Milan-based design firm PEIA Associati is expected to complete the project in the Maldives in October 2018…
Marriott International has announced the forthcoming debut of Westin Hotels & Resorts in the Republic of Maldives with the opening of The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort in October 2018. Developed by Belluna Co. Ltd, Japan and Asia Capital PLC, Sri Lanka, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort is set to herald the Westin brand’s wellness positioning in the Maldivian oasis.
Nestled on a beautiful coral island in the Baa Atoll, a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort will feature 70 villas and suites, 41 on island and 29 overwaters. Poised over the sea on stilts and with an area of almost 200 square meters each, the overwater suites are amongst the largest a resort has to offer in the Baa Atoll region. Assembled by award-winning Milan-based architects PEIA Associati, the resort’s design takes inspiration from the ocean with a visionary approach towards environmental sustainability.
The idyllic resort also features Westin’s signature branded spa concept, the Heavenly Spa by Westin as well as the 24-hour WestinWORKOUT fitness centre.
RPW Design, which was on last year’s prestigious Brit List, has completed the first phase of the renovation of the 363-key hotel in Budapest…
Design firm RPW Design has completed its first phase of renovation works at the Budapest Marriott Hotel, refurbishing 363 rooms, with the final renovation of the presidential suite scheduled for next year. The new rooms were opened to the public on 28th May, unveiling outstanding, spacious guestrooms that have been transformed by RPW Design into the seminal destination for Budapest visitors and business travellers, redefining the guest experience.
The work involved replacement of the entire interior of the rooms, including lavish wall coverings, new wooden flooring, all new lighting and luxurious Italian furniture. The pièce de resistance in the rooms is a chic window bench with breath-taking, availing the unobstructed overlooks to Buda Castle, Gellért Hill and the Danube below from all rooms; views unmatched in neighbouring waterfront properties.
“We are delighted to have undertaken this exciting refurbishment project which has already received such a positive response from hotel guests,” said Ariane Steinbeck, Managing Director at RPW Design. “The renovated rooms and suites reflect RPW Design’s thorough understanding of the modern traveller and our own, sophisticated, chic style – highlighting the views of the wonderful city of Budapest.”
RPW Design have introduced open wardrobes, clean hardwood floors, a handy ledge (optimized for laptops and doubling as a desk) and new beds that invite guests to linger. Bed runners have been omitted opting for a more ‘minimalist’ style, choosing soft bedlinen decorated with elegant cushions. A sleek blackout window shade in lieu of curtains can be operated from the bedside, thereby optimising the views and natural light.
Harmony has been created in each room through the beautiful blend of pastel shades on the walls and sheers, paired with the vibrant colours of the decorations. The design story was inspired by the building’s Bauhaus-influenced architecture conceived by noted Hungarian Architect, József Finta, and the grandfather of the Op-Art movement, French-Hungarian artist Victor Vasarely. The increased natural light in every room brings the entire setting alive, purposefully illuminating the background of the spectacular city view.
Taking into account the importance of environmental matters, recycling bins have been placed into each guestroom as a crucial step towards ‘green’ operation of the hotel. New technical devices, IPTVs and phones have been installed, and soon smartphones will be used to control the bedroom doors in line with RPW’s new modern interior design.
Despite the current state of the Hungarian construction industry, this prestigious refurbishment project was carried out continuously without disruption to hotel operations and was implemented within a very tight time frame. RPW Design was aided by The Meran Team, based in Spain, under the leadership of the efficient Sara Tolnai-a local Hungarian who adeptly managed the FFE procurement process and the general contractor, KÉSZ Építő és Szerelő Inc. The total room refurbishment of all 364 rooms and suites was completed in less than 4 months, following 18 months of intricate planning. Next to open will be the Executive Lounge – in September of this year. The final phase of renewal works by RPW Design will be complete in 2019, when the Presidential Suite will be open for guests to coincide with the property’s 50th Anniversary.
The hotel brand’s digital concierge network expands to 100 hotels across the U.S…
Porter24, an interactive digital concierge and advertising provider, has announced an expansion plan which will allow guests with unprecedented on demand experiences at more than 100 premier hotels, including Hilton and Marriott properties, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Chicago and most recently New York City.
As guests increasingly expect digital options to elevate their travel experiences, hotels are turning to Porter24’s turnkey solution featuring state-of-the-art touchscreen technology with an easy-to-use content management system in order to meet this demand. The interactive screens provide tourists access to all their tourism needs – from discovering local business deals and eateries to finding the hottest nightlife and greatest attractions – at their fingertips.
“Our digital concierge network addresses the needs of both the consumer and advertiser by targeting travelers upon check-in at their hotel and throughout their stay with curated content that the visitors view as a seamless extension of their hotel’s service,” said Daniel Ramirez, Vice President of Porter24. “Porter24’s unique experience and targeted content provides marketers with a unique opportunity to provide a value-add that consumers want to interact with.”
The screens come in various sizes, between 50 and 65 inches, with custom builds to ensure every display perfectly aligns with each hotels unique personality. Users can also check the weather, track flights, learn more about what’s happening at their hotel and even take a selfie that can be sent directly to social media channels- for those who’d like to boast about their amazing trip to friends.
The Hotel Sector Report has published a brief look into who is winning and who is losing the battle in the hotel sector online…
The Hotel Sector Report, produced by digital marketing specialists Inside Online, ranks 46 of the leading websites within this competitive market according to their online performance.
The annual study reveals the successes and shortcomings of each website, highlighting where there is room for improvement.
Other stand-out results from visibility include:
Accor Hotels [117 per cent] recorded the most significant increase among the top 10
The top 10 saw a majority (nine) see a rise in their visibility year-on-year
Marriott saw a reduction on its previous years’ visibility as Q Hotels dropped out due to a 21 per cent reduction, and was replaced by Radisson Blu after its 23 per cent increase
“It’s been a fantastic year for the hotel sector with nine of the top ten seeing improvements in their visibility,” commented Gemma Curtis, Inbound Content Marketer, at Inside Online. “It looks like paid media is the way forward when it comes to getting your Hotel site to the top of the SERPs.
“Overall, there is a big difference between the number of the brand searches and owned social score across the board. Content was on-brand, frequently posted and mostly varied but we weren’t wowed by any hotel company in particular.
“With an estimated 85 per cent of millennials using their phones to make purchases now, social is a huge asset to your business. Brands should focus on making engaging content which invites interaction to boost their owned social scores.”
Five-star social
Following Hotel Designs’ recent focus on social media, it seems as if UK company Premier Inn leads the overall social charts, coming in first place for brand searches per month but outside of the top five for owned social scores, led by Marriott.
The top five social scorers:
Premier Inn is the top performer with 1,500,000 monthly searches
Travelodge, Village Hotels, Marriott and Radisson Blu rounded out the top five for searches per month
Marriott leads owned social scores with Hilton, Accor, Melia and Intercontinental making up the top five
The social score considers followers and engaged conversations on all major social platforms.
Despite leading the overall charts, Premier Inn has a high brand search with 1,500,000; however, this hasn’t translated to their owned social score [659]. Likewise, Travelodge recorded a brand search score of 1,000,000 against an owned score of 202
Similarly, however, Hotel Duvin [40,500] had a high brand search but recorded an owned score of 86, while Britannia Hotels scored 27,100 against 13. Easy Hotels has a brand search score of 22,200 but owned social of 26 while Corinthia and Warner Leisure both score 12,100 for brand search against owned scores of 73 and 61.
Conversely, Marriott leads the owned search scores with 5,214 but only recorded a brand search score of 60,500.
Lodges to links
Links have always been an important ranking factor and can make all the difference to how far up a brand appears on Google. Consistently gaining new high-quality links can be great for business; however, high-link volumes without the quality could spell trouble ahead.
Hilton has the highest average number of links per month of high quality, which is likely because they are an international brand with many different subdomains and franchises. Most of their links are going to the various hotel sites, and they don’t appear to have any creative content outlet.
IHG, on the other hand, has a blog gaining many links, covering topics such as the best places to shop, eat, stay or things to do in various cities – which puts them in second place.
There are several sites with ‘high-quality, low-volume’ links; these include Radisson Collection, Star Hotel Collezione, Apex Hotels, CP London City and Point-A Hotels.
Conversely, there are also sites with ‘low-quality, high-volume’ links, such as Corinthia, Best Western, Q Hotels, Campanile and W London. Consistently gaining a high quantity of low-authority links highlights an urgent need to address your off-site reputation.
Health expert Ali Howe awakens how thoughtful hotel design can lead to a better night sleep for both your business as well as your guests…
Around 60 million Americans are affected by sleeping disorders every year, a fact which affects physical and mental wellbeing to varying degrees. Sleep deprivation is linked to daytime drowsiness and fatigue, but also to serious long-term illnesses such as heart disease, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes.
At the same time, the travel industry is continuing to grow exponentially. The Global Business Travel Association pegs the number of business trips taken annually in the US at 488 million, and that means that many people on the move are sleeping away from home. New environments are known to be added stressors when it comes to sleep. So, how can good design help clients enjoy a great night’s sleep, even when they are sleeping in a hotel for the first time?
Quality sleep is key
We know that the majority of people aren’t getting the recommended seven hours of sleep a night, yet research shows that we shouldn’t just be worrying about quantity, but also about quality. In order to feel truly refreshed when they wake up, people need to enjoy between 1.5 and 1.8 hours of deep sleep (or delta sleep) per night. Achieving good quality deep sleep depends on a number of factors, which the National Sleep Foundation lists as follows: sleeping at least 85 per cent of the time in a bed, falling asleep in half an hour or less, waking up no more than once a night, and spending no more than 20 minutes in wakefulness after initially falling asleep.
In contemporary hotels, gradient panel systems can work well to create total darkness
Let in the darkness
To improve delta sleep, complete darkness and quiet are key for most people. Hotel interior designers should therefore design rooms in such a way that natural light is allowed during the day but blocked out at night. In traditional or classical rooms, this can be achieved through blackout curtains. In contemporary hotels, gradient panel systems can work well to create total darkness. Gradient panel systems are motorised, with individual panels moving independently of each other thanks to a central axis pivot. They can be fully closed (to completely block light out) during the night, but they can rotate during the day to either let in direct sun or to provide interiors with indirect light. This savvy system works well in high-end hotels, since discerning clients can program the system themselves to adjust the amount of light entering to their desired preference.
Soundproofing guestrooms
One only needs to consult popular travellers’ forums to see one of the most frequent guest complaints is noise. When designing rooms, allow for the space reduction necessitated by soundproofing. The use of soundproofing boards (or laminated glass to dampen sound vibration of windows) can reduce external noise by around 95 per cent, which is great news for early sleepers – and those who are jet lagged – who are easily bothered by the sound of people talking in halls and in adjacent rooms.
When deciding on color schemes, avoid loud contrasts between walls, furniture and flooring
Calming hues
Shades of grey, blue, or green are known to create a calming effect. Studies have shown that these colors can reduce stress and anxiety, as well as make a room seem more expansive. When deciding on color schemes, avoid loud contrasts between walls, furniture and flooring, opting for complementary rather than contrasting color schemes. You don’t need to forego artistry. Hand-painted wallpapers or paint effects can still be used to add touches of creativity; just opt for muted rather than primary shades and consider the use of natural elements such as wood, which help instill a sense of tranquility.
For many people who already struggle to get a good night’s sleep, spending one or more nights at a hotel can be challenging, especially if light and noise are an issue. To balance the room’s interiors with human circadian rhythms, create spaces that are completely dark at night and ensure guests enjoy complete silence. Finally, create soothing ambiences and consider installation of sound systems that play ambient music, white noise, or sounds of nature, which many people find to be effective at reducing stress and anxiety.
Decorex International 2018 predicts the colour blue being a major design trend at this year’s London Design Festival in curtains, furniture and fabrics…
From bold and bright tones to more soothing shades, the colour will be found on new rug, wall coverings, furniture and fabric designs.
Decorex International is an internationally renowned showcase for the high-end interiors industry and the only one of its kind in the UK. Decorex expects more than 400 exhibitors – from established names through to up and coming makers – who will launch their latest collections over the course of the four days. The show returns for its 41st edition to the historic location of Syon Park on the 16th to the 19th September 2018, it is one of the London Design Festival’s top five key design destinations.
Image caption: Sofa from Decca
Decorex has established itself as Europe’s leading interior design event, offering the finest furniture, lighting, textiles, craft and accessories from emerging and established names alike. Said to be the centrepiece of London Design Festival, Decorex provides an unparalleled opportunity for interior design professionals to discover exquisite creations from more than 400 international exhibitors.
Hotel Designs is a recognised media partner for Decorex International 2018. To register for the show, click here.
Main image credit: Federico bed from Gillmore Space and
The Legendary Mark Mahoney Takes Centre Stage at The Mandrake Artist-in-Residence between September 20 – 30…
Known for its wildly mysterious bohemiam-gothic design, The Mandrake in London’s Fitzrovia district has announced that the high priest of Hollywood tattoo artists, Mark Mahoney, will be the artist-in-residence between September 20 – 30.
From September 20, Mahoney – whose roster boasts A-listers including David Beckham, Lady Gaga, Adele and Johnny Depp – will bring his Shamrock Social Club tattoo parlour to The Mandrake for ten days only, where he will live-ink his VIP guests. In-house guests at The Mandrake can skip the 18-month waiting list and request to be inked by the legend himself. In addition to the West Hollywood Shamrock Social Club inspired pop-up, The Mandrake will offer 15 lucky fans an opportunity to have an immersive private charity dinner with Mahoney.
During Mark’s residency, his main activities will include:
Shamrock tattoo parlour pop-up, 20th – 30th September: Guests can see Mahoney in action from the hotel lobby and courtyard in a space inspired by his West Hollywood studio. In-house guests of The Mandrake will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be tattooed by Mark himself, jumping the epic 18-month-long waiting list. To be in with a chance of this, guests of The Mandrake should request a tattoo by emailing tattoo@themandrake.com.
Wine and dine with the legend himself, Wednesday 26th September: The Mandrake is offering 15 lucky guests the rare opportunity to meet Mahoney at an exclusive charity dinner where the strong-browed, pompadoured Mahoney will share his celebrity tales of the last 40 years and possibly inspire guests to immortalise the night in ink on their next trip to Hollywood. Tickets will be priced at £500 with some of the proceeds going to a cancer charity. Contact tattoo@themandrake.com to be in with the chance of attending this five course dining experience, equipped with Mahoney-inspired cocktails and goodie bags.
Johnny Depp calls him brother. Lana Del Rey cast him as her muse. Beckham is head to toe in his work. Mark Mahoney is revered by fellow tattoo artists, and the younger generation look to him as an inspiration and mentor in the craft of tattooing. His work has revolutionised tattoo inking globally and The Mandrake will once again welcome the legend as part of the hotel’s Artist-in-Residence series for September.
The 514-key hotel, Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc, opens as the brand’s first Vietnamese property and heralds a new era for the Radisson Hotel Group…
Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc, a 514-room property overlooking the northern stretch of Vietnam’s most compelling beach, Bai Dai, has opened as part of an unprecedented integrated resort on the nation’s biggest island.
The resort’s design sets a contemporary tone with neutral palettes of marble, refreshing high ceilings and vast floor-to-roof glass panels
“Phu Quoc is fast developing a reputation as Vietnam’s answer to Thailand’s Phuket and the beach experience here is one of a kind,” said Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc’s General Manager Peter Feran. “This is a tropical island setting that comes right out of a storybook and is all the more spectacular every day at dusk when the sun goes down over the Gulf of Thailand.”
The resort’s design sets a contemporary tone with neutral palettes of marble, refreshing high ceilings and vast floor-to-roof glass panels that take advantage of the stunning natural surrounds and abundance of sunshine.
In a captivating fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics, striking artwork adorns the resort including abstract sculptures crafted out of Vietnamese marble and vertical pressed panels referencing the lotus flower, palm fronds and more native Vietnamese flora. Spectacular lighting installations that pay homage to the Gulf of Thailand, such as a melange of glass seaweed and schools of countless glass fish that appear to swim swiftly past smooth eggshell white columns, greet guests in the capacious foyer and lobby areas.
To go above and beyond using only locally made bamboo straws, Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc has ambitions to become the first international hotel in Vietnam to have its own bamboo straw farm from which to harvest its own straws.
The resort is as paperless as possible with all menus available on screens and digital signage located throughout the resort. All magazines and newspapers are only available online.
Located 30 kilometres from Phu Quoc International Airport, the resort is easily accessible from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and beyond thanks to numerous arrivals and departure flights daily.
Guestrooms, villas and suites
Ranging in size from an ample 45 sqm to a tremendous 635 sqm, the resort’s array of rooms, suites and villas afford unencumbered views of the sea, gardens, lagoon swimming pool and mountains.
The 10 Beachfront Pool Villas, the most lavish of the accommodations, boast two, three or six bedrooms totaling 165 sqm, 255 sqm and 635 sqm respectively. Strategically dispersed across the resort’s most inspiring ground, these incredible villas each come with a private pool with sunken lounge and sun deck, huge separate living area, fully-equipped kitchen, dining room, luxurious bathroom, private outdoor rain shower and spacious garden.
Hues of gunmetal blue complemented by urban grey and soft gold throughout the resort and rooms nod to Radisson Blu as a brand
Inland from the villas the property’s hotel building looms, offering up sweeping views of the ocean from many of its rooms and suites. Spanning up to 145 sqm each, 17 Sky Suites are situated on the building’s eighth floor.
The villas, along with the Executive Rooms, Executive Suites, One Bedroom Suites and Two Bedroom Suite, offer exclusive access to the ALUMI executive lounge.
Hues of gunmetal blue complemented by urban grey and soft gold throughout the resort and rooms nod to Radisson Blu as a brand.
With venues ranging from a poolside bar to a VIP lounge, Radisson Blu Resort Phu Quoc’s diverse culinary landscape lures casual and sophisticated diners alike.
Anchored by a large show kitchen, all-day dining establishment Avenue’s vibrant marketplace setting seats more than 300 indoors and a further 100 on its poolside terrace.
An elegant space, the exclusive ALUMI executive lounge offers patrons personalized concierge service and complimentary drinks and snacks including high tea.
Located by the resort’s picture-perfect pool, Azure offers classic cocktails, freshly squeezed juices, healthy smoothies and snacks to guests lounging in the sun.
The opening comes as the group prepares to launch Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh Bay and Radisson Phu Quoc Resort, a separate 218-room four-star resort on Truong beach, in addition to pursuing development opportunities in other Vietnamese destinations.
Throughout September, Hotel Designs will be shining the spotlight on two areas that together help the other evolve. Namely: the hotel lobby and furniture…
Next month, Hotel Designswill be examining first impressions in the hotel lobby and how what is constantly referred to as the ‘beating heart of the hotel, home of the energetic pulse, has evolved over the years to cater towards modern travellers. In addition to this, the publication will also stitch together the best furniture pieces and evolving trends in international hotel design.
The hotel lobby
Image credit: Hotel ICON, Hong Kong
The lobby can make or break a hotel concept. The challenge for international interior designers continues to be merging functionality with personality. With hotels being more than just a bed for the night, the hotel lobby as we know it is now transforming into community spaces as opposed to a seating area pre or post check in. The editorial team will take a look at the best examples and suggest where the future of the lobby will sit.
Furniture
Image credit: Corinthia London
Luxury with an edge is the theme of 2018 when it comes to furniture. In May, Milan saw the first glimpse of this year’s major trends. These showed a definite move towards comfort and a nod to 1950s design. How are designers incorporating this into their work? As show seasons begins, the editorial team take a deeper look at this sector.
If you’re a supplier in either of these categories and want your products to reach more than 41,000 hoteliers, interior designers and architects per month, there are plenty of ways you can get involved with these features next month, from supplying an opinion piece to working with us on a targeted mini-series.
If you wish to find out more, please contact Phoebe Kasapi on 01992 374059 or p.kasapi@forumevents.co.uk
Following its launch of Metropolitan Collection earlier this year, surface specialist Caesarstone has announced STILL BY FORM, a unique collaboration with designjunction…
Surface specialist Caesarstone UK has collaborated with designjunction for a restaurant installation called STILL BY FORM. Curated by design consultancy and procurement specialists, BY FORM, the space is designed with harmonious layers of colour and texture to provide a setting for quiet contemplation within the bustle of the show. The pop-up restaurant serves as a backdrop for exciting interior pieces that are yet to be showcased in the UK.
STILL utilises the newly launched Topus Concrete surface design for the restaurant’s main bar
STILL is influenced by simple Danish design and organic Japanese aesthetics and is a celebration of collaborations with a number of hand-picked brands and designers. The pop-up restaurant installation features a refined collection of design across lighting, textiles, surfaces and furniture, and new materials, including brands like Anour, &tradition, KABE Copenhagen, Zilenzio and Atkinson & Kirby. The menu will be provided by 26 Grains, from Neil’s Yard London.
Caesarstone have been an integral part of the STILL restaurant project from the beginning. STILL utilises the newly launched Topus Concrete surface design for the restaurant’s main bar. Developed as part of the Caesarstone design team’s wider exploration of industrial finishes and weathered patinas, Topus Concrete’s gentle linier pattern is reminiscent of Jupiter’s rotating cloud bands, while its warm blush pink colours sit harmoniously within the calming palette used across STILL.
It has been a wonderful experience working with the team at designjunction
“STILL is one of the most interesting projects within designjunction and the broader London Design Festival for 2018, so we are delighted to have played an active role in its realisation,” said Jon Stanley, VP Marketing, Caesarstone UK. “It has been a wonderful experience working with the team at designjunction, as well as BY FORM and the other partner brands.”
Stanley continued: “Caesarstone places huge value on design, creative thinking and innovation, things we see as fundamentals of our brand. London Design Festival is an essential and vibrant forum for an industry that the UK excels in, helping to promote and nurture those working in the sector, established or otherwise. We believe that it’s critical that brands support it.
“We consider the atmosphere in spaces and rooms to be particularly important and, therefore, we have designed the space with a palette of honest materials and harmonious layers of colours and texture, so you can disconnect for a moment of observation and reflection away from the show.”
In addition to designjunction’s STILL project, Caesarstone UK is supporting numerous other activities with partners across London Design Festival, across K&B studios, lighting and paint brands.
Following on with this month’s ‘Spotlight On’ theme focusing on Hotel Concepts – and with this year’s Brit List fast approaching – Hotel Designs investigates Britain’s best spa concepts…
Between the years of 2013 and 2015, Global Wellness Institute (GWI) concluded that the wellness travel market grew by a whopping 10.6 per cent to be worth an estimated US$563.2 billion. With that trajectory expected to rise even further, as GWI predicts that the wellness tourism will grow to be more than a US$800 billion industry by 2020, spa concepts and the core designs around spas are arguably the windows to new clientele.
As a result, spa design within the hotels to reach that ambitious five-star status is hot on the mind of designers, architects and hoteliers – and rightly so. As the spa becomes the spirit of the hotel, here are some awe-inspiring hotel spa concepts that have the ability to transform guests into another world whilst checked in.
In its majestic position underneath Scotland’s Ochil Hills, Glenagles’ escape doesn’t get much better than its spa. Designed by the great Sue Harmsworth, ESPA at Gleneageles was named last year as Britian’s best spa by The Good Spa Guide. As Scotland’s pre-eminent destination spa, it has been designed symmetrically to keep male and female areas separate.
Visitors to the spa can de-stress in the soothing surroundings of the central courtyard, enjoy indulgent heat and thermal experiences before or after their treatment, or enjoy a snack at The Spa’s café. Considering the majestic settings and the grand 1920s main building, the hotel is surprisingly modern with all the right levels of luxury.
As Bath’s only hotel that taps into the city’s natural thermal springs, The Gainsborough is in a league on its own in the South West.
The spa’s design fuses modern elements with traditional architecture typical to surviving examples of Roman Baths. At its heart are three healing pools of warm thermal water beneath a contemporary glass atrium. The spa is spread over two levels. On the lower level there are treatment rooms, an ice room, infra-red sauna, traditional sauna, steam room, luxurious men’s and ladies changing rooms and the thermal pools. Respecting the historic Roman tradition, each pool is a few degrees warmer or cooler than the next and are to be experienced – as they were in Roman time – in sequence.
Between the columns of the Romanesque colonnade and feature wall surrounding the largest of the pools of the Bath House, are niches clad in custom glass mosaics in blue and grey. Designed to reflect the thermal water and the Bath sky beneath the glass roof above, bathers will sit amongst the columns enjoying massaging jets of therapeutic water. Above, three contemporary interpretations of Georgian lanterns illuminate the Bath House, adding another contemporary edge to the spa’s design. Elsewhere, a Roman mosaic floor, uncovered during 19th century archaeological works and sealed beneath the surface, has been replicated above.
On the second level, linking the Gainsborough to its sister YTL property, Green Leaf Niseko Village, in Japan, a Tatami and a VIP room complete with an Ofuru-style tub (a wooden Japanese soaking tub accented with river rocks) is a feature element honouring the Asian hydrotherapy tradition. Ensconced further within is a cloistered space called the Fountain Room where guests are invited to taste the mineral-laden thermal water – a practice known to Roman bathers in Bath – and to meditate on a waterfall in contemplative solitude.
Another Harmsworth-inspired retreat, the ESPA at The Corinthia London is the largest hotel spa in London and is, bizarrely enough, located just metres away from one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, Trafalgar Square. Arguably, that’s what makes the experience that much more special and surreal.
The spa which spans across four floors (reception and spa lounge, thermal floor, treatment floor, gym) is the perfect escape from the city above. The gateway to luxury starts at the reception area. Deliberately narrow corridors leading towards the thermal floor evoke the feeling of escaping into an underground world. Seamless ceramic doors camouflaged in the walls make every turn feel like an exclusive experience. Meanwhile, the roaring fires placed around the venue compliment the dark hues of blues and blacks. As well as creating drama, the concept of fire also cleverly breaks up the space without using walls.
Located underneath the hotel, and the busy streets of the capital, the spa includes a swimming pool – which sits below a large glass amphitheatre sauna, an ice fountain, a vitality pool, heated marble sun loungers and private sleep pods.
Located on an original medieval hunting grounds, Lime Wood Hotel shelters a three-floor spa, Herb House Spa.
Dedicated to natural wellness and inspired by its forest surroundings, Herb House instils a sense of calm, well-being and serenity – it’s the perfect chilling retreat.
Herb House has a largeSauna and indoor Hydro Pool with stunning forest views, a mud house, a steaming outdoor hot pool, eight spacious single treatment rooms and two magnificent double treatment rooms – the perfect place in rural England to escape from the world in the heart of the New Forest.
Set in the heart of Somerset, Babington House was designed with the stressed-out city goers in mind. The relaxed and typical ‘Soho House’ colour scheme of green and white stripes marries nicely with the honey-coloured facade of the main building that sits behind. The ‘rustic-chic’ Cowshed spa is surrounded by stunning vistas of the Somerset countryside. Facilities include two heated pools (one inside and one outside), sauna and steam room.
To celebrate the best of British in the hotel design industry, Hotel Designs has now opened up nominations for this year’s Brit List. The Brit List will amplify Britain’s top interior designers, hoteliers and architects. Click here for more information.
The Brit List, which celebrates Britain’s top 25 influential interior designers, hoteliers and architects, has announced the judging panel for this year’s awards taking place on November 22 at BEAT London…
Ahead of this year’s anticipated Brit List, which launched last year with the aim to raise the profile of British creatives in the industry, Hotel Designs has confirmed the five judges who together will agree on which designers, hoteliers and architects deserve to be recognised in the 2018 Brit List.
In addition to The Brit List, Hotel Designs has also launched six new awards that will also be presented to the winners on the night The Brit List 2018 is unveiled. These awards are:
Inspiration in Design – Innovative use of technology
Inspiration in Design – Boutique Hotelier
Inspiration in Design – Interior Designer of the Year
Gilly Craft, President of the British Institute of Interior Design
As well as the BIID becoming the event’s industry partner, Gilly Craft brings with her a wealth of interior design experience as well as a deep understanding for trends and recognising potential in creatives. “I am very excited to be one of the judges for the Brit List this year,” said Craft on accepting the role as a judge. “It is important that designers have the opportunity to be recognised by their peers in this way.”
Charles Leon, founder of Leon Black Architectural
In 1994, Charles Leon established his own design practice, CLA which specialised in hospitality and residential design. In2010 he was joined by Nicholas Black and in 2014 they formed the partnership Leon Black.
Leon Black specialises in Residential and Hospitality Design and Interior Architecture. Charles, the former president of the BIID, also lectures on design theory, innovation, emotion and the workings of the designer’s mind. He is a guest lecturer at Middlesex University and The Interior Design School.
“I am very honoured to take part as a judge for the Hotel Designs Brit List this year and to have the opportunity to celebrate the breadth and depth of UK designers and hoteliers,” said Leon.
Gerri Gallagher, former associate editor, Tatler
Drawing on 25 years of editorial experience at Tatler with specific emphasis on luxury travel, an extensive global knowledge of five-star hotels and spas and a unique US/UK perspective, Gerri Gallagher is a highly-respected professional who combines a strong creative vision with an astute understanding of what discerning international clients expect.
“I was honoured to be asked to participate in the Hotel Designs Brit List 2018. In my professional capacity as a hotel/spa consultant I work with some of the finest hoteliers and designers in the world,” said Gallagher. “To sit on the panel of judges for this prestigious event is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the industry’s British superstars.”
Lysbeth Fox, founder and director of Fox PR
Lysbeth Fox is the Managing Director of luxury travel, wellness and gourmet agency Fox PR, whose portfolio of clients includes some of the most prestigious in the world. Lysbeth is currently in India building a school with her daughter so was unable to supply a quote for this announcement. I am honoured to be amongst such a prestigious panel of judges – and for such an important award,” said Fox. “As a longtime advisor and strategist for luxury hotels – it has been my privilege to work with some of the most innovative and stylish destinations in the world. I am looking forward to reviewing this year’s best of British nominees.”
Hamish Kilburn, editor, Hotel Designs
Overseeing the panel is Hamish Kilburn, the editor of Hotel Designs. Kilburn has reviewed some of the most spectacular hotels around the world and has his finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest happenings in the world of international hotel design.
Together with the strong team behind the brand, he is helping to strengthen Hotel Designs’ events offering including The Brit List, Hotel Summit, Meet Up and the launch of a new event for interior designers and architects that will launch in 2019.
Once all nominations have been received by the closing date of September 16, the judging panel will select the final 75 most inspirational and influential people in British design, hotels and architecture.
