Sleeper - Issue 91

HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE & DESIGN

ISLAS SECAS – PANAMA • ADAM D. TIHANY • RAFFLES – SINGAPORE

Capsule collection: io Pendant, designed by Riley Sanders

astrolighting.com

CONTENTS ISSUE 91 HOTEL REVIEWS

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Lift 058 Bali

Raffles 062 Singapore © Nikolas Koenig

Thompson 073 Washington DC

Gekko House Frankfurt

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NeueHouse 082 Los Angeles

© Kiearch

© Jack Johns and Owen Tozer

Islas Secas Panama

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FEATURES Meeting... Adam D. Tihany

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A Blueprint for Sustainable Design

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Sleeper 2020

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As hospitality’s renaissance man prepares to launch projects on land and sea, Sleeper sits down with the Tihany Design founder to talk problem solving and practicing what you preach.

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Sustainable design is the ultimate act of function matching form to maximise positive impact, says Juliet Kinsman.

Here, the sustainability editor and founder of Bouteco sets out a blueprint.

In the final of a series of articles to celebrate our 20th anniversary year, we look ahead to the future of hospitality design, and ask a few of our loyal supporters about the changes and developments that have had the greatest impact on the industry over the past two decades. © Julie Soefer 003

CONTENTS ISSUE 91 078

FEATURES AHEAD 123

AHEAD Americas reveals the region’s best new hospitality projects by way of a four-part online ceremony featuring head-to-head conversation pieces between this year’s judges.

Clean Machine

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Spotlight... Janus et Cie

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In the first of a series of features exploring how the hospitality industry can respond to a new standard of health security, we take a look at the products already bridging the gap between design and hygiene.

With over 40 years of experience, Janus et Cie pairs craftsmanship of the past with innovations of the future to bring design and comfort to the great outdoors in equal measure.

DEPARTMENTS 038

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Check-In 022 Drawing Board

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The Lobby

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Business Centre

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Furniture 137 Specifier 151 Check-Out

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H Pavilion & Dots Spotlight by Kettal Studio Molo Sofa & Chaise longue by Rodolfo Dordoni Band Chair & Candleholders by Patricia Urquiola Half Dome Lamp by Naoto Fukasawa Geometrics Rugs by Doshi Levien

CONTRACT

V I S I T R H.CO M/CO N TRACT TO L E ARN MO RE.

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OCTOBER 2020

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Radical Innovation challenges the global hospitality and travel industry by calling for new concepts and ideas to reimagine the future. Each year, submissions are received and reviewed by a jury of top industry thinkers. These select finalists present their concepts in front of industry influencers and investors where the audience votes to determine the winner. Since its founding, Radical Innovation has awarded over $200,000 to progressive architectural and hospitality-minded thinkers and provided unparalleled networking and mentoring opportunities. radicalinnovationaward.com

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Produced by

Media Partner

Sponsors

NOWHERE IN HOSPITALITY IS THERE A SHORTER PATH FROM FUTURE-FOCUSED CONCEPT TO REAL WORLD EXECUTION THAN A RADICAL INNOVATION EVENT.

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PROFESSIONAL FINALISTS

PRODUCT CATEGORY WINNERS

1 / Camp Sarika by Amangiri by Luxury Frontiers

Professional: The Bruskin Glass Modular Shower by Belstone

2 / The Modern Monastery by Indidesign 3 / Dream Pod by Populous

STUDENT WINNER 4 / Moment Hotel by Jieru Linn, California College of the Arts

Student: Miro A Smart Wellness Mirror by Arda Genรง, Istanbul Technical University

INTERCONTINENTAL LYON – HOTEL DIEU. FRANCE Studio Jean Philippe Nuel.

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WELCOME

ON THE COVER Islas Secas, Panama © Jack Johns and Owen Tozer

A Change for the Better? hen I sat down to write the editor’s letter for the

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This issue, as part of our 20th anniversary series of features,

March/April issue some four months ago, Covid-19

we asked leaders about the changes and developments that

was just beginning to make its way across China; so

have had an impact on hospitality experience and design

little was known of its effects that it barely got a mention in

over the past 20 years, and what they believe we can expect

the magazine. Writing the same slot two months later for the

from the next two decades. Some responses were recorded

May/June issue was a very different story. And now, almost six

before the pandemic took hold, so could have been considered

months on from the first confirmed cases, and the hospitality

out-of-date, but when we asked whether Coronavirus would

industry is still full of unknowns.

change the course of future trends, the prevailing view was

As nations begin to emerge from lockdown, there are signs

that it would only help us get there faster.

of activity however, with hotels, restaurants and bars making

A focus on health and wellbeing was tipped by Rob Wagemans

plans to reopen, and consumer confidence returning. When

as one trend that will continue to influence hospitality in the

I recently booked a hotel stay for what will be my first night

years ahead, even more so in the wake of the current crisis. A

away from home in months, the confirmation email outlined

desire to go back to nature and spend more time away from

the measures being taken. Full prepayment was required to

crowded cities will also accelerate, thanks to Coronaphobia

limit queues in the lobby. Check-in and check-out would be

and fear of catching the infection.

contactless. A digital keycard on my smartphone would be

Jean-Michel Gathy believes there’ll be a return to

activated on arrival. After cleaning, guestrooms will be sealed

minimalism, with guests looking for simplicity in design so as

for peace of mind. Surplus items such as pens, notepads and

to avoid corners for dirt to accumulate; while David Rockwell

guest directories will be removed. And high-touch areas such

says the pandemic is an opportunity for hotels to offer a more

as door handles, light switches, lift buttons and handrails will

curated, customised experience for the few rather than trying

be subject to more regular disinfecting. This is music to the

to appeal to the masses.

ears of any traveller, particularly those who have spent time

These developments, whether enforced or accelerated by the

standing in line waiting to check-in, filling out paperwork or

pandemic, will only serve to make the hospitality industry a

fretting over how thoroughly a room has been cleaned since

better place. In times of crisis, innovation and creativity often

its last occupant.

come to the fore, and those that can successfully adapt, or

Many have spent years pushing for change and development

pivot, are ultimately the ones that will survive.

in the hospitality industry, introducing self check-in kiosks, stripping back in-room amenities to the essentials, and providing the technology to use our own devices to access concierge or room service. But there’s long been a consensus that the sector lags behind others. Could the enforced effects of Covid-19 be the push the industry has needed to change for the better?

Catherine Martin • Managing Editor

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GUEST BOOK

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© Catalina Kulczar

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062 Alexandra Champalimaud

104 Grace Leo

086 Maira Koutsoudakis

058 Alexis Dornier

“It takes a special art to do renovations; a designer who has the sensibility and appreciation to leave things alone,” says Alexandra Champalimaud, who led the recent refurbishment of Raffles Singapore.

“We don’t come to a project and rip it apart to stamp our mark; we bring out the positives and turn it into something beautiful and functional for today. Our studio creatively and meticulously preserved not only the history of the hotel, but the emotional resonance that lives within its walls, maintaining its sense of place.”

The daughter of a hotelier, Grace Leo has been involved in the hotel world all her life. Through her own consultancy, she has designed and developed a number of concepts over the years, and has a flair for repositioning under-performing assets. This issue, we ask Leo – along with a host of other hospitality leaders – about the changes and developments that have had the greatest impact on the sector over the past 20 years, and the trends they believe will shape hospitality experience and design in the decades to come.

Based in Johannesburg, Maira Koutsoudakis is CEO and cofounder of The Life Group of Companies, a multi-disciplinary agency focusing on interior design, architecture and experience in the world of luxury hospitality.

She recently worked with Hart Howerton and Tom Scheerer on the design of Islas Secas, a remote hideaway on Panama’s wild Pacific Coast, where interiors are inspired by the rawness of nature and guided by sustainable materials such as linen, bamboo and reclaimed teak.

German architect Alexis Dornier relocated to Bali in 2013 and has since built a portfolio of projects that combine industrial architecture with elements of tropical modernism. In line with an ethos to make use of local materials and respond to the natural setting, he recently designed and developed Lift, an elevated treehouse in the Ubud jungle. Constructed from reclaimed wood and extruded steel profiles, the three guestrooms sit 12 metres in the air and are the first phase of a larger off-the-ground experiment.

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FRONT DESK @SleeperMagazine

EDITORIAL

DESIGN

FINANCE

Editor-in-Chief Matt Turner

Design Manager David Bell

Finance Director Amanda Giles

Production Dan Seaton

Group Financial Controller Sarah Healey

EVENTS & MARKETING

Group Credit Controller Lynette Levi

m.turner@mondiale.co.uk

Managing Editor Catherine Martin

c.martin@mondiale.co.uk

Assistant Editor Ben Thomas

d.bell@mondiale.co.uk

d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk

b.thomas@mondiale.co.uk

Features Editor Kristofer Thomas

k.thomas@mondiale.co.uk

Editorial Assistant Donna Salek

d.salek@mondiale.co.uk

a.giles@mondiale.co.uk

s.healey@mondiale.co.uk

l.levi@mondiale.co.uk

Brand Director Amy Wright

Accounts Assistant Kerry Mountney

Events & Marketing Millie Allegro

Accounts Assistant Idaira Canellas Gonzalez

a.wright@mondiale.co.uk

m.allegro@mondiale.co.uk

k.mountney@mondiale.co.uk

idaira.c.gonzalez@mondiale.co.uk

Editor-at-Large Guy Dittrich

Subscriptions

sleeper@mondiale.co.uk

CORPORATE

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

AHEAD

Chairman Damian Walsh

Rebecca Archacki

Global Sponsorship Lorraine Jack

r.archacki@mondiale.co.uk

PORTFOLIO

POWERED BY

l.jack@mondiale.co.uk

Rob Hart

r.hart@mondiale.co.uk

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Retail cover price (where sold): £7.95. Annual subscription (6 issues): £100.00 Subscription records maintained at Sleeper Media. Sleeper (ISSN: 1476-4075 / USPS: 21550) is published bi-monthly by Mondiale Media Ltd and is distributed in the USA by RRD/Spatial. Pending periodicals postage paid at South Hackensack, NJ. Send USA address changes to Sleeper, c/o RRD, 1250 Valley Brook Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071, USA • Mailed by Spatial Global • Printed by Buxton Press

Strawberry Studios Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8390 www.sleepermagazine.com

xxx

CHECK-IN

Alex Holloway and Na Li A remote island retreat beckons for the principals of London-based studio Holloway Li, as they take a fantasy break to reflect and re-energise.

Where are you?

Who are you sharing your room with?

What’s the restaurant and bar like?

It’s mid-August and we’re at a Six Senses resort

We are solo; the trip is our yearly business

The restaurant is a short walk down ancient

on the island of Skomer in Pembrokeshire, West

retreat together and partners are banned. We’re

steps to a private beach cove and has the kind

Wales. It’s their smallest and most remote

here to take stock of the studio’s progress whilst

of tranquil exclusivity only achievable with a

resort, with six villas nestled into the landscape.

immersing ourselves in the inspiration of our

cliff-bound site. We eat on an elevated angular

surroundings. We set goals for the year and take

timber platform that projects from the cliff, with

How did you get there?

time to reflect on our design output away from

waves and wildlife beneath. The lounge bar is

We sailed by catamaran from the nearby village

the distractions of London life.

a more sensory experience set around a central

of Little Haven, arriving at the small harbour

island bar formed out of a single mass of rock, Describe the hotel, your room and the view...

like an altar. An interactive lighting installation

The resort is a small collection of detached

moves and corresponds with constellations in

Who is there to greet you on arrival?

villas, each occupying a historic structure

the clear night sky above.

Guy et Gauthier, the founders of La Maison

that had fallen into obsolesce until the recent

D’Ulysse in Baron, Provence. Our tranquil

conversion. Na’s room is a split-level suite in

Who are you dining with this evening?

natural setting calls for their specific brand of

an old lighthouse; the bedroom at the top has

Writer David Simon; footballer Gianfranco Zola;

unimposing laidback luxury. The hotel strikes a

panoramic views of the sea. Alex is staying in a

painter Frida Kahlo; restaurateur Alan Yau; and

balance between attentive service and privacy,

converted concrete WW2 gun pillbox.

author Philip Pullman.

and boathouse next to a private beach.

with an intimate fine-dining experience – never

The entrance to the lobby is framed by an

overbearing or pretentious – where our Côtes

Iron Age standing-stones arch and the lounge,

Who’s manning the stoves?

de Provence rosé is topped up as if by magic.

spa and pool are arranged around the remnants

Jiro Ono, a sushi master from Tokyo. He is

of a 14th century Cistercian monastery. All new

regarded by his contemporaries as the greatest

And who’s at the concierge desk?

elements are formed from glass, concrete and

living sushi craftsman and is credited with

The concierge from the University Arms in

wrought iron, making explicit the contrast of

innovating methods used in modern sushi

Cambridge – they tend to our every whim.

ancient relic and contemporary insertions.

preparation. He’s serving a classic Omakase

Interiors are softened through plush upholstery

tasting menu with locally sourced fresh seafood.

and decorative rugs, with large sculptures defining the journey through the spaces.

Would you like something to drink with that?

A whisky sour for Alex, and Yu-yu Junmai sake

Who designed it?

by Kuroobi for Na.

The envelope structures are designed by Shin

NOTABLE HOTEL PROJECTS Bermonds Locke, London; The Hoxton, Shoreditch (rooftop extension); Wunder Locke, Munich www.hollowayli.com

Takamatsu – the godfather of Japanese futurism

What’s on your nightstand at bedtime?

– while interiors are by Stanley Kubrick and

A sketchbook. We have our smartphones but

artist Matthew Barney. Furniture is made up

they don’t work here due to the remote location.

of surrealist pieces by Galerie Gosserez, with

Hotel policy allows just an hour of WiFi use per

decorative lighting by Studio Wieki Somers.

day – perfect for the digital detox we seek.

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DRAWING BOARD

Kruger Shalati SOUTH AFRICA

Following the rise in air travel through the 20th

design through collaborations with local artists

century, railways once teeming with life have

and craftspeople, and honour the natural world

been forgotten, their stations dormant and

by way of organic furnishings, patterns and

tracks left to rust. Looking to transform one

textures. Elsewhere, the Bridge House features

of South Africa’s underutilised infrastructure

seven guestrooms with views of the Sabie River.

spaces is Thebe Tourism Group, with plans for

The lodge also features a viewing deck

Kruger Shalati, a train-turned-hotel on Selati

complete with cantilevered plunge pool, where

Bridge in the heart of Kruger National Park.

guests can tuck into African-inspired fare,

Slated to open later this year, the property

while game drives undertaken by professional

pays homage to those who first explored the park

rangers will allow visitors to get up close with

in the early 1920s, when the train would pull up

the national park’s prides of lions, herds of

overnight in the exact spot where Kruger Shalati

elephants, crocodiles and giraffes.

will be stationed. The train’s name is inspired by

“This is our opportunity to revitalise and

Shalati – an African warrior queen whose origins

recapture an important part of Kruger’s history,

of ruling date back to the 19th century. According

while at the same time increasing both the

to tradition, Shalati was one of the first female

range and quality of product on offer in the

warrior chiefs of the small Tebula clan, part of

park,” says General Manager Judiet Barnes.

the Tsonga tribe that lived around the Murchison

“The product design is largely the differentiator

Range in the present-day Limpopo Province.

in this project – not only have we not seen

Perched above the Sabie River, the hotel’s 24 glass-walled Carriage Rooms celebrate African

anything alike in our country, but neither is there anything similar in the world.”

DRAWING BOARD

Oscar Seppeltsfield

A new AU$50 million, six-star luxury hotel and

The project is being funded and driven by a

day spa at Seppeltsfield, an award-winning

dynamic group of South Australian business

BAROSSA VALLEY

winery in South Australia, is set to boost tourism

leaders. Project spokesman Toby Yap comments:

to the Barossa region when it opens in 2022.

“The Barossa is famous for its wine, food, and

Located close to Seppeltsfield tourism village,

spectacular sights, but what it needs is an iconic

an attraction offering tours, tastings and dining

luxury hotel to cater to local and international

experiences, Oscar Seppeltsfield is located in

guests that visit the region. We are thrilled to

the middle of the Great Terraced Vineyard and

be bringing this landmark project to one of the

surrounded by century-old bush vines. It takes

greatest wine regions in the world.”

its name from winemaker and viticulturist Oscar

Warren Randall, Owner and Executive

Benno Seppelt, a celebrated figure in Australian

Chairman at Seppeltsfield, adds: “Oscar will

wine culture through the 1900s.

complete the grand vision of our tourism master

Designed by Adelaide-based practice Intro

plan for Seppeltsfield to become the most

Architecture, the 12-storey hotel will feature

desirable epicurean destination for tourists

70 guestrooms and suites, each with its own

worldwide. We wanted to create a national icon

private balcony, as well as a spa, infinity

for South Australia – a Sydney Opera House for

swimming pool, a sky bar with 360-degree

the Barossa.”

views and a fine-dining restaurant. The design

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Architecture: Intro Architecture www.seppeltsfield.com.au

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draws inspiration from the history of the winery and references the wine barrels in the Centennial Cellar.

A tender process led by Hotellerie will soon be undertaken to determine the operator.

Four Seasons Kuwait at Burj Alshaya – Pure Sofa by Andrei Munteanu & Lanterns by Tribù studio

Living the good life outside.

Love it, live it, share it. www.tribu.com

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DRAWING BOARD

Leonardo Hotels MANCHESTER

Property developer Capital & Centric has completed a funding agreement with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to finance the construction of a Jenga-style hotel in Manchester’s Piccadilly East neighbourhood.

The £35.5 million project – built by Bowmer & Kirkland – is due to be completed in early 2022.

Located on the corner of Adair Street and Great Ancoats, the 275-key hotel has been designed by Stephenson Studio, and will span 14 floors with cantilevered planters across the lower portion. There will also be a ground floor restaurant, café bar and external terrace area spilling out onto a new public square, built by Capital & Centric for the City Council as part of the development.

