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Marriott provides insight on 2022 hotel development
https://hoteldesigns.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Hotel-Design-Ritz-Carlton-in-the-Maldives.jpg 730 565 Hamish Kilburn Hamish Kilburn https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2edcad40930314dca244a6a9d0589916?s=96&d=mm&r=g 25.01.2022 25.01.2022
By: Hamish Kilburn
Marriott International, which added 86,000 gross rooms last year and 517 properties, provides Hotel Designs with the latest on its hotel development progress, while also indicating a few emerging travel trends that are currently shaping hospitality development. Editor Hamish Kilburn writes…
Following the lows of the pandemic, 2021 was a surprisingly good year for Marriott International and there was plenty to celebrate about, including opening its 70th hotel in Japan, opening its 100th JW Marriott property worldwide and agreeing the signings of three new hotels in Saudi Arabia.
At the end of 2021, the hotel group's worldwide system consisted of nearly 8,000 properties and roughly 1.48 million rooms in 139 countries and territories. At year-end, the company had the largest global development pipeline, with roughly 485,000 rooms. The company signed 599 agreements during 2021 representing approximately 92,000 rooms of which slightly more than half are located outside of U.S. and Canada. Rooms falling out of the pipeline remain at historically low levels, despite challenges brought on by the pandemic. During 2021, Marriott added more than 86,000 rooms on a gross basis, growing the system 3.9 percent, including deletions of 2.1 per cent. The deletion rate was 1.2 per cent excluding the exit of 88 Service Properties Trust select service hotels.
"Marriott has the benefit of sitting at the intersection of information and insights from a global community of developers, properties, owners and franchisees, as well as the more than 160 million members of our Marriott Bonvoy travel program," said Stephanie Linnartz, President, Marriott International. "Our analysis of the prevalent trends in global development is particularly instructive as we continue to recover from this global pandemic. We have been focused on working closely with our valued community of owners and franchisees throughout these unprecedented times. We are pleased with our strong 2021 development results and look forward to continuing to drive value for our owners and franchisees throughout the recovery and beyond with our quality brands, our comprehensive business support systems and industry leading loyalty platform."
Image credit: Aloft Hotels/Marriott International
Luxury maintains momentum
Travellers crave leisure luxury travel experiences seeking iconic destinations and undiscovered locations. Marriott is poised to meet this demand with its unmatched portfolio of seven dynamic luxury brands across 476 hotels spanning 69 countries and territories.
In 2021, Marriott International signed 40 luxury hotel deals, representing more than 6,000 rooms, and grew its portfolio of luxury hotel rooms by 4.8 per cent net, with notable additions in prime locations around the globe including Philadelphia (W Hotels), Nashville (W Hotels), Charlotte (JW Marriott), Bermuda (St. Regis), Paris (Bulgari), Rome (W Hotels), Maldives (The Ritz-Carlton), Budapest (The Luxury Collection) and Reykjavik (EDITION).
Image caption: Lobby/lounge inside W Rome. | Image credit: W Hotels
The company continues to expand its luxury footprint and has by far the largest global pipeline of hotels in this important, high fee earning segment, with nearly 50,000 rooms. Marriott anticipates debuting more than 30 luxury hotels in 2022 in destinations from Mexico (The St. Regis Kanai Resort) and Portugal (W Algarve) to Australia (The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne) and South Korea (JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa). Marriott's industry leading luxury portfolio adds to the power of Marriott Bonvoy, giving members a tremendous choice of experiences around the globe.
The leisure boom continues booming
Leisure demand has led the travel recovery, a trend that is expected to continue into 2022, as travellers continue to embrace multi-purpose trips, mixing remote work and vacation time. Leisure transient global room nights were the first to recover to 2019 pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of 2021. For some time prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, leisure travel had been growing at a faster pace than business travel, and according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), all signs point to a continuation of the trend. Marriott's industry leading resort network includes more than 600 properties in beach, mountain and desert locations around the world that have seen incredibly high demand and have demonstrated impressive average daily rates.
Image credit: Marriott International
Consumer interest in the very high growth all-inclusive resort segment continues to increase. Marriott intends to therefore capitalise on its strong recent momentum in this area, leveraging its proven brands to drive additional growth in this important segment. Currently, Marriott International's all-inclusive portfolio spans 28 properties, representing more than 8,000 rooms in locations across the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. In 2021, Marriott International signed 22 agreements for all-inclusive resorts, marking a company record, including 20 all-inclusive resorts under its Autograph Collection Hotels brand and the first Marriott branded all-inclusive resort agreement in North Africa.
"Marriott's all-inclusive platform is energising the segment and providing Marriott Bonvoy members, owners and franchisees access to our strong brands," said Carlton Ervin, Global Development Officer, International, Marriott International. "While our initial all-inclusive growth has been focused in the Caribbean and Latin America, we see tremendous opportunity to expand our all-inclusive platform into additional markets, including the Mediterranean and the Middle East."
Image caption: The Marmorosch Bucharest, Autograph Collection. | Image credit: Marriott International
The extended stay segment has always been attractive to leisure travellers and has become even more popular with the increase in remote work and the blending of business and leisure travel. Marriott International is the leader in the extended stay segment, setting the bar with the introduction of its Residence Inn brand almost 40 years ago. In 2021, extended stay accounted for 37 per cent of the company's rooms signings in U.S. and Canada. Marriott Bonvoy's extended stay brands – Element Hotels, Residence Inn by Marriott and TownePlace Suites by Marriott – include more than 1,400 hotels, offering stays from a few nights to a few weeks. Notable expected openings in 2022 include Element City Center Doha, Residence Inn by Marriott The Hague City Center and TownePlace Suites Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach.
With growing consumer demand, Marriott's extended stay portfolio offers modern design, signature programming, new food and beverage offerings, a flexible room mix for leisure and business travel and a proven operating model. At ALIS, Marriott will be showcasing Element Hotels, Residence Inn by Marriott and TownePlace Suites by Marriott through its 'Longer Stay Lounge', a space where investors, owners and operators can experience the latest in brand programming and designs while networking. The Longer Stay Lounge will present immersive brand vignettes that will allow visitors to learn about and experience each of the company's longer stay brands.
Image credit: JW Marriott
"The extended stay segment has been extremely resilient over the past few years and guest and owner demand continues to grow, driven in some measure by the rise in multi-purpose travel," said Noah Silverman, Global Development Officer, U.S. & Canada, Marriott International. "We are excited for continued momentum around extended stay and to use our presence at ALIS to communicate the strength and possibilities of Marriott's longer stay category and the impressive value it brings to owners."
Conversions transform across the portfolio
Conversions are an important driver of rooms growth in any year, but they have been particularly meaningful during more disruptive times. Marriott provides a rich and flexible conversion platform with significant revenue synergies, cost saving opportunities and turnkey access to many of the programs and services that the company provides, including the company's powerful Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.
Image credit: Marriott International/W Ibiza
Marriott added more than 18,000 conversion rooms in 2021, accounting for 21 per cent of overall openings. In addition, conversions accounted for 27 per cent of rooms signings in 2021. Interest in conversions into Marriott brands remains high, led by the company's robust portfolio of collection brands, including Autograph Collection Hotels, The Luxury Collection, and in particular the Tribute Portfolio, which has grown its footprint of open and pipeline hotels by nearly four times in the past five years. In addition, Delta Hotels by Marriott, the company's flexible full-service conversion brand represented nine percent of signed conversion deals in 2021. Notable expected conversion additions in 2022 include the JW Marriott Hotel São Paulo in Brazil, The Brix, Autograph Collection in Trinidad and Tobago, The Serangoon House, Singapore, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel and a Delta Hotels by Marriott City Center Doha in Qatar.
Strong international growth poised to continue
In 2021, the company signed 256 agreements representing nearly 51,000 rooms in international locations outside the U.S. and Canada. With the company rapidly growing its international footprint, Marriott continues to enter new markets, offering travellers more exciting destinations. In 2021, the company expanded into Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bermuda, Grenada, St. Lucia and Turks & Caicos. In 2022, the company expects to plant its flag in Albania and Honduras.
Image credit: Ritz Carlton/Marriott Hotels
Development activity for well-established brands within the select service space remains another key driver of growth, especially internationally. Comprised of brands including Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft Hotels and Moxy Hotels, Marriott International's select brands are increasingly resonating internationally. In 2021, the company opened 107 select service hotels representing nearly 19,000 rooms in 29 countries across its international regions. In China, select brands further expand consumer travel experiences and choices, bringing guests diversified experiences in emerging Chinese destinations. Notable expected openings in 2022 include Element Yangjiang Hailing Island and Moxy Suzhou City Center. In 2021, Fairfield by Marriott continued to make its mark in Japan with the "Michi-no-eki" project, bringing six more hotels to key locations across four prefectures in Japan. The company also launched its new Fairfield prototype in Europe and the Middle East.
Branded residential soars
Marriott's branded residential business soared in 2021 as evolving lifestyle changes have sparked growing interest in on-demand amenities and services from brands people admire and trust. Marriott continues to lead the branded residential segment with nearly 190 projects open or in development worldwide across 14 of the company's brands.
Marriott's branded residential offerings include a standalone residence model with similar elevated services offered at the company's hotel properties, but without a co-located hotel, which speaks to the power of Marriott's brands to attract residential buyers in markets around the globe. In 2021, Marriott signed its first standalone residences for the EDITION brand in Miami and for the Autograph Collection Hotels brand in London. The company currently operates 14 standalone residences with 16 in the pipeline. Overall, the branded residential sector continues to grow rapidly internationally, with nearly 80 percent of Marriott's upcoming projects located outside of the U.S. and Canada. The company expects to debut 14 residential projects in 2022 in destinations from New York City (The Ritz-Carlton Residences, New York, NoMad) and Algarve (W Residences Algarve) to Belgrade (The Residences at The St. Regis Belgrade).
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Main image credit: Marriott International
Now open: Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle
https://hoteldesigns.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Hyatt-Place-Zurich-Airport-The-Circle-PRINT-2.jpg 730 565 Pauline Brettell Pauline Brettell https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/833c1cfbd655350b0651452613f24bdd?s=96&d=mm&r=g 13.01.2022 13.01.2022
By: Pauline Brettell
While the name might not roll off the tongue, Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle is all about ease and convenience. Providing guests with access to the surrounding natural vistas of the Swiss Alps while offering the practicality and convenience of an airport hub, this Hyatt Place is a name worth remembering…
Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle is the first Hyatt Place branded hotel in Switzerland, expanding the Hyatt Place brand's footprint globally in markets the brand has identified as being key to the Hyatt Place philosophy which is all about providing seamless comfort and an easy-to-navigate experience for today's multi-taking traveller. Having brought this opening to your attention in a recent post, we thought we would take a closer look at and step inside this hub hotel.
Image credit: Hyatt
Situated in the Circle destination and directly linked to Zurich Airport, the 300-key hotel is central to one of the most central locations in Switzerland. Guests can conveniently enjoy the business and lifestyle offerings of the Circle, which includes shops, restaurants, a park, airport facilities and The Circle Convention Centre. After a productive day, guests can unwind in the park or take advantage of the great outdoors, as the Swiss Alps and Lake Zurich are nearby.
"As the Zurich Airport and the Circle district continue to be a dynamic destination, we are excited to add to the momentum by welcoming the first Hyatt Place hotel to Switzerland," said Ines Bruenn, hotel manager at Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle. "With our smartly designed social spaces and guestrooms with separate work and sleep areas, our multitasking, international and local guests can easily accomplish what they need to do while on the road, while both working and relaxing with nature right at their doorstep."
The hotel shelters 300 spacious guestrooms which cater for all the needs of the guests, from work to play. The guestrooms provide separate spaces to sleep, to work and to play, as well as a 'Cozy Corner' sofa where you can relax with a good book or catch up on your emails in comfort. There is a fitness centre on site which is open 24/7, allowing guests to keep on track, irrespective of jetlag or time zone.
The hotel offers convenient work and event spaces including a communal table in the lobby and more than 2,800 square metres' function space at The Circle Convention Centre. The communal working space makes a perfect office on the go, and all the food and beverage facilities are available around the clock in case guests need to fuel their creativity while burning the midnight oil in between flights.
Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle is all about connections. On a literal level it is a short walk from international terminals at Zurich Airport, and on a more esoteric level, it connects guests with all aspects of the surrounding area, encouraging you to connect while on the move and hoping to provide guests with the facilities that will make travel as seamless as possible to routines and lifestyles.
Since you're here, why not check out more Hyatt's openings and unveilings from now until 2023?
Main image credit: Hyatt
Show review: Independent Hotel Show 2021
https://hoteldesigns.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IHS21_1st_Promo_Edit_006_464A5548.jpg 730 565 Hamish Kilburn Hamish Kilburn https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2edcad40930314dca244a6a9d0589916?s=96&d=mm&r=g 11.10.2021 09.10.2021
Following 18 months of uncertainty, the Independent Hotel Show 2021 did what it does best; it brought people back together to re-connect, re-think and re-consider what the future for the indy hotel looks like. Editor Hamish Kilburn, speaker at the show, was there to soak it all in…
Leading figures on the UK independent hospitality scene emerged from their bunkers this week to attend the Independent Hotel Show 2021. Exhibitors and visitors alike were not quite sure what to expect when they entered the doors of Olympia London after a year of empty lobbies followed by the double-blow of staff shortages in the wake of Brexit. But once in the hall, with natural Autumn light flooding into the arena, familiar and friendly faces started to appear and harmony was restored.
The highly anticipated show, which like all trade events last year was forced to find virtual alternative routes to keep the industry reconnected during lockdown, was on a mission this year, it seemed, to cut through the noise in order to shelter meaningful conversations that packed a punch and allowed the live audience (a novelty that no moderator took for granted) to explore topics from a slightly different perspective.
Among the 200 carefully curated hotel suppliers at the event, there were a number of exciting new launches on the show floor including a range of innovative technology services.
Image credit: Independent Hotel Show
Clockwork Marketing unveiled its new DIY marketing suite GuestNet; eviivo announced a number of new digital partners, expanding the platform's range of bespoke offerings for hoteliers; FCS announced the European launch of its latest application FCS1 – an all-in-one web and mobile solution that elevates the way hotels can run operations, and TigerTMS launched iPortal – an affordable, app-less solution which provides branded hotel information, services and guest engagement by scanning a QR-code.
The event also hosted the UK debut of the Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform, which offers independent hoteliers greater efficiencies in bookings, payments and accounting, channel management, marketing and more.
Innovation on display
The Innovation Stage, in partnership with eviivo and dressed by sofa.com, was elevated by an eight-metre-wide mural created especially by art studio Aster Muro, highlighting a continued commitment to integrating art and design into the fabric of the event.
The Innovation Stage's extensive seminar programme saw packed sessions across the two days of the show and covered subjects including the evolution of sensory hotel design, the effective use of customer data, tackling recruitment and retention challenges and much more.
Hotel Designs' first panel discussion on sensory design, with interior designer Marie Soliman, architect Mark Bruce and sound expert Tom Middleton, struck a chord with hoteliers who used the session to understand how they could set themselves aside from other hotels by taking a three-dimensional look at their design and hospitality in one. What made the topic particularly exciting was that the panel themselves were currently in early stages of using new sensory ways to elevate guest experience in the hotel projects they are working on.
Gareth Banner, Managing Director of The Ned and panellist on 'The Membership Model: Creating A Lifestyle Brand session, commented: "It's great to be back at a live event after so long. When you're in the hospitality business there's no substitute for being with people, whether that's customers, vendors or industry colleagues, and it's very encouraging to see such good numbers here."
The show's Social Business Space, designed by Aorta, hosted a number of campfire-style sessions during the event, allowing guests to network with and learn from their peers in an intimate, informal and productive environment and covering topics such as hotel marketing, staffing challenges, kickstarting city hotels and retaining domestic tourists.
Peter Hancock FIH MI, outgoing Pride of Britain Hotels Chief Executive and Independent Hotel Show Ambassador, commented: "Such a delight to find the Independent Hotel Show back in business after our prolonged period of forced hibernation. I'm thrilled by how many people have come here and how excited they are about mixing with other hoteliers, learning from each other and learning from the experts that we've brought into the show."
Monday October 4 ended with a joyous industry celebration, as guests celebrated the return of face-to-face events and the reconnection of the hotel community. The evening's festivities kicked off with the celebration of the Good Hotel Guide's ten Cesar Award winners. The Independent Hotel Show Awards were announced, with Joanne Taylor-Stagg FIH MI, General Manager of The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences securing Independent Hotelier and Anna Sirba, Operations Manager at Salcombe Harbour Hotel, awarded GM of the Future, in partnership with The Master Innholders.
Juris Dubrovskis, Executive Housekeeper at The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences, was additionally named 'One to Watch' by the judges, for his 'tenacity, drive and passion for hospitality'. The evening concluded with a surprise additional award for industry veteran Peter Hancock, as he was given Outstanding Contribution for his lifetime's work in the hospitality industry.
The morning of Tuesday October 5 saw The Power Breakfast hosted by Freemotion from iFIT, an exclusive morning session which welcomed independent hoteliers to hear renowned restaurant critics Fay Maschler and David Ellis discuss what goes into creating an exceptional hotel restaurant experience and taking a deep dive into modern restaurant trends and challenges.
Serena von der Heyde, Owner of Georgian House Hotel & Victoria House Hotel, commented: "I loved the show. I thought the panel discussions were the best and most relevant that they've ever been. The Power Breakfast discussion was brilliant – informative and funny. Missing a year has reinforced my belief that the Independent Hotel Show is the most important event in my calendar."
Both the Social Business Space and The Suite were designed by Aorta, led by Managing Director Frida Rush, with both spaces featuring salvaged architectural materials, bespoke furniture and unique interior finishes, enveloped by the grand industrial presence of Olympia London.
During the event, organiser Montgomery Group announced the launch of new digital platform IH Connects, a free resource for hoteliers to source new suppliers and keep up to date with industry thought leadership, webinars, research and more. The platform will host on-demand seminar content from the two days of the show and will continue to host innovative sessions and vital industry debates throughout the year.
The Independent Hotel Show will return to Olympia London on October 4 – 5 2022 for its 10th edition.
Main image credit: Independent Hotel Show
In pictures: The Royal Senses Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton
https://hoteldesigns.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/025.jpg 730 565 Hamish Kilburn Hamish Kilburn https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2edcad40930314dca244a6a9d0589916?s=96&d=mm&r=g 27.07.2021 27.07.2021
Following the highly anticipated opening The Royal Senses Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hotel Designs gets its hands on the official images, which highlight the design scheme that aimed to celebrate the "timelessness of the Cretan soul in a contemporary way". Editor Hamish Kilburn explores…
Situated on a serene, undisturbed coast outside the picturesque village of Panormos, a brand-new haven awaits the modern nomad. Combining Crete's rich heritage with exceptional experiences of the here and now, the Royal Senses is the latest chapter in lifestyle hospitality from the Troulis Royal Collection.
Positioned right next to its sister property, the recently renovated seafront Royal Blue with its 100-acre premises, the Royal Senses makes its mission to go above and beyond that of a typical luxury family resort. As a true ambassador of Crete's rugged beauty, the Royal Senses is deeply intertwined with the landscape of the island and the character of its people, while still maintaining a cosmopolitan aura.
Image credit: The Royal Senses Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton
Built with togetherness as a guiding principle, the resort's 179 suites and villas connect seamlessly with their natural surroundings. Accommodations range from spacious 35-square-metre rooms, where undisturbed sea views and natural furnishing materials bring to mind a private cove, to ultra-luxurious 200-square-meter villas with amenities such as private infinity pools organically carved from the rock that surrounds the island. Ever present is the element of water: the four large communal pools and the 74 private infinity pools lined with elegant sun loungers and cabanas seem to cascade from level to level, creating a sense of motion that stirs the soul of the traveller.
For Zacharias, Kostas and Manolis Troulis, co-owners of the Troulis Royal Collection, this project showcases their lifelong dedication to Crete. "We are fully committed to our responsibility to the island, its people and our cultural heritage," they said. "We wish to show guests all sides of the Cretan identity and embed ourselves purposefully into the texture of the island."
The celebration of Cretan roots has been the main driving force behind the resort's overall architectural and design approach. "The landscape's rough beauty creates a wonderful juxtaposition with the clean, minimal lines of the buildings," said Nikos Peppas and Katerina Tsiolaki, of Peppas N Architects, when describing the project. "We designed and positioned all buildings in such way that ensured unobstructed views to the endless blue of the Aegean Sea, wherever you are."
The interior design project was awarded to Constantina Tsoutsikou while she was Creative Director at Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) London. Following her departure from HBA, Tsoutsikou became the founder and creative director of the new London-based high-concept practice, Studio Lost. Her task, outlined in the original brief, was to showcase the owners' genuine commitment to local authenticity in a modern way.
Since you're here, why not listen to our podcast episode with Constantina Tsoutsikou?
"We wanted to create a destination that benefits local communities," explained Tsoutsikou, who briefed local artisans in their workshops and on-site. "I found a wealth of excellent craftsmanship and local techniques that informed the design as we went along. We created handcrafted bespoke furniture, repurposed items, objects and artwork that celebrate the artisanal skills of the islanders throughout."
The rooms and suites, all flowing towards their outdoor terrace, are built to remind the contemporary globetrotter exactly where they are — with framed views of the Cretan sea setting the tone. Earthy and textural, every guest room features carpentry and furniture from highly skilled local third-generation craftsmen (many of whom make their living by building traditional fishing boats), while furnishings, such as the cushions, are entirely made by hand in traditional motifs from the local women weavers association. The walls, treated with softly textured paint and cornices, are subtly marked out with traditional Cretan patterning, whereas the juxtaposition of rough and smooth surfaces mirrors the untamed character of the island itself.
All rooms maximise the time spent outdoors celebrating views and private pools, while the dark metal finishes and details such as leather wrapped door handles add an extra layer of depth in the overall look and feel. The open, boundless, layout connects the indoors with the outdoors and invites guests to enjoy these generous, calm spaces in their entirety.
At the Royal Senses, the traveller is called to connect with a community of kindred souls and experience a renewed sense of ancient mindfulness. This sense of community is highlighted by the fact that guests can seamlessly traverse across both resorts. Experienced in tandem, the Royal Blue's private beach and marina and the iconic hilltop views of the Royal Senses set the tone for a holistic exploration that goes beyond the beaten path. Here, Crete's multifaceted culture and ceaseless joie de vivre can be taken in at one's leisure.
As celebrating locality is of the utmost importance for the resort, the three restaurants (two of which offer la carte menus) and the various pop-up food bars at the Marketplace honour Crete's rich culinary tradition in various ways. Along with four bars, these dining locales create the perfect backdrop for precious moments together.
True to the spirit of engagement and togetherness, the resort provides travellers a plethora of distinctive experiences to help them connect with the island and one another. At the farm, visitors can stroll the fragrant hillside, discover a cornucopia of local herbs and harvest their own fruits and vegetables. Guests may also enjoy the resort's unique Marketplace – a home to curated selections from small-farm producers and local artisans, blending tradition with a contemporary shopping experience.
Last but by no means least, guests can luxuriate at an activity spa offering therapies that exclusively utilise Cretan herbs, as well as a heated pool, leaving them radiating with serenity and relaxation.
Rustic, authentic, joyful and proud, the Royal Senses Hotel & Spa is above all a contemporary interpretation of the Cretan soul.
Main image credit: The Royal Senses Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton
Weekly digest: Seychelles arrival & a review of London's latest spa
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Editor Hamish Kilburn here, checking in with your weekly digest to give you the low-down of some of the hottest stories that we published over the last few days – we've had arrivals in the Seychelles and Zimbabwe while also exploring a rather swanky new spa on London's Park Lane…
July is proving to be a busy month. Not only are there just a few weeks left to apply/nominate (free of charge) for The Brit List Awards 2021, but we are also counting down the days until we broadcast our next Hotel Designs LIVE event – designers, architects, hoteliers and developers can click here to purchase their complimentary tickets. And while we at Hotel Designs are slowly preparing ourselves to move away from virtual and instead start meeting the industry in person once more, there's a lot happening on the hospitality scene.
Right on cue, here's our digest of the top stories and features from this week:
REVIEW: Checking in to experience The Spa at 45 Park Lane
I have always wondered how a hotel like 45 Park Lane can differentiate itself from not only its neighbouring sibling but also other luxury hotels in the neighbourhood. After a few years of making my way through the cocktail, wine and steak menu, I have no regret to admit that I had been looking in the complete wrong direction all this time. The answer to how 45 Park Lane can remove itself from the cold-morning shadow of its older sister is in fact situated in what was, until recently, a building being used as offices.
Located on the lower levels of the hotel, and reached via its very own lift (which I haste to add is completely accessible for people of all abilities), the hotel has recently opened a spa, designed by Joubin Manku and developed by Clivedale London, that will simply take your breath away – and transport you worlds away from the hustle and bustle of London.
LXR Hotels & Resorts arrives in Seychelles
Image credit: Hilton Hotels
LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton's collection of independent luxury properties, has the opening of Mango House Seychelles, a hotel we first teased our readers with in January. The intimate and exclusive island oasis promise "a captivating, yet refined Seychellois experience on southern Mahé's unspoiled beachfront."
Registration is now open for Independent Hotel Show 2021
Have you heard? Independent Hotel Show London, presented by James Hallam, will return to Olympia London on October 4 – 5 2021 – and visitor registration has just opened. The Independent Hotel Show will bring together professionals from across the independent, luxury and boutique hotel sector for the first major industry gathering of 2021.
A winner's Q&A: Fiona Thompson, Principal, Richmond International
Following Fiona Thompson spectacularly winning at The Brit List Awards 2020, where she virtually walked away with the Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry title, Hotel Designs is finally about to present the Principal at Richmond International with her trophy. We joined the designer for lunch and a catch up in their home county, Kent, commonly known as the Garden of England…
Sneak peek: Inside Tembo Great Plains in Zimbabwe
Image credit: Great Plains (Tembo Plains Camp)
Great Plains, the iconic eco-tourism company led by wildlife filmmakers and conservationists Beverly and Dereck Joubert, is expected to open Tembo Plains Camp on August 1, 2021, which will become Relais & Châteaux's debut property in Zimbabwe.
