experiences – from brightly coloured houses to bustling markets and the most amazing street food culture. Also, the waterfalls and greenery of the inland are just as beautiful as the beaches. There are so many reasons to step outside the resort and explore Mauritius, so we wanted to create an identity that captured the vitality and depth of the island, and invited travellers to explore on their own.

SALT of Palmar in Mauritius is the first property within the brand portfolio, with plans to open the next hotel in Wolong, China.

Laura Ashley guestroom

Coventry hotel to rebrand as a Laura Ashley Hotel

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Coventry hotel to rebrand as a Laura Ashley Hotel

The Chace Hotel, in Coventry, will after major refurbishment become a Laura Ashley Hotel…

Laura Ashley Hotels today announced it is expanding its portfolio with the addition of The Chace Hotel, in Coventry.

The 66-key hotel is undergoing a major refurbishment to bring it in line with Laura Ashley brand standards. The elegant new interiors will showcase the Laura Ashley Home range and its exquisite, high-quality inherently British fabrics and furnishings throughout.

Laura Ashley guestroom

The Chace Hotel is a striking example of Victorian architecture, surrounded by three acres of attractive landscaped gardens. Original features of the building, such as the ornate fireplace and mullioned windows, create a sense of grandeur in the oak-panelled reception area. The grand sweeping staircase leads upstairs to the new beautifully designed Laura Ashley bedrooms.

The deluxe Laura Ashley bedrooms are designed to infuse a sense of tranquillity and with an effortless style, drawing inspiration from the hotel’s Victorian heritage. Carefully selected colours and fabrics complement each other to create an elegant space in which to relax and unwind. Classic Laura Ashley design adorns every surface, from plush cushions and floor-to-ceiling drapes to statement lighting and stylish mirrors.

The portfolio, which also includes The Belsfield Hotel, Windermere, and is soon to include Burnham Beeches Hotel in Buckinghamshire, aims to offer guests an authentic home from home experience against the backdrop of the Laura Ashley Home range in characterful properties in the UK.

Chris Bowron, Hotel Manager of The Chace Hotel, said: “We’re delighted that The Chace Hotel will be joining the Laura Ashley Hotel portfolio. A thorough refurbishment is underway using the Laura Ashley Home collection’s beautiful range of décor, fabrics and soft furnishings. It is an exciting time for the hotel, and we are excited to offer our guests a whole new experience.”

The Chace Hotel is already home to the Laura Ashley The Tea Room, which opened in October 2018 and is the newest addition to the tea room portfolio.

Duravit launches personal touches with Viu and Xviu

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Duravit launches personal touches with Viu and Xviu

The Viu and XViu series from Duravit, both giving the modern bathroom a personal touch, feature V-shaped profiles in Champagne Matt to introduce an individual and unmistakable design statement…

Duravit and sieger design present a complete bathroom range – Viu ceramics and XViu furniture plus matching bathtubs – which exudes forward-looking design. The post-industrial elegance of the pieces emerges from the interaction of soft, organic forms with a precise geometric detailed finished.

A sharply defined contrast arises from surfaces that combine the finest ceramics, glass and metal with matt lacquers or high-quality woods.

The new range includes the entire bathroom: the washing, bathing and toilet area. Significant design features and special details re-occur throughout and are the defining elements of the harmonious interior design.

The highlight is a washing area based on the patented Duravit c-bonded technology. The exterior is a strict rectangle, while the interior features gentle organic curves with a spacious inner basin and generous shelf. The edge running along the tap platform continues creating an outer line. The subtle detail of the horizontal overflow within the basin underlines the horizontal alignment of the external shape. The ceramic on the inside is reminiscent of the softness of water.

Some surprising details: The white ceramic cover of the push-open valve is flush with the inner basin in the open position. The prominent contour of the supporting metal console with its V-shape profile in elegant Champagne Matt or avant garde Black Matt creates dynamic interest. Uniquely individual combinations can be created thanks to the glass shelf which is available in four colours.

From a different angle, the three-dimensional feet of the metal console are visually transformed into fine lines. This level of perfection extends to the smallest detail. The acrylic panelling on the underside of the basin conceals the fixing structure, cables, and connecting hoses, with the result that the elaborate technology, for example for the D.1e electronic tap, does not impact the design.

Fully glazed from beneath, the Viu washbasins, available in five sizes, as well as a handrinse basin, are also ideally suited as individual solutions. Their shape follows the design of the c-bonded washbasin.

