Designing good lighting for hotels is about more than creating stylish products that are on trend and look the part. It’s about top quality products that provide efficient lighting and enhance the guest experience, whether through multifunctional guestroom lighting or bold public area statement pieces. Lighting really does make or break the traveller’s hotel experience, something which is illustrated by recent extensive research conducted by Osram suggesting that of 10,000 recent hotel reviews in London most guests complained about the dim, bad and sparse lighting in their rooms. Accordingly when we design either our standard lighting collection or bespoke pieces, we do so from multiple perspectives; either from that of the hotelier, the interior designer and above all else the guest.
1. Aesthetics The first thing to consider is the aesthetic of the product, does it look the part and fit in with the overall design concept? Interior designers are pushing the boundaries more than ever before, always looking to create unique interior schemes for hotels that offer something different and inevitably lighting is an essential part of that. It’s often asked whether table or floor lamps can make a difference in a guestroom or are they surplus to requirement. Well they most certainly can by adding ambient lighting and creating atmosphere in what has become an increasingly multifunctional space.
Following the latest industry trends and ultimately trying to pre-empt them is a critical part of the design process. Nobody wants to specify outdated products so we try to recognise emerging trends as early as possible and use them to inspire our collection. Take the Bullet range for example, we identified that retro styling and industrial cues were becoming big news on the interior design scene, so we designed the range based on retro styling from the 1960’s with an assortment of finish options to appeal to our international client base. To mix the wish of the guest who wants enough light and the wish of the hotelier who wants low energy costs, it had to be LED with an integral 6watt LED chipboard located behind a frosted diffuser in order to give soft light with no glare. Contract functionality means solid steel and brass construction, locking swivel joints with toothed locking key for secure arm position. The multi-swivelling head enables guests to control the position of the light whilst the weighted base houses the LED driver and ventilation holes in the head ensure that barely any warmth is emitted from the light source.
Construction works are underway on Artisan Real Estate Investors Caltongate development at East Market Street where they are building two hotels for Whitbread PLC as part of their development site in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town.This phase of the development includes a 127-room Premier Inn and a 130-room Hub by Premier Inn, Whitbread’s innovative new ‘compact’ hotel format with construction works anticipated as being completed in early in 2016.
Lawrence McPherson Associates are acting as architectural consultant on brand delivery on behalf of Whitbread for both hotels.
Stephen McGhee, Principal at Lawrence McPherson Associates said “This is an exciting development to be part of and we are particularly excited about being the first Hub by Premier Inn being constructed outside London.”
“This compact concept is innovative in its design. Not only are the rooms only 11.4sq.m with every centre metre optimised but it will be the UK’s first hotel with its own app which allows guests control their hotel experience by controlling the temperature, lighting and TV from their smart phones.”
BAGNODESIGN has recently completed the supply of a truly distinct property set deep within the Al Hajar mountain range in Oman. Alila Jabal Akhdar is surrounded by awe-inspiring views of untouched beauty and offers guests an idyllic retreat in the height of comfort and luxury.This spectacular region is the ideal location for such a unique hotel, boasting 78 suites and villas designed with earthy tones of wood and stone. BAGNODESIGN’s product portfolio perfectly complements the property’s interior which surrounds guests with just the right balance of contemporary style and the authentic flavours of Oman’s rich history and culture. The customised brassware and accessories accent the hotel’s bold yet warm hues, resulting in charming bathroom spaces – a haven of relaxation complete with modern conveniences.
Guy Wilson, Managing Director of Projects at BAGNODESIGN, commented: “We are delighted to be involved in a project of this nature. At BAGNODESIGN, we believe in investing in strategic relationships, built on trust and support, to ensure that the needs of our clients and partners, most of whom are exclusive within the markets in which we operate, surpass expectation time after time.”
Located within the main hotel building or arranged in individual clusters, the suites and villas are generously spaced out around the magnificent cliff top. This resort is the ultimate in seclusion, while at the same time, offers uninterrupted views of the dramatic gorge down below.
For more details contact BAGNODESIGN on (UK 44)020 7553 6999, or visit the website at www.bagnodesign.co.uk
St. Regis® Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., has recently announced the highly anticipated opening of The St. Regis Chengdu. Debuting exactly 110 years after the first St. Regis hotel in New York City opened its doors in 1904, The St. Regis Chengdu continues the legacy of the luxury brand thoughtfully built for a new generation of global travellers. With this opening, St. Regis reaches 33 hotels around the world.As the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China, Chengdu has evolved from an ancient city with rich cultural traditions to one known around the world as ‘the Silicon Valley of China’ – a vital hub for world commerce and home to more than 252 Fortune 500 companies. The St. Regis Chengdu, ideally located at the intersection of Chengdu’s business and luxury retail districts, and steps away from Tianfu Square and Chun Xi Road, creates a home for today’s entrepreneurial traveller with 279 luxuriously appointed guestrooms and suites artfully designed to blend the residential Art Deco style of the 1920s with traditional elements of Sichuan culture and discreet state-of-the-art technology.
In a nod to the city’s epicurean pedigree as UNESCO’s first City of Gastronomy in Asia, The St. Regis Chengdu features six distinct restaurants and lounges, including Social, a signature all-day dining restaurant; Yan Ting, a specialty Chinese restaurant featuring authentic Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine; Yun Fu, with four distinct private dining rooms on Level 27; Decanter, Chengdu’s only dedicated wine bar with an extensive selection of fine wine labels, liquors and aged cigars; Vantage XXVII, an outdoor sky bar with spectacular city skyline; and The Drawing Room, offering the signature St. Regis afternoon tea and champagne sabering ritual as well as the Chuan Mary, a spicier version of the famous St. Regis Bloody Mary cocktail, re-imagined for Chengdu with Sichuan peppercorn oil and pickled chili.
With floor-to-ceiling glass windows, The St. Regis Chengdu also provides the perfect venue for events with over 11,840 square feet of meeting spaces, accommodating both intimate social and high-level corporate gatherings with the uncompromising service for which St. Regis is known. For discerning global guests seeking an exclusive and exceptional venue to celebrate life’s memorable occasions, the Astor Ballroom is the most glamorous space for a wedding ceremony and reception.
The newest Iridium Spa®, exclusive to St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, offers a blissful experience including nine treatment rooms, sauna and steam rooms, and a modern fitness centre. Offering the latest in treatments, the tranquil spa offers customised indulgence that surpasses the discerning tastes of St. Regis guests. St. Regis is the only luxury hotel in Chengdu to offer both indoor and outdoor swimming pools for in-house guests and St. Regis Athletic Club members.
Returning to the Sleep Event for a second year, Roca will be presenting its latest bathroom innovations, all of which help those in the hotel and hospitality industry create luxurious, design-led spaces. Roca has developed a variety of market-leading solutions that ensure the hotel bathroom is comfortable for guests, while fulfilling practical requirements for hoteliers too.
Visitors to Stand 1 will be among the first to see the manufacturer’s distinctively styled Singles Open mixer tap. Simple to operate via a push-back lever on the top of the tap, a hole in the end of the spout of the mixer enables water to be delivered in a circular pattern, for the ultimate style statement in the modern hotel bathroom.
With a powerful flow rate of 6.5 litres per minute, Singles Open features Roca’s innovative SoftTurn technology, to deliver the highest levels of smoothness, comfort and precision when choosing the desired water flow and temperature levels.
Also on display will be Roca’s CleanRim The Gap WC, which can now be wall-hung to ensure ease of cleaning inside and out. Designed by Antonio Bullo, the rimless design of the CleanRim The Gap WC means there is simply nowhere for germs or bacteria to gather. Maximising on hygiene levels in the hotel bathroom, its wall-hung design also makes cleaning the outer surface of the pan and the floor beneath a much simpler task.
The In-Tank Meridian WC, the first of its kind to integrate the cistern into the pan, making it the ideal solution for compact bathroom settings, will also be on display. Featuring a transparent window in the WC bowl, the special design will help visitors visualise the built-in cistern and better understand the cutting-edge technology.
Roca will also present its latest washbasin designs, with both on-counter and under-counter models on display, demonstrating the versatility of the brand’s offering, as well as its range of brassware solutions. Shower heads and valves will feature on a dedicated display pod, while the all-important finishing touches of a bathroom’s design are also covered by the manufacturer’s range of accessories designed specifically for hotels.
See Roca on Stand 1 at the Sleep Event, from 26-27 November at the Business Design Centre, London.
The next Hotel Summit will be taking place on the 13th & 14th July at the Radisson Blu, London Stansted. The event is the perfect platform for Hoteliers and solution providers to get together for two days of networking, interactive seminars and pre agreed face to face meetings – enabling time restricted hoteliers to see what’s new in the industry and update their knowledge.Lee Jamieson – Editor, Hotel Industry Magazine will be opening the event and hosting a presentation called Positioning for Success in 2015.
The UK hotel sector exits in a disruptive market, and an increased level of disruption is expected in the long-term. How prepared is your business to capitalise on this changing market? Lee Jamieson reviews the key research and industry interviews conducted day-to-day at Hotel Industry Magazine to reveal the trends that are set to shape the hotel sector in 2015 … and beyond.
Keep checking back for updated news and speakers.
For more information if you are a hotelier looking to attend or a solution provider wishing to promote your company please contact Kate Hermans on 01992 374049 or k.hermans@forumevents.co.uk
This September, Crosswater will be exhibiting at #DesignPopUp, an exhibition which showcases emerging trends from the UK leading suppliers to the architecture and design community. In its second year, the event is being held at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, close to the Royal Mile in the heart of the city. #DesignPopUp offers its partners the opportunity to display and present their latest innovations and products through a series of private views, an evening launch, CPDs and numerous side events that will be organised over the three weeks to attract architects, designers and specifiers based in Edinburgh and surrounding areas.This year Crosswater has partnered with the exhibition, and will be showcasing the innovative Crosswater Digital range, the designer KH Zero collections from Kelly Hoppen MBE, the elegantly traditional Belgravia range, and finally not forgetting Mike Pro – created and designed especially for architects and interior designers.
The #DesignPopUp will run from 24th September – 9th October, Monday – Friday, 10:30am – 5pm. For more info visit www.designpopup.com.
IHG has recently announced a new Holiday Inn Resort hotel for Pagosa Springs, Colo. This comes on the heels of a new hotel for Gulfport, Miss. adding to the growing global Holiday Inn Resort® brand portfolio, currently at 40 properties worldwide. Additionally, the brand earlier this year celebrated an opening in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and a new hotel under construction on Jekyll Island, Ga.The Holiday Inn Resort Pagosa Springs hotel is slated to open by summer 2015, and will have 101 guest rooms including 11 suites. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains, guests can enjoy access to activities available year round such as golfing, rafting, horseback riding and ATV rides. Additionally, skiing and snowboarding activities are available nearby at Wolf Creek Ski Area – boasting more average annual snowfall than any other resort in Colorado. The largest snowmobile tour company in the area – Wolfcreek Snowmobile Tours – also operates out of the resort.
The 150-room Holiday Inn Resort Gulfport is slated to open by year end 2015 and will be the first major tenant for the beachfront Centennial Plaza development – poised to have significant economic impact and boost job creation as well as drive tourism to the area and the surrounding Gulf Islands National Seashore. The property has also been included on the National Register of Historic Places.
Leading UK shower designer and manufacturer, Roman, has introduced two new impressive Colossus Shower Enclosures to their toughened 8mm thick glass range, Lumin8. The two new additions to the Lumin8 collection are the 1700mm Colossus and the 1450mm Colossus, both will create an eye-catching feature in the bathroom. They stand at an elegant height of 1950mm with toughened 8mm thick glass, feature a bright silver frame, chrome top caps and incorporate 25mm vertical adjustment.
The Lumin8 1700mm Colossus is a direct bath replacement Enclosure, which occupies the same wall dimensions as a standard UK bath. The curvaceous nature of the Colossus means it bows out into the room to create a spacious and indulgent showering area. The Enclosure provides an effortless showering solution, with doors eliminated offering a wide and easy door less entry. It imitates a wetroom in its styling, whilst providing a more enclosed showering area, which is preferred in the UK bathroom. Due to requests from Retailers and Designers the new version can also be fitted against one wall to make awkward bathroom renovations easy.
Whilst the 1700mm is a direct bath replacement (due to the 700mm wall fixing at each end of the tray) the Lumin8 1450mm Colossus offers a luxurious curved Walk-In option in and around standard shower enclosure footprints. The curved panel ensures that the showering area is maximised at all times.
Both the 1700mm and 1450mm Colossus have their own dedicated shower trays, which provide sweeping level access with 50mm nominal height. They are manufactured at the Roman Headquarters in their Tray Plant from Roman Stone using Solid Surface Technology. The complete Lumin8 Tray range is suitable for use with power shower systems and carries away 25 litres of water per minute. These shower trays feature different finish options including a gloss or matt finish and if you would like a unique look Roman now offer original shimmer finishes in glittering black, grey or white. The Colossus can also be installed straight to floor using the Roman Wetroom Shield System, which includes everything you need to tank a room, including complete wetroom kits to make the process easy.
As with all Roman Enclosures, Wetroom Panels and Bath Screens, the new Lumin8 Colossus Shower Enclosures will be manufactured in the UK. All products also feature Roman’s pre-coated glass protection as standard, for easy cleaning and lasting clarity. They also carry Roman’s service backed Truelife Lifetime Guarantee.
David Osborne, Managing Director of Roman, commented: “We are delighted to launch two new versions of our Colossus Shower Enclosure to provide people with the option of a bath replacement enclosure or a standard footprint shower enclosure. In 2001 we were the first in the industry to offer a bath replacement enclosure and we are very proud to be introducing these new luxury versions into our 8mm collection.”
Comfortable rooms featuring cool urban design, staff wearing Converse trainers, cutting-edge Samsung technology and a great location. A visit to the new ibis Adelaide hotel!Built by the owners of the Hines Property group, ibis Adelaide is the most innovative economy hotel in Australia today.
A connected hotel This brand-new landmark hotel is attracting attention thanks to the street art by graffiti artist GhostPatrol on its walls and the cutting-edge Samsung technology available in the rooms, where guests can display their photos, videos and games on the big screen.
The Samsung Smarthub 690 Series equipment installed in the hotel’s 311 rooms gives customers access to all hotel functions, from restaurant menus to entertainment on demand and internet enabled TV apps – the ibis Adelaide is raising hotel standards with the latest in technological innovation.
In parallel, the contemporary interior designed by French design firm Atelier Archange offers a playful and functional look with rooms marrying technology, comfort and heaps of urban cool.
The innovative concept behind the hotel: to provide a high-quality product at a competitive price with everything to please business and leisure travelers. The hotel is a landmark in the economy hotel sector in Australia, promising guests an experience that is both amusing and unexpected.
A symbolic opening Ibis Adelaide is not only the first ibis hotel opened in Australia since 2008 – it is also the largest.
Development of this AUS$70-million hotel is part of the ibis family’s ambitious expansion program on the Australian continent. Two new ibis Styles hotels are already planned for Western Australia and Queensland.
Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer Simon McGrath points out that the investments made over the last three years to develop the ibis family have generated a wave of positive reactions from customers lining up to praise the new services. By way of proof: the ibis brand’s Net Promoter Score rose by 4 points in 2014 compared to 2013.
Ibis Adelaide – the 60th hotel in the Group’s economy segment in Australia- should help boost this already positive momentum.
Hilton Worldwide has recently announced the opening of Hilton Istanbul Kozyatagi, the debut of its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand on the Asian side of Istanbul. Offering magnificent views of the Marmara Sea, the upscale hotel is in a prime location within easy reach of the main tourist attractions and commercial areas either side of the Bosphorus.Design features integrated throughout the hotel pay homage to the fact that Istanbul is a melting pot of European and Asian culture. Dragon motifs and handmade lighting, as well as detailing in bedrooms, give a distinctly Asian twist to the contemporary interiors. Modernity is continued through the artwork, where in communal areas, rather than traditional paintings, textured wall art is in abundance.
The 320 guestrooms include 47 executive rooms and 23 suites, each with stylish, contemporary furnishings and modern amenities including Wi-Fi and a 42-inch HDTV. On upper floors, king or twin deluxe rooms benefit from floor-to-ceiling windows offering magnificent views of Istanbul. The property boasts a 24-hour fitness center, indoor swimming pool, spa and Hammam as well as 16 meeting rooms, including two ballrooms, a 24-hour business center and roof-top executive lounge.
The hotel’s Atrium Lounge & Bar offers a range of drinks in stylish surroundings. The rooftop Skylight Restaurant & Bar serves cocktails and contemporary international cuisine against a breathtaking backdrop; The Brasserie serves high-end Asian and international cuisine. The hotel is also home to Speedcity, an entertainment area where visitors can experience the latest full motion control simulators, with virtual Pit stops, indoor ski and various virtual sports – perfect for a fun day out or as part of corporate team building.
Simon Vincent, EVP & president, Europe, Middle East & Africa for Hilton Worldwide, said, “Istanbul remains one of the world’s great tourist destinations, attracting more than 10 million travellers last year alone. Having opened a wide array of hotels across the city in recent years, we’re delighted to be offering guests yet more choice on the Asian side, which now benefits from even greater accessibility to this bustling part of Istanbul.”
Hilton Istanbul Kozyatagi is located 28.5 kilometres from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and 37.9 kilometres away from Ataturk International Airport. It is just a short drive from both bridges linking to the European side of the city and within walking distance to the Marmaray Project, the railway connection under the Bosphorus Strait.
Istanbul is well-known for its bustling bars, unique shopping experiences, including the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar, as well as a plethora of restaurants offering both traditional and contemporary cuisine. Guests wanting to relax can take a private boat trip to Princes’ Islands – a chain of nine picturesque islands, enjoy lunch on the waterfront at Kalamis Yacht Marina, which is only a 15-minute drive from the hotel or browse the shops on the renowned Bagdat Avenue.
Ergun Demiray, general manager, Hilton Istanbul Kozyatagi, said: “The location of Hilton Istanbul Kozyatagi offers visitors the opportunity to experience the full breadth of cultural, culinary and shopping experiences available in Istanbul. With upscale amenities and spacious, contemporary accommodation, we offer an exciting new choice for travelers and look forward to delivering excellent standards of Hilton hospitality in the city.”
A new breed of hotel has landed in New York and Paris: citizenM Times Square and Charles de Gaulle are open! With its first stateside property, the award-winning Dutch hotel group citizenM brings its unique brand of smart, design-savvy hospitality to the heart of New York City. To the city that never sleeps, citizenM New York is here to help! The 230-room property, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, opened its doors in May.
The hotel upends all the Times Square tourist-trap clichés with its stylish fusion of high design, cutting-edge technology and unequalled comfort. The hotel lobby acts as a central hub for guests and locals, with an oversized living room design, soaring 26-foot ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves showcasing an eclectic mix of art and objects from around the world. Official furniture partner Vitra is showcasing its latest collection in all public areas. Like its sister properties, citizenM New York is home to a stunning collection of contemporary art and photography, including two commissioned pieces – a stunning lobby installation by famed English artist Julian Opie and a Jen Liu exterior piece wrapping around the façade of the building — as well as works by Andy Warhol, Daido Moriyama, Florian Süssmayr and David LaChapelle. Another highlight are the digital artwork displays in all rooms created in collaboration with s[edition], which lets guests select from pieces by contemporary artists such as Mark Titchner and Tracey Emin.
Offering welcome refuge from the concrete jungle at its doorstep, the hotel, designed by concrete architects, also includes several stunning outdoor areas, including a ground-floor courtyard with cascading greenery and beautiful lanterns. Two additional outdoor terraces are on the mezzanine level, next to the designated working areas. The gym has an open-air yoga pavilion with views over bustling Manhattan.
Especially beloved is New York’s very first bird hotel built into a bright red tree trunk, assuring that when it comes to citizenM’s funky hospitality, the sky is no limit! The food and beverage offering at 24hour canteenM have been locally sourced from select New York suppliers. Guests can wind down their busy New York days at the swanky rooftop bar, which includes an indoor space with a fireplace and a wrap around outdoor terrace, as well as a cocktail menu curated by well known mixologist Mayur Subbarao.
CitizenM Paris Charles de Gaulle is the seventh property to date and the first in France – conveniently located in the central zone of CDG International Airport and only half an hour from central Paris.
The hotel’s unique six-story design, also by lauded architecture firm concrete, comprises full glass facades, illuminating windows and light-filled communal spaces that form the social heart of the hotel. The property, which is located right next to the famed Concorde, is also outfitted with top-of-the-line Vitra furnishings, art works, and a commissioned art piece by Julien Opie that covers the entire front façade.
The 230 citzenM guest rooms are the apex of stylish comfort, featuring super king-size beds with custom-made mattresses, wall-to-wall windows, Hansgrohe power rain showers and custom bath products designed by Alessandro Gualtieri. In homage to the creative energy of the city around it, the rooms brim with cultural offerings, from in-room music and customizable playlists by 22tracks, a music discovery service curated by top European DJs. And every aspect of this revolutionary luxury can be accessed with the tap of a finger: TV, music, free wireless Internet, window blinds, temperature, ambient mood lighting, digital artwork and alarm themes are all controlled by bespoke tablet MoodPads.
Planning consent has been granted for a hotel and leisure development in the heart of Scotland.
A consortium of British businessmen has put its weight behind a development of almost 500 acres on the outskirts of the Scottish capital. The development will include a 240 bedroom luxury resort hotel along with a championship golf course designed in conjunction with golfing legend Sandy Lyle who says the development has potential to rival any in Scotland.Planners have also given the green light to a phased development of 250 chalet style villas on the site which will feature lakes and forestry, an equestrian centre, and other popular outdoor leisure facilities.