On November 22, designers, hoteliers, architects and key suppliers to the industry will gather at BEAT London where The Brit List 2018 will be unveiled.
Industry suppliers and delegates will be able purchase tickets to attend the awards ceremony, and there are a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available for this prestigious and influential event. For more details contact Phoebe Kasapi by emailing p.kasapi@forumevents.co.uk, or calling 01992 374059.
The minimalist design of GROHE SmartControl introduces three times the control in the shower…
The experience of “Push, Turn, Shower” has now become even more multifaceted as the smart technology is integrated into another successful GROHE design line – GROHE Euphoria SmartControl. The new surface-mounted installation features a significantly slimmer form of the SmartControl interface as well as fast-acting temperature regulation that prevents the risk of scalding thanks to the GROHTHERM thermostat.
Three times the control GROHE Euphoria SmartControl is brimming with “Made in Germany” technology and design quality which is displayed in the multi-jet shower heads. The smart shower system’s centrepiece is the front-mounted push and turn control unit. Unique pictograms called GROHE EasyLogic provide intuitive operation. The turn of a button can regulate the water pressure , ranging from a gentle shower to a more vigorous awakening, depending on each individual’s mood.
With the push of a button, the spray types can be selected. The first button, for example, activates the Euphoria handshower or the Euphoria Cube stick, offering complete flexibility so that the water can be directed exactly where it is needed. The button in the middle provides full SmartControl power. Thanks to the new ActiveRain jet control, one can choose between a powerful jet spray perfect for rinsing out shampoo, or a concentrated jet spray that massages away the stresses of everyday life. The third button, with its gentle PureRain spray, has been designed to offer ultimate relaxation from your shower experience. After switching off the water, the system automatically saves the selected flow rate until it is next used. In addition to the Rainshower 310 SmartActive shower head, the GROHE Euphoria SmartControl shower system is also available with the multi-jet Euphoria 260 head shower. Three types of spray can be selected manually by turning the innovative control in the middle of the shower head’s plate: a powerful jet spray, the invigorating SmartRain jet spray and a full rain jet spray that brings the tranquil sensation of a gentle summer rain.
The new GROHE Euphoria SmartControl control interface features a very slim, minimalist design with compact dimensions
Meanwhile, thanks to GROHE QuickFix, individual adjustments can be made to the upper bracket of both models which makes the drilling of additional holes unnecessary, meaning it also serves as an ideal retrofit solution It is also possible to swing the arm of the head shower 180 degrees. In addition, the system features GROHE CoolTouch technology which ensures the chrome surface of the control unit does not get too hot whilst the GROHTERM SmartControl thermostat with GROHE TurboStat technology delivers the highest precision in temperature regulation.
Minimalist design – clean and convenient
The new GROHE Euphoria SmartControl control interface features a very slim, minimalist design with compact dimensions. Especially in smaller bathrooms, these elements offer additional comfort whilst giving homeowners the opportunity to own a high-performance shower that can function efficiently in small spaces. The GROHE EasyReach shower shelf also provides a convenient storage solution for toiletries. Compared to the existing surface-mounted SmartControl solutions this is an even slimmer version. This minimalist form is beautifully contrasted with the generously sized 310mm shower head which is available in a round or square design. With a three choice of a high-gloss and durable GROHE StarLight chrome finish or the elegant MoonWhite acrylic glass, the design can be perfectly matched into any modern bathroom.
GROHE has been developing new product categories since its inception. This includes the GROHE Blue and Red water systems and the recently-introduced GROHE Sense water security system, which is an innovative component in the growth market of smart home technology. Innovation, design and development are closely aligned with one another and are enshrined in the German site as an integrated process. As a result, GROHE products carry the seal of quality “Made in Germany”.
In part four of Designing Instagrammable, Scott Valentine, the Managing Director of Valé Architects, explains the benefits and potential of analysing big data…
There’s a funny internet meme doing the rounds of a little boy asking Mark Zuckerberg if it’s true what his dad says that Facebook is spying on people, to which Zuckerberg simply responds ‘he’s not your dad’.
But while the Cambridge Analytica saga may have done some serious PR damage in the short term, big data’s here to stay. Not in the least because it’s quite literally unstoppable.
Advertising companies, insurers and supermarkets have been using big data for quite some time now because it allows them to better tailor their products to their users. In design, however, it’s still very much in its infancy.
At Valé, we predict a huge shift over the next ten years in hospitality design. It’s a shift where predictive behavioural analysis will gradually replace the industry’s traditional reliance on intuition and guesswork – hopefully putting an end to wasteful design once and for all.
Big data and personalising hospitality
Big data involves extremely large data sets which can be analysed by computers to reveal patterns and trends about how we behave and interact with each other. It’s closely linked with Artificial Intelligence (AI) which allows machines to evolve and improve their own learning by consistently updating their data sets.
It’s a pretty common misconception among designers that big data bears no real relevance to hospitality design. We disagree. At Valé we see huge potential in big data helping us to further personalise guest experiences in the hotels, restaurants and bars we design.
The shocking misuse of personal data by companies such as Cambridge Analytica and indeed Facebook itself has given big data a bad rep. Unfortunate as it is, this isn’t likely to be more than a temporary blip while society tries to wrap its head around some of the ethical boundaries.
Personalising guest experiences has probably been one of the biggest trends in hospitality over the past ten years
From a design perspective, we can’t foresee many ethical issues. After all, we’re not seeking to influence a guest’s thinking or political views. We’re only seeking to understand their needs better so we can predict their behaviour and movement on site, which will then allow us to design our building around that.
Predicting guest behaviour
Personalising guest experiences has probably been one of the biggest trends in hospitality over the past ten years. It’s a scary concept for many business owners and operators. After all, how do you personalise your services without losing your economies of scale? But it’s a big issue for us as designers too, because how do you design a building that caters to so many different people’s unique taste and needs?
Luckily, and no matter how wonderfully weird and unpredictable we like to think of ourselves, we’re also creatures of habit. Whether we like it or not, our behaviour follows patterns. Big data allows us to uncover those patterns.
With the right information and of course the right tools to interpret it, you can predict most types of behaviour ranging from a person’s spending habits and their family set up, to their living situation back home and how influential they are on social media.
As designers this then allows us to predict how a particular type of guest is likely to make use of a building, for example where they’ll prefer to sit, how much they’ll spend and the kind of pictures they’re likely to post on Instagram.
From a business owner’s perspective, it allows you to increase your bottom line by allocating your design budget and resources in those areas of your building where you’re future guests are likely to spend most of their time and money.
Guest profiling and big data
Speaking of personalisation, many operators and designers rarely get any further than the generational ‘millennial’ tag when it comes to identifying their target customers. But those elusive millennials love everything from a cheap bamboo beach shack in Bali to the Hemingway Bar in the Paris Ritz.
It simply doesn’t make any business sense to cater for such a big niche. And as the quote goes, ‘if you try and be everything to everyone, you’ll end being nothing to no-one.’ You really need to understand the world of the customers and guests who are likely to be coming through your doors.
We’ve previously written about the design approach which brings together User Centric Design (UCD) and guest profiling. As we continue to fine tune our own guest profiling for the hospitality industry, we’re particularly excited about the work that’s also being done elsewhere by a number of startups and others. They provide the backbone data for the type of behavioural analysis that makes it possible to more or less accurately predict how your building is likely to be used.
Companies such as Helix Personas, Defin’d, Experian and Ipsos make use of data sets built through either tracking apps, websites, surveys, local statistics providers, or a combination of those. They build very specific user profiles and behaviours by merging their own data with additional datasets such as hotel bookings, surveys and tracking apps.
Other startups such as Neighbourlytics and Picodash go even further by pairing their data with information that’s public on social media accounts, or with certain government data sets which give them a better understanding of public behaviour in a particular local economy.
No escape
With the growth of consumer networks like fitness tracking, food delivery apps, shopping services and social media, the volume of consumer data is growing at an extremely rapid rate. These datasets provide massive opportunities for us as designers to better understand the behaviour of our future guests and to put an end to wasteful design.
Big data is already big business for most banks, insurance companies and advertisers. Very slowly we’re starting to see a shift in attitude closer to home, with a number of large-scale developers dipping their toes in the water. Some are already in the early stages of user profiling as a way to help them build homes that are better suited to their target buyers.
At Valé, it’s our core mission to be at the forefront of innovation when it comes to guiding our design process. We’ve no doubt that big data analytics and behavioural analysis will be the bread and butter for hospitality design in the next ten years. Trust us, you won’t want to be left behind on this one.
This article is part four of a series of five. See below links to previous articles:
As Hotel Designs continues to focus on Hotel Concepts and Flooring & Carpets, Editor Hamish Kilburn breaks down this week’s top news stories…
Throughout this week, we have had a bit of everything – from flooring trends to Lamborghini sofas, from VR insights to hotels inspired by nature. This is somewhat not surprising considering the two vast topics that we’re shining the spotlight on this month. Here are this week’s top five stories.
This month, as we focus our lens on hotel flooring, Hotel Designs is going all out to give you an accurate take on how the flooring trends are shaping up for the back end of this year. From what our editorial team can see, rules have been broken – and rightly so. Here are a few top trends to keep an eye on for the rest of the year.
With a noticeable nod to nature, Son Brull in Mallorca has completed the design of two brand-new villa suites. The two-bedroom villa suites are situated in the hotel’s idyllic gardens and offer the ideal combination of space and privacy while remaining fully serviced. Located in the northern Mallorca near Pollensa, the family owned and managed hotel is housed in a former monastery that dates back to the 12th century, in a peaceful rural setting for guests looking to disconnect and spend some quality time surrounded by nature.
With this month’s focus being on weird and wonderful Hotel Concepts around the globe, Hotel Designs stitched the lining of these very quirky – and slightly ‘out there’ automotive designs and Lamborghini sofas…
The design hotel that’s property dates back to the 12th Century opens new modern and fresh villa suites…
With a noticeable nod to nature, Son Brull in Mallorca has completed the design of two brand-new villa suites. The two-bedroom villa suites are situated in the hotel’s idyllic gardens and offer the ideal combination of space and privacy while remaining fully serviced. Located in the northern Mallorca near Pollensa, the family owned and managed hotel is housed in a former monastery that dates back to the 12th century, in a peaceful rural setting for guests looking to disconnect and spend some quality time surrounded by nature.
The design follows Son Brull’s signature sophisticated style#
Each villa suite is spacious, spanning 100sqm inside, with over 130sqm of surrounding private terrace and gardens in which to relax. The design follows Son Brull’s signature sophisticated style, with exterior stone walls that seem to grow out of the natural landscape, furnishings of natural wood and textiles in soft colours and textures, as well as local artwork adorning the walls throughout. Each villa proudly features a piece of artwork from a young member of the hotel’s family, an accomplished artist herself, adding a special touch of the family’s personality.
Overall, there is a feeling of light and elegance, of flowing spaces
Each suite offers two en-suite bedrooms, with the master bedroom featuring a king-sized bed, double bath and rain shower, and the second bedroom offering twin beds, which can also be re-arranged into a second king-sized bed, as well as a rain shower. Overall, there is a feeling of light and elegance, of flowing spaces and connection to the outdoors.
A spacious and open living room complete with a cosy fireplace, B&O television, Google Chromecast, Nespresso coffee machine, fully-stocked minibar fridge and Wi-Fi makes the ideal place to unwind in privacy. In typical Son Brull style, the villas pay homage to the beautiful nature of Mallorca, featuring living roofs and surrounded by vineyards and private gardens. Son Brull’s villa suites each have their own private outdoor lap pool, heated to 24 degrees Celsius and measuring 5×2 metres in size and 1.5 metres in depth.
Recommended Supplier Morgan Furniture has further expanded its lobbyesque Pimlico collection…
Morgan’s Pimlico collection began as a side chair with a small footprint, and has since developed to include a variety of size options and high-backs. With smooth curved lines and a unique oval seat pad, the expanded collection offers further possibilities and interior solutions; creating a cohesive collection suited to both workplace and hospitality interiors.
The dramatic high back booth sofa and lounge chairs act as a statement piece
Morgan Pimlico 142 High-back Lounge Chairs. Fully upholstered for maximum comport, Pimlico succeeds in offering a look, which is youthful as well as being timeless and elegant. The dramatic high back booth sofa and lounge chairs act as a statement piece, whilst also offering a practical acoustic solution for private working and relaxation.
Alongside these products, the collection includes a number of low back options including a luxuriously deep sofa, a higher sit banquette sofa, lounge chairs and dining/meeting chairs.
To view these new collections please visit the Morgan showroom at 1 Dallington Street, ECV1 0BH.
Morgan Furniture are 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.
Hospitality is one of the fastest-changing businesses in the world and companies involved need to react quickly to changing tastes and demands. In that environment Adagio reveals “The Circle” in Aparthotels…
After months of research, “The Circle” is now being launched throughout Aparthotels Adagio. The objective of the new concept is to redefine the aparthotel spaces based on customer desire and usage, bringing a modern and flexible style available at different times of the day.
The Circle ensures that all guests can enjoy both shared and private space at their own convenience and as they desire.
A unique concept based on three dimensions
Deliberately called “The Circle” to symbolise the spirit of community it creates, the new generation of the friendly spirit of Aparthotels Adagio generates an open and welcoming feeling of togetherness based on three pillars:
Redesigned spaces that create new functions (a library of objects to borrow, shared kitchen, grocery store, etc) original or simply useful.
Events such as weekly aperitifs or Dinner@Adagio, which all guests can enjoy.
Shared guest experiences led by the Adagio team, designed to generate “moments to remember” when strangers meet to enjoy the events and each other.
A public space totally redesigned to encourage meetings and friendship.
The public areas have been completely redesigned by the Adagio team putting clients and employees at the centre of their planning. The original Circle concept has been guest-tested and developed further at the Adagio Paris Bercy Village where guests and visiting neighbours were invited to enjoy the premises and give feedback which was used for further improvements.
Lobby/reception Adagio Paris Bercy Village
With The Circle, each Aparthotel Adagio now offers many complimentary services to encourage interaction between guests but also between those guests and our hotel staff. From leisure to cooking, these are all activities that allow travellers to discover a new way to create their individual stay.
Shared kitchen. A true multi-function meeting place, a large shared kitchen allows guests to cook throughout the day in a friendly atmosphere and benefit from all the equipment to prepare a meal that they will then have the freedom to share with other guests. This kitchen can also be booked to employ a chef to prepare something for that special occasion.
Library of objects. To personalise their apartment and help create “their own space” guests have access to a free library with three types of objects:
Iconic, local trinkets and memorabilia which allow guests to bring their own focus and design taste to their space.
Emotional, which allows guests to personalise their apartment with unique decoration items and sentiment – plants, picture frames, books, home-from-home items.
Functional, which can be practical in everyday life – a chair of choice, a cushion of colour, kitchen equipment of preference and loved brands.
The Circle library serves as a place to exchange books: everyone can deposit and take the book of their choice and can therefore help to develop the shared experience and growing repository of fictional fun and no-fictional enjoyment.
Fun and practical services. To offer a complete experience The Circle ideal offers additional services in public areas such as a grocery store where everyone can find practical or gourmet products
Reception. A new reception style makes the guest welcome warmer, informal and personalised thanks to a large table d’hôtes. Employees wear a new more relaxed outfit and guests have the option to check in at different places in the lobby.
Entertainment. The public areas have been completely re-designed so that guests can enjoy relaxing moments
Co-working. Some Aparthotels benefit from co-working spaces, allowing business travellers to benefit from a friendly and functional working environment
“Our primary goal was to put the benefit sand opportunities of each unique location at the heart of the customer experience,” said Karim Malak, Adagio’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
“The process undertaken to create ‘The Circle’ was above everything listening to our customer, in order to offer them a service and a living environment more attuned to their expectations as they arrive and throughout their stay.
“Thanks to this new concept, we now offer our guests a complete and unique experience with an apartment that remains their own personal space but with public areas. Guess can now dip in or out according to their own needs. They can now enjoy a unique and customisable hosting experience in a more user-friendly living space, allowing them to meet new travellers should they desire.”
This new concept will be deployed with several interior design agencies. Already six Adagio Aparthotels are now fully in operation and 23 establishments will have been re-designed by the end of 2018.
The 336-key InterContinental hotel, which will shelter futuristic look and feel, will open in Q4 this year…
Said to transform hotel design to new levels, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland has confirmed it will open its doors in the fourth quarter of 2018. Developed by Shimao Group and managed by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the luxury hotel, mostly below ground, is poised to welcome guests with an amazing landscape in a deep pit of a former quarry in southwestern Shanghai.
The hotel reshapes the relationship between city and nature
The 18-storey hotel has two floors above ground, and 16 below ground, including two floors underwater. With a construction area of more than 61,000 square metres, the hotel features 336 rooms and suites that all boast balconies where guests can enjoy a spectacular view of waterfalls from the surrounding cliffs.
In contrast to the traditional architectural concept of building high-rises, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland adopts an unconventional design of extending space beneath ground by truly reflecting the natural landscape of the quarry.
Reaching down to 88 metres below ground, the hotel reshapes the relationship between city and nature, turning an abandoned quarry into a treasure of wonder and beauty. The opening of InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland will prove to create unique and tremendous value to the city, standing out as a must-visit destination itself to welcome its growing guests.
With this month’s focus being on weird and wonderful Hotel Concepts around the globe, Hotel Designs stitched the lining of these very quirky – and slightly ‘out there’ automotive designs and Lamborghini sofas…
Fast cars and flash hotel rooms are nothing new. In 2014, St Regis Istanbul famously unveiled the Bentley Suite, which played on the concept of automotive luxury design. A sofa lounge, with signature Bentley diamond upholstery in Bentley linen leather, brought Bentley’s distinctive motoring luxury to life. From the curved veneered walls, in Bentley smoked fiddleback eucalyptus, to the elegant upholstery, the suite’s shapely architecture skillfully reflected the Continental GT’s seductive lines.
St Regis Istanbul
In June this year, Hotel Designs reported on the hotel bathroom that was inspired by the design of a supercar. Working predominately in carbon fibre and taking design cues from the world of the supercar, award-winning designer Charles Wan was developing a number of unique automotive bathroom styles.
Now, with much hype around creating moments within a hotel experience, the Lamborghini sofa could be coming to a hotel guestroom near you.
The racing sofas, designed and manufactured by Design Epicentrum, are a unique combination of realistic sport cars and comfortable seats with elegant leather upholstery. Next to such furniture is not a way to pass indifferently – they are created to play a main role in the space arrangement.
With Lamborghini sofas now on the market – albeit limited edition – the question over how far hotel concepts can go continues to be asked.
Luxury bathroom brand – and Hotel Designs Recommended Supplier Heritage Bathrooms – has launched a nationwide search for boutique bathrooms that wow…
Heritage Bathrooms has launched a search for Britain’s best boutique bathroom spaces and is s calling on boutique hotels and luxury rental properties to submit their guest bathrooms for a chance to win a spot on its online Stylish Stays hub.
Featuring a hand-drawn map and a water colour illustration of each hotel, designed by British designer and illustrator Eleanore Longhurst, the hub will feature on Heritage’s website, as well as being included in PR and social media campaigns – encouraging consumers to visit the gorgeous properties and experience a Heritage Bathroom during their stay.
Properties wanting to be included in Heritage’s Stylish Stays hub will be in great company, with hotels including The Raeburn in Edinburgh, Alrewas Hayes in Staffs, and Harbour Lights in Cornwall just some of the locations already set to be included.
The only requirement to secure a spot is for the property to feature Heritage products in their guest bathrooms.
“We know that Heritage Bathrooms products are specified in many boutique hotel bathroom spaces, so we thought the creation of the dedicated ‘Stylish Stays’ hub was an ideal way to share the gorgeous interior spaces that guests can experience, as well as help hotel owners showcase their properties,” Commented Sophie Taylor, national specification manager for Heritage Bathrooms. “We know many homeowners take inspiration from hotel interior design too, so by encouraging guests to visit and see how Heritage products have been used, we hope that we can help inspire their own designs and showcase the quality of our products in an exciting new way.”
With 30 years of experience in bathroom product design, Heritage Bathrooms’ newly launched initiative will further celebrate striking hotel bathroom designs within the boutique hotel market.
Heritage Bathrooms are 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.
“We are very proud of what the hotel has achieved and provided for travelers around the world since its opening 20 years ago. This renovation further affirms our commitment to maintain our status as one of the elite luxury hotels in the city and around the world,” says Prince A. Sanders, general manager of the hotel. “The renovation is underway and we anticipate completion by September.”
Trump International Hotel & Tower New York has held its place among the top five-star luxury hotels in the city that never sleeps since its opening, delivering the highest levels of service, style, and exclusivity. Earlier this year, the hotel received its 10th Forbes Five-Star designation. Since 2011, the hotel has been lauded each year with AAA Five Diamond Award. Other accolades the hotel has received include Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Hotels,” Conde Nast Traveler’s “Top Hotels in New York City” and “Best in the World,” and U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hotels in the USA.”
A collaboration among Trump Hotels, Eric Trump, Trump Construction and New York-based design firm, Total Resource Associates Inc., the renovation creates a first class, ultra-sophisticated ambiance reflecting the hotel’s vibrant New York City location.
Leading the project forward, Total Resource Associates Inc. found inspiration in the hotel’s stunning Central Park views and its proximity to Manhattan’s famed Columbus Circle. The renovation includes a total transformation of the hallways, including carpeting, a new colour palette and lighting; guestrooms and suites, including sparkling LED crystal chandeliers and custom wall sconces, deep wood crown molding and base, carpeting, fixtures and fittings, upholstery and bedding; and guest room and suite bathrooms, featuring polished chrome Kohler fixtures, glass-enclosed shower partitions, new comfort height toilets and custom wood vanities with marble tops. The new finishes and materials have been designed to infuse every aspect of the guest experience with the refined aesthetic that envelops guests when they arrive at the luxury hotel in Manhattan.
Bathroom specialist and Hotel Designs Recommended Supplier Kaldewei explains the benefits of Kaldewei steel enamel…
Designers around the world have always been fascinated by the unique symbiosis produced by two natural materials. Bathroom specialist Kaldewei fuses robust steel and exquisite glass together to create superior Kaldewei steel enamel. Bringing 100 years of experience to bear, the company today produces premium bathroom solutions made of a single material to a consistently high standard of quality that are appreciated all over the world.
Kaldewei controls the entire value chain for its shower surfaces, washbasins and bathtubs – from selecting the raw materials, manufacturing the enamel and forming the steel to finishing with superior Kaldewei enamel. Today Kaldewei is still the only bathroom manufacturer to produce enamel in its own furnace. The formula was developed at Kaldewei’s laboratory and has been consistently refined over the decades. Raw materials from six continents are used and the result is a compelling compound that even after years of use looks just as good as when it was first made.
The properties of steel enamel can be individually enhanced with surface treatments such as an optional anti-slip finish
Kaldewei steel enamel: fascinating, persuasive and long-lasting
What is it that makes Kaldewei steel enamel so unique? One reason is the secret formula that has been developed by Kaldewei over generations. A high-tech material that is perfect for modern bathroom design has been created over the course of the decades. The distinctive properties of steel and enamel – combined in superior Kaldewei steel enamel – have proved compelling for partners and clients all over the world. Thanks to the glass-hard surface, bathroom solutions made of Kaldewei steel enamel are ultra hygienic and easy to clean. This surface cannot be harmed by mechanical or chemical impact such as that caused by cosmetics and detergents. The exceptionally long warranty period of 30 years clearly demonstrates the robustness and longevity of Kaldewei bathroom solutions and underlines their special quality. The properties of steel enamel can be individually enhanced with surface treatments such as an optional anti-slip finish. It is not only builders and customers who rely on Kaldewei bathroom solutions: architects and hoteliers too greatly appreciate the properties and advantages of Kaldewei steel enamel.
Committed to sustainability
With growing environmental awareness, sustainability is becoming an increasingly topical issue. Kaldewei bathroom solutions made of steel enamel are winners in this area too because they can be fully recycled. This allows builders and architects to plan in an ecologically oriented way. Kaldewei steel enamel was recognised with a “Green Good Design Award” in 2017 – one of the most prestigious sustainability accolades in the world.
The responsible use of resources, environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes and bathroom solutions that can be recycled at the end of their lives have all been part of Kaldewei’s corporate philosophy for generations. The company is further demonstrating its commitment in this area by partnering with the environmental conservation organisation, the WWF.
Kaldewei are 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 Spa Tech Live describes how Virtual Reality is changing the face of international hotel design and service…
Virtual Reality (VR) was once the realm of extreme gamers, but in recent years it has made some big promises about bringing disruption that will span industries. In hospitality virtual reality solutions are already being exploited to bring new and exciting customer experiences.
One key use of VR technology is to enhance the relationship between hotel and visitor. VR ad company Advrtas are exploiting VR in the hotel industry to elevate the consumer-brand relationship, with top of the range immersive experience used to promote luxury hotels.
In hospitality, being ahead of the curve with the latest technology can be the difference which sets you apart from your competitors.
Others, like 36 Zero VR, are using this high-end tech to offer virtual tours, engaging their visitors with the lure of information hot spots.
While offering VR services to your customer base may still feel very sci-fi for now, anyone working in hospitality needs to be aware of the waves it’s already making in the industry. In hospitality, where customers are always looking to be wowed, being ahead of the curve with the latest technology can be the difference which sets you apart from your competitors.
If you want to find out more about innovative technology for hotels, or meet the key players changing the game in hospitality, you need to be at Hotel & Spa Tech live – the UK’s most exciting event for the technology, systems, products, and services that are breaking new ground in the hotel and spa sector.
As technology becomes more critical to the hospitality industries, Hotel & Spa Tech Live provides you with an unprecedented opportunity to find the very latest cutting-edge supplies designed to create a truly unforgettable experience for your customers, from the innovators behind these industry-transforming solutions.
Hotel & Spa Tech Live takes place at the London ExCel on the 25th – 26th September 2018, and tickets for this amazing event are FREE! Find out more about the future of hotel tech and register for your ticket on their website.
The 33-key Room Mate Gorka, designed by acclaimed interior design studio Cuarto Interior, opens as the brand’s 24th hotel…
International hotel chain Room Mate Hotels continues with its ambitious expansion plans and opens Room Mate Gorka; its first hotel in the Basque Country. This is the chain’s second opening in less than a month, after opening Room Mate Bruno in Rotterdam. What’s more, the chain aims to open another 11 hotels before the end of 2019. With Gorka, the chain now operates 24 hotels, consolidating its leadership in the urban centres of the world’s main cities.
Room Mate Gorka, which intends on being one of the chain’s and the city’s landmarks, being located in the emblematic Plaza de Gipuzkoa in the heart of Donostia-San Sebastián, operates 33 rooms split into three categories: double, executive and duplex; many of which have large terraces. Its protected façade is one of the symbols of the famous square, as such its aesthetics have been kept the same.
The project surprises, with a thoughtful, elegant, fresh, harmonious decoration with a classic touch
“I am particularly happy with this opening. San Sebastián is one of my favourite cities in the world and Room Mate Hotels couldn’t not be here,” said Kike Sarasola, President and Founder of the Room Mate Group. “My father was from Donostia-San Sebastián, my memories in the city are wonderful and it brings me great joy that Room Mate Gorka is now a another member of the great family made up of 24 hotels located around the world. As with all new projects, at Room Mate Gorka we have taken care of the finest details. We are sure that Gorka is going to become a new landmark in the city. It is the work of my friends German Álvarez and José Manuel Fernández, from the studio Cuarto Interior, and working together has been a real pleasure.”
Design continues to be one of the underlying foundations of the hotel chain, as well as the concept of travelling visiting friends. In this case, Gorka’s personality is what set the tone for the decoration. Gorka is an extrovert, he’s creative and he loves travelling, and that’s exactly what the space portrays.
“We loved designing the new Room Mate Gorka because from the very beginning Kike Sarasola had a very clear idea of the hotel that he wanted for his guests. Kike gave us complete freedom to create the interior concept of the hotel. It was an absolute pleasure working for Room Mate Hotels”, stated Germán Álvarez and José Manuel Fernández, the project designers.
Room Mate Gorka is a classic contemporary design full of contrasts. The project surprises, with a thoughtful, elegant, fresh, harmonious decoration with a classic touch. The details that make reference to the La Concha beach front promenade are a clear example of this, as are the glass panes that separate the reception and the bar. Thanks to a careful use of transparent elements, some spaces are able to intertwine with each other. Moreover, this twist on the classic gives way to a modern, fresh elegance that has contemporary purposes whilst being reminiscent of timeless classics both in terms of the furnishings and the finishes and decorations. Cuarto Interior has given Gorka homely touches that create unique spaces in order to present a welcoming hotel with personality.
The building’s architecture and its location in San Sebastián have been taken into account in order to create a space that is in tune with the city. Simplicity and elegance merge together at Room Mate Gorka in order to create an intimate environment that combines contemporary decoration with neoclassic touches.
The whole design of the hotel is thought out to surprise and provide comfort in a sophisticated yet homely environment where guests will feel at home.
Halo from Chelsom is one of the signature ranges from the brand-new collection Edition 26, presenting true statement lighting fittings that create impressive additions to a wide variety of interior genres…
Decorative LED filament lamps reflect a warm glow off the interiors of Brushed Brass rings. The rings on the four and eight light chandeliers can rotate at the end of the arms to give a random and unique lighting appearance. The 10 light has rings suspended on black silk- covered cable to look similarly random and create a striking impact.
Both ceiling and wall variations are available with the latter able to be installed with the ring mounted vertically or horizontally. The range is priced with and comes complete with lamps as shown.
For further information or to request a catalogue please contact 01253 831404 or email sales@chelsom.co.uk
Chelsom are one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. If you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, click here.
A new chic 23-key boutique hotel created by Jeff Klein’s JK Hotel Group and designed by Rita Konig is slated to open Autumn 2018…
Hot on the heels of the relaunch of LA’s most iconic hotel – Sunset Tower – celebrated hotelier Jeff Klein will open 850, a new boutique hotel situated in the heart of West Hollywood. Fashioned after Klein’s passion for residential-style hotels, the hotel will offer a home-from-home in the heart of the city by British designer Rita Konig with 23 guestrooms rooms, a communal living room, large rooftop terrace and a modern pantry where guests can enjoy meals by Chefs from across the city.
It’s big sister in the city of Angels, Sunset Tower, is one of West Hollywood’s most iconic hotels
850 is in the cultural and geographical heart of West Hollywood. The hotel’s façade is in the style of a historical bungalow, tucked away in a residential neighbourhood surrounded by must-see hotspots – including Sunset Boulevard, Melrose Avenue and Runyon Canyon – coffee shops and restaurants. This chic home offers a sanctuary from the hectic city.