“In these difficult times it’s even more important to be pushing ahead with our Adair Street hotel. It’s going to be a striking new addition to Manchester’s skyline and an anchor development in Piccadilly East,” says Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital & Centric.

“With residents due to move into our Crusader and Phoenix developments later this year and plans for other homes in the area, this is going to be a thriving new part of the city.”

The development will be acquired by Fattal Group following completion and operated under its Leonardo Hotels brand.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Fattal Group Operator: Leonardo Hotels Developer: Capital & Centric Architecture: Stephenson Studio Main Contractor: Bowmer & Kirkland www.capitalandcentric.com

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bespoke switches www.hoadandmore.com +44 (0)1525 222 364 info@hoadandmore.com

DRAWING BOARD

Crown Group

Australian developer Crown Group has

be like in another few years’ time. It will be a

announced a move into the US market with a

highly sought-after place to live.”

LOS ANGELES

proposed US$500 million mixed-use high rise

Featuring 319 condominiums spread across

in Los Angeles. With a corner of South Hill –

the top two floors, along with an exclusive

at the convergence of the city’s financial and

resident’s retreat, the high-rise portion of

fashion districts – earmarked for the project,

project will sit behind a façade referencing

the development includes a joint venture with

California’s colossal redwood trees. Down at

Singapore-Based Magnus Property to create a

street level the tower is grounded by a canopy,

43-storey project designed by Koichi Takada

and a green wall that will seek to improve the

Architects. Crown Group are currently in talks

city’s air quality.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Developer: Crown Group, Magnus Property Architecture: Koichi Takada Architects www.crowngroup.com.au

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with a number of luxury hospitality brands to

“It is our desire, through a nature-inspired

incorporate a 160-key hotel within the project,

approach to architecture, to transform an old

slated to open in 2024.

warehouse district into a living breathing

“It’s rare to find the central district of a

neighbourhood in LA,” comments Koichi

large cosmopolitan city on the verge of such

Takada. “We want to humanise tall buildings, to

significant change,” says Crown Group CEO

celebrate the pedestrian activities and consider

Iwan Sunito. “Downtown is experiencing a once

how people experience it,” he notes. “We want

in a generation revival – led by the heightened

our tall building designs to be more engaging for

convergence of tech, media and entertainment in

the public, and to contribute to the community

Los Angeles. There’s a great deal of investment

by activating and creating a connection with the

and it’s exciting to think of what Downtown will

neighbourhood.”

W W W.V I N C E N T S H E P PA R D.C O M

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DRAWING BOARD

Air Health Retreat

Set within the Balkan Mountains in southern

Air Health Retreat is also strategically placed

Serbia, Air Health Retreat takes its inspiration

at the intersection of natural crosswinds where

SERBIA

from health resorts known as ‘Air Spas’, which

the altitude and air quality is optimal, creating

were built for medicinal purposes in socialist

an opportunity for cross-ventilation throughout

Eastern Europe post–World War II. The project’s

the accommodation and communal allotment

architecture is contextually derived from the

plateau, meaning guests can sit, lay or gather

Brutalist movement of the same era and the

in the sun whilst taking in views of the valley

requirement for thermal mass construction,

below and reaping health benefits.

sustained longevity and robustness – given its remote and exposed location.

Designed by Dubai and London-based firm

to urban centres as an escape destination and

Anarchitect, the climate resort connects guests

a removal from the city,” the purpose-built

with nature through minimalist self-contained

hotel is the latest addition to the firm’s growing

accommodation and a rooftop plateau of planted

hospitality portfolio, following the completion

allotments for growing and gathering wild

of Al Faya Lodge in Sharjah and Harding

berries, honey and other organic health foods

Boutique Hotel in the Sri Lankan tropics.

from the region. This open-air roof garden – featuring a shaded, saltwater pool – encourages outdoor activity and foraging, building a shortterm community for those in residence.

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Described by Anarchitect as a “modern-day primordial destination with relative proximity

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Tapeรงarias Ferreira de Sรก, S.A. | Rua Ferreira de Sรก, 50 - Silvalde , 4500-629 Espinho | T:(+351) 227 333070 | info@ferreiradesa.pt

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DRAWING BOARD

Pater Noster

Plans have been announced to transform one

across such a unique destination,” says Erik

of Sweden’s most remote lighthouses into a

Nissen Johansen, Stylt’s founder. “It’s all there

SWEDEN

destination hotel and seafood restaurant.

– the remote location, the fantastic nature,

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Government of Sweden Concept, Branding and Interior Design: Stylt www.paternoster.se

Located on the island of Hamneskär off the

the extreme weather conditions, the thrilling

west coast of Sweden, Pater Noster was built

history – and soon, great hospitality with a dash

in 1868 and named in honour of The Lord’s

of rustic, low-key luxury.”

Prayer, thought to have been recited by sailors

Renovation of the keeper’s house has begun

to protect them in these hazardous waters.

with the first guests set to arrive this summer,

Although the island was considered inhabitable,

while the remainder of the project is due to open

dwellings were built and for over 100 years,

in 2021. On completion, the island will feature

generations of keepers lived with their families

nine guestrooms, a restaurant serving locally

in this extreme environment, caring for the

sourced produce, an outdoor café and a bar,

lighthouse, rescuing shipwrecked sailors and

where visitors can sample the island’s signature

creating a small, isolated community.

rum, spiced with sloe berries and plants found

The lighthouse was deactivated in 1977

on the rugged cliffs. Pater Noster will also

and subsequently fell into disrepair, until a

host meetings and private parties and offer a

restoration project in the early-2000s saw

range of activities such as deep-sea fishing,

the cast iron skeletal tower reinstated. Now,

sailing, kayaking, scuba diving and visiting the

the National Property Board of Sweden –

legendary lighthouse itself.

responsible for managing assets owned by the

“This will be a real home on the horizon,

state – has signed a lease with an operator to

offering the essence of the Swedish west coast,”

turn Pater Noster into one of Sweden’s top

concludes Johansen, who is also one of the

destinations. Award-winning design agency

partners in the project. “Our team is a great

Stylt is responsible for creating the concept,

mix of entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, sailors,

branding and interiors. “In my 30 years in

hoteliers and me – a fisherman trapped in a

the hospitality business, I have rarely come

hotel designer’s body.”

© Henrik Trygg

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DRAWING BOARD

Atari Hotels

Consumer electronics brand Atari has announced

be much more than just a place to stay. Atari

its entry into the hotel market with its first

is an iconic global brand that resonates with

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

property set to open in Phoenix, Arizona.

people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic

Working with innovation and strategy agency

backgrounds. We cannot wait for our fans and

GSD Group, Atari Hotels will launch a series

their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.”

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Atari Concept Developer: GSD Group, Woz Innovation Foundation, Napoleon Smith III Developer: True North Studio www.atarihotels.com

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of video game-themed projects combining the

The news follows the release of figures

brand’s history with immersive experiences

stating that over 2.5 billion gamers worldwide

including gaming venues and studios to

spent more than US$152.1 billion on games

accommodate e-sport events.

in 2019 alone, up 9.6% year-on-year. As one

The design and development of the hotels is

of the earliest and most influential studios in

being led by Shelly Murphy of GSD Group and

the development of video games as a medium,

Steve Wozniak’s Woz Innovation Foundation,

Atari will be well placed to draw from a wide

alongside Napoleon Smith III and real estate

demographic of fans and capitalise on its

firm True North Studio.

recognisable brand identity.

“We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group

Billed as a marriage of gaming history and

and True North Studio to build the first-

the video game industry’s future, Atari Hotels

ever Atari branded hotels across the United

has its sights firmly set on locations including

States,” comments Fred Chesnais, CEO of

Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San

Atari. “Together, we’ll build a space that will

Francisco and San Jose.

WHEN

GERMAN HOSPITALITY TRADITION Since 1985

www.aliseo.de

MIRRORS

MATTER

MEETING…

Meeting…

Adam D. Tihany As hospitality’s renaissance man prepares to launch new projects on land and sea, Sleeper sits down with the Tihany Design founder to talk problem solving and practicing what you preach.

Words: Kristofer Thomas • Photography: Courtesy of Tihany Design

A

between

Speaking to Sleeper from his New York home

previously separate elements

during lockdown, Tihany explains that his

of hospitality design continue

interest in pursuing projects across multiple

to blur, there may be few

mediums could stem from the manner in which

designers better placed to define

he arrived at a career in design in the first place.

this increasingly borderless

Having relocated to Jerusalem as a child, Tihany

s the boundaries

landscape than Adam D. Tihany.

In recent years we’ve seen the traditional

hospitality model absorb and coalesce elements

completed a stint of mandatory military service at the age of 21 and sought a way to leave the country and start afresh.

of F&B, transport, retail, culture and more,

“At the time, the only place I found accepting

with many designers forced to eschew a niche

Israeli students on scholarships was Italy, and

or specialist approach in favour of a broader

the two faculties were veterinary medicine in

philosophy – one that can be adapted to the

Bologna and architecture in Milan,” he explains.

growing number of hybridisations accelerating

“My entire knowledge of architecture at the

into the mainstream.

time was that I knew I did not want to be a

But in Tihany’s case, there was little

veterinarian.”

readjustment required; by the time this flexible

Travelling to Italy, Tihany began working

template had become required reading for a

as an apprentice in a Milan design office in

generation of emerging hospitality firms, the

1969. With the country’s economy beginning

Romanian-born, New York-based designer had

to stagnate, practices found themselves taking

already established himself as an influential

on projects across interior, graphic, packaging,

creative presence across multiple sectors.

product and furniture disciplines. “Everybody

He may be known to many as the father of

was doing everything they could to survive,”

restaurant design, though as his career has

he remembers. “I learned that design in Italy

progressed, Tihany’s journey through the design

was a solution to a problem – not anything

world could perhaps come to be characterised

specific – and I still see it like that. I learned

more by the diversity of his contributions as

the profession through the backdoor, but it was

opposed to his achievements in one single area.

very holistic.”

039

MEETING…

MEETING…

The Breakers Palm Beach’s lobby features a vibrant, custom-designed Sacco carpet in full bloom amidst the Renaissance architecture

Gleaning a broader perspective of design by avoiding the potential limits of specialist training, Tihany developed a big picture view of the medium – one that would go on to allow his seamless moves between sectors. It held design as something fluid, but ultimately driven and united by the factor of problem solving. “I’m a problem solver, I like solving problems,” he explains. “Finding a solution to a problem noone else can, or even finding a better solution to a problem someone has already solved; I didn’t know this was my calling at the time, but that’s what I’ve come to realise.”

In 1974, he crossed the Atlantic for New York, before stepping out alone and setting up

“Finding a solution to a problem no one else can, or even finding a better solution to a problem someone has already solved; I didn’t know this was my calling at the time, but it’s what I’ve come to realise. ”

increased focus on F&B within hotels, leading naturally to work with operators keen to draw locals in with distinctive culinary experiences whilst retaining their own guests in the process.

“I met a lot of interesting and creative people during this time, but right from the start I made it about them – the owner and the chef and the hotelier – more than me,” he emphasises. “It’s not about my ego – I need to make these guys look good.”

Realising that his broad, all-encompassing approach could help them look good beyond F&B spaces, Tihany took to applying his efforts to other areas. Following his work designing three F&B venues at Four Seasons Resort Dubai

Tihany Design in 1978. In the States however,

at Jumeirah Beach, the brand entrusted him

he discovered that the industry wasn’t quite

to oversee the entirety of its follow up, Four

ready for a renaissance man. “It was definitely

Seasons DIFC in the city’s Financial Centre.

a problem. When people asked what I do I’d tell

During this time, his portfolio grew to include

them I designed; give me a problem and I’ll give

a renovation of the Mandarin Oriental Geneva’s

you a solution,” he remembers. “It didn’t go

entire ground floor, guestrooms and a spa for

down too well, because at the time in America it

One & Only Cape Town, and a restoration of

was expected that you specialise in something,

The Dorchester Collection’s Beverly Hills Hotel.

otherwise people wouldn’t trust you; the brain

He has reunited with Mandarin Oriental for the group’s upcoming properties in Istanbul and

surgeon looks after the brain, the knee surgeon

Riyadh, both opening in 2020.

looks after the knee – you couldn’t possibly

– everything. I didn’t know much about F&B

operate on them both at the same time!”

design at the time, so we went to Paris and

Perhaps the most succinct example of

Reluctant to pigeonhole himself as a specific

researched, but the important thing was being

Tihany’s hotel work, however, can be found in

something-designer, Tihany admits those early

in charge of everything. I realised I could do all

The Breakers Resort Palm Beach – a 538-key

years were a struggle, both in terms of defining

this different design in this little microcosm of

Renaissance-style beach property on Florida’s

himself as a designer and in winning projects.

restaurants – here I can be Italian, I can be my

east coast. Originally built in 1896, Tihany

Then, like many other great New York stories

factotum. I could do what I always wanted.”

began a collaboration with the owners in 2013

of the era, a chance meeting at Studio 54 kicked

The opening was a hit, with lines around the

with a reimagining of its restaurant and bar,

off a new chapter. Talking to the man seated

block despite a snowstorm. The legend goes

which extended into guiding the redesigns of its

next to him, Tihany was asked whether he was

that Andy Warhol couldn’t get in, which only

lounges, suites and guestrooms as consultants

a designer, and then whether he would want

served to boost the story as La Coupole kicked

to interiors studio Peacock+Lewis. Tihany

to design a restaurant. “I said, I will design

off something of a restaurant revolution for

continues to work closely with the owners to

anything you want,” he notes.

the next decade. Naturally, operators sought

tweak and refine the property over nearly a

to replicate the project’s success, turning to

decade later, allowing him to incorporate new

Tihany for design direction.

ideas and give guests a window into his ongoing

By coincidence, this new friend turned out to be restaurateur Jean De Noyer, who was in the

Thus, the multi-disciplinary practice Tihany

process. Most recently, the hotel’s lobby was

Design made its name with a series of acclaimed

refreshed with a vibrant Sacco-manufactured

“I ended up designing everything,” Tihany

F&B venues, establishing its founder as the

bespoke carpet that lets loose bursts of floral

recalls. “From architecture to planning to

nation’s preeminent restaurant designer. During

colour amidst the Renaissance architecture.

furniture to menus to uniforms and chandeliers

this time, the studio’s rise intersected with an

process of bringing Paris’ legendary La Coupole to the Big Apple as license holder.

He notes that the long-term vision he has

041

MEETING…

“Being a designer makes you sharper; cruise ship design is all about creating spaces with absolute surgical precision.”

The classically-styled Churchill Bar at Four Seasons DIFC is defined by curved walls, rich wood millwork and antique materials

been able to exercise within the project has

things off with a statement of intent; the

benefitted its overall success. “It’s like a

world’s first onboard design museum in Costa

successful marriage – it transforms and changes

Smeralda’s CoDe – a celebration of the Italian

but there’s always an understanding of who is

aesthetic legacy that proved so influential all

behind me – who is supporting it,” he says.

those years ago. In some ways, his move into

“Each side begins to appreciate that the other

cruises perfectly exemplifies the blurring lines

is prepared to invest constantly and work hard

that have allowed him to jump freely between

to maintain a level of excellence, whilst also

mediums; his first project a two-level dining

wanting to move the dial and keep things

room aboard 2008’s Celebrity Solstice.

moving. It’s extremely gratifying to associate

“The cruise customer today expects all

yourself with properties in this way – not just

the latest trends and innovations. They are

from a business or creative standpoint, but

informed, they have Instagram, and they read

because in this case we were fortunate enough

about and recognise good design,” he explains.

that it evolved into a friendship.”

“Being a designer makes you sharper; cruise

Ever since, Tihany has been keen to reunite

ship design is all about creating spaces with

with previous collaborators, exploring further in

absolute surgical precision, and working within

the hotel market with Mandarin Oriental but also

very specific limits, but again, it all goes back

the cruise sector – the third and current phase

to problem solving.”

of his career – partnering twice with Holland

Whilst ongoing ventures across multiple

America Line and Seabourn, and taking up the

sectors and continents – as well as endeavors

Creative Director position for Costa Cruises,

into the products sphere with Tihany Product

from where he’ll guide the design direction for

Design – might sound like the job for a large-

upcoming launches. For Costa, Tihany kicked

scale, multi-nation firm, Tihany has opted to

© Eric Laignel

042

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MEETING…

keep things intimate and practical during the

he preached; finishing design work at 6pm to

growth of his eponymous studio.

head down to the kitchen and work the floor.

“To me, having a successful business was

“To this day, people on the Upper East Side still

doing what I love to do, and the formula called

stop me in the street to tell me they’re going

for no more than 15 people.” It has been an

to Remi,” he smirks. “They have no idea about

achievement in itself to maintain the studio’s

the design.”

consistent rise with this relatively small team,

Speaking of the firm’s future, Tihany explains

though has ultimately afforded them greater

he recently made one of the biggest steps of his

control of projects they take on, in both type

career, not in any specific project or design, but

and creative direction.

appointing a new Managing Partner in Alessia

On developing his designers, he stresses: “One thing is to practice, and the other is to preach

Costa Smeralda’s CoDe is the world’s first design museum at sea, celebrating the Italian line’s national heritage with a showcase of classic design pieces

044

Genova – a designer with the firm for 15 years, now identified as heir apparent.

– so for a while I had a rule; every designer

For now, he looks forward to getting back on

who wanted to work for me had to spend at

a plane, first and foremost – “for the last three

least one day a month at the restaurant, doing

years, I’ve been on a plane every two weeks;

whatever is in your capacity. You need to know

it’s a nice break, but I would like my freedom

what it means to work the profession, not just

back” – and preparing to launch, open or set

design for it. After a while, restaurant design

sail a number of projects across land and sea; a

clients especially began to see you more as a

fitting position for a man who set out with the

colleague than a designer, which is a really

goal of never being classified.

pivotal moment.”