Alexandra Hayward of Debutesq Group who are handling international sales says “Scotland is crying out for a resort hotel with conference and leisure facilities on a grand scale and this development will help the country compete better internationally”.
Edinburgh is the UK’s largest international and domestic tourist destination outside London with hotels enjoying some of the highest occupancy levels in Europe.
Scotland is a favourite with international conference organisers but is limited in what it has to offer in terms of convention space. While Scotland enjoys a good level of corporate visitors, larger global companies looking to accommodate 200 or more delegates under one roof are limited in choice.
Edinburgh Airport is less than 30 minutes drive from the site which is another factor in attracting international visitors. A number of new routes through Edinburgh Airport including the Middle East helped drive passenger traffic to almost one million in June.
The owners have not ruled out selling the development but are at this stage interested in engaging with international hotel operators and resort developers.
Showcasing its range of luxurious, design-led bathroom solutions for the hospitality industry in the Middle East, Laufen together with Artecasa will be playing a part in The Hotel Show in Dubai this September.The Swiss bathroom manufacturer will be exhibiting in collaboration with the exclusive Laufen partner in United Arab Emirates, Artecasa, who have showrooms in the prestigious Sheik Zayed Road, Dubai and in Abu Dhabi. Artecasa is a supplier of sanitaryware and tiles, providing the best quality products from established suppliers at reasonable prices and delivered with a professional service.
Visitors to The Hotel Show Dubai will have the opportunity to learn more about the Laufen brand, the service and support the company provides to its customers wherever they are in the world, and to see first-hand many of its quality products that turn bathrooms into luxurious, spa-like spaces.
Laufen and Artecasa will be demonstrating complete bathroom solutions including washbasins, WC, faucets, bathtubs and furniture from its high-end collections including Il Bagno Alessi One, Kartell by Laufen and Palomba Collection. Alongside these will be a selection of modular concepts that integrate flawlessly into the most prestigious of architectural settings.
Visit Laufen and Artecasa in Hall 7, Stand E176 at The Hotel Show, Dubai World Trade Centre, from 28-30 September.
For details on the complete range of bathroom solutions available from Laufen contact Mohamed Barakat, Regional Projects Manager – Middle East to make an appointment mohamed.barakat@laufen.ch
St James’s Hotel Group (“St James’s”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Somerston Group, today announces that it has acquired The Legacy Falcon Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon from the Administrators of Noblelarge Limited, Grant Thornton.The four star hotel, with a frontage dating back to the late 15th century, is situated in Chapel Street close to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. It provides 83 bedrooms, seven meeting rooms (one for up to 200 people), two restaurants, two bars and parking for 120 cars.
St James’s intends to invest up to £6 million to completely refurbish the hotel, including the installation of air conditioning in all bedrooms, during the course of next year.
The hotel was previously managed by Legacy Hotels. It will now be managed by St James’s Hotels, which intends to retain all the current management and staff with the expectation of increasing staff numbers on completion of the refurbishment.
Shaun Robinson, managing director of St James’s, commented: “We are very pleased to have been able to acquire The Falcon which is a part of Stratford’s heritage. It has suffered from a lack of capital investment over the past few years but, with a combination of some significant refurbishment, rebranding and committed management, we are confident of returning it to its former glory while providing up to date accommodation for our guests”.
St James’s was established by the Somerston Group earlier this year and acquired the Forestdale portfolio of fourteen unbranded, three star hotels in strongly performing locations across England, in March. It is currently investing in the extensive refurbishment of a number of the hoteIs in the portfolio and is in the process of selling a number of non-core hotels for alternative uses, particularly healthcare related.
St James’s has also recently acquired the 119 bed, Hilton Hotel in Portsmouth, in which it will be investing £4 million to convert it into a 150 bed ‘limited service’ hotel which will, on completion, will operate under the Holiday Inn express brand.
The Lake District’s Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel has recently undergone a soft refurbishment with bespoke carpets from a Wilton Carpets Commercial now featuring in the dining room and sitting area, as well as some of the bedrooms. Based upon an existing creation from the Ston Easton Park Hotel in Somerset, an impressive luxury hotel under the same ownership, the design of the carpets at the Sharrow Bay Hotel have been adapted to meet the different demands of the interior.
For the dining room and sitting areas, a bespoke 10-row woven axminster provides the utmost in durability, with the design first used at Ston Easton Park adapted in border size to suit the areas of Sharrow Bay without detracting from its traditional atmosphere. In the bedrooms an eight-row woven carpet provides tailored performance, with the border used on the previous bedroom design for Ston Easton Park removed to suit the room dimensions of the Sharrow Bay Hotel.
Sarah Taylor, project manager responsible for the soft refurbishment, explains:
“Having liked the colour and design of a previous bespoke creation by Wilton Carpets Commercial at the Ston Easton Park Hotel, the owner wanted to replicate its look at the Sharrow Bay Hotel, but we knew that it would need adaptation to work within the size and different layout of the rooms. We worked with contractor Kendal Quality Carpets that helped to calculate the size of borders to retain the original aesthetic within new confines. Having worked with Wilton Carpets before we knew the carpets would be very hardwearing and forgiving.”
With a total of 400 square metres installed within the hotel, the designs were manufactured in Wilton Carpets Commercial’s Wiltshire facility in a performance blend of 80% wool 20% nylon for maximum appearance retention. Using grey background shade with blue and burgundy accent colours, the carpet works well with the panelled walls and luxurious textiles, helping to unite the eclectic collection of furniture, fabrics and art.
With stunning views of Ullswater in the heart of the Lake District, Sharrow Bay Hotel was the UK’s first country house hotel, after being converted from its original use as a fishermen’s lodge.
Morgan, the British furniture designer and manufacturer, will launch its new Paris collection at the 1 Dallington Street showroom during LDF 2014. Combining classically inspired silhouettes with beautiful timber detailing, Paris has a classic contemporary feel that is ideal for boutique hotels and restaurants.The collection consists of three dining/meeting chairs with the same fully upholstered seat but different back treatment. A traditional wave shaped top edge, a handle shaped showwood top detail and a large curved back give each of the three chairs a different distinctive character. All pieces in the collection offer a generous sit with a fully webbed frame. The frame is manufactured from solid beech as standard and can be made in walnut or oak species on request.
Travelodge, the UK’s biggest independent hotel chain, is officially opening its first hotel in the heart of Christchurch’s town centre this Saturday (20th September 2014). The new 68-room property, which represents a £4 million investment is located on Saxon Square Shopping Centre and sits close to the railway station and local attractions and beaches. The new hotel has created 12 new jobs within the community and will boost the company’s portfolio in Dorset to seven hotels. Room rates start from £29.
With the county receiving four million visitors from all corners of the world each year, there is a growing demand for good quality value accommodation across Dorset. In response to this growing demand, Travelodge is also announcing today that it is looking for a further two new hotel sites in Weymouth and Swanage. These two new openings will create 30 new jobs.
Christchurch Travelodge will be officially opened by The Worshipful the Mayor of Christchurch, Councillor Denise Jones, Member of Parliament for Christchurch Christopher Chope and Travelodge Operations Director, Leigh McCarron (who was born and raised in Christchurch).
The hotel has been designed in the Company’s new contemporary brand look which has been designed by Travelodge customers. All rooms feature a new luxurious bespoke king size bed called the Travelodge Dreamer. This type of bed is predominately used by luxury hotel brands worldwide. Also another new addition to the room is a set of truckle beds instead of a sofa bed – for children and additional adults staying in the room.
Christchurch Travelodge is being managed by Lynn Bailey, who started her career with the company back in 2010 as an Assistant Hotel Manager at Bournemouth Travelodge. Lynn has recruited her 12-strong team via Travelodge’s established partnership with Job Centre Plus, which helps the long term unemployed back into work.
Lynn Bailey, Christchurch Travelodge Hotel Manager said: “We are delighted to open our first hotel in Christchurch. Our new modern look hotel is ideally located close to the beaches and attractions, making it a great value base for visitors to just get up & go and explore. “The hotel looks amazing, it has been designed in the new Travelodge contemporary brand style. By offering good value rooms, we will attract more visitors to Christchurch which will give the local economy an additional boost of £1.2m, as our research shows that a Travelodge customer will spend on average £36 in local businesses when staying over. The hotel has already got off to a flying start and we’re nearly sold out for the October half term.
“Dorset is an important market for us. The county is a tourism powerhouse. Its visitor numbers are growing year on year and it is attracting visitors from all corners of the globe. To support the great work that is happening to attract more visitors to Dorset, we are looking for two more sites in the county to build more Travelodge hotels; so that we can offer more good value rooms to consumers.”
Travelodge has also invested more than a quarter of a million pounds in modernising three of its hotels within the Dorset area. This includes: Bournemouth, Bournemouth Seafront and Ringwood Travelodge hotels. All properties feature the new Travelodge room design and the new brand contemporary look and feel.
This investment is part of a nationwide £57 million hotel modernisation programme Travelodge is currently undertaking. By autumn this year, over 80% of Travelodge hotels will incorporate the company’s new brand design.
Supranational Hotels, one of the world’s largest hotel companies and leading provider of hotel distribution technologies, is actively targeting emerging markets to expand its current 700 strong portfolio of 3, 4 and 5 star hotels. The group is looking to build its portfolio of destinations within South America, India and Japan where business and leisure travel continues to grow. In South America, seven hotels in Argentina, including the 4-star Lafayette Hotel in Buenos Aires, the 4-star Ducal Suites in Cordoba and the Don Luis Apart Hotel in Corrientes, have joined the Supranational Hotels portfolio this August.
Supranational has also commissioned the Win Corporation Ltd in Japan and AHS India (absolute hospitality services pvt ltd) to identify potential primary and secondary city destinations within Asia for Supranational, including Tokyo, Yokohama, New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore that will benefit the online travel community and recognise the geographical gaps in the brand’s worldwide distribution.
Cho Wong, Managing Director of Supranational Hotels comments, “Over the last year, we have seen a stable increase in new hotels joining us from across Europe. In the Win Corporation in Japan, and AHS India, we now have the local expertise of two leading hotel representation partners to help realise the potential for Supranational to reach new destinations in Asia. These agreements support us in meeting the needs of our travel buyers and to redress the balance of our geographical spread.”
In partnering with Supranational Hotels, each hotel will benefit from the brand’s expansive network of clients and travel partners as well as award-winning hotel booking technologies including GDS, Central Reservation System (CRS) from Columbus NG and their all-new Internet Booking Engine (IBE), whilst retaining their brand identity and independence. Hoteliers can also take advantage of Supranational’s real time hotel data and fast RFP management services that will secure them access into coveted global corporate travel programmes.
Supranational Hotels is at World Travel Market London 2014- Global Village, stand GV540
India’s leading luxury hotel group, ITC Hotels, will launch its first five-star leisure retreat in late 2014. The ITC Grand Bharat, a luxury golf resort and spa, is set to open on October 1st. The new property will be the first retreat in ITC Hotels’ collection, which currently comprises 10 business-focused hotels in India’s top cities.Only 40 minutes from Delhi, ITC Grand Bharat, will be a destination within itself. Situated over an expansive 300 acres, the luxury wellness retreat will be a tribute to India’s rich heritage and regionally inspired architecture, overlooking an iconic Jack Nicklaus designed, 27-hole Classic Golf Course.
The centrepiece of the resort will be the Jack Nicklaus designed golf course, the first in South Asia. It offers three specialised courses, each with nine holes, the Canyon Course, the Ridge Course and the Valley Course, alongside a golf club and bar.
For those not keen on the greens then the large spa, ITC Hotels’ signature Kaya Kalp – The Royal Spa, will offer an extensive array of rituals and treatments. With nine treatment rooms, the spa will offer medicinal healing and detoxification programmes as well as comprehensive yoga regimes from the prestigious Bihar School of Yoga and a state of the art fitness centre with personal trainers. Guests will also be able to dine on naturopathic cuisine; a special diet planned by Ayurveda practitioners and certified doctors.
These facilities will be complemented by four dining outlets, the Aravalli Pavilion, an all day dining restaurant, the India Room, serving classic European cuisine, the Peacock Bar & Cigar Divan and Camp Bharat, a poolside bar and lounge. The resort will also be home to ITC Hotels’ first culinary school with courses and lessons available to guests. In addition many of the retreat’s fresh fruit and vegetables will be grown onsite within the extensive grounds.
A host of recreational activities for both adventure and natureenthusiasts will also be available, from nature trails and bird watching, to canoeing, paragliding, swimming, cycling or watching a live performance at the open-air amphitheatre. The local area is rich in culture and ripe to be explored, with museums and art galleries that showcase the cultural, political and natural history of the region.
ITC Hotels are set to expand their portfolio even further with a second resort due to open in mid 2015. The ITC Vilasa, located just 25 kilometres from south Chennai, will overlook the majestic Bay of Bengal and will be ITC Hotels’ first beach resort and spa. A further four hotels are scheduled to open by 2018, expanding ITC Hotels’ portfolio from 10 to 16 properties, equating to roughly 5,000 rooms. ITC Hotels’ first property outside of the country, the ITC Hotel in Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo is slated to open in 2018.
Setting itself apart from other WC flush plates in terms of looks and performance, Geberit has launched its most revolutionary and innovative flush system yet, the Geberit Sigma70 featuring new Dual Hydraulic Servo technology.Making activation of the flush almost effortless, Geberit is pioneering new technology with its latest flush plate, while its beautiful design enables it to fit seamlessly into the contemporary bathroom or washroom. With its patented technology concealed within the cistern, architects are left to enjoy unparalleled levels of design freedom
Made out of a single piece of glass or stainless steel for a minimalist finish, Geberit Sigma70 uses patented hydraulic and pneumatic power to activate the flush, which is triggered by the very lightest of touches by the user.
In fact, the innovative hydraulic servo actuation, the first of its kind for WC flush plates, means the user needs only to apply slight pressure in order to activate the flush. A slight push on the left side of the plate flushes solids clean away, while gently pushing on the right side flushes liquids.
With this clever technology neatly hidden behind the wall or tiles, the flush plate’s beautiful rimless design gives it the illusion of floating above the wall. The Geberit Sigma70 flush plate is available in a choice of finishes including brushed stainless steel, and white, black or umber glass and a bespoke option for a truly individual finish.
Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants announced its plans to expand the brand’s footprint in the heart of both Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee, with two new hotels opening in 2016.The boutique hotel chain has been selected as the operator of a new 180-key boutique hotel in Nashville, adjacent to the Vanderbilt University campus in Midtown, and has also purchased an historic building in Chicago’s Central Loop neighbourhood which will be converted into a four-star, 281-room hotel.
Kimpton to Open Its Fifth Property in Chicago The 14-story iconic building, which was originally constructed in 1894 and currently serves as commercial office space, is one of only two existing office buildings in Chicago created by internationally-renowned architect William Le Baron Jenney. Scheduled for a Q1 2016 opening, the new hotel will feature a destination restaurant and bar, a lively Library Bar on the second floor adjacent to the lobby and living room, as well as 9,500 square feet of prime shopping space on the ground floor. Offering more than 12,500 square feet of meeting and event space on the 14thand 15th floors, the hotel will also feature a top floor ballroom with views of LaSalle Street. This will be Kimpton’s fifth property in Chicago, joining the Hotel Burham, Hotel Allegro, Hotel Monaco and Hotel Palomar.
“Chicago has proven to be a consistently successful market for Kimpton, and this new hotel will give us an opportunity to leverage many operational synergies here with our other four hotels,” said Kimpton President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Depatie.“We are excited to expand our footprint in this great city, and bring Kimpton’s unique design and heartfelt approach to hospitality to this historic Chicago building.”
New Upscale Hotel Opening in Nashville Buckingham Companies has awarded Kimpton the management contract for the Nashville hotel, which will be part of the 17-story, 600,000-square-foot Buckingham Midtown project. Kimpton’s first hotel in Tennessee, anticipated to open in late 2016, will feature 180 rooms, a restaurant and bar, 6,500 square feet of meeting and event space and a pool. The architecture of Buckingham Midtown will reflect the neighbourhood’s diversity and energy featuring modern elements where the development faces the Midtown area, and traditional design facing the storied Vanderbilt campus.
“Kimpton has long admired the eclectic vitality of Nashville and we’re so excited to bring our unique amenities and guest experience to people travelling to the city, “said Mike Depatie, president and CEO of Kimpton. The Nashville hotel is part of Kimpton’s expanding presence in the Southeast region. In addition to the Buckingham property, Kimpton recently announced plans to open a hotel in the former R.J. Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Jumeirah, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has revealed plans to launch a new contemporary lifestyle brand. The new brand, which is called VENU, is designed to appeal to the modern traveller whose expectations revolve around their own lifestyle – clean, contemporary, cool and effortless. To mark the launch of VENU, the company is revealing the visual identity of the brand and announcing the appointment of a top hotelier to lead its development. Furthermore, the Dubai-based developer Meraas Holding is in discussion with Jumeirah Group to operate the first VENU hotel on Bluewaters Island in Dubai.VENU is inspired by the spirit of Dubai: bold, ambitious, energetic and cosmopolitan, infused with a can-do attitude and a powerful blend of style and substance. This is reflected in the design of the new brand’s logo. It is simple and unpretentious, modern and creative, offering a sense that everyone who visits, stays at or works within a VENU space has the freedom to write their own story, create their own narrative, build their own scene.
The essence of the new brand is that of a ‘social catalyst’ – a social place where good things happen, where people feel welcome and at ease, surrounded by a crowd they love, a smooth machine that offers everything they need and nothing they don’t.
Speaking at the launch of the new brand, Nicholas Clayton, CEO Group Operations at Jumeirah Group, said: “This is a genuinely exciting innovation for Jumeirah Group. The time is right for us to launch a new contemporary lifestyle brand. Its provenance and energy comes from Dubai – and the first few VENU hotels will open here – but it is ultimately a powerful way of taking the core essence of the Dubai out into the international market, reflecting the city’s energy, dynamism and cosmopolitan nature. At the same time, coming to a VENU hotel will be an intuitive experience, built around and anticipating the needs of the modern, savvy traveller.”
Jumeirah is also pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Balcik as Vice President Operations, Brand Development, charged with leading preparations for the roll-out of VENU internationally.
A Turkish/American national, Matt Balcik has 18 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, having worked in Turkey, Washington DC, Sydney, Aruba, US Virgin Islands, New Orleans and Newport Beach, California. His most recent position was as General Manager of the W Hotel in Istanbul. Prior to that, he held a number of senior roles working for well-known hotel brands such as Marriott and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, including General Manager of the Westin Virgin Islands and General Manager of the Westin Aruba. He also has extensive Brand development experience having spent 3 years as the Global Brand Advocate and Corporate Director of Operations for Renaissance Hotels.
Nicholas Clayton commented: “We are delighted to welcome Matt Balcik to lead the introduction of VENU to the market. His multi-brand background, together with strong operations experience, makes him the ideal candidate to spearhead the introduction and roll-out of our new contemporary lifestyle brand to the market. Under Matt’s leadership, we want travellers to be inspired by the energy of the VENU brand – to feel that they are encountering something completely new, where technology is seamlessly integrated into the hotel experience, where the world comes together – a happening place full of energy and a cosmopolitan crowd.”
Discussions are under way with a number of developers in the Middle East, Asia and Europe for the VENU brand. Appropriately, given the provenance of the brand, one of the first VENU hotels will be located in Dubai. The full details of the planned projects will be announced later in the year.
VENU will operate as an independent brand under the Jumeirah Group, targeting travellers with a passion for simplicity, style, efficiency and effortless living and working. Further updates on new hotels under the VENU brand and key appointments will follow in the coming months.
The industrially inspired Metro Wall Light from Chelsom is a sleek and contemporary piece that looks equally at home in more traditional settings. Available as part of a wider collection of desk and floor lighting, the Metro range features a double cone head with swivel joint for multi directional LED light and elongated decorative slots to allow optimum light spill while warm white light emits through frosted acrylic diffusers.
Pictured here in Satin Black with Polished Chrome, the fitting is available in various finish options with colour co-ordinated metal push switch housed in the backplate.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has announced an agreement with Hainan Jianfeng Tourism Development Co., Ltd. to debut China’s first W Retreat and the second St. Regis resort on Hainan Island. Scheduled to open in 2019 and 2020, respectively, W Retreat & Spa Sanya – Haitang Bay and The St. Regis Sanya Haitang Bay Resort will both be located at the North Wing of Haitang Bay, one of the most exclusive and sought-after addresses in the area. Starwood is vigorously expanding its luxury presence to meet the demands of a new generation of well-heeled travelers in Hainan. By 2020, the company will add four luxury resorts to Hainan Island, including three St. Regis resorts in Haikou, Qingshui Bay and Haitang Bay as well as a W Retreat & Spa in Haitang Bay.
The only tropical island in China and the country’s largest Special Economic Zone, Hainan boasts powdery beaches, lush scenery and year-round sunshine. The St. Regis Sanya Haitang Bay Resort and W Retreat & Spa Sanya – Haitang Bay will be located near Haitangwan town, 38 kilometers from Sanya’s city center and 45 kilometers from Sanya Phoenix International Airport. With 21.8 kilometers of pristine beachfront, clear waters and coconut palm groves, Haitang Bay retains an unspoiled beauty. A National Coast Wetland Park, Ocean Park, aquarium and yacht club have been planned within 4 kilometers of the resort complex. Construction has also commenced on the first phase of a larger yacht club, with 30 berths at Tielu Harbor on the tip of the South Wing of Haitang Bay.