Inspired by his travels around Sicily, Klein’s aim is to create an intimate space in a great Hollywood location. 850 feels more like a chic European hotel and features interiors by British designer Rita Konig – including 23 beautifully appointed rooms – who will bring her bold and collective style to West Hollywood. Interiors will feature distinct layers of pretty pastel colours and textures which will be used to create a relaxed patchwork of old and new and will introduce an elegant, lived-in timelessness to the LA hotel scene. All spaces will be for hotel guests only, allowing them to connect on a more personal level while enjoying a communal experience.
850 will be the newest addition to hotelier and restaurateur Jeff Klein’s JK Hotel Group. It’s big sister in the city of Angels, Sunset Tower, is one of West Hollywood’s most iconic hotels which has recently completed a major multi-million pound transformation.
Osmo UK Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip eliminates the possibility of any slips, trips and falls without compromising on the flooring appearance…
Wooden flooring is a highly attractive material for commercial and residential environments, but like any hard flooring material, it can become slippery when wet, resulting in a slip hazard where accidents are all too easy in these situations. Osmo UK Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip is an easy to apply finish which helps eliminate these risks while not disrupting the room’s appearance.
Applying a coat of Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip increases the slip resistance of frequently maintained flooring areas. The surface retains its natural appearance while the fine structure particles in the finish prevent it from becoming slippery.
Alongside the makeover and anti-slip properties, the finish will also provide added durability to the flooring. Protecting the floor from everyday elements, including scuffs, stains and water damage, Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip also allows the woods surface to remain breathable, reducing the chance of warping and cracking. Made from natural ingredients, the product provides perfectly complements the natural elements of the wood, nourishing the surface, and will not crack, flake, peel or blister.
Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip is available directly from Osmo UK and from its nationwide network of stockists. For more information, please call Osmo on 01296 481220 or visit www.osmouk.com.
The completed renovation marks an exciting chapter for Radisson Collection as Swedish architectural studio Wingårdhs’ design vision comes to life…
The Radisson Collection Hotel, Strand Stockholm has completed its high-considered, two-year-long renovation. Marking an exciting, new chapter for one of Stockholm’s most historic buildings – Strand Stockholm’s latest incarnation blends effortless Scandinavian design with an artistic richness, befitting its storied history.
Designed by internationally acclaimed Swedish architectural studio, Wingårdhs, Strand Stockholm joins a unique portfolio of local icons and one-of-a-kinds, as part of Radisson Collection. This new premium lifestyle collection of exceptional hotels have unique locations all over the world.
Originally launched in 1912 for the Olympics, Strand Stockholm quickly established a reputation as a local hotspot beloved of the stars, such as Swedish actors Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. A particular popular part of the hotel was the Sea Salon, today the Sea Salon Suite, which boasts remarkable views of the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
In what has been a project of ambitious vision, the hotel’s 170 guestrooms and suites, meeting spaces, lobby, restaurant and bars have all been refreshed. The result is a striking ode to effortless modern living, inviting both locals and hotel guests to enjoy atmospheric spaces that celebrate Stockholm’s vibrant social scene. The top floor Tower Suite, has access to a personal roof terrace with panoramic views of the city.
Image caption: Deluxe suite
Wingårdhs’ careful selection of furniture from design legends Fritz Hansen, GUBI and Flos channels Scandinavian design at its most elegant – perfectly complementing the historical façade of the building.
“We believe in creating a dynamic experience by amplifying the building’s own character. We wanted the new elements to be a distinctive addition to the original appearance,” says Leila Atlassi, architect at Wingårdhs in Stockholm, explaining how “to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, the interior tonality has been set from natural materials like stone, wood, leather, metal, and concrete in their natural colors. A specific tone of grey is noticed on the walls – Strand Grey and constitutes the base in the interior concept.”
Image caption: Light and bright modern bathroom
With an illustrious reputation as a fine dining destination, an exciting new food and bar concept has been crafted, blending local and international influences alike. The hotel’s all-day brasserie, ‘The Strand’, serves distinctly Swedish cuisine and, with stunning views of Nybrokajen Bay, is a striking space sure to enliven Blasieholmen. Meanwhile, the bar is a relaxed, stylish space, the perfect location to enjoy a refreshing cocktail or two, and a buzzing go-to for meeting friends or simply taking-in the local atmosphere.
Image caption: All-day brasserie, The Strand
Located in the city centre, The Strand Stockholm is an ideal base for a stay in the capital. The hotel is just a short walk from Stockholm’s Old Town, Gamla Stan, which features an eclectic mix of shopping destinations, bars and restaurants. Some of the city’s most iconic attractions, such as The Modern Museum, Nordiska Kompaniet Department Store and the ABBA museum, are all located a few minutes from the hotel. The Stockholm Arlanda Airport is a quick 20-minute ride away on the Arlanda Express Train.
The Bryan O’Sullivan Studio announces its latest hotel design project, LAVIDA Hotel in Girona, Spain, situated within the world-leading PGA Catalunya Resort…
LAVIDA Hotel is an expertly designed, contemporary and convenient gateway for golf and activity enthusiasts alike. Aimed at those looking to discover the natural beauty of the local area through wide-ranging activity options, from golf, cycling and hiking to trekking, horse-riding, boat trips or exploring nearby Girona, the design Studio has created a distinctive contemporary aesthetic without compromising on a design-led space in which to relax. The result is a fresh and modern hotel that provides all the comforts needed for weekend getaways and trips for groups of friends.
Set over three floors, LAVIDA Hotel has fifty standard double rooms that can be configured as twins, each featuring sweeping golf course views from private balconies, Bella’s – a bar and restaurant area, plus a large covered outdoor terrace with swimming pool. The curved design of the building ensures that each bedroom has an uninterrupted birds-eye view over the golf course.
Working closely with Barcelona-based architects GCA, the team at Bryan O’Sullivan Studio has ensured that all the spaces provide guests with everything they need to enjoy a seamless experience. Throughout the hotel, there are nods to the local vernacular to keep a sense of place, interwoven in the contemporary design framework.
The project has been fun to deliver, and we’ve kept the outdoors experience front of mind
Room 39 at Hotel La Vida – PGA Catalunya Resort – Girona – Spain
The hub of LAVIDA Hotel is the main bar and restaurant, Bella’s, which creates a laid-back atmosphere for socialising. With a pared back material palette of concrete, warm woods and bright furniture, the decoration is immediately both modern and welcoming. Bespoke laser-cut metal screens divide the main seating areas, whilst an open pizza kitchen adds to the vibrant, busy atmosphere, serving classic dishes for dinner including pizza and antipasti made with the freshest ingredients.
The focal central bar is beautifully finished with local marble and monochrome cement tiles.
“We’ve absolutely loved designing the interiors of the public spaces and guest rooms here at LAVIDA Hotel,” said Bryan O’Sullivan. “The project has been fun to deliver, and we’ve kept the outdoors experience front of mind. We hope this comes through in our designs for the visitor experience. It’s important for us at the Studio to combine our highly aesthetic approach with exceptional functionality. We believe we’ve created a hotel that will be vibrant for years to come.”
Bella´s Bar at Hotel La Vida – PGA Catalunya Resort – Girona – Spain
Beyond the bar is a covered outdoor lounge space, with a stylish outdoor pool and sunbathing decks, all of which overlook the golf course. Guests will find plenty of relaxed seating areas, in a bright colour palette of yellow mixed with relaxed grey, and comfortable cushions overlooking the beautiful countryside surroundings.
The bright and stylish aesthetics continue in the bedrooms, with a fresh palette of aquamarines and sea greens, inspired by the Mediterranean Sea, and bespoke hexagonal floor tiles reflecting the traditional coloured cement tiles local to the Girona region in Spain. All the bedrooms are carefully designed including details such as specially designed golf storage, making the rooms highly functional as well as stylish. The full-length glass windows echo PGA Catalunya Resort’s overall design aesthetic of connecting the interiors with exteriors and bringing guests closer to nature.
Swimming Pool at Sunset at Hotel La Vida – PGA Catalunya Resort – Girona – Spain
Original artwork brings the room to life with an abstract aerial view of the golf course, designed by the Bryan O’Sullivan Studio. Guests have full control of music and audio entertainment within the bedrooms via Bluetooth, adding to the personal feel.
David Plana, CEO of PGA Catalunya Resort said, “We are delighted to have worked with the Bryan O’Sullivan Studio to bring to life the concept of LAVIDA Hotel. Contemporary, stylish design is key to the Hotel. The Bryan O’Sullivan Studio has delivered smart and precisely designed rooms and interiors, which, coupled with the stunning natural surroundings and extensive activity options at PGA Catalunya Resort, provide an ideal home away from home for the adventure-hungry activity enthusiast.”
With this month’s ‘Spotlight On’ focusing on Flooring & Carpets, Hotel Designs lays out the fabulous flooring trends the industry is witnessing in 2018 and beyond…
This month, as we focus our lens on hotel flooring, Hotel Designs is going all out to give you an accurate take on how the flooring trends are shaping up for the back end of this year. From what our editorial team can see, rules have been broken – and rightly so. Here are a few top trends to keep an eye on for the rest of the year.
1) Zig zagging all over the place
Image credit: Havwoods
The days of blending into your surroundings are long gone. As tech improves, designers becoming braver and the designs become bolder. Skandi design has, in the past, dictated crisp, clean lines and minimalist surfaces, and adding a bit of personality into these interiors can be a task. Could the answer be asymmetric, random zig zags? Some designers believe so. Havwoods’ Chevron Collection adds flair and fun back into the modern floor.
2) Going Greige with age
Last year, grey was all the rage. It was everywhere; in the walls, in the fabrics and in the flooring. Evolving drastically from the ‘grey days’, beige is creeping back in – mainly due to its versatility and practicality as a colour.
3) Layering up
Image credit: Amtico
Creating what it says to be endless possibilities in international hotel design, Amtico’s Signiture Collection of vinyl flooring products is the result of sophisticated manufacturing. This creates another dimension and can help to set your hotel apart from others competing in the same space.
4) Clashing chords
Piano by Mutina
Clashing in the most spectacular fashion, Piano by Domus launched at Clerkenwell Design Week as a striking, colourful partially glazed porcelain tile collection available exclusively from Domus in the UK.
With the Piano collection, Mutina re-discovered the technology of double charged clay, enabling them to obtain different textural effects in a wide range of colours. The slight variation in size and specific use of glaze creates a ‘vibrating’ effect, similar to the shimmering image of reflections on the water, creating an optical illusion of a non-geometrical figure.
5) Blonde bombshell
image credit: Elivi Skiathos
Making a room look and feel bigger without physically knocking down walls is a challenge for even the most established designers. Blonde could be the answer. Adding accents of lighter shades in the flooring will automatically lift the interior space, and modernised the hotel guestroom without taking away from the character.
6) Handscraped flooring
Steering away from gloss, the days of achieving ‘perfect’ interiors are behind us. Now, it’s all about bringing the outdoors indoors, and welcoming imperfection, to reflect the natural, authentic beauty of the wood grain, while also making the surface look worn in.
7) Go big or go home
2018 has been said to be the year of loud and in-your-face ceilings. But as the curve is predicted, the adventurous designers rebel and have this time responded with the statement being amplified from the floor, creating the same quirky result. So, if this trend is anything to go by, be bold – go big or go home.
Four Points by Sheraton, a new four-star 297-key hotel that is strategically located as part of DUO Central Park, has just opened in Sydney…
Architectural Design & Engineering Firm Foster + Partners has completed final stages of work in Sydney on DUO, a multicomplex which comprises of a hotel, apartments, offices and a creche. The new property is part of a major masterplan for the city that has injected new life with an unprecedented mixture of uses. Located on Broadway, the masterplan developed for Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House, extends the historic area of Chippendale by reinstating the original grid to re-integrate the formerly closed-off land to the north with its surroundings.
The development is permeable at ground level, encouraging people to walk through the site with its proximity to the central station. At its heart is a new urban park, a popular lunchtime spot for students of the neighbouring University of Technology, residents and locals alike. The buildings step down from high-rise blocks to the west of the site to smaller apartment buildings, negotiating the transition from Broadway to the lower-rise residential area to the south.
“The masterplan regenerates the site at the heart of Sydney through a combination of new public spaces and a balance of residential hotel and commercial property,” said Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners. “This new piece of city is anchored by the retention of a number of existing heritage red brick buildings and historic features, alongside sensitive contemporary buildings whose dimensions and materials are in keeping with the surrounding structures to visually unify old and new – as they rise, the material palette becomes more contemporary and the distinction clearer. The project reverses the dominance of vehicles to create a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly community.”
Image credit: Ethan Rohloff Photography. Image caption: Aerial photography of Central Park Duo whole masterplan (masterplan by Foster + Partners)
DUO Central Park is a mixed-use development that forms a key part of the masterplan. An ensemble of two adjacent buildings at the intersection of Broadway and Abercrombie Street along the northern edge of the precinct, DUO features new public spaces with retail lining the ground plane. A ‘neck’ level creates a break between the podium and towers above, giving the impression that they hover above the streetscape reinforcing the sense of scale at street level along Broadway. The different uses are expressed in the massing and design of the elevations.
The overall proportions and materials have been chosen in keeping with the surrounding structures to visually unify old and the new, drawing inspiration from the early 20th century Art Deco style of the Australian Hotel building located on the north-western corner of the site.
Image credit: Tom Evangelidis
The two DUO buildings are bisected by a new pedestrian promenade lined with cafes and shops, reversing the dominance of vehicles in the area to create a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly community. The development is arranged as two separate buildings, the easternmost building comprises the 297-room Four Points by Sheraton hotel, a development that offers excellent connections and a bustling location for visitors and Sydney staycationers in this multi award-winning destination, a downtown urban village which is one of the best-connected locations in Sydney. The furnishings and fit out have been designed by interior architect Andrea D’Cruz in collaboration with Foster + Partners. Alongside it on the corner above the heritage Australian Hotel is the branded DUO Limited apartments on five floors as well as a 6,200 square metre office and a childcare facility for up to 90 children.
Spectacular unobstructed views are afforded from the DUO development reaching from the airport in the south, across verdant Western Sydney to the iconic Anzac bridge in the North. At its heart is a tranquil planted atrium, featuring full grown palm trees and vines, which acts as the residents’ lift lobby from where they can access their apartments via elevated bridge links.
Image credit: Tom Evangelidis. Image caption: Kitchen and eating area in the one bedroom apartment
Mick Caddey, Project Director – Central Park, Frasers Property Australia said: “The completion of DUO is another important step for Sydney’s Central Park. The concept of design excellence we had for DUO has now manifested itself and its physical presence is very powerful. The beauty of its architecture is now immediately apparent and there for all to see.’’
The adjacent building is a 17-storey residential block with stunning views over Chippendale Green and the CBD. Internally, the apartments have flexible layouts that take advantage of Sydney’s wonderful climate, maximising natural light and ventilation throughout. The residents can enjoy the facilities of the DUO Club which includes a pool and state-of-the-art fitness centre, a library and entertaining spaces with kitchen and lounge as well as a large roof terrace with BBQ facilities overlooking Chippendale Green and the Brewery Yard.
Evenden added: “With the completion of DUO this multi-award winning Central Park Precinct is Sydney’s new must-visit destination. The new development is truly mixed use, its name emphasising the duality of activities within the cluster of buildings. We are delighted to have been part of this pivotal project that embraces the way Sydneysiders live their lives with sustainability and community at its heart.”
Central Park is an exemplar of a sustainable, dense masterplan in the heart of Sydney. Significant sustainability initiatives have been introduced, with several buildings reaching 5 star Green Star ratings. Central to this aspiration is the district-wide energy and water strategy which reduces plant spatial requirements. The tri-generation plant provides heating, cooling, and low-carbon electricity to the whole masterplan reducing carbon emissions by almost 200 kilotons over its lifetime while the onsite water recycling plant meets 100% of the precinct’s non-potable water demand. Green roofs throughout capture rainwater, and the massing and orientation of the buildings additionally aid their green credentials.
Criton’s CEO & founder comments on how hoteliers must continue this momentum in Scotland…
Real estate advisor, Savills, has announced that in the first six months of 2018, hotel investment in Scotland reached £389.67 million, doubling the total investment volumes recorded in 2017 at £195 million. It indicated that UK buyers were the biggest buying group, accounting for 41 per cent of activity, while the rest were overseas investors. This news comes after Scotland invested in better overseas links, such as Hainan Airlines running direct return flights between Edinburgh and China from June 2018.
“It’s fantastic that Scotland’s hotel investment in the last six months has already surpassed the annual investment figures for 2017 – it shows the strength of the visitor economy in Scotland which is currently worth around £6BN of GDP to the Scottish economy, five per cent of the total,” said Julie Grieve, CEO & founder of Criton. “Investors are clearly seeing the future potential in Scotland and what it has to offer the tourism industry, as well as the wider economy – and I am particularly delighted that Edinburgh, where my own company is based, is becoming a priority for investors in the UK and across the globe.
Put simply, it is the responsibility of Scotland’s hoteliers to welcome visitors with open arms
“While hotel investment in Scotland is strong, the impact of Brexit is already being felt as it becomes harder to recruit and retain good staff. Scottish hoteliers can counter this by investing in technology, allowing them to continue to deliver with less staff and therefore grow profits. Of course, improving the guest experience will be critical, and as we move forward in the digital era, it will be the hoteliers that offer guests hospitality how and where they want it using technology that will succeed. Put simply, it is the responsibility of Scotland’s hoteliers to welcome visitors with open arms – and those that are ahead of the game will be able to capitalise on the recent investment boost.”
In the third instalment of Designing Instagrammable, Valé Architects explores how public art can be used as a not-so-secret weapon to create an authentic sense of place…
Pablo Picasso once said that art’s purpose is to wash daily life’s dust off our souls. If that’s true, then we owe a great debt to the many public and street artists for keeping our spirits clean and the art authentic.
Public art has been around since we were still hanging out in caves painting mammoths. When done well it can make us think, act and feel in ways we didn’t do before. Done badly and it’ll be laughed at or worse – ignored entirely.
As part of Valé’s ongoing investigation into what makes hospitality design remarkable, we’ll focus on the role of public art in putting otherwise unremarkable places on the map. We’ll also look at why this is relevant to your own business.
Art versus design
As designers we’re usually more than happy to be called artists. Yet, many artists would shudder at the idea of being called designers. So what’s the deal here?
Artists and designers both create visual compositions, but their motives are different. The artist wants to create an emotional bond with their audience, while the designer wants to motivate that audience towards taking a particular action – like buying a product.
Looking at it differently, artists are often the experimenters, while designers are the implementers whose role it is to merge creativity with wider commercial goals.
But more interesting than the definition of art is the general public’s response to it. Public art always intends to connect with a far larger audience than fine art. Historically that audience was mostly limited to locals and visitors, along with perhaps a small circle of unfortunate souls back home sitting through the holiday snaps.
But with a high-quality camera in everybody’s pocket, 2.2bn active Facebook users and more than 1 billion active Instagrammers each month, the potential audience for a public art or design piece is now limitless.
Over the past ten years, literally everybody has become a photographer, art critic and influencer all at once. They’ll share what they feel is remarkable with their tribe, regardless of whether it constitutes art or not.
Regenerating small communities
A great example of how public art and social media go hand in hand can be found in the small outback town of Coonaplyn in South Australia.
Once a bustling rural town, Coonaplyn had been down the dumps following the centralisation of its local businesses to other nearby towns. The local Coorong District Council felt something big needed to happen to put the town back on the map. It commissioned Brisbane based artist Guido Van Helten to turn five large grain silos in the centre of town into one large piece of public art.
Famous for his large-scale portraits, Van Helten created a series of murals each immortalising a particular local resident. The response from the town was overwhelmingly positive. As local business owner Debbie Thompson put it: “you can’t make people stop, but you can create a reason for them to stop”.
Coorong District Council’s bet paid off because the art led to a significant increase in the number of cars stopping on their way through town. Local officials estimated that the stopping rate went up by around 40 cars per hour, which eventually led to the opening of a new cafe and grocery store.
That may not sound like a lot, but in a town where the main street was littered with boarded up shops, every little bit counts – not to mention the less tangible social benefits such a huge shift in local civic pride.
Public art in urban spaces
It’s not just struggling small towns who benefit from a cleverly injected shot of well executed public art.
We spoke to David Don, a visual artist and the organiser of the Brisbane Street Arts Festival, who’s been at the forefront of the explosion in mural art internationally for many years. Don has produced street art for a number of projects commissioned by Brisbane City Council, as well as major property developers in the area.
Their strategy is to turn public spaces into a type of ‘experiential immersion’ for local people and visitors.
According to Don a growing number of developers now see quality street art as a must-have in both new and existing projects. “Art brings an authenticity to a location. It creates moments of surprise, narrative and activity. But equally, it has the potential to bring serious economic benefits.” he adds.
Brisbane gallerist and curator John Stafford agrees. He feels the city is an example of how local councils increasingly see public art not only as a tool for creating safer communities but also for producing a sense of reassurance that a public space and the people in it are being cared for. According to Safford and as far as the city is concerned: “This approach not only benefits local community members but has the effect to boost tourism and the city’s brand and identity as a New World City”.
Aware of how social media can make art a much more sustainable career choice, younger artists are increasingly blurring the lines between art and design.
Local Brisbane property developers like Aria have been integrating public art into their projects for a very long time. Their strategy is to turn public spaces into a type of ‘experiential immersion’ for local people and visitors.
It benefits the community, the local economy, and of course the developers themselves. After all, greater footfall and community affinity is more than likely to be reflected in higher property values.
Art and design come together
Aware of how social media can make art a much more sustainable career choice, younger artists are increasingly blurring the lines between art and design.
Take Red Hong Yi for example, internationally renowned artists famous for creating portraits using everyday materials.
Known as Red, her work is particularly interesting because it seeks a strong emotional connection, while also encouraging the viewer to take a particular course of action. She therefore effortlessly brings art and design together, with some of her art pieces lending themselves particularly well for commercial brands.
She created an art piece for the Facebook Singapore office which was made entirely out of chopsticks. Her purpose was to inject some fun and creativity into the building. “The engineers housed in the building are coding all day so it balances the right brain thinking”.
According to Red, most of the companies she works for see ‘public’ art inside their buildings as critical not only for conveying their brand, but on a more subconscious level also for encouraging their staff’s own creative process.
In the future, she sees many more artists collaborating with big brands. It’s a win-win situation for both, with artists able to support themselves better financially, while helping big brands show off in a creative way.
What does this have to do with you?
So what does all this have to do with your hospitality business? Everything.
If a town of two hundred people in the Australian outback can put itself on the map to the point that you are reading about it right now, then think of the value which a beautifully designed space or carefully curated art piece can bring to your own business.
It’s a mantra we’ve repeated many times as part of this series – remarkability is key.
Provide your guests with a sense of amazement, creativity and fun the moment they step into your space
Inside the hotel, understanding the customer and client’s needs is paramount. If travellers have made the effort to travel to a destination because of its certain vibe, then reflecting and balancing this in the interiors, and in the artwork inside the hotel, is paramount, as the creatives at British design firm Goddard Littlefair know all too well. We spoke to them to get their insight as industry leaders. “Interpreting our client’s brief correctly and effectively is paramount and we conduct in-depth research into market and lifestyle trends to pinpoint exactly what a target market demands,” said Richard McCready-Hughes, the creative director. “We also find that some of our best work is delivered when there is a clear resonance between the aspirations and wants of our client’s target customer and the design team themselves. This is something we consider very carefully when assembling project teams.
“Working on the Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square, we were briefed to focus on a traveller tribe that wanted all the reassurance of luxury service, but was also looking for as sense of authenticity, belonging and assimilation with the city they were visiting. We wanted the hotel to speak immediately to these guests and evoke the sense that they were instinctively ‘understood’ and being welcomed into the home of a much loved, slightly eccentric, family member. Carefully-selected artwork and vintage pieces provide a sense of place, familiarity and nostalgia, but the overall effect is one of warmth and modernity.”
So, get clear on what your brand stands for and who your future guests are. Then dazzle with quality design and art. Provide your guests with a sense of amazement, creativity and fun the moment they step into your space.
But whatever art or design you choose, make sure it reflects your brand, and make sure it creates the right emotional response among your future guests. Most importantly, be original. Doing an exact copy of someone else’s great design is neither creative nor fun. A poorly executed version will only be remarkable on Instagram for the wrong reasons.
Then sit back and watch your guests do your PR for you on social media. And just like Coonaplyn, maybe your business will make into one of our future articles.
As Hotel Designs continues to focus its attention of Hotel Concepts and Flooring, Editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn breaks down a fairly luxurious week of top stories…
The overarching theme of this week’s news has been, without any doubt, designing luxury – and how to stretch the endless possibilities of a truly luxe hotel in paradise. This week we have witnessed The EDITION brand expand its portfolio with the opening of The EDITION Bodrum. On the same theme of redefining luxe, we also peeked our head through the door of a new hotel in Greece which is the result of a perfectly polished father-and-daughter partnership.
In addition to this, Valé Architects continued to put Designing Instagrammable into perspective. As part of a series of five articles this month, the firm’s second installment focuses on how to design a hotel for niché guests – an concept that can often seem like an impossible task.
Writing about iconic design hotels around the world is one thing, but celebrating those at the core of design decisions is an entirely different matter. That’s right, The Brit List is back! Hotel Designs has just announced its industry partner as nominations flood in and our industry in Britain gears up for another spectacular evening celebrating Britain’s best designers, hoteliers and architects.
Wallpaper specialist Meystyle is about to launch the Conductivity collection with the mission to rescue walls from the background. The company has done this by integrating bold patterns with LED lights and crystals to create deep visual experiences that totally transform walls and wallpaper into works of art.
From the next chapter in the growing EDITION legacy comes Ian Schrager’s visionary concept: The Bodrum EDITION. Schrager, in partnership with Marriott International, redefines the contemporary luxury hotel experience with his expanding global influence.
In the second instalment of Designing Instagrammable, Valé Architects explores the routes as to why design has to evolve to cater to the modern traveller and how to understand the mindset of niche guests…
Design – and hotel design specifically – is centred around the end user. Therefore, as designers, we should be looking for avenues to better understand the people we are designing for.
As Hotel Designs this month lays down the topic of flooring and carpets, Recommended Supplier Wilton Carpets has just launched a new carpet range.
As the eyes on the world focus on Scotland this month for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Wilton Carpets is in the spirit of things and has released its take on tartan with the Nova Scotia collection, a wool-rich woven axminster carpet that’s available within just 14 days.
A tartan design modernised with a distressed, vintage feel, Nova Scotia is released as Wilton Carpets continues to boost its Ready to Go axminster programme. Available in nine colourways drawn from the new Creations palette, Nova Scotia gives new meaning to a classic design, ensuring it works in today’s modern hospitality and leisure venues.
Helping to disguise dirt between cleans, this distressed tartan design is perfectly suited for hotels, golf clubs, restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels looking for a heavy contract carpet delivered in under two weeks.
“Tartan is undoubtedly a timeless pattern that’s always in fashion in traditional hotels, bars and restaurants, but these establishments also need to reflect a modern, thoughtful approach to the presentation of the interior,” said Damian Roscoe, head of creative at Wilton Carpets. “So, we’ve re-imagined this enduring look by adding a distressed, worn effect in colourways from our Creations palette that includes the latest popular colours. Nova Scotia is a great way to add an instant sense of heritage with a modern edge in a carpet right off the loom.”
Colourways include the graphite and moss of Glencoe Mood, the rust red of Lochniver Breeze and steely blues of Cromarty Bay. Woven in Wiltshire from a tough blend of 80 per cent wool and 20 per cent nylon that provides the performance and appearance retention needed for busy establishments, Nova Scotia comes 3.66m wide.
Helping to disguise dirt between cleans, this distressed tartan design is perfectly suited for hotels, golf clubs, restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels looking for a heavy contract carpet delivered in under two weeks. As part of the Ready to Go collection, all Nova Scotia colourways are available with no minimum order quantity.
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Creating a new design gem in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside, The Langley, which is the sister hotel to The Wellesley Knightsbridge, will be owned and managed by City & Country Hotels Ltd.
Located within the Langley Park estate, the 41-key boutique hotel and spa is set within 500 acres of idyllic countryside. The hotel is comprised of two buildings, a historic Grade II* listed mansion that was the former estate of the Duke of Marlborough and a Grade II listed outbuilding that was formerly used as a stables and a brew house.
Encompassing an impressive area of 1,600m2, The spa will feature a number of distinct areas
Tasked to bring the vision of a cutting-edge spa to life is award-winning interior design firm Dennis Irvine Studio, which also created the design concept for The Wellesley and the two Wellesley yachts. A number of distinctive and bespoke design features will be evident throughout the striking space, with neutral hues and metallic elements that create a contemporary, luxurious feel.
“One of the unique elements of the project is that we have designed ‘a SPA within a SPA’ an expansive VIP suite which includes exclusive access and privacy with the following amenities – relaxation, steam & sauna rooms, experience showers, hydro pools, double treatment room and a modern interpretation of a traditional hammam,” said Dennis Irvine, the founder and Director of Dennis Irvine Studio. “All designed to exacting standards and a timeless luxury aesthetic.”
Encompassing an impressive area of 1,600m2, The spa will feature a number of distinct areas. Five spacious treatment rooms complete with individual changing areas will provide a comfortable setting in which guests can experience a number of authentic and personalised treatments, while two thermal areas, one of which is designated female-only, will boast features including a vitality pool, sauna, steam room, hammam and heated relaxation loungers.
A VIP suite which spa guests will be able to book exclusively will offer the utmost privacy, equipped with a private relaxation space, vitality pool, Juniper sauna, Amethyst steam room and hammam along with private changing facilities. A further standout feature at the centre of the spa will be a bespoke 16-metre indoor swimming pool with an infinity edge, designed by Aqua Platinum. A number of relaxation spaces will be available to guests, one of which will be designated female only, with other spaces including a manicure and pedicure studio, hair salon and lounge serving an array of nourishing dishes and drinks, creating a social hub for guests.
Once opened, the Langley spa and gym facility will be open to hotel residents, day guests and members.
Contemporary, luxe Mediterranean-style villas – elegantly designed for family living…
PGA Catalunya Resort is delighted to announce its latest luxe real estate offering – the development of six new four-bedroom contemporary Mediterranean-style villas, the L’Alzina Semi-Detached Villas. The Villas are currently for sale and will be completed from mid-2019.