Tihany himself was co-owner of New York Midtown spot Remi for 25 years, practicing as

Great British carpet since 1968

Creating beautiful carpets and rugs for the hotel and leisure sector.

Proudly designing and manufacturing quality carpet since 1968.

w: newheycarpets.co.uk t: +44 (0)1706 846 375

Neil Holroyd Studio Publication: Sleeper

Issue: 91

Page size: 236 x 275mm;

Subject content: Strand Palace

Date: 03-06-2020

Print Deadline: 19-06-2020

Job Number: NEW-1060

Project Manager: Emma Whitehead, Newhey

Revision Number: Artwork

Strand Palace Hotel, London

It’s time we put #RetroFirst

THE LOBBY

Living Better While we continue to lament the effects of Coronavirus, one

an atypically luxurious room; a sort of wrapping, a protective

thing that lockdown has taught us is the value of space and

showcase, nestled in the greenery.”

time. Open spaces away from crowds to breathe in the fresh

Wide openings between indoor and outdoor eliminate

air, and the luxury of time to take a step back from the stresses

boundaries, while a fluid layout and the presence of elliptical

of daily life and reset.

curves create a sense of freedom. Interiors echo the natural

With that in mind, French designer Sybille de Margerie has

world and feature raw textures such as wood and stone, together

been exploring the idea of living better, taking the ponderings

with brass, leather, cotton and linen. Colourful wallpaper and

of Marcel Proust – who stated “the most remarkable journeys

plush upholstery add a poetic touch, while furniture is nomadic,

come from the inside, free from time and space” – as inspiration.

making the layout of the space customisable to the individual.

The resulting concept, Le Cocon de Luxe, comes in the form

“The original idea came from an egg-shaped concept, a

of an ovoid-shaped dwelling designed as an extension of an

cocoon – a birth, or rather, a rebirth,” de Margerie continues.

existing property or a remote refuge in the great outdoors,

“The layout is inspired by the complementary forces of Yin

where guests can isolate.

and Yang; through playing with opposite systems, the space

“This period has been such an inspiration to me that I wanted

balances a sunny side and a shady side, dark and light, night

to go beyond all constraints and conceive a space as part of a

and day. They may as well represent the duality of human

new design concept,” says de Margerie. “I wanted to design

nature; introvert or extrovert, an intimate life or a social world.”

047

THE LOBBY

Beast x Gubi House Hospitality and retail come together in Shanghai in a new hybrid space for creatives.

Danish design company Gubi has teamed up with

Dining Chair and Bestlite Lamp are paired with

Beast – a Chinese lifestyle brand and one of the

antiques and original artworks owned and curated

nation’s most popular trendsetting platforms –

by Beast, such as paintings by Shanghai-based

to unveil a new concept space in Shanghai.

artist Zhang Enli and photography by Sugimoto

Set within a 100-year-old mansion in the city’s

Boss. There’s also a room dedicated to the art of

French Concession, Beast x Gubi House comprises

floristry, the field in which Beast made its name.

a café, garden, event space and boutique hotel,

On the second floor, the two-bedroom suites

and is another example of the hybrid hospitality

are designed around Gubi’s Stay Bed and Grand

spaces making waves in the sector.

Piano Sofa, which feature alongside the Pacha

Having undergone a five-year renovation, the

Lounge Chair and Moon Coffee Table, while

culturally significant building now evokes a sense

the third floor showcases material finishes and

of calm, offering a moment of quiet reflection in

doubles as a private events space.

the heart of the bustling city. With a soothing

The new venture marks an alignment of

palette of timber, rattan, marble and travertine,

mindsets that sees the brands’ shared passion for

the café spills out onto a courtyard, where Gubi’s

design, art and fashion target the next generation

Nagasaki Chair and new Epic Tables overlook a

of Chinese consumers, and for Gubi, it’s a unique

verdant, wild flower garden.

opportunity to expand outside Europe and benefit

Inside, the team worked with local interior design firm Chaos Programme to sensitively create a range of settings that demonstrate the versatility of Gubi’s furniture, lighting and interior objects. Pieces including the Beetle

048

from Beast’s market knowledge to develop a local supply chain.

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THE LOBBY

Where Architects Sleep

© Gingerhead Design

The Anti-Social Club

050

‘Social spaces’ has been a familiar buzzword in

Demand for bookings has been so high that the

hospitality in recent years, often used to describe

creative team behind the hotel has also reworked

concepts that are designed to encourage meeting

plans to enable breakfast service in the sea-facing

and mingling. But with Covid-19 putting a

beach huts that come as an accompaniment to

temporary end to public gatherings, hotels are

the hotel’s King-class rooms. The huts, which

having to rethink the layout and operation of

overlook the Camel Estuary towards Steppa Point

their lobbies, bars and restaurants.

and the Atlantic beyond, are classic English

As such, St Moritz Hotel & Spa in Cornwall has

seaside in style, kitted out with bunting, deck

come up with a solution – The Anti-Social Club,

chairs and accessories. Guests staying in the

thought to be the first purposefully designed

King rooms can pre-book a time slot for their

Covid-safe restaurant in the UK. The pop-up

full Cornish or club continental breakfast to be

venture features 16 private dining rooms serving

delivered and served in a safe manner, making

up to 96 covers, with clear guidance and exacting

for a unique dining experience.

operating procedures that ensure the original

“We’ve had to soar to our optimum heights of

two-metre rule and new environmental health

creative thinking to create The Anti-Social Club,

requirements are met at all times.

an experience we’re proud to have dreamt-up

All drinks and sharing platters will be delivered

as an antidote to the C-word,” explains Hugh

to each private dining room via a central corridor

Ridgway, the hotel’s co-founder. “Safe doesn’t

and hatch mechanism, meaning that the

have to mean boring and we’re finding every way

distancing requirements are not compromised at

to keep an appropriate sense of humour around

any time, and also ensuring that staff and guests

all of our new options, as well as delivering yet

do not risk bumping into one other.

another first in the UK market.”

No-one appreciates the beauty of a building quite like an architect, so who better to recommend the world’s best places to sleep?

Uncovering the thoughts of more than 250 creatives – including Norman Foster, Kelly Hoppen and Kengo Kuma – Where Architects Sleep is a compendium for the design-conscious traveller, detailing 1,200 hotel recommendations across 100 countries.

Created by Sarah Miller and published by Phaidon, the 528-page tome features every kind of accommodation, from simple hostels to a traditional Mongolian ger, an alpine ryokan and a palapa in the heart of Mexico. Each listing comes with insightful reviews, key information and specially commissioned maps for easy-tonavigate geographical organisation. The book also uses a key to indicate which destinations are budget friendly, eco-conscious or focus on wellbeing. Chiltern Firehouse in London, Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and The Upper House in Hong Kong all make the list, while the most recommended stay is 7132 Hotel in Vals, Switzerland.

Though travel plans are currently on hold due to the pandemic, Where Architects Sleep provides some much-needed inspiration for planning new adventures.

© Jack Hardy

THE LOBBY

Crossing Cultures A new book published by April & Thames takes a

An introduction by design critic Catherine

look at the career of Andre Fu, following the rise

Shaw recounts her first meeting with Fu

of the designer by way of a series of reflections

following the completion of The Upper House in

on standout projects.

2009. Describing his style as “opulent interiors

Crossing Cultures with Design charts the

with a fresh, new contemporary mix of simple

relationship between culture, design, luxury and

forms,” she praises Fu’s achievements in having

craftsmanship present throughout Fu’s portfolio.

“redefined the idea of modern luxury as sheer,

Having trained as an architect in the UK and

unadulterated comfort rather than monumental,

with bases in both London and Hong Kong, his

statement-making, marble-clad spaces.”

projects draw as naturally on European principles

Elsewhere in the book, Fu recalls his work

of beauty as from Oriental qualities, traditions

at Hong Kong’s Kerry Hotel, where he devised

and modernity. The book features 18 of AFSO’s

a scheme that engages both indoors and out;

recent projects from around the world – including

implements the movement of water as a recurring

Fu’s own apartment – illustrated with stunning

design motif in reference to the waterfront; and

photography, sketches and mood boards, as well

successfully create a sense of intimacy despite

as Fu’s personal perspective, offering a glimpse

the newbuild’s vast scale. “Other than the logo,

into his design language. There’s a focus on

I had complete design freedom over every detail

hotels with insight into St. Regis Hong Kong,

throughout the hotel,” he notes. “Uniforms,

the Pavillion Suites at The Berkeley in London,

menus and cutlery are the final layer and may

and Andaz Singapore, as well as a look at product

seem like a small part of the overall story, but

collaborations with Lasvit and Tai Ping.

they make all the difference to an experience,” –

“Since I tend to experience each of my projects

an attention to detail that saw the AFSO founder

independently, I have rarely had the opportunity

claim prizes at AHEAD Asia 2018. Fu’s next

to consider how my work has evolved over

project sees him designing interiors for Hotel

the course of my career,” Fu’s preface reads.

The Mitsui Kyoto – a 160-key flagship for The

“Creating this book has given me a fresh insight

Mitsui Fudosan Co. – set to open later this year.

not only into the past but also into the future, by allowing me to reflect on the influences and development of my design language.”

052

Listen Up! Since lockdown began, Sleeper has been exploring new ways to bring you the best of hospitality experience and design. Along with our first AHEAD Americas online ceremony and a slate of new digital content, we’ve been hearing from some of the industry’s leading lights as part of the #Sleeper2020 podcast – a series of conversations with pioneers such as Claus Sendlinger, Alexandra Champalimaud and David Rockwell.

Launched at the beginning of June and hosted by Sleeper’s Editor-at-Large Guy Dittrich, new episodes are broadcast weekly on the Sleeper website and Spotify, with an archive available on both platforms. We’ve also collaborated with Ben Pundole – founder of A Hotel Life – to turn a selection of his Instagram live conversations into podcasts, including interviews with Ian Schrager, Carlos Couturier and Josh Wyatt.

Covering topics from the future of the industry in a post-Covid landscape to firsthand accounts of the stories behind some iconic hotel projects, you can now hear from the explorers, artists and thinkers defining the world of hospitality experience and design from the comfort of your smartphone. We might be unable to connect the industry via physical events for the time being, but we nonetheless remain committed to reporting on the latest developments and finding new ways to bring the community together. Future guests we have lined up include Bill Bensley, Jefferey Beers and Anouska Hempel, with additional episodes set to be announced soon. Stay tuned for more.

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O

ff-grid adventures have become a

seeking untethered trips in which they travel

popular escape in recent years but never

to sometimes untouched, often unexpected

have they been so appealing than in the

locations in the name of experience-collecting.”

midst of a highly contagious health crisis. While

It adds: “Hoping to retrace the steps of early 20th

some are put off by the often arduous journeys

century explorers, luxury consumers are seeking

to far-flung destinations or the idea of being

the services of firms such as Black Tomato and

alone in the remote wilderness, these are now the

The Explorations Company, which works with

very circumstances that travellers are seeking.

researchers to arrange one-off experiences

In a bid to avoid the crowds, this year’s holiday

unavailable to the typical tourist.”

plans could well involve ditching the packed

Meanwhile, luxury resorts in tropical

cities or beaches for more secluded hideaways

destinations are capitalising on new demand

or exclusive buyouts.

for exclusive buyouts. Anantara, for example, is

With this in mind, the sector’s marketing

offering holidaymakers the opportunity to take

gurus have been put to task in promoting their

over entire resorts, with packages available for

properties, whether it be a self-contained suite

its properties in the Maldives, Mozambique and

or a true off-grid retreat.

the Arabian Gulf.

Going Off-Grid Could remote hotels and exclusive buyouts gain ground as travellers look to avoid the crowds?

054

In northern Iceland, Deplar Farm – a 12-room

Closer to home, the UK’s country house hotels

retreat on the Troll Peninsula – is a remote spot

are pivoting to private rental. The owners of

where sheep outnumber humans by more than

Brownber Hall in the Yorkshire Dales felt they

2:1; the perfect refuge for those concerned about

could no longer operate in the same way, so are

social distancing. Similarly outlying is &Beyond

making preparations to return as a private rental,

Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, a 10-suite resort

along with a new farmhouse. For many of the

occupying a vast expanse deep in the Namib.

world’s small hotels, this could be a way to entice

And just opened is Camp Sarika by Amangiri, a

apprehensive travellers back.

luxury encampment surrounded by 600 hectares

The long-term effects of Covid-19 on travel

of raw wilderness in the heart of the Utah desert.

and hospitality are a major talking point right

In fact, many of the lodges and tented camps that

now and a question that’s being asked of

have appeared recently are already well-placed to

our #Sleeper2020 podcast interviewees. Rob

weather the pandemic, with self-contained units

Wagemens, founder of Concrete, summed it up

and wide-open spaces meaning that guests can

when he said: “A big trend we see is the desire to

go for days without seeing anyone else.

go back to nature, to spaces outside of the cities.

Escapist travel was tipped as being big this

Because of connectivity, our lives have become

year before Covid-19 even began its deadly

extremely hectic; I strongly believe that in the

spread, with The Future Laboratory calling it

future, we will live this intensive city life for

‘The New Remote’ in its Future Forecast 2020

days at a time, and then completely disconnect,

report, stating: “In a bid to experience something

where it’s just you and your family to do things

beyond the well-trodden bays of St Tropez,

together without interruption. This will be very

Dubai and the Maldives, today’s luxurians are

interesting for hospitality in the future.”

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16/06/2020 15:55

W

ith the global pandemic forcing many

Additionally, set quarantine periods in some

hotels to close, it left much to ponder;

countries have resulted in longer trip durations,

how will the industry navigate this

increasing the appeal of generous room sizes and

crisis? Unsurprisingly, the circumstances have

living spaces with private facilities for cooking,

taken their toll, but one segment that appears

working and exercising. This particular privacy

to have weathered the storm better than others

of apart-hotels has become more advantageous

is extended-stay.

in a world that has regressed to desiring minimal

Property experts Savills believe that the segment

Courtesy of Leman Locke

could lead the recovery, with its research report

contact with strangers and public spaces out of concerns for health and safety.

explaining: “Daily data from STR suggests that

Home-meets-hotel brands such as Locke

UK serviced apartment occupancy, running over

– which opened Locke at Broken Wharf in

April and into early May, was trading marginally

London earlier this year and recently announced

above that for hotels at approximately 25%. In

future openings in Dublin, Lisbon, Berlin and

addition, it has been reported that proportionally

Copenhagen – are known for blending traditional

fewer serviced apartment properties have had to

aparthotel formats with the design, F&B and

close compared to hotels.”

programming of a lifestyle hotel. Similarly,

In it for the Long Run Hospitality pivots towards extendedstay models as the sector shows signs of resilience.

Savills also state: “London serviced apartment

the Native brand – which opened its doors in

occupancy stood at 61.8% for Q1 2020, down

Manchester last year – prides itself on granting

21.5% on the same period in 2019 as Covid-19

guests with all the freedom they desire, to help

started to take hold in March. Hotels reported a

them feel more like residents than lodgers.

larger decline of 23.0% over the same period with average occupancy at 59.4%.”

In light of this performance, there has been

for its self-contained apartment hotels.

a rise in conventional properties, such as The

Pierre Abrahamse, Chief Operating Officer of

Residences By The Legian Seminyak and Six

parent company Crown Group, believes that

Senses Douro Valley, turning to long-stay

‘togetherness’ will prevail: “People want to

models. And 25hours Hotels has now released

reconnect with those they have been separated

its long-stay offer to the motto ‘stay a little

from for the past few months,” he explains.

longer’, with competitive rates in line with the

“Guests are calling to ask can they book co-

average monthly rent. Even Airbnb, deemed as a

joining apartments so that they can enjoy a

‘disruptor’ to the hotel industry, revealed plans

holiday with their kids and the grandparents in

to pivot its business model to long-term stays of

the one place, or so they can have friends who

28 days or more, stating that post-Covid guests

live in regional areas finally able to join them

are “looking for ‘primary’ housing that doesn’t

in the city for restaurant or gallery outings.

feel temporary or transient”.

Togetherness is emerging as the biggest trend

As travellers rebuild the confidence to fly again, they are seeking properties that offer the comfort of social distance and autonomous living.

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As travel restrictions begin to lift in Australia, Skye Suites has reported an uptick in bookings

for 2020 and beyond.”

BIE NVE NUE BY EG O PARIS

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Lift BALI German architect Alexis Dornier takes uplifting to new heights with his elevated treehouse experiment in Bali.

Words: Elly Earls • Photography: © Kiearch

Y

ou would never guess there’s a hotel where Lift Bali

we work with wealthy clientele on much larger tasks,” he

is located, just outside the busy tourist hub of Ubud.

says. “Being off the ground also has a number of positives

Even local residents don’t know of its existence.

in this climate. You have passive cooling, you have views,

Unreachable by car, the only way to get to the property, which

you have privacy and there are fewer mosquitoes. You can

was completed late last year, is by scooter along a precarious

have the experience of being in a treehouse without actually

pathway through the rice fields; but this inaccessibility is

touching the trees.”

part of its charm.

Lift’s three rooms are perched 12 metres in the air on

Lift Bali’s creators, German architect Alexis Dornier and

reused extruded steel profiles, built in a similar style to

his partner Luis Urcuy, wanted to put guests in a more active

an electrical cable tower, with a staircase winding up one

role than they typically play when staying at a hotel. Finding

corner. Each is named after a famous creative – Stanley

it is a bit trickier and there’s no restaurant or spa. There are

Kubrick, Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell – and takes

staff around to present you with a welcome coconut and

on a different character through the design.

a dousing of mosquito repellent, but service is minimal.