W Retreat & Spa Sanya – Haitang Bay Designed to become Hainan Island’s newest, most happening scene, W Retreat & Spa Sanya – Haitang Bay will feature 450 stylish guestrooms and 10 villas, with most guestrooms boasting panoramic ocean views.
The W Retreat & Spa will serve as an ideal island venue for weddings, business gatherings and creative meetings, featuring more than 2,400 square meters of meeting and event space as well as a business center, spa, fitness center, indoor heated swimming pool, kids club and W Hotels The Store. In addition, W Retreat & Spa Sanya – Haitang Bay will offer four unique restaurant and bar offerings, including an all-day dining restaurant, Chinese restaurant, specialty restaurant and lobby lounge. Guests can also expect the W brand’s renowned Whatever/Whenever® service philosophy, providing them with whatever they want, whenever they want it.
As the first W Retreat in China, W Retreat & Spa Sanya – Haitang Bay joins W Retreat & Spa Goa in the Asia Pacific pipeline. The W brand currently operates five Retreats in exotic destinations around the world, including Bali, Maldives, Koh Samui, Verbier and Vieques Island.
The St. Regis Sanya Haitang Bay Resort Located directly on the beach with panoramic ocean vistas, The St. Regis Sanya Haitang Bay Resort will feature 400 guestrooms and 15 villas, as well as a luxury spa, three restaurants, a lobby lounge, wine bar and over 2,000 square meters of meeting facilities. Offering an unrivaled dimension of luxury, sophistication and service, The St. Regis Sanya Haitang Bay Resort is poised to occupy a leading position as one of the island’s premier vacation and tourist destinations.
Specifically, the resort will present guests with the famed hallmarks of St. Regis hotels, including luxury accommodations, bespoke guest experiences and the iconic St. Regis Butler Service. St. Regis butlers provide ever-present, yet unobtrusive service while anticipating guest needs and customizing each guest’s stay according to his or her specific tastes and preferences.
Crosswater is at this year’s exhibition as part of a total room setting brought together by the Hotel Supply Group.The Hotel Supply Group, is a professional collective that combines the expertise and knowledge to design bedrooms and bathroom schemes for the hospitality sector. The room design has been designed by Indcreations with products from members Artimide, Crosswater, Forest Contracts, Max International, Purius, Sekers, & The Fine Cotton Company.
David Balmer, Crosswater’s Hospitality Senior Projects Manager explains. “The show is a unique chance to talk to independent hotels, boutique hotels and bed and breakfast owners about their design needs and practical considerations of hotel bathrooms. We’ve working with the Hotel Supply Group this year to showcase a complete solution with products from all the Crosswater brands; Simpsons shower, Crosswater brassware showers and accessories and Bauhaus.”
21st – 22nd October 2014 – Olympia West Hall, London – Hotel Supply Group Stand 80.
Upon finding out the results of the New Designers BCFA FR One Award, Cliq Designs were delighted to spot a familiar face on the podium.LEFT: Jessica Leigh Calvert; University: Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design.
Many years have passed since Jessica Leigh Calvert spent 2 weeks at Cliq Designs in Preston, a member of the BCFA, as part of a GCSE work placement from All Hallows Catholic High School in early 2007.
“It was the first time I had ever had experience within the textile industry and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Cliq,” said Jessica.
“Whilst at Cliq I was given a project to work through from concept to completion; I designed and made a quilted bed throw. I had recently done up my room at home and it was a really fun process working with the colours and textures, drawing out my ideas and then being able to see the finished product.” Getting involved in client meetings proved to be a great opportunity for Jessica to see first-hand what a career in the industry entailed.
Cliq Designs, nestled in the traditional textile climes of the North-west, produces a wide range of soft furnishings for hotels to order. These include bed throws, wall panels, valances and cushions with an emphasis on quilted products. They have recently launched quilted acoustic panels, onto which designs can be transformed from sketch to 3D stitch.
Whilst working with the company, Jessica was studying art at GCSE level. Her interest in fashion then took her to Newman College in Preston to study Art and Design in Textiles.
“I came to Cliq because I was able to gain a better understanding of the industry and how certain sectors work. At this point I don’t think I knew exactly where I wanted to be within the textile industry. I was just excited to be in a textile environment.”
After A levels, Jessica completed her Art Foundation at Winstanley College in Wigan, from which she was accepted at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2011 to study BA Textile Design. “At Saint Martin’s I was able to learn about the construction of fabrics, including how to design and make my own from the drawing board. I have always been fascinated with fabrics, textures, creating looks, and my portfolio is specifically dobby and jacquard hand woven fabrics.” Gradually Jessica realized that her true passion was interiors – looking at houses and hotel interiors and how they create a story and a concept.
Winning the New Designers BCFA FR One Award has landed Jessica a four week internship with the design studio at FR One in Antwerp to assist in the design of their new collection. The judges were impressed by her enthusiastic approach to textiles, shown through her in-depth research and tireless efforts to turn her vision into a commercial product.
“Jessica was a great student to have on our busy team – she took a real interest in all aspects of our work, from quilting and sewing across a wide spectrum of fabrics and finished products. We are always pleased to hear that we have helped students realize their potential – and in Jessica’s case, their dream to study at Central St Martins and be recognized Iand celebrated in the highly competitive design world. It’s been quite a journey from the old textile heartlands of Lancashire with Cliq Designs, looking to the future in Europe with FROne. We wish her all the best!” says Liz Bolton, Marketing Director at Cliq Designs.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has recently announced three new properties for Mexico: two Holiday Inn® hotels in of Puebla and Villahermosa; and one Holiday Inn Express® hotel in Pachuca. These hotels are expected to open before 2016 year end and will add to IHG’s current pipeline of over 20 Holiday Inn brand family hotels for the country. They will be operated under a franchise agreement with an affiliate of IHG. The Holiday Inn Express® Pachuca hotel, expected to open by mid-2015, will be located a short distance from the modern Zona Plateada area – home to major attractions, the business and financial districts and the Tuzoforum Convention Center, which can hold up to 2,000 people. The hotel will have 108 guest rooms and amenities include an indoor swimming pool, two meeting rooms, fitness center, business center, and 226 parking spaces. Additionally, guests will enjoy the complimentary Desayuno Express bar featuring a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, pastries, yogurt, fruit, juices, regional dishes, and coffee.
Currently under construction, the 100-room Holiday Inn® Villahermosa hotel is located in the Tabasco Parque Logístico Industrial – the area’s premier industrial park – and in close proximity to businesses and corporate offices such as Groupe Danone® and Tacker® Solutions, among others. Expected to open before 2015 year end, the hotel is owned and managed by Hospitality Travel Services, SA de CV.
The Holiday Inn Puebla Centro Histórico hotel will be situated in the heart of Puebla’s historic downtown district. Expected to open by mid-2016, the location is ideal for both leisure and corporate travellers who will enjoy the many amenities including an exterior swimming pool, two meeting rooms, a fitness center, a business center, rooftop garden and a full-service restaurant and bar. The newly constructed 96-room property is owned by Turquesa de Puebla, S.A. de C.V., and managed by Latin America Hotel Group SC.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced the debut of its trailblazing Element brand in Europe with the opening of Element Frankfurt Airport. This marks the first Element hotel outside of North America. Offering bright, modern design and green-minded sensibilities, the hotel is located in Gateway Gardens, Frankfurt’s new business district adjacent to Frankfurt International Airport, Europe’s third-busiest air travel hub. Element Frankfurt Airport offers travellers a reimagined interpretation of the extended stay experience and an atmosphere to fuel a life in balance and on the move. Built in the heart of the growing new business district near the global headquarters of Lufthansa, Condor and DB Schenker, the hotel is only a few minutes away from one of the biggest international airports worldwide, Frankfurt International Airport. The hotel features 133 spacious and airy extended stay studios and one-bedroom suites, all with modular furniture, flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving and custom-designed closets with ironing board. Every room comes with a fully equipped energy-efficient kitchen, spa-inspired bathrooms including invigorating rain showers and signature Heavenly® Beds to ensure a good night’s rest.
Limónes, the all-day dining restaurant and bar, serves regional Spanish cuisine from 7am until midnight including a healthy breakfast, shared lunches with tapas-style dishes, and à la carte dining meals. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness centre – Motion – plus a flexible meeting space and a business centre. Guests at Element Frankfurt Airport can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, the brand’s signature healthy and complimentary RISE breakfast; Restore, a 24/7 grab-and-go gourmet food pantry to buy everything they need to make delicious meals in-room; RELAX evening receptions. Additionally, 24-hour laundry facilities with washers and dryers are available for guests’ convenience.
Vaughan is pleased to announce the much anticipated launch of their new lighting catalogues at Focus 2014 (21st – 24th September). The three catalogues incorporate new products and stunning lifestyle photography in easy-to-read, bound books. Volume 1: Wall Light collection Volume 2: Ceiling Light collection and Volume 3: Floor & Table Lamps
The all-new Vaughan catalogues offers a comprehensive range of decorative lighting catering for both traditional and contemporary styles with beautifully designed products for every room – the range includes chandeliers, lanterns, wall sconces, picture lights, bathroom fixtures, uplighters, task lights and table lamps.
The historic Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel has undergone an extensive nine-month redesign across its public spaces, restaurant and bar, bedrooms and meeting rooms, transforming the look of the locally inspired hotel.Re-opened to the public on the 1st September, Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel is the second hotel the brand has unveiled in the UK that showcases its new lobby concept, which was first launched in Mercure London Bridge last year. Based on the “la table d’hôtes”, this new lobby concept puts the customer welcome at the heart of the experience.
Guests who are looking for a quick hassle free check-in and out at the stunning hotel, which is nestled at the foot of Box Hill in the idyllic Surrey Hills, are able to do so around an oak table by friendly staff who are on hand 24-7, to ensure all guests receive a warm Mercure welcome.
Mercure is a “locally inspired” brand and this is shown through the personal touches which pay homage to the literary roots of the area and historical background of the hotel.
Bespoke chairs with prints from John Keats poetry can be found in the new open lobby marking the visit of the famous poet to this hotel. It was here that Keats wrote Endymion and where part of the fabled Arabian Nights was created by author Robert Louis Stevenson. Poet William Wordsworth, playwright Richard Sheridan and author, Jane Austen were also known to frequent the hotel and local area. In the Emlyn restaurant words from Austen’s classic, “Emma” can be found quoted on the wall, reminding guests of the Box Hill picnic set in the novel. Retro Penguin books can be found in the library area of the lobby to encourage guests to submerge themselves into the literary world that encapsulates the area and hotel.
Modern art created to incorporate the woven pattern from some wicker placemats gifted to the general manager from Lord Nelson after his stay, many years ago can be found behind the host table in the lobby area and guests will enjoy spotting various objects such as little bronze cycling figures, which represent the area’s association with the 2012 Olympics also in this open space.
Miniature orchids that form the centerpieces of the restaurant are a nod to the area’s scientific interest and if guests look closely in the bar area, five Dorking cockerels hang on the bar wall, distinguished for their odd number of toes; five. The hotel’s feature wall will also showcase local flint, which pays tribute to the local materials found in the area.
The hotel provides guests with 57 bedrooms, which are elegantly styled with a contemporary and luxurious design that upholds traditional features. Each room showcases unique artwork, which is printed on antique mirrors and fabrics. To ensure guests have everything they need to enjoy a relaxing stay, each bedroom has been furnished with a new flat screen TV with international satellite channels and 24-hour room service is available. High speed WiFi is available throughout the hotel free of charge.
In addition to Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel also boasts eight meeting rooms that have been designed to cater for between four and 220 people so that it can accommodate a range of events and weddings.
The Tithe Barn is the biggest of the event spaces. It was originally built in 1600 and was moved to Burford Bridge in 1934. It’s stunning vaulted ceiling, said to have been built from the timbers taken from the galleons of the Spanish Armada, makes the perfect space for – weddings and special events.
And it’s not just the décor at Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel that has received locally inspired touches. The Emlyn Restaurant, the hotel’s two AA Rosette restaurant, offers guests a great selection of locally inspired dishes. For guests looking to celebrate their special occasions with a fine dining experience the hotel offers a beautiful fine dining menu called “Best of Burford”. There is also an All Day Dining Menu in the bar and lounge, which provides guests with a fantastic array of modern British cuisine.
Between May and September guests and members of the local community will also be able to enjoy swimming in the hotel’s heated lido, after getting changed in the original changing rooms – which have been brought back to their former glory.
On 2nd October, 2014, NEWH United Kingdom, the premier networking resource for the hospitality industry, is holding its annual fundraising event to benefit the students of Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication. The evening social is being held in the garden conservatory of the Hoxton Shoreditch hotel and is NEWH-UK’s main fundraising event for the year, with all event proceeds going into the NEWH-UK scholarship fund.2014 marks the first year NEWH-UK is sponsoring students from Ravensbourne. NEWH-UK directors selected Ravensbourne for their sponsorship program for many reasons, chief among them being:
• 92% of students are from state school backgrounds and are based in the UK • 30% are from minority ethnic backgrounds
“After several years supporting the Royal College of Art, we feel it’s an appropriate time for a change.” explains Carolyn Banks, NEWH-UK Sponsorship Director. “Beginning this year, we have chosen to offer scholarships to students on the Architecture & Interior Design course at Ravensbourne.”
The scholarship entries will be from 2nd-year degree students who will have completed a hospitality project as part of their curriculum. The scholarships will help them fund their third year of study towards a degree. The work of three selected students will also be shown at upcoming hospitality industry events in London.
The NEWH-UK Annual Fundraiser event can host up to 100 people and is expected to sell out. Event guests will include interior designers, hotel operators and suppliers working within the hospitality industry—professional networking is a key benefit for attendees. Visiting members of the NEWH corporate leadership in the USA will also be in attendance.
In addition to money raised by ticket sales, five corporate sponsors are financially supporting the event: Distinction Contract, Crosswater, Porcelanosa, Panaz and Vescom.
The NEWH UK Annual Fundraiser at the Hoxton Shoreditch starts at 6 pm on 2nd October and will continue until around 11 pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are £40 for NEWH members and £50 for non-members.
Leading Japanese hospitality company Fujita Kanko Inc. announced it is now accepting reservations for a new Hotel Gracery, opening in April 2015 in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s entertainment and nightlife hub, located in the Shinjuku area. Hotel Gracery Shinjuku will be the Hotel Gracery brand’s new flagship.The 970-room hotel will occupy the 8th through 30th floors of Shinjuku Toho Building, an entertainment complex under construction on the former site of the landmark Koma Theater (built in 1955 and torn down in 2008). The new Kabukicho landmark will host a 12-screen cinema complex and various restaurants and bars. The hotel will also open an Italian restaurant.
According to TripAdvisor’s “World City Surveys,” Tokyo is the world’s safest, cleanest and best city in overall travel experience. It is a city of multiple urban hubs, including Shinjuku. “We’re excited about opening this property as part of the new landmark development in Kabukicho, where there are no hotels of comparable size and quality,” said Akira Segawa, president of Fujita Kanko. “We’ll offer just what visitors look for in a Tokyo hotel: safe, convenient and very comfortable lodgings with great style. Although Kabukicho is nicknamed ‘the sleepless town,’ known for its nightlife, our Kabukicho hotel will also be a good choice for business travelers – it’s a very safe and centrally located place.”
The opening of Hotel Gracery Shinjuku will give Fujita Kanko the largest share of Shinjuku’s hospitality market, 2,604 guest rooms, including their Shinjuku Washington Hotel’s 1,634 rooms.
Hotel Gracery operates three properties in Sapporo and Tokyo, stylish, modern hotels that offer comfort and convenience with personal services targeting leisure travelers. The opening of Hotel Gracery Shinjuku is part of an aggressive Hotel Gracery group expansion, with new openings in Okinawa in 2015 and Kyoto in 2016. Hotel Gracery Shinjuku will offer special opening rates for a limited time. For more information and reservations, visit: http://shinjuku.gracery.com
The Hotel Show in Dubai (28 – 30th September 2014) celebrates 15 successful years with a number of our directory members showing their products.The MENA region’s number one hospitality event Celebrating 15 successful years in 2014, The Hotel Show presents a full 360 view of the hotel and hospitality industry from the ground up. The region’s largest dedicated exhibition for hotel and hospitality professionals is the ideal meeting place for serious industry buyers and suppliers of the newest products and global brands.
Travelodge has opened the first branded value hotel in the heart of Walthamstow’s town centre. The new 107-room property, which represents a £9 million investment is located at Station Approach and has created 19 new jobs within the community. The new hotel development is part of a £20 million regeneration project to help revitalize Walthamstow Central Station.
The hotel was officially opened by The Worshipful the Mayor of Waltham Forest, Councillor Terry Wheeler and Travelodge’s Revenue Director, Tom Edwards at an opening ceremony.
The opening of Walthamstow Travelodge will boost the Company’s London portfolio of hotels to 61 and nationwide to 513.
Walthamstow Travelodge has been designed in the Company’s new brand style which includes a new luxury king size bed called the Travelodge Dreamer. This type of bed is predominately used by luxury hotel brands worldwide.
Walthamstow Travelodge offers a range of family, double and accessible rooms.
A Travelodge family room in Walthamstow caters for either two adults and two children or three adults. Each room has en-suite facilities with eco-friendly showers, toiletries, a flat screen TV with 18 free digital channels, free tea and coffee making facilities and up to 30 minutes free Wi-Fi. Guests can purchase a 24 hour Wi-Fi service for just £3.00.
The hotel also has an onsite Bar Café which offers a breakfast, dinner and bar service.
Renaissance Hotels is thrilled to welcome the newest gem to its portfolio with the opening of the new Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel, located in the city’s historic Bartlett Building. Renaissance Hotels is a lifestyle brand within Marriott International’s global portfolio of 18 brands. With its proud motto of Live Life to Discover®, Renaissance Hotels offers today’s lifestyle business traveler a unique guest experience woven through design, service and unique programming.Built in 1901 and designed by famed Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, the 18-story Bartlett Building was once both the city of Cincinnati and the state of Ohio’s tallest building. Also known as the Union Trust Building, the structure is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It had been vacant since 2010 before its restoration to the new hotel.
Following a $50 million renovation, the Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown now features 323 hotel rooms including 40 executive suites complemented by upscale amenities, contemporary styling and stunning views of downtown. The hotel underwent an extensive restoration from its origins as a historic office building to a modern, full service hotel.
d. Burnham’s, a destination restaurant named for the building’s architect, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner headed by award-winning Chef Harvey Germain, featuring modern American cuisine made with the finest natural, fresh, local ingredients prepared in exciting ways.
About The Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown:
• 323 Guest rooms, 40 Suites • 14,380 square feet of meeting and event space (the ballroom, designed by famed architect David Burnham in 1901, displays a dome shaped tile ceiling) • d. Burnham’s restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner • Drinks and a light fare menu available in the R Lounge. • Within three blocks of more than 65 restaurants and entertainment venues
The new Morgan showroom is an official film screening venue for the Clerkenwell Design Quarter AND Festival. Part of the London Design Festival, this new event is a film festival dedicated to design and architecture, running from Monday 15th – Friday 19th September, in selected venues across Clerkenwell. Visitors to Morgan will be invited to sit back and relax on our latest furniture collections in our Dallington Street showroom and enjoy Logorama, the Oscar winning animated film exploring how we have been seduced and brainwashed by marketing and advertising. It will be screened every evening between 4-6pm (on the hour and half hour).Since opening in May 2014, Morgan’s stunning gallery style showroom, including a mezzanine level with views down onto the main display floor, has already proved to be a great venue for events and networking. From 15-19th September, the Morgan team looks forward to rolling out the red carpet for visitors to experience the space, for five days only, as an inspiring film viewing venue.
Leading UK shower designer and manufacturer, Roman, has once again worked with popular TV show, Cowboy Builders, to help a family in need when their home is left ruined by reckless workmen. The show, which aired in September, uncovered a prolific cowboy builder wreaking havoc in the heart of the Asian community in Oldham. One of the families majorly affected was the Rashid family, who have lived in a mid-terrace property for 17 years and with their two children growing fast, they desperately wanted more living space. Married couple Bushra and Sagrid decided that they wanted a single storey side and rear extension to create a new kitchen and downstairs bathroom.
Sagid had to return to Pakistan to visit his sick mother and his wife Bushra decided to get the building work done while he was away, thinking that she could surprise him with a finished extension on his return. After receiving a leaflet through the door, Bushra contacted a builder who promised to deliver a professional build in 16 weeks.
But after nine months, having spent a fortune, the family had been left without heating, hot water or a kitchen – and with a half-finished, structurally unsafe extension that had to be completely knocked down.
Having helped out a number of times on Cowboy Builders, Roman was very keen to get involved and offered products for the new downstairs bathroom. The new downstairs bathroom was to accommodate Bushra’s disabled mother when she came to visit, so one of the key considerations was inclusivity.
Roman selected a stylish Embrace Wetroom Panel from their exceptional collection of wetroom systems and it was installed straight to floor with their Roman Shield Wetroom System. When installing straight to floor, your floor and walls must be waterproof (tanked). So they used the Roman Shield Wetroom System to tank the space, which presents an all in one wetroom solution. The Roman Shield Wetroom System includes everything you need to tank a room, including complete wetroom kits to make the process easy. The downstairs bathroom presented a small space, which needed to fit a toilet, sink and wetroom, but Roman’s 600mm Wetroom Panel fitted perfectly into the limited room space, giving a luxury and inclusive showering area for the whole family.