The striking angular architecture and innovative design harmoniously combines luxury with nature.
Expertly designed by Barcelona-based architect Jaime Prous, the villas are ideally located in the south-west of the 300-hectare estate of PGA Catalunya Resort overlooking the 5th hole of the awardwinning Stadium Course, a spectacular golf course which is consistently ranked number one in Spain. The sweeping golf course views combine with bountiful forestry surroundings and a mountainous backdrop to create a feeling of being at one with nature.
The four-bedroom villas feature open plan interiors designed with both practical family living and stylish entertaining in mind. Distributed across two levels, the smooth tiled floors in the communal living spaces contrast with oak wood floors in the bedrooms. Interiors are in relaxed shades of white and grey. Outside the private sun-filled terrace features a stylish barbecue area and leads onto a 21m2 private infinity pool.
The striking angular architecture and innovative design harmoniously combines luxury with nature. Aromatic plants on the interior patio combine with extensive floor to ceiling windows, connecting owners with the surrounding natural environment and blending the interior with the exterior, a key theme echoed throughout PGA Catalunya Resort.
Across an interior built surface of over 220 square metres, each property includes private parking, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a guest bath. Other features inside the villas include a central floor heating, air conditioning and heating systems, in addition to a high quality kitchen designed by Bulthaup.
The addition of the L’Alzina Semi-Detached Villas follows PGA Catalunya Resort’s recent announcement of the development of 50 new three-bedroom luxury villas, the La Selva Terraced Villas, demonstrating the Resort’s continued commitment to offering secure, high-quality real estate investment opportunities as part of its overall Master Plan as a leading, next-generational resort and residential community for buyers and visitors.
The new Aparthotel is said to further strengthen Wembley’s regeneration plans…
LHG (London Hotel Group) hopes to further boost Wembley’s regeneration plans through the submission of an enhanced design for their previously consented aparthotel in Elm Road…
LHG’s new internal layouts, designed with award-winning hotel architects Dexter Moren Associates, will add an additional 98 rooms, including 11 accessible guest rooms, without increasing the previously consented building height, appearance or basement depth.
“By removing the leisure facility and restaurant plus a carefully thought through rearrangement of some of the internal layouts, the new plans will significantly improve the aparthotel’s room offering,” said Meher Nawab, CEO of LHG.
The borough has identified a need for more visitor accommodation and LHG’s new proposals – which more than double the capacity of the current building and will result in a 226 guestroom aparthotel – will help meet that need as well as contributing to the overall regeneration of Wembley Central.
“This enhanced configuration will bring the aparthotel more in line with the projected growth of the Wembley area and a closer fit to the demanding requirements of today’s business and leisure travellers,” continues Meher:
The project is expected to bring an additional c£1.04 million pa spend to businesses within the town centre and create approximately 75 London Living Wage full and part-time jobs in the local area. This represents an additional c.£450K of local investment and 32 additional jobs compared to the previously consented aparthotel.
The scheme is being put forward with a recommendation for approval from Brent Council’s planning department and will be decided in mid August 2018. To date it has received over 40 letters of support. If planning is granted, the new aparthotel is expected to open as early as 2021.
Hard Rock Hotel Davos, which opened in late 2017 and is located in the highest town in Europe, has just launched its much anticipated Rock Spa…
Combining the power of music with an unforgettable wellness experience, Hard Rock Hotel Davos has launched Rock Spa. Bringing together key elements of spa, fitness, dance, and yoga, the new luxurious Rock Spa® will offer a 360-degree approach to wellness, encouraging guests to maximise their physical and mental potential in a fun and creative way.
By using natural materials such as stone and wood, the alpine environment is integrated into the Rock Spa®
Utilising the most evolved technology in wellbeing, the sumptuous 1000 square metre Rock Spa® will feature a series of thermal facilities. Including a 57 square metre main pool, the Kneipp Walk Pool, a whirlpool, several saunas, a steam bath and an exhilarating ice room.
By using natural materials such as stone and wood, the alpine environment is integrated into the Rock Spa®. The emerginC organic products used in the treatments are paraben-free and contain natural raw materials such as spirulina, kombucha, goji berries, white and green teas, aloe and food-safe algae.
The launch of the Rock Spa® will complement the hotel’s current wellness offering, Rock Om®, an in-room program yoga experience, energising the body and soul through the power of music. Rock Om® consists of three individual in-room yoga videos that will play on Hard Rock’s television systems across the brand’s portfolio, in addition to the Rock Om® landing page where guests and non-guests can follow along and flow.
With six treatment rooms, guests are encouraged to choose from the Rhythm and Motion signature treatments, the world’s first fully immersive music-centric spa menu utilising amplified vibrations, pressures and patterns, as the foundation of its rhythmic centric spa journey.
The exterior marries together stone, concrete and dark wooden balconies, which subtly blend into the surroundings that have almost a beach-like vibe
Perched on a hilltop on the Pounta Peninsula overlooking the Aegean Sea, the 104-key hotel was developed by father and daughter Elias and Vivi Nathanailidi. The property is surrounded by an area of natural beauty beside a wildlife refuge, forest and lagoon – and roaming black swans – which became a large reference in the interior design as well as the branding of the hotel.
Image credit: Presidential suite pool
Designed by Athens-based Antonis and Vangelis Stylanidis from Stylanidis Architects, the hotel has been created around the stunning island setting. The exterior marries together stone, concrete and dark wooden balconies, which subtly blend into the surroundings that have almost a beach-like vibe. The result is the most high-end five-star hotel on the island, which shelters well-appointed, modern guestrooms, suites and villas with private pools, an ultra-high-end four-bedroom villa, beach service, three restaurants, a spa, gym, tennis court and more.
The guestrooms in Elivi Skiathos have been designed to be simple, airy and sophisticated. Large floor-to-ceiling windows utilise the natural light that floods in throughout the day, while black-and-white contemporary artwork pieces of the wild black swans inject energy and a sense of place into each room.
Despite all rooms adorning a luxe atmosphere, the Swan Villa is by far the most impressive hotel villa on the island. The two-floor, seafront villa accommodates up to eight adults in four en-suite rooms and is equipped with a kitchen, dining area, living room and a spacious private pool.
Image caption: The Swan Villa
Making the most of the sun-drenched location, the resort has two main outdoor pools and numerous private pools, are of which all cleaned by an electrolysis system, omitting the use of chlorine.
Image caption: Nest bar and Restaurant
The Nest Pool restaurant, also reflecting a strong island look and feel, is designed to capture a laid-back luxury vibe, with soft woods being used in the bar, the seating and even in the light shades that cover lights on the end of thick ropes.
Elsewhere, the ELIVI SPA offers three ELEMIS treatment rooms, a hairdressing salon, manicure and pedicure stations, an indoor pool, Oriental Bath (Hammam) and sauna. An indoor and outdoor gym, tennis court, basketball court and football pitch are also available.
Overall, the father-and-daughter team seem to have pulled off a miracle, which is to drastically improve laid-back luxury in the Greece isles without eliminating the natural splendour of the simple stunning landscape.
Hilton has partnered with with First Hospitality Group to bring Combined Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton to Chicagoland area…
Connected to McCormick Place, North America’s largest convention center, and adjacent to Wintrust Arena, the property is described by the hotel group as a “one-of-kind addition to downtown Chicago’s South Loop and Motor Row District lodging offerings”.
This tri-branded hotel will serve as a convenient ‘one-stop-shop’ for convention-goers looking to rest and recharge or enjoy the local flavors of Chicago while remaining just steps from their convention events
“Hilton is passionate about delivering exceptional travel experiences and continually looking for opportunities to add value for our guests,” said Bill Duncan, Global Head, All Suites and Focused Service Category, Hilton. “This milestone tri-brand property embodies that spirit. Bringing together these three category-leading brands and their signature, yet distinct, offerings under one roof provides travelers with a wealth of shared amenities, and the opportunity to enjoy the warmth and hospitality of Hilton through an innovative lodging option that fits a variety of travel needs and desired price points.”
Managed by FHG, the 23-storey hotel boasts 184 Hilton Garden Inn rooms, 187 Hampton Inn rooms and 95 suites within the Home2 Suites, as well as a skybridge providing guests with convenient access to McCormick Place.
“We are thrilled to bring three powerhouse hotel brands, as well as inventive new dining concepts to the continuously-evolving landscape of McCormick Place and the Motor Row District,” said First Hospitality Group, Inc. Founder and Chairman, Stephen Schwartz. “This tri-branded hotel will serve as a convenient ‘one-stop-shop’ for convention-goers looking to rest and recharge or enjoy the local flavors of Chicago while remaining just steps from their convention events. It is also a great option for guests traveling with larger groups or extended families, as everyone can stay under one roof despite having varied preferences on room-type and price-point.”
Hilton currently has a footprint of more than 85 open, multi-brand properties, with an even larger pipeline of multi-brand projects in development around the globe.
New LED wallpaper from Meystyle is lighting up the walls, quite literally…
The latest collection of LED wallpaper Conductivity combines dazzling natural textures with an unprecedented use of light patterns.
Wallpaper specialist Meystyle is about to launch the Conductivity collection with the mission to rescue walls from the background. The company has done this by integrating bold patterns with LED lights and crystals to create deep visual experiences that totally transform walls and wallpaper into works of art.
“The Conductivity collection is a celebration of the ubiquitous yet mysterious power of electricity,” explained the company in a recent press release. “The designs dig into the infinitesimal world of the atom and its scientific representation as a source of visual inspiration.”
Simple geometric elements like the line and the circle are used to give sense and order to the impenetrable complexity of chemical and physical phenomena.
The Conductivity collection echoes its fascination with nature also in its choice of materials
The LED injection is inspired by the exchange of subatomic particles generating the prodigy of light itself. Different wavelengths and levels of light intensity combine into dynamic compositions suggested by the way electrons interact. From cascading lines merging into sumptuous light waterfalls, to concentric circles representing the varying configurations of the atom, each design expresses the beauty of the natural world in its most essential form.
The Conductivity collection echoes its fascination with nature also in its choice of materials, ranging from refined linens and cotton canvases to elegant silks. A variety of metal accents, notably electricity’s best companions enrich the natural properties of each texture with hand-painted details and gilded applications.
The anticipated collection will be launched at this year’s Decorex on September 16 – 19 at Syon Park, London.
Signifying a new energy for Bodrum, the new EDITION hotel is said to redefine luxury for a new kind of resort….
From the next chapter in the growing EDITION legacy comes Ian Schrager’s visionary concept: The Bodrum EDITION. Schrager, in partnership with Marriott International, redefines the contemporary luxury hotel experience with his expanding global influence.
Once an ancient city known as Halicarnassus of Caria, Bodrum was famous as the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and is now home to the latest hotel in the fast-growing EDITION brand. Today, on the West side of the peninsula, in Yalıkavak Marina, The Bodrum EDITION is tucked into a wind-sheltered cove, bringing with it a new wonder to the modern incarnation of the historic region.
Bringing a new energy to the area, Schrager is responsible the concept, programming and creative direction of The Bodrum EDITION, an Aegean utopia within the Yalikavak bay. Born for the world stage, the hotel is a natural Amphitheatre acting as a venue for 21st century recreation, socialising, and networking with an unparalleled vista overlooking the azure waters of the Turkish Riviera.
In keeping with the EDITION philosophy, 102-key hotel redefines the hospitality landscape in Bodrum bringing a new lease on outdated luxury by balancing sophisticated design and personalised, attentive service with one-of-a-kind food, beverage and entertainment offerings reflecting the best of the cultural and social milieu of its location. The brand’s enhanced approach to high-end travel informs the hotel’s extraordinary service which offers all the personalised attention one might want in a luxury hotel, but in a friendly, unpretentious, and current manner, with superb training and efficiency, without the gold epaulettes or obsequious formalities.
Set within 22,000 sq metres (72,200 sq feet), the property highlights a balance of contrasts, where classical elements meet cutting-edge culture, simplicity conveys sophistication, and skilled design amplifies the natural beauty. In keeping with EDITION’s customised, individual approach, The Bodrum EDITION draws inspiration from local influences and native natural resources yet infuses each space with surprising, ultra-modern twists. The landscape, conjured as a Mediterranean oasis, reflects the peninsula’s indigenous flora and fauna. Native olive trees that are so significant to the Turkish landscape as well as local stone have been used throughout the resort to create a sustainable and captivating scene, in keeping with its natural environment. The jewel in The Bodrum EDITION’s crown and its most significant characteristic is the magnificent white beach, spread out below the property and leading into the irresistible turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea.
The grounds begin at the highest altitude of the property, where the hotel’s open reception area sits. Its contemporary glass atrium frames the stunning view over the bay that receives guests upon arrival. Filled with a variety of comfortable seating groupings and intimate lounging areas, the lobby embodies EDITION’s next-generation spirit, a place where the lines between work and play, socialising and networking, begin to blur.
It’s an international ethos with a local product: a more comfortable stay, and an elevated experience
As the horseshoe-shaped grounds slope downward towards the beach and jetty with its private cabanas, the pathways and leisure areas are interspersed by the hotel’s 102 guest rooms, bungalows with private pools and sublime four bedroom private villa with pool. Between these are the lounge bars, and cocktail areas, as well as the hotel’s two signature restaurants by the pioneering Peruvian chef Diego Munoz, formerly of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, El Bulli and Mugaritz. For the socially inclined, Discetto, the night club at The Bodrum EDITION, plays host to local late night revelry with live music, DJs, celebrated EDITION cocktail mixology and superior bar and lounge areas. For private events and business travellers, the hotel offers 1,200 square meters (4,000 sq feet) of both indoor and outdoor meeting and event space including meeting studios, a ballroom for events, parties, and weddings. Finally, at the base of the resort lays an infinity pool which ends at the sea overlooking the magnificent curve of the peninsula.
Destined to be Bodrum’s premium gathering place for sophisticated guests, the hotel’s 100-metre (350 feet) long beach area plays host to one of the main social hubs of the resort, with its casual-cool beach bar and club welcoming resident guests to lounge in the private cabanas as well as yacht-transported visitors from the nearby Greek islands, just a 50-minute sail away. Here, every aspect of the traditional beach hotel has been re-imagined for the needs and desires of a new generation, and every thought given to enhancing a guest’s stay. At Beach Bar, a menu that lends itself to relaxed, al fresco dining offers dishes celebrating the biodiversity of the local environment such as ceviche and a variety of “Pide” (flatbread) served from a traditional outdoor brick oven. Matched with aperitifs and elevated cocktails, Beach Bar is the perfect setting to refresh after soaking in the sun.
Every luxury hotel, of course, is ultimately judged by its guestrooms and its service
Throughout the property, specialty restaurants celebrate culinary innovation and creative design. The largest of these, KITCHEN, is inspired by the relaxed lifestyle of the Balinese and Hawaiian coasts, offering an all-day brunch menu focussed on health and wellness. Meanwhile, BRAVA offers an edgy and sumptuous family-style menu.
In addition to the hotel’s seamlessly designed infinity pool, garden lounge, and beach-to-table, come-as-you-are laidback restaurants and bars, The Bodrum EDITION houses a unique, state-of-the art spa facility complete with Turkish Hammam, salt treatment room, sauna, steam room and plunge pool. 14 tranquil treatment rooms will offer world class treatments. The Hammam, while studiously traditional, gives a renewed style of luxury to the ancient Turkish bathing ritual with its sophisticated design vernacular.
Every luxury hotel, of course, is ultimately judged by its guestrooms and its service. The Bodrum EDITION’s rooms, suites and magnificent private villa are both generous and elegant in their design, their warm wood finishes and airy fabrics exuding a relaxed, beach-house feel, offering a “refuge,” in Schrager’s words, with “everything you need and everything you want.” Embodying his deep belief that “simplicity is true luxury,” the spacious, light filled rooms contrast stone floors against a clean, light colour palette, with each and every space enjoying ensuite marble bathrooms and terraces with an unparalleled view over the Aegean Sea. A private villa encompass the EDITION sophistication with its own private pool area and sauna, perfect for families and larger groups, whilst two further suites enjoy the use of private plunge pools and terraces.
In the magical sanctuary of Bodrum, the jewel of the Turquoise Coast, The Bodrum EDITION is a secret village of paradise, a portal to a separate, more relaxed reality. By understanding that a hotel is more than just a place to sleep—it’s a hub, a meeting place, a centre culture, a site for relaxation, reflation, and hard-earned leisure time, and place for life and play—Schrager creates not just a hotel but a seamlessly integrated experience, a small city within a city. It’s an international ethos with a local product: a more comfortable stay, and an elevated experience.
The hotel is the fifth property to launch from EDITION Hotels, with this year being a focused time for the brand to expand with a further five openings scheduled in Barcelona, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Times Square New York, Bangkok for this year alone.
The 9141 m2 new-build development will include a ground floor restaurant, fronting onto an inviting public courtyard and pocket park in London…
Award-winning architects, Dexter Moren Associates (DMA), on behalf of client Frogmore, has started working on a project to create for a 274 key hotel on a disused brownfield site in the heart of Waterloo.
Nestling between Waterloo Station and Tate Modern, in the heart of the London Borough of Southwark, the mid-market hotel will have two separate blocks of accommodation connected via an elegant light weight glazed bridge link. A public route between the blocks (the re-instatement of the lost Marlborough Street) leads through to a verdant pocket park and New Marlborough Yard, designed in the spirit of other ‘discoverable’ courtyard spaces such as Ham Yard, St Christopher’s Place and Shepherd Market.
The pocket park will incorporate seating, sculpture and abundant planting to offer respite and a sense of place within the hubbub of city life. Diverse tree species will provide shade and create a calm oasis, as well as helping to improve local air quality. Native and ornamental plants will foster biodiversity throughout the scheme and a mosaic of wildflower and sedum green roofs will provide a habitat for wildlife.
The ground floor restaurant welcomes the local community and hotel guests alike and generates an active frontage along the pathway, with an al fresco dining area spilling informally from the interior into the courtyard.
DMA’s design reinterprets local materials and characteristics into an under-stated, contemporary piece of quality architecture. Three colours, textures and tones of brickwork (glazed green, yellow London stock and pale white matt) reflect the local Victorian industrial vernacular and public houses and give a light, delicate façade, with a repetition of bay elements creating a structure and vertical rhythm. Perforated metal panels and detailing provide a subtle industrial reference.
“This is a complex and sensitive site and our design has been through several iterations, each taking on board comments from council officers and local stakeholders,” says director Mark Wood of DMA. The approved scheme is a thoughtful and outward looking development that is respectful to its context and neighbours, as well as creating a beautiful pocket park that invites locals and hotel guests alike to meander through the re-instated roadway and spend time in the restaurant and courtyard.”
The site lies between the intense activity of The Cut with its shops, restaurants, bars and cultural entertainment and the quiet residential area of Ufford Street. DMA’s design therefore took careful account of the context of the new hotel, bringing some of the Cut’s liveliness into the public realm to the north whilst grouping the quieter sleeping accommodation closest to the residential area.
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans to open a luxury hotel in the heart of Paris at 2020…
Bulgari Hotels and Resort isn’t cutting corners on its plans to extend its offering of high-end luxury with a new hotel in Paris set to open in 2020.
The new 76-key hotel will comprise of a large spa, which will feature a 25-metre pool. It will shelter a Bulgari restaurant, bar and an open courtyard garden.
Positioned in the exclusive neighbourhoods around luxury stores on Avenue George, the hotel’s location is a further nod to the luxury brand and its familiarisation with fashion.
In a press release the group said that “The restyling of the building has been conceived as a transition to modernity: while both the use of the typical Parisian limestone and the respect of the ‘alignment’ criteria recall the 19th century Haussmanian urban patterns, the completely renewed façade evokes a rationalistic style that is an expression of the most contemporary architectural design”.
The planned opening of Bulgari Hotel Paris will become the seventh hotel in the group’s portfolio. Launched in 2001 as a joint venture between the luxury Italian brand and hotel group Marriott International, is seeking further expansion in Europe. With a further two hotels in the pipeline – in Moscow and Tokyo – the luxury group is setting its sights on the global hotel scene.
The winner will win cash prize and a Mitre Linen room makerover. Entries close on August 31…
The ‘Room Attendant of the Year 2018’ awards launched on June 1 and have been created to recognise the unsung heroes who a guest may only pass in the corridor, but whose attention to detail and high standards are crucial to maintaining the excellent reputation of an independent hotel.
The winning room attendant will receive a £1,000 cash prize and their hotel wins a gorgeous Mitre Linen room makeover worth £1,500. There will be one runner up who will secure £500 in cash with their hotel receiving a Mitre Linen room makeover worth £750. This is the perfect way to acknowledge the dedication and outstanding work of your room attendants. Entries close on August 31 with winners being announced in October. Please submit entries at www.roomattendantoftheyear.co.uk
“We are delighted to announce the inaugural ‘Room Attendant of the Year 2018’ awards,” said Simon O’Mahony, Managing Director of Mitre Linen. “This is something new and has been created specifically for the independent hotel sector. We are eager to see the entries and celebrate the amazing work accomplished by room attendants.”
If you think that one of your room attendants stands out for specific recognition or regularly goes beyond the call of duty, please let us know by entering them at www.roomattendantoftheyear.co.uk
When it comes to creating a design-led hotel environment, the finer details really do count. Emma Segelov, head of marketing at MK Electric, explains why the type of wiring devices that are specified can have a fundamental impact on the look and feel of a space…
Hotel designs are being critiqued more now than ever before, as they face up to the challenges of the digital age. Customer expectations have never been higher while, at the same time, it is easier than ever for them to offer criticism through review websites such as Tripadvisor or Trustpilot.
To meet this changing dynamic, hotels have modernised at a rapid rate. Hoteliers are finding new ways to make their business sharable on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram – one New York hotel even experimented with an emoji-powered menu in a bid to create a social media buzz.
This trend towards power outlets which add to the overall interior design and user experience is being led by a demand for greater connectivity on the go
But, when it comes to creating an environment that wows guests it can often be the little things that count. In fact, the hotel booking site Trivago recently listed power outlets that complement their surroundings as one of its key elements for hotel design in 2018.
This trend towards power outlets which add to the overall interior design and user experience is being led by a demand for greater connectivity on the go. It is now common for travellers to take multiple devices with them to a hotel, so many are choosing to add more power outlets so guests can access the power they need.
To ensure these wiring devices keep with the look of the room, many hoteliers are choosing to add contemporary switches and sockets that complement the décor. By doing this, convenient access to power is prominent within the space, without having to hide the sockets behind furniture. After all, hotels have been known to use beds, desks and drawers as a means of removing unsightly products from view.
MK Electric’s Elements Collection is one example of this kind of decorative wiring device. The range features stylish electrical sockets, contemporary light switches and electronic dimmers that come with touch control and ‘vapour trail’ LED displays.
Inspired by materials such as wood, leather and stone, the collection is available in 16 standard finishes across four material designs – synthetics, glass effect, naturals and metallic – offering a range of colours, materials and finishes which will suit any interior.
Each product in the MK Elements Collection is built to the very highest standards by global industry experts
No two projects are the same, and to reflect this, MK Electric developed a tool to create unique and imaginative designs with flexibility: the MK Elements Collection Design Tool for tablet or PC. It is a customising device specifically for users to design their own bespoke creations. The tool offers three levels of customisation, and whether a user wants to put a twist on an existing Elements design or start from scratch, they can easily create their own individualised light switches, dimmers and electrical sockets in hundreds of combinations. The ‘My Designs’ folder enables users to save their creations, request quotes and samples to help explore their options, and ultimately create the pieces.
The Elements functionality includes innovative touch control dimmers with vapour trail, USB charging solutions with integrated USB two-gang switchsocket outlets and euro modules. The collection contains a variety of combination plates to achieve a multimedia offering in one device instead of multiple individually installed devices.
Each product in the MK Elements Collection is built to the very highest standards by global industry experts. The range offers premium performance and long-term reliability, exceeding British Safety Standards and coming with a 20-year guarantee*.
Hotels are under constant pressure to reinvent themselves and create a trend-led experience that impresses customers. Wiring devices that complement the hotel’s décor can create a unified design aesthetic within a hotel room, while providing flexibility through access to charge in key locations.
The Rock Royalty level has been revealed one year prior to the Hard Rock Hotel London opening its doors to the public…
Ahead of its highly anticipated launch in 2019, Hard Rock Hotel London has lifted the lid on its Rock Royalty level, offering exclusive rooms and suites, alongside luxurious perks.
Imagined by Scott Brownrigg design firm, the hotel when open next year is said to boast around 1,000 stylish rooms and suites, together with two vibrant bars, a lively Hard Rock Cafe® and the world famous Rock Shop®.
From Abbey Road Studios and Camden’s Roundhouse to the historic 100 Club, London has undeniable music heritage. With Hard Rock Hotel London promising to be the city’s next iconic live music hot spot, the Rock Royalty programme offers an elevated experience so guests can live out their rock star dreams.
The package is truly pioneering
The 103 Rock Royalty rooms and 14 suites, designed by Scott Brownrigg, are located on the third floor of the hotel and have been custom designed for luxury and comfort. Decorated in post box red and royal blue, each lavish room features a hand-crafted Hypnos bed, flat screen digital TV, minibar and a nightly turndown service as well as a nod to the Hard Rock International brand with a branded guitar pick.
“While we will treat every guest at Hard Rock Hotel London like a VIP, our Rock Royalty programme offers an extra special experience,” said Oliver Kahf, General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel London. “The package is truly pioneering; from door to door luxury airport transfers and exclusive access to local music events to bespoke amenities tailored to each guests’ Ultimate Room Rider. We want every guest to know how it feels to be treated like a Rock Star.”
Next year’s opening will serve as yet another milestone for the growing Hard Rock International brand
Rock Royalty guests will have access to bespoke services such as taking advantage of Hard Rock Hotel London’s Ultimate Room Rider, which adds personalised touches to each Rock Royalty room including a choice of pillows, in-room scents and bath bombs. Guests can also expect to find their personal choice of spirits, soft drinks and sweet treats waiting in the mini bar and their favourite music track playing in their room on entry.
When they aren’t relaxing in their room, the luxurious Rock Royalty lounge will provide an exclusive home away from home hangout. Perfect for escaping the paparazzi, Rock Royalty guests will enjoy a host of complimentary services, from breakfast and afternoon tea to evening canapés and cocktails. The lavish lounge will also feature carefully curated items from Hard Rock’s extensive collection of music memorabilia.
To ensure guests not only feel good but look good too, Rock Royalty Suites come with complimentary shoeshine and pressing services to ensure every guest is stage ready. Rooms will also have a coffee table book showcasing the history and stories of the hotel’s most famous – and infamous – guests.
Next year’s opening will serve as yet another milestone for the growing Hard Rock International brand, which currently operates in 74 countries worldwide, and will continue to cement its place in the industry as one of the most globally recognised companies.
Hilton Garden Inn Bordeaux Centre Opens as the Brand’s First Property in France, offering Guests Access to World-Class Hospitality in the heart of France’s Wine-Growing Region…
France’s hub of the famed wine-growing region, Bordeaux, has drawn the attention of Hilton Hotels’ upscale yet affordable brand Hilton Garden Inn as it launches its first hotel in France.
The new 166-key hotel joins an existing nine Hilton properties in France, which will be managed by Naos Hotel Groupe.
The highly anticipated property offers business travellers and holiday seekers access to Hilton’s globally recognised hospitality service in the heart of one of France’s cultural hubs. The hotel is located in the centre of Bordeaux and references motifs from the location throughout the interior design.
“We are delighted to bring the Hilton Garden Inn experience to guests staying in the beautiful and exciting city of Bordeaux,” comments Vincent Digne, General Manager. “Infamous for the production of its local wine, Bordeaux is also known for its landmark 11th century cathedral, 18th to 19th century mansions and public gardens lining the curving river quays. Bordeaux offers travellers a sensorial escape, and we look forward to enriching travellers’ time in the city with our renowned approach to hospitality, whether it is taking comfort in our spacious and fully equipped guestrooms or dining at our unique restaurant with stunning riverside views.”
The well-appointed modern and airy 166 guestrooms include 35 family rooms, 29 deluxe rooms, 17 suites and five wheelchair accessible rooms.
Designed for both leisure and business travellers in mind, the indoor event spaces at Hilton Garden Inn Bordeaux Centre includes more than 250 square meters of banquet space, make it an ideal riverside venue for hosting or celebrating a special occasion. Business travellers can take advantage of the hotel’s spacious meeting rooms that are modern and fully equipped for any event.
LA’s iconic Sunset Tower completes major renovation to restore character and charm within a 1920s shell…
Sunset Tower, one of Los Angeles’ most iconic hotels, has completed a major multi-million-dollar transformation. Led by owner Jeff Klein, the Art Deco masterpiece is located on Sunset Boulevard and has been an exclusive hub for the Hollywood elite since opening its doors in 1931. Today, the hotel has been lovingly restored to maintain its true character without losing its sense of history.
Designed in 1929 by architect Leland A. Bryant, Sunset Tower was a trailblazer from the moment it opened
The updated design has revealed elegant, stylish new interiors, a beautifully designed Terrace Bar, a fresh outdoor terrace and swimming pool, plus 7,000ft2 fitness and wellness area and spa. The chicest and most welcoming room in town – The Tower Bar and Restaurant – has remained untouched.
Designed in 1929 by architect Leland A. Bryant, Sunset Tower was a trailblazer from the moment it opened. Perched atop Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, its dramatic setting and elegant Art Deco styling, together with its proximity to famous restaurants and nightclubs of the 1930s & 40s, contributed to its landmark status.
The-floor-to-ceiling panoramic views and state-of-the-art luxuries made it a hub for the great and the good during the ‘golden era’ of Hollywood when it was très chic to reside at the Sunset Tower. Residents included Truman Capote, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Errol Flynn, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. John Wayne, whose former apartment is now the hotel’s gym, even kept his pet cow on the balcony so that guests could have fresh milk with their coffee.
Klein’s vision for the Sunset Tower’s refurbishment was to let the hotel design itself. He wanted to restore its heart and soul without losing its character or having a named designer take over such a landmark building.
West Yorkshire-based Northern Powerhouse Developments (NPD), has announced the opening of its latest property – Caer Rhun Hall, a three-storey, late-Victorian mansion in North Wales with a private house atmosphere, opens to the public on August 8…
The North Wales luxury accommodation, which is set in 20 acres of rolling parkland and gardens, is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of 18 stylish hotels either open or in development…
The Grade II listed building was acquired two years ago and has undergone an extensive, multi-million pound refurbishment, creating 32 bedrooms in exclusive surroundings. The hotel will add further rooms in the grounds, growing to 80 by the end of 2019.