The alternative variants for the washing area, with furniture washbasin, built-in washbasin, or above-counter washbasin and matching vanity unit with pull-out compartment or two drawers, feature striking V-shaped lateral aluminium profiles.

These are also available in Champagne Matt and Black Matt and lends to the XViu furniture range’s striking contour. Tonal as well as contrasting options can produce different combinations. By using a variety of materials including a range of high-quality real-wood, lacquer and décor finishes you can create a wealth of stylish collections from “Silver” to “Dark”.

Door variants in semi-transparent smoked glass are available for tall and semi-tall cabinets, which have technically correct subtle, smooth hinge straps for a soft opening and closing of the doors.

The mirrors and the mirror cabinets with their fully-mirrored sides reflect the individual design language of XViu. The models fitted with a sensor switch offer dimmable lighting and the variant with icon control on the mirror surface, a first for mirror cabinets, also features the ambient light mode and colored light switching function: at a luminosity of more than 300 lux, the light color can be continuously adjusted from 2,700 (warm light) to 6,500 kelvin (cold light).

Heating is available for all mirrors and a standard feature for icon variants.

A further highlight of the XViu series is the free-standing bathtub, which creates an eye-catching centerpiece. Here, too, the prominent metal frame with the familiar V-shaped profile comes in Champagne Matt or Black Matt as a contrast to the high-gloss white acrylic.

It supports the free-standing bathtub (two sizes: 160×80 cm and 180×80 cm), which is a precise rectangle when viewed from above. It has an ergonomic and organic free form interior, with a precise finish and perfect aesthetics. It subtly integrates the outlet, which underlines the sophisticated design.

The interplay of the basic geometric shape, with precise lines and optimized gentle inner shape
is a key feature of the toilet in the range. Metal push buttons positioned on the sides allow the removal of the seat cover, making cleaning easier.

The technically-demanding realisation of the open flushing rim thanks to improved Rimless® technology ensures outstanding flushing performance. SensoWash Slim is available as an option for the toilet. The combination with the Duravit A2 electronic actuator plate and matching wall-mounted element provides operating comfort of the highest standard.

The new D.1 and D.1z faucets, along with the electronic D.1e variant, perfectly match the design. The XViu bathroom programme is available in 34 finishes and combines well with the ceramic series VeroAir, ME by Starck and P3 Comforts. Viu ceramics can also be combined with the XSquare, L-Cube and Brioso furniture series.

Duravit is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

Timothy Oulton unveils lavish SS19 collection

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Timothy Oulton unveils lavish SS19 collection

The luxury design company, Timothy Oulton, which prides itself on being an authentic and daring source of energy and inspiration, unveils its SS19 collection… 

Driven by a burning desire to create experiences that touch people in a significant way, while living by the motto that “life is better with a bowler hat”, Timothy Oulton has unveiled its SS19 Collection , an assortment of items that have been designed with the idea that truly authentic materials and human-scaled design have the power to change how people feel.

With the belief that great creativity is both enduring and yet perennially fresh, the SS19 collection sees Timothy Oulton bring its authentic handcraftsmanship approach to a gamut of new visceral and richly sensorial materials, which include seleneite crystals, printed velvets, sheepskin, deep handfinished leather and reclaimed Edwardian parquetry. “I like good design, whether traditional or modern,” Oulten said in press material around the collection. using original time-honoured techniques, the studio prides itself on using only the best traditional methods in its products.

The newly unveiled collection includes an update on Timothy Oulton’s innovative lighting range. Continuing last season’s foray into natural minerals and rocks is the Selenite collection of pendants and sconces. For the large Selenite pendant, more than 560 individual crystals are affixed by hand to create a dramatic stalactite-type effect.

“We look for the most authentic, sensory materials and then think how best we can use it.” – Timothy Oulton

Meanwhile, the Inception mirrors – now available in three separate sizes – give a nod to the ’70s. Inspired by the era’s infinity mirrors, each Inception piece lights up to reveal a seemingly endless line of reflections, appearing smaller and smaller as they fade into the distance. When turned off, it becomes an elegant, everyday mirror.

Timothy Oulton's Speakeasy Monaco Bar & City

Image credit/caption: Timothy Oulton’s Speakeasy Monaco Bar & City

“It always starts with the materials first, we look for the most authentic, sensory materials and then think how best we can use it,” said Oulton when commenting on the inspiration behind the new designs. “Great interiors have the power to change how you feel, so whether it’s down time or entertaining, it’s about engaging the senses and feeling alive. That’s an energy that we try to embody in all our products, and it was very much the driving force behind our 2019 Collection.”