The Rashid family were delighted with their bathroom and with the rest of their home.
David Osborne, Managing Director of Roman, commented: “We are always very happy to help programmes such as Cowboy Builders. The cowboy builders have caused such devastation and leave the families with financial difficulty, a ruined home and heartache with no way out. We are always delighted to be able to help with the fixing and finishing of the families homes and help them achieve the stunning bathroom they had hoped for. This bathroom was not only practical for the disabled family member but also presented a real designer look.”
Moxy Hotels has made its debut in Milan, Italy, shaking up the hotel industry with a fresh attitude and modern flair. A boutique hotel concept for the budget savvy traveller, the new Moxy Milan boldly reinvents the traditional economy hotel experience.Designed for travellers looking for something fun, stylish and a bit edgy, Moxy’s buzzy lobby, tech-savvy guest rooms and intuitive service offers a refreshing alternative to traditional and often uninspiring economy hotels.
Moxy Milan sets the stage for the global debut of Moxy Hotels with upcoming locations planned for Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin in Germany; Oslo, Norway; Aberdeen, Scotland and London, United Kingdom.
Welcome #ATTHEMOXY The Moxy Crew welcomes guests to a bright, airy lobby where they’ll experience a hassle free check-in. The interiors feel boutique hotel inspired, successfully fusing refined and raw materials, organic and linear lines, and public/private spaces. The lobby comfortably blends colors and shapes with modern and contemporary furniture. Guests can relax, pick up a book from the Moxy library, connect and catch up with friends.
Living Room #ATTHEMOXY Sealed concrete floors, walls lined with intriguing art, ambient lighting and comfortable accents of colour are all part of the Moxy Milan lounge experience. A high energy yet cozy space for gatherings, special events or cocktails, the lounge plays host to eclectic upbeat music that sets just the right mood.
Stay #ATTHEMOXY The 162 guest rooms are outfitted with sound-reducing walls, 42″ LCD flat screen televisions, free Wi Fi, comfortable bedding and deep-seated armchairs in calming, neutral fabrics. Every room makes a statement with a spirited floor to ceiling art piece. The design is functional and uncluttered with simple, thoughtful touches including glass shelving and open closets. Bathrooms feel luxurious and feature complimentary Rituals toiletries, power showers and large mirrors alongside a spacious vanity area.
24/7 Cafe #ATTHEMOXY Self-service has never been so appealing or convenient. The Moxy cafe offers plentiful options for food and drink including fresh juices, a coffee bar or a ready-mixed Tails cocktail in its own unique cocktail shaker. Guests may enjoy sandwiches to go or order custom-made salads. For heartier fare, daily options such as chicken tagine or beef rendang will be offered. Cocktails, craft beers and specialty wines will be served in the evening.
With the bathroom being where hotel reputations can be won or lost, raising the comfort levels and exceeding guests’ expectations in terms of luxury and hygiene is all-important. Already very popular in the Far East and Japan, the shower toilet offers guests the chance to experience spa-like cleanliness and with the increase in tourism this is a trend that is catching on around the world. In the UK too, some of London’s 5* hotels are choosing shower toilets to create the perfect atmosphere for wellness. Not only does it offer simple, hygienic cleaning, which is easy to operate and control, but it also eradicates the need for a separate bidet and its compact format ensures it will fit seamlessly into any hotel bathroom. On display at the Independent Hotel Show will be several models from Geberit’s market-leading AquaClean shower toilet range.
With the connections for the water and electricity all integrated into the pan to make them invisible, Geberit AquaClean Sela looks just like a standard WC, enabling it to be seamlessly incorporated into any setting. Cleaning with a gentle, airy water spray at body temperature, Geberit AquaClean Sela is simple to operate via the controls on the side of the WC or with a remote control. The intensity can be adjusted to one of five levels, while the oscillating motion ensures a pleasant cleaning experience.
Geberit AquaClean 8000plus provides a similar washing experience, with many extra pampering functions in addition to the shower, including a dryer and odour extraction.
Visitors to the show will also be among the first to see the Geberit Omega concealed cistern, which can be installed under a windowsill or a sloping roof, making it ideal for compact hotel bathrooms.
See Geberit on Stand 175 at the Independent Hotel Show.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) recently announced the opening of its first property in Coatzacoalcos – the 120-room Holiday Inn® Coatzacoalcos hotel. This is the ninth IHG®-branded property for the State of Veracruz – current properties include two Crowne Plaza® hotels, four Holiday Inn® hotels, one Holiday Inn Express® hotel and one Hotel Indigo® hotel. IHG’s diverse family of brands continue to grow in Mexico. The Holiday Inn Coatzacoalcos hotel, owned by Hotelera Pedregal, S.A. de C.V. is franchised by an affiliate of IHG and is located at Blvd. John Spark #4, Reserva Territorial Duport Ostion, Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico.
The 120-room Holiday Inn Coatzacoalcos hotel includes two master suites and one presidential suite – all facing beautiful ocean views. The hotel design features a familiar atmosphere that is warm, trend forward and comfortable. Guest beds are made using crisp, white bedding with pillows that come in two comfort levels: “soft” and “firm.” Rooms also include business-focused necessities such as an ergonomic workstation, data ports and complimentary local newspapers. The bathrooms include a multifunctional showerhead, as well as a signature shower curtain with curved rod, and bath products. Additionally, each room has a comfortable double, queen or king-sized bed, a sitting area with a lounge chair, hairdryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board.
Other amenities include a swimming pool, a fully-equipped fitness center, and four meeting rooms with a capacity for up to 800 people. Guests can also enjoy the hotel’s restaurant Bar Las Ventanas offering various dining options including international cuisine and Mexican regional dishes. Kids 12 and younger eat free at Holiday Inn hotels when ordering from the kids’ menu in the hotel restaurant and accompanied by a dining adult. Room Service Right … On Time™, also a standard at all Holiday Inn hotels, ensures that guests’ room service orders are accurate and delivered on time, every time.
Dixon Turner, a division of Newmor, are pleased to launch their new fabric backed vinyl, Harper. The subtle vertical prints are complimented by an intricate vertical texture which replicates a twisted ribbon effect on the wall. The extensive colour palette ranges from classic cream and ivory to dramatic indigo and antique gold.Eden This beautifully hand drawn peony print was created in the design studio by one of our own print designers, who researched, sketched and drew all the elements and then put those elements into a repeat. The result is a stunning floral print full of detail and delicacy while retaining a strong commercial practicality. The colour palette features sophisticated dove greys, rich copper and gold metallic highlights and the fashionable silver and denim blue.
Newmor, since its inception almost 50 years ago, has grown to one of the largest independent contract wallcovering manufacturers in the UK, and currently operates in over 60 countries worldwide. The company offers global support from its international distribution network and regional sales offices based in Poland, Germany, UAE, Singapore & Hong Kong. With hundreds of designs and millions of colour options within the company’s portfolio, backed up by one of the largest ex-stock collections available, Newmor has a wallcovering suitable for any project or budget.
All of Newmor’s wallcoverings comply with international fire ratings and are produced with an active bio stabiliser to enable them to be installed in any contract environment.
In addition to our large product portfolio, our development program has seen us invest heavily in ‘state of the art’ digital print capabilities that, somewhat unusually in our industry, delivers true, contract quality, large scale digitally printed imagery. Faithfully reproduced onto contract wallcoverings, a variety of films for glass, or indeed most substrates, our imagery is currently in situ in some of the leading financial, hospitality and retail institutions worldwide. Any image, any size, any quantity. Newmor believes that durability is key, which is why the company uses digital printers that encompass a UV cured system. Only UV cured inks can offer true contract quality.
Luxury fabric specialist, Kobe UK, is introducing Aurora, a chic and contemporary collection inspired by urban Nordic lifestyles and suitable for window décor and upholstery.Comprising a range of high satins, sumptuous velvets, intricately patterned jacquards, laser cut fabrics and textile based, the 100% Trevira CS range together with the flame retardant vinyl wall coverings is suitable for contract interiors.
Designed to capture the essence of Nordic light tones, the collection features an extensive colour palette, from pale green to pink and golden tints of yellow to hues of blue and violet.
The line is inspired by Scandinavian interior trends which is a look that is extremely popular with its look of simplicity.
Said David Harris, managing director of Kobe UK: “Kobe has a unique story-telling and concept selling for every collection which we support with concept books, digital imagery and brochures.
“The Aurora collection is very much focused on its light enhancing qualities, reflecting light back into an interior through a combination of colour, tone and texture. We wanted a range that sat with the current vogue for Scandinavian simplicity and Aurora was created to bring a touch of luxury to Nordic inspired interiors.”
Kobe UK, which holds a gold membership with the Trevira CS is part of the Dutch-based Kobefab International company which supplies more than 8,000 customers in over 60 countries with more than 7,000 products from its headquarters in Valkenswaard in Holland. More than 90% of its products are developed in-house and 95% of all sourcing is done in Europe. It has a wide range of 100% Trevira CS fabrics, regarded as the highest quality in FR fabrics and Oekoteks 100 certified. In addition to meeting the CRIB 5 standards, all contract upholstery fabric has undergone a Martindale test.
The UK operation is based in Crowthorne, Berkshire.
Kobe will be introducing the Aurora Collection at: Independent Hotel Show, 21-22nd October, Olympia. London. Stand IH26 Sleep 2014, Hotel Show, 26-27th November, Business Design Centre, London. Stand M32
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has recently announced the official opening of Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, formerly Oak Brook Hills Resort, conveniently located just west of downtown Chicago. Nestled in the upscale suburb of Oak Brook, Ill., the peaceful, 150-acre estate is home to Audubon certified 18-hole championship Willow Crest Golf Course and other premier amenities making the resort an ideal destination for getaways, golf trips, family vacations, weddings and business events. Situated just 30 minutes outside of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport, Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center is a multi-faceted retreat for leisure and business travelers alike.The scenic resort is home to 386 guest rooms, including 39 suites that offer a residential feel with breathtaking views of the lush Willow Crest Golf Course, a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary with sprawling willow trees and lakes. Accommodations at Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center are non-smoking, pet-friendly and designed with comfort and convenience in mind. Guest rooms feature contemporary in-room amenities including HDTVs, Wi-Fi, extra-large work areas, ergonomic work chairs, two 2-line speaker phones and in-room coffee makers. For fitness and recreational convenience, guests have access to the golf course, a 24-hour fitness center, indoor and outdoor swimming pools with whirlpools and saunas, billiard tables, game rooms, as well as tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. Guests can also explore nearby attractions including the Brookfield Zoo, Morton Arboretum, Chicagoland Speedway and Oak Brook Shopping Center.
Featuring 36 meeting venues throughout more than 42,500 sq. ft. of exhibition space, Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center offers all the amenities of a resort while providing convenience for business conference needs. From a tiered amphitheater seating 145 attendees to a 13,000 sq. ft. Grand Ballroom holding 1,500 guests, the property is an ideal venue for small and large business meetings, conferences, weddings, retreats, banquets and other social events. The highly trained Team Members at this International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) certified meeting center provide onsite support for the state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, as well as full-service catering customized through the assortment of Food & Beverage packages.
Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center offers dining options catered to travelers of all kinds. From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, guests can savor the resort’s farm-to-table culture at The Grille, serving local meats and cheeses in appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burger, flatbreads and more. During the warmer months, The Grille Patio is open for guests to relish the scenic resort while enjoying the restaurant’s innovative dishes made with only the freshest ingredients. The relaxed Windows Restaurant has something for every appetite, at every time of day, and the Lobby Café offers a variety of snacks and beverages, including Starbucks. Guests looking to enjoy a cocktail can visit the Lobby Bar for signature beverages with fresh squeezed juices and garnishes, all while overlooking the lavish Willow Crest Golf Club. Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center is also pleased to provide guests with a delicious room service menu.
The Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) portfolio is continuing to expand with a number of particularly notable new hotels openings joining the revered brand this year. From Avant-guard architecture in Miami to a carbon-neutral eco lodge in The Galapagos Islands and a converted 20th century palace in Madrid, this pick of new hotel additions highlights the ever growing diversity of the SLH collection.Vintro Hotel & Kitchen, Miami, USA – Opened July 2014 Vintro Hotel & Kitchen is a sophisticated new addition to SLH boasting 50 rooms and six suites. Located in the heart of the South Beach cultural district, the hotel is situated in an ideal location; close to the nightlife, the Bass Museum of Art, The New World Symphony and just steps away from the ocean. Guests can hire bikes from the hotel to tour the neighbouring areas, or charter the hotel’s ‘Vintro’ yacht with its crew and sail to the Biscayne Bay. Hotel amenities include an alluring interior courtyard leading to an alfresco dining area overlooking Collins Canal, a freshwater pool with a steam room and Jacuzzi, and a luxurious rooftop lounge and bar. The dining experience will be led by Executive Consulting Chef Giorgios Bakatsias who is collaborating with Chef de Cuisine, Keith Suarino; with signature dishes including salt crusted Florida red snapper with citrus and herbs and crispy calamari bruschetta.
Pikaia Lodge, Santa Cruz Island, the Galapagos – Opening September 2014 The new Pikaia Lodge will soon become the first SLH property to open in Ecuador, located in the centre of the Galapagos on Santa Cruz Island. The carbon-neutral lodge represents the next step in the evolution of luxury eco-adventure. With the 14 rooms nestled amongst the slopes of two extinct volcano craters, Pikaia Lodge offers expansive views of the arid savannah of the adjacent Galapagos National Park and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and nearby islands. Taking advantage of its central location, the hotel operates daily land and sea tours on its private yacht, as well as making use of its facilities including its own giant tortoise reserve, a gourmet restaurant, a bar and relaxing spa, and a beautiful pool.
Urso Hotel & Spa, Madrid, Spain – Opening September 2014 Urso Hotel & Spa will open its doors on 1 September 2014, making it Madrid’s first five-star boutique property. The early 20th century palace has been meticulously restored, creating a well-designed contemporary building with 78 rooms and suites. Nestled in between the Chamberi and Chueca neighbourhoods, the hotel is situated only five minutes from the city centre, perfect for exploring all that Madrid has to offer from its shopping, the “golden triangle” featuring the Reina Sofia, the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and its unrivalled nightlife. The 78 sleek and stylish rooms have been decorated with a blend of honey-toned woods, marble floors, fine fabrics and scattered rugs. Hotel amenities include a lap pool, fitness centre, stylish lounge bar and restaurant and Madrid’s first luxury branded spa by Spanish skincare specialist Natura Bissé, winner of Best Luxury Spa Brand in 2012 and 2013.
Please note: photo credit – Small Luxury Hotels of the World
2014 has so far been a very busy year for Burgess. Not only are we celebrating our 55th anniversary, in May we launched our new showroom in the heart of Dubai Media City which has been warmly welcomed by the hotel and design companies in the region. Burgess has been exporting to the Middle East for 43 years, the showroom is our way of further developing our footprint in the area.Burgess Furniture have always been innovators in the design and manufacture of conference and banqueting furniture. We were the very first European manufacturers of the aluminium stacking banquet chair, and with a manufacturing heritage of nearly 70 years, we are the market leaders for conference and banqueting furniture around the world.
This year at The Hotel Show we will be showcasing our Evosa chair range. The slender chrome plated steel frame together with the option of knitted mesh or upholstered back creates a modern chair of outstanding design and quality.
To this day, our banquet and conference chairs and tables are still designed and manufactured on-site in our factory in South-West London, and sold both in the UK and exported all over the world.
Come along to our stand 6D167 and see for yourself how extensive our range is.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) has announced the 200th hotel opening for its Staybridge Suites® brand – a milestone met faster than any other brand in the upscale extended stay segment. The opening of the 102-room Staybridge Suites Denver-Stapleton hotel expands the brand’s Denver, Colorado portfolio to five properties and creates 30 new jobs in the community. The Staybridge Suites Denver-Stapleton hotel is owned by Gary Tharaldson and managed by Tharaldson Hospitality Management, and is franchised by an affiliate of IHG. The new all-suite hotel is located a short drive from downtown Denver at 8101 E Northfield Blvd. in Denver, Colo., directly across the street from The Shops at Northfield Stapleton, which offer many shopping and dining venues for guest entertainment. In addition, the hotel is near the National Western Complex, a 600,000 square foot event facility that can accommodate groups from 50 to 10,000 people, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids Soccer Team and Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. The University of Colorado Hospital and Buckley Air Force Base are also both located nearby.
The Staybridge Suites Denver-Stapleton hotel features three well-designed spacious suite types (studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom/two-bath). The new property offers exceptional home-like surroundings including complimentary amenities such as Internet connectivity throughout the hotel with Wireless Anywhere, daily hot breakfast, Laundry Room, Fitness Room, Indoor Pool, and a 24-hour Business Center, as well as access to The Pantry, the hotel’s 24-hour convenience store. Guests can relax and mingle in the hotel’s Great Room during The Social evening receptions, held each Tuesday through Thursday, offering complimentary beer and wine and customizable entrées.
Harlequin launched its hotel-chic Momentum range three years ago, and it has rapidly become established as both an iconic brand within the company’s portfolio and a trend-setter within the interiors world.For autumn 2014, the studio has produced two fashion-forward collections of woven fabrics, a dramatic wallpaper collection, an innovative collection of sheers and structures and a range of decorative plains, all of which work together seamlessly to create a harmonious and über-chic effect. Tapping into the ‘look’ of the most sophisticated international boutique hotels, the Harlequin Studio has stretched the boundaries of design and innovation with this inspirational new addition to the Momentum story. Claire Vallis, Design Director, expands: “We felt very strongly that the most interesting interior design trends were being channelled through the newer, cutting-edge hotels and, having studied them, we tried to recreate this mood and feel in the latest Momentum collections. They are targeted at the domestic and contract markets, but they retain an architectural, structural feel.”
Momentum 5 comprises four textured upholstery fabrics, all of which meet contract standards: a rustic tweed, a relaxed stonewashed plain, a lustrous mesh effect velvet and a ribbed fabric with a twine effect running through it.
Momentum 6 encompasses eight eye-catching drapery designs: graphic but with a softened edge, the designs interpret organic and architectural features such as marbled surfaces, overblown florals, repeating mirrored patterns and a new take on an Ikat motif.
Momentum Sheers and Structures 2 follows in the footsteps of the highly successful first collection. The theme has been developed to incorporate more structured and layered effects, from inspiring three dimensional feature designs to relaxed stripes and versatile semi plain textures. Comprising 13 designs, seven of which are wide width, the range is enhanced by its palette of jewel, natural and moody urban shades.
Momentum Accents is a stylish, semi plain satin weave, with a subtle checked linear motif. The cross-colouring of the design creates movement in the fabric’s appearance, cleverly reflecting the light. Presented in 30 sumptuous shades, the collection is suitable for both drapes and upholstery.
Momentum Wallcoverings Volume 3 is a treasure trove of extravagant designs and textures, enhanced by a superb range of effects and shades.
Elegant and sophisticated, the wallpapers create the perfect backdrop to the fabrics, and also make a striking statement in their own right.
The entire 2014 collection benefits from a glorious colour palette that enhances the intrinsic beauty of the designs, incorporating fashion hues, gentle organic tones and warm jewel shades.
The Momentum collection’s latest additions will be launched at Decorex and Focus in September 2014.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced its world-renowned Sheraton brand will continue to expand its footprint in Thailand with the signing of Sheraton Samui Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand’s second largest island after Phuket. The agreement with TCC Hotels Group, a member of the TCC Land Group, marks the conversion of the existing 141-room Imperial Samui Beach Resort to a Sheraton, anticipated to take place by December 2014. “We are pleased to be able to continue the partnership and further strengthen our relationship with TCC Hotels Group, one of the leading developers in Thailand, on this conversion in Koh Samui, a popular resort destination,” said Lothar Pehl, Senior Vice President, Operations and Global Initiatives and Regional Vice President, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam; and Japan, Korea and Guam, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Sheraton is a global icon, with a strong reputation in key feeder markets for this location, and the hotel will strengthen our growing presence in Thailand.”
“The expansion and rebranding underscores TCC Hotels Group’s confidence and commitment to the future of Thailand’s tourism industry as it continues to embrace the advent of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015,” highlighted Khun Wallapa Traisorat, President of TCC Hotels Group, a member of the TCC Land Group.
“Starwood has developed a conversion-friendly strategy for existing hotels to meet the demands of owners and guests. With our powerful platforms, we are able to help our partners reposition existing assets in a cost-effective manner. Given that many are well-located but under-branded hotels, they present untapped opportunities for Starwood and is another channel for our growth. Thailand has already seen three conversions in the past few years,” said Rajit Sukumaran, Vice President of Acquisitions & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific.
Hilton Worldwide announced the opening of the newly-built Hilton Panama, a 347-room Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in Panama City, Panama. With a privileged location in the heart of this booming city that offers panoramic ocean views, this newest hotel in Panama City opens its doors just in time to celebrate the Panama Canal’s Centennial.Forming part of a 70-story mixed-use complex with offices, shopping and entertainment, the 16-story Hilton Panama boasts one of the most desired locations in the city on a prominent intersection on the Panama Bay. Just 20 minutes from Tocumen International Airport and minutes from Casco Viejo – the historic city, Hilton Panama is within walking distance of the financial district and many of the city’s finest restaurants, cafés and hotspots. Guests can go for stroll or bicycle ride along the Cinta Costera, along the bay right outside the hotel.