Richard Lewis, CEO of NPD Hotels said “Caer Rhun Hall is a magnificent property in a wonderful location in the heart of the Conwy Valley, bordering Snowdonia National Park. “Our sympathetic refurbishment has created a venue which will initially operate as luxury accommodation with breakfast, and which will also cater for weddings and events.
“In the next 18 months we will add a restaurant and spa as we develop Caer Rhun into a Manor House with boutique feel – a destination hotel and spa.”
In May, NPD announced the acquisition of Grade II listed Monk Fryston Hotel near Selby, boosting its portfolio of Yorkshire properties which also includes the Imperial Crown Hotel in Halifax, the Old Golf House Hotel in Huddersfield and Scarborough’s Esplanade Hotel.
Caer Rhun Hall is a 15-minute drive from the coastline of North Wales and Llandudno where NPD operates three other hotels.
In the second instalment of Designing Instagrammable, Valé Architects explores the routes as to why design has to evolve to cater to the modern traveller and how to understand the mindset of niche guests…
Design – and hotel design specifically – is centred around the end user. Therefore, as designers, we should be looking for avenues to better understand the people we are designing for.
Before Instagrammable
One interior design firm which understands the concept of designing for niche guests is HBA London. “Designing for Instagram moments is nothing new,” explains Constantina Tsoutsikou, Creative Director, HBA London. “As hospitality designers, we have always sought to create moments that make memories, that move guests’ emotions and engage them. It’s just that we used to call them something else. These moments can inspire awe – a soaring atrium or a beautifully crafted staircase for example, or they can be much quieter – a carefully framed view or a tiny detail in an artwork that paints a thousand words. The difference now is that with Instagram guests can share this memory with all their followers, essentially endorsing the experience. In effect, Instagram moments enable guests to become ambassadors of the hotel.”
The benefit of using Instagram as a design tool is we can generate guest driven brand stories
In today’s world of the instant post and share, there’s three main differences that have existed for the first time in our history. This is the vast volume of photos being taken and shared, secondly the influential sway that many of these photos can have on the success of a hotel and thirdly detailed look into the mindset of a hotel’s guest. “A what?! What do you mean a look at guest mindset?” At Valé we use instagram photos as a design tool to measure user mindsets and influence the directions of a design.
Using Instagram as a design tool
The benefit of using Instagram as a design tool is we can generate guest driven brand stories. We touched on this in the Niche Hotel Design Guide, but we believe it needs to be explained in detail to be fully appreciated how valuable this could be for a hotel business.
Our goal is to see brands through the eyes of the end user, which in the case of a hotel is the guest. The better we understand the hotel brands guests like, the existing relationships they have with those brands and what they like about them, the more defined our design briefs can be to reach that niche guest.
The process involves researching the hashtags and locations tags of brand you want to be like (a muse brand), and categorising the photos users are taking of the property. Sorting into design elements, moments that show people or other common themes you see in a photostream on Instagram. The remarkability chart below we’ve compared two hotels who we believe would attract similar niche guests, but in very different locations.
What this does is help build a design story of that muse brand, a story about what their guests finding so remarkable they have to share it with the world. Over a sizable data set of photos, we can start to build brand stories driven by how the guests experience at the property. It can help indicate to the design team things that are important to guests.
Measuring mindset affects your profits
Understanding your guests mindset in-depth could give hotel owners greater clarity on where to invest time and money in their hotel, if it’s important to the guests you probably want to consider it in your hotel brief. Understanding the social status associated with your public areas (restaurants, bars) play a significant role in a brand identity and awareness. Further detailed analysis over a much larger data set may reveal that a room design only needs to be “good enough” where as your public areas MUST shine, must be remarkable. This again focuses budget where it will have the most effect on your business.
How to measure mindset
We studied a six hotels using social media, review sites and our own observations and broke them into niche guest types, commonly known as archetypes in marketing. Our findings from the social status study is that the guest profiles of what we called Thrifty Destination Junkies & Reality Escapees were more likely to show off they are at a certain hotel. While the Luxury Aesthetic Chaser finds greater delight in sharing the remarkably design buildings, interiors and food with their followers.
Those without their finger on the pulse are frankly risking it all.
We measured from similar size data sets (in this scenario 50 photos for each hotel) to try understand the importance of being photographed at the hotel vs photos of the hotel. We would link such a study to the social status a guests received from being seen at the hotel and their mindset on the importance of being seen at the coolest places in town.
Note we found that when the location was tagged there were greater volumes of images that had account holders in them, rather than images of objects, interior design or architecture. This indicates to us there is a social importance to be recognised to be aligned with a brand.
Conclusion
As competition grows and the desire for personalised experiences becomes increasingly popular, designing for niche guests is a hotel’s ticket building a brand long-term brand loyalty. As our online footprint increases, technology and data collection improves we’re going to be able to build ever greater experiences for niche guests. Those without their finger on the pulse are frankly risking it all. Learn more about designing for niche guests in the Niche Hotel Design Guide by Valé.
Bisque, the UK’s first ever luxury radiator brand, has unveiled two new distinctive finishes for spring 2018, Rustique and Rose Copper. Both styles are produced using an oxidation technique, creating a truly authentic finish. These bespoke designs are made to order and are available exclusively on Bisque’s Classic collection of radiators and from its newly opened showroom in Islington.
The organic Rustique finish is not simply a paint effect but is created by spraying iron metal over a base coat. This is followed by a water-based solution, which produces a rust patina, making the result individual every time – similar to the brand’s much loved Arteplano. The Classic is primed, coated and lacquered throughout the process to ensure you achieve an authentic ‘rust’ finish of paramount quality.
Next up is the Rose Copper finish, which contains genuine copper and is finished with a matt lacquer, to prevent further tarnishing. This ultimately maintains its gorgeous rose colour and beautiful glow. The Classic is by far Bisque’s most popular design and today offers a variety of models in various and sizes and styles. In addition to thirty-eight stock sizes, Bisque also offers a vast range of bespoke size options and can colour match to popular paint ranges such as Farrow & Ball and Little Greene.
Bisque are 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.
Taking place at BEAT London on November 22, the award ceremony will celebrate Britain’s top 25 interior designers, hoteliers and architects, and also name the winners of the six new awards.
“On behalf of the BIID, we are delighted to be partnering with such an influential awards programme that celebrates leading interior designers, architects and design professionals in the hospitality sector,” said Gilly Craft, BIID President. Many BIID members are very active in this industry, and the Hotel Designs Brit List represents a great opportunity for them to build their business and keep up to speed with the latest innovations in hotel design.”
The event, which is hosted by Hotel Designs, is also an opportunity for leaders and visionaries in the industry to network. “We are proud and incredibly privileged to announce our partnership with the BIID, an association which totally shares our vision to help promote talented creatives in Britain,” explained publisher of Hotel Designs Katy Phillips. “This is the second year we have hosted the event, and with the addition of the six new awards – as well as also celebrating architects in The Brit List – we are convinced that we have raised the bar to provide a totally unique networking event.”
The partnership between the two brands is expected to further encourage and support creativity and competence in the field of interior design in International hotel design.
To find our more information on The Brit List 2018, click here.
As July falls over the horizon, August is looking bright-full of juicy stories. Editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn breaks down the top five stories of the week…
As we run into August, I’m heard a number of designers and architects asking where 2018 has gone. Already, this year has thrown some serious shapes in the never-stopping world of hotel design. Imminently upon us, the world’s first underwater hotel suite is about to be opened. This is why this month is dedicated to Hotel Concepts and Flooring & Carpets, two ever-changing elements in our industry.
As we conclude another week, here are the top five stories from the last five dates.
All this month, we are working with Australian-based architecture firm Valé Architects to investigate how to design the Instagrammable hotel. In PART ONE of FIVE, Scott Valentine, the firm’s Managing Director, explains the psychology of Instagram… The next article will be live on Monday.
As we being to shine the spotlight on ‘hotel concepts’ this month, the editorial team have pulled together a handful of the most striking hotels from around the world…
The race to designing the first underwater hotel has been more like a marathon than it has a sprint. There have been false starts, claims of cheating along the way and training plans that in reality have been non-starters. But now, for the first time ever – and proudly entering the history books – Conrad Maldives – led by a talented handful of architects, engineers and interior designers – is about to open the world’s first underwater accommodation in a hotel.
Last month was the second hottest July ever on record in the UK, reported The Telegraph. In light of the sweltering heat that the UK is facing this year, and that this month the spotlight is on Hotel Concepts, Hotel Designs has listed the hottest hotels around the globe to cool down in.
As the UK experiences one of the hottest summers on record, Hotel Designs took a sneak peek at hot hotels to cool down in…
Last month was the second hottest July ever on record in the UK, reported The Telegraph. In light of the sweltering heat that the UK is facing this year, and that this month the spotlight is on Hotel Concepts, Hotel Designs has listed the hottest hotels around the globe to cool down in.
The first and only one of its kind in the Maldives, the snow room at Velaa Private Island instantly cools the body whether it be following a sauna, a steam room or after a long day in the sun. Situated within the island’s My Blend by Clarins Spa, Velaa takes the aspirational escape to a whole new level and the island’s snow room is just one of the exclusives including it’s own semi sub-marine; equally perfect for an afternoon out of the sun.
Recently introducing home-made Cold Brew Coffee, The Nai Harn provides a refreshingly cooling alternative to traditionally hot-brewed coffee for a welcoming boost to the day. Allowing the aromas and flavours unfold, the three cold-brewed varieties come from Ehiopia, Costa Rica and Sumatra and are produced in specialised coffee machines at room temperature. Take a moment to cool down on the infinity-edged rooftop bar, Cold Brew Coffee in hand overlooking what has been voted as Thailand’s best beach.
The idyllic Miraggio Thermal Spa Resort sits in a special location, providing both Thermal and Thalasso waters to their sprawling Myrthia Spa. Offering the perfect opportunity to cool down, the spa offers a ‘Water Source Journey’, including 6 contrast pools of between 32 and 10 degrees, all giving the skin a chance to calm and heal. The experience then culminates in the opportunity to relax inthe semi-submerges sun loungers overlooking the dazzling Aegean giving you a chance to sunbathe without the heat.
‘The Retreat Spa by Atlantica’ at Aphrodite Hills Resort has recently launched a ‘Red Lobster Calming Facial’. Targeting those who have been out in the sun all day, making the most of the outstanding sporting facilities, including the PGA National Golf Course for Cyprus, they uses the best in ELEMIS, Phytomer and VieCollection products to counteract over-exposure to the sun. The process includes a light exfoliation, a mild cleansing and deep moisturising treatments to have the skin looking fresh and radiant, not burnt and painful.
With Miami Spa Week in full swing, Nobu Hotel Miami Beach are offering the ‘South Beach Revival’ treatment, which uses a full body wrap made out of green clay to regenerate, sooth and oxygenate the skin. Perfect to sooth and repair the skin at this sweltering time of year, this 110 mins treatment is then followed by a relaxing 75 mins massage and hair and scalp treatment to make sure all sun and heat damage is fully relieved.
As Hotel Designs puts ‘hotel concepts’ in the spotlight, editor Hamish Kilburn dives in to understand what it takes to design the world’s first underwater hotel…
The race to designing the first underwater hotel has been more like a marathon than it has a sprint. There have been false starts, claims of cheating along the way and training plans that in reality have been non-starters. But now, for the first time ever – and proudly entering the history books – Conrad Maldives – led by a talented handful of architects, engineers and interior designers – is about to open the world’s first underwater accommodation in a hotel.
Many believe this race was won by Dubai a few years ago, when it launched its version of the underwater suite at the Atlantis The Palm. But, like many greats in the world of sport that were caught out for cheating and seriously bending the rules, the hotel also fell short of the title. What the hotel claimed to be the ‘Underwater Suite’ in 2008 was actually just a floor-to-ceiling view into a very large – and equally impressive – aquarium. Dubai’s ‘go big or go home’ attitude was in full swing, and plans and renders for more underwater experiences were launched.
The residence at Conrad Maldives’ The Muraka comprises an above-sea residence and an underwater level, which is completely immersed in the ocean
Meanwhile, over in the Maldives, plans and concepts were becoming a reality much faster. 13 years in the making, and USD 15 million later, The Muraka – which translates to ‘coral’ in native Dhivehi – in Conrad Maldives is now on track to open a unique, luxurious two-level residence. The residence comprises an above-sea residence and an underwater level, which is completely immersed in the ocean. This offers guests an unobstructed 180-degree panoramic view of the marine life in natural surroundings.
Mike Murphy the engineer of The Muraka Residence at Conrad Maldives had the job in making sure the equations add up. “Site conditions are paramount,” he says when explaining what factors must be taken into account when designing the ambitious accommodation. “This includes tidal range, water depths, protection from storms, storm wave heights, wind loads, type of soil for driving piles, access for big crane ship rick of tsunami etc. This dictates freeboard heights, the depth of undersea unit below the sea level, height of stairwell, piling design and everything else.”
Elements that would not cross your mind, such as working out if the client needs to install a wheelchair lift, would impact on the final volume of the underwater unit. “The greater the volume, then the more water displaced, which means more buoyant uplift, which means more weight to hold the unit down so that it doesn’t float,” Murphy adds.
The bathroom is mind-blowing, even if I do say so myself
Elsewhere in the project, but in constant communication with the engineers and interior designers, Ahmed Saleem, the director of Crown Company Pvt;. Ltd was the lead architect on the The Muraka Residence. “Like all architects, I was also trying to come up with a unique Maldivian image,” he said.
The bedroom is an acrylic tunnel that makes guests feel completely submerged under the waves
Once all the issues with privacy, safeguarding and supplying air to the underwater areas was addressed, Saleem and his team got to work in designing the underwater room to great a full underwater-living environment. “The bathroom is mind-blowing, even if I do say so myself,” he adds. “I have designed it so that the ocean is the constant view, with the ocean above your head and the sense of being surrounded by water.”
The interiors were led by Japanese architect Yuji Yamazaki. What makes the room design unique is the varying uses of acrylic that has been incorporated into one unit. The bedroom is an acrylic tunnel that makes guests feel completely submerged under the waves. The acrylic that forms the living room is curved vertical glass, which allows guests to further marvel at the marine wildlife outside the sea-wrapping pod.
The main challenge for this project, aside from the obvious being that architects, designers and engineers do not have gills, was the sheer scale of it, and the logistical nightmare of transporting it from Singapore, where it was built, to the Maldives. “The room is the maximum weight (600 tonnes) that can be lifted by the ship’s crane and that can moor close to the reef,” explained Murphy. “Finding the right ship [to transport the parts] with crane capacity to be able to do the job.”
The result of years of planning and construction is an out-of-this-world hotel experience that literally takes hotel concepts to new depths. The underwater level features in the property includes one king bedroom, a living area, a bathroom and an impressive spiral staircase.
This very special part of the hotel, which will settle on the seabed for years to come, will be open to guests from November of this year.
Changing the face of Grenadian hospitality and design, the fabulously chic Silversands Grenada, designed by Aw2 Design, will comprise 43 suites and nine residential villas, and also be home to the longest pool in the Caribbean…
Launching this November 2018 on the ivory white sands of Grand Anse beach, Silversands Grenada is slated to introduce a new way for discerning travellers to experience the unspoiled island of Grenada – the ‘Spice of the Caribbean.’ Sleek and modern in its design, unlike anything else in the Caribbean, the all-suite resort and residential project will offer a chic luxury experience perfectly befitting the warmth and authenticity of a true Grenadian lifestyle, as well as the opportunity to purchase a slice of paradise with Grenadian citizenship included.
A new member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Silversands Grenada’s minimalist design aesthetic was imagined and created by architecture and interior design firm AW². Having worked on the project since 2014, the firm’s partners, Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux, set Silversands Grenada apart from any other resort in the Caribbean. This is ‘next generation Grenada’, with a design-savvy traveller in mind. The linear architecture and design is deliberately cool, slick and understated, using pale marble and light wood while playing with a neutral colour palette of grey, blue and hues of cream. Bringing the lush surrounding landscape into focus, the resort’s aesthetic blends authenticity, nature, luxury and modernity in a stunning display of clean lines against the undulating sands of Grand Anse beach and its rugged beauty.
Day bed areas and pools are all designed to blend seamlessly into the architecture
“The client was looking for a project who will give a contemporary vision of tropical resorts and architecture,” explained Ledoux. “This is something that we have developed over the years in many different countries. Even if the conditions are always different, the design process remains the same: how to make the best use of site context, in order to create a unique destination with a strong sense of place.”
The layout has been designed to showcase the spectacular sea views, while simultaneously ensuring the utmost privacy and providing unique spaces for guests’ relaxation. Exterior spaces echo the architecture’s modern lines through gardens, courtyards and water features. Terraces, day bed areas and pools are all designed to blend seamlessly into the architecture, with the setting lulling guests down to the rhythm of the island in a sea of bright whites, natural teak and neutral tones. The view lines and spaces are wedded to Grenada’s contrasting green landscape, encouraging well-heeled travellers to get out and explore the island and forge a personal connection with the Caribbean’s last undiscovered hideaway.
The resort is also intersected by an artfully-designed 100-metre outdoor infinity pool, the longest in the Caribbean
Silversands Grenada will be home to 43 studio suites and a mix of nine Hillside and Beachfront residential villas unobtrusively peppered into the surrounding landscape. The resort is also intersected by an artfully-designed 100-metre outdoor infinity pool, the longest in the Caribbean.
Accommodation will span across two main buildings off Grand Anse Beach, encompassing 39 open-plan guestrooms, three one-bedroom suites, and a sprawling 2,066ft² penthouse with sweeping views of the sea and resort grounds from two private terraces. All rooms, suites and villas will feature modern open floor-plans with floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the rooms with natural light and perfectly complementing natural wood and stone textures and light hardwood floors. Rooms include king size platform beds surrounded by remote controlled curtains ideally situated for maximum views.
Nine residential villas will be discreetly dotted into Silversands Grenada’s lush surrounding landscape
Minimalistic furniture and muted colours will be wedded to a high-spec entertainment system, with portable technology granting unlimited access to video entertainment, glossy publications and newspapers. A curated selection of original artwork will be featured in every guestroom, as well as throughout the resort. Each en-suite bathroom is designed with the modern traveller in mind, with space, privacy and light reigning supreme. All bathrooms include at least 134ft² of space outfitted with a deep soaking tub and separate rain shower, double vanity units, frosted glass water closet, and ample storage – all connecting to a dressing room with built-in wardrobes. One-bedroom suite and Penthouse Suite bathrooms feature floor-to-ceiling louvered windows with spectacular ocean vistas.
“A ‘modern traveller’ to us is a person who is travel savvy,” said Ledoux. “They have been to many places, know some great hotels, and expects a lot more than just a hotel. We design with this very demanding person in mind. We concentrate on the project. If the design is carefully brought to fruition, it will be strong enough to become a fascinating social media subject. To try and do the opposite may be instagrammable, but does not always make a good project. So we work on what we know best to do: design.”
Nine residential villas will be discreetly dotted into Silversands Grenada’s lush surrounding landscape. Creating a limited opportunity to claim an everlasting piece of one of the Caribbean’s last secret hideaways, villas include five 6,000ft² Beachfront Villas with lot sizes ranging from 22,290ft² to 26,350ft², and four 5,000ft² Hillside Villas with lot sizes ranging from 13,500ft² to 17,600ft². Beachfront Villas will offer direct access to the sand, while the Hillside Villas feature awe-inspiring views of the resort grounds, Grand Anse Beach and the sea. The villas will provide owners elite access to the resort’s 24-hour service and premium experiences, and the chance to be a part of the island’s exciting revival. Each individual bedroom is a master bedroom, built as its own standalone pavilion with indoor and outdoor showers and deep-soaking bathtubs for the utmost luxury and unparalleled privacy. Adding further incentive to residential investment, villa owners will also have the option to purchase design packages in keeping with the resort’s sleek-chic aesthetic, and the ability to rent their villas through the resort when not in residence.
With lighting design having the ability to make or break a hotel concept, editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn sat down with the founder and creative director of lighting studio Cameron Design House to find out how the company is pioneering its way to becoming a leading lighting manufacturer, one bespoke light fitting at a time…
Recently, design company Cameron Design House has been making some serious ripples in international hotel design. Through its cutting-edge design, the company uniquely prides itself on everything that comes out of its factory being handmade. With this level of detail behind every product, I was curious to find out how the company is coping with the increasing demand, since the spotlight this year is well and firmly on lighting technology in international hotel design – pun intended.
Hamish Kilburn: Ian, what challenges do you face with everything being handmade?
Ian Cameron: As all of our pieces are handcrafted with a focus on perfecting the most intricate of details, each design involves a very specialist and creative manufacturing process. There are a number of different fabrication methods used for various designs, including the rolling, shaping or cutting of the metals. Although machinery is used for essential parts of the design process, every piece is assembled by hand, with the crystal profile diffusers all hand laid and every individual piece polished by hand. Meticulous attention to detail is applied to each design to ensure the electrical wiring is always hidden and the lighting element is concealed, enhancing the sculptural nature of each piece. As an example of our commitment to detail, each of the lantern diffusers on the Haara chandelier consists of 33 individually positioned, hand-drawn glass rods and for some of the designs like the Haara, two years were spent perfecting the design to ensure the highest quality product and finish.
IC: London is a world leader in design, and always has been. In a world that is becoming more and more automated, British design and manufacturing couldn’t be more important.
HK: How big is the team?
We have expanded from a team of four to over 25 employees in just four years! It has been important for us to maintain a sustainable level of growth over these past four years and one of my personal highlights in expanding the team was being able to give my cousin a job in our workshop.
HK: Can you explain a little bit more about the Bespoke Design Service you offer and how that’s unique?
IC: We always take a design-led approach and allow the project to shape our process. At Cameron Design House, it is really important for us to work hand-in-hand with our clients to create a design that is not only visually beautiful but works with the requirements of the space. Custom sizing, configuration and finishes are available across our collection, however providing a bespoke product is not enough and we always provide a bespoke design service to ensure the piece perfectly complements the individual nature of the project. For the example when the Hilton in Minneapolis approached us, they were looking for a specific collection of lighting pieces to perfectly complement the vast space within the hallway. With that in mind, we worked closely with their design team to configure a group of Lohja lighting pieces that have become the centrepiece of the space.
HK: Where do you find your inspiration for the products you design and create?
IC: All designers probably say the same thing, inspiration is everywhere and in everything but it is true. I am constantly fascinated by my surroundings and draw inspiration from literally everywhere, from sci-fi films, to nature and brutalism. We joke around the studio about the ongoing study of the great mathematician and designer Buckminster Fuller but we really do study his work and others like him. The ongoing study always leads to new ideas and innovations – it’s evolution.
I have a strong Finnish heritage and I draw a lot of my inspiration from Finland as well as my travels abroad. London is a huge inspiration to me as well. In the past two years I have visited over 10 countries, and I think this has really helped me develop my vision and approach to new designs.
HK: How can a designer use lighting when designing a modern hotel in a heritage building?
IC: Take the building as inspiration and work backwards. Don’t let the piece overwhelm the space. It’s important to use the space as inspiration when designing the lighting and work closely with the interior design team to find the perfect design solution.
HK: It’s said that tech development in recent years has opened up the door wide on lighting design. How have your products developed with this technology?
IC: Technology has given us more flexibility with our designs and allows us to work closely with our clients to create a piece that will perfectly complement their project.
There are also environmental issues which need to be considered when designing in today’s design climate, it’s critical that this is deliberated through all stages of the creative process. Aside from the obvious responsible use of materials etc. our approach is to design products that are lasting not only in terms of function but also lasting in terms of design.
HK: Do you ever feel the pressure in having to push creativity’s limits?
It’s important to believe in yourself and not to listen to the critics. It’s the dreamers in the world who design and build it and so instead of feeling the pressure of pushing your creative limits it’s important to be confident in your own unique vision and let your surroundings inspire the direction of design. Taking time out to explore new places is essential to my creative process and a great example of this is our Helmi chandelier, it’s the latest design within our collection and was inspired by a fishing trip near my hometown of Turku.
The luxury fabrics specialist will exhibit at this year’s London Interior Show on the 16 – 17 September…
Luxury fabric specialist, Kobe UK will exhibit at this years’ prestigious London Interiors Show.
The exhibition which will take place at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel between the 16 and 17 of September, will feature a host of the country’s top interiors businesses, from fabric to furniture.
Kobe, which is based in Crowthorne in Berkshire, will exhibit a variety of its contemporary, yet timeless collections along with a brand new nine-piece capsule range from its price sensitive Essente brand.
Collections on show will include the latest room high range with fabrics suitable for extra wide windows at 310cm, 315cm and 320cm high with patterns printed or woven horizontally to ensure a seamless window décor.
One featured collection is Boutique, a lavish mix of innovative textiles including sumptuous velvet, woven jacquard, cool cotton and soft satin. The palette of rich deep and softly nostalgic tones complements the geometric, floral, paisley and botanical patterns available within the collection.
In addition, Kobe will show its Art-Deco inspired Elegance and naturally focused Senses collection of curtain and upholstery fabrics. Elegance features a mix of metallic and neutral tones in geometric, floral, medallion and trellis patterns, while Senses has been designed to create an element of calm in the home with its combination of organic yarns and soft colour palette.
Blending sleek design with modern facilities and exceptional services, all public spaces in the Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted will receive a sophisticated upgrade and expansion. The exciting new refurbishments will include the Atrium Space, Wine Tower Bar and a new Meeting & Events Reception Desk and Breakout Area.
The iconic Wine Tower in the Atrium will also be renovated to create a memorable guest experience
In collaboration with the Trevillion design team, Radisson Blu Stansted will be transforming their public spaces into stylish and welcoming areas in order to enhance the guest experience from the moment of arrival.
From an inviting reception area to a private events space, the expansive atrium will be a versatile space whose function will be adjustable depending on the hotel requirements. Incorporating highly adaptable furniture, a new lighting design and control system, as well as a fully integrated sound system, the guest experience will be maximised and the space will be easily modified for any event, day or night. A new stylish seating area will be developed in the atrium lobby featuring iconic and comfortable furniture, while the atrium walls and lighting will be enhanced. Furthermore, a new meeting and events reception desk and breakout area will be added to support the newly increased ballroom capacity.
The iconic Wine Tower in the Atrium will also be renovated to create a memorable guest experience, encouraging guest interaction and a striking entrance for the hotel. A new sophisticated and lively bar will be built around this unique structure, serving as an area for guests to host meetings and receptions or simply to enjoy a cup of coffee.
Previous refurbishments the £6M project included the hotel guestrooms, restaurants and meetings & events spaces. In order to keep up with modern trends, and the neighboring airport’s constant growth, the hotel recently underwent a selection of significant refurbishments in 2017 to ensure the utmost in comfort and style.
The development is being carried out by the Pedley Group. Co-founder Alan Pedley has been responsible for manufacturing and installing more than 180,000 hotel rooms in 61 countries for the world’s leading hotel groups including IHG, Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott.
Developed by The Royal Yacht Britannia’s trading company, Royal Yacht Enterprises, Fingal’s 23 luxury cabins are each named after Stevenson lighthouses, inspired by her rich maritime heritage. Guests can choose from staying in a private deck, a duplex cabin with comfortable living space or the stunning Skerryvore Suite with extensive outdoor space to relax and entertain.
Carefully considered design offers high specifications of craftmanship and finish, with nautical touches and polished woods. Sumptuous Scottish leathers and the finest linens are in colour palates inspired by Fingal’s journey from land and sea.
“Fingal is like no other in Scotland,” said head of hospitality & events, Andrew Thomson. “It is a privilege to take this historic ship and create a new, exciting and world-class addition to the Scottish tourism landscape. The craftsmanship and design, inspired by Fingal’s provenance and heritage, coupled with the best of Scotland’s larder will ensure our guests’ experience on Fingal is truly memorable.”
A stylish yet relaxed restaurant with banquette seating offers a light menu celebrating the best of Scotland’s larder, from coast to field. Raise a glass at the welcoming Moët Hennessy Champagne bar or enjoy a cocktail from the creative menu. Spacious outdoor decks provide a blend of private and public spaces to bask in the quayside setting or sit out under the stars.
Hosting up to 80 guests, Fingal is ideal for exclusive hire, private parties, weddings and corporate events. A spectacular ballroom reached by a sweeping staircase is nestled uniquely in the bow of the ship and flooded in light by a movable skylight above.
Permanently berthed in Edinburgh’s waterfront hotspot of Leith, guests will be ideally situated to access the best the city has to offer. Award-winning restaurants, bars, artisan boutiques and galleries are just a few minutes’ walk away. The Royal Yacht Britannia is also nearby.
Sekers Fabrics has launched Piazza, a versatile upholstery with a small textured weave combining multi-colour twist yarns with luxurious chenille yarns…
Available in a range of 20 colours, from rich, stylish neutrals and browns to vibrant blues, reds and oranges, Sekers new fabrics collection Piazza offers a diverse choice of colour.
Incorporating Aquaclean, an advanced nano technology finish that helps protect the fabric against spills and stains without having to resort to specialist cleaning, Piazza resists the toughest of stains, including red wine and permanent marker.
Supplied with crib 5 backing and with an outstanding abrasion performance of 45,000 rubs, Piazza is an ideal upholstery choice for the contract market, from pubs and hotels to cruise ships, meeting all relevant UK and IMO standards for upholstery.
Sekers are 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 has announced that early bird tickets for this year’s Brit List 2018 are now available for a limited time before the awards ceremony on November 22.
Taking place at BEAT, London, the leading interior designers, hoteliers, architects and key suppliers to the industry will gather to witness the announcement of not only this year’s The Brit List 2018 (the top 25 British designers, hoteliers and architects) but also the winners of the six new awards up for grabs.
Early-bird tickets
Delegates and suppliers who purchase their tickets to the event before the nominations cut-off date of September 16 will take full advantage of the sizable discount on offer:
Delegates: £10 + VAT (£20 + VAT after September 16) Suppliers: £150 + VAT (£175 + VAT after September 16)
If you are a supplier to the hospitality industry looking to meet the top hoteliers, interior designers and hoteliers at The Brit List, click here to book your place.
If you are a delegate to the hospitality industry (architect, designer or hotelier) and would like to attend The Brit List 2018, click here to book your place.
To discuss the various sponsorship packages available, please contact Phoebe Kasapi on +44(0)1992 374059
For more information on how to nominate, click here.