While one is a reclaimed wooden Javanese house, another

Getting up to your room is a mission, to put it mildly. The

is a retro-futuristic repository of objects you wouldn’t expect

idea, according to Dornier, is that finding yourself in an

to find in the jungle. The third is on two levels, the bathroom

unconventional environment will mean you create more

below and the bedroom above. All three have balconies or

lasting memories.

a roof terrace, are decorated with rugs and furniture made

It’s certainly far from conventional. Located near his

from rattan and recycled wood, and play with the idea of

studio, Dornier describes the piece of land on the edge of

how much space you actually need. The double-levelled

the jungle on which he built Lift Bali, as “a testing ground”

treehouse – measuring just 3x3m – takes this to the extreme.

for some of his loftier ideas. He wanted to bring structures

“They’re all autonomous experiments in a very condensed

off the ground while using minimal materials, something he

environment,” Dornier explains. “You feel like you own it,

sees as both a romantic and a sensible idea.

you own all directions; you can hang out there and make it

“We wanted to do something that doesn’t cost much in

your own.”

whatever currency you want to weigh it – materials, money,

On ground level, guests also have access to a personal

footprint. This kind of reduction felt refreshing because often

hammock that hangs from scaffolding, and various dining

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and chill-out areas. In addition, there’s a yoga

the sense of strength and firmness was another

shala, which is raised off the ground, a small

relevant component. If everything was to shake

and incredibly refreshing infinity pool and

or move in the wind, I don’t think the guests

relaxation deck overlooking the jungle, and a

would feel too comfortable!”

steam sauna. Guests need to order in or venture

For Dornier, Lift Bali is the first phase in a

out of the property to find food as the rooms

larger off-the-ground experiment. The next

provide only tea, coffee and a small fridge,

iteration comes in the form of Stilt Studios, a

although there is a small bar near the pool.

series of upscale prefabricated villas that can

While Lift is a welcome alternative to

be built on awkwardly shaped sites or plots

traditional building styles, particularly in such

with difficult terrain and blend in seamlessly

an area of natural beauty, Dornier is conscious

with nature. Lift itself is also still a work in

of how the project is labelled. “We worked with

progress. The studio has three more structures

what we could find on the island but we’re far

in the making and Dornier is in the process of

from being able to call ourselves environmental

building another similar property too, which he

sustainability experts. I’m very careful with

describes as a sculptural jungle park.

these terms as they’re used a lot. Whatever we

“It’s not so serious and that’s what I like

do, we have an impact,” he says. “This hotel

about this project,” he smiles. “Lift Bali was

is a rather industrial response. The scaffolding

a very improvised process and I handed over a

is not pretty; it was a vehicle to prop up these

lot of things to my partner Luis. I found that

little spaces. We live in an environment where

refreshing because architecture is usually a lot

it’s all about bamboo and other materials, which

about planning. This project is just a park of

are probably more towards the sustainable

objects that somewhat speak to each other in

direction. But I thought longevity, comfort and

a surreal way.”

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Alexis Dornier, Luis Urcuyo Architecture and Interior Design: Alexis Dornier Visual Identity: Luis Urcuyo www.liftbali.com

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Raffles SINGAPORE Champalimaud Design leads the refurbishment of a Singapore institution, reimagining the iconic property through a contemporary lens.

Words: Catherine Martin • Photography: Courtesy of Raffles Singapore

I

t’s rare that a hotel has such legendary status that it becomes so closely associated with a nation’s identity. Yet for Raffles Singapore, that’s undoubtedly the case. Declared

a national monument in 1987, it holds a special place in the hearts of locals, and is a tourist attraction in its own right, enticing diners, shoppers and passers-by stopping to appreciate such a fine example of colonial architecture.

Raffles began life as a 10-room guesthouse, and over the years has been expanded and enhanced; the Palm Court wing was added in 1894, soon followed by the Bras Basah wing; and in 1899 the now familiar main building was completed, marking the beginning of its heyday. Royalty, dignitaries, writers and entertainers have all walked the corridors, but perhaps more remarkable are those who service the guests day-in day-out. In its entire existence, Raffles Singapore has had just 12 general managers, while the longest serving employee – racking up 47 years – is now resident historian with plenty of tales to tell.

In 1989, Raffles embarked on a refurbishment to restore the look of the 1910s; and then in 2016, the hotel announced a sensitive three-phased restoration programme as part of the brand’s constant evolution to remain distinctive and relevant. What has remained throughout is the ambience, service, heritage and charm for which Raffles is known.

Even when the doors were closed, it kept up appearances; a temporary gift shop was set up in one of the arcade outlets, where the famous doormen were on hand for photo opportunities, and construction hoardings were designed to continue the story, decorated with a series of illustrations created by branding agency Latitude.

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In the main building, the most significant intervention is a handblown crystal chandelier designed and developed by Preciosa together with Champalimaud

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With the reputation of Raffles as well as the

significant intervention is a statement chandelier

sheer scale of the project to consider, taking on the

beneath the skylight. Designed and developed by

restoration would be a huge responsibility. That

Preciosa together with Champalimaud, the installation

responsibility ultimately fell to Champalimaud Design,

is made from handblown crystal elements in the

the New York-based studio not afraid of taking on a

shape of lotus flowers. With these enhancements,

challenge. The team – led by founder and President

the lobby is now a place to linger. “It’s an exquisite

Alexandra Champalimaud, Partner and CEO Ed Bakos,

space that we replanned to increase social engagement

and Partner Jon Kastl – spent six years designing,

and the ease of flow between the main entrance and

planning and refining, ensuring that their concepts

the bars and restaurants that wrap around,” say the

adhered to strict heritage guidelines while being fit

Champalimaud team. “It’s a beautifully pared-back

for both the operator and the guest. “We worked very

space that will become a canvas for the memories of

closely with the Katara and Raffles teams – a lot of

the next generation of travellers that will visit.”

thought went into rethinking how every aspect of

The 115 suites have been beautifully restored and

the guest experience would be choreographed; it was

updated, with the furniture, materials and colourways

important to have all those voices at the table,” they

contributing to a scheme that’s residential in style

explain. “The client asked us to reimagine the iconic

and seamlessly marries heritage with contemporary.

property through a contemporary lens, while drawing

The colonial architecture has been preserved and

out the essence of the building through a series of

complemented by polished teakwood flooring and

honest creative decisions and notable details. The

bespoke furniture designed by Champalimaud and

hotel still needed to be recognisable to its loyalists,

made by local artisans, while the bathrooms have

but elevated and enticing to new audiences. Thus, our

been redesigned with Victorian details and Peranakan

studio creatively and meticulously preserved not only

tiles in homage to Singapore’s rich culture. “The guest

the history of the hotel, but the emotional resonance

suites at Raffles have always been stately spaces with

that lives within its walls, maintaining its sense of

a three-part plan, but in their previous iteration

place and the ambience Raffles is known for.”

they were missing many things that today’s luxury

In collaboration with teams on the ground,

travellers need,” say the team. “We wanted to create

including architectural practice Aedas and heritage

a light, intimate and bespoke guest experience that

consultants Studio Lapis, Champalimaud Design set

tied into the overall new vision of the hotel but also

about creating a vision that would honour the history

felt residential and intentional in its design language.”

of the hotel while ushering it into a new era. In the

Significant investment has also gone into

lobby, the Grandfather clock still stands tall and the

futureproofing the suites: windows are now double-

original columns and mouldings have been given a

glazed; a new air conditioning system has replaced

refresh, while new furniture pieces – including low-

bulky units in the bedroom; and integrated technology

slung sofas and armchairs – accentuate the scale

means that temperature and lighting can be controlled

and volume of the triple-height space. The most

via an iPad. For those who can’t get to grips with such

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Suites are residential in style and feature polished teakwood floors and bespoke furniture made by local artisans. Additional pieces

by Janus et Cie grace the public spaces and courtyards

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interventions, traditional ceiling fans remain,

it’s the famous Singapore Sling they come for,

as do the old mechanical light switches – still

the making of which is quite a spectacle thanks

functional and a splendid example of how

to a handsome cast-iron piece of machinery

innovation and heritage can sit side by side.

– a hand-cranked cocktail shaker capable of

The restoration was also an opportunity

mixing up to 18 slings at a time. And despite

to overhaul the F&B offer. Signature dining

the new look, the age-old tradition of throwing

experiences that have long been guest favourites

peanut shells on the floor, a habit developed

have been given a refresh, with the design team

by the Malayan plantation owners who used to

once again showing sensitivity so as not to erase

frequent Long Bar in the 1900s, continues.

what has gone before. In Tiffin Room, part of

Writers Bar meanwhile is a tribute to the

Raffles since 1892, the wooden floorboards have

literary greats who have resided at Raffles over

been reinstated in line with those from the early

the years, including Somerset Maugham, Noel

1900s, thanks to research by heritage consultant

Coward and Rudyard Kipling. With dark wood

Studio Lapis. Intricately patterned timber and

and a solid brass counter, the space is an elegant

mirror panelling line the walls while displays of

and sophisticated setting made for savouring

tiffin boxes – also used to serve up the North

the artisanal cocktails on offer and poring over

Indian cuisine – add character.

the menu, itself a worthy read.

Long Bar – a must-visit for tourists travelling

New to the mix is Butcher’s Block, where

to Singapore for the first time – has also had

fine cuts of meat displayed in a glass vault

a facelift, with interiors inspired by Malayan

become part of the design scheme, and no less

plantation life in the 1920s. The rich, earthy

than three headline chef dining experiences. On

colour palette, punkah wallah fans and rattan

the upper level of the newly restored Raffles

furniture transport guests to another era, but

Arcade, Yi by Jereme Leung is a contemporary

Smart network The JUNG KNX system: Comfortable, safe and future-proof in an elegant design.

Architects: Grünecker Reichelt, Munich · Interior Design: holzrausch, Munich

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JUNG-GROUP.COM/KNX

15.06.20 15:07

La Dame de Pic reflects AnneSophie Pic’s feminine touch and features a palette of pastel pinks and rich plum paired with leather, wood and metal accents

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Chinese restaurant serving Cantonese classics

and timber in the surroundings bring the earth

and adaptations of ancient delicacies. Here,

concept to life.”

Aedas took the lead on the design, creating an

Cascading from a champagne gold leaf dome,

elegant concept that is both visually impressive

a bespoke chandelier with egg-like droplets

and commercially successful thanks to multiple

pays homage to Pangu’s birth while custom

private dining rooms and a flexible layout that

Chinoiserie artworks complete the look.

allows for areas to be screened off or opened out

Parisian agency Jouin Manku, meanwhile,

accordingly. Adapted from Chinese mythology,

were tasked with the design of BBR by Alain

the scheme depicts the creation of heaven and

Ducasse, having collaborated with the chef

Earth by the god Pangu. The journey begins with

on a number of his restaurants. Located in a

a memorable arrival experience through an art

standalone building adjacent to the hotel’s

installation, where an all-white tunnel adorned

main entrance, the Mediterranean eatery takes

with thousands of handcrafted paper flowers

over the former Bar & Billiard Room – a city

creates an ethereal effect. “By storytelling and

landmark made famous by a tiger that escaped

reinterpretation in a modern progressive way,

from a performing circus in 1902 and was

we aimed to create a hidden world for guests to

found hiding beneath the elevated floorboards.

explore,” explains Ji An, Associate Director at

The cuisine takes diners on a journey along the

Aedas. “After going through the garden tunnel,

Mediterranean coast, with the interiors designed

guests are greeted with the main dining hall,

to bring a fresh and contemporary aesthetic to

where a series of plaster ceiling sculptures

the space. White marble, terrazzo and wood

create a blanket over the guests, reminiscent

accents accompany hues of blue and orange

of the varying shades of the sky. A refined yet

that are reminiscent of the Mediterranean sun

humble palette of natural materials like marble

setting over the sea, while the history of the

building is evident through original geometric

accents, making for a graceful, elegant space.

tiles underfoot and the colonial columns that

A satin brass chandelier, again the work of

punctuate the space. The centrepiece however

Preciosa, adds whimsy, its tiers of discs with

is a dramatic sculpture that seemingly floats

laser-cut spades a play on La Dame de Pic,

over the open kitchen. A feat of engineering,

which translates to Queen of Spades.

the curvilinear structure – almost fish-like in

Adding to the mix of F&B, leisure and business

form – is crafted from carbon fibre with a warm

facilities across the site are a spa, swimming

copper lining and a skin of woven stainless

pool and gym, a courtyard café set amongst lush

steel strings over reflective aluminum scales

landscaped gardens, two ballrooms, meetings

and a silvery blue exterior. The contemporary

and events spaces, and over 40 retail boutiques;

intervention may well be a marvel to look at, but

it’s a city in itself.

it serves a functional purpose too, concealing the

The success of the refurbishment is testament

large extractor fans required for the rotisserie

to Champalimaud’s attention to detail and keen

and pizza open; a fine example of the form-

eye for heritage features worthy of keeping. “It

meets-function quality of Jouin Manku’s work.

takes a special art to do renovations; a designer

Back in the main building and rounding out

who has the sensibility and appreciation to

the trio of signature dining experiences, La

leave things alone,” she concludes. “We don’t

Dame de Pic marks Anne-Sophie Pic’s debut in

come to a project and rip it apart to stamp our

Asia and sees the French chef adapt her dishes

mark; we bring out the positives and turn it into

with local and regional flavour combinations.

something beautiful and functional for today.

The dining room reflects Pic’s feminine touch

There has to be a respect for a building’s history

and features a palette of pastel pinks and rich

and its story to be able to do that.”

plum paired with leather, wood and metal

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EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner / Operator: Katara Hospitality Local Architect: Aedas Heritage Architect: Studio Lapis Interior Design: Champalimaud Design; Jouin Manku; Aedas Landscaping: ICN Design International Main Contractor: Sunray Woodcraft Construction Project Manager: CBRE www.rafflessingapore.com

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Thompson WASHINGTON DC Thompson Hotels arrives in the US capital, with Parts and Labor Design devising a scheme that honours the city’s maritime past.

Words: Alia Akkam • Photography: © Julie Soefer

L

ike District Wharf, the buzzy waterfront

completed the interiors for Thompson Nashville

development a 10-minute drive west,

in 2016, reinforces this nostalgic maritime

Navy Yard in southeast Washington –

narrative with a delicate hand.

its namesake the historic United States Navy

At the reception desk, guests are greeted by a

shipyard and ordnance plant established in 1799

striking abacus-inspired art piece. The design

– is booming. Consider The Yards, a 42-acre

firm’s own creation, it fuses honed Breccia

mixed-use complex on the Anacostia River,

Capraia marble, nautical rope, stained oak

situated between the landmark naval facility and

detailing and slender metal attachments finished

the ballpark of Major League Baseball team, the

in bespoke tarnished silver satin. According to

Washington Nationals. Packed with restaurants,

Jeremy Levitt, co-founder and Partner at Parts

shops and upscale residences, it exemplifies the

and Labor Design, it’s a contemporary, quiet

American capital’s glittering growth in recent

allusion to the notion of mapping your course;

years. It is here that Thompson Hotels, now

a primitive approach to navigation.

part of Hyatt’s brand portfolio, has opened the district’s first full-service, luxury hotel.

More rope, incorporated into tactile lighting fixtures, melds with weathered wood and glass

Although the 225-key Thompson Washington

partitions in the lobby. The convivial Thompson

DC is housed in a brand new 11-storey building,

Bar Room – increasingly the domain of political

the local office of Studios Architecture ensured

movers and shakers given the hotel’s proximity

that the richly textured iron spot face brick

to the United States Capitol – is the centrepiece

and metal façade, dominated by large factory-

of the space, encapsulating the design team’s

style windows, organically blends in with the

mission of forming an open, energising social

industrial surroundings. Inside, Parts and Labor

hub. Faced with a black plaster finish and

Design, the New York-based studio that also

topped with the same stone that graces the

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Inspired by the neighbourhood’s nautical past, interiors feature industrial patterns and textures found in historic naval structures

front-desk art, it’s “a sculptural element, with

boat’s visual language in a playful way. Kennedy

shelves that protrude and are reminiscent of a

describes the space as “more luxury yacht than

mast,” says Levitt.

sailboat”, with its two distinct bars that nod

Travelling up through the building, the

to the disparate above and below deck realms.

nautical references become more influential,

One lair is light and breezy, the other darker

points out Parts and Labor’s Design Director

and more glamorous, with a polished Fior di

Danu Kennedy, noting the sconces and grid-

Bosco stone-topped bar and glossy caramel tile

like patterned carpets in the corridors that pave

stretching from the back bar up to the ceiling.

the way to the guestrooms. Residential in feel,

A ship’s structure, its sleek and rounded hull,

they call to mind elegant cabins, especially the

robust sails and functional pulleys alike, greatly

suites, their entries adorned with slim, oval,

influenced Parts and Labor Design’s work. It

ribbed glass panels. Headboards covered in wool

was while admiring the careful construction of

bouclé and plume-hued leather, fabrics from

these forms and their inherent linear geometry

Carnegie, sofas upholstered by Tiger Leather

that the studio gravitated towards an art-as-

and bathtubs featuring cool Brazilian white

object methodology too, unveiling another

avalanche marble and green onyx complement

overlapping layer that is instrumental to the

more of the studio’s custom-designed furniture

overall design scheme.

and lighting. Two built-in, dark-stained oak

“The building has the look of a warehouse, so

nightstands flaunting understated curves, for

we thought about this aesthetic and what felt

instance, are sturdy and grounded as they would

good and made sense to us,” says Levitt. “Those

be on a floating vessel, while the clever fold-

first impressions lead us to wanting the hotel to

down walnut desks planted in cosy nooks hint

also be a gallery-esque space, filled with things

at a stateroom’s penchant for storage-saving

that feel collected.”

stowage rituals.