Designed by BA-HAUS / KNF, guests are introduced to a décor inspired by the spectacular views that serve as an effortless backdrop. A pleasant and upscale atmosphere combined with chic furnishings, intricate patterns and local elements create the perfect setting for fast-paced urban executives and global travelers. All aspects of this new hotel were carefully designed to ensure guests enjoy a world-class experience throughout their stay. This includes everything from upscale accommodations and delectable dining to flexible meeting space and the indulgent eforea: Spa at Hilton.
Ideal for both business and leisure travelers, the upscale Hilton Panama features 347 guest rooms, including executive floor rooms and suites all outfitted with the Hilton Serenity CollectionTM of amenities, wireless Internet access and more. Guests staying in an executive room or suite enjoy the added benefit of the hotel’s executive floor service and executive lounge, offering light snacks and beverages.
Dining at Hilton Panama is an experience offering guests six gastronomic options to enjoy an array of culinary creations. The hotel’s signature restaurant, Society Café, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and introduces guests to the talented and award-winning John Gray, executive chef with more than 25 years of experience who takes inspiration from Panamanian cuisine and puts a twist on the traditional. Guests can also choose from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, serving the finest selection of steaks and dishes; Saquella Restaurant, ideal for enjoying Italian style dining; Saquella Café Barista, offering quality coffee; Blue Bar, a relaxing environment for sipping cocktails with unparalleled views of the Bay of Panama; and the Pool Bar for poolside snacks and beverages. Twenty-four-hour room service is also available.
A great base for events and business travelers, the Hilton hotel in Panama City provides more than 23,000 square feet of flexible meeting space featuring 17 meeting rooms, including a ballroom for nearly 800 guests offering panoramic views of the Panama Bay. The ballroom is not the only room with amazing views as almost all spaces are adorned with natural light. The hotel also offers a business center with cutting edge work spaces and seamlessly integrated technology for maximum efficiency.
For those seeking pampering relaxation after a busy day, Hilton Panama introduces the first eforea: Spa at Hilton in Latin America. Featuring 5,000 square feet, eforea: Spa at Hilton offers an exclusive treatment menu, innovative design features and carefully selected product partners that appeal to today’s global travelers. As the spa experience becomes more important to business and leisure guests, the new eforea: Spa at Hilton located at Hilton Panama enhances the travel experience. A 24-hour, 5,000 square foot fitness center and an outdoor terrace swimming pool complete the facilities.
For many years my practice worked for island hotel groups, the Hugglers (see Club Hotel and Spa) and the Seymours of Jersey (see the Merton), through some very tough times for tourism on the island as it shrank from some 27,000 bedrooms to 9,000. For small islands there are many problems that affect the work of designers — limited competition between a few contractors, for example, who can carve up work between themselves and may have limited ranges of specialisation. Even supply from outside the island can put site work at the mercy of island transport links.
Transport links can also be a limiter on how guest reach hotels too. It may be there is only one airline serving the island, or a limited seat capacity restricting the ability to offer low prices or to raise tourism numbers. Jersey for example suffers from sea fogs which can restrict the ability of airlines to keep to schedules. Seat prices are high too.
Recently I was invited to look at a group of hotels on Sardinia. Interesting to see the island listed as having its own separatist movement wanting to take it back independently of Italy into being once again the Kingdom of Sardinia. Somehow for these separatist movements they are quite happy to believe that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Like Seymour’s who only operate on Jersey (Hugglers also operate the Apollo in England), Delphina only operates on the island, the owners being a construction group with a great eye for locations and the ability to move quickly to exploit them once found. Northern Sardinia is partly the Costa Smeralda. The hotels currently operate seasonally. You might think this is due to the weather, closing in winter being a sensible option, but no hotelier likes losing quality staff during a closure. No this is down to the fact that the airlines only operate the routes to the local airport seasonally.
Sometimes I wonder why Islands don’t operate their own airlines or ferry services rather than leaving themselves at the mercy of offshore operators — I guess the desire for independence doesn’t run to spending their own money. Delphina operates eight four and five star hotels in the north of Sardinia, beautifully located overlooking the coastline with its secret beaches and rocky coves, on the edge of a marine reserve that is a divers delight, and almost a part of the Costa Smeralda itself.
Sardinia has a pink granite rock a little like Jersey’s but unlike Jersey it is washed by warm seas with very little tidal rise and fall, allowing the permanent beach provision of umbrellas, sunbathing platforms, bars etc, unthreatened most of the year by the sea itself. The rock creates little almost private coves along the shore each with a small sandy beach slipping into a warm emerald sea. In addition the absence of threat from the sea itself enables a relaxed style of both townscape and hotel design that can rarely be found in the UK, enhanced by glorious riots of colour from oleander and bougainvillea.
In Sardinia the towns also build right to the sea, unlike England where they hide behind the beach defences and sea walls our up to 15 metre high tides demand, even before we talk of 14 metre high Atlantic or 20 metre North Sea waves. In Sardinia current legislation prevents any building close to the shore line but many hotels and towns go to the water’s edge as they pre-date this law and enjoy the barely half a metre rise and fall rhythm of the Mediterranean. With local roots and local pride Delphina makes the most of this heritage in its hotels. It uses local produce and local cuisine in its restaurants and emphasises its link with the sea by operating seawater Thalasso Spas in 6 of the hotels.The use of local stone builds (literally) the relationship with the local landscape.
Buildings are low rise and follow the contours, the architect and planners having a good eye for how to integrate the resort with the landscape, curving around both pools and the sandy beaches the small coves provide along the property waterfront. Rooms have balconies with sea views and paths through the oleander and bougainvillea lead guest via pools with waterfalls to the beach bars and sunloungers that fringe the beaches. In keeping with the architecture the interior design follows local tradition — painted walls, tiled floors, covered balconies and windows that open to let sea breezes cool and ventilate. Even in the summer heat the rooms feel cool and the vernacular of stone, thick walls, shuttered (and well shaded) windows create rooms that even though they have air conditioning are still cool without it on.
More surprising then is the fact that there is little sign of solar power being deployed given the endless days of sunlight. Washrooms are generously sized and few have baths — again driven by attitudes to water conservation and the quick shower taken after sea bathing. Baths are appropriate where soaking out the stress of a day is needed, but here holiday makers might shower two or three times a day so water conservation becomes a major consideration. For families with small children rooms with baths are available providing notice is given on booking.
This is an hotel without corridors in the conventional sense since all access is along paths that follow the contour lines, each bedroom unit being accessed via its own ‘front door’ off a ‘street’. Balconies look out to sea across gardens planted profusely with oleander and bougainvillea, the gorgeous colours enhanced by the strong Mediterranean sunlight.
In contrast the colours painted on the bedroom walls as faded blushes and blues, gently harmonising with the landscape and the fabrics. Schemes might at first glance seem bland but in a landscape of strong brilliant sunlight and shadow they are restful and calming, making rooms a retreat from the bright turquoise of the sea and the hard light of the sun. The timber used is traditional chestnut, used both for the traditional form furniture and also for the structural timbers that provide the framework for the planting that shades the walkways.
Use of local materials continues in the way in which the signage is controlled. Using outcrops of stone signage is either painted or incised into the local rock/boulders, integrating signage neatly into the landscape.
Running down from the Reception desk is the line of pools terminating on the beach. The chain of water provides a heart to the hotels, and each major point has its own restaurant and along the way the spa hides itself, with treatment rooms having delightful porthole windows that allow light in from beneath the water of the pools, filling them with a calming aquamarine dappling and restful for those having massage treatments.
Tucked away off a pathway the spa is ‘buried’ within the rock, merging into the same contour following building line adopted by the bedrooms. Even seen from the sea the development is skilfully enveloped by the landscape, and for the spa the use of treatment rooms underneath the level of the pools furthers this process of incorporation. The pools themselves are enlivened with water falls and spa areas, some linked as seawater treatment areas (Thalasso), some there for pleasure for those who prefer a pool to the beautifully warm crystal clear Mediterranean that laps tidelessly onto the beach (sigh)…
The walks meander through the gardens, sometimes passing rooms where balconies are furnished not just with loungers or tables and chairs but also with thoughtful rails for drying beach towels and costumes, where an evening beer can be – oh stop, enough! Writing this on a cool autumn evening under grey English skies this is torture…
Rooms have Wi-Fi and Sky TV, which has to compete with sunsets and birdsong and the inevitable noise of cicadas. Mr Hilton said location, location, location. Well Mr Hilton, say to that Sardinia, Sardinia, Sardinia. If you like swimming in a crystal clear sea, marine parks, sun and sand then this hotel facilitates that enjoyment. Skilfully planned, pleasantly serviced, generously sized it is well enough designed to slip gracefully into the background, not trying (as so many gauche designs do) to compete with experience of the holiday maker.
Here the memories will be of sunsets and the environment, the sea and sky, of bougainvillea. When asked the reply would be “the hotel – yeah- it was OK”. Impressing with aggressive design is not what its about here. Instead it is well designed to complement the holiday experience, not compete with it. Here the designers ego is subordinated to the hotel guest’s pleasure.
No Man’s Fort; a man-made island in the middle of the Solent, will open its doors in November after undergoing an extensive renovation. One of three forts owned by AmaZing Venues, the location will be bookable for overnight stays, corporate events and meetings from 10 November 2014.Built between 1867 and 1880 to protect Portsmouth from Napoleon III, No Man’s Fort is the smaller sister venue to Spitbank Fort which has been open since 2012.
The new fort will be able to host larger events; catering for 200 people and have 22 bedrooms. The exciting developments include two helicopter pads, a nightclub, laser tag, games rooms, snooker room, meeting space, rooftop hot-pool, lighthouse, gallery restaurant, wine bar and spa facilities with signature sea salt treatments where the salt is sourced from just five metres away.
Launching in time for the festive season, No Man’s Fort will have a special party night package called Fort Du Soleil which costs £150 per person* and starts with a boat ride out from Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth to fort at 6pm. After a welcome drink surrounded by acrobatic performers, partygoers will enjoy a four-course dinner followed by music and dancing in the Cabaret Bar. Revellers can roam the fort, using the games room, pool room and golf simulators throughout the evening. A special vodka luge and fire pit with rum hot chocolate and marshmallows will be open for guests before a midnight departure back to the mainland.
For those who are looking for more of a relaxed affair, No Man’s Fort will be offering a Sunday lunch experience with a difference. The Rule Britannia Banquet costs just £99 per person and includes collection from Gunwharf Quays at 11:15am and a boat ride to the fort with a welcome glass of bubbly. Delicious canapés will circulate as guests explore their new surroundings and lunch will be served at 2pm. A three-course beef banquet will include patriotic touches and musical accompaniment before the boat will be readied for a 5pm departure back to Portsmouth.
The fort will be accessible by boat, as well as by helicopter and overnight stays can be added to either the Fort Du Soleil or Rule Britannia Banquet packages from £150 per person, based on two sharing, which includes breakfast the following day and a return transfer to Gunwharf Quays by boat.
No Man’s Fort has everything for the ultimate getaway and those looking to stay a little longer on the fort can indulge in fishing, spa treatments and relaxing in the hot pool.
At this year’s 100% Design (17-20 September 2014, Earls Court, London), architectural signs specialist Signbox – stand O260 – will be showcasing a diverse range of workplace signage and graphic solutions that enable interior designers, architects and brand specialists to create inspirational working environments that are both functionary and visually appealing.Visitors will see a range of high quality and innovative signage solutions that can underpin timeless and productivity-inducing office fit-outs that stylishly communicate a brand’s message and values. It includes high quality printed wall graphics, optically-clear glass manifestations. brand/corporate signage, soft signage, bespoke wall fabrication and interactive smart signage.
One popular interactive sign application is StepJockey, a Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled solution that helps businesses to rate their stairs for calorie burning. Launched at last year’s 100% Design, StepJockey has already been installed at over 3000 sites as customers recognise the platform’s capability to create a healthier workplace, with the NFC capability allowing employees to engage with the initiative via their smartphone.
Also on show will be AskCody®, a modular and scalable digital concept for large buildings and campuses where wayfinding and efficiency is important. Bridging the gap between conventional static signage, and dynamic digital wayfinding and information technology, the solution combines smartphone guidance, directory signage, a virtual receptionist, interactive kiosks, dynamic maps, visitor management and meeting room signage with intelligent room booking and facility management to revolutionise the way employees and visitors interact with any site or location.
“Signbox is the go-to company for architects and interior designers in the office sector,” says Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox. “We understand the multi-faceted nature of the office environment, working closely with our clients in the sector to create bespoke signage solutions for exacting briefs. We look forward to speaking to visitors at 100% Design about how we can help them execute their designs in creative ways.”
From IncentiveWorks in Toronto, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., has recently announced that it will embark on a $90 million renovation of the Sheraton Centre Toronto, resulting in a floor-to-ceiling transformation of the hotel’s 1,371 guest rooms and suites. The revival of the Canadian flagship Sheraton property will begin in early November bringing a fresh look to guest rooms with rich colors, graphic patterns and clean lines inspired by Sheraton’s brand design, and a new energy efficient HVAC system. This comprehensive refurbishment is slated for completion in 2015. “As one of Toronto’s most prominent landmark hotels it is essential for us to provide the best accommodations and experience possible for visitors to the city,” said David Connor, Area Managing Director, Eastern Canada, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “The extensive renovation to our guest rooms and suites will bring a revived energy to our hotel. Our exceptional guest service and superior location in the heart of the city will assert our place as the premier option for those visiting the city.”
The completed renovation will include full guestroom and suite refurbishment, as well as replacement of all floor and wall finishes in public corridors and hallways. As a part of the re-design, the hotel will add two new guest rooms bringing the total room count up to 1,373. After completion of the renovation all guestrooms and suites will feature new case goods, seating, lighting, mirrors and window treatments.
Additional features will include:
• Wall-mounted 50” flat panel televisions in all guest rooms and suites. • All-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, designed to meet AAA’s Five Diamond Award® criteria. • Completely renovated bathrooms featuring low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucets reducing water consumption throughout the building. Some of the renovated bathrooms will feature walk-in showers. • An energy efficient, Variable Refrigerant Flow HVAC system which allows guests to control the thermostat in their room, providing personalized comfort regardless of the season. • Technologically-enabled guestrooms featuring wired and wireless Internet platform
Earlier this month the hotel completed a $13 million retrofitting of all guest room windows helping to reduce energy consumption and making the hotel more energy efficient overall, further reinforcing the hotel’s commitment and focus on reducing energy consumption by 30 percent and water consumption by 20 percent by the year 2020.
Additionally, the hotel recently completed renovations to its meeting space, refurbishing the meeting rooms on the Mezzanine and 4th floor as well as expanding to more than 130,000 sq. ft. with the addition of the Provincial and Willow Ballrooms.
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel is connected to the PATH, a 16-mile underground network of shops, including the renowned Eaton Centre Mall. The hotel offers signature Sheraton brand amenities, including the Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft®, a Sheraton Fitness Centre, Sheraton Social Hour providing travellers with access to premium wines through weekly evening tasting events and the all-white Sweet SleeperTM bed. Guests who book a stay on the Sheraton Club Level can enjoy panoramic views of downtown Toronto from the hotel’s 43rd floor Club Lounge while enjoying complimentary deluxe continental breakfast and a selection of cold canapés in the evening. The hotel features the city’s largest indoor-outdoor swimming pool with expansive sun-drenched terrace.
The new Belgravia exposed shower valve collection from Crosswater faithfully reproduces the style one might find in a luxury Victorian bathroom. The difference is, this one not only combines authentic period detail, but it has all the benefits of modern, hard wearing chrome plating, efficient, responsive and safe thermostatic control, and top quality function that allows water to be turned on and off or diverted between outlets instantly every time.Exposed pipework, elegant capstan headwork with ceramic indices and handsome levers for temperature and flow control between the hand shower and overhead, make this period piece the perfect feature in a classically styled bathroom. Temperature is clearly marked on a handmade ceramic ring at the centre of the shower control, and is simple to select using the smooth lever. The shower valve setup can be teamed with matching taps and accessories from the Belgravia Collection by Crosswater.
Crosswater Chairman David Hance, lead designer of Belgravia, says that the new exposed shower setup combines the best of the old and the new. “The shower is authentic in every detail, but behind the traditional exterior there is the pioneering modern thermostatic technology that Crosswater is proud to be renowned for.”
Every item in the Belgravia collection is shown in Crosswater’s new brochure, which can be viewed online at www.crosswater.co.uk, or via brochure apps available free of charge through iTunes and Google Play.
Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts EMEA, a division of Nikki Beach Worldwide, is proud to launch its latest hotel property Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli, which opened to its first guests last month.Situated in Porto Heli, a picturesque, cosmopolitan village in the eastern Peloponnese region of Greece, the new hotel, which is the brand’s 2nd hotel property and 11th permanent location in the world, will epitomise the brand’s philosophy of ‘Stay, Live, and Play’. Just 25 minutes from Athens by helicopter or a scenic 2.5 hour trip by catamaran or car, the new hotel is easily accessible.
Spanning 8,000 square metres, the new Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli, includes 66 state-of-the-art hotel rooms and suites, two restaurants, the brand’s world-renowned Beach Club, Nikki Spa, Tone Fitness Center and unique top line amenities. Originally built in the 1970s, the building has been completely transformed into a glamorous, boutique resort and is the area’s only seafront hotel offering unobstructed panoramic views of the glistening Aegean Sea. Based on Jack Penrod’s vision, the property was converted by Gasterelia Design in association with Athens based Arch Group and was renovated using Mediterranean inspired elements fused with high-end design.
In accordance with the hotel brand’s philosophy of energy variations and luxury, the rooms display different lighting moods and signature Nikki Beach in-room concepts. Including: MyBar (Nikki Beach’s unique version of the minibar), unlimited free movies on demand in all rooms that can also be streamed to hotel guest’s devices (viewable throughout the property); and GrooveShark, an exclusive service that enables guests to stream music on their phones or tablets.
Each room is complete with a large balcony and a spacious bathroom with Malin & Goetz products, a deep tub and a spacious walk in shower. Guests are able to indulge in spa treatments and relaxation services at the Nikki Spa and work out at Tone Fitness, a state-of-the-art gym with classes and personal training services available. Pearl, the sprawling rooftop lounge, features an innovative sushi, pan-Asian and cocktail menu and is the perfect setting to watch the gorgeous sunset. The Nikki Beach Restaurant & Beach Club is modeled after the same stylish, contemporary look and feel as all of the brand’s locations around the world and is adorned with plush, all-white sun beds.
Guests are able to spend their days and evenings indulging in refreshing cocktails, champagne and an extensive menu of delectable dishes featuring signature tastes and spices representative of all the countries Nikki Beach is located in. The menu includes delicious salads, creative sushi rolls, original seafood entrees and slow-roasted free-range rotisserie chicken. The seafront beach club and restaurant includes an infinity pool, indoor & outdoor dining options and weekly events.
Attentive and friendly service, lavish themed-events, exceptional dining, music and entertainment and the all-around ambiance and hospitality, will make Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli a luxurious haven of choice for the world’s jet-set, VIP and celebrity clientele.
A Shade Above, the bespoke lampshade specialist, is now producing a carrier that makes fitting lampshades easier!
Anyone who has worked with placing new or existing lampshades on lamp bases in hotels knows that getting the right fitting at the right height can be tricky. This adjustable lampshade carrier, available in brass and nickel, is a one-stop carrier that fits on an ES or BC lamp base. Both ‘U.S. finial’ and ‘duplex’ lampshades sit on the carrier and the height can be adjusted to suit. Choose from either a small carrier which extends from 6” to 8” or a large carrier extending from 8.5” to 11”.
The carriers are easy to use and can be adjusted by hand with secure thumbnail grips. They are supplied with converters for use with ES or BC lampbases. A finial knob and nut set can also be supplied to secure your finial lampshade.
Prices are £12 for 1-9 units and £10 for 10+ shade carrier units. Please contact A Shade Above on 01273 881130 or design@ashadeabove.co.uk for more information or visit www.ashadeabove.co.uk
A Shade Above is nearly 30 years old and specialises in exquisite handmade bespoke lampshades for the interior design and lighting industries.
Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG (VI), the biggest Austrian hotel operator, will act as management partner for the 5-star Marriott Hotel Minsk. The opening of the high-end property is planned for the beginning of 2015. After expanding in Germany, the Austrian hotel group, Vienna International Hotelmanagement AG, is taking over a management contract for the international Marriott Hotel brand in Minsk, Republic of Belarus. The 220-room high-end property is owned by Falcon Investment Company LLS. Consulting activities during the preopening period and operation of the property after its opening are incorporated in the management contract.
Dr. Andreas Karsten, CEO of VI Hotels, sees big potential in the take-over of the hotel management: “Our core business is the successful management of hotels. Now we are strategically positioning ourselves as franchisee for an international brand for the Marriott Hotel Minsk. We see a new market for VI as well as additional potential for the future.”
Dr. Thani Al Kuwari, the director of Falcon Investment Company LLS, sees a great opportunity for a constructive collaboration: “We expect this hotel project to be very successful and to become the place to stay in the 5-star segment in Minsk. The high service standards and reputation of Marriott and VI, as well as the perfect location and unsaturated market, have a grand promise for a successful investment.”