Main image credit: Hilton Hotels
Interiors unveiled of The Springwoods Club Palm Tree Hotel in Heyuan, China
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Emotion derived from balance of nature, relaxation and luxury are all cues that have inspired the design narrative, led by Hirsch Bedner Associates Los Angeles (HBA), inside The Springwoods Club Palm Tree Hotel in Heyuan, China…
Design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates Los Angeles (HBA), which recently completed Hotel Carmichael, Autograph Collection and joined us for Hotel Designs LIVE in May, has unveiled the public area design of The Springwoods Club Palm Tree Hotel in Heyuan, Guangdong, China, bringing welcoming luxury, tranquility and the brilliance of nature together in perfect harmony.
Image credit: The Springwoods Club Palm Tree Hotel
Sophisticated simplicity, synchronicity of the five elements, the alluring destination and the natural landscape establish the foundation of the design concept. The award-winning hospitality design firm drew inspiration from the scenic mountains of Heyuan and the property's lakefront locale to achieve balanced interiors and a bespoke sanctuary of calm.
"The design brief was to utilise the natural beauty of the lake and surrounding topography as our muse to create serene environments and an overall respite from hectic city life," said HBA Los Angeles Partner Kathleen Dauber. "There is a transformative moment when the morning mist enveloping the lake and scenery clears, revealing the setting's radiance and tranquility. We embraced the emotion felt in that sense of discovery in writing the narrative of this project's design."
Guided by Eastern philosophies and a transitional mindset, HBA Los Angeles designers composed the public spaces with layered symmetry in a natural palette of wood and stone. Wood-beamed ceilings and sculpted archways in the voluminous lobby and lounge gracefully bring in elements of Mediterranean style, while floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space with natural light and usher in an airy ambiance. Vignettes and congenial seating groups create moments of intimacy without sacrificing social opportunities.
The themes of natural materiality and the balance of luxury and comfort are carried through the corridors, instituting an intuitive flow, as well as into the meeting spaces, VIP room, sauna room and patio dining area. In the ballroom, backlit glass screens line the perimeter of the ceiling and illuminate the space, while structural columns and wood paneling to wainscoting height cultivate a comfortable sense of enclosure. Cedar surfaces the sauna room with a Himalayan salt installation that acts as an artistic focal point in addition to a functional element. On the outdoor dining patio, textural walls of wood wrap the space to direct views of the picturesque lake, greenery and mountains.
Many of the furnishings throughout the public areas are custom crafted of carved wood and stone in organic shapes, balancing the grand scale of the interiors with tactile touchpoints, exceptional artisanship and refined detailing. All areas of the property are focused on the views outward, providing a visual connection to the outdoors.
Main image credit: HBA
Weekly digest: Another launch for Virgin Hotels & a new London design studio
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Editor Hamish Kilburn here, tasked to serve up this week's hotel design headlines – such a Virgin Hotels' arrival in New Orleans, Hard Rock entering a new territory and a new design studio launching in London – in one juicy shot…
"In a marketing email we sent this week, the marketing team added their own spin on the saying: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." We felt as though, unless you are driving or it's a particularly hot day (and even then, gin is always an option), that the industry isn't that keen on the idea of sipping lemonade in the corner of a room. Instead, and I say this following my attendance at a handful of events recently, we are all reaching for the limoncello after 18 months strictly no socialising.
Answering to the demand of the industry, therefore, we're tempted to raise the shot glass at The Brit List Awards 2021, which takes place on November 3 at PROUD Embankment. You have until August 6 (less than one month) in order to submit your entries – shortlisted designers, architects and hoteliers will get a complimentary ticket to the awards ceremony.
Between now and then, we on the editorial desk are committed to serve you a variety of flavours of news, features and exclusive insights. Taking the metaphor perhaps too far, this weekly digest is, if you like, the limoncello shot needed to finish off your week.
Here are the top stories from the last few days…
Hard Rock Hotels arrives in Madrid
Render credit: Hard Rock Hotel Madrid
Sheltering all the ingredients to make an exceptional lifestyle hotel, Hard Rock Hotel Madrid marks the brand's debut property in a Spanish city. Located at the Golden Triangle of Art in the Spanish capital, the hotel is the newest addition to an international portfolio and compliments the brand's recent growth throughout Europe.
Exclusive: Meet the designer behind London Design House
Image credit: London Design House
You may already know – or know of – Akram Fahmi (former Design Director at 1508 London) and Gary Kellett (former architect at ReardonSmith), but did you know that the two have joined forces to set up and launch their very own studio. In an exclusive interview, we caught up with Fahmi and Kellett to understand more about London Design House…
Virgin Hotels to arrive in New Orleans this summer
Image credit: Virgin Hotels
For any hotel that is owned by a pioneering boss who, in just a few days time, will attempt to make the history books by flying to the edge of spaceto reach a major milestone in his campaign to introduce a commercial spaceflight service, the expectation for an unmatched hospitality experience is huge.
Luckily, the Virgin Hotels New Orleans, which is about to make its bold debut onto the hospitality scene as soon as this summer has been designed with both Virgin's in-house team and locally based interior designers Logan Killen in order to ensure its interiors hit all the right notes for tomorrow's modern travellers – think texture and colour, lots of colour!
Richmond International unveils new interiors at The Langham, Boston
Image credit: Langham Hotels
With a range of dynamic spaces accommodating both guests and day visitors, The Langham, Boston, a landmark hotel, has reclaimed its position as one of the country's most desirable destinations following the completion of a three-year renovation by design studio Richmond International.
A new meaning of bathing: The Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens
Image credit: Ballymore and EcoWorld Ballymore.
The launch of the new headline-grabbing Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens has introduced a new twist to the concept of bathing – and whats more, our Recommended Supplier, bathroom brand Kaldewei, was involved in the development led by Ballymore and EcoWorld Ballymore.
And finally… The Brit List Awards 2021: FAQs (applications/nominations close soon)
Your chance to apply or nominate someone, free of charge, to enter The Brit List Awards 2021 is running out. Ahead of applications/nominations closing on August 6 – and to ensure that you are fully in-the-know about your opportunity to enter and join us at our largest networking event in this year's calendar, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions…
Marriott International opens 70th hotel in Japan
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With the opening of Aloft Osaka Dojima, Marriott International now has 70 properties in Japan, which means that, with 18 brands in 21 prefectures, the hotel group leads with brand offerings in the country – and there are still more hotels in the pipeline…
A few months ago, Marriott International opened its 800th hotel in the Asia Pacific region. A few months later, the hotel group announced that it would add 100 new hotels to that impressive portfolio between then and the end of the year.
And now, the hotel group has reached yet another milestone by opening Aloft Osaka Dojima, which becomes the group's 70th property in Japan. With this opening, Marriott International continues its solid growth in Japan as the hotel chain with the most brand offerings. The company has 70 properties across 18 brands in 21 prefectures including major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, as well as other lesser known gems like Tochigi, Gifu and Wakayama. With a pipeline of more than 30 additional hotels, including three hotels expected to open later this year, the portfolio is poised for continued growth in Japan.
"We remain confident in the future of travel." – Rajeev Menon, President, Marriott International Asia-Pacific (excluding Greater China).
"Expanding our presence and bringing more brands and experiences to Japan has been a priority for us," said Rajeev Menon, President, Marriott International Asia-Pacific (excluding Greater China). "We remain confident in the future of travel and look forward to welcoming both domestic and international guests with new and exciting travel choices when they are able to travel again."
The opening of Aloft Osaka Dojima, Marriott International's 70th property in Japan, is emblematic of its select-service brand category growth in the country, with the number of open hotels nearly tripling since 2019. The brands in the category such as Fairfield by Marriott, Courtyard, Aloft Hotels, and Moxy Hotels to name a few, offer distinct value for travellers with streamlined services and amenities, paired with casual, convenient dining options and warm hospitality — all at an approachable price point. The new Aloft property is centrally located at the crossroads of entertainment, shopping, dining and business in Osaka. In addition to vibrant urban centres, many of the select-service hotels are opening in Japan's lesser known areas and are expected to offer easy and comfortable stays for travellers exploring less travelled, yet attractive locations.
The "Michi-no-eki" portfolio – which now comprises 13 Fairfield by Marriott hotels in prime locations near roadside rest stations in Japan – is a key driver of growth in the select service category in the country. Earlier in 2021, five Fairfield by Marriott hotels opened across picture-perfect destinations including Odai in Mie, Minamiyamashiro in Kyoto, Nikko in Tochigi, Kushimoto in Wakayama, and Susami in Wakayama. Later this year, an additional new Fairfield by Marriott hotel is slated to open with the arrival of Fairfield by Marriott Gifu Takayama Shokawa. The new hotels are situated close to national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, providing guests a gateway to secluded destinations and local gems across the country.
This summer, the highly anticipated opening of Japan's fourth Moxy Hotel, Moxy Kyoto Nijo, is expected to add a stylishly playful twist to Kyoto's bar and social scene, celebrating youthful nonconformity, open-mindedness, and originality above all. Located in the Kyoto Nijo historic district near the World Heritage site of Nijo Castle, it is set to be a buzzing new location to play and explore.
Meanwhile, the recently opened Hiyori Chapter Kyoto, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, is the Tribute Portfolio brand's second property in the country, and welcomes guests from near and far to craft their own story and live like a local on a journey of exploration in picturesque Kyoto.
Image credit: W Hotels
Earlier this year Marriott International celebrated the opening of Japan's very first W hotel with the arrival of W Osaka, which, thanks to design influence from design and architecture studio concrete Amsterdam, brought the brand's singularly bold attitude and a playground of new possibilities to the city's already-vibrant hospitality scene.
The iconic lifestyle luxury brand EDITION will further expand with the expected opening of The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza later this year. The hotel is slated to be the second EDITION property in Japan following The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon, which opened in 2020.
Image credit: Tokyo Edition/Marriott International
"We are gratified to see the strong growth of Marriott International in Japan, and appreciate the confidence of our owners and franchisees in our vision for the future of hospitality in the country," said Karl Hudson, Area Vice President, Japan and Guam, Marriott International. "Like us, our owners believe that the future of travel lies in providing what travellers truly want, based on lifestyles, interests and preferences. Marriott's strong and differentiated portfolio of brands cater to the individual requirements of travellers, and this is how our guests know they can count on us to provide what they want, wherever they may travel to."
With today's announcement, Marriott International is well-positioned in Japan with 70 hotels across 18 distinct brands, aimed at serving differentiated experiences across traveler segments. The brands currently operating in Japan include: JW Marriott, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton and Ritz-Carlton Reserve, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, and EDITION in the luxury segment; Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, and Renaissance in the premium segment; Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, Fairfield by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, and Moxy Hotels in the select service segment.
A look at Morgan's latest product launches
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British contract furniture designer and manufacturer Morgan has let us in to take a look at the brand's latest new products, which arrive to add further choices to its already successful Porto and Kyoto collections…
While the streets of Clerkenwell start to echo with life again, we are excited for the plethora of brands in the neighbourhood that have opened their showrooms to shelter the latest designs and innovations in the market. One of those brands is Morgan, which continues to unveil products that are eco-friendly, ahead of any trend and timelessly suited for the hospitality industry.
Following the launch of new table tops to the Goodwood and Rakino collections, get comfortable as we share what else in new in the London showroom.
The Porto collection is light, minimal and versatile. Ergonomically designed to ensure comfort in both dining, lounge and work configurations. Customisable by design, the newest addition to our Porto collection expands its versatility even further; introducing the Swivel base. Available across the five Porto dining chair options, the light aluminium base compliments the minimal upholstery to give a modern luxurious feel to any working environment.
Image caption: Porto collection from Morgan has unveiled a swivel-based chair to the range.
Featured at their London showroom, Morgan have now made their seat pads a standard offering within the Kyoto collection of dynamic linear intersecting benches. These simple, yet striking seat pads are highly versatile, turning window sills, steps and other surfaces into seating areas.
Image caption: Seat pads are now standard in the Kyoto Collection
Image caption: Seat pads are now standard in the Kyoto Collection.
Morgan is one of our Recommended Suppliers and regularly features in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.
Main image credit: Morgan
Fashion brand PrettyLittleThing launches UK hotel
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While the boundaries between lifestyle and luxury continue to blur – and fashion, design and hospitality collide – it's not a huge surprise to read that that global fashion brand PrettyLittleThing has entered the UK hotel market. Editor Hamish Kilburn explores more…
According to a recent press release, demand for staycations this year is up an astonishing 14,400 per cent in the UK, which has led to staycation venues all over the country to sell out this summer. With great demand comes new supply – and PrettyLittleThing has just checked in, taking over a site in the Devon countryside with pink balloons and glamour.
Image credit: PrettyLittleThing
Promising the 'ultimate' staycation experience as early as this summer, the brand's new hotel, will be sheltered in a contemporary barn-like building – think Soho Farmhouse, but less chic and more pink! The hotel will open, we are told, with the aim to rival the 'Love Island Villa'.
Candy-pink walls aside, in addition to offering something new on the market outside of major cities, the venture will also allow the brand, which is one of the largest fashion brands in the UK, to amplify its brand DNA to its target audience, as Nicki Capstick, Marketing Director at PrettyLittleThing, explains. "The PrettyLittleThing hotel is something we have been excited to launch for a long time, she said. "We've carefully curated the decor and homeware from our own range to create the ultimate staycation destination this summer. We're looking forward to welcoming our first guests and ensure that they have the most incredible getaway after over a year of being unable to travel."
This latest arrival to the hospitality scene is further evidence that the hospitality industry is heading towards a new era of lifestyle, which is being created to answer new demands from modern travellers. However, what makes this move even more interesting – whether or not it shelters an innovate design approach is irrelevant – is that the brand's arrival in the UK hotel arena comes as a direct result of the current restrictions on travel, leading to a call for more accessible options on the current hospitality scene.
Only time will tell as to whether or not the hotel will become a permanent fixture once air travel resumes – or for that matter if the brand is preparing to open any other hotels. For now, at least, the fashion brand has thrown personality, colour and experience to hospitality in the UK. Welcome to the party, PrettyLittleThing.
Main image credit: PrettyLittleThing
Parkside opens two more London design studios
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Calling all design lovers in the Capital… Parkside, known for unveiling the 'most sustainable tile on the market', has opened two new Design Studios as it continues to develop its position in the commercial tile market…
Parkside Design Studios can now be found in Balham and Notting Hill, London, joining the tile specification company's existing Design Studios in Chelsea, Clerkenwell and the Cotswolds as well as a hub at its Leicester headquarters.
Design Studios are home to samples for many collections and can be used by local architecture and design communities to explore over 1,500 tile designs that are available from Parkside. Run by knowledgeable and experienced studio managers and acting as hubs for the company's growing team of consultants, the Design Studios are a key part of its approach to high quality service.
For example, the company's Clerkenwell Design Studio regularly hosts events and workshops for the local professional community and has been involved in photography exhibitions and taken an active role in events such as Clerkenwell Design Week. All studios also provide space for consultations and to explore tile options for projects.
Mark Williams, sales design director, comments; "As a tactile surface finish, tiles are best decided upon through seeing samples. Of course, our website has a five-minute sample selector which is utilised by architects and designers on a regular basis, but sometimes there is a need to explore and discuss options for projects in more depth. Our Design Studios provide this opportunity and act as a place where our consultants can help to build a tile specification, or simply where people can come together to explore our impressive collection.
"We're hugely excited about these two new locations as they make it easier for local architects, specifiers and interior designers to experience how Parkside can help lift tile specifications out the ordinary. As restrictions allow, we look forward to welcoming the local professional communities in to celebrate with us, and also to share ideas and knowledge on how to bring the durability and ease of tiles to workplaces, housing developments, retail, hotels, bars and restaurants and many more locations."
The two Design Studios opened Friday April 31, 2021, with social distancing measures effective.
Parkside, which won Best in British Product Design at The Brit List Awards 2020, is one of our recommended suppliers and regularly feature in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.
Main image credit: Parkside
Case study: Supplying baths for Nobu Hotel London Portman Square
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Following our case study that explored how David Collins Studio designing the lighting scheme inside the new Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, we take look at why the designers selected Bette glazed titanium-steel baths for the hotel's luxurious bathrooms…
Located in the heart of central London's vibrant Marylebone area, the new luxury lifestyle hotel features 249 rooms, a signature Nobu Restaurant and Nobu Bar with an all-year-round terrace, plus a gym and wellness facilities.
The common spaces in the hotel have been beautifully conceptualised by London based architecture and interior design firm, David Collins Studio, and the rooms and suites have been designed by Make Architects.
Bathroom brand Bette provided three different bath styles for the hotel: the freestanding BetteStarlet Oval Silhouette, the BetteOcean shower bath and the double-ended BetteStarlet fitted bath, all made from its luxurious, durable and hygienic glazed titanium-steel.
The BetteStarlet Oval Silhouette baths have been used in the hotel's suites. The luxurious freestanding baths are comfortable for two to bathe together and come in five sizes from 1500 x 80mm to 1950 x 950mm.
Also, providing a relaxing, comfortable bath that is perfect for two, the fitted BetteStarlet baths have a contemporary, oval shape, come with a central waste and in 12 sizes from 1500 x 800mm to 1850 x 850mm.
The BetteOcean bath is perfect for use as a shower bath. It features steep sides at the foot end, for more standing room when showering, and a comfortable sloping back rest at the other end, for relaxed bathing. The bath has a central waste and comes in 12 sizes from 1500 x 700mm to 1800 x 800mm.
Bette baths, shower trays and basins come with a thirty year warranty, are easy to clean and available in more than 400 colours, including gloss and matt finishes. Made from natural raw materials, they are completely recyclable and verified to the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) as per ISO 14025 and to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
Bette is one of our Recommended Suppliers and regularly features in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.
Image credit: Bette
Moxy brand makes debut in Mainland China
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Following to launch of its debut property in Miami and announcement of its arrival in Dubai, Marriott International's disruptive hotel brand, Moxy, expands to Mainland China with additional openings slated for Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Xi'an in the next year. Here's what we know…
Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD has opened, which marks the brand's debut in Mainland China.
Designed for the young and the young-at-heart, Moxy Hotels – part of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio of 30 brands – enables guests to save on space and splurge on experiences – a word that is vastly evolving global hospitality. With thoughtful, tech-enabled bedrooms, interactive gathering spaces and approachable service, Moxy boldly reinvents the traditional hotel stay and aims to surprise travellers with a playful, spirited and fun guest experience.
The new 158-key hotel is conveniently located right next to one of the most important transportation hubs in China, which brings together the high-speed rail, an international airport and local metro lines. Lidoway, a 15-minute drive from the hotel, is a bustling Gen-Z destination with an array of trendy lifestyle shops, restaurants and bars. Travellers visiting the Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD can also explore popular attractions in Shanghai including The Bund, known for its famous skyline, Xintiandi for its vibrant nightlife and food scene, and Tianzifang for its arts and crafts shopping.
Image credit: Moxy Hotels
"We are thrilled to continue to grow our global portfolio and introduce the energetic Moxy brand to mainland China with the opening of Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD," said Jeff Tomczek, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, Distinctive Select Brands at Marriott International. "Shanghai is a world-renowned commercial hub and tourist destination, with appeal to experientially minded travelers. Moxy will bring its Play On spirit and unconventional hotel experience to this world-class city, and expects five more Moxy Hotels to open in mainland China within the next year."
Moxy Hotels plans to open five additional properties in mainland China in the next year, marking strong anticipated growth in a region where next-gen travelers play an essential role in the China tourism market. Following the opening of Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD, a vibrant new social scene is set to be introduced at Moxy Shanghai Xuhui, which is slated to open in the cosmopolitan city later this summer. Additional new Moxy Hotels are slated to open in Nanjing, Shenzhen and Xi'an within the next twelve months.
"The opening marks the entry of Marriott Bonvoy's 24th brand into mainland China – a testament to our focus on bringing a diversified portfolio for different types of travelers to China," said Henry Lee, President, Greater China, Marriott International. "We currently operate more than 50 hotels in Shanghai and look forward to expanding our portfolio further across China in order to offer distinctive and personalized experiences for travelers."
Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD's stylish and playful design pays homage to the neighbouring Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and aims to welcome guests with the brand's signature bold spirit by incorporating clever elements from airport terminals into the hotel lobby design, including an immersive display board that will feature flight information, route maps and aircraft seating updates in real-time.
Upon arrival, guests are instantly welcomed into an immersive stay with check-in at Bar Moxy, complete with a complimentary "Got Moxy"cocktail. The buzzing bar is also a communal hub in the lobby where guests can dine and socialize. Moxy's 24/7 self-service grab-and-go concept gives guests access to what they want, whenever they want, with options including snacks, fresh juice, coffee, wine and beer. Guests can also re-energize at the hotel's 24-hour fitness center decked out with a boxing bag, signature racing bike and other equipment. Additionally, the new hotel features a 24-hour ironing room, a signature Moxy amenity, for guests to iron their outfits or socialise with their crew before hitting the town.
The hotel's tech-savvy, modern bedrooms intermix edgy details with functionality and are cleverly designed to maximise space and allow guests the flexibility to adapt the room to their needs. Guests can enjoy smart features from plush platform beds to a fun-size work surface, and peg walls instead of closets. Each guestroom is equipped with Moxy's signature Stellar Works foldable workspace desks and chairs, as well as 55-inch flat screen TVs, bedside USB ports, electronic safety box, walk-in rain showers and furiously fast and free Wi-Fi, allowing guests to stay plugged-in around the clock.
Moxy's interactive and intriguing Play On communal spaces will come alive with thoughtfully crafted happenings designed by the Moxy Crew to cater to travellers and locals who like to socialise and meet new friends. At Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD, foosball and various popular boardgames are available in the communal spaces and guests can mingle at events organised by the hotel.
"We're thrilled to be the first Moxy hotel in mainland China in the electrified metropolitan of Shanghai, and to show this city just how invigorating and fun a hotel stay really can be," said Aleen Wan, Captain of the Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD. "Different from anything else in this area, our spirited Crew members are excited to connect with travellers in a playful way over games and cocktails in our design-driven social areas, allowing travellers to blend work and play – all at an approachable price point."
Main image credit: Moxy
Accor Design Awards – and the winners are…
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During the Accor Design Awards – a global campaign – design students pushed conventional boundaries to redefine the services and guest experience that will ultimately shape the hospitality landscape of tomorrow. Editor Hamish Kilburn, who was on this year's judging panel, has more about this year's winners…
First launched in in 2016, the Accor Design Awards aim to rethink the future of hospitality in collaboration with design students the world over. Their creativity blended with Accor's know-how, provide unique solutions and new concepts for the hospitality industry.
For the fifth edition, candidates' brief was to "redefine the services and guest experiences that will shape the hospitality of tomorrow". Respected visionary designer Beth Campbell, founder and CEO of Campbell House, presided over this edition, while the international jury of experts had the task to select the top three projects across many submissions from design schools around the globe. After establishing a shortlist of 10 projects, the jury gathered online on May 25 to select top three projects and from them an overall winner. Finally, on June 1, the winners were announced in an online award ceremony.
"I'm very impressed by the level of this edition contest," said Damien Perrot, Global Senior Vice President at Accor, who recently took part in our roundtable that explored lifestyle hospitality in 2021 and beyond. "I would like to congratulate the winners but also to thank the 150 students who participated to this contest and who are the students we would like to work with in the future. The future is definitively today because when we work on projects, we always think of what could be the world in the next 10 years."
Manon Figuier, Victoire Datchary, Mathéo Maurel, Harold Loquillard from L'Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, whose project NOMADish provided an innovative solution that hit the three key goals: overall guest experience, element of surprise and delight, and consideration for social, economic, and environmental responsibility, won the first prize. They also won the Public Choice Award, voted for by the general public via our bespoke online award voting platform.
Overall winner: NOMADish
They will spend a five-day experience between Barcelona and Basel offered by Roca and Laufen, the campaign's official sponsors, to discover the brands centre of innovation, see Art Basel and spend a wonderful time in these two beautiful cities.
The second prize was awarded to Ashley Ulm from Berlin International University for her Relove Hotel project, a sustainable and deeply locally conscious concept that goes beyond a biophilic design scheme. Ulm will enjoy a three-day stay in Basel offered by sponsors Roca and Laufen brands.
The Waterwalk project was awarded the third prize. The concept of the world's first 'floating and flying cruise' inspired the judges to look outside the conventional perimeter in order to unlock something quite spectacular. As a prize, Fanny Jalet, Nolwenn Arhuis, Julie David and Lucie Vallée from L'Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique will spend three days in Barcelona with Roca teams.
Third prize: Waterwalk
Last but not least, this year's entries were of such a high standard, that the judges insisted on awarding an extra Special jury prize to the Cocoon project. The hotel presented to the judges catered to the rising demand of bleisure travel. Forget the typical corporate shell, though. This hotel suite concept – made from biopolymer and local wood – would become a one-off travel experience in Africa. Yasmine Bennani, Solène Percie Du Serf, Nicolas Alibert and Alexandre Albert-Picquet from L'Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique were offered a Jo&Joe experience in Paris, and Hotel Designs will catch up with the team shortly to learn more about how the project would come to life.
In addition to the prize winners, the shortlisted finalists included hospitality concepts in space, suspended on the side of a mountain and even on the bottom of a cliff, which used the natural tides as a way to naturally and effortless change the guests' setting. Innovative sustainability solutions were evident in all projects, as was the sensory experience.
Supported by Hotel Designs, the Accor Design Awards will return next year.
Main image credit: Accord Design Awards
In Conversation With: Alex Tredez on designing The Lost Poet
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In an exclusive interview, editor Hamish Kilburn meets Alex Tredez, the lead designer of The Lost Poet, a new boutique hotel that shelters oodles of quirky and local personality. Ahead of it opening as a 'modern interpretation of a traditional guest house' on London's Portobello Road, we took a sneak peek inside…
"We felt that there was a gap in the market for accommodation which offers high quality service, attention to detail and professionalism synonymous with the hotel experience – but also offering an authentic local experience which guests love about Airbnb-like residences," Alex Tredez, lead designer of The Lost Poet, explains to me as we start to discuss one of West London's most anticipated hotel openings this year.