Let’s Sea Hua Hin Al Fresco Resort sets new boutique standards following renovation…
The ocean-facing boutique hotel Let’s Sea Hua Hin Al Fresco Resort champions locality and eco-minded initiatives. The barefoot Thai luxury hotel has recently completed a significant renovation to its 40 suites, public spaces and famous beachside restaurant. Eco-chic and dedicated to supporting the community whilst preserving the natural beauty of its surroundings – the hotel’s staff are entirely local, and its eco-architectural design minimises the overall environmental impact.
With sense of responsibility to sustain and be a leader in romantic relaxation for conscious travellers, the resort briefly closed over the first two weeks of June 2018 to give each of the public areas the full renovation.
Taking it one step further and looking beyond aesthetics, the ambition behind the renovation is to set inspiring new standards of quality in luxury hospitality. With sense of responsibility to sustain and be a leader in romantic relaxation for conscious travellers, the resort briefly closed over the first two weeks of June 2018 to give each of the public areas the full renovation.
Reopening with its fresh new look as a destination that draws a new blueprint of cutting edge cool in Hua Hin, the intimate suites orbit a spectacular 120-metre lagoon pool whilst the carefully considered architecture takes full advantage of natural light and cooling breezes. Certifying the resort’s carbon footprint is kept to a minimum, all food is locally sourced with sensitive waste management systems.
Leaving lasting impressions, newly installed eco-friendly air conditioning and smart showers blend into natural hues to create an organic ambience that retains a strong sense of place with Thai influence. New to discover is a wellbeing pavilion located above the high-tech fitness studio, high-speed internet connections, Bose Sound Wave 10 Bluetooth speakers and oversized spa tubs situated on the rooftops of the suites whilst recognising the importance of sleep is the hotel’s new collection of next generation LaZzzzz Beds.
“Great design sits at the heart of all we do and we’re lucky to have amazing talent working with us to bring our guests a whole new level of luxury, relaxation and romance,” said Srayut Ekahitanonda, CEO of Let’s Sea Hua Hin Al Fresco Resort. “Our Barefoot Luxury concept introduces a softer, richer character to the resort, creating a space that suggests genuine refinement but with a casual, laid back ambiance that puts guests immediately at ease.’
Let’s Sea Hua Hin Al Fresco Resort originally began as a restaurant which has become renowned with both local and international diners. Female Head Chef Supanee J. Ketbumrung leads the way serving a fragrant blend of local and international favourites that are seasonally sensitive, along with its own unique creations that make Let’s Sea Hua Hin Al Fresco Resort a gourmet destination in and of itself.
As Hotel Designs begins to shine the spotlight on ‘hotel concepts’ this month, the editorial team have pulled together a handful of the most striking hotels from around the world…
The hotel design industry is overflowing with innovative drawings and exceptional design concepts that year after year complete to unveil buildings that further challenge conventional overnight accommodation. Whether it be in the lobby, the guestroom, the F&B areas or whole exterior shell of the property, leading designers get a thrill out of unveiling something that no guest – or architect – has ever seen, nor experienced, before. To kick-start this month’s Spotlight On feature on ‘hotel concepts’, Hotel Designs has scoured the globe to find the most eye-catching hotel designs.
Every year, when Sweden’s Torne River turns to ice, a new ICEHOTEL is created in the small village of Jukkasjärvi. The ice of the river transforms to design and sculpt the ICEHOTEL, an art project and the world’s first, and largest hotel built of snow and ice.
ICEHOTEL 365 is the latest concept to evolve. It’s a specially designed 2,100 square-metre ice art hall that is open 365 days of the year and run on solar power from the midnight sun. Working with Swedish architect and sustainability designer Hans Eek, ICEHOTEL 365 combines state-of-the-art architecture and sustainable energy with the ice art that draws winter visitors from more than 80 countries every year. This part of the hotel is a permanent construction and accommodates nice Deluxe Suites with private sauna (yes, a sauna in an ice hut), bathroom and relax, 11 Art Suites, an ice gallery and ICEBAR Jukkasjärvi; all hand carved by select artists from around the globe.
Taking an eco-friendly approach to design, Pisud Design Company utilised the natural surroundings when creating Keemala, Phuket. The result is a totally different hotel accommodation type for Phuket, Thailand and in fact the world. “The project has been designed to keep the original contour of the land as much as possible,” said designer Pisit Aongskultong, Design Director at Pisud Design Company. “We took inspiration from rocks, straw, clay and wood and didn’t feel it would be appropriate to build large buildings.”
Victoria Falls is known in local Zimbabwean Tonga as “The Smoke that Thunders”. It is a magnificent UNESCO world heritage site that is classified as the largest waterfall in the world.
44 km east, set on the banks of the mighty Zambezi river, is Matetsi Victoria Falls – a new luxury retreat that bravely pushes design boundaries in all aspects of its creation. At the heart of the property, the hotel’s villa and suites are canopied in the shade of large riverside trees. Matetsi River Lodge and Matetsi River House together aim to redefine luxury accommodation. Here, raw textures marry to chic interior design. Throughout the property, the theme of bringing the outdoors inside is a constant reference to the uniquely beautiful landscape that surrounds.
Designed with bookworms in mind, this hotel has a room (and writer) for every letter of the alphabet. Located in Paris’s chic 8th arrondissement, just a short walk from the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the River Seine, the four-star luxury boutique hotel’s room reflect the personalities of famous writers. Le Pavillon des Lettres is privately owned and operated by the Chevalier family, who own two other Parisian hotels: Le Pavillon de la Reine in the Place des Vosges, and Hôtel du Petit Moulin on the Rue du Poitou.
Crafted around the enigmatic shipwrecks that line Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, there’s nowhere on the continent – or the world – quite like Shipwreck Lodge. The raw and rugged shells of each shack is matched in the interiors with shabby blinds and rough wooden walls. Adding comfort, the soft furnishings and fur throws make the inside feel cosy – almost a home-from-home. The impossibly remote slice of African wilderness, where towering dunes and wind-swept plains roll as far as the eye can see, is buffeted by the icy Atlantic seas.
THE MURAKA is the first of its kind. More than just a luxury retreat with stunning rooms, it features the only hotel guestroom where guests can look out through a single window into an unobstructed, 180-degree panoramic view of coral and marine life, in natural surroundings. Mike Murphy was the engineer behind the largely ambitious project of creating the ultra-luxurious two-level residence that comprises of an above-sea residence and an undersea level, which is completely immersed in the ocean.
7) Four Seasons Bora Bora
image credit: Four Seasons Bora Bora
Overwater bungalows and underwater adventures welcome guests at the sand-fringed idyll in the shadow of Bora Bora’s Mount Otemanu. Guests can toast sunsets from their private plunge pool, marvel at the Tahitian night sky, or simply lose themselves in the resort’s lagoon, where the waters teem with exotic reef fish and colourful corals.
The 727 Fuselage Home is said to be the most exclusive hotel suite in Costa Rica. Hotel Costa Verde has refurbished a vintage 1965 Boeing 727 airframe, which, in its prior life, shuttled globetrotters on South Africa Air and Avianca Airlines (Colombia). This fully outfitted, meticulously detailed, two bedroom, Boeing 727 fuselage suite jets out from the jungle canopy, taking suite life to new heights. Why not?
Inspired by everyone’s favoutite British secret agent with a licence to kill, the James Bond Suite in Hotel Seven Paris in France offers all the class of 007, complete with a dome-like seating area lit with dramatic spotlights and wallpaper that reflects the iconic silhouette seen in each of the film’s opening sequence.
Positioned in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, the boutique hotel, which was structually designed by 3D Reid, is situated in two converted Grade II listed Georgian townhouses. DMA has worked with Hotel du Vin to refine and blend the boutique brand’s classic-design style with the building’s sophisticated heritage, emphasising the existing features and creating subtle references to the Bard of Avon throughout the hotel.
The design of the hotel features the traditional Hotel du Vin touches that the brand is known for, but with a contemporary update. Many elements are bespoke to the Stratford site, but providing a “golden thread” that will be taken forward to future projects, developed yet always in keeping with the place and context.
“The client was keen to return to Hotel du Vin’s heritage, and to develop an intriguing scheme that would invigorate the property and attract potential local and tourist clientele alike,” said Neil Andrew, Associate Director of DMA Interiors. “Our design plays with irreverent modern elements within the historic fabric, and subtly references Shakespeare in artwork and styling without being too obvious.”
In the public areas, much of the original brick walls of the Georgian townhouses is left exposed to create an expressive backdrop for the scheme
The mix of Georgian and contemporary structures provide the perfect setting for the traditional style of furniture, art and lighting in the old to transition compellingly to the modern theme and design in the new.
In the guestrooms, the period colours of the Georgian era, usually pale greens, blues and pinks are deliberately amplified to deeper tones of olive green, teal blue and aubergine with punches of ochre yellow to deliver a more vibrant feel. Generous low-set velvet headboards sit against feature wallcovering referencing Shakespeare’s pathetic fallacy; whilst the artwork captures the playful nuances.
The guestroom joinery is finished in rich veneer offset with brass ironmongery and contemporary lighting. In contrast, bathrooms are kept minimal with classic white subway tiles and chrome and stainless steel fixtures.
In the public areas, much of the original brick walls of the Georgian townhouses is left exposed to create an expressive backdrop for the scheme. A rich colour palette influenced by the bespoke carpet, which takes its inspiration from the nearby mythological Forest of Arden, is used throughout. Herringbone cross sawn oak timber flooring links the old and new buildings and injects a feel of traditional charm to contrast the contemporary furniture and detailing.
Hard finishes have been selected to provide a durable and practical environment which will age timelessly with the building. Soft furnishings in accent colours and patterns lift the scheme.
The glazed wine room becomes the central focus in the Bistro; wine bottles are stored in a wire frame structure set against an accent ochre wall for additional impact, further drawing guests’ attention to the rhythm of the display and wine selection.
The luxurious washrooms celebrate the Georgian era with grandiose freestanding vanities made from black granite and inspired by the forms of a cut crystal decanter. Matt blue walls are offset with glossy sapphire blue tiles and contemporary brass fixtures set against a terrazzo and black granite floor. The darker palette links back to privacy and night-time – a key theme in Shakespearean literature.
From the outset, lighting was an integral component of the design, highlighting specific areas to draw guests’ attention where required. The original junctions between the old and new building’s brickwork have been expressed by concealed lighting whilst carefully located coffer lighting accentuates the texture of the existing brickwork and enhances feature metal ceiling tiles. Focused lighting has been designed into the joinery to showcase key styling items such as locally-sourced vintage glassware that references the Hotel du Vin brand. Modern glass orb light fixtures are used to dramatic effect in the bistro, with more traditional pendants with an industrial slant in the older building.
The public areas have been carefully planned to create an intuitive flow around the central service core, seamlessly linking reception, lounge, bar and bistro. This layout also proclaims the stylish landscaped courtyard, visible from the bistro, function space and a large number of the guestrooms. At its centre, the design locates a tree – further referencing the Forest of Arden – that can be lit to become a focal point from all public areas. The reception room itself faced size constraints and so more compact, low level desks have been designed to not only make the space feel more airy but offer a more intimate check-in experience for guests.
Opened on 1st May 2018, the Hotel du Vin, 7-8, Rother St, Stratford-upon-Avon, is located opposite the popular Rother Street Famers’ Market. In total the hotel consists of 46 guestrooms, bar, lounge, bistro and function facilities.
Concluding our month of putting Fabrics in the spotlight, editor of Hotel DesignsHamish Kilburn sat down with the general manager of Mitre Linen, Kate Gough, to explore more around trends and how the company is moving with modern times…
Personally, I’m a soft pillow kind of man – take from that what you will. My colleague to the left of me on the other hand disagrees entirely and insists that without a hard pillow in a hotel he will not sleep a wink. A hotel that claims to be luxury that does not offer a good night’s sleep is not somewhere guests will rush back to check in to after they’ve checked out. Therefore, keeping the pillow options open to all and investing in good linen will go far to ensuring your guests have a comfortable stay.
As technology continues to evolve, and while interior trends flow into the duvet, I sat down with linen experts Mitre Linen to put the topic into perspective.
Hamish Kilburn: How has the company evolved with technology moving forwards?
Kate Gough: Over the years, we have built a reputation for quality and reliability that has earned us the honour of HM The Queen’s Royal Warrant, which we have proudly held since 1955. Over the past 70 years, we have seen many changes within the industry, including major technological advances which have had a significant impact on many areas of our business, however, our key focus remains the same – offering exceptional customer service.
We work as hard as ever to ensure that anyone who contacts the Mitre team is left feeling delighted. Our friendly team, based in Merthyr Tydfil, in the heart of the Welsh valleys, has always been at the end of the phone to take orders, or offer advice and support to our customers. For those who prefer to, online orders can be placed quickly and easily via our new website, with a convenient Fast Order option available for those in a hurry, while those seeking advice or with product queries can take advantage of our new online LiveChat feature, which is available Monday-Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm.
We have created a selection of handy online Mitre Guides which is easily accessed via our website, helping our customers to make the right product choices for their needs. We also give online insight into the latest industry trends with our regularly updated Mitre Articles, which offer valuable advice from our experts, on topics such as the effective use of colour in hotel rooms, and tips on how to create a hygienic sleep environment.
The average person produces one to two pints of sweat every night
HK: What are your thoughts on the pillow menu?
KG: The right pillow is essential to a comfortable night’s sleep – pillow menus are easy to create and can be as simple as offering the option of either a hard and soft pillow, depending on a guest’s personal preference. Mitre Linen offers a wide variety of pillow styles and constructions available to suit the desires of any sleeper, and we are happy to guide you in your choices, making it easy for your business to provide the perfect pillow menu.
Our best-selling Comfort Palace Pillow features Quallofil extra life fibre which keeps it thick and plump, whilst ensuring a longer lifespan. The flame-retardant pillow is highly resistant to flattening, maintaining its shape after every use whilst retaining its soft profile, ensuring it’s quick and easy to achieve a welcoming bed. The Comfort Palace Pillow makes a great soft option for a pillow menu.
The Comfort Ultraloft Pillow would be ideal as a firm option for a pillow menu. With a Hollowfibre fill, its thick, plump design has a weight of 850g. Covered in durable polycotton, it’s designed to last through regular heavy-duty use, and is flame retardant.
We would also recommend that a pillow menu include at least one microfibre option, in order to offer the comfortable feel of feather and down without the risk of allergy. Mitre Linen’s Luxury Microfibre pillows are available in soft and firm variants, have 100% cotton covers with a 233 thread count, and conform perfectly to the head and neck to offer soft and comfortable support.
For further information, see our detailed pillow guide.
HK: How often should hotels replace bed linen?
KG: Bed linen such as duvet covers and sheets should be replaced at the first sign of wear and tear. Within two years, one third of a pillow’s weight is made up of dead skin, dust mites, oil and dirt and considering that the average person produces one to two pints of sweat every night, then pillows and duvets should be regularly replaced. Protectors are invaluable to prolong the life of mattresses, duvets and pillows. Not only do they provide a more hygienic sleeping environment for your guests as they can be regularly washed, but they also extend the life of bedding which is a significant investment for a business.
HK: What are your thoughts on colourful bed sheets in the hotel guestroom?
KG: Our white satin polycotton range is our biggest seller, and whilst recent Mitre Connects* hotelier feedback confirmed that white bedlinen is perennially popular, we did note quite a few comments requesting a larger range of good quality colourful bed linen. In response to this valuable feedback we have added colour options into our Egyptian Cotton Range – our gorgeous 100% cotton percale bedlinen is now also available in ruby red, raisin, blush pink, lead grey and saffron yellow, as well as our ever popular white.
HK: What advice would you give to hotels when it comes to caring for bed linen?
KG: Freshly laundered, pristine, smooth and crease free bedlinen always rates highly for guests when they stay at a hotel so for those who launder on site, here are some care tips:
Always wash cotton bedlinen before use, at 50°C or 60°C. Expect 4-8 per cent shrinkage (Mitre Linen sizing allows for this). Hot iron when slightly damp to give a crisp finish. Don’t bleach, as this will reduce the life of the product. Soak stained bedding in water if immediate laundering is not possible.
Wash polycotton bedlinen at 50°C. Use a detergent intended for colours (to avoid colour fade due to OBA build up). A light iron is suggested.
*MITRE CONNECTS SURVEY 2018 – The Mitre Connects Survey presents survey data from nearly 300 hospitality industry professionals. The answers provided offer a vital insight into the industry’s concerns on topics that affect day-to-day business and future planning for the hospitality industry.
Mitre Linen are 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.
Printing specialists Colourgen will exhibit at 100% Design the capabilities of the Dimense Wallpaper…
A unique technology for the production of bespoke, structured wallpaper is being launched in the UK at 100% Design. Colourgen will be showcasing a broad range of 3D custom-made wallpaper samples that demonstrate the capabilities of the Dimense Wallpaper printer in the Emerging Brands area. The company will also talk about the opportunities the printer offers for interior designers and architects looking to deliver innovative and creative new styles of 3D and embossed bespoke wall coverings for clients.
We chose to launch Dimense at this show because of its outstanding reputation for supporting emerging innovation in interior design
Until now, designers needed to source specialist, pre-textured media to create 3D style effects on wallpaper or go through a complex printing process to create the effect using standard printers. These methods add cost and time to a project and limit the designer in terms of what they can do creatively. The Dimense printer simultaneously prints and creates the structure of the wallpaper in one pass and is ready to hang immediately, technology that simply hasn’t existed until now. With Dimense, the designer has 100% flexibility to create the bespoke wall covering effects they desire.
“These are really exciting times for Colourgen. Dimense is a unique and innovative product that is set to be a game changer in the digitally printed wallpaper market,” said Mark Lambert, Director at Colourgen. “We are looking forward to promoting this product to a broad audience across print, design, retail and interior decoration. Dimense really is a revolution in the creation of custom graphics with structure. We call it the ‘Art of Dimensing!’”
He adds, “This will be the first time we’ve attended 100% Design and we’re really looking forward to it. We chose to launch Dimense at this show because of its outstanding reputation for supporting emerging innovation in interior design and because it’s so well attended by designers and architects from across the country and the world, which gives us a great opportunity to showcase what the printer can do to the people who could most benefit from its capabilities.”
Dimense offers output that won’t fade in direct light, can be cleaned without scratching or damage and is C1 fire rated, making it perfect for high traffic areas such as hotels, retail and corporate environments. It can print at speeds of up to 20sqm/hour with a print width of 1.6m. Dimense is an environmentally friendly technology based on latex eco-friendly inks and PVC-free structure-forming Ecodeco media.
The Dimense printer will be shipping in the UK exclusively from Colourgen in September 2018 and Colourgen will be exhibiting at the 100% Design exhibition at Olympia from 19-22 September (stand no EB44).
Roca’s Beyond collection adds glamorous and sophistication to the hotel bathroom…
Roca is bringing a touch of glamour and sophistication to the bathroom with its new, cutting-edge Beyond collection. Its elegant curves and soft lines ensure this range embodies contemporary design and creates a visually stunning and forward-looking bathroom.
“Beyond is a beautifully designed collection and has a unique appeal, which I think is important,” commented Alan Dodds, Managing Director for Roca UK. “The bathroom is a very personal space and people want it to reflect their own design style, their lifestyle and for it to be a place they can relax in comfort. Beyond’s design is perfect for those looking for something a bit different.”
The Beyond collection includes WC’s, basins, furniture and baths all manufactured from Roca’s latest and most sophisticated materials.
When it comes to basins, customers can choose from ceramic or solid surface materials. All ceramic basins are manufactured in FINECERAMIC®, a high-quality ceramic material exclusive to Roca which facilitates precision and sophisticated design details previously not possible, with the added benefits of being 40% lighter and 30% more resistant to abrasives than conventional basins. A choice of floor standing, wall-hung or countertop basins are available.
Solid surface basins are manufactured in SURFEX®, a malleable solid surface material formulated from a combination of minerals and resins, allowing for the creation of shapes that were unthinkable until now. SURFEX has also been used to manufacture the baths within the Beyond range to ensure the elegant shaping is continued throughout the collection.
The Beyond WC’s all feature rimless technology and are fitted with a water distributor that maximises flushing performance. The fully shrouded close coupled Beyond WC is fixed to the wall ensuring the smooth line design is carried on throughout. All the WC’s within the range flush at 4.5/3 litres and the soft close seats are manufactured from SUPRALIT®.
Roca are 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 has opened the The Brit List 2018 nominations to interior designers, hoteliers and architects…
Date of nominations closing: September 16 Awards ceremony: November 22 at BEAT, London
Hotel Designs is delighted to announce that nominations for this year’s Brit List are now open, welcoming you, our loyal readers and supporters, the opportunity to put forward entries from all exceptional British interior designers, hoteliers and architects.
Once all nominations have been received by the closing date of September 16, the judging panel – made up of figures from across the hospitality and design sectors – will select the final 75 most inspirational and influential people in British design, hotels and architecture.
On November 22, designers, hoteliers, architects and key suppliers to the industry will gather at BEAT London where The Brit List 2018 will be unveiled. “With the UK being seen by the rest of the world as one of the largest design hubs, it’s important for us to support exceptionally talented individuals and firms by giving them platform to help amplify their work,” says publisher of Hotel Designs, Katy Phillips. “The winners of these awards will be further examples of how the UK continues to have a strong presence in international hotel design.”
In addition to The Brit List, Hotel Designs has also launched six new awards that will be presented to the winners on the night The Brit List 2018 is unveiled. These awards are:
Inspiration in Design – Innovative use of technology
Inspiration in Design – Boutique Hotelier
Inspiration in Design – Interior Designer of the Year
Inspiration in Design – Architect of the Year
The Eco Award
Outstanding Contribution to the Hotel Industry
Industry suppliers and delegates will be able purchase tickets to attend the awards ceremony, and there are a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available for this prestigious and influential event. For more details contact Phoebe Kasapi by emailing p.kasapi@forumevents.co.uk, or calling 01992 374059.
All this month, Hotel Designs are working with Australian-based architecture firm Valé Architects to investigate how to design the Instagrammable hotel. In PART ONE of FIVE, Scott Valentine, the firm’s Managing Director, explains the psychology of Instagram…
Instagram remains firm in being go-to tool for any business that’s serious about growing its brand identity. This year, the platform is fast overtaking most other forms of social media. If you don’t want to fall behind on your competitors, then learning how to use Instagram to promote your hospitality business may your best move all year.
With 1 Billion monthly active users, it’s simply becoming essential for your business to have an Instagram account and an active presence. But what’s more important, yet often overlooked, is making sure that your space is designed in a way that makes it remarkable, so remarkable that everyone has to take a picture and share it with the world on social media.
Social media, and Instagram in particular, have found a way of tapping into two core human needs of wanting to belong and wanting to feel significant.
The vast majority of hospitality businesses Valé Architects consult tell us that they want to appear in the top nine Instagram tiles in a specific location. This appears to be the ‘Holy Grail’ of brand awareness and we understand why. After all, it sends out a clear message to future customers and guests of just how popular and desirable your hotel is with the cool Instagram crowd.
But what does it take to be in these top nine tiles in your location? To understand that, we need to dig deep into the psycology of human behaviour.
Why do people share?
A New York Times customer insight group report showed there are six reasons why an individual shares:
This study was performed in 2011, only two months after Instagram was launched, but those innate human desires to both belong and be someone that matters haven’t changed of course. The only thing that has shifted since then is the sheer volume of people who use social media and the different platforms they use to fulfill those desires.
What do they share?
“Our goal is to not just be a photo-sharing app, but to be the way you share your life when you’re on the go,” said Instagram’s creator Kevin Systrom in an interview with Inc.com in 2012. And he’s bang on the money because the vast majority of Instagram users share:
their lives
things that excite them
things they’ve achieved
things they place value on
The introduction of Instagram stories in August 2016 provided us with even greater opportunities to share more of our day with our followers.
Who do they share with?
People like to share with their tribe. This tribe is a hodgepodge of people of family, friends and acquaintances who they know personally, and others who they don’t know personally but share a similar interest with.
Many users focus their Instagram feed clearly towards a very defined tribe. Those type of users, we’ll call them influencers, are often able to create a strong and persuasive connection with large numbers of people they don’t even know. But how is it they are able to create these persuasive connections?
The psychology of what makes social media so valuable
As explained in Robert B Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, there are six universal truths of influence.
All six principles play a role in the success of social media, but what makes Instagram such a powerful marketing tool is the way in which it uses the principles of Liking and Social Proof.
A primary behaviour to understand is that people like those like them. Put in another way, We like other people who we think are like us. As Roger Highfield reports in The Telegraph: “We prefer people we think are similar to ourselves. It is all down to a brain region which categorises people as being like us, even if all we know about them is that they have one thing in common.”
A key behaviour that amplifies this value of liking is the follow on effect of social proof.
“One means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct…We view a behaviour as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it” (1)
This means that if you can get people to advocate for your business on your behalf, then the impact is exponentially greater than trying to convince those customers yourself.
Marketing guru Seth Godin sums up the effect of these two attributes perfectly.
“People like us do things like this….we want to be respected by those we aspire to connect with, we want to know what we ought to do to be part of that circle.” (2)
Instagram gives us the opportunity to feel part of the lives of people that inspire us and do similar things to what we do. It allows us to feel connected with those whose lifestyles we are attracted to. The greater the engagement level of the account holder with their followers, the deeper they are connected with their followers. This grants them greater sway to influence the behaviours of a focused tribe of people, potentially helping grow your brand and selling your products or services.
How can you use this as a business advantage?
If you want your business to be a hit on Instagram, then you really need to find ways to tap into those deeper desires of belonging to something and wanting to be someone who matters.
To help you figure this out, we’ve developed an easy to read visual design guide on how to make the design of your space as Instagrammable as possible. To get your free copy delivered to your inbox straight away, download the free Instagram Design Guide from Valé Architects here.
Bisque – the UK’s first ever designer heating brand and pioneer of innovative radiator design – has unveiled a suave and sophisticated matt black finish to join its existing range of colour options.
Once considered gloomy or gothic, matt black styles are enjoying something of a renaissance
The new matt black option has a soft, sateen finish for that extra-luxurious finishing touch. It is now available on a selection of Bisque’s most popular models, including its iconic school-style Classic and timeless Deline towel rail.
Once considered gloomy or gothic, matt black styles are enjoying something of a renaissance thanks to leading interior designers such as Abigail Ahern incorporating moody colour palettes into interior schemes. Matt black, along with shades of dark grey and anthracite, can be stylish and stimulating as opposed to oppressing. Create a focal point in a hallway, living room, bedroom or dining room with one of Bisque’s general purpose radiators, or co-ordinate your chosen model with your paint or accessories for a more mature look.
Moreover, Bisque’s matt black Deline has been introduced following the increasing popularity of coloured baths and brassware in bathrooms. Offering customers an eye-catching alternative to traditional white sanitaryware and polished chrome, matt black finishes create a striking contrast in this otherwise neutral space.
Bisque’s latest colourway joins an already extensive array of colours and finishes in the brand’s repertoire – from pretty pastels and bold brights to metallics, bare metal lacquers and even textured quartz finishes. It offers its customers an unrivalled choice, thanks to its bespoke colour-match service when only a precise shade will do.
Bisque is continuously working behind the scenes to bring its customers the most exciting styles available.
Bisque are 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.
As our month of threading together the latest in fabrics and soft furnishings comes to a close, we wrap up another fast-paced week in the creative world of international hotel design with the top five stories of the last five days…
Following on from the successful Meet Up North networking event we hosted in Manchester’s King Street Townhouse, this week we’ve covered hotel design news from around the world. We’ve seen ambitious plans launching, hotel groups becoming leaders and Hotel Designs has announced its Spotlight On features for August. Here are the top five stories of the week, as selected by editor Hamish Kilburn.
Throughout August, Hotel Designs will be putting the spotlight on two massively talked-about areas of international hotel design, namely: Hotel Concept and Flooring & Carpets…
The story with the most views this weeks comes from a brand that is taking luxury travel to a new level – and fast! IHG has just been named the UK’s leading luxury hotel operator after a series of shifts and openings. The hotel group has confirmed the UK debut locations for its boutique brand Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants and its recently launched upscale brand, voco™ Hotels. This move follows the announcement made in May of an agreement with Covivio (formerly Foncière des Régions), to rebrand and operate 12 high-quality open hotels in the UK and one pipeline hotel. Nine of the hotels join IHG’s brand portfolio today, making IHG the UK’s leading luxury hotel operator. The remaining three open hotels are anticipated to be added in the coming weeks…
The plan for the new Faloria Mountain Spa Resort, historical glamorous hotel based in Cortina, has finally been unveiled. A new design hotel in the Dolomites, the Faloria Mountain Spa Resort, is said to set a new standard in mountain luxury hotels. The project, signed by the architect Flaviano Capriotti, upgrades the resort to the highest hospitality standards, achieving the fifth star and presenting a new hospitality model: at crossroads between local tradition, innovation and comfort.
Nestled behind vibrant streets, where thousands of Gap-Year backpackers find shelter in cheap hostels, rises a luxury hotel with personality, style and unmatched ocean views. Editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to ‘a new kind of luxury’ at the Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay to see for himself how opposites in South East Asia can attract after all…
The anticipated opening of Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, designed by the award-winning André Fu is said to evolve the hotel landscape in Southeast Asia. The end of August will see the opening of what is said to be Asia’s most anticipated hotel openings of 2018. The grand Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok, meticulously designed by, André Fu, from AFSO who was named Designer of the Year for Maison & Objet Asia in 2016, captures the brand’s iconic image in the vibrant Thai capital.
This month, Hotel Designs has been putting the spotlight on hotel soft furnishings. With the aim to help make the ‘hotel look’ achievable in the home, Radisson Collection Hotel, Royal Mile Edinburgh has recently launched a ‘Living Art’ concept where guests staying in four of the hotel’s nine design suites will be able to purchase select items that catch their eye. The hotel is renowned for sheltering striking rooms designed by leading Scottish fashion stars, interior designers and artists and, following many requests, it has launched the initiative to help amplify exceptional design further.
The four chosen suites were curated by Scottish fashion designer Judy R Clark and leading Scottish textile designer Hatti Pattisson in each designer’s personal style, with items created in their studios. Guests booking to stay will have the chance to order any items by the two designers that they desire. Guests not staying in the chosen suites need not miss out, the two designers will have rolling window displays in the hotel or can be visited at their local studios.