“The hotel is due to open under the brand name Marriott System Hotel. We are happy to have VI Hotels & Resorts as a partner who has been active for 25 years on the Eastern European markets and in the high-end hotel industry,” says Mohammed Dawood Salman Al-Qaes, Managing Partner of PD Vivat Project Development, the company managing the project on behalf of the investor. Martin Lachout, Chief Project Developer at VI, points out the group’s strengths in this deal: “Due to our long-term experience in Eastern European countries, the VI group is known for its competent market know-how in terms of development and tailor-made management solutions on an international high-quality service level.”
One of the centre-pieces of the design-led Kartell by Laufen collection has been shortlisted in the Residential Product category of this year’s SBID International Design Awards.The Kartell by Laufen mirrors have been selected as one of the qualifying projects by a technical panel of judges in the first stage of the process.
Epitomising the philosophy of the entire collection of creating open, flexible spaces designed to work more like a living room, the mirrors fit seamlessly into the contemporary or classically styled bathroom and turn the entire washbasin area into a striking focal point.
Measuring 780mm in diameter, the circular mirrors feature a distinctive pleated frame, which can be chosen in a colour to create different moods or as a match for the furniture in the Kartell by Laufen collection – from gold for an opulent finish, orange for a bold, bright look or transparent for the last word in modern minimalism.
The public are now invited to cast their votes for their favourite entries at www.sbidawards.com, with votes counting towards the overall results. Public voting will close at 5.30pm on Friday 5 September, with the winners announced at the SBID International Design Awards Ceremony, held at The Dorchester hotel in London on Friday, 14 November.
The full line-up of judges for this year’s awards will include: • Kevin Mau, Senior Creative Director at The Boeing Company • Ben McOwen Wilson, Director of Content Partnerships at YouTube • Jane Preston, Facilities Manager UK, Real Estate & Workplace Services at Google • David Lewis, Managing Director of Sunseeker London • Christopher Jenner, Creative Director at Eurostar • John Mathers, CEO of the Design Council • Mathew Dalby, Design Director at yoo • Carolina Calzada, Managing Director at Global Color Research • Patrick Taylor, Managing Director of Taylist Media • Katharine Pooley, Founder & Managing Director of Katharine Pooley Ltd • Theresa Dowling, Editor and Group Editorial Director for Progressive Market Intelligence design titles (FX, Blueprint).
On 21st and 22nd October, at Olympia West Hall in London, Hansgrohe will make its debut at the specialist Independent Hotel Show. In addition to exhibiting at Sleep in November, the decision to sign-up for IHS is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to the hospitality sector.It also recognises the needs of smaller boutique hotels; to provide outstanding quality, attentive service, comfortable luxury and an overall unique experience that makes them standout from the competition but, crucially, must also be profitable.
Hansgrohe understands these needs and demonstrates on Stand 187 how the necessity of a bathroom can be transformed into a highlight for the hotel guest. Visitors can experience first-hand Hansgrohe’s innovative Select technology which offers user-friendly push-button controls. With all the simplicity and pleasure of a digital shower experience, Select has the added advantage of a reliable mechanical operation that is also easy to install.
Hansgrohe EcoSmart products deliver savings on water and energy bills while still providing a refreshing experience for guests with no compromise. Examples will be demonstrated on the stand, along with some project examples of boutique hotel installations including the Sands Hotel in Margate and the Belgraves London.
From the Axor designer brand, the Axor LampShower will demonstrate the magic of light and water fusing together to create a dramatic highlight in the hotel bathroom. For hotels preferring a classic look, there is Axor Montreux and Talis Classic or for more avante garde PuraVida or Axor Starck Organic.
Jay Phillips, National Sales Manager – Projects, comments, ‘This year is our first year of exhibiting at the ‘Independent hotel show’, so we’re really excited to be able to promote and share our award winning shower and brassware products. Over the years, Hansgrohe have supplied many boutique hotels who see the value in specifying our products that are at the forefront of Design, Innovation, and Sustainability. The show provides a perfect opportunity to showcase our Axor Manufaktur special finishes service that offers a real differential to any bathroom, along with new products, and I Specify our new specification tool, that supports everyone associated with bathrooms in the hospitality sector’.
Patrick Goff and Christine Brett are attending Decorex this year on the Sunday; so if you’d like to make an appointment to speak to them, please contact Patrick Goff on: patrick.goff@hoteldesigns.net.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world’s largest hotel companies, has announced the signing of Holiday Inn® Kayseri – Düvenönü (Turkey). Operating under a franchise agreement with Ali Sert Otel Tur. Ins. San. Tic. LTD, the new build hotel is due to open in early 2016.The 161-room hotel will feature six meeting rooms, a gym and three treatment rooms, a rooftop bar and lounge offering panoramic views, as well as Holiday Inn’s signature Open Lobby.
The Holiday Inn Open Lobby takes a unique approach to the in-hotel experience for guests, which has transformed the traditional hotel lobby format by combining the front desk, lobby, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business centre into one open, cohesive space, while refreshing the design to give it a more contemporary feel. The Open Lobby has been established by understanding how people use space at home in order to give guests the most flexibility, whether they’re looking to eat, relax, work, or have fun in one integrated space.
Occupying a prime location in Kayseri’s city centre, Holiday Inn Kayseri – Düvenönü is just a short distance from the city’s cultural and historical attractions including Gevher Nesibe Hastahanesi and the Archaeological Museum, as well as the trading centre. A large number of offices are within walking distance from the hotel and it is also well connected by train.
Yalin Yaltiraki, Director of Development, Turkey, IHG commented: “Kayseri is a growing city and Holiday Inn Kayseri – Düvenönü is well positioned to offer quality accommodation at a reasonable price to business clientele and tourists here. This hotel is going to be an excellent representation of the brand and we’re very much looking forward to working with Ali Sert and his team.”
Ali Sert, Owner of Ali Sert Otel Tur. Ins. San. Tic. LTD commented: “We’re very excited to be developing our first hotel with IHG. The Holiday Inn brand has a great reputation in the industry and this hotel will offer guests a comfortable night’s stay in modern surroundings in Kayseri.”
The Stockport Plaza Super Cinema and Variety Theatre was built in the early 1930s in Greater Manchester, England. Architect, W Thornley designed the property in 1929, and it was completed in 1932. In 1967, the Plaza was converted in to a bingo hall and operated until 1998, when Mecca closed it and put the building up for sale. The Cinema Theatre Association and English Heritage had been successful in getting the Plaza Grade 2 listed in 1997 just before it’s closure. It is currently run by the Stockport Plaza Trust, the local authority having loaned the money for its acquisition. A programme of repairs and full restoration to its 1932 glory has been on-going since 2009.
The entire external façade has been completely restored to its original cream ensemble and sports a new name sign as well as red and green side panels, all constructed with neon lighting.
The interior of the building is Egyptian-themed and is said to have been inspired by the Paris Exhibition of 1925, with gold ceilings and bas-relief murals of nymphs. The auditorium has the same style, and features ornamental grilles, niches, cornices and decorative lights, topped by a large dome. A Compton organ was installed at the centre of the orchestra pit, against a square, decorative proscenium.
In 2009, Architect Liz Mather of Brock Carmichael Architects, specialists in conversation work approached Brintons as she wanted to recreate the original art deco carpets, they had black and white photos of the interiors which showed the design details but not the colour used. The restoration team removed layers of paint which had been applied to the doorframes and ceilings and analysed the date of the paint to see what colours were used in the period the property was built. The restoration team also visited Brintons archive to view hand painted art deco design papers to identify what colours where used in carpet design during the period.
Brintons Designer Jane Bradley-Bain recreated the carpet designs using the original photos and design papers from Brintons archive. Brintons supplied a purple geometric carpet for the basement, stairs, foyer and auditorium and a green carpet with an angular motif for the Cafe.
In August 2014 Brintons supplied further carpet for the circle and balcony areas using the design, which was used in auditorium, supplying over 2,431 sqm2 of Custom Axminster carpet in total.
During this part of the refurbishment the Plaza also installed replica seating which is an exact match of those in situ on opening night – October 7th 1932.
Gary Trinder, Vice-Chairman & Technical Director, Stockport Plaza Trust said,
“Brintons have supplied custom designed carpet for the Plaza Super Cinema & Variety Theatre Stockport which replicates the 1932 original. Their attention to detail and customer service has been exemplary. With expert fitting by Newards of Manchester the finished results are stunning. A job thoroughly well done!”
Leading British shower designer and manufacturer Roman are extending their range of products to Ireland. This week they have officially launched ‘Roman Ireland’ which is an extension of the Roman Brand across every County in Ireland. Roman Ireland is located in Naas, County Kildare and will be focussed on Roman’s Decem, Lumin8, Embrace and Haven collections. There will be deep stock available of these 10, 8 and 6mm ranges, including Shower Enclosures, Bath Screens, Wetrooms and Shower Trays. A rapid national delivery service is part of Roman Ireland’s service to deliver the highest quality of products.
Roman Ireland is an extension of Roman but based in Ireland – all aspects and benefits of Roman Ireland remain the same as the leading UK shower designer and manufacturer. Roman is a reputable and well established British brand – just about to celebrate 30 years supplying showering products all over the World. The company’s foundations are strongly rooted in; innovative design, manufacture, quality and customer service. Their products are used in some of the finest hotels Worldwide. Roman’s current customer support network will support Roman Ireland at each stage, from initial enquiry through to after sales care and advice. Roman employs over 20 full time members of staff in their Customer Support Centre, who all receive comprehensive training on the manufacture and installation of Roman’s collection of products.
Roman Ireland will provide a complete display and installation service with their highly trained and experienced Roman fitters. Roman has established an experienced and talented team for Roman Ireland and the sales team is headed up by Peter Nolan.
Roman’s entire range of products are now available on Virtual Worlds software, nationwide retailers are now able to design specifying from the complete Roman range. The company’s ongoing programme with Virtual Worlds ensures that their CAD catalogues will always be current and comprehensive.
David Osborne, Managing Director of Roman, commented: “We are very excited to be launching our key ranges into Ireland, extending the Roman Brand, whilst ensuring our products and services remain of the highest of quality. Historically we have always done well in Ireland and the time is now right to launch with a clear focus in Ireland – and offer product and service benefits for the retail and contract market in the whole of Ireland.”
Marriott International, Inc. continues to grow its world-class luxury JW Marriott hotel brand with the opening of the 150-room JW Marriott Santo Domingo. The much anticipated hotel is located in the upscale Piantini financial district and located inside the luxurious Blue Mall which that features several fine dining restaurants and high end shops such as Cartier, Carolina Herrera and Louis Vuitton.
Sure to be the city’s newest hotspot, the stunning VERTYGO 101 lounge, the Dominican Republic’s first “floating” restaurant and bar, features a glass floor terrace rising 101 feet above the bustling city street below and offers a full menu of crafted cocktails and innovative food items.
Along with VERTYGO 101, the JW Marriott Santo Domingo also houses the exclusive Winston Grill & Patio, a sophisticated fine dining restaurant overseen by the talented Chef Sergio Delfino that features Latin-American specialties with an Asian influence as well as an extensive international wine and cocktail menu.
The modern and sophisticated 150 rooms and suites will all include the highest speed wireless internet on the market, LCD TV’S, apple TV in every room, embedded TVs in the bathroom mirrors, alarm clocks with iPhone 5 and iPad docking station, Nespresso coffee machine and the signature JW Marriott brand Aromatherapy bathroom amenities. The presidential suite will feature some of the most high-end details in the Caribbean, including an $8,000 Kholer bath tub with light therapy, massage and hydrotherapy to reach the highest level of relaxation after a long day in Santo Domingo.
The stunning hotel also offers 9 event spaces, totaling over 2,938 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, including the 1,158 square foot ballroom. The excellent location along with the luxurious accommodations and outstanding service offered at the JW Marriott Santo Domingo is sure to make this hotel the number one choice to host social and business events in the city.
Rockcliffe Hall is the only 5 Red Star resort in the North of England, and the current home of the English Senior Golf Open. Located on the banks of the River Tees outside the village of Hurworth, in the picturesque County Durham countryside.Cubbins has worked with Rockcliffe Hall in creating a range of bespoke bedroom and bathroom accessories.
Cubbins were asked by Rockliffe Hall to create a range of waste paper bins, laundry bins and tissue boxes for their elegant luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms. Along with magazine holders and umbrella stands for their relaxing lounge and impressive entrance hall.
Rockcliffe chose to commission Cubbins to design their accessories due to their high quality of manufacturing and their ability to design totally bespoke products to fit in with their individually designed interiors. It was also appealing to have all their products designed and manufactured not only in the UK but in the North East of England.
Emma Middleton, Director of Cubbins said ‘it has been a long time since we have been involved in a project in the North East, but as customers expect more from their accommodation, we hope to see many more North East hotels improving their interiors and giving customers all they need for a home from home experience. We were delighted to work with Rockcliffe Hall, the staff were very friendly and passionate about their unique hotel.’
Further to the successful refurbishment programme of a trio of Movenpick hotels in the Netherlands in 2013, Chelsom were commissioned to supply the lighting for the extensive refurbishment of the superior four-star Movenpick Hotel Paris Neuilly ideally located in the heart of the city with views of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. During the renovation of the 281 guestrooms and suites, Chelsom worked in collaboration with the teams at ARA Design and Chandler KBS, who project managed the complex roll out plan, to ensure that the exacting design requirements were met and that the stringent French regulations were adhered to.
Working closely with ARA Design, Chelsom devised a lighting solution which delivered the utmost in terms of style and functionality and was in keeping with the wider interior scheme which effortlessly balanced contemporary design with the elegant atmosphere of Parisian chic. The scheme incorporated a mixture of existing fittings, standard product from Chelsom’s collection and custom- designed pieces at the specification of the team at ARA Design with clean, contemporary lines and neutral tones at the forefront.
Custom-designed pendants featuring striking French Drum shades in off-white silk with black trim where commissioned for the bedside lighting, suspended from the ceiling and supported from the wall giving the illusion they hover above the bedside tables. LED reading lights in Polished Chrome with bullet heads were also specified along with inverted wall lights, providing the perfect balance of functionality and design for the bedside lighting requirements. Stylish cone shaped shade fittings were chosen for the wall lighting while standard Chelsom floor and table lamps from the ‘Swing’ range were customised to give a much more elegant look in keeping with the interior scheme and were teamed with colour matching shades in off white to compliment the colour palette of the guestrooms whilst offering ambient lighting to enhance the guest experience.
Hilton Worldwide announced the opening of Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park, a 299-room newly-built Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in the prestigious master planned community of Granite Park in Plano, Texas located just north of Dallas.The opening of Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park signals the latest addition to the 90-acre mixed-used development. Located at the Sam Rayburn Tollway and the Dallas North Tollway, it is just 25 minutes from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and 20 minutes from Dallas Love Field Airport.
Designed by BOKA Powell, a nationally recognized architectural design, planning and interior design firm, the hotel is an integral part of privately-held Granite Properties commercial real estate holdings in Dallas.
Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park hotel features amenities designed to appeal to the modern business and leisure guest offering a corporate living room environment and coffee bar style lounge area with a combination of community tables and den seating to encourage public gathering and collaboration. The lobby includes a spacious media bar with 12 large flat screen televisions and a unique multi-purpose technology lounge. The hotel’s interior design melds the region’s agrarian history with modern amenities, furnishings and lighting. Guest rooms incorporate a modern palate of upscale finishes with stone countertops, custom sinks, lighted mirrors and a mosaic back-lit tile. Each room features an ergonomic desk and 47-inch flat screen TV, mini- refrigerator and Hilton serenity bed.
At the heart of the hotel is Carso Mediterranean Grill offering a wide variety of cuisine featuring fresh ingredients from the region inspired by locally renowned Executive Chef Anthony Bombaci. Other hotel amenities include a Precor fitness center and an outdoor pool with fire pit with plush resort seating. A pedestrian waterfront boardwalk connects the hotel to the 30,000 square foot conference center which boasts flexible meeting space, an expansive pre-function area and two ballrooms, a complimentary 24-hour business center and state-of-the-art A/V technology.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has announced the opening of Element Harrison – Newark, the brand’s second hotel in New Jersey. Featuring 138 stylish, sustainable rooms and a light-filled atmosphere designed to fuel a life in balance and on the move, the new Element will quickly emerge as the social hub of Harrison’s burgeoning urban lifestyle scene where business and leisure travelers, professional sports fans and locals will intersect in a fun, stimulating setting. The hotel is owned by Harrison Hotel 1, an entity of Ironstate Holdings, LLC and The Pegasus Group, and managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts. Minutes from Manhattan, Jersey City and Newark via the adjacent PATH Station and five miles from Newark International Airport, Element Harrison – Newark offers easy access to the area’s myriad cultural, recreational, dining and entertainment pursuits. When not socializing in the hotel’s welcoming lobby or outdoor patio, guests can walk to a variety of new shops and restaurants and are within proximity of Newark’s downtown business district. Sports and entertainment can be found at Harrison’s 25,000-seat soccer stadium for the NY Red Bulls professional soccer team, and the Prudential Center in Newark, which is home to the New Jersey Devils hockey team, college basketball and concerts throughout the year.
Designed by progressive New York architectural firm HWKN, the new hotel features a distinctive façade that tips its hat to the innovative thinking of the Element by Westin brand. By creating a trompe l’oeil effect (trick of the eye), HWKN toyed with the building’s form – creating the playful illusion that each window is three dimensional. The highly cost effective yet eye catching design response mirrors the Element’s offering to extended stay visitors.
The stylish, sustainable rooms and suites at Element Harrison – Newark feature a fluid design of modular furniture, flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving, custom-designed closets and original artwork from local artists. Rooms will also offer fully-equipped kitchens and the signature Heavenly® Bed, and spa-inspired bathrooms will feature an invigorating rain shower and dual-flush toilet. Other brand signatures include a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness center, indoor pool, and a 1,500 square-foot meeting room with modular furnishings, a flexible layout and state-of-the-art technology that can be customized to meet any business or social needs. Guests can stay on the move with Element’s complimentary bikes to borrow and enjoy fun and free extras including complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, the signature RISE breakfast, RELAX evening reception, and salon bar carts stocked with premium wines and beers, soft drinks and snacks, available after hours.
Element Harrison – Newark was developed by Ironstate Holdings, LLC and The Pegasus Group as part of the Partnership’s larger, mixed-use development that will ultimately comprise 2,600 luxury residential residences and 80,000 square feet of street-level retail space, the first phase of which has already been completed. A hotbed of activity and investment, Harrison is also benefitting from a $256 million upgrade of the PATH Station by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Security Essen, the world’s largest fire and security show, being held in Germany from 23rd to 26th September, is the latest trade show to feature new aspiration detection technologies from Honeywell.
The FAAST portfolio, including a preview of the new high sensitivity four-inlet XT device, will be showcased at the Honeywell Booth 211 in Hall 3. Amongst the activities will be live demonstrations of FAAST achieving false alarm immunity in industrial conditions and hands-on FAAST LT and Pipe IQ design sessions.Frank Dam, Honeywell Sales Manager, has been announced as one of the keynote speakers in the Security Forum on 25 September in Hall 7 from 14:00. He will outline the importance of next generation detection in challenging environments.
Frank Dam said, “FAAST offers class-leading leading levels of false alarm immunity, extensive coverage and integrated communications and is being specified in an increasingly wide range of applications. Security Essen provides a great opportunity to communicate new product developments and to outline how the latest technologies can overcome some of the most challenging environmental conditions and provide increased levels of protection.”
Gintare Budriunaite, Honeywell’s Marketing Manager for speciality fire detection products, added, “The market for aspiration detection is changing. Once the remit of clean rooms and data centres, it is now becoming the technology of choice for industrial locations, airports, warehouses, shopping developments and even power generation and nuclear facilities. This is thanks to sophisticated filtration and optics technologies which deliver high sensitivity detection with the highest levels of false alarm immunity, opening the door to many other applications where smoke detection was difficult or impossible. We are looking forward to showcasing the extended FAAST portfolio at the largest trade show in the fire and security calendar.”
FAAST is part of the Honeywell booth which will be featuring the latest innovations in fire alarm, management and notification systems as well as access control, intruder detection, video surveillance and integrated security solutions on more than 1,200 m².
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) recently announced the opening of the Holiday Inn Express® Culiacan hotel in the northern state of Sinaloa, Mexico. The seven-story hotel features 174 spacious guestrooms including two beautiful suites and is the first Holiday Inn Express® hotel for the city. “The Holiday Inn Express Culiacan hotel is perfect for both business and leisure travelers seeking contemporary accommodations in the Tres Rios Culiacan area” said Gerardo Murray, regional vice president, Distribution and Commercial Marketing, Mexico, Latin America & Caribbean, IHG. “We are really excited to welcome this new property as it continues to demonstrate IHG’s strong growth in Mexico.”
The Holiday Inn Express Culiacan hotel is owned and managed by Inmobiliaria Pueblo Yaqui, S.A. de C.V., and is franchised by an affiliate of IHG. Conveniently located right off Jesus Sarabia and Pedro Infante Ave., the hotel is minutes away from a variety of shopping areas, restaurants and entertainment venues. Additionally, the hotel has three flexible meeting rooms with a total capacity up to 60 guests.
The hotel offers guests a comfortable, affordable stay with innovative, preferred-guest upgrades to ensure a pleasurable experience with amenities that include a 24-hour fitness center, complimentary high-speed Internet access and a business center. The complimentary Desayuno Express bar features a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, pastries, yogurt, fruit, juices, regional dishes, and coffee. Guest rooms will feature contemporary styling, comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, includes 32” HD TVs and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary coffee. The SimplySmart™ shower incorporates a proprietary Stay Smart™ Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod. Upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and bath products are also included. Guests will enjoy the SimplySmart™ bedding collection, where they will find crisp, fresh bedding that features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket, soft, 200 thread-count sheets and pillows that come in two comfort levels: “soft” and “firm”.