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That vibe is most evident in the lobby, where

Crowning the hotel is rooftop bar Anchovy

an entry bench, designed to look as if it is part of

Social, which because of its sightlines to

someone’s personal stash, effortlessly mingles

the river captured through floor-to-ceiling

with a pair of bucket seat-flanking totemic

windows, was an opportunity to emphasise a

sculptures by Nashville artist Kit Reuther.

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Maialino, the Roman-style trattoria from

the happy-hour patron facing the two-tiered

Danny Meyer’s New York-based Union Square

back bar with an aperitivo in hand, or the diner

Hospitality Group, which also operates Anchovy

sitting down to a traditional lunch.

Social and the Thompson Bar Room, possesses

Providing guests with countless moments

a similarly intimate air. Following the original

to pause and think throughout the hotel was

restaurant, long a hit in The Big Apple at

one of Parts and Labor Design’s goals, but in

Gramercy Park Hotel, this second outpost

a high-stress, always-on-the-move place like

strengthens its connection to location through

Washington DC, transporting restaurants and

an Italian coastal menu that puts seafood-

bars often aren’t enough of a sanctuary. That’s

centric pastas in the spotlight.

why the guestrooms were designed with ease in

A connection between the two Maialino

mind, says Kennedy: “It felt quite important on

restaurants is apparent but not overpowering,

that scale to eliminate harsh right angles and

according to Levitt. This allows newcomers to

bring forth a certain softness.”

become acquainted with the Maialino vision

During the day, adds Levitt, “there is

through a design lens befitting of the burgeoning

something about the mix of stark white and

Navy Yard. Blue leather booths and terracotta

deep blues and greens with the dark woods

flooring are buoyed by artwork that would fit

that has a utilitarian nature”. Come evening

right in at a home library, while wine cabinets

however, compounded by the rosy lighting

hint at the hotel’s vast collection. The multi-

emanating from bedside sconces, guestrooms

faceted dining room is imperceptibly carved into

decidedly grow moodier, shifting from

zones, so that the morning guest who seeks a

comfortable and bold to subtle and calming to

grab-and-go olive oil muffin at the front pastry

help weary travellers recharge their batteries

counter savours a different experience than

before another day in the capital.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Union Investment Real Estate Operator: Pivot Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation Architecture: Studios Architecture Interior Design: Parts and Labor Design Lighting Design: Bold Art Consultant: Art Advisory Service Procurement: Neil Locke & Associates Main Contractor: JMA Project Manager: Geolo Capital www.thompsonhotels.com

Ultra-discreet loudspeakers for any location

British loudspeaker designer, Monitor Audio, has a range of speakers for every situation. Their ultra-discreet in-wall and in-ceiling speakers deliver a stunning audio performance whilst protecting the room’s décor. For more extreme environments, such as outdoor terraces or pool areas, they offer a choice of speaker ranges, all of which deliver Monitor Audio’s award-winning sound.

monitoraudio.com/install

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Gekko House FRANKFURT Gekko Group’s new opening nods to the industrial heritage of Frankfurt’s up-andcoming Gallus district.

Words: Ben Thomas • Photography: Courtesy of Gekko Group

N

icknamed Mainhattan for its impressive lineup of skyscrapers, Frankfurt is known as a hub for commerce, home to a major financial centre,

countless corporate headquarters and one of the world’s largest trade fair venues. It’s often thought of as a business travel destination, but there’s plenty for tourists too, with museums, galleries and a beautiful old town.

Over the past decade, the number of overnight visitors to the city has doubled, and with that, its accommodation sector has both grown and diversified. Along with the many airport hotels and branded offers, there’s a handful of newcomers that bring something different to the market. The newest kid on the block is Gekko House, a 128-key hotel nestled between the converted warehouses and sleek apartment blocks of the once-industrial Gallus quarter.

Opened as a member of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, the property is the brainchild of Micky Rosen and Alex Urseanu, the founders of Gekko Group who have made it their mission to elevate the cultural, gastronomic and hospitality standards across Germany, particularly within their hometown. The dynamic duo have already seen success with their Roomers brand, which has extended to Munich and Baden-Baden in recent years, and with Provocateur in Berlin, a multi-sensual member of Design Hotels. Each property has its own distinct identity, a credit to Rosen and Urseanu’s ability to reinvent, revitalise and develop narratives with character.

The latest addition is no exception. Driven by the motto ‘life is crazy’, Gekko House fills a niche in the group’s portfolio,

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and illustrates a more casual approach designed to

contemporary furniture, including a side table by

appeal to a broader audience, from business travellers

Versmissen. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the

to creatives and city explorers.

spaces with natural light, while a Marshall Music

“The arrival of Gekko House brings a whole new

Box and toiletries by Grown Alchemist accompany

product to the Gekko Group portfolio and establishes

thoughtful details such as a Gekko House City Guide

new standards for the German hospitality industry,”

and Marriott’s Make a Green Choice programme.

say Rosen and Urseanu. “Unlike anything on the

At the heart of the hotel is Chicago Williams, the

German market at present, the hotel provides a more

Berlin-born barbecue concept established in 2012 by

casual concept without compromising on design, style

Nawid Samawat, a former employee at Gekko Group’s

and comfort. It’s a place where business travellers and

Roomers and Gerbermühle brands. Bathed in rich red

tourists can come to unwind, let loose and enjoy.”

tones, the restaurant couples a rough wooden floor

Guests arrive at the hotel through a narrow passage,

with oak tables and copper detailing, while on the

after which a ground-floor lobby brings together

menu, German beer is served alongside specialties

Lincrusta wallcoverings, deep olive furnishings and

such as baby back ribs, beef brisket and macaroni

carpets by Object Carpet. The space also plays host

cheese. For a more intimate experience, diners can

to Gekko House Späti, a convenience store offering

be seated next to a black-tiled smoker room, where

artisanal drinks and snacks as well as quirky souvenirs.

they can enjoy a culinary presentation from the chefs.

From here, public and private spaces designed by

Still to come is Chicago Beach Rooftop, a lounge bar

Morgen Interiors are elevated by warm colour palettes,

with panoramic views of the city; and there’s plenty

raw materials and custom furnishings.

more in the pipeline. Next up for Gekko Group is the

Upstairs in the guestrooms, exposed concrete

136-key Roomers Parkview, a second new property in

walls are paired with wooden flooring, handblown

Frankfurt, due for completion in 2021. Life just got a

glass lighting fixtures, lavish velvet upholstery and

little crazier for Rosen and Urseanu.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Arthur Ronny Wiener Operator: Gekko Group Architecture: Scharnberger Architekten und Ingenieure Interior Design: Morgen Interiors www.gekko-house.com

NeueHouse LOS ANGELES DesignAgency craft the interiors of LA’s oldest landmarked building, creating a new destination for a forward-thinking hospitality group.

Words: Catherine Martin • Photography: © Nikolas Koenig

A

s architectural gems go, the Bradbury Building in

with hospitality, creativity and programming. Now under

downtown Los Angeles is up there with the best

the leadership of CEO Josh Wyatt, the focus is on expansion,

of them, its soaring sky-lit atrium, grand marble

with Bradbury marking the third outpost following a US$30

staircases, decorative ironwork and birdcage elevators

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million cash injection.

something of a marvel. It’s a relief then to see that the

For the interiors, Wyatt once again turned to DesignAgency,

landmark has fallen into the hands of those who recognise

having worked closely with the team on the Generator brand

the importance of preservation, and know just when to step

of hostels. The beauty in DesignAgency’s scheme at Bradbury

back and let the historic features do the talking.

is their lightness of touch and sensitivity to the existing

Commissioned by gold-mining millionaire and real estate

architecture, with furniture and lighting complementing

developer Lewis Bradbury, the building was constructed in

the historic features. “It was a real privilege for us to work

1893 by junior draftsman George Wyman to the original

with such an iconic American building and this gave us a

design of architect Sumner Hunt. It was used primarily as

great starting point,” explains Anwar Mekhayech, Founding

office space, but over the years fell into disrepair, prompting

Partner at DesignAgency. “In response to its rich visual

local developer Ira Yelling to step in and embark on a major

history and bold character, we decided to add a new layer that

restoration project. That was in the 1990s, and the scheme

is modern and fresh, with soft and graceful flourishes. The

has since become a catalyst for the redevelopment of the

result is an elegant workspace with a soft palette and ethereal

entire neighbourhood.

vibe that is ideally suited to the creative professional.”

Part of Goodwin Gaw’s Downtown Properties since 2003,

Spanning 25,000ft2, the house includes a communal

the Bradbury Building comprises five storeys of commercial

gallery and atelier workspace, a wellness room, meeting

office space, with its newest tenant bringing a fresh approach

rooms and several plug-and-play studios for dedicated

to co-working. Taking over the second floor, NeueHouse

businesses. Original features such as tall oak-framed

– the private workspace group with a focus on culture

windows, exposed ceiling joists and no less than 20 brick

and community – has been making an impression since it

fireplaces are accompanied by Versailles parquet flooring,

landed in New York in 2013. Catering to creative companies,

linen drapery and curvilinear furniture custom-made by

leaders and entrepreneurs, the model combines workspace

Orior. Design classics such as the walnut Eames stool sit

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alongside contemporary pieces by Patricia

a wellness room for meditation and recalibration

Urquiola and Jaime Hayon, while vintage objects

focuses on sleep and mental health, plus

and a collection of books curated by Taschen are

members can benefit from partnerships with

displayed on bespoke brass shelving. Ergonomic

nearby hotels.

chairs, tasklights and hidden compartments

Such an approach – in which hospitality brings

with USB and power outlets for each user

together any combination of accommodation,

feature in the workspaces, along with plenty of

food and beverage, retail and workspace – is

foliage, known to be conducive to productivity

certainly making its mark on the industry, both

and concentration.

in the US as well as Europe and Asia.

There’s individual phone booths for private

While there’s not yet talk of a global

calls as well as communal tables and multi-

expansion for NeueHouse, Wyatt has his work

purpose lounge areas positioned around the

cut-out in growing the concept across North

mezzanine, making for versatile zones that

America. Properties in Miami and Venice Beach

can be used for the conversations and cultural

have already been announced and there’s plans

experiences that play a central role in the

for outposts in San Francisco, Washington DC,

concept. Social spaces include a day-to-night

Austin and Portland, amongst others.

café bar, where materials such as marble, oak,

In an age in which consumers welcome

walnut and brass complement the exposed

integrated facilities and crave community-

brickwork. Natural light floods the interiors

based experiences in every aspect of their lives,

through the day, then come dusk, subdued

hybrids could well be the future.

lighting from a series of frosted globe pendants

by Lee Broom creates a more intimate ambiance.

And while guestrooms aren’t part of the offer,

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Downtown Properties Operator: NeueHouse Interior Design: DesignAgency Landscaping: Lily Kwong Studio www.neuehouse.com

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Islas Secas PANAMA A remote island hideaway and a model for sustainable tourism opens on Panama’s wild Pacific Coast.

Words: Emma Love • Photography: Jack Johns and Owen Tozer

T

wenty miles off the Pacific Coast of Panama in the Gulf of Chiriqui, Islas Secas is a private island archipelago that recently opened to travellers as a luxury eco resort.

It has all the ingredients of a classic castaway paradise; lush islands blanketed in forest, deserted white sand beaches backed by palm trees, and turquoise water made for snorkelling. So it’s no wonder that it was snapped up by American billionaire hedge fund manager and conservation philanthropist Louis Bacon in 2009, who, from the get-go, wanted to protect the abundance of birds, plants and marine life, as well as the tranquillity he found here.

To start with, the decision was made to limit development to the largest island, Cavada, and leave the other 13 completely untouched. Currently, there are just four red cedar and mahogany casitas – ranging in size from the onebedroom 51m2 Casita Mirador to the four-bedroom 207m2

Casita Grande – designed by San Francisco-based architects Hart Howerton and developed by Jim Matlock, founder of Pacific Panama and Director of Operations, who has been living and working on the archipelago for over a decade.

“Sustainability comes from the materials but also from the quality of the building,” he explains. “These casitas will still be here in 100 years.”

Each casita is set in its own tropical garden with a plunge

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Each casita is set in its own tropical garden with a plunge pool, day bed and thatched cabana for outdoor dining

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pool, day bed and thatched cabana for outdoor dining.

here for years. We can’t find anyone who’s done

Inside, the look is simple with floor-to-ceiling wooden

anything like this, certainly not in Panama.”

shutters that can be opened to make the most of the

Equally interesting are the two complex guadua

breeze, and reclaimed teak four-poster beds designed

bamboo structures designed by specialist Colombian

by Tom Scheerer (he was responsible for the first phase

architect Simón Vélez; one down by the dock used

of the interiors), made in India. Maira Koutsoudakis,

as the watersports hub (there are all kinds of toys to

founder of South African design agency The Life Group

try from e-foils and seabobs to SUPs and surfboards)

of Companies, was brought in to add the texture by

and the other as the ocean-facing, cathedral-like

way of gorgeous two-tone linen bedcovers, reclaimed

Terraza restaurant, reached by walking along a

timber plantation chairs with duck-egg blue backs,

wooden boardwalk lit by lanterns. The indoor-

bamboo mirrors in the bathroom and coral sculptures

outdoor space has a relaxed feel, with custom verde

above the mini-bar that nod to Coiba National Park, a

cipollino-veined marble tables and rope armchairs

UNESCO World Heritage marine reserve nearby. “We

made by artisans in South Africa. Beyond the wooden

wanted to create subtle refuges of calm, awash in tones

decking, steps lead down to a sandy hang-out area

of sage, teal, linen and white,” says Koutsoudakis,

with seagrass beanbags, high-gloss turquoise ceramic

who is in the process of designing the interiors for

stools, decorative glass buoys and lounge cushions.

three new, one-bedroom tented casitas.

“We wanted to create a journey within Terraza,” says

Also in the pipeline is a four-bedroom 647m 2

Koutsoudakis. “The top end of the space has a more

residence with a separate guest wing and a curved

formal feel, then towards the ocean there is a change

roof. “The shape of the residence has been determined

of pace, so it becomes a gypsy-chic experience with

by the topography,” says Matlock. “We’re using

natural elements alongside local Panamanian pieces,

eucalyptus logs, both for the roof and as structural

such as the colourful ‘pollera’ pompom cushions that

columns so it will look very unique, as if it has been

reference traditional tribal Embera and Kuna style.”

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These references are subtly scattered

a specially-commissioned bronze rooster fish

throughout, from the woven turndown mats

sculpture by artist Peter Diepenbrock; there’s

in the casitas to the patterned ‘mola’ cushions

also a display of Panama hats, slouchy linen

made by the Embera tribe and the carved

sofas, low marble coffee tables and a drinks

wooden piroga boats that hold the pool towels.

cabinet with a display of Embera masks, rum

“We started the process with visits to the

tasting jars, heritage humidors and muddle

Embera villages in the jungle and with the Kuna

sticks made from tribal flutes.

people, to immerse ourselves in the local crafts,

The entire property is powered using solar

as well as trips to the Museum of the Mola

panels, which are set up along the airstrip.

in Panama City and the Bio Museo by Frank

But that’s not all; other impressive sustainable

Gehry. Panamanian designer Annie Chajin

measures include all food waste being recycled

helped us liaise with the two predominant

and wastewater reused for irrigation. Matlock,

tribes to physically produce these pieces in their

though, still has plans to do more. “We want

own inimitable style but with a contemporary

to grow as much as we can so have just built a

spirit,” Koutsoudakis continues.

greenhouse on the mainland and this year we

There’s also a peaceful main pool lined with

are planting lots of banana and pineapple trees

day beds, two tented spa treatment rooms

on Cavada. We’re also doing a trial with three

surrounded by forest, the odd hammock and

Angus cows – the idea is to have 18 – and we’re

rope swing strung up between palm trees

expanding our composting and recycling too.”

along the sand, and the Hemingway-inspired

Under such eco-minded, forward-thinking

bar and lounge – a popular spot for pre-dinner

stewardship, the hope is that this dreamy

cocktails – with a board games nook and mini

archipelago remains pristine and unspoilt for

library. Behind the reclaimed teak bar itself is

generations to come.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner: Louis Bacon Architecture: Hart Howerton, Craig Roberts, Pacific Panama, Simon Velez Interior Design: Tom Scheerer, The Life Group of Companies, Simon Velez Branding: Diffusion Digital Landscaping: Hiedra Y Bambú Main Contractor: Pacific Panama Construction www.islassecas.com

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A Blueprint for Sustainable Design PART 1 Sustainable design is the ultimate act of function matching form to maximise positive impact, says Juliet Kinsman. It’s not a new concept, and it’s not just a trend. Good design means being more sustainable.

S

ustainability is more than a buzzword;

Nations declaring its 17 Sustainable Development

back-of-house activity has increasingly

Goals, corporations and consumers alike were

become as important to guests as the

given clear calls to action in 2012. As such, any

comforts and facilities facing them. No longer do

hotel or hospitality business that tunes into

sleek fixtures impress this hotel reviewer – what

these goals – from ending hunger and poverty

gives me a thrill is peeking behind the curtain

to improving education, promoting equality and

to discover a hotel’s reduced solid waste being

preserving oceans and forests – is by its very

delivered to landfill thanks to anaerobic digestion.

nature more sustainable.

The organic food-waste tanks at Treehouse

The thing is, the topic of sustainability is

London and Paramount Sydney are particularly

complicated. Being green refers to impact in

impressive. Ditto the new glass-crushing

the short term, the long term, on a micro level

machine at Middleton Lodge in Yorkshire,

and a macro one, as well as considering the

and the bio-mass system at Heckfield Place

consumption of natural resources at every turn.

in Hampshire. Rather than spilling over with

Which is why it’s important for luxury hotels to

disposable amenities, hotels – both chains and

decide what they want to stand for, and how to

independents – with dazzling performance

stand out for it. When the construction, furnishing

indicators and ambitious energy-reduction

and management of sustainable hotels works to

targets are more and more the crowd-pleasers.

minimise the use of non-renewable resources,

As the adage goes, the true function of design

or allows for low-energy low-waste operations,

is letting design function. The hallmark of

and considers the seven rules of sustainability –

sustainable design is that it lets a hotel exist in

refuse, reduce, repurpose, repair, return, refill

harmony with nature, minimises negative impact

– at every decision-making crossroads, it’s onto

on place, and promotes the health and comfort

a winner.

of people, all the while optimising a building’s performance and durability.