Image caption: Superior Room
Pieces of history overlooking the Royal Mile, Judy R Clark’s rooms are outfitted with antique bespoke furnishings, luxurious tactile fabrics and modern amenities. Guests can relax on opulent velvet chairs, look out towards the writer’s museum and scribe their own correspondence at an antique desk.
Image caption: G&V Hatti Pattison Bedrrom
Boasting some of the best views in the city, the Garden Paradise Suite and Castle Suite by Hatti Pattisson channel the city’s dynamic architecture, featuring bursts of floral colour and oceanic shades in the bedroom. Her lampshades, cushions, paintings and fabrics adorn each room.
Part of the Radisson Collection, the 136-room hotel is a design-led, five-star lifestyle hotel located in the heart of the Edinburgh’s Old Town just steps from Edinburgh Castle, Grass Market, The Royal Mile, The Museum of Scotland and The Scottish National Gallery as well as the famous Princes Street and upmarket George Street.
Throughout August, Hotel Designs will be putting the spotlight on two massively talked-about areas of international hotel design, namely: Hotel Concept and Flooring & Carpets…
Next month, Hotel Designs will be digging beneath the surface to uncover the most extraordinary hotels from around the globe as we celebrate the weird, the wonderful and the very brave world of Hotel Concepts. In addition, we will be laying down all the latest from flooring and carpets as many flooring suppliers gear up to present their latest collections at London Design Week in September.
Hotel concepts
Image credit: Conrad Maldives
The editorial team at Hotel Designs is always on the hunt for bold hotels that unapologetically stand out from the crowd. Next month, we want to celebrate these fine examples of truly exceptional spaces by revealing the craziest hotel concepts from around the world. We’re looking for overnight accommodation that completely challenges conventional hotel design.
Flooring & carpets
Technological advances in flooring manufacturing continue to dictate the trends. Vinyl can now mimic hardwood, stone, concrete and much more, while random-coloured woods – or replications of wood in vinyl or laminate – marry together to create an interesting and playful look and feel.
Waterproof carpets are making a splash with their durable qualities making it ideal for heavily used areas in hotels. Many companies are choosing to go ‘carbon-neutral’ in an effort to be more green, and abstract patterns are making their way to the front with a number of companies using aerial shots as inspiration to create some truly unique products.
If you’re a supplier in either of these categories and want your products to reach more than 41,000 hoteliers, interior designers and architects per month, there are plenty of ways you can get involved with these features next month, from supplying an opinion piece to working with us on a targeted mini-series.
If you wish to find out more, please contact Phoebe Kasapi on 01992 374059 or p.kasapi@forumevents.co.uk
The luxury resort of Wyndham Palau is being developed by the Sea Sky International Development Group, a subsidiary of Global International Development Group…
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a new luxury resort with over-water villas in Palau, the pristine western Pacific island paradise.
The resort is located in the unspoiled region of Aimeliik, which is home to spectacular natural landscapes, ancient villages and crystal clear seas teeming with colourful marine life.
Upon completion, the 593-key resort will offer a choice of beautifully-appointed accommodations, including 132 hotel guestrooms and more than 400 villas, with some perched on stilts over the warm, shallow seas. These exotic rooms will be accompanied by other luxury villas nestled in the hillside and on the edge of the mangroves.
Guests will be able to access two free-form pools surrounded by a large sun deck and shady cabanas, a children’s pool, a kid’s club and a serene wellness centre. The resort also includes a purpose-built conference centre with a wide variety of options for event planners, including a ballroom seating up to 140 guests and four meeting rooms for up to 60 people. Meanwhile, a collection of distinct F&B outlets will include a chic lobby lounge, beach bar and terrace, and pool bar.
“With its tropical climate, rich history and pristine landscapes, Palau is a compelling proposition for international travellers,” said Joon Aun OOI, President and Managing Director, South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “Wyndham Palau will break new ground in this beautiful country, becoming the first upscale international resort in the Aimeliik region.”
“International visitor arrivals to Palau have jumped 50 percent since 2010, and the country remains an intriguing and appealing destination for many Asian travellers. With direct air links from key source markets such as Seoul and Taipei, the prospects for Palau’s tourism industry – including the MICE sector – remain incredibly bright,” Mr Ooi added.
Palau comprises more than 200 lush, jungle-clad islands in the western Pacific Ocean, about 1,500 kilometres east of the Philippines. While the country is small, its surrounding marine sanctuary is anything but; Palau’s government has committed to protecting about 500,000 square kilometres of ocean – an area about the size of Thailand.
“We identified Aimeliik as the perfect place to open up a new frontier in Palau’s tourism industry. Easily accessible from the Koror City and the airport, this is a stunning region with pure shores and lush natural landscapes. With the global support of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, one of the hotel industry’s most famous and respected names, I am confident that our stunning new resort will mark the start of an exciting new era for Palau,” commented Ms Selina Zhong, President, Global International Development Group.
Following on from Hotel Designs’ Spotlight On’ feature of Technology last month, editor Hamish Kilburn sat down with the marketing manager of Hamilton Litestat to explore lighting trends, clever ways to illuminate the guestroom and how products are changing…
Last month, Hotel Designs lit up the conversation around in-hotel technology and where trends are heading in the near future of hotel design. One conversation that came up time and time again was the idea of designers using lighting in more savvy ways to create a certain ambiance. With this in mind, I decided to ask the experts at Hamilton Litestat who are ahead of the curve and in-the-know when it comes to the future of lighting technology in the guestroom and beyond.
Hamish Kilburn: How has lighting recently become more of a focus in guestroom design?
Gavin Williams: Lighting has always played a significant role in the guest experience of a hotel. First impressions count and from the moment a guest sees the hotel building and walks into reception, lighting is being used to create a statement about the hotel.
Lighting control certainly doesn’t need to be complicated
Within a hotel’s guestrooms, lighting control provides important functionality. In the week, many guests are business people who need to use their rooms as a place of work during the day. Then, in the evenings – as well as weekend guests – they want to use the space to relax. Lighting control transforms these spaces between the different functional requirements, easing from bright work-appropriate lighting into softer mood lighting at the touch of a button or swipe of a finger.
This also applies to the function rooms, restaurants and bars within a hotel. The atmosphere – and therefore the lighting requirements – for breakfast is very different to an evening meal setting, so lighting control can support this space transformation too.
We take the brief and turn it into the desired solution with no headaches
HK: I think a lot of designers shudder at the thought of lighting control in the guestroom. Can you put their minds at ease by telling us what makes Hamilton’s products user friendly?
GW: Lighting control certainly doesn’t need to be complicated. From a designer’s perspective, all they need to do is tell Hamilton what effects they want to achieve, and our team will deliver a pre-programmed system to suit. Designers don’t need to know the ins and outs of how the system works, that’s Hamilton’s job! We take the brief and turn it into the desired solution with no headaches.
Our solutions offer a range of effects, so designers should consider the result they’re after and whether they’d like dimming control, the ability to mix light and colour with DMX options, or the ability to set scenes. If they’re unsure, they can visit Hamilton’s showrooms in Bristol or at the Mere facilities to talk through the options and see demonstrations so they have the confidence that the system will deliver their lighting ideas.
And, even more importantly, our smart lighting control solutions make things simple for guests too. They can be controlled by simple yet elegant button switches that are available in a range of designs, easy-to-use glass control panels or via an accessible app on a smart device.
We’ve found exhibitions such as Decorex, The Independent Hotel Show and the recently rebranded SLEEP+EAT particularly helpful for keeping abreast of the latest trends
HK: Do you keep track of trends, and what lighting products are most popular for hotels?
GW: Yes, we make sure we take notice of the lighting trends within the hotel sector, and the general design trends. Both are very important to our business. Our smart lighting control solutions can help achieve these looks, but as we also design and manufacture decorative wiring accessories, we offer switched plates and sockets with the latest on-trend finishes.
We’ve found exhibitions such as Decorex, The Independent Hotel Show and the recently rebranded SLEEP+EAT particularly helpful for keeping abreast of the latest trends. We exhibit at these shows and have both hoteliers and designers visit our stand, so we often find ourselves discussing current trends and themes that require lighting control. We also participate in the Hotel Designs networking events, which we find very useful. Hamilton’s solution is very flexible and can be programmed to deliver more complex solutions as and when new trends and requirements come in, but we’re also always happy to build a bespoke system to meet a specific design brief.
HK: Can you explain the creative elements with regards to what goes into designing a new product?
GW: Products are bought, not sold, so new product development must be driven by talking to customers and uncovering what is missing from the current market offering, or what is not working with existing products on the shelves. In terms of the crucial elements when designing a new product, function and form has always been important to Hamilton and balancing these two elements is something we pride ourselves on. We ensure our products deliver smooth, seamless and effective functionality in a product that’s attractive and well-designed.
In a hotel, the bulk of any lighting control system will be installed out of view in the hotel’s hub room. It’s only the control plates that are visible in guestrooms so, typically, a designer wants to create a special control plate, one that has a unique shape or finish to coordinate with other wiring accessories in the design scheme.
The majority of Hamilton’s products are manufactured in our factory in Bristol
As pioneers in the manufacture of decorative plates for switches, sockets and lighting controls, Hamilton has accrued 50 years’ experience in meeting the specifications of designers and hoteliers. We simply need some guidance on the function, style and finish that’s being sought, and we will interpret these wishes to provide a suitable solution. The Hamilton design team can offer 3D CAD drawings so that customers can view product designs from different angles and perspectives to ensure it meets the most exacting requirements. This also shortens the lead time from design to product sampling. We’re also happy to create highly finished sample prototypes for a designer to present to their client to help them buy into their design ideas.
HK: How are Hamilton Litestat products made?
Image caption: Gavin Williams
GW: The majority of Hamilton’s products are manufactured in our factory in Bristol: we’re a family-run business producing British-quality solutions. Our production facility includes complete CNC, Laser and Water Jet Cutting capability. In addition to our standard selection of finishes, we can provide bespoke premium finishes, including PVD, in a choice of finishes such as Nickel or Antique Gold. If required, we can print text or graphics on plates by Laser Etch, Pad Printing or Engraving. In short, it’s a mixture and both machine and hand finishing to ensure our customers get a quality product both in terms of design and manufacture.
Hamilton Litestat are 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.
The recent renovation of Claridge House Chicago, led by hospitality design and development firm The Gettys Group, is the latest in a series of boutique properties the firm has reimagined as residentially inspired “homes away from home”…
Claridge House Chicago has cut its ribbon open to celebrate the reimagined interiors and newly launched brand.
The Gettys Group has led the transformation of the 1920s hotel to unveil the 165-key Claridge House Chicago. The newly opened property features a design plan that is intimate, welcoming and in keeping with the neighborhood’s tony environs, ultimately evoking a contemporary Gold Coast Chicago residence.
Oxford Capital Group enlisted The Gettys Group’s interior design team to lead the redesign of the property, which opened its doors in May 2018. The hotel’s prime Gold Coast location at 1244 N. Dearborn Parkway serves upscale leisure travellers, those visiting the city for business and locals seeking an elegant in-town escape.
“Claridge House truly reflects the inviting atmosphere of the Gold Coast neighborhood,” says John W. Rutledge, founder, president, and chief executive officer of Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC and its parent company, Oxford Capital Group, LLC. “We wanted to create a place where both locals and those new to Chicago would be welcome, in one of the city’s most historic areas.”
The 165 guestrooms, each uniquely inspired by a pied-à-terre theme, were curated to offer a sophisticated city apartment feel
The property first opened in 1923 as the Claridge Hotel. It was renamed in 2005 as Hotel Indigo until this past May when it reopened as the Claridge House Chicago, paying homage to its historic past. Originally designed by Chicago architect Walter Ahlschlager, the initials “CH” and the Claridge name remain inscribed on the exterior of the 12-story building.
The Gettys Group created a concept that was based on the property coming full circle and returning to its original name.
“Our interior design team was charged with transforming the hotel’s look and feel into an intimate and curated residential aesthetic in the Gold Coast neighborhood. Ideally situated within walking distance from some of the city’s best shopping and dining, Claridge House delivers a sophistication that is as inviting as it is refined,” said Ben Nicholas, principal, The Gettys Group.
The lobby features a custom chandelier comprised of silk-wrapped rings, which are a nod to the “coming full circle” inspiration. Custom millwork anchors the lobby with an elevated linear fireplace wrapped in marble and flanked in blonde oak with exquisite definition.
Juniper Spirits & Oysters, the property’s new restaurant and lobby bar, offers guests delectably prepared seafood fare in a chic atmosphere designed to invite locals and travelers alike to sip, nibble and unwind.
The 165 guestrooms, each uniquely inspired by a pied-à-terre theme, were curated to offer a sophisticated city apartment feel. Images of London were hung proudly in each room, reminding guests of the origins of the name Claridge.
“We crafted Claridge House as a relaxed, yet refined space based on the property’s tagline, ‘Our House, You’re Home.’ It was important to our team that the design felt like an extension of the Gold Coast neighborhood,” said Ali Bacon, senior project designer, The Gettys Group. “The public areas exude a residential quality that encourages guests to congregate and relax, while the guest rooms provide the experience of a bedroom in a neighboring brownstone.”
Reinforcing the hotel’s residential atmosphere, The Gettys Group’s interior design team installed accents and personal touches to the public areas with collected art and artifacts to emulate a living room at home. An art installation features travel photos from trips taken around the world that were gathered from hotel team members and the project team for the opening.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, July 26 to celebrate the reimagined space and newly launched brand.
The grade II listed country estate, Heythrop Park Hotel, completes refurbishment to 48 guestrooms balancing a timeless look with clever injection of bespoke furniture…
Curtis Furniture has recently completed a refurbishment of 49 guestrooms at the four-star Heythrop Park hotel in Oxfordshire. Operating in a 17th century grade II listed country estate, the newly renovated hotel now adorns a modern look and feel while remaining sensitive to its heritage.
The age of the building provided a challenge for the furniture specialists as the bedrooms were small and ergonomically difficult. The tired guestrooms required refurbishment whilst complying to an exact specification and budget.
The Brief
The clients specified that the rooms had to meet the high standard of the estate whilst complementing the ambiance of the location. The refurbishment was approached firstly by listening to the client’s needs, then establishing a strategy and finally a solution which would deliver the required results on time, whilst remaining within the given budget.
The Solution
Curtis provided various pieces of bespoke furniture which were used to solve the problem of the smaller sized rooms. Pale colours were used to make the rooms appear larger, floating bedsides provided more floor space, curved desks saved space whilst providing a functioning workspace and mirrored wardrobes which had sliding doors were used to prevent pinch points. The project took 8 weeks from the first site visit to delivery.
The client’s problem was solved, and the Heythrop Park team were proud to open their doors and a new chapter for the property as well as the hotel it shelters.
Curtis Furniture are 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.
The Grand Atrium is the heart of Iona, a lively focal point that encapsulates the spirit of the ship, with spectacular views and natural light. This special space is designed to ‘draw the outside in’ and, accordingly, Jestico + Whiles has made the sea the hero of the space, allowing guests to connect with the seascape around them.
Despite the challenge of such a large space, we have worked closely with P&O Cruises to make the Grand Atrium harmonious with the separate venues
The Grand Atrium is a key entertainment space on board Iona and the sea will provide an ever changing backdrop to a wide variety of experiences. From morning coffee as the sun rises, to evening drinks as it sets, the Grand Atrium will be buzzing with light and life. And as day moves into night there will be a seamless transition as Jestico + Whiles employ the most modern lighting techniques to create a warm and intimate atmosphere.
Image caption: P&O Cruises – Iona – Atrium at night
“Despite the challenge of such a large space, we have worked closely with P&O Cruises to make the Grand Atrium harmonious with the separate venues, making the space both open and intimate,” explained Jestico + Whiles’ Director, James Dilley. “The refocusing of the guest experiences on the sea is the heart of an entirely new brief. The sea becomes the focus of the triple-height space; the sinuous curves are shaped around it, framing and complementing the views to the outside.”
We’ve set out to make sure the sea is the star on Iona
An elegant, arcing staircase of Italian marble with a polished, filigree silver balustrade serves as the centrepiece to the space, evoking the glamour of the iconic cruise ships of the 20th century. Designed as a piece of sculptural architecture, its curving form guides guests on a journey through the decks offering changing views and perspectives of the sea and activity within, encouraging everyone to explore the variety of destinations on board.
“We’ve set out to make sure the sea is the star on Iona, and the design of the Grand Atrium tells you so much about how special she is going to be,” said P&O Cruises senior vice president, Paul Ludlow. “Balancing intimate spaces with larger social areas, guests will be wowed by the three storey high glass walls and the ever changing view they reveal. From the moment they step onto the staircase, I know guests will be swept away by the beautiful design.”
Image caption: P&O Cruises – Iona’s Gastro Pub
Jestico + Whiles has designed P&O Cruises first ever ‘gastro pub’ – The Keel and Cow – on Deck 8, with views over the Grand Atrium and the ocean. The Glass House on Deck 7 will include an impressive wine list and menu curated by award-winning wine expert Olly Smith, wines from around the world are served by the glass. Wine connoisseurs will be well taken care of with a new experience, Cellar Door at the Glass House will offer wine talks, tastings and wine-pairing dinners. Guests can relax with unbeatable views as they watch impromptu aerial and circus performances in the three storey high space.
On Deck 6 at the Vistas Cafe Bar there is a selection of treats from P&O Cruises Food Hero and master pâtissier Eric Lanlard. The nearby Emerald Bar will offer a stylish living-room feel, with premium cocktails and the buzz of a Covent Garden venue.
Iona, which will include interior design by Richmond International, is currently being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and will be launched in May 2020. When she enters service, she will hold 5,200 passengers and be the largest cruise ship for the British market.
Hamilton Litestat, which this year is celebrating 50 years since the company’s incorporation, sadly announces the death of its founder, Rod Hamilton at the age of 90, following a stroke.
Rod started as a commission agent selling electric shavers, smoothing irons and electric fires. A request to try selling a new piece of technology called a dimmer, when the first question was “what’s a dimmer”, led him into the field of switches, sockets and lighting controls with an ever-expanding choice of plate designs and finishes. For many years these came from the Italian firm, Frascio; a close relationship that built the fortunes of both companies.
From an initial base in the west of London he took the big step of moving the company to Mere in Wiltshire in 1984. This allowed expansion to serve not only the national market but also international demand and to build a brand known and respected for quality and choice. Gradually the need for a wider skill base led to a factory being established in Bristol where the bulk of the operation is now based.
Rod was still going into the firm at the age of 86, although much of the day to day running had moved into the hands of his son, Ian. Right to the end he would ask Ian, how’s business going?
Known as a tough businessman with native acumen, he, nevertheless, was also gregarious and generous, hospitable and humorous. One hell of a character, whose passing leaves a big gap in hotel design.
IHG UNVEILS DEBUT LOCATIONS FOR KIMPTON® AND VOCO™ BRANDS IN THE UK…
IHG has become the UK’s leading luxury hotel operator after a series of shifts and openings. The hotel group has confirmed the UK debut locations for its boutique brand Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants and its recently launched upscale brand, voco™ Hotels. This move follows the announcement made in May of an agreement with Covivio (formerly Foncière des Régions), to rebrand and operate 12 high-quality open hotels in the UK and one pipeline hotel. Nine of the hotels join IHG’s brand portfolio today, making IHG the UK’s leading luxury hotel operator. The remaining three open hotels are anticipated to be added in the coming weeks.
“I am delighted to be able to confirm the UK debut locations for Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants and our new upscale brand, voco™ Hotels,” said Kenneth Macpherson, Chief Executive Officer, EMEAA, IHG. “By launching these brands in prime city centre and destination locations around the country we will give our guests even greater choice. The expansion of our global footprint in high-growth luxury and upscale segments is gaining momentum, with IHG now the leading luxury operator in the UK.”
Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants
IHG will launch its leading luxury boutique brand Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in the UK in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Renowned for their innovative and playful design and personal approach to guest service, the Kimpton hotels will each be in prime UK city-centre locations:
London’s most literary neighbourhood, Bloomsbury, will become home to the capital’s first Kimpton Hotel later this year. Located in Russell Square, the iconic building and currently The Principal London, originally opened in 1898.
Manchester is set to open its first Kimpton Hotel in 2019. Currently The Principal Manchester, the hotel occupies the corners of Oxford Street and Whitworth Street, across three buildings dating back to the turn of the last century.
The Principal Edinburgh Charlotte Square, originally built in 1791, overlooks one of the city’s prettiest garden squares, and is set to become a Kimpton Hotel next year.
In Glasgow, The Principal Blythswood Square Hotel, home of the former Royal Scottish Automobile Association, will operate under the Kimpton brand in 2019.
This marks an important milestone in IHG’s plans to take the Kimpton brand global. It follows the signing of the first Kimpton in Japan, in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, last week as well as the signing of three properties in prime markets in South East Asia and Greater China last year. It also adds to Kimpton’s expansion in Europe, with the opening of Kimpton® De Witt Amsterdam in 2017, the signing of Kimpton Paris, due to open in 2020 and Kimpton Frankfurt, due to open in 2023.
voco™ Hotels
The recently launched upscale brand voco™ Hotels will be making its UK debut in Cardiff. Overlooking Cardiff Bay, The Principal St. David’s Hotel, will take on the voco brand later this year. It is expected that further voco Hotels will be coming to the UK soon, each will keep their individuality but with the reassurance of a global brand.
InterContinental® returns to Edinburgh
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the largest luxury hotel brand in the world, will be returning to the historical Principal Edinburgh George Street. The property will be re-branded as an InterContinental by late next year.
Hotel Indigo®
Leeds will debut the vibrant and stylish Hotel Indigo brand in 2020. Every aspect of the property, currently the Principal Met Leeds Hotels, will be inspired by stories of the local area – from intriguing design to distinctive local ingredients in its menus.
The Principal York, will be rebranded at a later stage; and the well-known De Vere Wotton House hotel, near Dorking Surrey, will capitalise on its strong name, operating unbranded as Wotton House.
The Principal Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow; De Vere Oxford Thames and The Principal Oxford Spires Hotel are expected to join IHG’s portfolio in Q3, 2018.
The plan for the new Faloria Mountain Spa Resort, historical glamorous hotel based in Cortina, has finally been unveiled…
A new design hotel in the Dolomites, the Faloria Mountain Spa Resort, is said to set a new standard in mountain luxury hotels. The project, signed by the architect Flaviano Capriotti, upgrades the resort to the highest hospitality standards, achieving the fifth star and presenting a new hospitality model: at crossroads between local tradition, innovation and comfort.
Capriotti has developed an aesthetical language harmonised with the surrounding landscape
The opening is scheduled for December 2018. The project comprises not only the aesthetic and functional refurbishment of the existing building, but also a generous expansion, through the construction of a brand new central body, which recall the typical style of the Dolomites.
Capriotti has developed an aesthetical language harmonised with the surrounding landscape, revisiting it with a contemporary touch. The renovation of the existing hotel aims to the highest international luxury standards to establish itself as the standard of excellence in hospitality for the Alps overall.
The guests checking in to the new Faloria Mountain Spa Resort will be embraced in a perceptive path of the natural identity of the area, relishing a unique environment that offers the most advanced technologies for a functional comfort and unique atmosphere.
The project includes a new lounge area with Bar and a maiolica tiled stove, inspired to those of the traditional houses in the Dolomites, where the upholstered furniture – which is all custom designed – is covered with warm wool, typical of the mountains. A large “opus incertum” Dolomia stone wall separates the Lounge area from the Bistrot, which is a cozy and quiet space that accommodates up to 40 people, welcoming guests from breakfast to dinner.
Woven wicker panels screen the light and create an elegant and refined atmosphere
The chosen materials are Dolomia stone and larch, the padded furniture is made of wool and the chairs are typical, redesigned however with a contemporary accent. The Restaurant, which accommodates 70 people, is the heart of the renewed relationship between building and background, being bounded by a glazed pavilion with scenic views of the mountain Croda da Lago on one side and the iconic 1956 Olympic ski jump on the other.
The original vintage larch coffered ceiling is restored. Woven wicker panels screen the light and create an elegant and refined atmosphere. The restaurant is completed by the “Stube”, the center of the traditional house in Ampezzo, built with antique woodwork and a large table that can accommodate 10 guests.
Guestrooms
The new rooms – split in Classic Room, Suite, Comfort Suite, King Deluxe, Suite King – have all been designed by Capriotti, that selected a chromatic palette and materials where brushed larch, wool and Dolomia stone are the common threads to achieve the highest comfort and practicality.
The spaces are rich of details specifically designed to greet and receive without standing out, maintaining a delicate domestic flavor thanks to details such as the flooring and the wall cladding made of brushed larch and the padded wool bed headboards that are designed with botanical drawings of the local alpine flora. The wardrobes are designed in two parts for a comfortable use in couple, dedicating the central area to the make-up.
The SPA
The cornerstone for the new hotel concept is the redefinition of the SPA and Wellness area, around which a new sensorial and emotional experience was created, devoted to touching every level of perception: visual, tactile, olfactory and emotional. The SPA is designed with a selection of natural materials from the Ampezzo valley: the larch wood from the forest, the Dolomia stone from the mountains and the green from the water of lakes.
Covering over 1000 sqm in size, where the guest can experience the sensorial path of the sauna, ice fountain, pool, calidarium and vitality pool. The internal swimming pool is unique for its size and features across the whole Alpine area: beautifully designed and coloured, 25 meter long with three lanes, suitable for every need, even for professional swimmers. There is a large skylight on the ceiling and a large glazing wall with bronze profiles, from which one can enjoy the view of the Mount Faloria and access the outdoor garden and the outside area of the vitality pool, which being heated can also be used in winter and under the snow. The vitality pool stretches also in the inside of the building, comprising of an area appositely designed for silence and relax.
The new Telegraph Hotel, which will be operated by Bespoke Hotels, will retain much of its original features…
Bespoke Hotels, which manages 9,500 hotel rooms in 21 countries from Australia to America, has reached an agreement with Developers Complex Development Projects (CDP) to operate a 1950s-style boutique hotel at the former Coventry Telegraph offices.
Construction is planned to commence at the end of the year on creating 100 guestrooms, a ground floor restaurant and bar, meeting rooms, penthouse suites and a rooftop bar after planning approval was granted by Coventry City Council on July 16. Final approval from the Council is awaited for long lease extensions necessary to deliver the project.
The original features of the building, which include the panelled Board Room and Lord Iliffe’s apartment, will be retained as unique features of the building’s former life. Around 130 jobs will be created when the hotel opens which is scheduled to be ahead of Coventry being UK City of Culture in 2021.
The project is unique and we needed an operator that embraced our vision for something that will be truly Coventry
“This is an iconic building charged with much recent history of the City of Coventry with a really strong tone of voice from which we hope to deliver a rich narrative with nods to the 1950s heyday of the building and a cool contemporary twist,” said Chairman of Bespoke Hotels, Robin Sheppard, who founded the business with Haydn Fentum. “This will be a destination hotel with tons of character and a cheeky smile.”
A perfect example of this is Hotel Gotham which is a five-star hotel that was named World’s Best New Hotel and Coolest Boutique Hotel following its opening in 2015 because of its attention to detail ranging from its art deco design to providing a luxury chauffeur service.
Image caption: Interiors of Hotel Gotham
“The project is unique and we needed an operator that embraced our vision for something that will be truly Coventry,” said Ian Harrabin, Managing Director of CDP. “We took advice from national hotel experts and Bespoke was our first choice of partner. We have been working with them for the past six months on the detail of the project and are happy that they share our enthusiasm for Coventry and recognise the opportunity of this unique building. We want to create a style of hotel that is not offered anywhere else in the area – a style that is truly bespoke. Their experienced team bring out the heart and soul of hotels with their professionalism, experience, flair and individuality.”
Partnered with CDP’s track record of delivering creative developments that break the conventional mould such as FarGo Village and Electric Wharf, the new Telegraph Hotel is siad to be be unlike any other.
Harrabin continues: “We want to give the city an hotel that Coventry can be proud of and provide a focus for the City of Culture status that has been bestowed for 2021. We have been delighted to have received such strong support from all local stakeholders, not least within the council and are determined to create something special with our chosen award-winning hotel operators.”
The project is supported by West Midlands Combined Authority through the Collective Investment Fund managed by Finance Birmingham. Designers and Architects that will be working on the project are yet to be confirmed.
Global boutique luxury brand Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants from IHG to continue European expansion with first hotel in Germany, Kimpton Frankfurt slated to open in 2023…
InterContinental Hotels Group® (IHG®), has announced its rapidly expansion of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand by unveiling plans to launch the brand in Germany in 2023 with the opening of Kimpton Frankfurt.
Set in a listed building of Junghofstrasse in Frankfurt’s city centre, the luxury boutique hotel will feature 155 guestrooms, two large meeting rooms and an onsite gym. In addition to the hotel’s signature restaurant, there are also plans for a sky-bar and restaurant on the roof terrace, where guests will be able to enjoy an unrivalled skyline view of the city. The classic ’50s lobby will serve as the main entrance to the hotel.
Kimpton Frankfurt is part of Frankfurt’s most pioneering development project; FOUR Frankfurt
“Being one of Europe’s largest financial hubs, Frankfurt is a key location for us and this signing is a great milestone in Kimpton’s European expansion,” said Kenneth Macpherson, CEO of Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa (EMEAA) at IHG. “We’re proud to partner with Groß & Partner to bring the brand to Germany, where IHG is growing at pace. Guests staying at Kimpton Frankfurt can expect Kimpton’s signature bold and playful design, luxury, personalised service and truly local feel.”
Kimpton Frankfurt is part of Frankfurt’s most pioneering development project; FOUR Frankfurt, which is led by highly-regarded developer Groß & Partner. FOUR Frankfurt is a unique high-rise in the middle of the central banking district which features office, residential and retail space in a prime city centre location. The mixed-use project, which highlights innovative and sustainable design by UNStudio architects, will be home to 5,000 people for both business and residential purposes.
“Frankfurt can look forward to a new, international hotel brand in a class of its own,” said Nikolaus Bieber, Managing Director of Groß & Partner. “With the signing of Kimpton Frankfurt, the FOUR Frankfurt receives another point of attraction that will enrich and upgrade the downtown area. Kimpton Frankfurt in Junghofstraße will be a special experience, not only for hotel guests enjoying the city skyline but also for local restaurant and bar visitors.”