A stunning infinity Skypool is now open 52 floors above ground level in the sleek Gŏng bar at the Shangri La Hotel, at The Shard – making it the highest pool in Western Europe.Far above the noise and heat of the City, the Skypool offers a tranquil escape for hotel guests by day, before the separation screens are drawn back as the sun sets and it becomes a unique addition to London’s highest bar, Gŏng.
Facing west across the City, the 11x4m heated pool features stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and Westminster, providing the perfect spot to enjoy the iconic vistas.
Feeling on top of the world, from 8.30pm onwards Gŏng guests can enjoy a spot of sophisticated poolside glamour while they sip on signature creations from the dedicated cocktail bar such as the Bermondsey Bubbles – Jensen’s Dry Bermondsey Gin, Rose liqueur, creole bitters and champagne; or the award-winning Black and Blue Swizzle – Talisker, honey, lime, PX sherry and blue cheese.
Champagne lovers can enjoy a wide selection from the champagne bar from rare grower varieties up to the ultimate Grand Marques, and indulge in luxury bar snacks such as Cornish crab, foie gras, and a selection of the finest caviar. The 30-cover poolside area can also be hired exclusively for the most spectacular sky-high party.
Designed by Andre Fu of AFSO, Gŏng is inspired by the mythical aspect of ‘dou-gong’ – a series of interlocking brackets that are used extensively in historical Chinese architecture. The Skypool fits seamlessly with the traditional Eastern design combined with modern Western glamour and an oversized ‘paint scroll’, measuring a length of 15m, appears to float overhead.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), announces the opening of the new-build, 108-room Holiday Inn Express® hotel in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The hotel is located in the heart of the Tegucigalpa’s new financial and commercial district of Plaza San Rafael, and near the country’s major financial institutions, including BAC Honduras, Banco Davivienda and BCIE (Central American Bank for Economic Integration). The Holiday Inn Express Tegucigalpa hotel is also connected to some of the main city thoroughfares such as Boulevard Morazan and is conveniently accessible to a variety of restaurants. Owned and managed by Latin American Hospitality Management S.A., a subsidiary of Grupo AGRISAL, the hotel is franchised by an affiliate of IHG and is IHG’s fifth property in Honduras. Additionally, the property is the second IHG®-branded hotel in Tegucigalpa, joining the Real InterContinental® Tegucigalpa hotel and the second Holiday Inn Express property for Honduras, joining the Holiday Inn Express San Pedro Sula.
Baulmann Leuchten is going to present their latest product developments in New York City on the SDA showcase from September 15th to 17th in the Metrolpolitan Pavilion Manhattan. For over 50 years Stand Deutsch Associates (SDA) has represented the best in lighting products to New York’s design community. Every other year, their manufacturer showcase is giving the NY design community a chance to get up close and personal with the latest product developments.
Together with their local partner in the USA, Solavanti Lighting from Dallas Texas, Baulmann Leuchten will make their range also available now for the US designers and clients.
Variety is the name of the game when it comes to offering the perfect tap for everyone. Each household has unique requirements that need to be fulfilled, from easy operation for older people to easy accessibility in households with children. From filling tall pots and vases to a quick hair wash at the washbasin – taps need to be flexible enough for a wide variety of uses. That is why the extensive range of GROHE taps and fittings now includes size variants from XS to XL as well as a broad choice of different designs to coordinate with all bathroom decors. With the new medium-height taps, and vessel spouts for freestanding washbasins GROHE now completes its offer. The result is a range of taps that leaves no wish unfulfilled.
Medium-height spouts in modern designs
Wash basins come in all shapes, sizes and heights but with GROHE you can always find the right tap to fit. The new medium-height variants added to Quadra, Lineare, Eurocube, Eurodisc Cosmopolitan and Concetto offer even greater comfort by giving users more free space to wash their hands. Moreover, the optimised size ratios allow for more comfortable access to the lever and a more ergonomic lever action.
Elegant taps for freestanding wash basins
The Allure, Quadra, Lineare, Eurocube and Eurodisc Cosmopolitan lines now include newly designed single-lever mixers for freestanding washbasins. The height and reach of the taps has been specially adapted to these styles of basins. The longer spouts leave more room for users’ hands, ensuring optimum use of available space.
Different spout lengths for a perfect fit
Versatility is the hallmark of the new wall-mounted two-hole basin combinations. They are suitable both for conventional wash stands and for freestanding basins. The Quadra, Lineare, Eurocube, Eurodisc Cosmopolitan and Essence lines from GROHE all include variants with two different spout lengths. This allows users to select a tap that is optimally matched to the wash basin and their specific needs.
Innovative technologies for carefree enjoyment
Apart from their stylish looks and superior functionality, the new product variants also score big points on user safety and economy. The taps incorporating the GROHE SilkMove® 28 mm cartridge benefit from an integrated temperature limiter, which not only offers reliable protection against scalding but also help users manage their energy consumption. In addition, the GROHE EcoJoy® water saving technology reduces water consumption to 5.7 litres per minute without detracting from the water experience. The GROHE StarLight® finish safeguards the brilliant sheen of these taps and makes them soil repellent and scratch resistant, ensuring good-as-new looks for years of heavy use.
The new tap offering from GROHE delivers an unprecedented range of spout heights and designs for improved user choice and convenience.
The legendary Sunset Marquis Hotel is proud to announce the completion of its 100 remodeled suites. These junior and one-bedroom suites offer oversized bathrooms, in-room dining/work area and custom furniture in vibrant and inviting colors. With an average of 529 Sq. Ft. in the suites, most rooms have balconies or roomy patios. Interior designer Oliva Villaluz has been involved in the renovations of the Sunset Marquis for 10 years, working alongside Sunset Marquis’ Owner Mark Rosenthal, to develop a new look for this celebrated property.Originally a set designer, Oliva’s vision was to take the 1960’s look back to a more classic style with a little twist. Villaluz brings her singular vision of modernity, casual elegance and zen infusion to an eclectic array of Hollywood’s most prestigious properties.
Villaluz’s goal was to create a “home away from home” for Hollywood’s elite. With rich textures and colors, the vibe of the hotel is a bit more masculine and comfortable. “I traveled for inspiration,” Oliva said, going as far as Shanghai & Beijing to source out textiles, metals and furnishings. The charismatic, petite powerhouse is driving projects, which include not only The Sunset Marquis Hotel, but also Raleigh Studios, Fess Parker Winery, Crescent Hotel Beverly Hills, and dozens of high end private residences.
Cavatina, located at the Sunset Marquis, sits in the center of the property’s lush oasis landscape. Owners George and Mark Rosenthal collaborated on the restaurant’s interior and wanted the overall feel to be more inviting and relaxed. This “hidden” gem not only offers a cozy upgraded patio for al fresco dining, but also new lounge areas for casual dining and drinking. Inside Cavatina, celebrity photographs taken by renowned photographer and longtime hotel guest, Timothy White, line the walls. “We are excited to unveil this completed remodel of Sunset Marquis, which has undergone many changes since its inception in 1963. This new remodel will offer our guests an even more superior experience,” said Rod Gruendyke, General Manager of Sunset Marquis.
About the hotel Centrally located between Beverly Hills, Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles and the beaches, and mere steps from the world famous Sunset Strip, Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, CA offers 152 luxurious suites and villas intertwined within a 3.5-acre oasis of gardens and private retreats. Since opening its doors in 1963, the hotel has served as a home-away-from-home to rock legends, filmmakers, writers, actors and discerning guests from around the world. The hotel features indoor and al fresco dining in its world-class restaurant, Cavatina, two outdoor heated pools, the iconic BAR 1200, and a full-service spa that’s open to locals as well as hotel guests. Additional guest amenities include Nightbird Recording Studios, home to numerous Grammy winning artists, and Morrison Hotel Gallery, featuring a collection of some of the most renowned celebrity photography, of which more than $1 million worth lines the walls and corridors of Sunset Marquis.
Donald J. Trump, renowned American businessman and public figure, creator of iconic developments across the greatest cities of the world, has recently unveiled Trump Tower Mumbai – the first and only Trump project in the city, in collaboration with the Lodha Group, India’s No. 1 luxury real estate developer.“It has been my desire for many years to be involved in a great project in Mumbai, and it is my honour to bring the Trump lifestyles to the citizens of this truly global metrolpolis with the launch of Trump Tower Mumbai. We are thrilled to be working with the Lodha Group, a truly fantastic team of professionals.” said Donald J. Trump, Chairman and President – The Trump Organization.
Seconding his views, Donald Trump Jr., Executive Vice President – the Trump Organization remarked “Every aspect of Trump Tower Mumbai bears the distinct touch of the Trump brand – cutting edge design, incredible attention to detail and an obsession with perfection; creating a unique, luxurious property we are incredibly proud of.”
Recognized worldwide, the Trump brand is synonymous with the highest levels of luxury, the finest locations and the most prestigious real estate. Trump Towers are among the most successful residences worldwide, creating exclusive value that commands significant premium over all others. Trump is very selective in choosing its projects, and Mumbai is one among chosen international cities like Vancouver, Istanbul, Panama and Manila.
Speaking at the launch, Abhishek Lodha – MD, Lodha Group, said: “Mumbai is today a global megapolis and centre for capital, talent and industry. It is only fitting that we bring one of the biggest name in luxury living to our home market with Trump Tower Mumbai.”
“Our collaboration on Trump Tower Mumbai not only raises the bar in every sense for luxury and services, but sets a new benchmark for luxury living in India – creating a tower that redefines the Mumbai skyline.”
Trump Tower Mumbai brings the finest in luxury in a branded residence to India, and offers residents a host of exclusive lifestyle privileges, including a 24-hour Resident Manager and white-glove services, access to global Trump luxury properties and for the first time in India – a fractional membership to private jet service exclusively for Trump residents.
The Tower, with its crystal glass inspired architecture, will feature uber-luxe 3 and 4 bedroom residences with dazzling interiors designed by HBA Singapore – the world leading hospitality design firm. It also includes German Poggenpohl kitchens, five-fixture master bathrooms, indoor Jacuzzis, built-in TV’s, elite seven-level security and the very best in every aspect of interior design.
Centara Hotels & Resorts of Thailand will be opening its third property in Bali, Centara Crystal On The Bay Nusa Dua, early in 2015.The new resort will be operated under a management contract signed with owning company PT Crystal Development on 4 July 2014.
Located on the bayfront on the southern peninsula of Nusa Dua, one of Bali’s prime tourism destinations, the resort is set amongst lush green mangroves and has immediate access to the ocean.
“We are very proud to be announcing the opening of Centara Crystal On The Bay Nusa Dua, a new property featuring an innovative architectural design that will become a landmark on the bayfront at Nusa Dua,” says Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.
“Bali is a destination that is of great strategic importance to us, and we are honoured that PT Crystal Development has the confidence in Centara’s international skills and profile to manage this very fine property.”
Centara’s existing properties in Bali are Centara Grand Nusa Dua Villas, and Centra Taum Seminyak Bali.
“Centara Crystal On The Bay Nusa Dua is a great creative concept and is ideally located on the Nusa Dua coast,” says Chris Bailey, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Centara Hotels & Resorts.
“This beautiful property will allow us to offer yet another type of Balinese experience to our guests, and will further raise our international profile in the very important Bali market.”
The newly built resort is a six-storey structure that faces the bay of Nusa Dua, with Nusa Dua Beach easily accessible within a 20 minute scenic boat ride or 10 minutes by car.
The resort will have 210 rooms, with options including Deluxe, Suites, Pool Suites, and Jacuzzi Suites, with a choice of rooms suitable for families.
Each room has its own private balcony, with room sizes ranging from 37.7 square metres to 147.5 square metres.
The rooftop will feature an infinity pool and terrace, along with a rooftop restaurant and bar that with the dramatic bay views will be an attractive feature for both hotel guests and outside visitors.
The resort will feature a Spa Cenvaree, two swimming pools, a pool bar, an all-day dining restaurant, meetings facilities, and a Kids’ Club that features a zone for the youngsters and an E-Zone for the teens.
A wedding chapel will also be sited on the rooftop, where the terrace will provide a catered reception area against a picture perfect background.
Nearby attractions accessible by boat include Pulau Penyu and Tanjung Benoa, both only 10 minutes away, while Serangan is 20 minutes by boat.
Access to the airport via the tollway takes only 20 minutes.
As the conference season approaches, award-winning etc.venues is to open a fifteenth meeting and training facility at 8 Eastcheap, Monument, London. Forbes Group is delighted that etc.venues’ Central Operations and Projects Manager, Franck Rosello, who has designed the latest interiors, has specified its Buffet-Rite table tops and Silcra Stretch covers.Having tried the stretch covers over tables at other etc.venues, Rosello likes the way that, used on the registration tables, the sculpted finish of the covers makes a natural focus, drawing delegates to it for signing in. The sleek finish also intones with the group’s contemporary streamlined interiors, and modern, energetic vibe.
The Buffet-Rite top Rosello likes for buffet set-ups. Its wipe-clean surface means that you can keep the display looking neat throughout the service. It might be more expensive than banquet roll in initial layout, but for the long-term Rosello describes the Buffet-Rite as a ‘no-brainer ’.
Forbes is also delighted that Rosello has specified its conference cloth at many etc.venues. Over 250 drop covers have been supplied over the years, usually in black. “They add value both operationally and to the client experience,” observes Rosello. Besides muffling sound and giving a premium environment to delegates, the cloths’ colour hides marks and being made to the shape of the etc.venues tables (including bespoke half-moon shapes), they simply drop over the tables, so are quick to set-up, saving valuable staff time.
Then, when the drop covers need freshening up, they are machine-washable, time and time again. “Bullet-proof” is how Rosello describes them.
Forbes Group wishes etc.venues every success with etc.venues Monument. For further details on any of these products, please contact Forbes Group on 01568 616638 or send us an e-mail to info@forbesgroup.eu
Motel One, the European budget hotel chain, has just opened its second hotel in the German city of Leipzig. Following its tried and tested “great design for little money” Motel One Leipzig-Augustusplatz opened its doors on 11th August with room nights starting from just 69€ a night.The brand new 180 room hotel is in a prime location on Augustusplatz, one of Germany’s largest squares. Located next to St. Nicholai Church (one of Leipzig’s most famous) and within striking distance of the Leipzig Opera House and Leipzig University there is plenty for visitors to explore.
The “One Bar” located on the ground floor of the hotel provides a stylish hangout for guests and the public to sit back and enjoy their surroundings. Like all their hotels, Motel One Leipzig-Augustusplatz stays true to its local surroundings and history with its interior design and detailing. A portrait of J.S. Bach, who spent most of his life playing music at the neighbouring St. Nikolai Church, can be admired from the comfort of the bar.
On the first floor, the One Lounge welcomes guests to experience panoramic views of St. Nikolai Church, while resting on a selection of stylish lounge furniture, or enjoying the hotels own library. In the morning a full continental breakfast is served for everyone to tuck in and enjoy together around a large dining room table. Bedrooms are fresh, functional and comfortable following the successful Motel One concept. Free WiFi is available for all guests and air conditioning can be found in all rooms.
This latest edition to the group comes just days after the chain announced a successful financial first half of 2014. Currently Motel One has 51 hotels with over 11,720 rooms across Belgium, Germany, UK and Austria. By 2017 the hotel chain aims to grow to 73 hotels with close to 18,400 rooms.
Marriott International’s signature business and leisure brand, Marriott Hotels, continues to grow in popularity across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. The brand has just announced the opening of a new property in Doha’s West Bay district, where three hotels currently known as the Renaissance Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments Doha City Center become one as a new Marriott Hotel opens.The Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel is in line with Marriott Hotels’ new brand strategy. “Marquis” is a brand extension of the Marriott Hotels and JW Marriott Hotels brands. It is given to select properties that are distinguished by their exceptional offerings and iconic locations, including expansive meeting facilities, multiple restaurants, and grand public spaces. The Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel with its 580 guest rooms, 1,200 square metres of flexible meeting space, and breath-taking views of the Doha skyline and Arabian Gulf is no exception.
The Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel will be the first Marriott Marquis in the Middle East, and the first property located outside of the US, as the other Marriott Marquis properties are located between New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, San Diego, Houston and Washington DC.
The shortlist for Outstanding New Hotel of the Year Award and the Independent Hotelier of the Year Award 2014 has been announced.The Outstanding New Hotel of the Year award, introduced last year, is designed to improve the scope of recognition of all independent, luxury and boutique hotels that have been operating for three years or less.
The focus is on proven success and overall excellence but judges also look for hotels who have demonstrated risk taking and seized opportunities to drive their business and support the industry.
The shortlist for Outstanding New Hotel of the Year: • Chiltern Firehouse, London • Ham Yard, London • The Lord Crewe Arms, Blanchland, Durham • No 131, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire • The Pig on the Beach, Studland, Dorset • The Wild Rabbit, Kingham, Oxfordshire
The Independent Hotelier of the Year award gives recognition to an individual who has consistently helped change the landscape of the independent, luxury and boutique hotel sector; a pioneer with a reputation for pushing boundaries. Above all the winner will be someone committed to the development of their team, the success of their establishment and the industry at large.
The shortlist for Independent Hotelier of the Year: • Craig Bancroft and Nigel Haworth (Northcote Manor, Blackburn, Lancashire) • Kit and Tim Kemp (Firmdale Hotels) • Mark Sainsbury, Michael Benyan and Jason Catifeoglou (The Zetter Townhouse, London) • David Levin (The Capital Hotel, London) • Tim Hart (Hambleton Hall, Oakham, Rutland) • Ian Schrager (Ian Schrager Company) The nominations committee for the award consists of renowned industry experts, reflecting the cream of hospitality: • Ciaran Fahy, Chief Executive, Ellerman Group • Roberto Pajares, Opening General Manager, Ampersand Hotel • Peter Hancock, Chief Executive, Pride of Britain Hotels • James Lohan, CEO, Mr and Mrs Smith • Chris Penn, Managing Director, Ace Hotel London • Fiona Duncan, Hotel Critic and Travel Writer, Sunday Telegraph • Robert Nadler, CEO, Nadler Hotels • Mark Fuller, Owner, Concept Venues Ltd • Henrietta Green, Consultancy Director and Events Specialist, Henrietta Green Associates • Tim Etchells, Managing Director, The Independent Hotel Show • Rafi Bejerano, Owner, The Arch London
For each category, six nominees have been shortlisted and voting is now live. The industry is invited to vote for their winner by visiting the website. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony immediately following the first day of the Independent Hotel show on 21st October 2014.
Editors comment: These appear to be only for UK hotels.
Jameson Seating were appointed by Link Design to recreate the Mitchells & Butler pub, The Bathampton Mill after an unfortunate flood.Supplying both internal & external furniture plus the installation fixed seating & curtains.
Jameson used a mix of standard and bespoke products to create a full range of furniture with special finishes & fabrics for a unique look.
Time was of the essence and the whole project was turned around in less than 4 weeks ready for the site to re-open with a roaring trade.
The river has been known to rise above the lawns at the back of the hotel. Define back? The approach up a driveway off the main road leads past paddocks, with a few horses and a family of blue cranes grazing in them, to the house and its extension housing the five superb bedrooms. But is this the front or the back? I think the presentation is such that perhaps I should call the riverside the front. It is certainly the focus of the buildings, with the ‘back’ being a double row of shading trees protecting the car parking.Yes, it isn’t an hotel, it is a B&B, albeit a winner of awards as South Africa’s best B&B. As such it shames many hotels by the quality and design, perhaps because one side of the owners is Paul Scheepers who is an architect. His experience includes a spell working for the City Corporation in London so he has seen plenty of the good bad and the ugly in our great city. Here he has built a sensitive interpretation of the South African vernacular as an extension to the home he shares with Sue, responsible for much of the interiors and certainly for the operation of the five delightful bedrooms he created.
Sue Scheepers says “When designing Bitou River Lodge, Paul wanted the buildings to be sympathetic to the local surroundings (farms), so he used a single-storey stylised Cape Dutch farmhouse design. For example, there are pediments, but they’re simplified, made more modern. The main buildings had to capitalise on the river view & are South-facing as a result. Each guest-room has a high parapet window which lets in light & sunshine from the North to compensate for this. This is also the reason for the exposed trusses in all the rooms – a contemporary detail, they give a feeling of light & airiness to the rooms”.
200 corporate CEOs from the U.S. and Africa and over 45 African heads of state joined U.S. President Barack Obama at the US-Africa Business Forum earlier this month, and Marriott International, Inc. President and CEO Arne Sorenson was there to share the company’s plans to reach over 150 hotels across 16 African countries, resulting in more than 25,000 jobs, between 2014-2020.This growth comes on a base of 14 hotels and 10,000 employees prior to the company’s acquisition of South Africa’s Protea Hotel Group in April. The Protea investment lifted Marriott into position as the largest hotel company in Africa, with the addition of 116 managed and franchised hotels, approximately 10,000 rooms and 15,000 employees across seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Protea interior guest roomIn addition to its recent Protea acquisition, Marriott International has plans to open nearly 40 additional hotels with more than 6,000 rooms, adding more than 10,000 employees, at both its managed and franchised hotels in the following 13 African countries by 2020: Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gabon, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia.