Deeply rooted in its surrounding area, The Lost Poet, a hotel that is expected to open its doors this month following much anticipation, comes from the team at Cubic Studios – a local property design studio, born and bred in Notting Hill. The townhouse, located at Number 6, Portobello Road in London's quaint Notting Hill neighbourhood, is a poetic love letter to the area, celebrating its creativity and dynamism through four individually designed bedrooms. The design harnesses the colour and playful curiosity of Portobello Road and takes inspiration from the market, mixing the old with the new. I was lucky enough to see beyond the colourful sketches to get a sneak peek and interview with the project's lead designer.
Image caption: An illustration of the exterior of the hotel
Hamish Kilburn: How will the hotel's design challenge conventional London hospitality?
Alex Tredez: The Lost Poet is a modern interpretation of a traditional guest house. As far as we know, there is nothing quite like it.
We felt that there was a gap in the market for accommodation which offers high quality service, attention to detail and professionalism synonymous with the hotel experience – but also offering an authentic local experience which guests love about Airbnb-like residences.
It's a concept that we thought is perfect for a city stay as it gives the traveller the best of both worlds. The guest house is an experience / destination on its own but it's also very much rooted in the local area. The idea was to create accommodation for those who want to explore and experience the neighbourhood but also want a comfortable and characterful space to retreat to and relax in. Notting Hill is such a lively area with so much to offer we'd like to think we can encourage guests to explore it and enjoy.
The small scale of the property and technology used through-out give the guests maximum privacy and flexibility. For example, the online check-in feature allows the guests to submit necessary information ahead of their stay, keyless access enables them to open the accommodation simply using their mobile phone. No matter what time the guests arrive at the property they are able to just walk in straight into the room. The receptionist and online support are there to answer any queries and provide assistance. The guests are free to have as little or as much face to face contact with the guest house staff as they choose.
We believe it is The Lost Poet's unique mix of qualities is what will challenge the conventional hospitality.
HK: With so much history in that area of London, how did you narrow down the interior design scheme?
AT: Embracing the rich history and character of the area was a huge part of the brief and a challenge we very much enjoyed. We felt it was important for this rich mix of culture and history to translate into the interiors. Our other objective was for the scheme to feel coherent and polished and have the same attention to detail that we strive to achieve on our residential projects. Having worked in Notting Hill for many years, this project is close to our hearts.
The iconic pastel terraces of Portobello and nearby roads definitely inspired us. For this we drew from the classic proportions and timeless elegance of Georgian buildings in Notting Hill. Their construction uses a limited palette of materials such as yellow brick, stucco and stone and is what gives these streets coherence and harmony. However, instead of using a complex multi coloured palette throughout the property we decided to use different palette for each room. Our objective was to convey the vibrancy and playfulness of the area in The Lost Poet as a whole but have each bedroom feel more tranquil creating for the guests a welcome break from the surrounding bustle.
Using the colour as the tool adding individuality to the rooms also allowed us to use same architectural features and a similar overall design approach in each room so that they all feel like they belong in the same property but also have individual character.
"We opted for mid tone and dark wood to add warmth and really tie the antique and retro furniture together." – Alex Tredez, lead designer, The Lost Poet.
Image credit: The Lost Poet
For eclectic and layered interior we used a mix of elegant classical inspired detailing and proportions, luxury traditional materials, modern forms as well as contemporary patterns. We opted for mid tone and dark wood to add warmth and really tie the antique and retro furniture together. Reclaimed and natural materials add comfort and create domestic/ informal feel. Asymmetrical balance adds playfulness, visual interest and relaxed vibe.
HK: How do you predict the pandemic will change the way modern travellers explore?
AT: The pandemic has made many people really think about the way we travel and why we travel. We suspect it will change the way we explore. For starters, customers will put extra value on smart solutions such as online check-in and keyless access which can add the feeling of safety as well as flexibility. Travellers are looking for a more personal connection which values quality over quantity. Bespoke and meaningful experiences will be even more valued and by a wider portion of the market – the discerning traveller will make conscious choices, people having to really research and plan, less impulse decisions. Travellers may be willing to stay in one place for longer. For us this means longer stays, taking things at a slower pace which in turn means more time to explore the area. Guests are more conscious about sustainability, and we expect to see an increase in eco and wellness tourism.
I also think that we may see an increase in last minute bookings – still considered plans but confirmed shorter lead times than what the industry standard was in 2019.
HK: What's the scene like on Portobello Road?
At the moment? We are happy to see many restaurants and bars are and have been adapting well. We are seeing increased number of al-fresco dining and dining options. Some businesses have been burned though the pandemic and have since blossomed (just one example is Buns from Home).
In general? We love that there are so many small businesses and restaurants on the street. You can wine and dine here for a week and not have to go to the same place twice. You can find everything from Moroccan sweets, through to Michelin starred restaurants as well as highly specialised vendors (vintage glasses, unique blends of tea, bespoke perfume etc).
HK: Now more than ever design and service must answer each other. How is this the case inside The Lost Poet?
AT: The Lost Poet thrives on its attention to detail. Since the inception of the design phase of the project to the thought put into the guest experience, the devil has been in the detail. The Lost Poet is Cubic's love letter to Notting Hill, it's part of the community, in the coolest neighbourhood in London. We want our guests to experience that, to feel and love the quirkiness and the friendly embrace of Portobello. The design of the rooms is intended to feel like home, we want our guests to be able to come 'home' to The Lost Poet and the end of their day. The service will be reflected in that. We only have a few rooms so which allows us to provide a much more personal experience and adapt to ever-changing guest needs. Everything from toiletries to our seasonal breakfast offering has been carefully considered.
"We know how we arrived at the name but feel that just like with poetry sometimes it is best to leave these things open to interpretation." – Alex Tredez, lead designer, The Lost Poet.
HK: How do the bathrooms inside the property go beyond just being practical spaces?
AT: We have put a lot of thought into making sure they are very special, each bathroom is as unique to the room (different finish on the sanitaryware, different wallpapers, different layouts). We have closely considered how guests would get ready and added seating where possible and wall lighting to help elevate this experience, creating a beautiful space where you can still enjoy your daily rituals. We wanted to create that 'wow' moment and the special feel you'd expect from a luxury spa with loads of added character to match the feel of the property.
HK: Who is 'the lost poet'?
AT: Notting Hill is said to have had an artistic association since the end of 19 century, we feel it's still very prominent. You can feel it in the area and we love it and think it is one of the things that makes it so special. We know how we arrived at the name but feel that just like with poetry sometimes it is best to leave these things open to interpretation…
Main image credit: The Lost Poet
The Brit List Awards 2021: Meet the judges
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Now that the free nominations/applications process is open for The Brit List Awards 2021, it's time to meet this year's judges. The 2021 panel consists of respected travel journalists and international experts in the design, architecture and hotel development arenas. The judges will gather to select the winners ahead of the awards ceremony on November 3 at PROUD Embankment, London…
Right on cue – and continuing tradition – the next step after nominations and applications have opened for The Brit List Awards is for us to announce this year's judging panel.
This year, as well as continuing our firm relationship with the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) by welcoming both the President and the Past-President as judges, we have also included an award-winning travel journalist and a cluster of respected hospitality and hotel design experts to join this year's panel.
(Free to apply/nominate) To nominate/apply for The Brit List Awards 2021, click here.
Without further a due, the judges for The Brit List Awards 2021 are:
Lindsey Rendall, President Elect, BIID
Image credit: Rendall & Wright
Lindsey Rendall is the soon-to-be President of the BIID. After graduating Lindsey Rendall worked for Designers Guild, the internationally renowned home furnishing brand before continuing her design career with Cameron Broom, based in south London. During her five years with the company, Rendall became principal designer and designed a wide range of projects including more than 90 domestic properties, five offices, three commissions for The Hurlingham Club and the complete renovation of 28 Portland Place, a beautiful historic building dating from 1775.
Rendall enthusiasm, attention to detail and ability to identify with her clients has ensured repeat business and many recommendations and referrals. In 2010 Lindsey was granted full membership of the British Institute of Interior Design. Lindsey joined forces with Helen to set up Interior Design practice Rendall & Wright in 2006. This dynamic duo, bring together design expertise and seamless project management, providing a personal and professional service.
Lester Bennett, President, BIID
Image credit: BIID
As a registered interior design with more than 30 years' experience, Lester Bennett will be the Past President of the BIID during the judging process of The Brit List Awards 2021. Joining the panel for a second year, Bennett has covered many areas of design from running his own practice to being Design Director for the residential development company Westcity. He has built up a stunning portfolio of high profile residential developments both in the UK and overseas.
Lisa Grainger, Deputy and Travel Editor, Times Luxx magazine
Image credit: Twitter (@LisaGrainger4)
Viewing this year's entries from a different perspective over the likes of design and architecture professionals, Lisa Grainger is an award-winning travel journalist who has worked for The Times – from the arts and news desks to The Times Magazine and LUXX – since 1995. Grainger, who has become a well-known figure on the luxury travel scene and an influential voice which is amplified regularly in her authentic reviews, is a regular contributor to panels on conservation and luxury travel.
Frank M. Pfaller, President, HoteliersGuild
Image credit: Frank M. Pfaller
Frank M. Pfaller, the Founder and President of Hoteliers Guild joins the panel with his 'no two people are alike' attitude. Impressed by the accessibility of The Brit List Awards 2021, Pfaller believes that while every property must meticulously reach and maintain highest standards of quality and personalised guest services, none should have to bear the dull stamp of conformity. HoteliersGuild was created with this mentality, and has become a private and independent society of active luxury hoteliers with the aim to connect the best of the hospitality community in a place that encourages the exchange of ideas and personal friendships.
Dereck & Beverly Joubert, filmmakers and owners, Great Plains
Image credit: Great Plains
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are world-renowned wildlife filmmakers and are the founders of Great Plains, an authentic, unique and iconic leading tourism conservation organisation. The pair will capture this year's entries through their unique lens to capture, hopefully, the hotel projects that push boundaries in architecture, design and hospitality. Great Plains consists of 16 prestigious owned and partner safari properties in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe – and offers exceptional safari experiences built around bespoke, caring, meaningful and considerate values.
Ngahuia Damerell, Senior Design Project Manager – Premium & Luxury Brands Design Solutions, Design & Technical Services, Accor
Image credit: Accor
Ngahuia Damerell, on the Board of Directors for the NEWH Paris Chapter, will join the panel to assist in the judging for the Rising Star Award, following Accor's commitment to support young talent with the Accor Design Awards.
Damerell earned a bachelor's degree in textile design with a focus on interior textiles from Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand. Her professional journey has taken her to Sydney, London, New York and now, Paris, where she works as the Global Senior Design Project Manager for Accor's Luxury & Premium brands, including Raffles, Sofitel, Pullman and Movenpick.
Hamish Kilburn, Editor, Hotel Designs
Image credit: Hotel Designs
Completing this year's panel, Hamish Kilburn, editor of Hotel Designs, will return for a fourth consecutive year to act as head judge for The Brit List Awards.
In his role on the leading online publication, Kilburn sensitively narrates the industry's development. As well as travelling the globe, to far-flung destinations, in order to review some of the world's most impressive hotels, he has also interviewed the masterminds behind their creations. "The Brit List Awards has become a valuable tool for the industry to understand who the real leaders and visionaries are among us," he said. "In our meaningful search, we are looking for people and brands going beyond what is conventional – and in the four years I have held this position, the industry has never disappointed in showing us projects that are, quite simply, incredible."
Most recently, Kilburn become the host of DESIGN POD, a new podcast for the A&D community and was also part of the team who masterminded Hotel Designs LIVE, a series of virtual online conferences for designers, architects and hoteliers in order to keep the industry connected and the conversation flowing. As a result, he has gained a detailed understanding as to what it takes to be at the forefront of the industry's development and evolution.
So there you have it, your judges for The Brit List Awards 2021.
You can now purchase your tickets to attend the live awards ceremony, which takes place on November 3 at PROUD Embankment (designers, architects, hoteliers & click here. Suppliers, click here).
If you would like to discuss various sponsorship packages available, please contact Katy Phillips via email, or call 01992 374050.
Headline Partner: Crosswater
Showcase Partner: Schlüter Systems
Event Partner: Hamilton Litestat
Event Partner: Duravit
Broadcasting Partner: Grohe
Decorative Partner: Leaflike
Industry Partner: BIID
Industry Partner: NEWH
(in video) Hotel Designs LIVE: Bathrooms beyond practical spaces
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In the second session of Hotel Designs LIVE on May 11, 2021, the editorial lens focused in on the hotel bathroom. In an exclusive panel discussion, editor Hamish Kilburn welcomed Nick Hickson, Co-Founder and Creative/Technical Director, THDP; Gabriele Chiave, Creative Director, Marcel Wanders Studio and Christos Passas, Director, Zaha Hadid Architects, to explore bathrooms beyond practical spaces (scroll down to watch full video)…
Following the opening seminar on 'a new era of lifestyle', which was no doubt the session that set the tone for the rest of the day's panel discussions, session two of Hotel Designs LIVE was sponsored by bathroom manufacturer Grohe. For this chapter of the one-day conference, editor Hamish Kilburn decided to focus the lens on an area of the hotel that has been at the centre of the wellness conversation over the last year.
Welcoming leading designers and architects to join him on the virtual sofa, the panel looked at all five senses to understand how bathroom design and wellness areas are evolving in order to cater to new demands from modern travellers. Understanding bathroom spaces in all colours, shapes and sizes, the panel started to ultimately establish trends and major talking points for wellness spaces in 2021 and beyond.
On the panel:
Gabriele Chiave, Director, Marcel Wanders Studio
Nick Hickson, Partner and Creative Director, THDP
Christos Passas, Director, Zaha Hadid Architects
Here's the full video of the panel discussion (on demand), produced by CUBE, which includes Product Watch pitches from Grohe, Christopher Hyde, Crosswater, Schlüter Systems, Laufen and Villeroy & Boch.
We have also published the full recording of session one from Hotel Designs LIVE. The full recordings of the other two sessions ('Art outside the frame' and 'Workspace design trends') will be available on-demand shortly.
SAVE THE DATE: Hotel Designs LIVE will return for a fourth edition on August 10, 2021. The topics explored will include surfaces, sleep, senses and social and speakers will be announced shortly. Once these have been announced, tickets for Hotel Designs LIVE will be available. In the meantime, if you would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities, focused Product Watch pitches or the concept of Hotel Designs LIVE, please contact Katy Phillips or call +44 (0) 1992 374050.
Should hotels do a better job of reflecting their communities?
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To conclude our editorial series with ADP Architecture, Studio Director Amrit Naru looks at how a hotels and their design can sensitively reflect a locations local culture…
Ask someone to name a place they're looking forward to visiting once lockdown eases, and there's a wide range of answers you might hear. They might mention a local pub or café. They might be looking forward to getting back to the gym, seeing a sports team play, or popping in to see a friend. They're unlikely to mention a hotel.
And there's a perfectly good reason for that: hotels aren't typically designed for their local community. They're arguably designed for everyone but the local community: tourists, business travellers, visitors for one reason or another. In contrast with the back-and-forth of a transport hub, we look at hotels as a one-directional interface between a specific locale and the wider world, where the wider world touches down for a few days before returning home. The only transport hub that seems to bear comparison here is a docking station for UFOs.
This kind of view fits the traditional way of looking at hotels – but of course, it neglects the wide range of purposes that hotels can actually serve. Very few hotels are simply places to stay: they can include bars, restaurants, conference centres, spas, and plenty more. It's easy to look at these facilities simply as added value for guests, but they're just as likely to be used by locals.
Explore these opportunities further, and you open up a whole new way of thinking about what a hotel can be. Far from a semi-private site with clearly defined boundaries – like a house or an office building – it becomes permeable, integrated with its community, with spaces which are as much defined by their surroundings and local flavour as by the people who travel to them. This kind of approach can reverse the (un)popular image of a hotel, making it the beating heart of a neighbourhood that benefits everyone.
Take, for example, a recent ADP project on a former industrial site in Scotland. When several plants closed in the 70s and 80s, hundreds of local workers lost their jobs, and the area lost key places that had given it purpose. It's the sort of post-industrial community that's been crying out for regeneration of the genuinely beneficial kind, providing spaces that benefit and support an existing community rather than driving them out. So when we were appointed to design a new hotel there, we saw an opportunity to create real value for local residents and businesses.
Image caption: The Oxford Castle quarter. | Image credit: ADP Architecture
Image caption: Exterior visualisation of ADP's new hotel in a post-industrial community. | Image credit: ADP Architecture
Our public consultations confirmed this: many locals voiced their worries that a hotel of the traditional sort could detract from the area, and that a radically different approach was needed. We took these concerns on board, asking consultees what sorts of facilities would be useful to them, and designing a scheme which is as much a community hub as a hotel. The proposals include a range of spaces open to the community, such as a gym, restaurant and bar. Public realm was also key to our designs, and we explored various ways to bring local residents onto the grounds, giving the landscape an open, accessible feel that interacts sensitively with the riverbank bordering the site.
The very flexibility of this approach means that it can work for any community, in any location. We're currently delivering a hotel for Radisson in Kyiv, Ukraine, which includes a hybrid lounge/coffee/restaurant space with an open design – reflecting a wider openness to the surrounding neighbourhood. By breaking down the boundaries between types of spaces – and using the ground floor of a hotel as a fuzzy threshold – it's possible to encourage the kind of unplanned interactions and sharing of spaces on which communities thrive.
Of course, embedding a hotel in its locale isn't just down to the architects and engineers who design it. Marketing teams have to strike a careful balance between promoting the hotel's brand and responding to the spirit of a place, the unique "vibe" that defines a district. The most effective way to do this is to make flexibility central to your brand: Hotel Indigo, an IHG brand that I've worked with in the past, does this particularly well by using the sights and sounds of their urban locations to inform every detail of the hotel's design, from public spaces to private rooms. IHG is certainly not the only client I've worked with to take this approach, with companies such as Radisson and Hilton offering similar "lifestyle" brands.
The risk here is that a design can simply mimic its environment, becoming a pastiche rather than a reflection. Again, engagement with the community is key. It's impossible to tap into what makes a city like Newcastle or Marrakech, Sydney or New York special without taking cues from the people who call those cities home – especially when clichés about "the typical New Yorker" are so widespread. Our redevelopment of Oxford Castle – including a Malmaison hotel converted from a Victorian prison – is a classic example of this, reflecting a part of the city's culture and history which has very little connection to the more famous university, and integrating hospitality with bars, restaurants, shops and a visitors' centre.
Getting this right means paying attention to the details, and taking a holistic approach. Employees aren't just brand ambassadors: they're community ambassadors too, trained in the kind of local knowledge that adds serious value for guests looking for hidden gems nearby. A local hiring policy takes this a step further, ensuring that your staff have a genuine connection to the hotel's surroundings while creating jobs that support the area's economy. Bookable spaces for businesses and a local supply chain complete the picture – transforming an out-of-place visitor from out of town into a place in its own right, with the town's blood running through its veins.
"Staying local" has taken on a whole new meaning in the last year, and it's sure to be a phrase that resonates with us for many years to come. By bringing hotels into a deeper, richer conversation with their surroundings, we can help give a much needed boost to communities which have suffered through lockdown. It's also a surefire way to protect our industry from relying too greatly on travel – making it stronger, more adaptable, and better equipped to deal with an uncertain future.
ADP Architecture is one of the brands that has taken advantage of our Industry Support Package. To keep up to date with supplier news, click here.
Image caption: Interior visualisation of ADP's new hotel in Kyiv. | Image credit: ADP Architecture
INNSiDE by Meliá Madrid Gran Via opens
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The new 117-key hotel in Madrid is the result of the total renovation of the old TRYP Cibeles Hotel, which is situated in one of the liveliest districts in the capital, with an abundance of local art and culture that connects with the essence of the INNSIDE by Meliá brand…
At number 34 on the Gran Via in Madrid, just a few metres from Malasaña, one of the most unconventional and dynamic districts in Madrid, the youngest of the Meliá Hotels International brands is preparing to arrive in the Spanish capital at the beginning of spring. Meliá Hotels International, which is Spain's largest hotel group, has announced the opening of INNSiDE by Meliá Madrid Gran Via.
The property in which the hotel be sheltered by is a historic building dating back to the 1920s, designed by Antonio Palacios Ramilo and renowned for its innovative nature. The building was inaugurated in 1923 as the Alfonso XIII hotel, and was always known as the Hotel Avenida. In recent years it was renamed the TR YP Cibeles hotel, and it will now be changing its name to Gran Via due to the fact that its façade is now part of the history of Madrid and one of its most popular streets.
INNSiDE By Meliá Madrid Gran Via will house 117 guestrooms, all of which will be designed to meet the needs of modern travellers and providing all of the brand's key attributes, such as sustainable sheets, bathrobes and amenities with a low environmental impact, no single-use plastics, and strict compliance with the new Stay Safe with Meliá health and safety programme.
Image credit: INNSiDE by Meliá
In order to connect with the city itself, the hotel will also have different spaces with work by urban artists thanks to a partnership with the Madrid Street Art Project, an independent organisation which supports art and local urban artists by exhibiting their work to a larger audience, in addition to taking part in the Pinta Malasaña festival, a breakthrough event in the world of art and culture in Madrid.
In addition to a spectacular rooftop area, the hotel will have an open living lounge on its seventh floor, which will be a space for work or play in the order that every visitor decides. This space will host the reception, artistic spaces, the bar, restaurant and DJ area.
INNSiDE By Meliá Madrid Gran Via aims to become a fashion and dining icon for both locals and tourists in Madrid thanks to the Abica group and "A Ollo", a dining space with a Galician flair and international influences, as well as an incredible rooftop bar, "Le Tavernier", an oasis in which to enjoy cocktails and the sky over the centre of Madrid.
INNSiDE by Meliá Madrid Gran Via opens after a major renovation and rebranding, reinforcing the commitment of Meliá Hotels International to its youngest brand. The brand is expected to be the fastest-growing brand in the company's portfolio over the coming years, prioritising sustainability and respect for the environment.
Meliá Hotels International has also used the hotel renovation to implement its new Stay Safe with Meliá health and safety programme certified by Bureau Veritas, which has been very well received during the pandemic and reinforced the trust of customers in the group's hotels.
2021 is expected to be an exciting and important year for the INNSiDE by Meliá brand, as it plans to open new hotels in Amsterdam, Liverpool, Newcastle and Luxembourg, adding to the brand's current portfolio of 33 hotels open in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the United States, Vietnam, China and Peru.
Main image credit: INNSiDE by Meliá
VIP arrivals: Hottest April hotel openings
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The industry is gearing up for a summer of hospitality, is the feeling the editorial desk at Hotel Designs has as it selects the most exciting hotel openings expected in April 2021. Editor Hamish Kilburn writes…
Blink and you will miss it! With vaccine updates, hotel re-opening strategies being across social media and conversations moving towards re-engaging with the post-corona consumer, all signs on the editorial desk lead to a summer of hospitality – whether that be abroad or enjoyed domestically.
This prediction follows a flood of press releases, together referencing hope, optimism and prosperity for international hotel design and hospitality. Regardless on whether we will be allowed to travel ahead of the summer boom, hotels are being developed in preparation for the travel demand that is shortly inevitable as we reach the one-year anniversary since many nations closed their boarders in order to fight against the spread of Covid-19.
We have been sharing our VIP arrivals now for four months, but it seems as if many brands have waited until now when it comes to unveiling new arrivals. Following an in-depth look at the landscape, here are our VIP arrivals for April.
Iniala Harbour House & Residences
Image credit: Iniala Harbour House & Residences
Spread across four exquisite Maltese townhouses and their ancient vaults, dating back to the 1600s, Iniala Harbour House & Residences has 22 uniquely designed rooms and suites, and will be the latest opening from philanthropist Mark Weingard. The hotel, which overlooks the famous Grand Harbour, will set new standards for eye-catching urban design.
Iniala Harbour House & Residences, which is slated to open its doors in April, mixes tradition with more contemporary touches offering an eclectic mix of design concepts that subtly reflect Valletta's unique heritage and charm. Created by three world-class design studios – Autoban from Turkey, A-Cero from Spain, and Malta's DAAA HAUS – the hotel's historical details will be beautifully preserved, with each townhouse having a distinctive identity. Using three different designers offers a true variation of interiors for all guests' tastes.
Kalesma Mykonos
Image credit: Kalesma Mykonos
Set to elevate the desirable island of Mykonos to new heights, Kalesma is a 25-suite and two-villa luxury hotel, which is expected to open in late April. 'Kalesma', meaning 'inviting' in Greek, is perfectly suited to the ethos of this boutique, privately-owned property. The whitewashed collection of houses have been created to resemble a charming Mykonian village, tumbling down a slope to Ornos Bay, just a short walk from the beach. The look and feel of a traditional village is deliberate, as Kalesma is all about making guests feel at home and encouraging a neighbourhood vibe, enhanced by laid-back weekly supper clubs. Inspired by Cycladic architecture, combining tradition with contemporary elements, Kalesma is a design aficionados dream – offering sleek and minimalist interiors using locally-sourced materials, evident at every turn.
Ca' di Dio, Venice
Image credit: Ca' di Dio, Venice
Ca' di Dio, which is expected to open in April, is located in a unparalleled position, at the entrance to the Arsenale area, known as the Contemporary Art District of Venice, a place linked to the prestigious Biennale. The fascinating history of the building dates back to 1272, and the project has been curated by the studio of the internationally renowned architect Patricia Urquiola, with the aim of creating an original and distinctive concept: a Venetian "house", linked to the history of the city.
Although contemporary in style, which is unusual for Venice, when strolling through the common areas, guests will be able to admire the bright travertine and perfectly preserved frescoes. The hotel features many places for guests to relax whilst staying in Venice; an 'altana' – covered roof-terrace, common in medieval Venice, which is the perfect place from which to admire the sights of the city, two internal courtyards, which will be home to one restaurant serving light and quick snacks throughout the day, and a spacious reading room. There will be a second, outdoor restaurant overlooking the lagoon, towards the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Image credit: Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Following the most ambitious and extensive renovation to take place in its 110-year history – it took three years for Spanish architect Rafael de La-Hoz and the French designer duo Gilles & Boissier to complete their collaborated masterpiece – Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid is ready to serve its guests. The 153-key luxury hotel is expected to appeal to both local and international guests, while preserving the striking Belle Époque character of the original building in keeping with the original spirit conceived by Cesar Ritz.