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A GREEN BILL OF HEALTH

Harlem Brundtland’s 1987 definition of

Depending on the location and the scale of a

sustainability set a benchmark: “Development

hotel, it’s certainly easier in the design of a

that meets the needs of the present without

newbuild to be more considerate of people,

compromising the ability of future generations

place and planet when starting out with a blank

to meet their own needs.” Thanks to the United

canvas. But often the perception of owners and

Sustainability Speak CARBON EMISSIONS Referring to the release of greenhouse gases (the GHGs adding to the planetwarming atmosphere), making up a hotel’s footprint as tonnes of carbon dioxide. Low-carbon and offsetting claims are excellent – but it’s important to focus on reduction of overall emissions too.

CONCRETE Production of the traditional Portland version is made of pulverised limestone heated to high temperatures using coal, which means it is responsible for around 8% of all global CO2 emissions. R&D is now exploring how the material could be made using solar energy, converted into more sustainable mixtures and aggregates, or augmented with captured ocean plastics. developers is that implementing sustainability

were made, the technology has evolved. “There

will be more costly. It certainly can be in the

is a lack of knowledge and understanding

short term, but investing in intelligent design

as to the repercussions in terms of climate

that allows more efficiency when it comes to

change and damage to the earth, that building

energy consumption, and sensitivity in the

unsustainably does,” he adds. “Since the

sense of how humans as workers and guests

construction sector contributes 23% of air

are hosted, is paramount too.

pollution, 50% of the climatic change, 40% of

Minimising negative impact on nature is

drinking water pollution, and 50% of landfill

another great starting point. And who better

waste – it’s time we start thinking of ways to

to reflect on this than Bill Bensley, a designer

chop that down, from the onset.”

that began his career as a landscape gardener?

He pushes for the use of recyclable building

The Bangkok- and Bali-based visionary believes

materials and insulation whilst phasing out

that unless sustainable principles are integrated

concrete – it’s the second most widely used

into hotel standards, we are neglecting an

material in the world, and is surpassed only by

immense opportunity to change the fate of the

the US and China in its carbon dioxide emissions.

environment and humanity. His studio has just published a white paper, Sensible Sustainable

CHANGE IS SLOW

Suggestions, which presents two aspects as to

Soneva is a brand that was formed with

why this matters. “One is the environmental

sustainability front of mind. Sonu and

impact a building has, in terms of financial

Eva Shivdasani wrote new rules for luxury

benefits and prevention of pollution,” he

hospitality when they created Soneva Fushi in

explains. “The other angle is that if we build

1995, launching the term ‘intelligent luxury’.

our hotels with a bit more foresight, and try and

Inspired by this forward-thinking paradise

consider the communities in which we build, we

resort’s success, they created a management

really can change so many lives.”

model in the form of Six Senses, now being

Bensley acknowledges that there is a

rolled out globally by IHG. At its core was their

predisposal to think that building green is

SLOWLIFE philosophy – an ethos that endures

innately more expensive than a standard build

at Soneva, standing for Sustainable, Local,

– but this is not always the case, as, since the

Organic, Wellness and Learning, Inspiring,

first green buildings that created those ideas

Fun, Experiences. Those seeking a deeper

CRADLE-TO-CRADLE This design concept was introduced

by Dr Michael Braungart and William A. McDonough in the 1990s. Inspired by nature, it celebrates products created according to the principles of a circular economy, giving a certified mark to stand for innovation, quality and good design. It describes the safe and potentially infinite use of materials in cycles.

GREENWASHING When hotels are loud about the good they do to distract us from less sustainable qualities.

ZERO-ENERGY A Net-Zero hotel is when the building and operation uses no more energy than it sources from renewable means (solar, wind, water). Valsana, part of Swiss luxury hotel group Tschuggen, declares itself carbon neutral thanks to its innovative stored-energy ice-battery.

Stoke by Nayland Hotel in Suffolk runs on a bio-gas plant fed with by-products from their sister fruit-growing farm, giving surplus energy back to the grid.

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understanding of just how hard the brand works

Good, this philosophy is implemented not only

to be sustainable should search out its Total

in the physical spaces, but throughout the entire

Impact Assessment (TIA) reports. For this, they

guest experience. Anyone checking into Potato

measure all three scopes of carbon. Their return

Head Studios or Katamama will receive a zero-

on investment — whether in solar energy,

waste kit, which includes a water bottle, RPET

human resources, community partnerships,

tote bag, bamboo straws and other essentials,

global symposiums or carbon offsets — is

as well as refillable amenities like sunscreen,

closely analysed to ensure that performance

after-sun care and insect repellent.

improves year-on-year.

extra-active upcycling imagination – think

impact of every aspect of their resorts in the

flooring fashioned from crushed glass in

Maldives and Thailand, right down to that of

Katamama’s dramatic blue terrazzo surfaces,

its supply chain. “One of my beliefs is that

and an abundance of reclaimed timber.

companies must have a purpose beyond making

In an increasingly digital age, we crave and

shareholders richer, and when you can do that

prize craftsmanship and organic elements more

it’s very engaging and fulfilling for the team.

than ever. UK-based Bert & May’s weathered

In hospitality it’s not how big the villas are, or

handmade encaustic tiles speak to the senses in a

the quality of the food and drink, or even the

much-needed human way. Pondering the long-

spa,” says Shivdasani. “It’s a magical service –

term benefits of each purchasing decision sees a

which can only be trained to an extent.” Part

movement away from fast-fashion fixtures, and

of the soul comes from a commitment to the

towards investment in form-meets-function

local community. Soneva doesn’t only invest

fittings and a re-tuning into nature.

in its properties, but has worked hard to raise

Maximising natural lighting is as key as

awareness concerning the negative impact of

using LEDs: glass ceilings, skylights and sun

open burned waste throughout the archipelago,

tunnels reduce our reliance on artificial bulbs.

which presents an environmental hazard and

Building-management systems plumbed into

damages tourism. The Namoona Baa Initiative

our smartphones will let us track every aspect

to counter these effects includes the first Eco-

of our fuel consumption and the provenance of

Centro Complex on the island of Maalhos, which

our utilities.

they have developed as a means to alchemise

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Sustainability is certainly boosted by an

Their TIA takes into account the total

metals, bottles and coconut husks into items of

TRANSPARENCY AND TRACKING

economic value, such as eco-friendly building

What we need next is a Fitbit-style carbon-

materials or compost.

footprint analytics app to conflate our data

Let’s delight in a bandwagon now heaving as

on one dashboard to incentivise and reward

the travel industry wakes up to stats that decree

greener living. Considerate Group offers the

tomorrow’s customers seek more sustainable

Con-Serve data management system – enabled

hotels. Along with clients being more aware

by a dynamic technology platform that has

however, they’re also scrutinising hotels’ claims

been tailored to capture data material for the

more deeply than ever. The industry needs to

hospitality industry – with Fluttr, a mobile

think of this as a new way of being as opposed

app designed specifically to streamline energy

to a trend. When Katamama opened in 2015, it

management for SME hospitality businesses.

showcased an innovative means of preserving

The talk around sustainability can be a mind-

the past, and its celebration with local artisans

boggling contrast of experts advocating a return

was a great act of cultural conservation. For

to lifestyles of the past, and those stressing a

its new mega-project Desa Potato Head, the

need to look to the future and innovate. It is, in

Indonesian hosts have gone one step further

fact, both. As a sustainability consultant, I would

by using recycled plastics and planet-friendly

urge everyone to explore solutions more closely

materials conceptualised by celebrated British

aligned with natural systems (permaculture

designers Max Lamb and Faye Toogood, and

being the poster child for that) as well as being

brought to life by Balinese artisans using

alert to high-tech inventions, and technology

indigenous materials and techniques.

that help to minimise impact – environmentally

Focused on community and inclusivity,

and socially. Not because it’s fashionable, or

Potato Head is using creativity as a medium

often more efficient, or even to future-proof a

for encouraging positive change in the world.

business’ reputation, but because it is the only

Operating under the motto of Good Times, Do

way we will survive.

The Meaning of Sustainable Design • Provenance and ethics of supply chains are considered • Renewable energy and minimal waste is prioritised • Water is protected and conserved • Operational functions optimised • Efficiency is measurable and can be tracked • Closed-loop practices and the pursuit of circular economies acknowledged • Environment enhanced – internally and externally • Follows the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Juliet Kinsman is a sustainability editor and founder of Bouteco, a consultancy that helps boutique hotels make positive change in their communities. www.bouteco.co

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Le Méridien Lav, Split, Croatia, furnished by SNS Group.

www.snsgroup.eu

In the final of a series of articles to celebrate our 20th anniversary year, we look ahead to the future of hospitality design, and ask a few of our loyal supporters about the changes and developments that have had the greatest impact on the industry over the past two decades.

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Hotel Horizons TREND REPORT 2040 As the hospitality market accelerates into new form and function, we take a look at what the hotel of the future might look like, and the emerging trends that could go on to define a generation of projects.

Words: Kristofer Thomas

M

ore often than not, predicting the future is

whereas the latter two are more reasonable expectations

a humbling task. Could guests of the early

grounded in the gradual reality of progression, and already

seventies foresee that the ‘brick’ in their

being used.

hands would be used to book and manage

In a year of continuous surprises, it is becoming

an entire stay? Could those a century earlier

increasingly difficult to predict 10 days ahead, let alone

in the 1870s have guessed their oil lamps

a decade, but it is possible to identify the trends ripe for

would be replaced by lightbulbs, then LEDs? What about

progression, and the concepts they might lead to. In these

those passing through the earliest hotel on record – Japan’s

terms, the hotel could look exactly the same a century down

Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, built in 750AD – would any have

the line – still collections of rooms, predominantly charging

envisioned the air around them being warmed or cooled to

by the night for varying levels of quality and service – but

their own personal preference? Not likely.

whilst predicting their specific styles and aesthetics has

It is exceedingly easy for any bold predictions made in the

become increasingly difficult in an age of variety, we are

present to miss the mark in a big way later on. There will

nonetheless beginning to see indicators of where hotels are

always be surprises – social, political, economic – and as

heading functionally, conceptually and technologically.

the scale of future gazing efforts increases, so too does the chance of a new discovery or development drifting in to blow

RISE OF THE MACHINES

a reasonable guess far off course. In the last century alone,

Some predictions are easier than others and the obvious

great thinkers have predicted the end of smoking, and the

candidate for driving change within the hotel industry

breeding of intelligent apes to man our factories. But whilst

remains the developments in hard- and software. In the

these proved off the mark, we can nonetheless see elements

previous 20 years this meant the emergence of digital

of progression – with both vaping and labour automation

booking platforms and in-room tablet controls – both of

technologies playing equally large disruptive roles in their

which proved disruptive in their own right right, the former

respective fields.

bringing both challenges and opportunities whilst the latter

In short, we may not see humanoid robots manning check-

introduced an element of guest control and personalisation.

in desks at the time of writing, yet there are centralised

But over the next 20 years, any leaps forward in this sense

digital systems that can manage and control almost every

could prove more subtle. Hotels already use technology to

element of the property, and so too advanced processes

predict revenue, adjust rates and forecast occupancy, but

to mine personal data that can be used to tailor

arguably less so for the benefit of guests.

these elements to preference. The

A prominent example of how this could change lies in big

robots are perhaps best viewed

data, and the use thereof. Hotels are some of the largest and

as a futuristic, sci-fi

most concentrated sources of data pertaining to personal

pipedream,

preferences and desires, from minutiae as to what temperature a guest sets their thermostat, to more telling points such as how long they spend in their room, upgrades they may have purchased and dining preferences – all of which can be used to tailor an experience for both satisfaction and commercial purposes.

Top: A 2019 survey by Yotel predicts a health-monitoring bed Bottom: The Hilton 2119 report outlines technology affording personalised guestrooom design

Do not be surprised when chains with the largest pools of data begin offering upgrades or packages based on in-room internet searches, much in the way Facebook shows its audience products related to their consumption patterns, nor when the extra pillow you wanted but never asked for appears unprompted on the bed. Both will draw from the same data sets, behavioural patterns and feedback loops as similar processes in adjacent industries have for years now.

Taking this a step further, research published

“Success in the future will depend on efficient design and noninvasive technology that augments the guest experience.”

HUBERT VIRIOT, CEO, YOTEL

giant’s predictions for elements of both physical and experiential design, including adaptive furnishings that transform to suit various functionalities, building forms that camouflage themselves against settings, reactive lighting systems, and perhaps even personalised guestroom designs based on preferences gleaned from data.

Whilst these might seem as far-flung as

by Yotel in 2019 surveying British travellers on

factories manned by an intelligent animal

what they expect to see in gurestrooms within

workforce, there are areas of progression that will likely come to fruition – most notably

30 years revealed that 72% of participants predicted that their beds would use artificial

dropping in price and increasing in accessibility,

in stitching luxury design into the fabric of

intelligence to monitor internal health, whilst

these will become valuable tools for designers.

sensitive environments, both visually and in

the same amount sought interactive mirrors

Allowing studios – as well as operators, owners,

terms of ecological impact.

that would allow them to try different hairstyles,

developers and guests alike – to fully visualise a

makeup and clothes.

scheme and make changes in real time, at real-

GREEN FUTURE

Despite privacy concerns and a number of

scale, and explore the proposal before a penny

As environmental concerns increase, so too

data breaches to hit the industry, this research

is ever spent on-site, the proliferation of this

will the ubiquity of environmentally conscious

demonstrates that guests are prepared to allow

resource could see a ground shift in how the

design. By now, sustainability and eco-

their data, image and, eventually, biology to be

design community approaches its work.

consciousness have been key trends in the hotel

shared if it were to mean their stay is a uniquely

Beyond technological aspects, ideas already

industry for nearly two decades, and whilst steps

personal experience. Efficiency aside, those

in motion will continue to develop. The use of

towards a greener industry have been taken –

same guests would be wise to remember that,

space and efficiency of content are currently

not least Hilton’s elimination of plastic straws

if their bed is monitoring their health, then it

key trends in urban hotels, where the rising

and the rollout of Accor’s ambitious Planet 21

follows that their health is not the only thing

cost of land, operation and staffing must be

sustainability targets – the re-orientation of the

being monitored.

offset by a higher number of smaller rooms.

sector will become increasingly necessary as the

Luckily for the naysayers, however, in a

In New York, for example, Yabu Pushelberg

future guest experience dominated by a hotel’s

and furniture manufacturer Stellar Works

The first step will likely take the form of

relationship with technology, there will no doubt

collaborated to help several Moxy-branded

dedicated brands and chains that eschew the

be a contrarian reversal, and shifts by certain

projects achieve this, generating room designs

traditionally wasteful models of hotel operation

properties and groups towards disconnection

that incorporate retracting, stackable, sliding

– this sector alone produces an estimated

from these elements. As perceptions around

and folding pieces to provide added space

269,000 tonnes of the stuff a year – followed

privacy, data and the digital sphere shift,

without sacrificing style.

by the widespread incorporation of technology

these seeming outliers could be best placed to capitalise and thrive.

Returning to Yotel’s research, guests expect to see this trend continue, with those surveyed

tangible effects of global warming manifest.

to counter emission outputs and limit a hotel’s impact on the planet.

foreseeing a bed that can retract into the ceiling.