Sorenson discussed Marriott’s commitment to Africa and support of the growing travel industry by easing travel to and within the continent: “It’s a great time to do business in Africa and Marriott is at the table helping to lead the discussion on trade and investment across the continent. African leaders are looking at ways to spur economic growth by lowering barriers, such as onerous visa regimes. Travel is trade and the more Africa embraces Smart Travel policies that encourage the free flow of people, the quicker growth will come,” says Sorenson.
In Rwanda, Marriott has partnered with a vocational school, Akilah Institute for Women, to bring 41 women from the school to work and train in Marriott hotels in Dubai. The women are getting on-the-job skills, leadership training, and will be prepared after 18 months to return, as part of the management team, in 2016 to open the company’s first new-build Sub-Saharan Africa hotel – the Kigali Marriott Hotel.
“Africa is going through an economic transformation,” says Sorenson. “Coupled with that transformation is a mutual promise for opportunity that Africa holds—for us as a business and for the people who are hired, trained and work in hotels across our portfolio. For them, it is like hitting the lottery and shows what a powerfully good force travel can be in the world.”
Two new faces have joined the specification team at the Roca Group, with the appointment of Jon Bond and Danny Hogan as Specification Managers for London.Jon’s role will focus on working with the company’s architect and designer clients. Bringing a wealth of experience to the company, Jon’s background is in the flooring industry, joining from Brintons where he held a hospitality specification role for two and a half years. Prior to this he was with Ulster Carpets.
The other newcomer to the specification team, Danny Hogan, joins the bathroom manufacturer from Johnson Tiles, where he held specification management roles looking after residential and commercial clients for a total of nine years.
During this time he gained tiling specifications for projects as diverse as Twickenham Rugby Stadium and Radisson Edwardian Hotels, as well as being responsible for key account management for luxury housing developers. Danny’s role at the Roca Group will focus on residential projects in London, particularly at the luxury end of the market. Both Danny and Jon will be regular faces at Roca London Gallery, a design hub and important resource for architects and designers based in London and the surrounding areas.
“London is a busy market for Roca and Laufen both residentially and commercially, with a diverse range of clients and projects that are in need of quality bathroom solutions,” comments International Specification Manager Mark Poulain. “I am delighted to be welcoming Jon and Danny to the team and am very confident that, with their abundance of experience and knowledge, they will be huge assets.”
Nigeria’s new 117-room Protea Hotel Select Ikeja opens its doors this week in the upmarket Lagos suburb of Ikeja.The internationally competitive hotel is just a stone’s throw away from Ikeja City Mall & Lagos State Secretariat, and a mere 5.2km away from Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Accommodation at Protea Hotel Select Ikeja caters for corporate travellers with a variety of room types to suit GUESTS’ needs, as well as a comfortable restaurant, bar and conference facilities for close to 60 people.
Protea Hotel Select Ikeja guest roomThe hotel accommodation comprises 75 classic rooms, 8 inter-leading twin bedrooms, 24 deluxe rooms, 8 suites which feature open plan lounge and dining rooms separate from the bedrooms, and 2 universal accessible rooms. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms, mini-bar fridges, satellite TV, work stations and tea/coffee making facilities.
Conference facilities consist of one conference room seating a maximum of 50 delegates depending on the seating arrangements and one small private boardroom seating a maximum of 6 delegates.
The hotel’s restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a strong focus on local and continental cuisine. The bar is open 24 hours a day, though, offering a Poolside menu, and room service is also available around the clock.
Other hotel facilities include a shuttle service, secure open parking, and laundry service as well as free Wi-Fi access.
Protea Hotels Director of Sales, Marketing and Revenue, Danny Bryer, says Nigeria’s rapidly growing economy is prompting the need for more hotels.
The sleek, modern lines of the public areas’ earthy-toned décor is mirrored in the bedrooms, which are decorated in a neutral palate with splashes of warm colour to bring life to the rooms.
As well as the Protea Hotel Select Ikeja the group has five more hotels in the pipeline for Nigeria, these are:
– A 155-room African Pride Avalon Hotel & Spa (2015) – A 150-room Lagos Marriott Hotel, Victoria Island (2016) – A 250-room Courtyard by Marriott Abuja (2018) – A 100-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Abuja (2018) – A 250-room Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja GRA (2018)
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the opening of a new 79-room Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites Northwest Houston Brookhollow near Houston’s famed Energy Corridor – home to some of the world’s foremost oil and gas corporations – and just a few miles from the Galleria Mall. Located on Federal Plaza Drive and conveniently accessible to Interstate 45 as well as US Highways 290 and 249, the newest addition to IHG’s Houston hotels is also a short drive from downtown Houston and key businesses such as Baker Hughes®, BP® and Caterpillar Inc®. All rooms include a refrigerator, microwave and 42” HD televisions with an expanded cable line up. The hotel offers guests a comfortable, affordable stay with innovative, preferred-guest upgrades to ensure a pleasurable experience with amenities that include a 24-hour fitness center, complimentary high-speed Internet access, guest laundry area, Sundries Shop and a business center. Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free local phone and toll free phones with private voicemail, and complimentary copies of USA Today® newspapers. Additionally, guests can enjoy an outdoor saltwater pool, relax by the lobby’s indoor waterfall feature and make use of the meeting space that can accommodate up to 60 people.
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Northwest Houston Brookhollow owned by Brookhollow Hospitality Management, LLC and operated by IHS Management Group, is franchised by an affiliate of IHG.
London based Asset Management firm Dominvs Group, today proudly announced the completion of its refurbishment project converting its Aston Hotel Sheffield into the Mercure Sheffield Parkway. The transformation of their 78-bedroom Sheffield hotel involved redesigning the traditional hotel lobby by combining the front desk, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business centre to ensure that customer happiness is always top of mind.
The professional team included RSD interiors as Interior Designers, Jaymar interiors as appointed build contractors with the hotel being operator by Dominvs Hospitality under a franchise agreement with Accor’s renowned Mercure brand.
The idea to convert and rebrand the hotel was initially devised by Dominvs Group three months earlier following the great success of previous rebrand projects taken place at their Darlington and Dumfries hotels.
The Mercure Sheffield Parkway hotel is located just four miles from Sheffield City centre and is only a stones’ throw from Meadow Hall Shopping Centre, making it the perfect place to rest your head after a weekend of indulgence or cultural discovery. The hotel offers guests a range of accommodation including classic, deluxe and privilege rooms and is well equipped with event and meeting facilities catering up to 150 guests. There is secure free parking and free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced the opening of Le Méridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center, a Rockbridge Portfolio property, following a $25 million transformation. Managed by Wischermann Partners Inc., Le Méridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center provides a new lens on Western Chicago’s sophisticated Oak Brook area, home to a multitude of upscale shopping and dining options as well as Fortune 500 business headquarters. Le Méridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center features 172 guestrooms and suites, including an extraordinary Presidential Suite and six spacious Executive Suites all featuring contemporary and mid-century inspired furnishings. The hotel also boasts 3,500 square feet of expansive event space, two contemporary Spa Suites and a sleek Spanish restaurant, El Tapeo, offering contemporary tapas style dishes and handcrafted cocktails.
Guests will be immediately enthralled by the new modern façade, which opens into the hotel’s signature and award-winning arrival experience, Le Méridien Hub™. Le Méridien arrival consists of four unique elements: large-scale artwork in high impact areas; the sensory experience, illustrated through Le Méridien signature scent, sound and use of light; UNLOCK ART™ programme, featuring artist designed key card collections that offer access to the acclaimed Elmhurst Art Museum; and a 24-hour curated soundtrack by French Bossa Nova band Nouvelle Vague. The Hub also features the signature Master Barista, a recently launched initiative to meet the growing demands of coffee lovers at every Le Méridien hotel worldwide. The Master Baristas lead coffee-related initiatives at each hotel, serve as a coffee cultural ambassador, and maintain knowledge of current coffee trends within the destination.
Le Méridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center brings a new lens on Oak Brook through the work of local Chicago artists and abstract installations representing notable Chicago symbols, such as bicycles and the Ferris wheel, which debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Upon arrival, guests will experience a large-scale, one-of-a-kind mural depicting the architecture of the city by contemporary artist Justus Roe of the Chicago Artists Coalition. The Hub also features an installation of a deconstructed bicycle, a nod to Oak Brook’s many biking trails, with the bike chain in the shape of Illinois and the headlight representing Chicago. Each floor of the hotel’s elevator lobbies showcases images taken from Chicago’s signature “L” train, including the mileage and direction from the hotel in relation to where each particular shot was taken. The Executive Club Lounge features eight stunning photographs by Chicago native Satoki Nagata portraying Chicagoland locals caught in the rain. Custom graphic patterns throughout the hotel, created by Starwood’s award-winning design team, are abstract designs of local contextual nuances, including original Daniel Burnham city plans for Chicago and maps of the public spaces of the Windy City.
The ninth floor of Le Méridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center boasts a 3,000 square foot Grand Salon Ballroom and Executive Club Lounge as well as the hotel’s new restaurant concept, El Tapeo, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and breathtaking views of the city. The 58-seat restaurant offers authentic Spanish cuisine, created by culinary artist and Chicago native, Chef Franco Diaz. In the hotel’s 25-seat lounge and 12-seat bar, guests are also served freshly made, handcrafted cocktails and light tapas style appetizers.
Le Méridien Chicago – Oakbrook Center also features two modern Spa Suites, featuring custom stone and marble décor, a stone-tiled rain shower steam room with a 32” heated mosaic tile bed amidst ten body sprayers, a luxurious soaking tub and a large relaxation lounge. The lounge is designed with seamless flexibility to allow guests to revitalize their mind, body, and spirit, as they relax in the plush comfort of an oversized sofa, or engage in an array of curated spa treatment services in partnership with ESPA.
Hotel des Dromonts, in the French ski resort of Avoriaz, will re-open after a complete redesign after becoming part of the luxury Maisons & Hotels Sibuet brand. Fifty years after first opening, the boutique 34-room hotel has been radically re-configured to incorporate state-of-the art facilities and will be decorated in signature Sibuet style. The hotel will also feature three very different restaurants and a signature Spa Pure Altitude with indoor pool.Perfectly positioned at an altitude of 1800m for guests who want to take advantage of early and late season snow. The four-star Hotel des Dromonts, offers a stress free ski in/out access making it the perfect choice for keen skiers who want to maximize their time on the slopes and cover as much of the world-famous Portes du Soleil ski area as possible. With over 296 ski runs, 11 snowparks and 11 boardercross runs right on the doorstep it is one of the most impressive ski areas to explore in the world.
Inspired by 60’s Mod style, with 29 spacious rooms and 6 suites, designed in ‘ski chamber chic’, the interiors will feature cosy fabrics, plush carpets and bright pops of colour to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere that revisits the retro style of the sixties. Hotel des Dromonts will have a dedicated children’s play area within the hotel to reflect Avoriaz’s popularity as a ski destination with families. The striking façade of Hotel de Dromonts will remain – a contemporary architectural landmark in itself, the multi-layered surface is covered in cedar shingles that is typical of Savoyard roofs. A new outdoor terrace will be added onto the exterior offering aprés-ski refreshment and spectacular panoramic views over the Alps.
Hotel des Drumonts’ Pure Altitude Spa will become the go-to destination in Avoriaz for relaxation and rejuvenation. Signature Pure Altitude treatments such as the ‘Bol d’Air Pur’ facial and the ‘Energetic of the Alps’ massage use high-performing Pure Altitude products that harness the active ingredients in Edelweiss and other mountain minerals to soothe tired muscles after a hard day on the slopes. The state-of-the-art Pure Altitude Spa will consist of 3 treatments rooms, a calming relaxation room decorated in locally quarried slate, an indoor swimming pool, a contemporary hammam, a sauna and a terrace with a jacuzzi where guests can relax and take in the mountain views.
In the evenings guests will be able to sample some Savoyard specialties in three of the hotel’s superb new restaurants that cater to every mood. Following on from the success of Les Enfants Terribles in Mégeve and Val-Thorens, the popular bistro will arrive in Avoriaz serving delicious haute-cuisine and the house favourite, ‘steak au poivre’. For those who wish to continue the aprés-ski spirit, Les Enfants Terribles DOWN, will offer a more lively dining experience bringing guests together round the famous bar for cocktails and serving small sharing plates of delicacies such as Ramon Pena sardines and freshly sliced Iberian ham. Finally, for a truly traditional Savoyard experience, The Table du Fromage, will be the perfect spot to enjoy classic alpine fare of fondue, tartiflette and raclette. The intimate restaurant space will have a resident master of cheese, Monsieur Bojon, who will be on hand to curate a menu to showcase the best cheeses from the local area.
Located above the French resort of Morzine, Avoriaz is linked with 12 other resorts either side of the Swiss-French border and is only an hour from Geneva. The resort was created by the Olympic ski champion Jean Vuarnet and Gerard Bremont in the 1960s and Hotel des Dromonts was the first major work of renowned architect Jacques Labro. Jean’s original vision was to create an avant-garde resort that transported guests away from everyday life with innovative but integrated architecture and for the roads to serve as ski runs. His unique vision is still very much alive today as guests can either ski or travel by horse and cart around the resort and the contemporary architecture compliments the natural environment to create a magical atmosphere.
Reconstruction and refurbishment is in full swing at andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge as part of a planned investment of ZAR 230 million in a number of safari camps and lodges owned by leading experiential travel company andBeyond. Reopening in September, andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge will be completely remodelled, with design and modernism carefully integrated with nature at its very core. London, June 2014: Reconstruction and refurbishment is in full swing at andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge as part of a planned investment of ZAR 230 million in a number of safari camps and lodges owned by leading experiential travel company andBeyond. Reopening in September, andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge will be completely remodelled, with design and modernism carefully integrated with nature at its very core.
Twelve new suites will include one ‘family unit’ made up of two interconnecting suites, which will cater for families and small groups. The addition of three more suites is planned thereafter, completing the entire rebuild and making Sandibe one of the most architecturally impressive lodges in the Delta.
andBeyond Sandibe’s brand new look is inspired directly by nature. The weaver-bird’s nest building habits and the pangolin’s body armour of folded plates or scales have been the inspiration for the new building structure. Using organic materials such as wood to execute the structural design and installing the latest in alternative energy sources, the building work continues in line with andBeyond’s core ethos of Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the People.
Joss Kent, andBeyond CEO states, ‘The innovative design of andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is driven by nature and reflects the sustainable footprint of the lodge while remaining warm and intimate’.
The new suites, serene and organic, will be raised among the trees elevated above their surroundings, gazing out onto the winding channels and lush floodplains of the Delta. Boasting private plunge pool, the nest-like suites will be uncluttered and elegant, becoming private cocoons at night with fireplaces providing warmth and light in the winter. The interiors will celebrate the very best of Botswana craft, with natural rusty tones, copper-clad mekoro, sculpted wooden tables and intricate baskets.
Situated on a private concession, andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge has exclusive traversing rights over 22,500 hectares of wildlife land situated in one of Africa’s most breathtaking landscapes. andBeyond Sandibe provides one of the best wildlife experiences in the Delta, offering day and night safaris, bush walks and drives to view iconic species including the giant horned kudu, secretary birds, cheetah, wild dog, elephant, antelope, hippo and giraffe.
A maze of sparkling lagoons, meandering channels and overgrown islands teeming with wildlife, Botswana’s Okavango Delta lies at the heart of the Kalahari Desert, and now andBeyond Sandibe stands as its jewel.
During the refurbishment programme of Pullmantur Monarch, Chelsom worked closely with designers, EM Studio and outfitters, Blu Marine to transform the suites of this luxurious ship.Glass art table lamps from the ‘Flask’ range teamed with ivory cone shades were supplied for the Suites, featuring mouth blown opal glass and polished chrome metalwork with a customised base to accommodate marine fixing requirements. The adapted table lamp is an excellent example of cruise ship lighting addressing the functional requirements of yacht and cruise lighting whilst also offering an aesthetically pleasing lamp to enhance the interior scheme.
Amethyst table lamps from the same range were supplied for the Royal Suites, finished with tapered oval shades in ivory with a contrasting grey trim. Wall lights from the ‘Suite’ range were also selected for the lighting scheme featuring notched polished chrome curving crossovers giving the illusion of one passing through the other while cream oblong shades are a clean and sophisticated addition.
The 2014 edition of the “red dot award: product design 2014” once again saw GROHE prove its prowess as a leading manufacturer of design taps and water fittings. Apart from picking up awards for its Thermostat Grohtherm 2000, its GROHE Rainshower® Flower Collection and its Eurodisc Joystick line of taps, GROHE also won the “red dot: Best of the Best” award for its Minta Touch kitchen tap. This marked the fifth time in seven years that GROHE was able to secure what is arguably the design community’s most coveted accolade. Its elegant silhouette has already made this kitchen tap a design classic, which continues to win favour among discerning consumers worldwide. Created in the GROHE Design Studio and now incorporating the innovative EasyTouch technology, GROHE Minta Touch is not only an eye-catcher but also scores big points in terms of engineering. Specifically, Minta Touch is a hybrid tap offering two modes of operation. In addition to conventional lever operation, the flow of water can be triggered by skin contact with any part of the spout. This means whenever the fingers are dirty from preparing food, a simply touch with the back of the hand or the lower arm will start the flow of cool and cleansing water. By developing this unique touch sensor technology, GROHE has reinvented the kitchen tap and repositioned it as a modern product that is fit for the 21st century.
Paul Flowers, Senior Vice President of Design at Grohe AG, said: “When we set out to create GROHE Minta Touch, we started by exploring the boundaries of modern technology in cooperation with our colleagues in R&D. This is why we take pride not only in the tap’s technical and visual features but also in the cooperative spirit, which made it possible in the first place. Winning the “red dot: Best of the Best” is clearly the result of a team effort and we appreciate this award as a very special accolade. “
Minta Touch faced some tough competition in this year’s “red dot award: product design”. A panel of 40 judges scrutinised and tested a total of 4,815 entries submitted by 1,816 manufacturers, designers and architects from 53 countries. The awards were presented at the red dot gala event held in the Aalto Theater in Essen, Germany, on July 7.
Room occupancy at Liverpool’s most prestigious address has surpassed the rest of the city according to the latest figures.Hotels on Liverpool’s Waterfront averaged 82 per cent occupancy against the city average of 78 per cent between April and June.
Of the 350,000 rooms sold in Liverpool during Q2, one in five (22 per cent) were sold at the six hotels on Liverpool Waterfront.
The average room rate at hotels on Liverpool’s Waterfront was 11 per cent higher, at £75.47, than the £67.97 average room rate for the rest of the city.
In addition, Revenue Per Average Room (RevPAR) – an industry standard used to recognise yield per available room – was £61.80 at the waterfront, compared to the city-wide average of £52.83.
Sue Grindrod, director and chair of Liverpool Waterfront Business Partnership said: “Liverpool Waterfront is a great place to do business and the figures from spring and early summer show that business was booming even before this year’s major events in the city.
“The success of the hotels at Liverpool Waterfront is a reflection of the wider global trend as many of the world’s major cities like Copenhagen, Shanghai and New York have recognised the value of being by the water.
“Liverpool is continuing to build its profile as a global player and it’s great to see businesses at the waterfront being a significant part of the city’s success.
The six hotels surveyed on Liverpool Waterfront were: Malmaison, Crowne Plaza, Express by Holiday Inn, Premier Inn Albert Dock, Jury’s Inn and Staybridge Suites.
Stephen Robert, general manager at The Crowne Plaza at Princes Dock, said: “Compared to recent years, The Crowne Plaza has enjoyed improved business levels during Q2 compared to the norm for this time of year.
“This has been driven in the main by events such as the Grand National in April and the IFB in June which was a first for the city. The location of the business hub at Mann Island ensured that the city’s waterfront was the destination of choice for many of the business delegates during this time.
“It was great to see the quarter doing so well during this period and we’re looking forward to the return of events like these in 2016.”
Liverpool Waterfront is home to a thriving business community and offers a range of commercial space by the docks and in the dramatic recent development, Mann Island.
Figures were provided by the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.
The gem in question is probably one in a million however, when the 60 carat heavy-weight Mozambican aquamarine worth £40,000* is raffled by prison charity Fine Cell Work on 20 November 2014, ticket holders will have a one in a thousand chance to win it.Gem hunter and merchant, Guy Clutterbuck has generously donated an exquisite, multi-faceted, unheated, cushion-cut aquamarine to Fine Cell Work to raise funds for its invaluable work that helps prisoners in the UK to turn their lives around. To augment Guy’s generosity, the renowned jewellery designer Georgina Skan, former Head of Design at Garrard and Asprey, has offered to design an exquisite setting and Fine Cell Work will donate £1500 towards the materials. This is an extraordinary fund raising initiative that will result in a remarkable piece of jewellery to treasure.
Raffle tickets cost £50 and are available from Fine Cell Work – www.finecellwork.co.uk/raffle and all the proceeds go directly to the work of the charity. The raffle will be drawn at an exclusive party at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on 20 November 2014. The prize draw aims to raise £50,000.
Fine Cell Work is a social enterprise that trains prisoners in paid, skilled, creative needlework — undertaken in the long hours spent in their cells — to foster hope, discipline and self esteem. This helps them to connect to society and to leave prison with the confidence and financial means to stop offending. Prison stitchers spend an average of 20 hours per week doing embroidery in their cells: the highest earners stitch for as long as 40 hours. It builds self- discipline and skills that enables them to serve their time with purpose and dignity. Their modest earnings from stitching nurtures a work ethic and a sense of independence. Fine Cell Work is done in 24 prisons with 450 prisoners each year and 97% of the stitchers are men.
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