In addition to the Spanish arrival, Mandarin Oriental will also be opening properties in Luzern, Switzerland and on the Bosphorus in Istanbul in 2021.
W Algarve – look out, Portugal!
W Hotels is about to land in the Algarve, which marks the brand's debut in Portugal. Located just outside of Albufeira and perched on the iconic cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the hotel is a combination of urban glam meets beach life in a region famous for its beautiful, secluded coves, year-round sunshine and enticing cuisine. Guests can expect pulsating beats, vibrant flavours, and bright contemporary design.
The hotel will shelter 134 guestrooms and suites plus 83 residences, all ocean facing and boasting spacious balconies. Atlantic colours and asymmetrical forms that mimic the nearby cliffs define the design; it is the Algarve reinterpreted by W.
Facilities will include a state-of-the-art fitness centre 'FIT' and an 'Away' Spa with seven treatment rooms, plus outdoor pools. To refuel and replenish there will be an authentic Portuguese Algarve-inspired dining restaurant, plus a classic and modern Italian restaurant.
Taking the luxury up an additional notch are the 'Extreme WOW Suites' with a rooftop terrace where luscious gardens surround an elevated lounge seating spot, DJ booth, dining and bar area, and an infinity pool from which guests can soak up the incredible sunset views over the Atlantic Ocean. The bedroom design is inspired by the beautiful Benagil cave and the picturesque Algarve fishing villages.
Berkeley Park Hotel, Miami
Image credit: Berkeley Park Hotel – M Gallery
On April 1, 2021, Berkeley Park Hotel will rise as the newest member of the MGallery Hotel Collection, and the first MGallery property in Florida. A highly anticipated four-star boutique hotel, the 80-key property sits along one of Miami Beach's most coveted sectors known by locals as the Collins Park "Arts Corridor" for its direct access to world-renowned art institutions, and just steps from white sand beaches. With a timeless Mediterranean façade from 1936, the hotel pays homage to the city's architectural roots with all the modern amenities that discerning travellers expect.
"We are thrilled to continue expanding our North American portfolio with the addition of the Berkeley Park Hotel – MGallery," said Heather McCrory, CEO, Accor North & Central America. "With its ideal location, striking architecture, and vibrant spirit, the hotel is a tremendous addition to Accor's Miami portfolio, which also includes Faena Hotel Miami Beach, SLS South Beach, SLS Brickell, SLS LUX Brickell, Hyde Midtown Miami, Mondrian South Beach, Novotel Miami Brickell, and Pullman Miami Airport."
Main image credit: Iniala Harbour House & Residences
*Some dates as listed above may be subject to change due to travel restrictions following Covid-19 and national lockdown developments.
Product watch: ILIV launches the Kelso & Harlow textiles collection
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The Kelso & Harlow textiles collection by ILIV has been woven in a charming village on the border of Lancashire and Yorkshire and draws on the centuries-old tradition of British textile weaving…
The Kelso & Harlow collection by ILIV has been born out of traditional craftsmanship. Manufacturing to high ethical standards, from all-natural, wool fibres without the use of harmful chemicals, the brand proud to be using many traditional machines that do its fine work in the time-honoured way.
Image caption: The wraping process, which takes place in a village on the fringe of Lancashire and Yorkshire. | Image credit: ILIV
Image caption: The wraping process, which takes place in a village on the fringe of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Image credit: ILIV
Despite its traditional manufacturing process, the new collection is completely suitable for modern-day commercial use. With its highly durable make-up natural dirt repellence, acoustic absorbance properties and its superior fire resistance, Kelso & Harlow is the environmentally friendly choice for all types of furniture and interiors, offering a sophisticated and organic look.
Image caption: The Kelso & Harlow collection is available in 51 colours. | Image credit: ILIV
"We are committed to minimising the impact of our business on the environment from our energy consumption and carbon emissions to our waste management and recycling facilities," explains the ILIV in a press release. "By weaving our 50 per cent British wool collection, Kelso, here in the UK, we have reduced our carbon footprint, whilst offering our support to local British farmers."
Kelso & Harlow is available across 51 colours, constructed using a mix of melange and greige woven yarns from commercial greys to corporate greens and vibrant blues to striking yellows and oranges.
SMD Textiles/ILIV is one of the brands that has taken advantage of our Industry Support Package. To keep up to date with supplier news, click here.
Main image credit: ILIV
(In video) Hotel Designs LIVE: The hotel experience 10 years from now
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To kickstart Hotel Designs LIVE on February 23, editor Hamish Kilburn hosted a panel discussion with leading designers and architects entitled: Floor 20, room 31, which virtually checked in to the hotel experience 10 years from now…
On February 23, 2021, Hotel Designs' editor Hamish Kilburn returned to host the third instalment of Hotel Designs LIVE, which launched last year with the aim to keep the industry connected and the conversation flowing during and after the Covid-19 crisis.
The one-day conference welcomed world-renowned interior designers, architects and hoteliers to discuss the future of our industry in four engaging panel discussions, which were:
Floor 20, room 31, checking in 10 years from now
Sustainability, beneath the surface
Safe & sound hospitality & hotel design
A new era of wellness
The production of Hotel Designs LIVE took place while adhering to the current lockdown regulations and kickstarted with an editor's welcome from Kilburn who explained the need for the virtual event. "The industry's new swear word, Covid-19, has temporarily brought hospitality and tourism to its knees, but in these challenging times we have seen the real power of designers, architects, hoteliers, developers and suppliers all working together to invent and implement meaningful solutions," he said. "Hotel Designs LIVE was born in those confusing times, and our aim is simple: to create conversations unlike any other and keep the industry connected."
The first session of the day, which was sponsored by Hamilton Litestat, was designed to look ahead towards what hospitality and hotel design will look and feel like one decade on from today, and was curated to confront recent cultural shifts that have smudged the sketches, so to speak, as to what the hotel of the future will look like.
Albin Berglund, Founder, Bergman Interiors (Interior of the Year, crowned at The Brit List Awards 2020)
Rob Steul, Creative Director, The Londoner (Edwardian Hotels)
Martin Goddard, Co-Founder, Goddard Littlefair
Chris Lee, Director of Design, Architecture, and construction at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts (EMEA)
The conversation began with Kilburn asking the panel how accurate previous predictions were regarding the 'hotel room of the future'. It was concluded that the word 'experience', in all sectors of hotel design, was used 10 years ago in order to meet the then new demand among modern travellers who were expecting a deeper and more purposefully driven hospitality journey. Related to this, a new era of luxury lifestyle brands started to emerge to blur the lines in luxury travel, which, following the most testing year the hospitality arena has experienced in modern times, takes us to where we are now.
When the conversation turned to technology, interior designer Martin Goddard led the discussion to argue that moving forward, he expects modern travellers will be burnt out by technology and hotel design in many areas will encourage human connection once more as well as injecting meaningful sense of location, which was evident in Hotel Designs' recent hotel review of The Mayfair Townhouse, which Goddard Littlefair recently completed steering clear to reference obvious clichés in the design. "One of the best pieces of feedback I've received from that hotel is that it always felt like a cosy winter's day," Goddard said.
Interior designer Albin Burglund was able to offer a unique perspective when it came to predicting the future of hotel design from both a luxury design as well as a wellness perspective. "I agree with Martin that the industry will be cautious to inject technology," he explained, "and this will largely follow consumers putting more of a focus on their own personal wellness and wellbeing."
Chris Lee injected qualitative research into the discussion following a campaign he and his team completed last year for Sleep & Eat, which involved collaboration with Chalk Architecture, Hotel Hussy and students from the University of West London, presenting an interactive render for a '2035 guestroom of the future' based on the groups prestigious upscale Wyndham brand. As well as the project "capturing the imagination" of the modern traveller, the guestroom design and layout challenged conventional hotel rooms – and despite the focus being largely on the 'Gen-Z traveller', the product was actually carefully designed for all generations as it allowed guests to select their own scene settings to reflect their mood or preferred environment. Following research into understanding the DNA of the hotel guestroom experience, technology had to be seamlessly blended in to the design scheme.
The discussion soon veered towards Covid-19 and specifically the pandemic's impact on future design and hospitality. Rob Steul, with more than 20 years' experience in architecture and design, used the upcoming luxury hotel in Leicester Square, The Londoner, as a prime example of how the industry's already high standards put hospitality design in good stead for when hospitality and travel returns in the post-pandemic world. "Long before Covid-19, we had already considered elements such as air flow," he explained. Burglund agreed while also questioning the short-term purposes of event spaces and questioned how these could be utilised and used during what has no-doubt been a testing time for hospitality worldwide.
Here's a highlights video of the panel discussion, which includes Product Watch pitches from Hamilton Litestat, Chelsom, PENT Fitness, Blueair and Yeames Hospitality.
The full recordings of the other three sessions ('Sustainability, beneath the surface'; 'Safe & sound hotel design' and 'A new era of wellness') will be available on-demand shortly.
SAVE THE DATE: Hotel Designs LIVE will return for a fourth edition on May 11, 2021. Session titles and speakers will be announced shortly. Once these have been announced, tickets for Hotel Designs LIVE will be available. In the meantime, if you would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities, focused Product Watch pitches or the concept of Hotel Designs LIVE, please contact Katy Phillips or call +44 (0) 1992 374050.
How surface design can elevate guest experience
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With public healthcare in the spotlight like never before, the Covid-19 pandemic is challenging hoteliers to rethink the entire guest experience. Here we hear from Harris Jackson on the role of surface design…
From bringing the outside in to focusing on building a sense of community, wellness is high on the agenda for many brands as they look for new ways to connect with their customers and rebuild trust. And for good reason – according to a variety of data, consumer trust is at an all-time low.
Last year a study by End of Tenancy Cleaning Company, which surveyed almost 2,000 British travellers, found that 50 per cent of people do not trust hotel hygiene and over a third would avoid international travel for the next 12 months. Almost half of the people surveyed also said they would clean a hotel room themselves before using it. Research like this demonstrates the lack of confidence guests currently have and just how important safety and security is as a key message.
There are many ways hoteliers can respond to this and instil a sense of trust far beyond placing hand sanitisers in lobbies and installing perspex screens in the reception area. One way to elevate the customer experience and improve health and safety is through the design of surfaces.
Beautiful design is about more than aesthetics, it's about responding to customer needs and the current climate. There are a number of surface trends to look out for in 2021 (and beyond) that explore both form and function; sustainability, ventilation, flexibility and connecting to nature are all taking centre stage alongside technology that can improve public health.
Wellbeing is at the top of the agenda when it comes to design and we have seen this impact design trends before. In 1918, influenza impacted design by throwing more emphasis on light and air, and more minimal interiors (with heavier more cluttered interiors thought to be unhygienic). And now due to Covid-19 we are going to see another shift. It's long been known that the surfaces we interact with can be transmitters for bacteria and some, such as E.Coli, can last for months on surfaces.
So how can hoteliers invest in surface technology to improve public health and the overall guest experience?
It can purify air
Some technologies are focusing on purifying air, such as Pureti's photocatalytic applications. It utilises the natural process of plants. As well as purifying air it can also be applied to surfaces to help them stay cleaner for longer. Apparently this treatment has even been used by NASA! We know that air quality is so important for guest comfort and with many people seeking out less urban environments and a stronger connection to nature, technology like this could have far reaching benefits.
Image credit: Pureti
Texture can limit transmission
The texture of surfaces can play a key role in not only the aesthetics of a room but in helping to eliminate viral transmission of bacteria. The Imperial College London looked at different textures and coatings and found that copper surfaces provide antibacterial protection, killing 99.9 per cent of bacteria within two hours. This raises some interesting ideas around materials used throughout the hotel environment, especially within heavy traffic areas such as lobbies and doorways.
Fabrics for more than comfort
New technology extends past hard surfaces and covers soft furnishings too; Aguaguard365 is an example of an antibacterial protection system for fabrics that helps keep textiles free of bacteria. From bed linens to towels, technology is constantly evolving.
Image credit: Aguaguard365
So as travel restrictions begin to lift and consumers consider staying away from home again, it's clear that surface technology can do more than just elevate appearance – it can help to instil trust and boost confidence, something that's crucial in the current climate.
Since you're here, why not read Harris Jackson's article on bringing the outside in & reconnecting with nature?
Harris Jackson is one of the brands that has taken advantage of our Industry Support Package. To keep up to date with supplier news, click here.
Main image credit: Harris Jackson
Marriott International to open almost 100 hotels in Asia Pacific this year
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Following Marriott International announcing its 800th hotel opening in Asia Pacific, the group is expected to open almost 100 more properties in the region this year alone…
Last year, despite the pandemic putting a halt on travel demand, Marriott International opened 75 new hotels in Asia Pacific, representing more than one opening per week across the region. This year, the hotel group is expected to continue this growth in the region. In a recent press statement, Marriott announced announced its ambitious plans to open nearly 100 new properties in the area in 2021.
"I am proud of the way we have continued to grow and have moved quickly to adapt to the challenges that arose from the pandemic. With the launch of new global industry hygiene standards in April 2020, innovative offerings such as work anywhere packages and hyper-localised marketing and sales strategies, our nimble and forward-thinking approach will continue to lead us through the recovery," said Craig S. Smith, Group President, International, Marriott International. "We are grateful for the continued resilience and positivity demonstrated by our associates and for the confidence our guests, owners and franchisees continue to have in us. We remain well-positioned to meet the travel demands of our guests across Asia Pacific and the rest of the world."
Greater China has led the global recovery to date, and the company expects to soon celebrate its 400th hotel in Greater China and its 50th hotel in Shanghai with the opening of JW Marriott Shanghai Fengxian in spring 2021. With this hotel opening, Shanghai has the distinction of reaching this important milestone for the company in Asia Pacific.
"Mainland China is on track to become the world's largest personal luxury market by 2025."
According to a joint report by consultancy Bain & Co. and Alibaba's Tmall Luxury unit, Mainland China is on track to become the world's largest personal luxury market by 2025 even seeing year-over-year domestic growth in 2020 despite the pandemic. To leverage this trend, Marriott International continues to strengthen its luxury portfolio with expected openings in 2021 such as W Changsha, W Xiamen, St. Regis Qingdao and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve Jiuzhaigou. With the anticipated opening of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve, China will be the first country in Asia Pacific to house all of Marriott International's luxury hallmarks.
Image credit: Marriott International/Ritz-Carlton Reserve, China
Marriott's leisure bookings in China have been particularly strong, up over 25 per cent year over year in the third quarter in Mainland China, demonstrating the resiliency of demand once consumers are comfortable that the virus is under control and restrictions can safely be lifted. The company is introducing more travel experiences across its brand portfolio, including at popular leisure destinations such as Mianyang in the Sichuan province with the expected opening of Sheraton Mianyang, as well in the culturally-rich destination of Nanjing with the anticipated opening of The Westin Nanjing Resort & Spa.
Beyond Greater China, Marriott International continues to strengthen its footprint, with several expected brand debuts across Asia Pacific in 2021. In Japan, W Hotels is expected to debut with the opening of W Osaka, while The Luxury Collection is also slated to debut in Australia with the opening of The Tasman in Hobart. The iconic Ritz-Carlton brand is expected to celebrate its debut in the leading resort destination of Maldives in early summer, bringing legendary service to the picture-perfect archipelago.
Image credit: Marriott International/The Luxury Collection
Further expanding Marriott's presence in breathtaking resort destinations, the JW Marriott brand is slated to bring its warm luxury experience to Jeju Island in South Korea with the planned opening of JW Marriott Jeju in late 2021. The company's signature wellness brand, Westin, is also highly anticipated to debut in one of India's top beach destinations, Goa, this summer.
Since you're here, why not read 'The Hot List', referencing the most significant hotels openings expected in Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 of this year?
To support domestic travel in Japan, the company plans to open six additional Fairfield by Marriott hotels throughout 2021 along 'Michi-no-Eki' roadside stations aimed at revitalising the country's local sightseeing spots. Japan expects to have more than 30 Fairfield by Marriott hotels by the end of 2023. Touted as one of the best cities in the world for art, culture, music and food, Australia's Melbourne is expected to see the opening of the country's second W Hotel with W Melbourne in spring and the opening of Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands in early 2021.
Image credit: Marriott International/Melboure Marriott Hotel Docklands
"The strength of our pipeline is testament to the long-term growth prospects in Asia Pacific," said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. "Despite a challenging environment in 2020, we are pleased with the signings we have achieved across the region during the year. We have full gratitude to our owners and franchisees for their belief in the resiliency of travel and the strength of Marriott's portfolio of brands."
Main image credit: Marriott International/Domes Zeen, a Luxury Collection Resort, Chania
Inside Selina Brighton, a new rough-edged boutique jewel
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Selina Brighton is a 31-key boutique hotel that is about to open its doors to an experience-led hospitality adventure on the South Coast. Ahead of its opening, editor Hamish Kilburn takes a peek inside…
Selina, the experience-led hospitality group for the modern nomadic traveller, has opened its third property this summer with the launch of Selina Brighton in the heart of the vibrant, boho city centre.
The timely arrival of Selina Brighton offers what is describes as the 'ultimate staycation in 2020 and beyond', and boasts unparalleled sea views from each of its 31 uniquely designed private rooms, suites and shared rooms.
Playful, colourful and just a little bit cheeky is what we seem to be gathering from the hotel's style – we've also been told to expect the unconventional.
Image credit: Selina
"We're thrilled to bring our unique Selina concept to one of the most exciting cities in the UK, and in such a thriving and bohemian neighbourhood full of culture, individuality and a place to cultivate hedonism and escape social restrictions," said General Manager, Hugo Carvalho. "We can't wait to open our doors and provide a new hub for the Brighton community; a fairground for daring and unadulterated fun."
Designed to reflect Brighton's ocean-front location and the city's creative spirit, interior designer Tola Ojuolape collaborated closely with Selina's workshop team, using materials that represent and embrace the community. As a result, each of the rooms has been given a quirky and whimsical twist, offering something new and unique to the accommodation sector in the city.
31 rooms range of categories including lofts, suites, family rooms that accommodate up to four, standard and micro-sized double rooms, with a further 19 opening in 2021 including shared community rooms which fit up to six guests.
Social spaces are inherent in each of Seina's properties, and the brand will be hosting specially curated programming, engaging workshops and unique pop-ups throughout the year in its Brighton property that are in-line with new social distancing guidelines.
The aptly named restaurant, The Old Pier, is set to become a Brighton favourite, serving a range of delicious dishes with a side of sea views, including sourdough focaccia with whipped burrata and fermented honey, Mexican style cactus salad and mac'n'cheese croquettes with truffle mayo.
The understated lobby area will also be utilised as a social space for guests and locals alike, offering a grab and go coffee shop for your morning pick-me-up, as well as a sizable retail space selling products from local brands.
In addition, and to answer modern demands, a co-working space will also be launching for locals to use as a community hub with artwork created and curated by local artist Amy Isles Freeman, whose work themes around female sexuality, freedom and joy.
Selina currently operates +70 urban, beach, jungle and mountain-side locations across 20 countries worldwide and is developing a global infrastructure for nomads and remote workers who want to make the world their classroom, office, and playground.
Main image credit: Selina
5 minutes with: the founders of Avenue Interior Design
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Following the completion of a handful of luxury hospitality projects in the States, Avenue Interior Design has become known for its refusal to be defined by any one style, as editor Hamish Kilburn learns when he interviews the firm's founders…
Avenue Interior Design, led by founders Andrea DeRosa and Ashley Manhan, has positioned itself as a small yet mighty powerhouse in an industry full of giants.
Most recently, the firm spearheaded the design for Palms Casino & Resort' renovation 'From Dust to Gold', and brought their skills to boutique properties such as The Ramble in Denver, La Serena Villas in Palm Springs as well as SLS Baha Mar.
Image credit: Palms Casino & Resort
With the world of hospitality slowly re-opening, there remain concerns and hesitations among operators and travellers on what will become of the industry. I speak to DeRosa and Manhan, two level-headed designers who understand and respect how design evolves around cultural shifts, in order to explore how the pandemic has affected hotel design decisions.
Hamish Kilburn: Let's dive straight in, how will public areas look in the post-pandemic world?
Ashley Manhan: Business and convention travel will likely lag compared to leisure travel as we see safer at home orders lift. Convention travel has been a critical component for many hotels as occupancy and F&B revenue are strongly tied to properties located near convention venues or for properties that have large meeting facilities.
Image credit: SLS Baha Mar
Andrea DeRosa: Accommodating large groups and conventions may require smaller breakout rooms with improved air circulation and potentially live streaming speakers to these smaller rooms. On the F&B front, buffets and family-style plating will likely be put aside for individual plates or packaged meals.
HK: What new/different materials might go into hotel builds now?
AD: Given that COVID-19 transmission has found to be primarily airborne, much consideration is going into upgraded air filtration systems. Increased ventilation and better filtration will be essential components of healthy building strategies. Additionally, we may see the use of mobile and handled UV disinfection systems for sterilisation and disinfecting of high use spaces. In terms of interior finishes and materials, and those selected for FF&E, designers will face the added challenge of selecting materials that can withstand more frequent cleaning and disinfecting.
AM: In terms of lobbies, our current clients are requesting short-term solutions for partitions and countertop shields at transaction points, check-ins, and other places social distancing may not be feasible.
Fitness spaces will likely decrease in size- a trend for some properties already in major urban areas with access to specialised gyms and studios. Look for more in-room fitness options and equipment like yoga mats and lightweight dumbbells.
Restaurants face some of the largest obstacles in terms of social distancing and the use of PPE by diners. Restaurants will surely seat fewer guests to accommodate for social distancing protocol. Menus may go digital or restaurants may offer apps to place orders from your own device. Larger service counters for pickups or extended "grab and go" options maybe also be more prevalent as people warm up to the idea of eating out again.
AD: In the short term, we are seeing many hotel brands unrolling programs to build guest confidence and implementing quick, sometimes temporary solutions now while permanent solutions are analyzed and explored. Long term, we anticipate pandemic related measures to be modifiable to give operators the option of adjusting to meet current health risk levels. Such modifications may include digital occupancy signage, movable partitions, and digital projections indicating recommended social distances in queuing areas. A large part of the equation is understanding guests' demands, expectations, and associations with these changes. There will certainly be varying levels of concern depending on where in the country/world the guest is traveling from. Those guests from the hardest-hit areas are likely to expect greater measures than those traveling from areas less affected. Ongoing observation of guest behavior will inform decisions owners and operators make for long term modifications to their properties.
HK: How can hotels shelter these new hygiene protocols without disrupting the design or the experience?
AM: Taking into consideration that guest safety and wellbeing is, and always has been, a top priority for any property, the next priority remains firmly rooted in good design. Ownership teams require that our commitment to creating a hospitality quality experience remains the top priority just as it was pre-pandemic. Modifications to properties should be subtle, flexible and well-intentioned. This includes careful consideration to the function of the space, the circulation of guests through the space as well as more obvious elements like materials, furnishings and even wayfinding. Creating more space for guests to comfortably, and naturally, socially distance may be as simple as removing a few clusters of lounge chairs in a lobby or replacing a communal table with a series of smaller, movable tables that can be situated individually or easily paired together.
AD: Incorporating decorative, movable screens or drapery also allows for social distancing flexibility while providing a thoughtful, well-designed element to the space. Graphics, signage, and font styles can be utilised in a way that provides informative guidance on precautions or protocol in a way that is consistent with the design language of the brand or property. For new build properties, especially food and beverage venues, you will likely see more fluid floor plans with fewer permanent features to allow for flexibility in furniture layouts and the function of a space.
Image credit: The Ramble Hotel
HK: Have you already begun incorporating any changes into the hospitality projects you're working on?
AD: Many of the modifications we've made for our current projects have been temporary or short term solutions that will allow our clients to adhere to guidelines as outlined by local jurisdictions. Before making more costly or broad-sweeping modifications, our clients are waiting to gauge guests' expectations and behaviours to ascertain what long term modifications should look like. For instance, the addition of automated faucets and hand soap dispensers seem like a logical move, however, for many properties that have been without revenue for the last few months, the expense of a modification requiring any construction or electrical work may be out of the budget. Scale is a monumental consideration as well. The cost of making such a change in a hotel with 50 keys is likely more feasible than making that change in a hotel with more than 1,000 keys.
HK: Have you made any changes to guestrooms in the projects you are working on?
AM: Guestroom size, function, and programming have also been a hot topic amongst designers and Ownership teams. In recent years the emphasis was on creating public spaces so dynamic and engaging it drew people out of their rooms and into the lobby, restaurant, bar, pool, etc. Guestroom sizes were generally shrinking and the furnishings were becoming paired down and multi-purpose in their design. It will be interesting to see if guestroom sizes increase to become more of a mini-sanctuaries that offer personalised guest experiences.
Hotel Designs will be discussing topics such as adding personality in public areas and reassuring the post-corona consumer at Hotel Designs LIVE on October 13. If you are a designer, architect or hotelier, click here to participate for free.
Main image credit: Avenue Interior Design
Inside Bermonds Locke – an alternative hotel experience
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Ahead of speaking at Hotel Designs LIVE in October, Lifestyle hospitality brand Locke will open its third London property this September. Before then, Hotel Designs has managed to get a behind-the-scenes glance at the interiors inside Bermonds Locke…
Designed to be lived in, and offering an alternative to traditional hotels in the post-pandemic world, each individual studio apartment inside Bermonds Locke is equipped with fully fitted kitchens and modern living space.
Combined with activated public spaces and a locally-led cultural programme, Bermonds Locke will simultaneously allow guests to enjoy the benefits of a lifestyle hotel. The flexibility of the home-meets-hotel format appeals to a broad range of travellers across the leisure and business markets, for both extended and short stays. As the demands of contemporary travellers rapidly change, Locke's burgeoning success and European expansion plans put it at the centre of the future of travel.
"We are delighted to open our third property in London with Bermonds Locke," said Stephen McCall, CEO of edyn. "Locke aims to liberate guests from the confines of a typical hotel room by creating beautiful apartments that are designed to be lived in. The type of guest we're accommodating wants to explore life as a local, and so the Bermondsey neighbourhood has played a significant role in defining the aesthetic, partners and programming."