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was acquired by IHG in 2015. The luxury boutique brand currently operates 66 hotels and 80 restaurants, bars and lounges in the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe[1]. Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam was the first Kimpton property to open outside of the Americas in May 2017. Continuing the brand’s expansion in key cities across Europe, IHG has announced plans to debut the brand in the UK and open Kimpton Paris in 2020, with more European signings in the pipeline. This announcement continues Kimpton’s international expansion to new global markets in every IHG operating region, with additional hotels underway in Tokyo, Taipei, Bali, Shanghai and Sanya,
The anticipated opening of Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, designed by the award-winning André Fu is said to evolve the hotel landscape in Southeast Asia…
The end of August will see the opening of what is said to be Asia’s most anticipated hotel openings of 2018. The grand Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok, meticulously designed by, André Fu, from AFSO who was named Designer of the Year for Maison & Objet Asia in 2016, captures the brand’s iconic image in the vibrant Thai capital.
All areas of thew hotel will open to reflect the artistry and craftsmanship of Fu and his design studio
In tribute to the owners of the property, Magnolia Finest Corporation Limited, the building, which is perched near the city’s Royal Bangkok Sports Club and Ratchaprasong Intersection, has been designed to give the effect of springing from the ground like a Magnolia flower. Towering above the city, the dazzling sculptural appearance of the property cuts a dramatic profile in the skyline of Bangkok, in the heart of the bustling Ratchaprasong intersection.
Image credit: Waldrof Astoria Bangkok
The hotel will boast 171 spacious guestrooms and suites, which start at 50 square metres, offer more space than the average hotel room size and are designed to as ‘home-from homes’. All areas of thew hotel will open to reflect the artistry and craftsmanship of Fu and his design studio. Globally recognised for high-profile luxury fashion and retail projects, such as his recent work with luxury brand Louis Vuitton, the studio has been involved in curating an holistic hotel experience that brings together the building’s contemporary architecture with Thai artisanal tradition.
The hotel, which stands as a milestone for the Hilton brand as it will be Southeast Asia’s first Waldorf Astoria, is expected to become the new skyline gem of Bangkok, and promises to live up to high expectations of locals and diserning travellers.
On the September 16 – 19, Decorex International will shelter the best of Portuguese furniture, lighting and objets d’art..
Associate Design will present a fine selection of luxury and contemporary Portuguese design at Decorex International 2018 . With its motto ‘a space for beauty to flourish’, Decorex provides the ideal platform on which to showcase some of Portugal’s best design and innovation. Portugal is a country with a proud history of craft and manufacturing: today, its skilled artisans draw on that history, with a wealth of highly original designs that capture Portugal’s creative verve.
Recognising the importance of promoting Portuguese design on a world stage, Associate Design was established by the Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries (AIMMP). Associate Design works to exhibit the best of Portugal at some of the most discerning and distinguished international design shows. At Decorex International 2018, expect to find an eye-catching collection of Portuguese furniture, lighting and objets d’art, featuring a cleverly curated mix of playful, novel, deluxe and aesthetic pieces. Focusing on hotels, offices and retail, the Associate Design showcase will demonstrate Portugal’s burgeoning design relationship with the luxury contract market.
Portugal is a country with a proud history of craft and manufacturing
Brands and products at Associative Design’s Decorex International 2018 Showcase Portuguese brand Bateye was founded in 2011 by architect Marco Sousa. Creating furniture that represents a ‘convergence between art and the city’, Bat eye’s goal is to make passionate pieces that provoke, stimulate and seduce. The brand will present decorative furnishings from its London collection, inspired by the grandeur of the city’s palaces and parks. Pieces include the new Divinity mirror, a design inspired by the gates at the Palace of Westminster, and the Golden Lake tables, a reference to the nature found in London’s Hyde Park.
Corque Design combines sustainability and originality to produce well-designed objects using cork, one of Portugal’s greatest natural resources. Corque Design’s Cellula bookcase, a playful interpretation of cork’s microscopic cellular structure, is a clever modular storage system comprising six construction pieces.
Image caption: A series of Corque Design products
Starting out as a family-owned wood workshop in the early 1970s, Defontes was established in 1989 and today works across the interior design, automotive, nautical and aviation sectors. Skilfully making products from a selection of exquisite materials, De Fontes created its Royal Club range. The brand will present Fugu, a sharp dining table (named after the Japanese pufferfish) with an explosive atomic-nucleus-style base, and Tulip, a simple, elegant lamp inspired by the flower of the same name.
With the motto ‘design to die for’, Duquesa & Malvada is a luxury Portuguese brand creating designs that reflect a refined urban sensibility. The brand will present a number of deluxe pieces, including the elegant Kate bar stool (inspired by the Duchess of Cambridge), the bold Marble side table, the decorative Minerva sideboard, the sumptuous Desire sofa and the petite Anne stool (inspired by Anne Boleyn).
Image credit: Duquesa & Malvada
Creative studio Emotional Brands champions a select group of six young, high-end Portuguese design brands, each combining personality, design vision, innovation and artisanship. The brands—Creative Mary, Emotional Projects, Malabar, Ottiu, Porus Studio and Wood Tailors Club—will present contemporary pieces from their respective collections.
The NUUK sideboard is a well-made piece that showcases MBN Tailor’s use of beautiful materials
Portugal-based Green Apple is a luxury brand exporting made in Portugal design throughout the world. Creating and manufacturing furnishings and lighting for the residential and hotel sectors, Green Apple’s extensive collection mixes ornate, graphic and contemporary styles.
Founded in 1980, furniture manufacturer MBN Tailor applies traditional knowledge, a creative mindset and a fastidious sprinkling of extravagance and exquisite detailing, to its eclectic range of products. The NUUK sideboard, designed by Hugo Pereira, is a well-made piece that showcases MBN Tailor’s use of beautiful materials and its meticulous level of craftsmanship.
Muranti is a Portuguese furniture brand whose work seeks to create a balance between the mind and the heart. Its luxury pieces seek to add colour, style and elegance to both modern and exclusive home interiors. Muranti will present its Onyx sideboard, Csarite cabinet and Pyrite wall lamp. The striking and opulent Onyx and Csarite designs are wonderfully visual characterisations of their respective gemstone-inspired names. In contrast, the more restrained Pyrite lamp has a classically retro shape.
Image caption: Onyx by Muranti
Nauu Design was created in the Portuguese port town of Setúbal. Producing luxury and bespoke furniture, Nauu Design’s distinctive collection is imbued with personality, elegance and passion. The Empire wall mirror is a reflection of the golden days of ancient civilisations and is made using wood covered with shiny copper leaf. The A Duquesa sofa recalls the classic Chesterfield sofa, but adds a certain Portuguese flair with Portuguese tiles applied to the base.
Hailing from Oiã in Portugal, OIA was born in 2017. A modern-day brand, its products combine traditional stone craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. OIA creates designs that are functional and that emphasise the need for emotion and identity. The brand will present: Cosmos, a range of stone laminated side and coffee tables inspired by a sense of weightlessness; Kandinsky, a series of geometric side tables inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian pioneer of abstract modern art; and Orbiter, a marble-topped dining table whose base is made up of a repeated series of metal strips.
Created in Lisbon, Se7e symbolises the city on seven hills. Its handmade Berço chair is a cradle-like rocking chair designed for children and adults alike. Personalised for each individual customer, Berço is numbered with a serial number and the production year.
Portuguese brand That Place was established in 2004. Since then, it has explored the concepts of fluidity, simplicity and functionality in both interior and exterior design. Its Pendant Globes by Liga Narciso draw inspiration from jewellery design—they express a certain sensuality and add both harmony and beauty to a space.
Hotel Designs is a recognised media partner for Decorex International 2018. To register for the show, click here.
The new Carmen collection from Roca speaks to the past as well as the future. Its beautiful nostalgic design is based on a classic Roca collection from the 1940s and has been launched to celebrate the company’s centenary.
“Over the last few years, the trend for vintage and classical design has continued to grow,” comments Alan Dodds, Managing Director of Roca UK. “From the research we have conducted, vintage means more than just antiques, it is about classic and timeless design that is still relevant today. That is why we have introduced Carmen, it is a collection that is routed in the past but has all the attributes to complement a modern bathroom.”
Carmen may be vintage looking in design, but it features the latest in technology and material innovations. For example, the WC is rimless for greater hygiene and easier cleaning as well as being fitted with a water distributor that provides an improved flushing performance. The seat cover has been manufactured with SUPRALIT®, a new exclusive resin registered by Roca. This is more durable (offering greater resistance to chemical agents and to discolouration), more hygienic (four times less porous material) and easier to clean (surface with soft and rounded angles).
The collection includes a close coupled WC, basin and pedestal, with a complementary furniture range and mirror also available.
Roca has also developed a range of Carmen brassware to complete the product family. Just like the bathroom suite, the brassware has an authentic period design whilst incorporating innovative technology. The Carmen brassware collection features the latest generation of flow limiters that guarantee a 5l/m flow, regardless of the system pressure. As well as its ceramic disc operation, the Carmen taps has the Roca Evershine electroplating process applied for anticorrosion, lifetime brightness and anti-scratching.
Along with its authentic Roca design and the latest innovations built into the ceramics and furniture, Carmen gives real value for money.
The extensive refurbishment in Tivoli Lagos, lead by interior designer Sofia Sardo, represents an investment of £4.1 million and is the latest step in Tivoli Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to invest in its portfolio…
Tivoli Lagos Algarve Hotel has reopened its doors as an upscale property blending contemporary flair with the best of southern Portuguese culture after a five-month renovation.
The iconic property, which was one of the first hotels to be built in Lagos, sits in an excellent position in the village. Tivoli Lagos has benefitted from an ambitious refurbishment, where acclaimed Portuguese interior designer Sofia Sardo has combined modern Algarvian characteristics with traditional Moorish influences, providing a timeless aesthetic inspired by the hotel’s coastal scenery that is sure to provide greater comfort and relaxation to guests.
Now offering four restaurants and a bar, the hotel will become a gastronomy highlight for the town
The hotel’s 205 guestrooms and suites, which are spread across seven buildings, have been redecorated in refreshing seaside motifs and soft colours. Diverse room categories include Premier, Premier Family and Suites, as well as spacious Family Rooms with queen or twin beds, an optional sofa bed, and separate living area, guaranteeing comfort for larger groups. Private balconies and patios offer views of the swimming pool, manicured Mediterranean gardens, the sea and the town. The property still enjoys the same convenient location, with Lagos’ historic centre, the marina and the white-sand beach Meia Praia all close by.
Now offering four restaurants and a bar, the hotel will become a gastronomy highlight for the town. In addition, Duna Beach Club, which is operated by Tivoli Lagos on Meia Praia just four kilometres away, offers excellent international and Portuguese light dining on the beach. The perfect atmosphere for socialising includes a sunny terrace and beautiful waterfront views.
“We are proud to reopen the hotel after these comprehensive renovations, adapted to excelling and meeting the demands of today’s discerning guests. This project reinforces the dedication of Tivoli Hotels & Resorts to continue setting the highest standard of service on an international level, particularly in the competitive Algarve market,” says João Jesus, Area Director of Sales & Marketing for the Algarve region.
Friendly welcoming staff and the new modern touches, in addition to the same spectacular Algarve setting as before, ensures that the Tivoli Lagos is an oasis of serenity for holiday and business travellers alike.
Nestled behind vibrant streets, where thousands of Gap-Year backpackers find shelter in cheap hostels, rises a luxury hotel with personality, style and unmatched ocean views. Editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to the Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay to see for himself how opposites in South East Asia can attract after all…
Perched on a hilltop facing south, with Phuket’s Patong Beach to the left, Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay’s location was certainly not compromised when local architect Rachapuk Sungkhaphunt from Greenity Co. Ltd designed the foundations of what was said to be ‘a new kind of luxury’ away from the wild, bustling and polluted streets behind Patong Beach.
Image caption: Exterior of the hotel
Opened in December 2016, the hotel offers 214 elegantly appointed guestrooms and private villas as well as large public areas throughout. The hotel’s structure was thoughtfully designed using the natural landscape as a tool to stagger the individual blocks so that from all corners of the hotel, guests can marvel over the sweeping ocean vistas that extend over the Andaman Sea.
Image caption: The hotel has been designed to capture striking views of the A Sea
Approachable by design, simplicity, minimalism and copious amount of space, interior designer Voravee Puranasamriddhi from Bangkok-based firm 1328 Pt Ltd led the interiors throughout the hotel. Vast emptiness and unused space captured my first impressions of the public areas. That’s because at first there is little to see, as the finest areas are rightfully to be enjoyed by guests only, and clearly detached from the loud streets across the bay.
Tall floor-to-ceiling glass doors open into a refined, elegant space
Designed to reflect more of a terminal than a lobby, the first building guests walk into when checking in on the ground floor is bare and offers just enough facilities for a member of staff to tick you off the list and direct you on. It shelters a constant flow of traffic and once guests have been filtered through this system they are picked up by a car and driven to the main lobby, which is situated three floors above the first terminal.
Unlike the main entrance, the lobby is striking with a strong, solid check-in desk sat in the middle of a modern, light and airy room. Tall floor-to-ceiling glass doors open into a refined and elegant space, while intricate wallcoverings, designed to replicate corral, burst with personality. The furniture is simple yet comfortable with under-seat lighting reflecting off the ceramic flooring.
Image caption: Lobby area
All guestrooms and suites are Asian-inspired with a modern touch. Wooden floors, warm colours and floor-to-ceiling windows create a blissful sanctuary allowing guests to unwind and take in the jaw-dropping views.
A control panel next to the large bed allows guests to personalise the ambiance to suit every mood
Offering by far, though, the most luxurious experience is the Luxury Private Pool Villa Panoramic Ocean View, which sit in the middle of the complex. Designed to blend Asian decor with Western, modern, spacious living – complete with a private infinity pool and decking – the abode allows you to enjoy the panoramic vistas of the bay from a premium perspective – whether that be on the balcony or on the edge of your own infinity pool, accessible from the decking, the living room and the large bathroom.
Image caption: Luxury Private Pool Villa Panoramic Ocean View
Each of the resort’s 152 pool villas, the most in the Kalim-Patong area, feature a private outdoor sundeck and a six- or nine-metre infinity pools overlooking the ocean, providing guests checking in with privacy and seclusion as well as ultimate comfort and relaxation.
The lighting in the room is tasteful and well-designed. A control panel next to the large bed allows guests to personalise the ambiance to suit every mood. In addition to spotlight lighting, two pendants hang from the ceiling either side of the large bed. This, I believe, adds another dimension to the minimalist setup.
The bathrooms are large and again offer unmatched views through floor-to-ceiling windows that open completely so that the panoramic view is never sacrificed. A large twin tub sits above the infinity pool. Next to it is the walk-in rainfall shower. Above the large twin sink is an oversized mirror that reflects a spacious home-away-from-home feel.
Image caption: Outside seating area at L’atitude 98 restaurant
Dining at Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay has been designed to capture a multisensorial experience with two restaurants serving authentic Thai cuisine and international favourites amidst breathtaking sea views.
What I respect most about this hotel is that it may be a stones throw away from provocative streets of Patong Beach, but it is worlds away from the ‘in your face’ attitude that’s evident across the bay.
Taking Chinese hotel design to new heights, the Hyatt Regency Zhenijang opens 318 well-appointed rooms…
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has recently opened Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang in East China’s Jiangsu province. Set atop the East Tower of Suning Plaza, the tallest skyscraper in Zhenjiang, the 318-room Hyatt Regency hotel is set to provide travelers and locals alike with a fresh perspective of the city by providing an energizing place to connect with the very best of Zhenjiang.
“We are very excited to unveil Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang and further expand our Hyatt Regency brand presence in the fast-growing Yangtze River Delta region. We are very grateful for the continuous support and trust of the hotel’s owner, the Suning Group, endowing Hyatt with another amazing hotel in Jiangsu province,” said Stephen Ho, President, Greater China, Global Operations for Hyatt. “China continues to see strong development momentum due to the increase in business and leisure travel. With the upscale offerings and energizing spaces that the Hyatt Regency brand is known for, we hope Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang will provide our guests with a seamless experience that connects them to who and what matters most when visiting Zhenjiang.”
Located at the heart of the Da Shi Kou central business district, Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang is conveniently accessible to shopping, entertainment venues and famous tourism sites, including Xijindu Ancient Street, Beigushan Park, Zhenjiang China Vinegar Culture Museum and Nanshan Scenic Area. The hotel is just 12 minutes from Zhenjiang Railway Station, 90 minutes from Nanjing Lukou International Airport and a 30-minute drive to the neighboring city of Yangzhou via Runyang Bridge.
The chic interiors of Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang tell a story of the charm of Wu culture
Zhenjiang, sitting at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, is a wellspring of history, culture and cuisine. While the monumental Yangtze River and statuesque Beigu Mountain represent the traditional side of Zhenjiang, the city is set for a vibrant future with its contemporary offerings and fast-growing developments.
“We are very excited to welcome guests and the local community to our new hotel,” said General Manager Irwin Bao. “With a prime location, fantastic views, premier meeting facilities and intuitive service, we are confident that Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang will provide one-stop convenience to guests during their travels.”
The chic interiors of Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang tell a story of the charm of Wu culture, imbued with soothing natural elements reflecting the river, water, tower, and forests. Starting at the artistic lobby on the 57th floor, the hotel features two sky-high restaurants and lounges, dynamic event spaces, comprehensive wellbeing facilities, and a rooftop helipad.
Hyatt Regency Zhenjiang features 318 guestrooms, including 20 spacious suites, providing welcoming accommodation high above the city from the 59th to 76th floors. Stepping into each guestroom, guests are greeted with panoramic vistas of the Yangtze River or Nanshan Scenic Area through floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests can relax in style while enjoying the amazing sunsets over the Yangtze River and savvy in-room comforts, such as free Wi-Fi, a 65” SMART TV, spacious working area, and a Nespresso coffee machine in suites.
The hotel features more than 16,400 square feet (1,532 square meters) of versatile and multi-functional event spaces
World-class dining experiences await at two top-of-the-city restaurants. On the 58th floor, Xiang Yue, the hotel’s signature Chinese restaurant, serves authentic Hangzhou and Jiangsu cuisines in its ruby-hued parlor and seven private dining rooms. At Market Café on the 57th floor, seasonal dishes from East and West are freshly prepared at live chef kitchens during the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. On the same level, The Lounge serves as a great spot for a relaxed afternoon tea or cocktails with spectacular views of Zhenjiang from the highest viewing deck in the city. The Pastry Shop on the ground floor prepares gourmet cakes and breads for grab-and-go ease.
The hotel features more than 16,400 square feet (1,532 square meters) of versatile and multi-functional event spaces, which provide a jaw-dropping backdrop for different meeting and social occasions. The pillar-free 9,472-square-foot (880-square-meter) Regency Ballroom on the fifth floor can accommodate up to 900 guests for a cocktail event or 450 guests for a banquet. Seven multi-functional meeting rooms on the fifth and sixth floors, with stylish breakout spaces and advanced technology, are supported by a team of creative and professional planners to ensure seamless and personalized events.
Guests can relax and unwind with a refreshing dip in the 25 meter temperature-controlled indoor swimming pool or work out at their convenience at the 24-hour gym on the seventh floor, equipped with the latest fitness equipment and a yoga studio, both accompanied by scenic river views. The pool oasis, with natural light filtering through glass skylights and a garden courtyard, also features a whirlpool and lounge area, as well as male and female changing areas with a sauna and steam rooms.
The radiator brand Bisque saw the opportunity in 1979 to make the radiator a contemporary design product that can help to transform a space…
Founded in 1979 by Geoffrey Ward and John Gordon, Bisque kick-started the radiator revolution. The brand transformed the radiator from being thought of as a humble plumbing object to a piece of desirable design in its own right.
Its mission remains the same – to pioneer beautiful but practical radiators in the most enticing styles, colours and finishes.
Bisque prides itself on offering a wide range of finishes
It is for this reason that Bisque offers its Bespoke service. Many customers may ask for a model that is taller, shorter, wider or narrower than those offered in its standard range. Bisque’s Bespoke service offers an additional 5,000 made-to-measure sizes on a selection of its most popular options, including the Classic, Arteplano, Convector and Finn. It can even produce curved or angled options to fit perfectly into bay windows or tight corners which may otherwise lay unused.
Furthermore, Bisque prides itself on offering a wide range of finishes – many models are available to order in over 2000 RAL and NCS colours – but customers can also take advantage of its unique colour match service. This offers the potential to find an exact partner to a range of paint shades, including popular brands such as Farrow & Ball and Little Greene, as well as printed wallpapers and kitchen cabinets. Bisque is continually testing and exploring new finishes, ensuring it remains one step ahead at all times and offers its customers an unrivalled choice. three consecutive years, alongside iconic names such as Aston Martin, Alexander McQueen, Liberty and Apple, having been independently selected based on the criteria of style, desirability, authenticity, uniqueness, originality and innovation.
Prices available on application. Please contact the Bisque team to make an enquiry.
Bisque are 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.
Hotels looking to create a distinctive look in their guest bathrooms can now create a standout statement feature with the new Alderley mock croc leather effect bath…
With a growing demand from hotel customers for Instagram-worthy guestrooms and facilities, bathroom designs have never been more important. Featuring a mock croc exterior, Alderley by Heritage Bathrooms comes in a sumptuous brown hue inspired by the latest trends. Perfect for adding ‘feel appeal’, Alderley fuses dramatic styling with a textured finish to create a stunning product that allows hoteliers to give edgy unique design pieces to their customers.
Like all freestanding baths in Heritage’s collection, the Alderley works beautifully with other products in the portfolio, including Heritage’s range of chrome accessories which Heritage has styled it with. Showcasing its versatility alongside the current product range, Heritage has paired the bath with the Cabot Heated Towel Rail, Claverton basin and boutique Abingdon Washstand in glossy metallic chrome to showcase the versatile and extensive design possibilities.
Heritage Bathrooms’ Specification Manager Sophie Taylor comments: “As we know statement baths are seen as the epitome of luxury bathroom design and the Alderley is perfectly suited to specifiers looking to design an unforgettable commercial space for guests.
“The Alderley is another product borne out of the in-house design team and annual trends panels we hold here at Heritage, so we’re excited to see the product brought to life, not only boasting a visually stunning finish, but a high quality one too that has undergone rigorous testing to ensure that it will stand the test of time.”
The distinctive mock croc leather effect finish is applied using a white fibre base with leather-effect texture, applied to the standard acrylic bath shape. Ensuring a high quality finish, the surface is then painted and sealed with a lacquer to protect the design from water and daily wear and tear. With a lifetime guarantee the Alderley is protected from high usage making it the ideal addition for a touch of boutique luxury.
“Our distinctively individual brand positioning, our stand-out range of freestanding baths and iconic products like our console basins and high level WCs, plus our commitment to quality makes us the perfect brand partner for anyone looking to specify bathrooms in unique and boutique properties,” said Marketing Manager for Heritage, Claire Jennings.
Heritage Bathrooms are 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.
The leading events company, Forum Events Ltd, has added Catering Equipment & Services and Hospitality Tech & Innovation to its rowing portfolio…
Following the growing demand in innovation around catering and technology in the international hospitality market, the parent company of Hotel Designs, Forum Events Ltd, has launched two new industry events to its annual calendar.
Catering Equipment & Services and Hospitality Tech & Innovation will take place on March 25 – 26, 2019 at Whittlebury Hall, Northampton, England, with the aim to bring together professionals and suppliers in both the catering and technology market.
98 per cent of those who have attended our events say that they are a better way to find new suppliers than a traditional trade show
Both events will comprise of separate one-to-one business meetings, interactive seminars and valuable networking opportunities. The dedicated team at Forum Events Ltd will organise personalised appointments for the professionals and suppliers attending. Each supplier will have a series of 25-minute pre-arranged meetings with key decision makers throughout the two days, over lunch and during our networking gala dinner on day one.
“98 per cent of those who have attended our events say that they are a better way to find new suppliers than a traditional trade show and we are very proud to be ahead of the curve in launching these two highly focused networking opportunities,” said Sarah Beall, Managing Director of Forum Events Ltd. “By launching Catering Equipment & Services and Hospitality Tech & Innovation, we will help to bridge the gap between delegates and suppliers, while encouraging quality business relationships to be formed.”
Forum Events Ltd, which has recently been recognised in the top 25 SME companies for cultural leadership, hosts 27 events in total throughout the year that span across a number of industries. To find out more information, please visit the events page of the Forum Events Ltd website.
How to secure your place
There are limited spaces available for these highly targeted events.
If you are a supplier to the hospitality tech industry and would like to attend Hospitality Tech & Innovation, click here. Alternatively, please contact Craig Ross at c.ross@forumevents.co.uk, or call 01992 376726
If you are a supplier to the catering and equipment industry would like to attend Catering Equipment & Services Forum, click here. Alternatively, please contact Craig Ross at c.ross@forumevents.co.uk, or call 01992 376726
To register your interest as a delegate for Hospitality Tech & Innovation, click here. Alternatively, please contact Liam Cloona at l.cloona@forumevents.co.uk, or call 01992 374089
To register your interest as a delegate for Catering Equipment & Services Forum, click here. Alternatively, please contact Liam Cloona at l.cloona@forumevents.co.uk, or call 01992 374089
The Vancouver-based company is able to replicate any map, town or city in crisp, detailed wallpaper…
Point Two Design is a company using city planning and municipal data to create detailed wallpaper maps of any of your favourite cities. Founded in 2013 by Owen de Lancie and Emily Warkentin who studied architecture and urban planning, the company aims to put detailed wallpapers on the map of international hotel design.
Point Two Design and the team of architects, urban planners, scientists, and experts in mapping distills the data down to streets, land mass and water bodies to create highly detailed museum quality prints. This is the only company using raw GIS data and architectural tools of the trade to gather the same data that municipalities use for their urban planning – to create custom designed maps of any city or town.
No town or area is too small – Point Two Design can find it and map it down to streets an allies with technical precision. Show the person how much the memory means to you and let them be reminded of it each day with these high quality prints.
The new line of wallpaper was launched in April 2018 and each custom order receives personalised attention from PTD designers. The map wallpaper as well as satellite imagery wallpaper is available in vinyl peel and stick or classic suede wallpaper.
In addition to wallpapers, the company also prints soft furnishings, art prints and even wall clocks.
DoubleTree by Hilton Carcassonne opens a Fairy-Tale Escape in the Heart of France’s Medieval City…
France’s medieval city of Carcassonne has welcomed the country’s first DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton’s 14 market-leading brands. The property is the first DoubleTree by Hilton in France and joins nine other Hilton properties in the country.
The 88-key hotel includes 33 deluxe town-facing rooms, as well as 14 junior suites and three one-bedroom suites with private terraces overlooking the fortifed city. Conveniently located along the banks of the Aude River, DoubleTree by Hilton Carcassonne enjoys panoramic views of the fairy-tale-like town, which is accessible via the “Pont View” pedestrian bridge over the river. Guests will receive a warm welcome the moment they arrive at the hotel with a signature DoubleTree by Hilton Cookie, a symbol of the upscale hotel brand’s dedicated service and thoughtful approach to hospitality.
Resembling a scene taken out of a children’s storybook, the fortified city of Carcassonne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous worldwide for its stout walls, Gothic cathedrals, medieval castles, and beautiful vineyards. Every year, the Cité Médiévale, as the old walled town is now known, attracts more than 4 million visitors who come to experience its historic charm.
Naturally fitting into the city’s picturesque landscape with its medieval inspired design, stained glass windows, and greenery adorned exterior, the hotel boasts a prime location, just a 100-metre walk to the city and a five-kilometre drive to Carcassonne Airport.
“We are delighted to bring the DoubleTree by Hilton experience to the beautiful city of Carcassonne. Guests’ will feel right at home in the heart of one of France’s most fascinating medieval towns,” said Sandrine Kaiser, the hotel’s general manager. “From enjoying a cruise along the Canal du Midi to visiting the Languedoc vineyards, a host of experiences await guests just minutes away from the hotel. After exploring the city, guests can take comfort in our spacious rooms, enjoy town-facing views from our garden or terrace, or indulge in a relaxing spa treatment.”
Image credit: Hilton Hotels
DoubleTree by Hilton Carcassonne also offers 60m2 of stylish and naturally lit meeting space. The hotel’s beautiful garden area can also be privatised to host a memorable event with breathtaking views of the city.
DoubleTree by Hilton is a fast-growing, global portfolio of more than 525 upscale hotels with nearly 125,000 rooms across six continents. The brand offers contemporary accommodations and full-service facilities, including restaurants and lounges, room service, health clubs, business centers, and meeting and banquet spaces.
Editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn reflects on a busy week in the world of international hotel design with the top five stories…
“Manchester is a shrinking violet,” said no designer, ever! This week, we invited you up to Manchester to take part in our tried and tested networking event! The inaugural Meet Up North was a complete success in further bridging the gap between hoteliers, architects, interior designers and key-industry suppliers. If you haven’t already done so, check out our facebook page where you can see all the images from the evening.
As well as socialising in one of Manchester’s hottest hotels, I also found the time to sit down with Dimitris Manikis who is the new Managing Director of Wyndham Hotels (EMEA). Aside from having what I believe to be the coolest glasses in the industry, Manikis also has some big plans for the brand and his energetic personality, I feel, will steer him in the right direction as the brand enters a new exciting chapter.
As well as all this, contributor Michelle Tonta explained why designers should be designing with purpose…
On Wednesday, more than 200 of the industry’s leaders and visionaries from within the hotel design gathered on the terrace of King Street Townhouse in Manchester for the first ever Meet Up North. Sponsored by Marca Corona, the event, which boasted an unparalleled perspective of the Manchester sunset, welcomed hoteliers, architects, interior designers and key-industry suppliers.
I met Manikis in a quaint, tucked-away boutique hotel in Soho, London. Wearing what I believe to be the most fabulous glasses in the industry, Manikis’ beaming ear-to-ear smile led me to believe that I would click with him instantly. My first impressions of Manikis was that of surprise. Surprised that someone can remain so calm while carrying the weight of 460 hotels in more than 40 markets in the EMEA (and counting) on his shoulders. We both laughed as we compared glasses and sat down to discuss how he plans to maximise the performance of the group.
Threading together design and sustainability, textiles expert Michelle Tontaexplains why sustainable development should be on the minds of all designers when innovating new fabrics, soft furnishings and even flooring.
The interior design of the newly opened Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid seamlessly blends art, heritage and culture. The new lifestyle brand from Hyatt has entered the European market with a five-star hotel developed from a historical city landmark built in 1920’s located on the famous Gran Via.
All month, Hotel Designs is shining the spotlight on Soft Furnishings, Fabrics and Textiles. Here are some five-star examples of hotels that nailed their soft furnishings first time around…
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