Among the stand out pieces is the eye-catching Studio Sofa, an addition to the Metro collection, which can now be finished in Acid Jungle velvet fabric, which is, as Oulton describes: “an expression of modern-urban cool”. The new fabric, which depicts a jungle scene against a night-time backdrop, is deliberately not pattern-matched, meaning that no single item within the collection is the same.

Also new to Metro, is the smart and sophisticated City armchair, a leather swivel chair that can transform any room into a multifunctional space. And the rugged yet elegant new Milano chair, with its minimalist oak frame and luxuriously thick leather, is the perfect way to inject style into an urban apartment. The Milano takes its cue from the Italian design movement of Rationalism and in particular the work of Gruppo 7, a group of architects who wanted to reform Italy’s architecture in the 1920s to strike a balance between classicism and industrially-inspired design. The Milano chair embodies the movement’s simplistic yet well engineered furniture with its clean lines and modern, comfortable sit.

Building on the ruggedly refined palette of the Loft range, Timothy Oulton introduces for the first time the Buck’dN Brok’n leather onto the Westminster Button sofa, its classic Chesterfield model. Previously featured on the iconic Saddle Chair, Buck’dN Brok’n is characterised by its deep scores and scratches that evoke an aged and storied life. The idea of a life well lived is also embodied by the new Edwardian collection, featuring tables and mirrors fashioned from reclaimed parquetry oak and mahogany that originally formed the floors of Edwardian dance halls in the UK.

A warm, weathered oak frame and luxuriously thick leather bring a relaxed and welcoming feel to its minimalist silhouette. Milano is perfectly suited to
contemporary interiors and evenings by the fire, just make sure the whisky’s ready nearby.

Extending the range of Timothy Oulton’s offering, the collection changes gears with the wildly luxurious long-haired Yeti Sheepskin, newly available in black and brown. Yeti is showcased on the rustic new Cabin bench, inspired by the cosy feel of traditional forest cabins, and the Trio chair, a creative reinvention of a traditional slipper chair with generous proportions.

Timothy Oulton's Loft Vignette3 Cabana Yeti

Image credit/caption: Timothy Oulton’s Loft Vignette3 Cabana Yeti

While the new collection’s dynamic accessories arguably takes centre stage, the company is also dedicated to produce sustainable items with its Noble Souls collection, which launched last year. Including three sofas within the collection, all of which have different profiles, the feather-filled sofas come in a variety of fabric finishes.

With more than 40 galleries around the world – from New York to Hong Kong to Sydney, and a flagship in Chelsea, London – Timothy Oulton continues its plan of opening new stores in great cities around the globe, with recent additions including Seoul and Abu Dhabi.

In addition to launching innovative products, the studio has also been responsible for the completion of hospitality projects such as 1880 members’ club in Singapore, The Blue Room at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, and Glazebrook House Hotel in Devon, England.

The latest collection from the brand is a refreshing insight into the mind of the visionary behind the brand. Oulton’s journey, which started in 1976 when he set up his first boutique antiques shop that was owned by his father, has led him to become one of the industry’s most creative individuals. Continuing tradition, each Timothy Oulton piece in the SS19 collection is inspired by the past, but reconceived from a modern perspective, producing yet another uniquely authentic collection that further pushes the boundaries of interior design.

Main image credit: Timothy Oulton’s Metro Collection Studio Sofa with Acid Jungle velvet fabric 

Faloria Mountain Spa Resort reopens in the Dolomites

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Faloria Mountain Spa Resort reopens in the Dolomites

In Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy’s most glamorous mountain destination, the newly renovated Faloria Mountain Spa Resort combines comfort, modernity and tradition, which together arguably defines a new model in hospitality in the Dolomites…

In its own words, Faloria Mountain Spa Resort is: “Charming hospitality in the heart of the Dolomites”. The historical hotel in Cortina, which gave its first glimpse of its new design concept last year, has reopened following an expansion and renovation.

Establishing a new benchmark in the hospitality of the entire Alpine region, the hotel features new guestrooms, a spa covering over 1000 sqm, a gourmet restaurant and new common areas. It now reopens with the aim to allow guests to live an unforgettable experience in accordance to the highest international luxury standards. The project architect Flaviano Capriotti, has designed an environment inharmony with the surrounding landscape, where Alpine tradition meets contemporary accents.

