»» A NEW NARRATIVE
‘Cool’ and ‘hip’ are part of an old way of viewing hotels, says Sarah, “in danger of ubiquitousness, they are words that people don’t trust anymore.” Today, ‘authenticity’ is where it’s at; as in every good story, the “seasons, locations and cultural associations” have to be just right. Says Sarah, “Design needs to have that rich tapestry, that golden thread” that holds all great narratives together.
»» FICTION STIRS THE EMOTIONS
© Kevin Horn
SARAH MILLER
Today’s hotels are a fascinating blend of accommodation, art gallery, entertainment venue and more; “anything but a hotel where you only sleep.” Sarah discusses various hotels which stand out for their design, one of the most interesting of which
is undoubtedly an excellent example of great storytelling: The Beaumont Hotel in London. Its founder, debonair restaurateur, Jeremy King, had never owned a hotel before. His idea, says Sarah, “was to create a backstory. He decided that the fictitious founder of this hotel was a man called ‘Jimmy’, a scamp from the depression era who ran the Carlyle in New York and who set up in London, frustrated by American prohibition laws.” Damask leather booths at the grill room, a swish American bar, and monochrome studio portraits of Hollywood legends make for an authentic story whose pages visitors feel like they have jumped into.
»» STORYTELLING EXCITES Timing is Everything. One of the
most brilliant narratives ever, of course, is that of the Hotel Puerta America: one in which every floor tells an entirely different story. “It is an excuse to go back 16 different times, since each floor offers a completely different experience to any other. How brilliant is that idea?” In advising her clients on all things to do with branding (everything from design to brand strategy), Sarah knows that the choices made must stand the test of time. “The story doesn’t just need to be told… it must be landed as well.” As stipulated by Laver’s Law (an attempt to compress the complex cycle of fashions and trends into a simple timeline), success is a matter of well-timed vision; one that is neither dated nor so visionary that it fails to connect with people on an emotional level. e
The Hotel Silken Puerta América © Álvaro Ibañez
STRATEGIC BRAND CONSULTANT
THIS ENIGMATIC JOURNALIST IS A VERITABLE ICON FOR SEASONED AND BUDDING JOURNALISTS ALIKE. SHE HAS ACHIEVED WHAT MANY OF US DREAM OF, AS THE FOUNDING EDITOR OF CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER MAGAZINE. WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN, FASHION, LUXURY, LIFESTYLE, MEDIA, AND TRAVELLING, SHE HAS COME TO A FASCINATING CONCLUSION: GOOD DESIGN IS ALL ABOUT THE EDITING; ABOUT USING NARRATIVE TO CONNECT WITH AN AUDIENCE ON AN INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL LEVEL. MUCH OF HER WORK CENTRES ON NEW HOTELS, AND SHE CITES MANY TO RELAY HER IDEA OF GOOD DESIGN.
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