"Concrete testing cubes destined for landfill find new purpose serving as a plinth for a six-metre long terrazzo tables in the ground floor workspaces."
Image credit: Locke
Bermonds Locke marks the first collaboration for the brand with London-based interior architecture studio Holloway Li. Paying homage to nature's wonder in both aesthetic and eco-responsibility, Holloway Li have created a living experience out of re-purposed construction materials in both the public areas and private apartments. Concrete testing cubes destined for landfill find new purpose serving as a plinth for a six-metre long terrazzo tables in the ground floor workspaces; whilst in the rooms bespoke bed frames woven out of blackened rebar are accented with linen canopies to infuse old ideas of the concrete jungle with a new sense of sanctuary.
"We are really excited to be partnering with Locke to pave a new design direction for the brand's home-meets-hotel concept," explained Alex Holloway and Na Li, Co-Founders Holloway Li. "By challenging the purpose of materials, we hope to highlight how a circular material economy can generate an incredibly unique aesthetic and a new kind of living experience – doing more, with less."
Bringing the changing gradient of the desert sunset to south London, Locke's signature studios on the upper floors will be dipped in blue, beige and grey hues and saturated vibrant pinks on the lower floors. Responding to a narrative and concept developed by Heather Tierney from Wanderlust (the visionary behind cult US restaurant The Butcher's Daughter), Bermonds Locke evokes the Southern California cool of Joshua Tree, the Mojave Dessert and Abbott Kinney – a culture and food destination comparable to Bermondsey Street.
Situated within walking distance of some of London's favourite spots, guests can enjoy the energetic Bermondsey Street – home to some of the best bars, restaurants and art galleries in London. To the north of the property, guests can meander through the cobbled streets of Shad Thames and Maltby Street Market– the smaller, slightly more charming younger sister of Borough Market. As with all Locke properties, Bermonds Locke comes fully staffed by a team of House Hosts, offering excellent insight to ensure both long and short-term visitors have access to the best local knowledge and insider tips.
The opening of Bermonds Locke comes as the brand continues to expand both within the UK and internationally. With further openings planned in Dublin, Berlin, Lisbon, Munich and Copenhagen, Locke is also slated to open its fourth London outpost in Dalston in late 2020.
Main image credit: Locke/Nicholas Worley
VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE: COVID–19's impact on hospitality and hotel design
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To understand the long-term impact COVID–19 will have on the hospitality and hotel design industry, editor Hamish Kilburn asked a handful of leading designers, architects and hoteliers to remotely partake in Hotel Designs' debut virtual roundtable…
Meet the panel
Fiona Thompson, Principal, Richmond International
Michael Bonsor, Managing Director, Rosewood London
Geoff Hull, Director, EPR Architects
Conor O'Leary, Joint Managing Director, Gleneagles
James Dilley, Director, Jestico + Whiles
There is no doubt about it, the industry is suffering as the COVID–19 pandemic forces businesses around the world to either close entirely or adopt working remotely into studio life. With many questions emerging around the current crisis, Hotel Designs puts the pandemic under the harsh editorial spotlight in its debut virtual roundtable. Editor Hamish Kilburn confronts some of the industry's leaders in order to gain some perspective over how hospitality and hotel design will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the long-term.
Hamish Kilburn: How has the pandemic affected working life?
Fiona Thompson: Design is all about collaboration, and we are learning a whole new way of doing that. We typically work in an open studio, for example, and we experience the projects as they are being designed. In the physical sense, our team is not able to do to that at the moment. We moved out of London a few days before the 'lockdown' was introduced, and we are all currently very well connected. I can't say it's the same, but it is working and we are adapting.
Michael Bonsor: To put it bluntly , this [COVID–19] has decimated the industry. The concept of hospitality, which is third largest employer in the UK, has stopped. We are now questioning how long this will last for. The government stepped in with the incredible furlough package, which has protected so many jobs.
Conor O'Leary: Hospitality is what we do – we look after people. Guests from all over the world stay with us, eat with us and enjoy the plethora of outdoors activities that we offer. Well, we are not doing any of that at the moment. None of our team want to be sitting at home on any furlough arrangements. We totally understand the frustration, but we are where we are.
Geoff Hull: From an architect's perspective, while on-site activity has been put on hold, there is a lot of design work, and collaboration work with specialists, that is ongoing. We are hoping that we can come out of this, in three months, with some dynamically designed projects planned so that we are ahead when we are allowed back on site.
James Dilley: As a designer, the backdrop of wallpapers and artwork in colleagues and clients kitchens, bedrooms and lofts is sometimes inspiring and sometimes sobering. On a serious level, I personally miss the face-to-face and often serendipitous interaction of a physical studio.
"This pandemic will reset how we think about travel and will require us to confront problems such as mass tourism and over tourism in many destinations around the world." – Michael Bonsor, Managing Director, Rosewood London.
HK: How has working-from-home changed your mindset on communication?
GH: I think we are communicating better at the moment, and how people have come together is awe-inspiring. We work with a lot of non-UK designers at EPR Architects who would usually insist on flying over on a first-class ticket to see us. However, with these meetings being able to happen virtually instead, there is a question on the need of so much travel. I genuinely am looking at this positively.
JD: I have recently been pre-occupied with the way that people "home" themselves has been rapidly evolving, and layering this revolution in how we work, particularly from home, will make this even more exciting. If life is evolution peppered with revolution, this is the latter.
MB: Prior to this happening we were over communicating with the team, to ensure that everyone had all the information they needed. With those employees that have been put on furlough packages, we may not be engaging with them to work, but we are engaging with them to keep everyone updated. We have a core team of 30 people in the hotel who are making the property safe and they are doing fun things in the hotel to keep everyone engaged and informed.
Image caption: The American Bar inside Gleneagles, designed by David Collins Studio
The Bronze Gallery inside Rosewood London, designed by Tony Chi with architecture restored by EPR Architects
HK: When do you expect your hotels to re-open?
MB: The global market has to be stable for a hotel like Rosewood London to re-open. We can't just rely on the local market because there is not enough demand to go around. For me, I would rather the government measures were prolonged a little while longer so that it gives time for the world to reset.
CO: Not only does the world need to reset, but we also have to understand how happy people are to travel.
MB: We might open a part of the hotel, like the the bar and restaurant, in June or July. Things are getting pushed back as the social season is cancelling in the UK. Meanwhile, Austria has just announced that they will begin to slowly reopen some businesses, which could be an indication of things to come, but hotels and restaurants are at the end of that cycle.
CO: We don't see a hotel bedroom being open until July. It's slightly different for us here. We don't see there being much point in having the restaurants and bars open without having guests in – we don't have that passing traffic and footfall. We may get some of our activities open for our members, but it's not a game-changer for us. We will know more after Easter, but the second question to that is what that looks like when we open. It's going to be focused on local custom which will be a lower volume level. Suddenly our entire business model changes.
HK: Generally speaking, hotels are targeting an international audiences. Will this change post-pandemic?
CO: Our business model is built on a summer of international guests, and that may be different going forward. We are privileged in our geographical location – Gleneagles is built on an 850-acre estate. For now, all our strategies are short-term and everything is changing all the time. We are staying in touch with the team. We have always been conscious about where we sit in the community, and that's great in the good times, but also more important in the times like these to ensure we stay in touch and support.
MB: 40 per cent of our market comes from America. This pandemic will reset how we think about travel and will require us to confront problems such as mass tourism and over tourism in many destinations around the world. That may be a small silver lining in this global crisis. We are re-forecasting and re-strategising every four hours right now, because who knows how this is going to go?
"I cannot see how the business take-up of those rooms will not drop significantly, because it will be luxury and almost indulgent to have this face-to-face time when we have learned to cope without it." – James Dilley, Director, Jestico + Whiles.
HK: How will hotels catering to 'bleisure' travellers be impacted from the pandemic?
JD: The 'business hotels' will come out looking very different. I have spent many years just hopping on a plane to a destination to see a client or a site. Over three months, working from home will start to feel normal. I cannot see how the business take-up of those rooms will not drop significantly, because it will be luxury and almost indulgent to have this face-to-face time when we have learned to cope without it. That is the biggest impact.
In terms of leisure, when this passes I predict there will a spike because people will be anxious about being coped up and will want to compensate. After that, people will settle down and I predict that people will question whether they need to travel as much as they were. I think there will be a spike in leisure hospitality experiences closer to home.
HK: What about the way in which we design public areas, will this change?
FT: Perhaps in the short-term. Of course people will be conscious of hygiene and numbers of people in meetings may end up being limited. It's very difficult to tell how quickly it will reset, and whether or not it will go back to normal. I certainly don't have the answer right now. In business travel, we are utilising the internet and technology at the moment, so there will arguably be less need to travel as much at the end of this.
"Sustainability is such an important topic and it should be engrained into mindsets enough now that there is no reason for it to be shelved, especially when it comes to designing projects." – Fiona Thompson, Principal, Richmond International.
HK: Has COVID–19 taken sustainability off the radar?
CO: One of the core aspects for me with sustainability is to think local. I think there will be huge shift in supporting and buying local, which is one of the pillars of sustainability. There has to be an element of trust, and I predict that consumers will want to know more about where things have come from.
MB: I would say that any good operator will continue with more gusto now in eliminating single-use plastics, reducing energy consumption and looking local for products and services. Respecting the world around us has never been so important.
FT: I would hope the focus hasn't shifted. Sustainability is such an important topic and it should be engrained into mindsets enough now that there is no reason for it to be shelved, especially when it comes to designing projects. It almost calls for it to be more apparent.
Image caption: The Old War Office in Whitechapel. Executive Architect for this high-profile Restoration and Conversion mixed use project was EPR Architects
HK: What's social media's role in all of this?
CO: Gleneagles is being cautious when it comes to social media. We are trying to be positive without being glib. We are very aware that the wider Gleneagles family is suffering. Our messaging has shifted to be more focused around the community with zero selling and zero brand promotion. Our team is working with local councils in order to help amplify their messages.
MB: At one point, we wanted to create content around what you could do at home , such as cooking recipes and fitness workouts etc. However, as the story has evolved, we have decided to pause messaging and just wait. What we are doing has more of a charity angle. We have just teamed up with James & Cranwell for its Hospitality 4 Heroes campaign to raise money for the NHS during the crisis. You have to be so careful with tone right now in everything you do. It's wise to be slightly quieter than normal. But we are looking at markets that are coming back. Five or six properties in Asia, for example, are re-opening, and we are looking at how we can engage with those markets, but it is a slow process – and while some areas around the world are recovering, others are being hit hard.
"It's a good time to look at everything and to not just set things back to how they were." – Michael Bonsor, Managing Director, Rosewood London.
HK: Will any sector come out looking stronger at the end of the COVID–19 crisis?
MB: We were speaking before the closure with a company that fogs large areas of public spaces. The fogging treatment protects the area for up to 30 days. This product lands on surfaces and protects them. I think we will utilise the same technology going forward. Also, from a positive point of view, there will be more emphasis on re-training staff regarding sanitisation and anti-viral measures and the courses they can complete.
To put it another way, we are back at the 'opening stage' again. We opened the hotel eight years ago and we are at that moment again. It's a good time to look at everything and to not just set things back to how they were. We have been talking in great deal about this. Those cities that will come out of this stronger will be the ones that have sharp responses to this problem.
"To have lots of unnecessary elements in a room design has had its day! Clients and guests will have expectations when it comes to easy-to-clean surfaces." – Fiona Thompson, Principal, Richmond International.
Image caption: A suite inside Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel, designed by Richmond International
HK: Will this pandemic create a desire for more minimalist design?
FT: It will certainly be a design driver. After all, space is luxury. To have lots of unnecessary elements in a room design has had its day! Clients and guests will have expectations when it comes to easy-to-clean surfaces. It will be interesting to see how long concerns last when this is all over, because people's behaviour does tend to revert back to how they used to use spaces.
"This is going to further loosen the modern definition of hotels and hospitality." – James Dilley, Director, Jestico + Whiles.
Image caption: Concept render of W Edinburgh, designed by Jestico + Whiles
HK: How will the industry rebuild itself from this?
CO: We've had evolutions and revolutions in the past. People want to leave their houses and there will be spike in demand for hospitality products when we are able. Well-managed businesses will survive. The risk is in the mid-sectors. Equally, innovation comes through during hardships.
JD: We were in a position before all of this when hospitality was changing; the industry was not the hotel with the capital 'H' everywhere. Yes we have the grandeur five-star hotels, and they had their plan, but hospitality was and is generally becoming more universal and accessible.
There was a phenomenon that was happening that was very exciting: hotels were becoming continuous with other uses, such as a cinema or a radio station as well as other things. They were becoming more open and permeable.
As well as entertainment, we have seen hotels opening co-working spaces. They were becoming conjoined with this long line of what you might call ways of living. The merging of those ways of living was becoming blurred. The fluid boundaries were becoming exciting. I think this revolution is going to be layered on top of that where the hotel has to morph to become much more extended and fluid. This is going to further loosen the modern definition of hotels and hospitality.
If you would like to respond to some of the areas we have discussed in this virtual roundtable, please do so by tweeting @HotelDesigns.
PRODUCT WATCH: LUCCA – Etiva & Panaro by Sekers
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Sekers' LUCCA is a versatile collection of two textured semi –plains; Panaro, a luxurious chenille with a soft worn look and matte appearance and Etiva, a mid-scale basket structure with a subtly lustrous finish…
LUCCA collection from Sekers is available in an extensive palette of 40 colours, ranging from sophisticated neutrals to sumptuous jewel tones.
Incorporating FibreGuard, an advanced finish that helps protect the fabric against spills and stains without having to resort to specialist cleaning, Lucca resists the toughest of stains, including red wine and ballpoint pen.
Supplied with a crib 5 flame retardant backing and with a Martindale abrasion performance of 50,000 and 100,000 rubs respectively, Lucca meets all relevant UK, American and IMO standards for upholstery. Lucca is a handsome addition to any interior and is the ideal choice for the marine, hospitality and leisure markets.
Sekers is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Main image credit: Sekers
PREVIEW: Duravit's sleek appearance at the Ideal Home Show
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Bathroom brand Duravit will exhibit new products at the Ideal Home Show, between March 23 and April 13…
Duravit's products have been selected by Owl Design to feature in The Future Living Home one of the homes featured within this year's Show Village.
The Future Living Home created as a modular space and designed around slow living, sustainability and simple pleasures.
A number of Duravit products have been used within the bathroom, including a showerhead, and shower controls from the C.1 series that enables a regulated flow of water to tumble down onto the Stonetto Anthracite shower tray below.
The aspiration is to create a feeling of calm, amongst the chaos of everyday life with the focus on being less wasteful and more sustainable in materials and products used. Inspired by elements of designs they love, styles they predict will have longevity, nature's own colour palette and incorporating elements of fun Owl Design have created The Future Living Home.
Darker tones are used throughout the bathroom in The Future Living Home, from their Happy D.2 Plus range created by sieger design; A contemporary wall hung WC and washbowl in Anthracite are complimented by a vanity unit in Super Graphite Matt.
Organic shapes and natural tones are key design elements and the accessories that have been included within the bathroom have been designed by Philippe Starck exclusively for Duravit.
"The Future Living Home is a modular home designed around slowing living, sustainability and simple pleasures. It has been designed to create a feeling of calm, amongst the chaos of everyday life whilst still incorporating colour and elements of fun. It focuses on being less wasteful and more sustainable in materials and products used.
"Spa like bathrooms are often requested by our clients, they want a little oasis they can call their own," said Simone Gordon from Owl Design. "We achieve this by using beautiful handmade tiles with interesting textures, but we keep the colours to a minimum. The black sanitaryware from Duravit looks modern and stylish whilst adding an extra element of interest."
Main image credit: Duravit
VIP ARRIVALS: hotels opening in March 2020
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With the aim to cut through the noise in a contemporary tone, Hotel Designs has the scoop on which statement and game-changing hotels are opening in March, 2020…
So far, 2020 is shaping up to be a year of expansion for many hotel brands, such as Hotel Indigo, Le Meridian, Radisson Hotels, Hoxton and ME.
And there's more to come from both large brands and independents as Hotel Designs identifies some of the most iconic and statement-like hotels poised and ready, waiting in the wings, to open in March 2020.
Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa
Image credit: Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa
The elegantly restored red palace in the heart of Puglia's White City, Ostuni, set to open on March 4 2020. This quintessentially Puglian property is being meticulously restored to boast 11 individually curated rooms and suites with a cosmopolitan soul. Standing in stark contrast to the whitewashed buildings of Ostuni, Paragon 700's red brick façade cocoons a lush garden and swimming pool, a rare green space in the heart of the city, that will offer guests a tranquil and exclusive oasis, just a five-minute walk from Ostuni's main square.
Canopy by Hilton Hotel – West Palm Beach
Image credit: RP Architects
Designed by RSP Architects, The Canopy West Palm Beach Downtown is architecturally artistic with a soaring glass atrium that is home to a 60-foot fibre optic art installation resembling the long roots of a banyan tree. Locals and visitors alike will relish the hotel's prominent location, within minutes of three world-class cultural venues, waterfront recreation along the Intracoastal Waterway, all the attractions of Palm Beach and Clematis Street's famous nightlife. Travellers in town for business are only a short walk away from the Palm Beach County Convention Centre. Among the 150-room hotel's standout features will be two restaurants (including one on the 13th floor rooftop) plus complimentary evening tastings each night of local specialities. Handcrafted cocktails and stunning city and ocean views are on the menu on the roof at Treehouse, which will offer the most photo-worthy dining experience in West Palm Beach. The Canopy's ultra-flexible, 3,060-square-foot ballroom will combine convenience and wow factor for meetings, weddings and other special events.
Generator Washington D.C.
Image credit: Generator Hotels
Generator, the award-winning, design led, culturally affluent and socially-driven provider of accommodation, is set to open a new property in Washington, D.C. in March. After successfully breaking into the American market with their inaugural U.S. property in Miami Beach in 2018,acclaimed hospitality group Generator recently announced plans for their second stateside venture in Washington, D.C. Situated in the heart of the city between Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle, the property will boast the brand's signature elements: ultra-comfortable private rooms and luxury suites, brilliantly designed shared accommodations, trendy F&B outlets and interactive programming, all at affordable price points in one of the hippest neighborhoods in the nation's capital. Generator is the perfect option for those who want to be in the heart of the city and its social scene, but don't want to pay a fortune, with a unique mix of hip designed, super-friendly and centrally located spaces that ensure all types of travellers feel welcome.
Maafushivaru, Maldives
Image credit: Maafushivaru, Maldives
Maafushivaru will be opening from March 1 after a total refurbishment of the island that includes five all-new villa categories (overwater and beach) as well as six new restaurants.
The highlight of this stunning resort, is without a doubt, it's castaway sister island, Lonubo, which is exclusively available for resort guests. Found just 500 metres from the shores of the hotel, Lonubo encourages guests to escape reality in an authentic Maldivian island experience. This miniature white sand isle is ringed by a vibrant coral reef with towering palm trees concealing a private beach villa for two.
The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu
Image credit: Prince Hotels
The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu will open in Kyoto, Japan's former capital city. It is a conversion of the once Kyoto Kiyomizu Elementary School, which opened in 1869 and played a huge role in Kyoto's history and traditions. The school will be reborn as a luxury hotel comprising of 48 guestrooms, restaurants, private baths and a gym. Guests of the hotel can explore the culture of Kyoto with shrines, temples and historic landmarks close by. The hotel will be a 10-minute walk from the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto'.
Eclipse at Half Moon, Jamaica
Image credit: Half Moon
Half Moon will open the highly anticipated Eclipse at Half Moon, which is being described as a 'new luxury resort experience' on March 1. Framed by the glistening Caribbean Sea to the north and the lush hillsides to the south, Eclipse at Half Moon is one of the most luxurious additions to the Caribbean in a generation. The new property features 57 luxurious and spacious accommodations, two restaurants, three bars, a market café, Fern Tree a Salamander Spa, a sweeping infinity-edge swimming pool, and private beachfront with a natural swimming cove.
Hotel Designs is currently researching and writing the next article in this series, which will identify the top hotels that are opening in April, 2020. If you are working on a hotel project, or know of a hotel that would be suitable for the feature, please email the editorial team.
Main image credit: Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa
F&B Special: Restaurants raising the bar in architecture & design
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Say farewell to conventional restaurants, and say hello to a delicious and enticing world of pure imagination to the latest design-led restaurants to open. Editor Hamish Kilburn writes…
Ahead of next month, when Hotel Designs will take centre stage at Hospitality Restaurant Catering show, I have good reason to believe that some of the latest restaurants that have opened recently (in and out of the hotel industry) have changed the landscape of hospitality.
And while, some may argue that we should be cautious to focus the lens on purely the F&B scene in fear of losing purpose on other areas within the hotel, it is also an undeniable truth that the new era of international hotels are using their restaurants and bars to drive in a local crowd in order to make the public areas a vibrant hub of activity.
Therefore, here are just some of the latest restaurants and bars to open, which have been designed holistically to improve the overall guest experience.
Under, Europe's first underwater restaurant
Located at the southernmost point of the Norwegian coastline, where the sea storms from the north and south meet, Europe's first underwater restaurant is situated at a unique confluence. Marine species flourish here in the both briny and brackish waters to produce a natural abundance in biodiversity at the site. The Snøhetta-designed restaurant, which has just received a Michelin-star status, also functions as a research centre for marine life, providing a tribute to the wild fauna of the sea and to the rocky coastline of Norway's southern tip.
The structure is designed to fully integrate into its marine environment over time, as the roughness of the concrete shell will function as an artificial reef, welcoming limpets and kelp to inhabit it. With the thick concrete walls lying against the craggy shoreline, the structure is built to withstand pressure and shock from the rugged sea conditions. Like a sunken periscope, the restaurant's massive window offers a view of the seabed as it changes throughout the seasons and varying weather conditions.
"Under is a natural progression of our experimentation with boundaries, says Snøhetta Founder and Architect, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. "As a new landmark for Southern Norway, Under proposes unexpected combinations of pronouns and prepositions, and challenges what determines a person's physical placement in their environment. In this building, you may find yourself under water, over the seabed, between land and sea. This will offer you new perspectives and ways of seeing the world, both beyond and beneath the waterline".
Burbank Restaurant at Roomers Frankfurt
Burbank is a new design-led, Asian-fusion restaurant by leading chef, The Duc Ngo. It is situated within Frankfurt's chic Design Hotels member, Roomers Frankfurt by the Gekko Group. The restaurant is the third partnership between Berlin culinary innovator, The Duc Ngo, and Gekko Group's founders, Micky Rosen and Alex Urseanu. Burbank joins the group's portfolio of leading destination restaurants including moriki Frankfurt, moriki Roomers Baden-Baden, and the Golden Phoenix at Provocateur Berlin Hotel. The Duc Ngo creates an inventive and unconventional menu at Burbank, fusing pan-Asian flavours with relaxed Californian and Latin American cooking.
Beefbar restaurant, Le Coucou Hotel
Image caption/credit: The Beefbar Restaurant/Hotel Le Coucou
Reviewed recently in Hotel Designs' wider feature of Le Coucou Hotel, Beefbar restaurant is, like the rest of the property, sheltered within a unique design scheme. Pierre Yovanovitch, Wallpaper*'s Designer of the Year 2019, pulled out all the stops for this area, using it's naturally striking vista as strong inspiration. The area is full of thoughtful nods to the hotel's name, location and character of its owners. A wall of cuckoo clocks above the tables, for example, reflects the traditional decor of the region, and emoji-themed plates create humour in all the right places.
Hey Yo – Hong Kong
Image credit: Hey Yo
Think fresh, vibrant (and wear sunglasses) when stepping inside Hey Yo, which was a winner at the Bar and Restaurant Awards 2019. Inspired by the all the pastel colours of macaroons, the design team at Design Action & Associates took and adopted these colours in different areas of the shop, just like a pastry chef forming different shapes with flour and dough. The designer formed different shapes of design and furniture. Each arch window is painted with grey texture paint. The arch window on the front of the door, includes a bright neon sign which permeates the atmosphere. Beside the continuous arch windows, different colours of display shelves and display items are composed like a dream-like oil painting. Round countertops resemble Macaroons is in their unique hues, and chairs resemble coloured dough in contrast to shaped countertops.'
Wild Honey St James
Image credit: Sofitel London St James
Situated metres from The Mall in London, Sofitel London St James' Wild Honey is a collaboration with renowned chef Anthony Demetre and a reimagination of his iconic restaurant concept. Located on the former site of the beloved bistro The Balcon, the dining room decor has been redesigned and refurbished by Jim Hamilton Design to echo its new direction.
Harlan & Holden Glasshouse Café
Image credit: Harlan & Holden Glasshouse
With biophilic design wrapping its branches around almost every sector, is it any wonder why design firm GamFratesi used nature as its primary inspiration in the creation of Harlan & Holden Glasshouse? We think not. The rehabilitative restaurant is inspired by a greenhouse. Breaking boundaries between interiors and exterior, the studio swapped windows for walls and used the surrounding landscape to create the space.
Main image credit: Under/Ivar Kvaal
Boutique bolthole brand days from opening second London hotel
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Pioneering hospitality brand, Locke, is to open its second boutique hotel in the capital next month, which is located on the Thames at London's Millennium Bridge…
The 113-key Locke at Broken Wharf is expected to open next month, and it has set the scene for two more London openings in Bermondsey and Dalston later this year, in addition to international projects in Dublin, Munich, Berlin, Lisbon and Copenhagen.
These openings build on the success of Locke's existing hotels in East London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Locke takes its cue from the evolving and varied demands of the contemporary traveller – blending the advantages of a high-end lifestyle hotel with the space and flexibility of an apartment. Its dynamic social spaces comprise an all-day restaurant, bar concept and buzzy co-working area, which will be activated through a mind-expanding cultural programme spanning wellness, fitness, art and music. This customer-first approach creates beautiful environments designed for living, not just sleeping, where guests can tailor visits to meet their personal requirements: whether they book for three days or three months.
"Designed by Matthew Grzywinski of Grzywinski+Pons, each of the 113 studios have been considered with the guest, location and brand essence in mind."