Contemporary guestroom

Image credit: Faloria Mountain Spa Resort/Andrés Otero

The new guestrooms offer guests an exclusively refined environment, where the charm of mountain furnishings is combined with a contemporary touch. The rooms are wide and bright spaces, with huge windows to enjoy an enchanting view of the Dolomites. The parquet, boiserie and tasteful details lend a delightful domestic flavour, without forgoing refinement and exclusivity.

The bed headboards are designed with botanical drawings of the local alpine flowers, selected from the Florae Austriacae atlas, written by the botanist Nikolaus von Jacquin in the 18th century. The botanical theme then becomes a common thread throughout the SPA, the common areas and the restaurant.

The Faloria Spa Resort opens a new wing, and internal restyling designed by Italian architect Flaviano Caprioti.

Image credit: Faloria Mountain Spa Resort/Andrés Otero

The new SPA Area, the largest in the entire Alpine region, is a veritable jewel. A surface area of more than 1000 square metres, where guests can enjoy a unique sensory journey with 25-metre long semi-Olympic pool, sauna, ice fountain, calidarium, vitality pool, chilling out areas and private treatment rooms. The Spa offers an emotional experience targeting all levels of perception: visual, tactile, olfactory and emotional for a regenerating holiday. Materials and colours recall larch woods, the stone of Dolomite rocks and the green of lake water, so that guests feel they are immersed in the nature of Cortina.

Main image credit: Faloria Mountain Spa Resort/Andrés Otero

On Her Majesty’s service: Mitre Linen awarded renewal of Royal Warrant

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On Her Majesty’s service: Mitre Linen awarded renewal of Royal Warrant

Mitre Linen has announced that it has once again been awarded Her Majesty The Queen’s Royal Warrant…

Mitre Linen, one of the country’s leading suppliers of bed linen, bedding, towelling products and soft furnishings to the hospitality industry in the UK and beyond, is delighted to announce it has once again been awarded Her Majesty The Queen’s Royal Warrant.

“I am absolutely thrilled to share the news that Mitre Linen has again been granted a Royal Warrant, which is a testament to the outstanding customer service and quality products the company is renowned for,”Nisbets Group CEO Klaus Goeldenbot said. “I congratulate the team at Mitre for all their hard work in earning this great honour from the Royal Household of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

Based in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, Mitre Linen has proudly held HM The Queen’s Royal Warrant since 1955.  As Royal Warrants are reviewed every five years, this now confirms that Mitre Linen will hold the honour until 2025.

Mitre Linen’s General Manager, Kate Gough said: “Our team work so hard to ensure we meet the high levels of quality and service required to earn this honour, so we are really proud to be recognised in this way.”

The company has a reputation for quality and reliability, and supplies its extensive range of products to the hospitality, leisure, education, healthcare and laundry industries worldwide.

By embracing innovation, Mitre Linen has remained at the forefront of design and product developments in the field of textiles for over 70 years.  Recent developments have included the launch of its Eco range of bedding and towelling, made from ethically-produced, recycled and organic products.

The company was established in 1946 in Wardrobe Place by St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London. The name ‘Mitre’ comes from the elaborate headwear the bishop of the church wore. Mitre was first awarded a Royal Warrant in 1955. In 2000, the company relocated to Wales. In 2016, Mitre Linen was acquired by Nisbets Group.

Mitre Linen is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.

In Conversation With: Pedro Colaco, CEO, Great Hotels of The World on bleisure

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In Conversation With: Pedro Colaco, CEO, Great Hotels of The World on bleisure

With the global rise in bleisure travel, one company and its members are more equipped than ever before to cater to the demands of modern business travellers. In light of this, and ahead of leading a panel discussion on the topic, editor Hamish Kilburn caught up with Pedro Colaco, CEO of Great Hotels of The World, to find out why independent hotels need to rethink their business facilities in order to maximise on every opportunity…

The saying goes: “Turn your wounds into wisdom”, which is a slightly dramatic term that, in short, means learn from your experiences. One man who built his empire on this motto – albeit it learning from other brands’ wounds but very much his own bleisure travel experiences – is Pedro Colaco, the CEO of Great Hotels of The World (GHOTW). Colaco is also the founder and CEO of tech company Guest Centric, which completed the acquisition of GHOTW last year, and with it brought valuable digital experience. Having spent years seeing hotels getting it wrong, Colaco decided to help GHOTW’s members get it right. “How many times have you checked in to a hotel late at night, perhaps because of a delayed flight or whatever, you were hungry and tired but there was no food?” Colaco rhetorically asks. “Welcome to the glamorous life of yesterday’s business travel,” he laughs.