Both are, in fact, already in motion: Barry

“Space is already a commodity and that’s likely

Sternlicht’s newly-launched Treehouse brand is

Whilst guest and operator alike could benefit

to increase in the future, so space efficiency is

the latest in a line of big names to combine the

from this increased understanding of technology,

key,” explains Hubert Viriot, CEO of Yotel. “We

hotel offer with a focus on reclaimed materials,

what does this mean for the designer? It may be

expect to see more compact spaces showcasing

recycling programmes and green-friendly

hard to predict which specific styles and colours

smart design. Equally, demand for real estate is

initiatives, whilst bathroom manufacturer

will prove popular with tomorrow’s audiences,

going to mean building closer together, limiting

Grohe has used its position to introduce water

though less so is the manner in which design

the light into a room which makes windows a

intelligence and efficiency solutions to the

will be facilitated.

primary feature, whether it’s letting light in or

market whilst meeting significant emission

Keen eyed readers may have already noticed

acting as an interactive digital display. Success

reduction goals of its own.

the early outings of virtual and augmented

in the future will depend on efficient design

The work of architects and designers will

reality technology on the conference circuit,

and non-invasive technology that augments

be key in this sense. Operators can push

and with both software and equipment steadily

the guest experience.”

sustainability initiatives and green activity

DESIGN DIRECTION

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Looking even further ahead, the Hilton 2119 report released last year outlined the hospitality

© Peter Pichler Architecture

© Nyde Studio

076

Top: Peter Pichler Architecture’s proposals for low impact Tree Houses in West Virginia Bottom: Nyde Studio’s Diagonal Dwelling, an adaptable, solar-powered accommodation concept

programmes, but if the project itself is designed

THE NEW NORMAL?

than adding it. Guests may perceive elaborate

out of step with wider pushes towards carbon-

At the time of writing, the hospitality industry

schemes full of objects, textures and enclosed

neutrality, then the effect could be negated.

faces a once-in-a-lifetime crisis, with social

nooks as less clean, and gravitate towards

Solutions including expansive green walls,

distancing and lockdown measures initiated

minimalist visuals, or otherwise seek remote or

vertical gardens and the stylish reinterpretation

following the outbreak of Coronavirus, forcing

low-keycount experiences away from the urban

of alternative energy sources like solar panels

properties to halt or reduce operations.

bustle. Though again, there is a risk of stripping

will continue to develop in this sense, with their

Within these projects, a reassessment of

a property’s character and warmth if either is

scale and effect increasing as pressure mounts.

layout, flow and design is taking place, driven

taken too far. As such, any object or element

Following this line of thinking, we might

by anxieties around cleanliness, proximity

removed could be replaced by one of the many

well see entire brands repositioning themselves

and comfort. In the immediate response,

anti-microbial or self-cleaning alternatives

– a move that, for the largest chains, would

speculation has prompted solutions ranging

emerging across the market.

have a considerable positive impact on both

from screens segmenting diners into Perspex

In this sense, any rapid progression or

the planet’s chances for survival and brand

cubicles to ultra-flexible outdoor dining

innovation catalysed by the pandemic could end

perception. Closely tethered to the scrutinised

templates that would turn the streets of major

up being the acceleration of existing trends and

travel and transport markets, there is the

cities into extended terraces. Looking beyond

concepts, and an increased focus on flexibility

potential to not only seek change at home, but

the pandemic, however, these ideas may prove

to safeguard against viruses as well as other

in adjacent sectors too.

more severe than necessary.

economic, social and political black swans. Now

For now, however, much of the work will

It is difficult to make concrete predictions in

operators and investors have seen how easy it is

involve negating the guilt of eco-conscious

unprecedented times, especially with talk still

for the global hotel market to be stopped dead in

guests reluctant to fly or cruise the world

swirling around potential second or third waves

its tracks, the money will flow naturally towards

by providing them with experiences rooted

of the virus, but it seems more likely that the

ensuring it never happens again.

in environmental sensitivity. For future

kind of change this pandemic could usher in

generations, this aspect of hotel life could well

will be in terms of perspective, thinking and

As highlighted in Guy Dittrich’s article in

prove the new luxury, and hotel experiences

approach rather than costly and potentially

Sleeper 90, looking back on the last two decades

closer to home that do not require extensive

unnecessary structural or physical alterations.

of hotel design, there has been a tendency for

For the time being – whilst response strategies

ideas to significantly accelerate and permeate

Trend forecasting agency The Future

are still in the proposal and testing stages –

through the sector once adopted. The lobby

Laboratory predicts in its Future Forecast

screens will be used to separate diners. When

looked a lot different 20 years ago, and with the

2020 report that guests could opt instead for

the pandemic draws to a close, or a manageable

incorporation of the elements outlined above,

staycations: “Increasing numbers of consumers

level of herd immunity is reached however, then

we will likely find it transformed again when

are boycotting air travel,” the report states.

they will become obsolete, and designers will

we return in 20 more, ready to welcome new

“According to Sifo, almost twice as many

thank their lucky stars that they no longer need

guests, with new ways of thinking and new

Swedes chose to travel by train instead of flying,

to force unsightly internal barriers into their

ideas as to what luxury, comfort and good hotel

rising from 20% to 37% between January 2018

work. On the other hand, if the pandemic does

design constitute.

and June 2019. In the UK, Travelodge found that

roll on longer than expected, then the screen

69% of Britons planned to take their annual

is an idea to be built upon and tweaked until a

summer break in the UK in 2019, up from 57%

more attractive or effective solution is found.

travel may benefit from a surge in interest.

in 2018.”

The major changes will instead take the

Over the following pages, we ask industry leaders

As such, architects and designers could turn

form of practice and process, and the new

about what they feel to be the most influential

to previously untapped locales to distinguish

normal could prove to be the raised standard of

developments in hospitality experience and design

themselves from the overcrowded, decidedly

cleaning, hygiene, inspection and certification

over the past 20 years, and what we can expect of

un-green city markets. Proposals including

we are beginning to see. Guests will want

the next 20 years. Some responses are extracts from

the low-impact Tree Houses by Peter Pichler

reassurance that the hotel is clean, but also the

the #Sleeper2020 podcasts (available to listen to

Acrhitecture in West Virginia, USA, and the

familiarity and comfort of an environment that

in full online) while others were recorded prior to

adaptable Diagonal Dwelling by Nyde Studio,

hasn’t sacrificed design integrity to intrusive

the pandemic, though still bear relevance to the

both speak to the emergent low-keycount

healthcare elements. Finding this balance will

sector long-term. The results certainly make for an

lodge and tented camp model that is arguably

be the true innovation.

insightful read.

taking a lead over the mainstream in terms of sustainability credentials.

If there are to be physical changes, then it may be a case of subtracting content rather

© Carly Diaz

103

A TIME OF CHANGE?

Priya Paul The Chairperson of India’s The Park Hotels believes responsible consumption will impact the future of hospitality The hospitality industry in India has seen major changes in the last 20 years. Other than the political / economic changes that have shaped the contours of the hospitality industry across the country, one of the major developments has been the cosmic growth of variegated demographic and psychographic profiles.

India has one of the youngest population dividends in the world, which has led to an increase in working population, more per capita income and eventually higher growth for the economy. With this, the consumption of branded hotels has also increased and there has been a growing need for travel and leisure in almost every region of the country. The fact that there has been a momentous increase in room inventory since 1995-96 from 120 hotels with 18,160 rooms to 941 hotels with 1,19,219 rooms in 2016-17 has augmented the business significantly; it is a testimony to the changing dynamics of the Indian landscape.

Looking to the future, a focus on sustainability and experience will continue to impact the hotel industry cutting across geographies, demographics and psychographics. Hotels will be more focused on the use of environmentally sustainable practices and the new generation of customers have a different way of looking at luxury that may translate to a more responsible consumption.

When it comes to experience, it’s all about building authentic relationships with consumers. People look beyond just staying in a hotel and for the past 25 years, we have been creating experiences through contemporary art, culture, design, music and fashion.

We know that guests want to be in a place where they can understand the local environment and actively engage with it. I believe hotels should be purveyors of ideas and architects of delightful experiences.

Š Nick Harvey

“It’s more than being on call for turndown service; it’s building a genuine one-to-one relationship that transcends transaction.”

ALEXANDRA CHAMPALIMAUD

© Catalina Kulczar

Grace Leo Alexandra Champalimaud The founder of Champalimaud Design eyes a return for human-focused experiences I’ve noticed that there has been an increasing number of hotels with reduced and amenities available to guests. While these concepts may be needed to cater to a new category of traveller, there seems to be an absence of experience, an absence of hospitality, and an absence of place.

In the future, I think hotels will need to concentrate on bringing back human-focused experiences for guests of all ages, across generations. It’s more than being on call for turndown service; it’s building a genuine oneto-one relationship that transcends transaction.

These spaces will not only focus on being more present, but also hone-in on a more curated and impactful level of engagement with their visitors, thus creating a holistic and unforgettable experience for them from the moment of arrival.

Hybrid models are the future, says the founder of Grace Leo Consultancy The glaring development over the past 20 years has been the relentless advancement of technology and lifestyle changes that are pushing boundaries everywhere. Spotify has changed the way we listen to music, and Uber has given us another option for cost effective individual transport.

The question, is what is the hotel industry doing about this? Has anyone come up with a disrupting model that is inspiring to all and worth us getting excited about?

There’s an urgency for investors and developers to re-invent the way they approach traditional projects – whether commercial, residential or hospitality. The existing models of businesses, from high street retailers and department stores to standalone hotels are becoming out-of-date and many are already defunct, as proven by the number of vacant retail spaces in cities such as New York and London amongst others. Bricks and mortar developments are highly capital-intensive investments. Continuing to build extravagant shopping malls and traditional hotels whilst expecting customers to function in the same manner as 20 years ago would be like walking blindfolded towards the edge of the cliff. Developers, multipleunit landlords and hotel operators – let’s wake up, the biggest change is already on our doorsteps! We must be open to hybrid models that respond to current demands, keeping in mind that they may come in very different formats than we are used to.

105

Aliyah Khan Make it memorable, says Marriott International’s Vice President of Design

© Spencer Kohn

Keeping heads in beds, while important, is no longer enough. Hotels need to provide authentic and relevant experiences that appeal to both guests and locals, offering a unique viewpoint to a destination that can’t be found elsewhere. The complete opposite of what you might find in a travel guide. Take New York – how do you convey the energy of the city without using familiar icons? How do you capture the scent, the movement, the gritty quality of the streets, the changing light and the continually evolving sense of style so that it is like nothing else out there.

Attractive, memorable and nuanced – making guests want to return again and again to discover more. To do this well will be the biggest challenge.

“Technology will keep developing and become one of the main drivers in the design of our hotels at all brand levels.

If properly integrated, it will allow our guests to connect, interact and personalise their stay and experiences.”

LARRY TRAXLER

Larry Traxler New technologies will continue to drive change according to Hilton Worldwide’s Senior Vice President of Global Design Today, travellers are exposed to amazing design every day through various social media platforms. They do extensive research before making the choice to stay with us and we have the responsibility to exceed their expectations. One thing that we have found to be universal though is that today’s travellers and small groups are looking for more communal spaces to work, play and dine through all periods of the day. Because of this increasing demand for social connection in our hotels, we are rethinking how we design our public spaces and ensuring that they are adapting to these evolving demands for community, energy and dynamic change.

For example, our newest brand, Motto by Hilton, has an emphasis on smaller well-

106

designed rooms and larger communal public spaces. We have created a fresh approach to modern travel for the connected and confident traveller who want value, location and experience above all else.

From a design perspective, travel trends are changing rapidly and guest needs are different in different areas around the globe.

With this in mind, technology will keep developing and become one of the main drivers in the design of our hotels at all brand levels. If properly integrated, it will allow our guests to connect, interact and personalise their stay and experiences. Guests are looking for the kind of seamless experience and access to the same comforts that they have at home.

Brad Wilson There is always a better way, says Ace Hotel Group’s President I think the biggest change that impacted the hospitality industry has been an ephemeral one. 20 years ago, most hotels were just a place to sleep; today, they’re in vibrant dialogue between guests, neighbours, partners and the world at large. When Ace Hotel animated the hotel lobby as a community gathering space 20 years ago, it set a new standard, one that’s radically inclusive, that engages guests and locals alike, and pushes culture forward, cultivating experiences that embrace the singular energies of each city.

What will impact the industry in the future?

Environmental practices, that’s for sure, and being mindful. Guests today prefer places that reflect their own values and ethos, and right now that includes healthy, vegetable-focused fare, mindfulness, social awareness and wellbeing. These are things that have been part of Ace Hotel Group’s core since the beginning, but we always look to one of our enduring mottos, “there is always a better way”.

Christoph Hoffmann The CEO of 25hours Hotel Company believes keeping it local will shape the hotel of the future Over the past 20 years, target groups have become increasingly diverse; there’s no such thing as a homogeneous and definitive target audience any more. The same applies for travel patterns; mixing categories whilst travelling, combining luxury and low-budget has become common practice. The trend of polarisation has grown within the industry too – standard cookie-cutter hotels mushroom and have their followers, and at the same time, individual boutique-style hotels have gotten stronger. Medium-sized, no-brand and no-concept hotels will continue to face difficult times.

More recently, the respective neighbourhood of a hotel continues to gain in importance and in the future, I believe food trends will further fall in line; what is already common sense in restaurants, namely the focus on local ingredients, will find its way into bars and drinks. Designers will re-invent common space concepts to serve the purpose of creating local melting pots; cosy, accessible and with sense of space. Of course, technology continues to gain momentum and hoteliers will have to keep up with the pace. Having said that, I strongly believe that the slow movement and urge to digitally detox will finds its way back into our lives.

© John Mark Sorum

“Guests today prefer places that reflect their own values and ethos, and right now that includes healthy, vegetablefocused fare, mindfulness, social awareness and wellbeing.”

BRAD WILSON

107

“In order to deliver individually tailored services, the industry will be forced to become truly innovative and transformational.”

MICHAEL LEVIE

© Jeroen Ruigrok

Michael Levie True brands that build relationships with guests will be the ones to succeed, says CitizenM Chief Operations Officer

108

© Brigitte Lacombe

Every hotel chain prides itself in being guestcentric, however only very few truly are.

Middleware will shift guest data to become available and central, enabling hotels to serve up what they should have done in the past and truly tailor services to the individual.

Other industries are so far ahead that the transactional, and room-centric PMS systems will be overthrown as the system of record.

To meet the requirements of an increasingly demanding traveller, the hotel industry will have to start learning from others. To be brought up to speed, it should import specialised and more qualified talent from other industries such as retail and airlines. The future guest will demand individually tailored services, from booking to payment, and from frictionless check-in to check-out. In order to deliver this with lower staff costs and potentially fewer services too, the industry will be forced to become truly innovative and transformational. The ones that hold onto the past status quo will dwindle, slowly but surely. And then there is the question of branding; the industry has to switch from a name and a logo to true brands holding a relationship and a promise.

This, possibly, will be the biggest challenge ahead, and one that will come from strong guest demand.

David Rockwell The Rockwell Group founder highlights the role of architects and designers in reconfiguring the world In times of global challenge there is an opportunity to rethink, and I believe the pandemic will give us the much-needed opportunity to rethink the travel experience from the ground up and re-centre it around passengers in a much more democratic way – that reckoning has been coming for some time.

Hotels are always in a process of evolution, but I do believe that in the post-Covid world, we’re going to have to focus on more adaptable hotels and restaurants. The ability to expand and contract is something that designers and operators will take into account much more seriously.

There’s a moment here for hotels to take the experience of fewer people and find a way to make that feel more curated and customised, because hospitality has always been about much more than the physical space. Just as importantly, however, they are going to have to signal safety and ensure that people come back in a way that feels comfortable.

Designers and architects can play a major role in reconfiguring our world as it changes and the fact is, in reality nothing is forever, and this moment gives us a chance to pivot and think about how we can help.

DI S P EN S E R

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Patrick Reardon Back-of-house to match the quality of guest areas for ReardonSmith Architects cofounder The fundamentals remain unchanged. A hotel is a place where a guest is accommodated in safety and comfort for a specific period. I have often said that the last radical change in hotel design was when a bathroom was added to a bedroom, rather than one bathroom serving a multitude of bedrooms.

Nothing has had the seismic impact of this simple development since.

Looking beyond the fundamentals, notable changes are across style, function and technology.

Style, particularly in interior design, is the where change is most visible and a huge development in this context has been the appreciation by clients of contemporary design solutions rather than the traditionally safe options.

Stylistic development is one thing, but in my opinion, style must have longevity; design it once and lovingly maintain it forever. In architecture, I’m sad to see that form, façade and finish seem to have superseded the other essential F – function. Now, it’s all about appearance rather than is it a good building for guests and as importantly its staff? For me, one of the most interesting developments is the attitude to staff areas. No longer are they repositories for ageing furniture and dying pot plants but rather spaces where design quality and a budget to match receive attention similar to that given to guest areas.

Technology will continue to develop and its impact on our industry is impossible to forecast, such is the speed with which it grows. As an individual who has served our industry for many decades, all I plead for is the continuation of human, face-to-face communication. Technology should never supersede that basic manifestation of humanity.

110

Robert B. Cook A balance of talent and data will transform the next generation, says the hotelier Over the last 20 years, names such as Schrager, Starck and Balazs, as well as McCulloch, Campbell-Gray and Hutson have inspired a generation to seek out new styles of accommodation. This has allowed the design and architectural communities to break new boundaries, giving us so much more choice in the lodging space. However, we must never allow the veneer of style and design to mask average service; developing talent must still be at the forefront of our minds when operating in the hospitality space. We hoteliers must never lose sight of the development, retention and encouragement of our talent.

As we move into the rapidly changing world of data, AI and machine learning, the question is, how customer experience can be delivered in a personalised manner. I’m hugely excited about what these new tools can bring in terms of behavioural learning and how they can adapt the design of our spaces in the future, not only in the look and feel but also in the way we can create a bespoke offering for every guest based on intelligent data.

Hospitality must never lose its traditional roots of great service and beautiful spaces, with teams driven by the art of service and spirit of generosity, but the industry has never been in such an opportune place with these tools in its armoury. Where cool design has shaped hospitality in last 20 years, I truly believe that data-led customer experience will transform the next.

Luxury Hotel Collection

Since 1924, Sleepeezee is proud to have been working in partnership with world-class hotels to find the perfect sleep experience for their guests. www.sleepeezee.com/contract contract@sleepeezee.com E V E R Y T H I N G’S E A S Y W H E N YO U S L E E P E E Z E E

“For me, Covid-19 does not really change the way I have been looking at the future, it could even help to get there faster.”

ROB WAGEMENS

Jean-Michel Gathy Simlicity will come back into fashion, says the Denniston founder Before the pandemic, the hospitality business had become very diluted and lost a little of its identity. It will be a case of the strongest wins and I believe that the luxury market will become even stronger over the coming years, because people will want to isolate themselves in smaller, more luxurious hotels. People who can afford it will go there because of the feeling of security in terms of health.

Because of coronavirus, hotels are going to be simpler, more zen. The design will become paramount. With what we’re experiencing now, interior designers are going to become more important; guests are going to look at the simplicity of a design in order to avoid nasty corners where dust accumulates, where you can’t clean properly. I believe the simplicity of a design will come back into fashion. © Krijn van Noordwijk

Rob Wagemens The founder of Concrete looks to health and wellbeing to predict the future of hospitality Hospitality is one of the industries that’s quite slow in adapting new ways of sleeping, working and living; it’s not so fast in seeing new trends in society. So for me, Covid-19 does not really change the way I have been looking at the future, it could even help to get there faster.

A big trend we see is the desire to go back to nature, to spaces outside of the cities. Because of connectivity, our lives have become extremely hectic; I strongly believe that in the future, we will live this intensive city life for days at a time, and then completely disconnect, where it’s just you and your family to do things together without interruption.