Situated on the banks of the Thames with breath-taking views of the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe, Locke at Broken Wharf draws inspiration from its surroundings with each studio accented by subtle aesthetics featuring natural tones, pastel colours and white marble worktops contrasted with brass details. Designed by Matthew Grzywinski of Grzywinski+Pons, each of the 113 studios have been considered with the guest, location and brand essence in mind. Having custom designed most of the furniture in each room. "Throughout the property I played with a little matte/gloss tension," said Grzywinski, "employing the aspirational bling of chrome, smoked glass and polished copper softened by the warmth and enveloping tactility of timber, cane and butterscotch upholstery." Generously-sized rooms and fully equipped high-spec kitchens create a sense of freedom truly unique to the hotel scene, where guests can enjoy the option of a short stay in a Locke Studio (average 29sqm) or retreat to one of the larger premium River Suites (average 33sqm) for a long term stay in London.
Created and operated by The Initiative, Deli Cat & Sons – a modern New York-style Deli with local flavours – will offer a selection of freshly baked bagels and salads, along with a vast selection of breakfast and brunch dishes, available for eating in or taking away. For those keen to prepare their own meals, cookbooks are provided with pantry essentials available to guests on request. Adaptable to the needs of a variety of local businesses and travellers alike, Locke also offers a smart co-working space comfortably nestled on the ground floor.
Main image credit: Locke
7 savage hotel construction projects on the boards
To celebrate 'Architecture & Construction' firmly being in the spotlight this month, the editorial team at Hotel Designs have identified some of the industry's most ambitious hotel projects that are expected to open in the next few years…
The hotel industry is booming, is the verdict from the data analysts at STR as they reveal to Hotel Designs that there are currently 74,417 hotels on the boards in Europe alone.
In the next few years, millions of rooms will open in major cities, towns and far-flung travel hotspots around the world. In order to shelter these rooms and suites, architects are using new rendering software to challenge conventions like never before to conceive new exciting buildings that will have the power to transform skylines on an epic scale.
Ahead of Forum Events' up-and-coming inaugural Building and Construction Summit next month, here are just a few hotel construction plans that we expect will disrupt the international hospitality industry as we know it when they complete with innovation, style and substance.
Mandarin Oriental Melbourne
Image credit: VA
Mandarin Oriental's first hotel in Melbourne is taking shape. First realised in 2016, Zaha Hadid Architects were asked to design the mixed-used 185-metre tower located in the heart of the city's financial district. When completed, it will feature an all-day dining restaurant and a bar with a landscaped roof terrace. There will also be a variety of meeting spaces and an executive club lounge. A Spa at Mandarin Oriental will offer the Group's renowned wellness,relaxation and beauty facilities, while further leisure options include a comprehensive fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool.
Rosewood São Paulo
Image credit: Jean Nouvel
Opening later this year, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will launch its first South American property situated in the centre of São Paulo. The hotel, which is being designed in collaborations with design and architecture legend such as Philippe Starck and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, will feature 151 guestrooms. The striking biophilically designed building will include two swimming pools with one rooftop pool and the other set amongst the landscaped grounds and a large spa and a fitness area.
Shishi-lwa House
From one Pritzker Prize winner to another, architect Ryue Nishizawa has designed the concept of Shishi-lwa House in Japanese city of Nagano. Expected to open next year, the eight-key hotel's aim will be to provide a sanctuary in a cluster of 10 interconnected pavilions made out of locally sourced jinoki cypress wood.
Downtown LA Jenga-like skyscraper
Image credit: Arquitectonica | JMF Developments & Co.
Architecture firm Arquitectonica's dream to evolve the city of Angels' iconic landscape is becoming a reality after the company has recently got approval for the 53-storey building by the city's planning commission. The condo tower with its cantilevering glass-bottom swimming pools. JMF Development Co. aims to have the building completed by as early as 2023.
25hours Hotel Paper Island
Slated to open in 2024, 25hours Hotel Paper Island will mark the brand's arrival into the Copenhagen property market. Pulling out all the stops, the hotel company has enlisted the help of interior design guru Erik Nissen Johansen from Stylt Trampoli and architecture firm Cobe to imagine the concept of the hotel developed by Nordkranen and Union Kul.
Kisawa Sanctuary
Image credit: Kisawa Sanctuary
Taking the hotel scene in Mozambique back to basics, Kisawa's founder Nina Flohr's latest hotel is stripped-back luxury escape in the pipeline. Comprising of 12 luxury bungalows – each one furnished to echo cultural references of the island – the hotel is expected to open this Summer. "My mission for Kisawa is to create a level of hospitality and design that to my knowledge, does not exist today, a place that inspires feelings of freedom and luxury born from nature, space and true privacy," Flohr. "We have used design as a tool, not as a style, to ensure Kisawa is integrated, both culturally and environmentally into Mozambique."
Infinity London
Once you have worked out how to get in and out of what was surely the talked-about infinity pool concept of last year (via a spiral staircase "based on the door of a submarine" that rises from the pool's floor), the next question is: who would be brave enough to peer over the edge? Infinity London is the brainchild of Alex Kemsley, a pool designer and technical director for Compass Pools. The 55-story high-rise in London, will provide 360-degree views of the city below and takes wellness to new death-defying heights.
If you are a contractor, developer or surveyor and are interested in attending the Building and Construction Summit, which takes place on March 16 – 17 at Radisson Blu Hotel, please email Daniella Batchelor or Josh Oxberry. Alternatively, you can call 01992 374048/04.
Main image credit: Arquitectonica/Kisawa Sanctuary/Rosewood Hotels/Compass Pools
MINIVIEW: Inside London's hotel designed by kids
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Supervised by a qualified bunch of adult designers, kids were part of the design team and inspiration behind Park Plaza London Riverbank's latest renovation…
After reading a survey by Room To Grow showing that a staggering 40 per cent of children are 'bored' on holiday, Park Plaza decided to create a design team that involved children when renovating Park Plaza London Riverbank.
Complete with suites that include chalk-board walls, neon lights and personalised experiences, the hotel has opened in response to 71 per cent of adults believing that hotel rooms are designed with grown-ups in mind, rather than children.
With research revealing families' main concerns are ensuring their children are entertained, as well as the entire family feeling relaxed, the suite has been designed so that everyone is catered for. The suite pairs 'child-approved' design elements with a modern and relaxed lifestyle vibe that will make adults feel equally at home, alongside services such as a family concierge to create the ultimate experience for guests.
Guests enter the two-bedroom suite to the warm, neutral tones of the master bedroom, which features sophisticated splashes of yellow and gold, mixed with earthy tones and textures that breathe life into the space. Soft and stylish cushions and throws make the room feel just like home, as striking art and books to inspire guests' stay in London providing the finishing touches that will make it easy to relax from the moment they arrive.
Image credit: Park Plaza London Riverbank
Full to the brim with bright and bold colours and adorned with design elements that will stimulate both their senses and creativity, it's the perfect place for them to call home during their break to London. After deciding who's sleeping on the bunk or single bed provided, they will be instantly excited as they discover trunks full of treasures that include interactive games, and a projector that will illuminate the room come bedtime.
Following the design consultations, Park Plaza London Riverbank has also launched a new concierge service, exclusive for guests of the Ultimate Family Suite, who will help plan their trip from the moment they make their reservation. By sharing their family's interests, the hotel will carefully tailor a personalised itinerary for their trip, pairing their interests with places to see and things to do within the capital.
The younger guests will also be able to personalise their stay, by choosing one of four themes for their soft furnishings: superhero, princess, sport and enchanted forest, as selected by the youngest members of the design team. Welcome treats and a 'night cap' for the adults can also be ordered in advance, so that every guest can arrive in the knowledge that everything is catered for.
Main image credit: Park Plaza London Riverbank
Bathroom collaboration goals: AQATA and Roccia Tiles
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The UK's leading manufacturer of luxury shower screens and enclosures AQATA recently collaborated with Roccia Tiles on an exciting new bathroom project…
The brief for AQATA and Roccia Tiles was to create a large walk in steam enclosure that was light, airy and used stone tiles and flooring which added warmth to the space.
The project was the perfect fit for AQATA's Design Solutions range, the most versatile of all our shower screens and enclosures as it allows total freedom to create a unique and individual space. In this case we used the DS470 special, for this made 2 measure steam enclosure.
The client wanted to the room to be fully visible from the outside so chrome fixtures and hinges were used and AQATA installed the screen and door using 10mm toughed clear-shield glass. This is ideal for a steam enclosure as it is easy to clean, eco-friendly and prevents the growth of bacteria. Although for this project clear glass was used, tinted options including bronze and grey are available.
When designing the steam enclosure because of the exterior set up, in this instance the door opens to the left. However, as the DS range provides numerous options, doors can open in either direction and depending on aspects, such as height of showerhead; it can open inwards or out into the bathroom.
Image caption: Design Solutions range by AQATA
The steam enclosure is a complete room with the glass extending from wall to wall; however the design solution range is also suitable for freestanding shower enclosures too.
Enriched by a passion for superb design and product innovation AQATA are a leading UK manufacturer of luxury shower screens and enclosures. Founded in 1986 by engineer and entrepreneur, Peter Brown, AQATA is a home-grown, family owned company with more than 30 years' experience in the bathroom industry.
All AQATA models are designed and built to order by skilled experienced craftsman at the company's dedicated factory in Hinckley, Leicestershire. Every handcrafted enclosure and screen comes with a life time guarantee for complete peace of mind and is supplied with ClearShield ECO-GLASSTM glass protection as standard.
AQATA has recently become a Hotel Designs' Recommended Supplier. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Main image credit: AQATA
Everything you need to know about Hilton's new lifestyle brand
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Last month, Hilton dropped the news that it was launching a new lifestyle brand. Tempo by Hilton is an elevated and approachable brand offering thoughtful design, efficient service and exciting partnerships. Editor Hamish Kilburn investigates…
With no less than 30 hotels under development – and 30 more pending deals – Tempo by Hilton has launched with no intention of pacing itself into the market.
By combining thoughtful design and diverse lifestyle partnerships, Tempo by Hilton provides hotel owners and developers with a highly scalable brand that is both uplifting and within reach for future guests – all powered by an efficient service model.
"For more than 100 years, Hilton has pioneered the hospitality industry as we know it," said Christopher J. Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton. "Tempo by Hilton is the latest example of our unique ability to anticipate what our guests are looking for and deliver unmatched value for customers and owners alike. We're thrilled to welcome this new brand to our Hilton family and look forward to building on our legacy of innovation with Tempo by Hilton."
As part of its commitment to helping guests live better lives, Tempo by Hilton has established and built upon partnerships with leading experts across the well-being, food and beverage and other lifestyle spheres. The experts on board include Arianna Huffington's renowned behaviour change platform, Thrive Global and established culinary firm, Blau + Associates. These organisations bring a sense of discovery to the brand, while empowering guests to continue prioritising well-being and personal growth even while travelling.
"Tempo by Hilton introduces a new concept by combining all the benefits and efficiencies owners expect from a limited service model with an uplifting dose of inspiration," said Phil Cordell, SVP and global head of new brand development, Hilton. "Utilising a data-driven blueprint, we identified lifestyle offerings inside the guest rooms and throughout the property that push the entire sector to new heights. The end result is a compelling, yet approachable brand that enables owners to expand their portfolios in sought-after locations across the country as well as capture a new demographic of travellers."
Guided by its various lifestyle partnerships, as well as exhaustive market research surveying more than 10,000 consumers, each Tempo by Hilton property will feature elements designed to help ambitious guests continue their journey without disrupting their routine.
Reinvigorating and Relaxing Guestrooms
More than rooms, Tempo by Hilton accommodations are said to serve as a refuge where modern travellers are reinvigorated for the day ahead. In-room experiences include the one-of-a-kind Power Up and Power Down collections; curated assortments of morning and bedtime rituals created in partnership with Thrive Global; as well as other unexpected touches, such as a finely tuned sleep environment and a dedicated Get Ready Zone with space to get ready, organise for the day and focus on work. In addition, the oversized bath suite, which includes mirrors with built-in Bluetooth speakers, is spacious, bright and invigorating to help guests recharge and renew.
Image credit: Tempo by Hilton
Shared spaces
Envisioned as catalysts for genuine, memorable experiences, all Tempo by Hilton public areas bring a fresh approach to industry mainstays. These include art and design collections specifically chosen to encourage guests to look up from their daily grind and take a moment for themselves. Guests will also enjoy state-of-the-art fitness offerings; flexible meeting spaces.
Culinary journeys
Developed alongside the award-winning Blau + Associates, Tempo by Hilton's food and beverage offerings ensure guests have access to everything they need to sustain energy and boost focus.
Tempo by Hilton aligns with Hilton's Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals to double its investment in social impact and cut its environmental footprint in half. To that end, this new brand is committed to implementing sustainable practices throughout the guest experience. Examples of specific initiatives include LightStay, food waste programs, responsible seafood sourcing, hydration stations throughout the property to replace single-use plastic bottles and full-size bath amenity dispensers to reduce disposable plastics.
"Through our research, we found that while our current upscale offerings have been incredibly successful at earning loyalty among specific guest segments, there was a rising demographic of ambitious and highly discerning travellers that weren't engaging with the category," said Jon Witter, chief customer officer, Hilton. "With Tempo by Hilton, we are able to reach these influential consumers through a new, elevated yet approachable class of hotels designed to surpass expectations of both customers and owners in truly meaningful ways."
Conceived with extensive input from leading hotel owners and investors around the country, the new brand has seen strong momentum ahead of its unveiling. There are more than 30 individual commitments to date with properties confirmed in several prime markets across the US, including New York, Maui, Boston, Los Angeles, Lexington, Nashville, San Diego, Charlotte, Washington D.C., Houston, Atlanta, and more. An additional 30 deals are in various stages of development.
Tempo by Hilton is the latest brand created by Hilton to address the future of travel. Other recently launched brands include Motto by Hilton – an affordable, lifestyle micro-hotel with a communal vibe in prime urban destinations – and Signia Hilton – the portfolio's premiere meetings and events brand.
Main image credit: Tempo by Hilton
Canopy by Hilton to open 20 hotels in 2020
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Hilton is calling it '20 in 20′ as its lifestyle brand, Canopy by Hilton, is predicting to nearly triple its portfolio with 20 expected openings in the next 11 months…
Hotel group Hilton has just announced that its 'upper upscale' lifestyle brand, Canopy by Hilton, is predicting to open 20 hotels in 2020 across seven countries.
Canopy's current and projected openings in 2020, which join the brand's 12 existing hotels in China, Croatia, Iceland and the U.S., include:
Brazil: São Paulo-Jardins
China: Hangzhou-West Lake
France: Paris-Trocadero
Mexico: Cancun-La Isla (opened Jan. 28)
United Arab Emirates: Dubai-Al Seef1
United Kingdom: London-London City
United States: Austin-Downtown; Baltimore-Harbor Point; Charlotte-SouthPark; Dallas-Frisco Station; Grand Rapids-Downtown; Jersey City-Arts District; Kansas City-Downtown; Memphis-Downtown; Philadelphia-Center City; San Antonio-Riverwalk; Scottsdale-Old Town; Tempe-Downtown University Area; Washington, DC-Embassy Row (opened Jan. 14); and West Palm Beach-Downtown
"We've received resoundingly positive feedback from guests who have loved their local adventures while staying in our 12 existing hotels," said Gary Steffen, global head, Canopy by Hilton. "We are excited to create more of these authentic experiences with all that Canopy offers in 20 more vibrant neighbourhoods this year."
Image credit: Canopy by Hilton
Strategically located in dynamic neighbourhoods across the globe, the concept of a Canopy hotel is a natural extension of the community in which it calls home and provides an energising atmosphere with thoughtfully local touches.
Following extensive consumer research, Canopy by Hilton was created to provide the uncomplicated comforts, thoughtful design and thriving atmosphere that today's travellers demanded.
Prior to 2020, Canopy by Hilton opened properties in Atlanta-Midtown; Chengdu-City Centre; Columbus, OH-Short North; Dallas-Uptown; Ithaca-Downtown; Hangzhou-Jinsha Lake; Minneapolis-Mill District; Portland, OR-Pearl District; Reykjavik-City Centre; Washington, DC-Bethesda North; Washington, DC-The Wharf; and Zagreb-City Centre.
Beyond this year, the brand is working with local partners to develop hotels in Bangkok, Boston, Cape Town, Chicago, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid, New Orleans, Riyadh, Toronto and more.
Main image credit: Canopy by Hilton
CASE STUDY: Furnishing London Marriott Hotel Kensington
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Recommended Supplier Curtis has recently supplied headboards, TV units, wardrobes, desks, vanity shelves and mirrors in London Marriott Hotel Kensington…
In line with the design brief to create a stylish and modern 'bleisure' hotel, Curtis was specified to create bespoke furniture for London Marriott Hotel Kensington.
The company supplied furniture in xylocleaf MFC, hand-selected pressed European walnut, including upholstery, and polished stainless steel.
Due to the complexity of the room design for this stunning hotel refurbishment, the client needed to find a supplier whom they could trust to work closely in partnership with the main contractor.
Having worked with the furniture company before, the client chose Curtis to supply the hotel because it is a quality UK-based supplier with large manufacturing capability, it prides itself on having a meticulous project management process, tried and tested since 1998 and its solid partnership approach with a strong customer service record.
"The effect of all these different co-ordinating materials is of a luxurious design with consideration given to every detail."
Each room needed to be supplied over four separate visits to allow other contractors, such as decorators and electricians, in to complete their work in the correct sequence. Curtis, already known to the client for our eagerness to be flexible and provide great customer service, worked in close partnership with the main contractor to ensure our timings fitted into the schedule perfectly.
"The initial stages had tight lead times and Curtis pulled out all the stops to ensure we could get moving as quickly as possible," explained David Elliott from County Contractors. "We were impressed with how smoothly everything went, and with the quality of finish and fitting of the furniture."
Curtis manufactured, supplied and installed bespoke furniture, including:
Gladstone oak MFC TCMF trays with black powder coated legs
Statement hand-selected pressed walnut features on TV units, sideboards and wall panels
Xylocleaf MFC bedsides
Fenix NTM desks, with solid ash legs and mirror panelling
Upholstered luggage benches
Co-ordinating wardrobe areas with Gladstone oak drawers with leather handles, xylocleaf minibar units and black powder coated hanging rails
Metal-framed mirrors with integrated glass vanity shelf.
In the suites, slotted privacy walls and swivel TV units in hand-pressed walnut add to the impressive combination of beauty and function.
The effect of all these different co-ordinating materials is of a luxurious design with consideration given to every detail and how it will impact on the guests' experience. Thoughtful design doesn't come better than this.
Curits is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Manchester welcomes two new Hyatt hotels
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The opening marks the first two Hyatt-branded hotels in Manchester, and the debut of the Hyatt House brand in the United Kingdom…
After Hotel Designs announced it will return to the city for Meet Up North, Hyatt Hotels has announced the opening of the 212-room Hyatt Regency Manchester and the 116-key Hyatt House Manchester in the city's landmark building "The Lume." The openings represent a significant milestone for Hyatt's brand growth in the U.K. and the debut of Hyatt's extended stay segment, the Hyatt House brand.
Hyatt Regency Manchester offers empathetic service that anticipates the needs of guests and event planners to ensure they have a seamless and personalised experience. The hotel will stay true to the brand promise of making travel free from stress by providing guests everything they need under one roof. Hyatt House Manchester is designed to make guests feel at home, offering residents spacious, apartment-style living paired with amenities that help them maintain work and personal routines while on the road.
Situated in the Innovation District on the Oxford Road Corridor, both hotels are close to Manchester's major transportation hubs and provide easy access to major attractions. "We look forward to welcoming guests to the first Hyatt hotels in Manchester – one of the UK's most multicultural cities and a hub for innovative start-ups," said Assumpta McDonald, general manager of Hyatt Regency and Hyatt House Manchester. "A city popular for leisure and business travelers, Manchester and its growing commercial center is an ideal destination for having two brands within one building. Located in close proximity to the University, the city center and a number of tourist attractions, we believe that both hotels will attract business and leisure travellers alike."
The properties offer a variety of shared facilities, including The Laureate Restaurant, The Graduate Bar, seven state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a fully equipped 24-hour fitness centre. Additionally, guests staying at Hyatt House Manchester have access to the Omelet Bar and the 24/7 H Market.
Hyatt Regency Manchester offers 212 contemporary guestrooms and suites, all featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with city views. For travellers looking for an extended stay, Hyatt House Manchester offers 116 studios and one-bedroom suites, all featuring fully equipped kitchens, free wi-fi and stylish living and working spaces. Guests of the hotel can also enjoy 24-hour access to complimentary laundry facilities, inclusive breakfast, and the 24/7 H Market.
Hyatt Regency Manchester and Hyatt House Manchester share two distinctive gastronomic offerings – The Laureate Restaurant and The Graduate Bar. The Laureate Restaurant boasts a menu that celebrates Manchester as one of the UK's most multicultural cities. Aptly named to reflect the academic brilliance of the hotel's surroundings, The Graduate Bar is a vibrant, airy oasis inspiring guests and locals to relax and unwind. It offers cocktails, quality beers and gourmet bites. Exclusively accessible for guests of Hyatt House Manchester, the H Market is open 24/7 and provides a range of groceries and on-the-go snacks.
Hyatt Regency Manchester offers an array of flexible meeting spaces, with seven state-of-the-art meeting rooms. The hotel pays tribute to some of Manchester's best-known academics, naming the meeting rooms after famous alumni and those working closely with the University. These include former chief executive of Manchester City Council Sir Howard Bernstein and renowned mathematician Alan Turing, best known for his work in breaking the German Enigma code during World War II.
Hyatt House Manchester offers two intimate event spaces: The Conservatory and The Living Room, both located on the 18th floor of the hotel.
The varied selection of meeting spaces offered by the two hotels provide guests of both properties the option to book from a range of options to ensure a seamless environment for every event. The meeting rooms are equipped with LCD projectors and screens for presentations, and the on-site business center is open 24 hours a day. Additionally, all meeting rooms and event spaces offer expert catering services.
Hyatt Regency Manchester and Hyatt House Manchester are the seventh and eighth Hyatt-branded hotels to open in the U.K., alongside Andaz London Liverpool Street, Hyatt Regency Birmingham, Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, Hyatt Place West London/Hayes, Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport and the recently opened The Great Scotland Yard Hotel.
INSIGHT: 5G and hotel security technology in the '20s
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To launch the next few weeks putting Technology under the spotlight, Mark Tucknutt, the owner of specialist security consultancy Toren Consulting Ltd, breaks down some of the cyber security issues the design, architecture and hospitality sector will face in the Roaring 20s…
It's pretty hard to resist a technology forecast at the turn of the decade, and when you misspent your teenage years playing 'Cyberpunk 2020' its nigh on impossible.
I run a boutique security design consultancy, supporting developers and architects in designing hotels that meet the security requirements of planning authorities, hotel brands and hotel guests. While we're not living in the dystopian tech-obsessed 2020 that 13 year old me was promised in the early 1990s, we are living in interesting times for the hotel sector, for technology and for security risks.
Most commentators agree that one of the key technology trends for the 2020s is going to be the continued rolloout of 5G networks. Here are a few ways that I believe that may impact on hotel security and allow 'security' devices to better support hotel business operations.
Distributed Video Analytics
We all know from the mainstream media that 5G is coming, and that it will bring huge increases in bandwidth and speed over mobile networks. The impact of 5G on hotels, with their transient users and geographically dispersed properties, is going to be significant. Of course, I'm not talking about the ability of guests to download a movie more quickly, as exciting as that might be. 5G is going to enable hotel chains to make use of a wide range of intelligent devices, and I predict that some of the most valuable will be video surveillance cameras.
5G networks will increase the ability of business systems to make decisions based on information from edge devices. For traditional security cameras monitored by a human operator, the reduced latency isn't really a factor; fibre optic latency is already a tiny factor compared to human decision-making speeds. But when we're talking about automated business systems, that faster response is going to enable lots of interesting processes. 5G will allow hotel brands and operators to reliably use video analytics to monitor and react in real-time to AI-based alerts from a global hotel portfolio, for example about queue lengths, unusual patterns of behaviour in the lobby or recognition of a VIP guest.
More devices, fewer wires and more integration
Security systems have been, somewhat belatedly, moving to a cloud-based architecture during the last few years. 5G is going to accelerate that development so that access control panels and servers and video surveillance recorders located on the premises will be consigned to history.
Video surveillance cameras will finally become truly wireless for data transmission. The increased reliability of 5G will give hotels the confidence to deploy wireless cameras throughout hotels, rather than only in hard to reach locations. Instead of 'wireless' guestroom locking connecting to wired hubs (often several in each guest corridor), guestroom locks will make use of 5G's reduced latency to become truly wireless, also improving the guest experience by reducing the time taken to unlock the door.
5G will therefore lead to reduced security installation costs for new hotels by removing network cabling, switches, wireless access control hubs, network video recorders etc from construction. New locks and cameras will become quicker, easier and cheaper to deploy.
Mobile app guestroom locking comes of age
The capabilities of 5G phones are going to make mobile phones even more ubiquitous, and hotel guests even more comfortable with expecting to use phones for secure tasks.
The use of mobile phones for guestroom locking 'keys' has existed for a while now, but adoption hasn't been as strong as it might have been. I'm predicting that as the technology matures, and integrations between locking systems, guest apps and booking systems become more open, that 2020 is the year that we finally see mobile phones take over from plastic RFID cards as the de facto guest room access control device.
While there is still a concern that guests will be reluctant to download a new app for each hotel stay, the major guestroom locking providers are at least now offering integration to not just a hotel's own app development but to the main third-party hospitality app providers. This means that just as smaller hotel chains can now 'white-label' a guest app solution from a third-party (such as HotelBird or AeroGuest), those apps are now likely to be integrated with a guestroom locking product (such as Salto XS4 or Vingcard Essence).
Main image credit: Salto
Laufen's technology secret: it's all in the material
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Design reduced to the essentials, SaphirKeramik has been bathroom manufacturer Laufen's trade technology secret since 2013. Since then, the material has been used to create some of the most stunning bathroom products…
With SaphirKeramik the Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen is setting a new trend in bathroom design.