As we skip the small talk and start discussing the current landscape of the hotel development, both in our element identifying great independent hotels as well as off-the-grid hotspot locations around the world, I wonder what Colaco’s definition of a ‘great’ hotel is. “For us, in terms of our memberships, we work with larger hotels in the bleisure segment in order to bring as much value to them as we can,” he explains. “A GHOTW hotel needs to have something special about it, whether that is a cinema, a theme park or simply just a great rooftop pool or bar.”

Establishing shot of Atlantis The Palm

Image credit/caption: Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, one of GHOTW’s members

It strikes me that becoming a member of GHOTW is something that should be seen as a prestigious complement, an accolade celebrating potential if you like. “Take Dubai, for example. There are many incredible hotels within the city, and more opening every day, but we want to ensure that we do not have too many hotels within one region,” Colaco explains. “Therefore, we have to think strategically and hand-select the independent hotels that we can best help to take to the next level.” In essence, a hotel can only become part of the GHOTW portfolio if it meets the company’s criteria and if Colaco and his team genuinely believe they can help. “One of the large segments that we provide in terms of marketing is MICE,” adds Colaco, which makes sense considering the facilities from Guest Centric that it can lean on.

“A staggering 75 per cent of business travellers want to extend their stay for leisure.”

The company, which provides global hotel sales and marketing services, recently shared the results of new headline-grabbing survey that it led. The study showed a staggering 75 per cent of business travellers want to extend their stay for leisure. What’s more is that of the 75 per cent, more than two-thirds would turn their work trip into a holiday while staying in the same hotel. “Long gone are the days when business travellers had to stay in soulless business districts,” explains Colaco. “I’m sure you will agree that modern business travellers want check in where the action is. Independent hotels are born in a place and live in a place, and it’s that personality of each property that we want to capture and amplify to the world of prospective business travellers.”

Luxury spa with detailed wallcoverings

Image credit/caption: The spa at Al Bustan Hotel & Spa Beirut, one of GHOTW’s members

QUICK-FIRE ROUND:

Hamish Kilburn: I have just given you a large sum of money, and you are only allowed to use it to build a hotel. Where in world would this hotel be?
Pedro Colaco: Oh my gosh, for me? How generous! A desert island somewhere. It would be very simple – I think there is a lot to be said about ‘undertourism’. My hotel that you have so kindly given me the funds for will be a hidden gem away from the noise. In all seriousness, watch this space for new travel trends celebrating going back to basics!

HK: Where’s next on your travel bucket list?
PC: Patagonia, Iceland and the Polar Circle to see the northern lights. I have to visit all these places before I die, but getting the time off to explore these wonders is mission impossible!

HK: What’s your biggest bugbear in this industry?
PC: Some hoteliers’ lack of attention detail with technology. Modern travellers are connected and demand instant gratification. I think many hoteliers fall behind by adopting gimmicks without having considered whether or not they will help the guests’ experience.

HK: You clearly travel a lot, what is the one item you cannot travel without?
PC: My razor! You asked…

HK: Has there been one person who you can identify as an inspiration to your journey in this industry?
PC: That’s difficult, there are so many people who inspire me. From a business point of view alone I have had many great mentors. Honestly, there is not one single person I can mention.

HK: Looking back, is there anything that you would have done differently?
PC: Oh lots! Are you kidding me? But you learn from your mistakes and I have no regrets!

“GHOTW has the technology and the commitment to help our members compete on a global scale.” – Pedro Colaco, CEO, Great Hotels of the World

With the experience and technology from Guest Centric, the resources that GHOTW has at its fingertips are impressive, to say the least. “It’s hard to be an independent hotel in today’s market as more and more hotel groups launch lifestyle brands in tier two cities,” says Colaco. “However, GHOTW has the technology and the commitment to help our members compete on a global scale.”

Modern, contemporary lobby area

Image credit/caption: The lobby of Altis Belem Hotel in Lisbon, one of GHOTW’s members

For me, in the little time I have had to get to know one of the many masters behind the brand, it’s clear that Colaco likes to work within a team in order to support the underdogs in our industry, the independents. In doing so, he and his team of experts are helping local businesses within the hotel industry to not only survive, but also to thrive. With recent news from the brand stating that it will receive more than €3,000,000 investment over the next two years in order to welcome new members from around the globe, GHOTW – a company that cares – just became greater!