SaphirKeramik is an innovative ceramic material, which possesses all the hygienic advantages of traditional bathroom ceramics, but is thinner, more defined, and extremely robust. The special properties are due to the addition of corundum, a colourless component of sapphire, which has been prepared for the market by years of research and development work by Laufen. Since its launch in 2013 SaphirKeramik has developed into a favourite material of many architects and bathroom planners, because it permits a whole new design language with ceramics in the bathroom, which could not have been realised in the same way with conventional ceramic material.
Image credit: Laufen
SaphirKeramik from Laufen is a very hard and rigid ceramic, which for the first time allows very thin, but extremely robust ceramic walls and at the same time a defined rim – a narrow edge radius of 1-2mm is possible, whilst traditionally ceramic material manages 7-8mm. The name SaphirKeramik is related to sapphire glass, known from watch-making, which also contains corundum, making it also a very hard material. However, SaphirKeramik not only permits a more precise and slimmer design language, but also has functional and ecological advantages: thus in the case of SaphirKeramik washbasins, with less material more functional space is created. In the process SaphirKeramik is exactly as hygienic and safe with drinking water as traditional ceramic material, and can also be recycled completely. The low material quantity, thanks to a simplified ceramic structure, has further advantages in terms of environmental protection and sustainability, since fewer raw materials and less energy are required for the firing, production and transport of SaphirKeramik.
Meanwhile Laufen has gained extensive experience with the innovative ceramic material, integrating numerous bathroom products made of SaphirKeramik into its ranges. Together with the washbasins in the successful Kartell by Laufen bathroom collection, and the SaphirKeramik bowls from the Living Square collection, the washbasins from the Val and Ino collections have now joined this exclusive club. Val and Ino have been developed from the SaphirKeramik project, to which Laufen invited the two designers Konstantin Grcic and Toan Nguyen, in order to collectively explore further the design potential of the material in conceptual studies. SaphirKeramik also plays a key role in Patricia Urquiola's Sonar collection for Laufen.
"Laufen is convinced that the potential of SaphirKeramik has not yet been fully exploited, and that with this innovative material we are going to realise many exciting developments in the future," says Marc Viardot, Director of Marketing and Products at Laufen. "Since the dimensions of bathrooms in reality hardly change, it is our vision of wellbeing in the bathroom to optimise the proportions of features and to create a sustainable product design in accordance with the available room."
Laufen is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Main image credit: Laufen
EARLY RELEASE tickets open for Hotel Designs' premium networking events
For limited time only, Hotel Designs has opened discounted EARLY RELEASE tickets to Meet Up London (May 13) and Meet Up North (July 6)…
After hosting a hat-trick of successful and meaningful premium networking events up and down the country last year, Hotel Designs is offering designers, architects, hoteliers, developers and suppliers to purchase discounted EARLY RELEASE tickets to Meet Up London and Meet Up North.
Until January 31, tickets to both Meet Up London and Meet Up North are available to purchase for designers, architects, hoteliers, developers and those who supply to the hospitality industry. The regional events, which last year bridged the gap between more than 400 design and hospitality professionals, are regarded as two of the industry's most established networking events. "We are fully committed to host our networking events in locations and venues that are at the heart of the hotel design community," said editor Hamish Kilburn. "We hope that Meet Up London and Meet Up North, which include relevant themes and talks at both, help to build seamless relationships as well as inspire the industry to further push boundaries in design and hospitality."
About Meet Up London
Date: May 13, 2020 | 6pm – 10pm
Venue: Minotti London | Theme: Inspiring Creativity
Headline Partner: Hamilton Litestat | Partner: Crosswater
Image caption: MEET UP London 2019 took place at Minotti London's showroom, welcoming more than 200 interior designers, architects, hoteliers, developers and suppliers. | Image credit: MEET UP London
Image caption: MEET UP London 2019 was themed 30 Under 30
Following the success of last year's spring networking event, Hotel Designs is delighted to return to Minotti London for Meet Up London 2020, the publication's first networking event of the year. The London Fitzrovia showroom, which recently played host to an exclusive roundtable, will shelter an evening like no other around the theme of Inspiring Creativity, with the concrete aim to further bridge the gap between designers, architects, hoteliers, developers and key-industry suppliers.
EARLY RELEASE SUPPLIER TICKETS*: £99 + VAT (expires on January 31) | CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets.
EARLY RELEASE BUYER TICKETS**: £10 + VAT (expires on January 31) | CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets.
Sponsors for Meet Up London (so far):
About Meet Up North
Date: July 6, 2020 | 6pm – 10pm
Venue: Central Manchester (venue to be announced shortly)| Theme: Manchester On The Boards
MEET UP North is Hotel Designs' premium networking event outside of London
MEET UP North 2019
Considering the vast amount of hotel projects currently on the boards in the north – many of which are slated to complete in Manchester and open this year – Hotel Designs will be returning to the city of Manchester for Meet Up North 2020. The city, which has hosted the concept since its launch in 2018, will once again welcome leading designers, architects, hoteliers, developers and key-industry suppliers for the market's leading networking event in the north of England.
Sponsors for Meet Up North (so far):
If you would like to discuss various sponsorship packages available, or if you have any enquires regarding tickets, please contact Katy Phillips via email, or call 01992 374050.
Early Release offer strictly ends January 31, 2020.
* Those eligible to purchase Supplier Tickets must be industry suppliers.
** Those eligible to purchase buyer tickets must prove that they are an interior designer, architect, hotelier or developer.
Room Mate Hotels to launch beach resort brand
Room Mate Hotels, the Spanish hotel chain founded and led by Kike Sarasola, will launch its beach resort brand next year with the opening of Room Mate Olivia…
Having established its position in the hospitality market, the Spanish urban chain, Room Mate Group has created a new beach resort brand that will launch next summer.
Owned by HIP in Calviá, Mallorca, the 391-key Room Mate Olivia's opening will mark the brand's arrival. Envisioned by interior designer Jaimie Beriestain, who drew inspiration from the island's unique charm, the hotel will feature a total of four outdoor swimming pools, a sun deck with Balinese beds, a wellness centre complete with gym, gardens and a children's play area.
Room Mate Olivia will also have a range of dining options, including an à la carte and buffet restaurant – where guests will be able to enjoy a variety of dishes from around the world – and a healthy corner offering a selection of nutritious snacks.
The new hotel and brand is part of Room Mate Group's ambitious plan to rediscover the experience and concept of the beachfront hotel. The entrance into beachfront hotels is part of a larger expansion plan to open 14 hotels and 13 apartment buildings over the next 24 months, doubling their portfolio from 1,900 rooms to more than 3,600 rooms.
Main image credit: Room Mate Hotels
Radisson Red to open hotel in Reykjavik in 2021
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Radisson Hotel Group has revealed the design concept and renderings for the brand new Radisson RED Reykjavik…
It is said to be a new urban hub for travellers and locals alike, the first ever Radisson RED in Iceland is slated to open its doors in 2021 and will take shelter in a 17-storey sea-facing building in the heart of the city.
"Radisson RED is Radisson Hotel Group's upscale, select service hotel brand that presents a playful twist on the conventional," said Tom Flanagan Karttunen, Area Senior Vice President of Radisson Hotel Group in Northern Europe. "Radisson RED hotels inject new life into hospitality through informal services, a social scene that's waiting to be shared and bold design that kick-starts the fun. It is the perfect match for Reykjavik and the entire Radisson Hotel Group team and owners are thrilled to introduce this landmark Reykjavik."
"It is inspired by the history of the architecture and geology of the land, with its colorful buildings painted red, black and white and dramatic natural phenomena of basalt columns and red and black lava flows." – Architect Tony Kettle.
The 203-room Radisson RED Reykjavik will be a newly built property that provides travelers with an ideal base from which to explore the city and beyond. Located in the city centre, the hotel will be an ocean front property offering guests panoramic views of the ocean, city and the surrounding mountain ridge. The design is comprehensive, welcoming, accessible and connects locals and travelers with the restaurant and bar on the ground floor, street plaza, Red Sky bar and a Terrace viewpoint.
"The idea for this new landmark hotel is to create a special building which will reinforce the sense of the city of Rekyjavik and the landscape of Iceland to create a new and exciting destination for the city," added the architect Tony Kettle. "It is inspired by the history of the architecture and geology of the land, with its colorful buildings painted red, black and white and dramatic natural phenomena of basalt columns and red and black lava flows."
The roof of the hotel is activated with a two-level roof bar and viewing terrace accessed from a glazed panoramic lift with spectacular views to and from the spectacular city.
Sigurborg Osk Haraldsdottir, the chairman of the planning and transport committee says the planning and transport committee emphasized that special attention was paid to the local environment, that the building would be accessible to the public and that the building would be of the highest quality.
"I, myself would say that it has been successful and that this building will be a great part of the city's skyline for the future. The building, its surroundings and all the finishing work, in my opinion, create a comprehensive design that leads to higher quality in the urban environment and it matters when condensing settlements", says Sigurborg Osk Haraldsdotti and adds: "I also emphasise that the redesign of Vitastigur and the square in front of the Skúlagata building will be safe and very accessible for the public. In the site plan, there is a requirement for access from Skúlagata through the entrance to the site, so that the public will have access to the entire site. The ground floor will also be open with dining facilities along with the top floor with, a terrace viewpoint for guests and walking."
Main image credit: Radisson Red
Hotel market in Austria to expand by 12,000 rooms
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Could Austria be the new hospitality hotspot in Europe? The Latest findings by TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION could suggest so…
With more than 12,000 rooms due to be added to Austria's hotel market in the coming years, according to TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION, the Alpine nation of Austria is adapting to growing demand.
According to the online database, 90 hotel projects are currently in the development pipeline in Austria, 62 per cent of which will open as either 'first class' or 'luxury' properties.
For 2020 specifically, the region is expected to welcome 29 hotels, which will add a further 4,125 rooms to the Austrian hospitality scene, which compared to 21 openings in 2021 and just nine openings in 2022, suggests that the next 12 months will see the market peak in Austria with a flurry of new design-led hotels entering the market place.
Austria's capital, Vienna, will be the backdrop of 27 of these openings, adding 5, 488 new rooms in the city. This follows the demand for more urban, midscale four-star developments in Vienna, as the tourism board recorded an increase of almost 12 per cent in room revenue between the months of January to November.
Brands jumping on the hotel development bandwagon in Austria include Hilton, Accor, Six Senses and Radisson Red.
Main image credit: Pixabay
Most anticipated hotel openings in 2020 (Q1 & Q2)
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Kickstarting 2020, Hotel Designs takes a glance at some of the most significant hotel projects that are expected to complete in the next 12 months (edited by Hamish Kilburn)…
If 2019 was anything to go by, then the next 12 months on the international hotel design and hospitality scene is going to be a jam-packed series of hotel openings in all corners of the globe. But with the industry churning out all kinds of hotels, it can be a challenge identifying the projects that will make the biggest impact.
In order to cut through the noise, the editorial team has sifted through the lists of projects on the boards in order to determine which among them are the most significant hotel projects that are slated to complete and open in 2020.
We start our series by putting the spotlight on the hotels forecasted to opening in Q1 and Q2.
Fusion Suites Vung Tau (Q1)
Fusion's latest hotel, Fusion Suites Vung Tau, is set to open in January in southern Vietnam's popular coastal playground. The new 21-storey property features 171 well-appointed suites and apartments, a multitude of dining options, a spa, yoga studio, and a rooftop infinity pool. The property offers views of the ocean, and complements the setting with playful interiors dressed in sea green, ocean blue, and a wide range of ocean-inspired hues in between. The same sense of whimsy informs the building's complex facade with pastel-coloured glass panels that zig-zag upwards. For dining options the hotel has the Fresh restaurant (open all-day), a rooftop bar, and market stalls in the lobby. The property's 12 treatment room spa is inspired by the sea and features signature therapies based around salt. Conveniently located in the heart of Vung Tau, the hotel is just a short trip by boat or road from Ho Chi Minh City.
Mama Shelter Paris West (Q1)
Image credit: Mama Shelter
Following a successful soft opening, Mama Shelter's second hotel in Paris, located in the eclectic 15th arrondissement, will officially open in January 2020. With cutting-edge design elements by up and coming French designer Dion & Arles, featuring the playful design and vibrant colour palettes – guests can unwind in front of the open fire in the all-day restaurant or dine al fresco on the terrace, complete with its very own half-size basketball court. This will be Mama Shelter's 12th property.
Hotel Brooklyn, Manchester (Q1)
Image credit: Bespoke Hotels/Hotel Brooklyn
Designed by Squid Inc – the team behind renowned Hotel Gotham – the long-awaited Hotel Brooklyn is scheduled to open in February 2020. The 189-key hotel is inspired by the New York Borough and chosen for its resonating similarities to Manchester, in terms of its buzzing industrial growth, as well as its strength of identity and culture.
Riggs Washington D.C.
Image credit: Lore Group/Riggs Washington DC
The long-awaited brainchild of The Brit List 2019 judge Jacu Strauss, Riggs Washington D.C. is expected to open its illustrious doors in February 2020. The famed designer has invoked the spirit of the building's former bank while preserving and restoring much of the property's original design features to reimagine the storied building for the modern traveller. The 181-room property features playful nods to the building's rich past, drawing on the parallels between the activities that take place in banks and at hotels to offer something personal and serendipitous around every corner.
Atocha Hotel Madrid – Tapestry Collection by Hilton (Q1)
Image credit: Tapestry Collection/Hilton Hotels
Tapestry Collection by Hilton is making its debut in EMEA and will soon land in two of the most iconic European cities.
Atocha Hotel Madrid will be the first hotel to join Hilton's Tapestry Collection in Europe. It is located in the buzzing heart of Madrid, within walking distance from popular tourist attractions such as the Museo Reina Sofia and the El Reitro Park.
Crowne Plaza Sydney Darling Harbour (Q1)
Image credit: IHG/Crowne Plaza
The new build hotel features 152 modern guest rooms and suites suspended in a prime position just a short stroll to the CBD's commercial & transport hub, the lively Darling Harbour precinct and the International Convention Centre. The new hotel will feature a heated outdoor plunge pool with vista across Sydney's skyscraper as well as three restaurants & bars.
W Ibiza (Q2)
Image credit: W Ibiza/Baranowitz + Kronenberg
Conceived and designed by BARANOWITZ + KRONENBERG, W Ibiza is slated to open in April ahead of the 2020 Summer season. Located off the beaten track, the 167-key hotel will strike a pose on the palm-fringed beachfront of Santa Eulalia. As the only global brand on the island, the design brief was to marry the parallel realities of Ibiza with a magnetic pull that turns up the sass.
By opening up the public spaces to become a flexible social hub, the hotel becomes a place that nurtures human connections, and through the use of subtle levels creates touchable distance between each functional area. "The idea is that the energy descends into the unconventional pool area," Alon Baranowitz told Hotel Designs in an exclusive interview. "As you move up levels, the lobby/lounge area becomes more reclined, but the open architecture scheme allows for a clever connection between all spaces."
The hotel will open as part of Marriott International's goal to add more than 30 new luxury hotels to its extensive worldwide portfolio in 2020.
The Emerald House Lisbon, Curio Collection by Hilton (Q2)
One of the world's most historic cities, known for its one-of-a-kind beauty and unique dining, will soon welcome The Emerald House Lisbon, Curio Collection by Hilton. The hotel will be located a few streets away from the historical districts of Chiado and Baixa, famous for their impressive plazas, vibrant restaurants and boutique shops, making it ideal for curious travellers seeking unexpected and authentic experiences.
Rosewood São Paulo (Q2)
Image credit: Rosewood Hotels
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will launch its first South American property situated in the centre of São Paulo, featuring 151 guestrooms and 114 owners' suites, two restaurants, including one located on a veranda overlooking hotel gardens and complemented by a bar and a caviar lounge. Recreational facilities will include two swimming pools with one rooftop pool and the other set amongst the landscaped grounds and a large spa and a fitness area. Hotel guests will also be able to access an adjoining music studio, screening room and luxury retail stores within the development. Rosewood Hotels and Resorts are collaborating on this project with leading international figures such as the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel and designer Philippe Starck, to create a one-of-a-kind building.
The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon (Q2)
Set to be the first EDITION Hotel in Japan, the Tokyo EDITION Toranomon is slated to rise as part of the redevelopment of the former Pastoral Building, a mixed-use project comprising offices, residences and a medical centre. The 205-key hotel has been created in partnership with the globally renowned architect and designer Kengo Kuma, who designed the Tokyo 2020 National Olympic Stadium. It is expected to offer easy access to some of Tokyo's most iconic sites, including the Tokyo Tower and Tsukiji fish market. Within walking distance to the buzzing nightlife and restaurants of Roppongi, The Tokyo EDITION Toranomon will further raise the bar in entertainment and gastronomy for the area.
voco Edinburgh (Q2)
Not only a capital city, Edinburgh is also the leading festival city in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a plethora of world-class attractions, sightseeing in Edinburgh is effortless, with visitors able to experience different centuries of history from street to street. IHG's new voco brand is to open in Edinburgh on Torphichen Street, close to Edinburgh International Conference Centre. The hotel will feature all the usual comforts afforded by voco® properties, such as an indoor pool, eco-friendly bedding, a health club, and on-site bar.
The Pig at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall (Q2)
Image credit: THE PIG
The Pig brand is going from strength to strength. Following its latest opening in Bridge, Kent, The Pig brand is heading west coast of cornwall. Inside a stunning Grade II-listed building, Harlan House, THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay is positioned near Padstow in Cornwall. Expected to open in June 2020, the hotel is just a short stroll from Harlyn beach, Constantine Bay beaches, Trevose Golf Club, and is also only a 10-minute drive to the sea-side honeypot of Padstow.
Ikos Andalusia (Q2)
Image credit: Ikos Resorts
Marking the brand's arrival into Spain – and the first property outside Greece – Ikos Andalusia is slated to open in May 2020. The stylish resort is set amongst olive trees and has both modern features and local touches, such as traditional Moorish windcatchers perched atop its seven buildings. Individually commissioned pieces of art and colourful hand-painted tiles will be on display throughout the restaurants and guest rooms. A Cherry Blossom tree at Anaya restaurant, encircled by seating for guests to enjoy Asian dishes in an al-fresco setting, will be a particularly stand-out feature.
Six bars will be located around the resort's lush gardens and pools serving cocktails prepared by award-winning Ikos mixologists, using branded international and local spirits.
The resort will boast eight outdoor and indoor pools, including kids' pools, spa pools and adults-only pools, plus a number of private pools. Each of the outdoor pools will feature a cascading design overlooking the beach and Mediterranean Sea.
Banyan Tree Krabi (Q2)
Image credit: Banyan Tree Holdings
Singapore-based Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd, one of Asia's foremost luxury hotel groups, has announced plans to open a new resort in Krabi in the second quarter of 2020. Currently under development in a serene location on Tubkaek Beach, Banyan Tree Krabi fronts powdery white sands and the shallow-shelved coast of the Andaman Sea. The new Thai resort will offer 72 pool suites and villas, among them seven two-bedroom options and one three-bedroom villa. Facilities include all-day dining, a ballroom, a wedding chapel, a beach club, a kids' club, and a fitness center. In keeping with Banyan Tree's holistic branding, the resort will also host a rainforest-themed spa.
Main image credit: W Ibiza
Year In Review: Hotel Designs' top products of 2019 (Part 2)
Hotel Designs continues looking back to reflect on some of the major statement products of 2019 with part two of its Year in Review of the best products to have launched in the last 11 months (edited by Hamish Kilburn)…
Recently, I was lucky enough to sit in the company of design legend Marcel Wanders. While discussing his latest innovations, he effortlessly defined the relationship between suppliers and designers perfectly.
He said, and I quote: "Designing a product is much like creating a new word in an empty sentence. Depending on how the words are curated will determine the dynamics of the sentence, and in effect, the quality of the poem it becomes. I love seeing what sentences and poems designers will create with my empty words."
This almost accidental explaination somehow put a new perspective on how I view and consume the news of product launches. Much like expanding ones vocabublary on the editorial desk at Hotel Designs HQ, following the latest products that emerge in the arena of international hotel design is a never-ending journey full of discovery.
I for one am looking forward to seeing how designers and architects use these products to create, as Wanders would describe, perfectly balanced sentences that are perminantly inked onto the pages of a well-rounded collection of hotel design poetry.
Following part one, which was published earlier this month, here's part two of our Year in Review:
LG and Foster + Partner's game-changeing LED TV
Launched during Milan Design Week, architectural firm Foster + Partners unveiled the world's first rollable OLED TV in reaction to the rising demand for discreet technology. Raising the bar in consumer technology, the new LG SIGNATURE OLED TV R, the world's first rollable TV.
The practice designed the TV's external geometry and finishes as well as playing an active part in creating specific internal mechanisms. The screen technology is set to redefine the idea of the television and the living spaces it occupies.
Signbox's sustainable solution
Image credit: Signbox
Hybrid from Signbox is a premium modular outdoor sign system that combines the relentlessly durable and sustainable qualities of exterior-grade composite bamboo with powerful materials, such as painted MDF, glass and slate, that bring both sign scheme and setting to life.
Phillipe Starck's new vanity and mirror line with Duravit
Image credit: Duravit/Philippe Stark
The bathroom line by Duravit and Philippe Starck launched in August, unveiling compact designs that claimed to accommodate any bathroom, particularly with hospitality and commercial spaces in mind. Cape Cod Guest exudes the same aesthetic as its predecessor but is now available with a narrower vanity and mirror, bringing larger-than-life design into more intimate spaces.
Minotti London's indoor/outdoor 2019 collection
Image credit: Minotti London
Hot off the heels of being at the centre of the action as the style partner for Meet Up London, Minotti has yet again raised the level of furniture design with the unveiling of its 2019 Collection during Milan Design Week.
Collection after collection, year after year, Minotti's unquenchable passion can be sensed from all corners of the design-hub city.
For the 2019 Collection, the furniture company conceived a new stylistic code, a new vision of the interior with surprising suggestions and atmospheres which play host to our new designs. Its intention is to provide food for thought in a surprising, creative, practical and dynamic way, to all those who choose our brand around the world.
The new collection, coordinated by Rodolfo Dordoni with Minotti Studio, brings a new vision of the living area to life, in which seating systems and furniture outline structured spaces and reveal new geometries in a continuous alternation of curves and straight lines. The result is a surprising variety of compositional solutions featuring unexpected combinations of textures and materials.
Knightsbridge celebrated 80 years with collaboration with Timorous Beasties
New to 2019, Knightsbridge exhibited its Caravelle collection at Sleep & Eat 2019, which was redeveloped to celebrate Knightsbridge's 80thanniversary and its rich history, taking influence from a past mid-century piece of furniture.
The Caravelle collection consists of an armchair, two-seater and three-seater settee that have the clean lines and organic curves that the period became renowned for. It's deep seat cushion provides a luxurious seat whilst the beautiful clean styling allows it to be specified into workplace, hospitality and care sectors. The collection is covered with exquisite fabric featuring jungle creatures and foliage from visionary textile designers Timorous Beasties.
Crosswater's unique, high-signature finishes
Image credit: Crosswater
Bathroom manufacturer Crosswater's high-quality signature finishes and textures enable hotels to express their own brand through their bathroom designs. Combined with lighting and interior design elements, each bathroom can be created to perfectly suit the personality of the hotel, often without the need to change existing sanitaryware.
Twists and turns from Christopher Hyde
Image credit: Christopher Hyde
A new handmade pendant 'The Lucerne' is a satin brass adjustable frame incorporating LED with bubble glass. "This exciting new piece is great for over tables and bars and will compliment and be a talking point for any interior," said the brand in a press release.
Meanwhile, the dynamic collection of the 'Granada' and 'Seville' lights has captured a different take on the Christopher Hyde Brand. With inner finishes available in gold, silver and copper leaf these lights are given added luxury. This exciting collection comes with LED lighting technology.
If you know of a product you believe should be involved in Hotel Designs' ultimate throwback, please email h.kilburn@forumevents.co.uk.
Accor opens two newly built hotels in Leicester
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The Novotel hotel and Adagio aparthotel, both under the Accor umbrella, will open in January 2020…
Hotel group Accor has announced that two newly built hotels in Leicester, Novotel Leicester and Adagio Leicester Aparthotel, will open on January 15, 2020. The new properties are owned by Charles Street Buildings Group and operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Aimbridge Hospitality's International Division.
The 10-storey Novotel Leicester boasts 154 guestrooms including executive suites, meeting spaces, a state-of-the-art gym and a ground-floor feature bar and restaurant. The hotel is ideal for guests who want style and convenience wrapped up in one.
"Today Accor has more than 260 hotels in UKI and a strong pipeline across our luxury, midscale and economy portfolio." – Thomas Dubaere, COO Accor Northern Europe
The six-storey Adagio Leicester Aparthotel is opening next door to the Novotel with 98 apartments consisting of two person studios and one-bedroom apartments for up to four people.
Image caption: Concept render of Novotel Leicester
Speaking of the new openings, Thomas Dubaere, COO Accor Northern Europe commented: "Today Accor has more than 260 hotels in UKI and a strong pipeline across our luxury, midscale and economy portfolio. Opening a new build dual brand site in the heart of Leicester strengthens our midscale portfolio in the UK. Novotel and Adagio brands continue to go from strength to strength both in business and brand terms, and I am delighted to be opening both Novotel Leicester and Adagio Leicester in such a prime city location. We are have worked closely with the developer of this property to deliver a very high quality building which will bring significant benefits to the city and visitors."
Set in a location which connects the city centre to the developing Waterside area of Leicester, the Great Central Square development provides the two hotels with a prime site for both corporate and leisure travellers.
"We're excited to be working with Accor and Charles Street Building Group to officially open this duo of hotels in Leicester, creating more than 60 jobs for the local area and providing two new choices of accommodation for travellers visiting the city," added Nicholas Northam, Executive Vice President International at Interstate. "Novotel and Adagio are ideal brands for this site as together they will ensure every traveller is catered for, from the short-stay business traveller to families visiting the city to long-stay guests and those looking to relocate."
Main image credit: Accor
Key bathroom trends to emerge in 2020
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As Hotel Designs continues its ultimate throwback, Year in Review, Recommended Supplier UK Bathrooms takes a look back at key bathroom trends that emerged in 2019, and are expected to evolve in 2020…
As a result of designers are moving away from hard angular lines, and while furniture and fittings become more flowing in shape, 2019 saw the launch of some seductive new bathroom collections. Next year, we expect designers to be influenced raw materials, various patterns as well as sensitively introducing gold and black when creating new wellness areas.
"Once relegated in the style archives gold is definitely back and has taken a new direction adding a glam look to bathrooms."
Sensitively utilising gold
One of the biggest trends of 2019 and definitely staying around for 2020 is gold – once relegated in the style archives gold is definitely back and has taken a new direction adding a glam look to bathrooms. Start with fittings such as basin taps, waste, shower fittings and then layer up the accessories. Crosswater is one of the leading contemporary bathroom brands and the company's new MPRO Industrial Brass range is simply stunning with its unlacquered brass finish, allowing the metal to breath and eventually resulting in beautiful oxidation. The MPRO collection is inspired by industrial era brassware and is already proving very popular especially to those who are discerning and style conscious.
Pastels with a twist
Image credit: VitrA
UK Bathrooms and Hotel Designs have seen a growing demand for pastel shades this year and VitrA's new Plural range+, which launched in October, is a great example of this trend. The exciting modern look was designed by award-winning Milan based designer Terri Pecora.
Inspired by the heritage of communal bathing spaces and rituals, the collection presents the bathroom in a totally new light. Organic shaped design elements are used in multiple combinations to form an intimate setting. Innovation abounds in this Gold Award winning collection with three syphon solutions one of which allows a basin to be placed at various angles as an alternative to the conventional positioning by the wall, another designed to specifically enable washbasins to be mounted in an open bathroom space whilst still keeping a clean and minimalistic look and the this allowing for the fitting of column basins at free angles in the room instead of the more common 90 degree angle to the wall. This superb range also includes a mirror which easily rotates between two basins.
Raw and natural
Image credit: Hansgrohe
Materials like exposed concrete, unfinished wood and raw brick look contemporary and chic combined with ultra-modern touches, such as the Hansgrohe Metropol Floorstanding Bath Mixer Tap the result is a bathroom firmly on the chic side of industrial interior design. Natural unrefined finishes will be seen more and more in 2020. Villeroy and Boch Memento 2.0 Countertop basin comes in a choice of amazing finishes, including concrete grey which complements this look perfectly.
Show stopping cast iron roll top baths are the heart of the Victorian Vibe look and UK Bathrooms sell a large selection of roll tops from premium luxury brands such as Burlington's Avante garde back to wall traditional bath and the stunning Imperial Sheraton Cast iron Ball Foot Slipper Bath. Remaining a crucial component in today's chicest bathroom, the freestanding bath with ball and claw feet is here to stay. Add dark walls and panelling to create the mood.
UK Bathrooms is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Main image credit: VitrA
Surface Design Show brings back 'New Talent' to support emerging creatives
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Back by popular demand at Surface Design Show, 'New Talent' supports emerging creatives, specialising in producing interior and exterior surface materials and lighting design…
Surface Design Show, which takes place from February 11 – 13, will bring back New Talent, with the aim to support emerging talent in surface materials and lighting design. The area offers attendees the chance to see the next big innovations in surface design.
New Talent is curated by Chief Creative Director at Trendease International Jennifer Castoldi. All of those chosen to exhibit in New Talent have been in business for five years or less, and with 37 exhibitors showcasing, compared to 16 last year, the section has grown substantially.
"We are thrilled to have collaborated with Trendease International; Jennifer has brought togethersome of the most exciting new designers with the freshest ideas in material design to New Talent," said Christopher Newton, Director of Surface Design Show. "We can't wait for visitors to immerse themselves in New Talent's designs, textures and materials."
Image credit: Jonel van Schalkwyk
Image credit: Farr Designs
Many of the New Talent exhibitors are using traditional craft techniques and combining them with contemporary design. Charlotte Relf is an experimental embroidery artist who uses exaggerated stitches to add detail and energy while Royal School of Needlework graduate Frances Stone uses various experimental embroidery techniques such as gold work, crewel work and beading to create her range of foot stools, chairs and cushions. Charlotte Clayton Design, meanwhile, combines knitting with automotive interior design for her surface designs and Farr Designs marries photography and contemporary design using hand screen prints and digital technology.
The sheer wealth of approaches to surfaces is one of New Talent's strengths from Janine Partington's emphasis of carving and hand painted leathers to Trifold, a company which has designs constructed of thermal and acoustic layers, folded via means of a traditional origami tessellation to research-based designer Megan Cowley, who creates mild steel moulds using water jet technology, which are then transferred onto glass.
Wallcoverings are well-represented in New Talent this year, Olenka's luxury British wallpapercollection features natural motifs of leaves and flowers whilst Catherine Griffiths' work takes in boldwallpaper designs as well as fabric and cushions with inspirations as eclectic as Celtic mythology, the Renaissance period and European architecture. West by Design specialises in intricate hand-painted wallpaper inspired by the English countryside and King Kong Design creates site-specific corporate wall art and custom wall panels for retail, public and residential installations.
It's no surprise given the current climate emergency that exhibitors in New Talent are focussed on nature or sustainability. This focus is reflected throughout the whole of Surface Design Show with its theme of Close to Home: looking beyond aesthetics and designing with a conscience. Jonel van Schalkwyk uses a painterly style to create surface designs featuring human-sized plants while designer Paula Nerlich has a strong focus on circular biomaterials and exploring vegan compostables
and foams from industrial and household food waste. Atticus Durnell, the brains behind the That'sCaffeine brand, has created a material made from recycled coffee grounds, that imitates granite stone. Brussels-based Studio Gilles Werbrouck also takes a novel approach to material reuse, making knitted textiles from unconventional material such as video tape or dead stock from fashion designers.
Tickets are free to professional and trade visitors. Register here.
Main image credit: Surface Design Show/King Kong Design
What makes Versa Wallcovering sustainable without sacrificing style?
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Launched in 1999, Versa Wallcovering is a leading wall covering brand for commercial interiors, finding the balance to find the perfect formula to create sustainable and stylish surfaces. Business Development Manager Paul Gibson explains…
Innovative, creative, sustainable, classic to contemporary and subtle to sensational are the driving principles for Versa Wallcovering. Our award winning design studio continues to develop new proprietary embossings, as well as a balance of core classic textures, with more specialty patterns for healthcare and hospitality.
Our products are classic, affordable, yet sophisticated and on trend. Unique embossings have always been the focus for the brand, along with a broad distinctive range of silks, linens, and textural patterns.
Versa has always been the industry leader in sustainability, from the first to switch to low VOC water-based inks, to the award winning Second-Look reclamation and recycled content program, to the first manufacturer to certify to NSF/ANSI 342, and part of the global industry wide EPD.
All Versa Wallcovering products are low VOC, meeting CA01350; produced with an environmentally preferable non-ortho phthalate; and utilize recycled inks. The company has implemented an aggressive waste reduction program, minimising manufacturing material scrap and reducing overall energy and water consumption through improved operational efficiencies.
Versa Wallcovering is the only US brand to manufacture base film from raw materials. This allows most products to have colour thru film, which enhances durability and overall performance.
The company has a strong international global presence, with a distribution network spanning more than 70 countries and a world-class manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China.
VersaGuard and Versa Impact are part of Versa Wall Protection. We are the only company to offer specifiers an option in wall protection products. With the addition of Versa Shield 20in early 2020, Versa will have three different levels of wall protection based on budget, and need for any interior space.
Versa PVC-Free will be another industry first, with a non-PVC product which performs extremely well, is cost effective, and takes color and embossing like vinyl. PVC-Free Impact will be a first, in a flexible attractive wall protection product.
Versa Wallcovering is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Main image credit: Versa Wallcovering
Hamilton Litestat: Inspired by nature
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Hamilton Litestat explains how to perfect finishing touches for interiors to capture the spirit of natural surroundings…
Interior design trends come and go, but one reoccurring theme that always feels fresh is interiors inspired by nature. Bringing the natural world inside has an energising effect, while also bringing a wholesome feeling of calm that is particularly important for today's focus on self-care.
Currently, the botanicals trend is particularly prominent, while some boutique hotels are being inspired by the landscapes within their local vicinity. Whichever way the outside is brought inside – natural or faux plants, wall hangings, soft furnishings or accessories with botanical or nature-inspired prints – Hamilton Litestat is offering a selection of carefully crafted wiring accessories that perfectly complement natural themes.
When striking wall finishes showing bold leaves and flowers shouldn't be interrupted, Hamilton's Perception CFX is the perfect choice. The clear plate allows your selection of wallpaper to be inserted resulting in an almost-invisible finish. The contemporary switch plate has eight insert designs and concealed fixings to make it disappear and allow the wall covering to take centre stage, such as the ATADesigns.com bold wallpaper, Kews Dramatic Roses in green.
Alternatively, Hamilton's Paintable range allows you to pick a colour from the wallpaper, or even a contrasting hue from the room's soft furnishings, and have the switch plates painted to exactly match. These can be pre-painted by Hamilton ahead of installation or can be primed ready to paint on site. This option is available in the stylish Hartland CFX and Sheer CFX designs.
One hotel inspired by its local area is Hotel Indigo Cardiff, a 122-room boutique hotel designed by Matthews Mee Interior Design to evoke classic Welsh heritage. The greatest attention has been paid to crafting unique spaces throughout the hotel that reflect the history and vibrancy of the Welsh capital.Hamilton's Hartland collection of box-fix decorative wiring accessories was nominated as the perfect match for the interior design theme. In the 72 'Made in Wales' rooms and the 31 'Welsh Industry' rooms, the decorative accessories were finished in Matt Black with Copper switches and Matt Black inserts. Meanwhile, the 19 'Music' rooms feature Hartland products finished in Antique Brass with Antique Brass switches and Black inserts. All bathrooms are fitted with Hartland plates finished in Satin Steel with White inserts.
Image credit: Hotel Indigo Cardiff
Whether the look is lush green jungle or inspired by the diverse colours of the Welsh hills, Hamilton offers a variety of decorative wiring solutions that will perfectly complement and complete the look.
Main image credit: Hamilton Litestat
The Kixby Hotel opens in New York
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Rockwell Group completes The Kixby Hotel, which is located in a storied Beaux-arts building in Herald Square, New York…
Rich in history, pulsing with life, and constantly changing, Herald Square feels like the true crossroads of Manhattan — a neighborhood whose often-overlooked architectural splendor reflects its Gilded Age roots.
Now, with the rebirth of one of its storied buildings, Herald Square is about to get the hotel it deserves.
Kixby reclaims the stunning 1901 building that housed a legendary luxury hotel, the Collingwood, a century ago. With public spaces designed by Rockwell Group, Kixby will bring sophistication, history, and wit to Herald Square — along with a sense of intimacy, warmth, and the personal attention of a true boutique hotel.
"Herald Square has always been the heart of New York, and, at this time of resurgence, Kixby will give guests a prime place to experience it," said co-owner and managing partner Justin Arest, whose family has operated a hotel on the site since 1995. "The area, known to many as being home to the Macy's flagship and once to the New York Herald, has been reinventing itself over the past two decades." It has become the ideal mix of history, energy and personality, drawing the best traits from neighboring NoMad and Times Square. Kixby will reintroduce many to the neighborhood that, in the early 1900s, was a stone's throw to the flagships of Tiffany & Co., B. Altman & Co., and Gimbels." Today, Kixby's location puts the Empire State Building, shopping, Broadway theaters, the High Line, Grand Central Station, Bryant Park, Hudson Yards and many other attractions within a walk or easy commute.
Black Tap, whose prize-winning burgers and CrazyShake milkshakes have earned raves worldwide, opened the brand's first flagship location inside Kixby, with their signature NYC-inspired dining room where graffiti and neon meet black and white tiles and exposed brick. Like Kixby, Black Tap offers a smart spin on tradition with inspiration from classic burger joints and an old-school New York vibe. Designed by Rockwell Group, the restaurant features a stand-alone CrazyShake Bar, an installation made of 4,000 custom-designed cassette tapes, and an oversized neon boombox.
On the hotel's roof with the Empire State Building as its backyard Julie Mulligan and Chris Barish from the Black Tap team partnered with Kixby on The Lookup, a rooftop bar with smart bar bites and cocktails curated by mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer, formerly of the Seamstress and the Dead Rabbit. Both the restaurant and the rooftop lounge mix a playful edge with sophisticated, old-world style that syncs perfectly with Kixby's spirit.
A green wall with a neon sign greets guests in The Lookup. The three-season space has a summery, crisp, and clean aesthetic, with black and white elements that draw the spirit of Black Tap up to the roof. Tabletops and furniture in bright colors give the space a playful feeling.
Image credit: The Kixby Hotel
In its previous life as the Hotel Metro, the hotel earned a loyal repeat clientele from around the world. Many on the hotel's team, including its general manager, head of housekeeping and director of sales, have been with the property for 25 years and will stay to welcome guests at Kixby. Arest's partners in Kixby are Ira Drukier and Richard Born of the renowned BD Hotels, which owns some of New York's most stylish lodgings.
A namesake character will also animate Kixby. Mr. Kixby is a compilation of the known and imagined characters that have lent themselves to Kixby's history. He was a resident of the original Collingwood and tended bar there in the early 20th Century. Local lore paints English-born Mr. Kixby as a fabulous raconteur, pioneering artist, and inventive mixologist — a dapper, whimsical, slightly rakish presence.
Kixby takes inspiration from his name and his spirit; its understated luxury blends Beaux-Arts splendor with clean, modern style that embraces and energizes guests from the minute they enter.
Kixby's fresh, forward-looking spin on history starts in its lobby. Working with Arest, Rockwell Group crafted an atmosphere that has a modernised members-only club feel, with a mix of classic elements, such as rich hardwood floors and fluted dark wood paneling. Modern takes on traditional furniture in plush fabrics like velvet and leather nod to the hotel's past. A feature wall comprised of bronze screens a latticed work of art inspired by New York's classic metal elevator gates illuminates the room.
"Rockwell Group had an amazing opportunity to create a collection of spaces that brings a new social experience to the hotel," says Shawn Sullivan, Partner, Rockwell Group. "Juxtaposing modern and traditional, our design concept embraces the building's history while adding a contemporary layer that feels vibrant and relevant today."
Guests are greeted at a front reception desk crafted with warm woods and reflective slatted metal. Kixby associates will be ready with iPads to offer swift check-ins and answer any guest questions. Walking through the lobby, past a curated "book cabinet featuring New York-themed books, leads to the hotel's cocktail lounge, Lot 15, which is also operated by the Black Tap team, and offers guests and locals a destination to experience old-New York mixed with elegant yet approachable cocktails and delicious fare. Executive Chef Stephen Parker curated a menu that evokes nostalgia through classic dishes with modern-day twists, such as a bite-sized Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Skins and Wagyu Steak Sandwich, as well as a Sweet Tooth section. The cocktail menu by Mixologist Cameron Shaw showcases familiar yet elevated options like a vegan Whiskey Sour with bonded bourbon and aquafaba, and the Airmail, a Daiquiri and French 75 lovechild with honey.
Lot 15 has a gritty, sophisticated feeling, with a dark palette that features gold accents, exposed brick and charred black wood walls in a chevron pattern. With black leather banquettes, high-top seating, custom drapery, art installations by contemporary muralist Fumero, and even its own DJ booth, the space is a destination in itself unlike anything else in the neighborhood.
Guestrooms feature a stylish palette of periwinkle blue and charcoal gray. For the hotel's clean-lined furniture, Arest sought out a unique source: Amish and Mennonite craftspeople in Ohio, who worked with him to customize the Kixby's solid oak furniture. The cleverly designed dressers conceal a hotel safe and a mini-fridge. Side tables, next to the hotel's plush beds outfitted in MATOUK linens, feature two electrical outlets and two USB ports each — a thoughtful detail that's often overlooked in some hotels. Even the numbers on each room have been hand-selected by Arest; crafted in solid brass, they also capture the hotel's fusion of classic and modern. Bright, elegant marbled bathrooms feature Brizo fixtures with rain shower heads and hand showers, as well as lighted mirrors, bath amenities by New York-based apothecary MALIN + GOETZ and luxurious bathrobes made by Frette.
Main image credit: The Kixby Hotel
IN PICTURES: Inside Hotel Designs' The Brit List Awards 2019
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Now in its hat trick year, The Brit List Awards 2019 took place on November 21 to shelter the industry's finest at Patch East London. Hotel Designs' annual awards ceremony, hosted by editor Hamish Kilburn, welcomed leading interior designers, architects, hoteliers, developers and suppliers to celebrate Britain's unique position on the international hotel design and hospitality scene.
Here are the official images of the night, capturing the buzz inside the sold-out awards ceremony.
Crosswater, Headline Partner
Jack Irving Studio's Jack Irving and Rhys Beynon and W London's General Manager, Martijn Mulder
President of the BIID and judge for The Brit List 2019, Harriet Forde,
Editor Hamish Kilburn with Naturalmat's Mark Tremlett, winner of Best In British Product Design
Image caption: The Brit List 2019 finalists Charlie Rosier and Fabienne O'Neill from Cuckooz
Hamilton Litestat, Event Partner
Event Partner Hansgrohe's Andrew Frampton, Kristian Piolet, Mark Russell and Ben Reed
Lindsey Bean-Pearce, Dexter Moren and Ben Reed from Hansgrohe
Editor Hamish Kilburn with Rosewood London's Managing Director Michael Bonsor and hotel manager Remus Palimaru
David Balmer, Senior Projects Consultant at Crosswater reading out the winner of Interior Designer of the Year
Gavin Williams, Head of Marketing for Hamilton Litestat awarding Simon Whittaker Architect of the Year
Mark Russell, Key Account Manager Global Projects at Hansgrohe announcing Best In Tech winner
Image caption: Interior Designer of the Year, Goddard Litterfair's Jo Littlefair with editor Hamish Kilburn at The Brit List Awards 2020
Image caption: The glamorous Jestico + Whiles ladies, Vitalise Katine, Sarah Murphy and rosalynn youdan
Aqualisa, Event Partner's Colin Sinclair
Heckfield Place's Olivia Richli
Crosswater's David Balmer
Editor Hamish Kilburn with Esther Bell who collected Best in Best for Eccleston Square Hotel
Valentina Adaldo, Cuckooz
Natural mat's Mark Tremlett and Independent Hotel Show's
Editor Hamish Kilburn getting 'carried away' by the hype with Headline Partner, Crosswater
The Brit List 2019 was said to be the after-party of Sleep & Eat 2019
Ester Bell speaking with The Brit List 2019 finalist Charlotte Raffo
The venue for The Brit List 2019, Patch East London, took this year's audience to East London
Mike Kazer, Charlotte Svenson and Kimberly Ellefson from Lighting Design International
The team from EPR Architects, led by Geoff Hull, highly commended in Architect of the Year category
Editor Hamish Kilburn with Gavin Williams and John Stainer from Hamilton Litestat, Event Partner
Editor Hamish Kilburn with EPR Architect's Geoff Hull, highly commended in the Architect of the Year category
Natural mat's Aissa Gonzalez celebrating her win
Corinthia London's Mark Carnazzola accepting Hotelier of the Year on behalf of Thomas Kochs
Carolyn Mitchell from Style Library reading The Brit List 2019
EPR Architects scanning through The Brit List 2019
Ross Perkin from Emil Eve Architects reading The Brit List 2019
Dexter Moren Associates team reading The Brit List 2019
Natalie Gall from EPR Architects
Nicholas de Klerk, Aukett Swanke
Event Partner Aqualisa's National Specification Manager, Jerry Gorman presenting Best In British Product Design award
Jeremy Grove from Sibley Grove
Gelareh Bagheri from Electric Mirror speaking to Philip Macaulay from Chelsom
Kasra Keshmiri from Inside Out Contracts
Image caption: Team at Dexter Moren Associates celebrating John Harding being profiled in The Brit List 2019
Dexter Moren Associates
Managing Director of RPW Design Ariane Steinbeck
Alex Harris from Harris + Harris who was highly commended in The Eco Award category
Akram Fahmi, Design Director, 1508 London
Hotel Designs once again defining the point on international hotel design
Kasra Keshmiri from Inside Out Contracts with Stephanie Riedl
Networking after the awards presentation
A selection of Event Partner Hansgrohe's showers
Official video interviews with the winners of The Brit List Awards 2019 will be available shortly, courtesy of SYS Visual.
Partners include:
Event Partner: Hansgrohe
Event Partner: Aqualisa
2019 Industry Partner: BIID
Videography Partner: SYS Visual
CASE STUDY: How YOTEL utilised space in design and hospitality
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In the wake of a plethora of announcements regarding hotel openings to expand the YOTEL portfolio, editor Hamish Kilburn sat down with the hotel brand's CEO, Hurbert Viriot, to understand more about the company's ethos and methods to grow…
It's safe to say that the international hotel design and hospitality scene transformed dramatically in 2007 and 2008 – the exact cause of this is still up for discussion.
Undeniably, though, it was influenced by the financial crisis and driven largely by a change in behavior among frequent travellers, which resulted in the industry having to rethink its foundations.
One hotel group to react to this was YOTEL, which opened its debut property strategically within Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport which last year recorded 46.1 million passengers pass through its terminal doors. "The original concept of YOTEL Air Gatwick was quickly followed by hotel openings in Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol," said Hubert Viriot, CEO of YOTEL. "Essentially, it was in these three hotels where the business DNA was set."
"Hotels that were built 10 years ago and beyond, they are very inefficient pieces of real estate." – Hurbert Viriot, CEO, YOTEL.
Today, YOTEL is known globally for its comfortable and affordable hospitality offering; a modern hotel experience, it calls it, that shelters smart thinking, smart design and smart prices. The design concept is compact, and functional without changing lanes to look or feel budget. This design ethos of what the brand calls its cabins was led by the unique demand of a guest checking in to an airport or urban hotel. "Most people travel several times per year, and the average length of stay in our hotels is very short," Viriot added. "They travel looking for an experience, and they are very well informed with access to smart phones etc. Their budget accommodation has reduced because people travel more often, and the structure of a 'budget hotel' is different. Formally, the bulk of your travel costs was transport and accommodation – and consumers would save a proportion of money left over for pleasure. That has changed, which is driving the industry to change with it."
Image credit: YOTEL NYC
The launch of a fresh design hotel concept to cater for short-stay travellers looking a low-price point flipped the current hotel model on its head. "Hotels that were built 10 years ago and beyond, they are very inefficient pieces of real estate," explains Viriot who is talking about large guestrooms and non-essential, low-income-generating retail and F&B areas. "Once we remove those areas and make the room or cabin design more compact without taking away the quality, then we are able to keep our room rates low."
When it comes to the design details of any short-term hotel experience, the most important element to get right is bed. Inspired the lay-flat beds inside modern planes, YOTEL believed that including an adjustable smart bed, complete with cool action gel memory foam mattresses, was something its guests would appreciate. "The beds and mattress meet our customer requirements," said Viriot. "You can recline and adapt the bed to your liking, so we had to find a mattress that also adapted in this way, as well as regulating the temperature of the body to ensure for a good night's sleep. Ultimately it [YOTEL] is about providing those essential luxuries."
Image credit: YOTEL
Since the success of the modern airport hotels, the group has expanded into the hearts of cities, taking with it the compact design of guestrooms to ensure the room rates remain lower than competitors. But what is arguably more impressive is the group's ability to design sustainable spaces, which is none more so apparent as it is inside the newly opened YOTEL Amsterdam Noord.
The brand's first hotel in mainland Europe, YOTEL Amsterdam Noord is at the epicentre of the up-and-coming Buiksloterham neighbourhood, built on the sunny bank of the Tolhuis Canal. Home to start-ups and creative businesses, the area is also brimming with hip bars, experimental festivals and modern architecture, making it an ideal base for modern travellers.
As well as featuring the space-saving adjustable beds, the cabins are also equipped with refreshing amenities from Urban Skincare, rejuvenating rain showers, adjustable mood lighting, free super-fast WiFi, HD SMART TVs with Chromecast and much more.
At the centre of the action, guests will find KOMYUNITI, which is something new for the brand. The hotel's relaxed all-day social space spills out on to an alfresco waterside deck. The light and airy restaurant and bar will offer a menu of small and large plates, sharing platters and snacks with ingredients sourced from local partners and coffee seasonally selected by speciality roaster, Workshop Coffee. An inviting place for guests and locals to both work and play, KOMYUNITI will also run a programme of neighbourhood events such as yoga and running clubs along with film screenings under the stars at its cosy outdoor cinema.
Developed by Being Development,and designed by Studioninedots, also based in Amsterdam Noord, the hotel also boasts top notch sustainability credentials. Benefitting from a unique water system which collects, stores, filters and recycles water, the hotel also utilises energy saving LED lighting and sensors to ensure nothing is kept running when not in use. Guests who arrive by electric car will also be able to charge their vehicles at one of the hotel's 10 charging points.
So, what's next for the outward-looking brand? Well, there seems to be no end to YOTEL's vision. Considering that aparthotel growth is currently outpacing hotel expansion, the hotel group has launched YOTEL PAD, it's answer to combine the best of serviced appartments with the hotel experience, again limiting unnecessary cost for both operator and guest. It has taken its deisgn DNA to expand the process, injecting compact design, while utilising space.
The new concept has already been rolled out across North America and soon to enter on the European scene in Lake Geneva. "The Lake Geneva region is a natural location to introduce YOTELPAD into Europe," explains Viriot. "Centrally located and concentrating an unusually high proportion of global organisations, the region is home to an exceptionally mobile, dynamic workforce and welcomes frequent international business travellers, visiting their headquarters or attending conferences at the UN or elsewhere."
YOTEL currently operates seven airport hotels in London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris, Charles de Gaulle, Istanbul Airport (2), Singapore Changi and seven city centre hotels in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Singapore, Edinburgh and Amsterdam. YOTEL is expanding rapidly with new projects under development globally, including Porto, Glasgow, London, Dubai, Geneva, Long Island City, Miami, Park City, Mammoth, Atlanta and Melbourne.
Main image credit: YOTEL

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