Covid-19 has made us much more conscious about every aspect of our lives; we’re more conscious about what we do to ourselves and our health, making sure we feed your brain and body in a smart way. This will be very interesting for hospitality in the future.

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drapilux_Sleeper_Minimalism_236mmx275mm.indd 1

04.06.20 14:56

Hotel Construction Pipeline Americas Despite the current operational challenges in the hospitality market, development is beginning to pick up pace, with new announcements across the Americas. The latest data from Tophotelprojects reveals a total of 2,167 hotels (451,972 rooms) in the construction pipeline. This does not include projects that are on hold or cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New York is named the development capital, with 68 projects in the pipeline accounting for 17,810 rooms. Marriott International has plans for new openings across its Aloft, W Hotels and Ritz-Carlton brands, while Hilton is set to plant flags for its Motto and Tru brands. Six Senses, Aman, Ace and Thompson also have new properties in the works.

Outside of the USA, Mexico, Brazil and Canada have the largest pipelines in terms of number of projects, however the Dominican Republic makes the top three by room count, owing to a number of large-scale developments.

Amongst the largest projects across the region are the 9,000-key Wynn Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; a 4,700-key venture from Karisma Hotels & Resorts, which recently broke ground in Jamaica’s Sugarcane Bay; and The Drew in Las Vegas, a 3,780-key development set to feature Edition and JW Marriott brands.

TOP CITIES NEW YORK Projects 68 Rooms 17,810 LOS ANGELES Projects 51 Rooms 10,586 ATLANTA Projects 42 Rooms 9,084

ORLANDO Projects 24 Rooms 9,831

MIAMI Projects 36 Rooms 9,424

CHICAGO Projects 24 Rooms 5,108

INDIANAPOLIS Projects 21 Rooms 4,414

NASHVILLE Projects 34 Rooms 7,752

AUSTIN Projects 23 Rooms 4,081

SAN FRANCISCO Projects 21 Rooms 3,640

TOP COUNTRIES

Projects Rooms

Tophotelprojects is a data service to support the design, build, furnishing and operation of hotels worldwide. For more information visit: www.tophotelprojects.com

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Projects Rooms

1

2

3

4

5

USA 1,567 308,202

MEXICO 135 33,941

BRAZIL 77 16,301

CANADA 61 9,826

ARGENTINA 45 4,585

6

7

8

9

10

COLOMBIA 35 6,100

DOM. REP. 33 22,657

CHILE 26 3,963

PERU 22 3,559

CUBA 19 3,645

BUSINESS CENTRE

CONSTRUCTION PHASE Of the 451,972 rooms in the pipeline across the Americas, 32% (724 projects) are at an advanced stage of planning, 38% (797 projects) are under construction, and 9% (245 projects) are in the pre-opening phase.

VISION

PRE-PLANNING

PLANNING

CONSTRUCTION

PRE-OPENING

Projects 82 Rooms 24,902

Projects 319 Rooms 69,422

Projects 724 Rooms 144,982

Projects 797 Rooms 171,996

Projects 245 Rooms 40,670

GROUPS AND BRANDS Marriott International takes the top spot by number of projects in the pipeline, closely followed by Hilton Worldwide, which continues to expand the Home2 Suites and Hampton brands at an impressive rate.

406 355 145 90 43

Projects

Projects

Projects

Projects

Projects

BRAND

PROJECTS

ROOMS

Home2 Suites by Hilton

70

8,137

Hampton by Hilton

69

8,578

Hilton Garden Inn

47

7,077

Hyatt Place

44

6,672

Cambria Hotels

44

5,950

Aloft

41

5,946

AC Hotels by Marriott

40

6,499

Fairfield Inn & Suites

37

4,206

Hyatt House

34

4,597

Element

33

5,176

YEAR OF OPENING

2020 (33%)

2021 (31%)

2022 (14%)

2023 (4%)

2024+ (18%)

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The intelligence source for the hotel investment community

Cleanliness the new currency

“As the European leader in hospitality, it is

If different schemes carry significant compliance

our duty to anticipate needs and respond to

costs – whether that’s the cost of certification, in

The hotel industry is scrabbling to sort out a

health and safety requirements by adhering to

purchasing specified cleaning products or in added

way to convince guests that it can deliver safe,

the highest standards,” said Franck Gervais,

staffing costs – that’s the last thing embattled

clean accommodation once the coronavirus

CEO Europe at Accor.

owners and operators need. A multi-franchise

lockdown is over. A range of schemes and

A guide will lay out required standards, with

initiatives have been announced, all designed

Bureau Veritas creating an online listing of

to bolster consumer confidence.

certified premises across Europe. “This label

And third, in the rush to spray everything with

In Singapore, authorities launched their

will contribute to the hospitality and restaurant

disinfectant, we don’t need other problematic health

SG Clean campaign in February, aware that

industry reopening with confidence,” said

issues to be created. Every summer, it seems, come

consumer confidence was key in helping

Jacques Pommeraud, CEO Africa and France

stories of hotel guests suffering from overzealous

businesses reopen. The campaign includes

at Bureau Veritas. “We are proud to work with

fumigation at resorts, and in 2018 two guests died

measures to elevate cleanliness and public

Accor, at first in France and subsequently in all

at an Egyptian hotel, with the finger pointed at an

hygiene, with a certification programme for

European countries. This approach will benefit

insecticide spray treatment in an adjacent room.

premises of all types. By mid-March, over 5,000

the entire industry as every company could

Having got used to the fresh air of the lockdown, we

premises had been certified, with the Grand

request to be certified by Bureau Veritas.”

don’t need a fresh assault on the lungs in the name

Hyatt being the first hotel.

And global scale leader Marriott has convened

one-size-fits-all regime.

of bug suppression.

Keith Tan, Chief Executive of the Singapore

a new Global Cleanliness Council, drawing

Tourism Board, said: “The SG Clean quality

together a range of external advisors from

HA PERSPECTIVE

mark sends a strong signal to both locals and

science and industry. CEO Arne Sorenson

By Andrew Sangster: Being able to promise a clean

visitors that our tourism businesses take their

commented: “We want our guests to understand

environment is table stakes for hotel operators in the

cleanliness and hygiene very seriously and are

what we are doing today and planning for in the

new normal coming post-lockdown. As a point of

committed to maintaining these high standards

near future in the areas of cleanliness, hygiene

differentiation, more and better initiatives are going

as a ‘new normal’ for the future. Over the

and social distancing so that when they walk

to be forthcoming.

next two months, we aim to audit and certify

through the doors of one of our hotels, they

As an example, Hilton this week launched its

570 hotels, attractions, and other tourism

know our commitment to their health and

‘Hilton CleanStay’, where it has teamed up with the

establishments.”

safety is our priority.”

maker of disinfectant brand Dettol and healthcare

Also active in the cleanliness stakes is Chinese

The company says it has already added to its

budget operator Huazhu. In its March results

cleaning regime, and guests will see a series of

presentation, the US-listed company talked

changes over the coming months.

of its 26-step cleaning process, designed to

institution the Mayo Clinic.

Prior to the pandemic, the focus was at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – self-actualisation.

This was all about providing unique experiences

reassure returning guests, along with other

HA PERSPECTIVE

which played strongly to the boutique sector. We

initatives including using robots to deliver room

By Chris Bown: There are a few issues inherent in

have now moved right to the bottom of the pyramid:

service. There had, said company executives,

the rush to declare cleanliness as the new badge of

physiological and safety needs. It is the much derided

been no incidences of cross infection at the

honour for hotels. First, the customer needs clarity -

standardised boxes that have the edge here. New

group’s hotels.

a plethora of different schemes, confined by country

build, limited service properties are where consumers

Accor, meanwhile, has teamed up with

or by brand, will not do. An industry-wide approach

are going to get the reassurance they need.

international standards operator, Bureau

is needed, or at the very least a regional one. The

Big names and big brands are back. Consistency

Veritas, to create a certification system for the

prospect of brands launching competing, but

and the meeting of expectations is what will count.

hotel and restaurant industry. A set of standards

difficult to compare, cleanliness regimes will simply

Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Accor have the resources

has already been agreed in partnership with a

put off the customer, and waste industry efforts to

to implement the procedures and get the message

range of stakeholders, enabling a labelling

encourage them back to travel.

out. Other strong brands like Hyatt and Four Seasons

system for those meeting the standard.

116

third-party manager could well do with a single,

Second, there needs to be clarity for operators.

will succeed too.

BUSINESS CENTRE

The strugglers will be independent hotels and

stock 28% in the 2008-12 period, after the

brand, and the city centre Hub compact brand.

small chains. There will clearly be schemes that

financial crisis, and “we expect a similar

For now, the super budget Zip brand is not part

these hotels can plug into but how can customers

scenario to play out as we come out of

of the strategic expansion. “We see a shift from

be reassured that such schemes are being policed

lockdown.” With pressure on independents

independents into branded budget operators,”

properly? It’s not clear there’s an easy fix.

“likely to materially increase as a result of the

said Brittain. “During the course of this crisis,

pandemic, the company is keen to top up its

we’re already seeing the stress in some of the

current 13,000-room pipeline.

larger branded budget operators. We expect the

A critical factor of all of this is the cost. How much more will need to be spent on operating properties in

independent sector to accelerate their decline.”

a social-distancing world? Again, new build limited

There was fighting talk about the ambitions

service properties that don’t have gyms or pools or

for Germany. “Our ambition is to be the number

The German pipeline includes a bunch of

spas or high-end restaurants look the winners. While

one - we’re confident we’ll become a household

properties acquired from Foremost, which are

buffets are out, grab-and-go food offerings for in-

brand name in Germany, as we are in the UK.”

working through their notice periods under

room dining can be made to work.

The company has so far ploughed GBP350m into

franchise agreements – and this has given

The ability of operators, and franchisers to help

the market, buying as well as leasing properties,

Whitbread a useful insight. “The franchise

operators, in implementing the new procedures is

and has committed a similar amount already

models get exposed quite hard in this world,”

going to be the determining factor in who succeeds

in a pipeline that will take Premier Inn to 52

said Brittain, “so we understand that when

in this fight for customers. The challenge will be

hotels there.

you’re paying a large amount of money to

Before the pandemic shut down operations,

generate demand to either of the OTAs and on

A final thought in the process of opening up hotels

it had six hotels open and performing ahead of

top of that you’re paying brand fees to your

again is liability. Who is going to be carrying this

expectations. Brittain said a rights issue was the

brand owner, and marketing fees, and if you’re

risk? Brand companies will no doubt attempt to

preferred funding route after analysing the scale

a lease business you’re paying rent to the

leave owners with the burden but it could be a key

required. “We have no liquidity issue – on the

landlord, your operating profit is actually pretty

differentiator. Insurance companies are going to

basis that we have time, and were not doing an

thin - and the fact is, we don’t have that issue.”

prefer procedures underwritten by global players to

emergency cash raise, we spent time working

processes led by smaller owners.

out what was the right solution.”

making money once those customers arrive.

Whitbread on the offensive

That predisposition to avoid using OTAs was underlined. “We are not keen on giving up our

Finance Director Nicolas Cadbury added: “To

direct relationship with our leisure customers to

get on the front foot, you need to be in the right

an OTA. It’s a bit like a drug, once you get on

place to begin with – we’re trying to solve a

it, it’s hard to get off it, so best not to go on it

leverage issue that puts us right on the front

in the first place.”

Premier Inn owner Whitbread has launched

foot.” But he acknowledged there would be a

But Brittain said Whitbread would be working

a GBP1bn rights issue, which will ready it for

need to refinance the business, in due course.

with selected key third parties, to build up its

acquisitions in the post-coronavirus period.

Brittain added: “We have long been frustrated

business-to-business sales: “We are actually

The company, which until recently was

by the fact that our yields are not dissimilar

quite keen to take a bigger share of that market.”

operating just 40 of its hotels, says it stands

enough to our competitors when we have

Brittain was clear there would be no big

ready for a broader reopening. But it is the

managed with appropriate levels of leverage and

bid in Germany. She said the top three hotel

opportunity to grow that really excites the

with a high quality stock, so we would want

chains in Germany are Motel1, B&B and

senior team.

to hopefully see some move to see our yields

Deutsche Hospitality, “which this capital raise

“We’ve already seen some evidence of distress

being quite tight and others’ yields going out

is not targeting”. “But there is a huge swathe

in the sector,” said group CEO Alison Brittain.

as a result of what happens during this crisis.

of smaller companies that own somewhere

“We believe there is still a significant runway

“We have paid our landlords on time and in full

between five and 15 hotels, and they’re either

for growth for Premier Inn in the UK. And

in March and we expect to do exactly the same

like the Foremost Group with a franchise

we can see a long term route to an additional

in June – we are watching with great interest

agreement or they’re independents, or they

50,000 rooms in Germany.”

what’s happening with our competitors.”

have their own quirky brand in the market.”

Brittain said the group had grown its room

The aim is to grow the core Premier Inn

“Our full expectation is that the prices of

117

those assets will drop because of the outcome of

clearly hoping its demonstration of good corporate

of standards, as they rethink what’s relevant to

the situation we’ve gone through. And it might

citizenship will pay off, once business is under way

guests. Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson, CFO at IHG,

not be immediate, but during the course of the

once more. Travelodge landlords, they’re looking

commented during the May results presentation:

next 12-18 months, we would expect more of

at you. Group Property Director Mark Anderson has

“We’re working closely with our franchisees and

those opportunities to be available in the first

earlier acknowledged that the company was slow

owners to support them in keeping their hotels

place because people will find it difficult to grow

to grasp the opportunity presented by the German

open by relaxing brand standards, pausing

and very constrained in terms of their capital

market. But now, having set out its stall, and as

renovation work and offering fee reliefs and

positions. There may well be in the UK more

it starts to really like what it sees, the pandemic

increased payment flexibility.”

individual assets which come on the market.”

has presented an unexpected opportunity to really

Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta commented during

make up lost ground, as the financial challenges of

his Q1 results: “We’ve suspended massive

competitors hit hard.

amounts of our brand standards, operating

She hinted opportunities would also lie in non-hotel properties. “We’ve historically been

standards, capital programmes and a whole

very good at converting things for other use, whether it be industrial or retail or office use, into hotels.”

Whitbread has benefited from the experience

bunch of other things - giving operators huge flexibility in how they operate.” Quizzed by analysts, Nassetta added: “The trick is, as we

of having some hotels open and trading all

Traditional hotel brand standards look set to

transition from the intermediate to the longer

through the lockdown. Currently there are 40

be substantially upturned, as hotel groups

term, what are the things that you basically put

Premier Inns open, and they expect to have

cope with massive changes to the operating

back into the standards? And what do you leave

another 100 open into June. “That’s been

landscape worldwide.

out and/or change? Intermediate term I think

enormously helpful, in terms of working

Traditional standards are being relaxed, as

will be a significant opportunity for testing,

through in an enormous amount of detail, what

the big brand groups look to support struggling

when you’re still on a relatively low demand

is required to trade those hotels in a safe way.”

operators and landlords. And flexibility will be

environment, where customers are still quite

Achieving suitable protocols was not overly

key as they look to quick conversions in 2021 to

accepting of things that are different. And then

grow their portfolios.

I think what we learn in that intermediate time

expensive or difficult insisted Brittain. She

Returning guests are expected to be focusing

frame, we will institute as our longer-range

on cleanliness above all else. And, with billions

standards. I think there’ll be a whole bunch of

of loyalty points being sold to third parties,

things that we’ll do that will be more efficient

HA PERSPECTIVE

there are likely to be compromises around

long term.”

By Chris Bown: This feels like Brittain’s time to shine.

future brand marketing messaging.

reported that staff were all well, and there had been no transfer of virus among guests.

The other brand compromise that both Hilton

The ex-banker followed her charismatic predecessor

Speaking at the Hospitality Tomorrow

and Marriott have made is in selling millions of

Andy Harrington feeling like a safe pair of hands,

conference, Pandox CEO Anders Nissen declared:

loyalty points to their credit card and payment

ready to guide Whitbread through a period of flatter

“Will there be any brand standards in the future?

providers. Hilton banked USD1bn by selling

growth as the economy slowed.

I don’t think so.” And panel colleague Frank

Hilton Honors points to American Express.

She did everything right as she rebuffed calls

Croston of Hamilton Hotel Partners agreed:

Marriott sold USD250m of Bonvoy points to

to split the business, selling Costa Coffee for more

“Brands will not be enforcing brand standards.”

Amex, and pulled in a further USD570m from

than anyone could have dreamed. And now, with

Faced with a range of immediate operational

a feisty cash call, Brittain has put Whitbread on an

concerns around health and cleanliness, certain

James Bland, Director at BVA-BDRC,

acquisition footing, ready to pounce on the wounded

types of in-room furniture are being removed.

commented: “There is certainly some risk in

as the group doubles down on the UK market, and

Other established protocols around cleaning,

yielding control of such large volumes of points,

looks to move towards sector leadership in Germany.

hygiene and F&B provision have also had to be

but clearly the risk of not getting a billion dollars

substantially rewritten.

in the bank account was deemed to be greater.

The company has also led by example, paying its

118

Brand standards on the bonfire

credit card partner JP Morgan Chase.

landlords in full, on time, and is one of the few to

The big brands have already clearly flagged

We may never know the ins and outs of the

ensure its workers get 100% pay while laid off. It is

that they will be offering short term relaxation

contractual agreements (or, indeed, the amount

BUSINESS CENTRE

of points sold), but we can probably guess that

HA PERSPECTIVE

the credit card companies, who would not have

By Andrew Sangster: It is not so much the bonfire

been under the same pressing need to conclude

of brand standards as the replacement of brand

these deals as their partners, will have achieved

standards with a new set. If anything, brand

a very good deal to have been tempted to part

standards matter more than ever before.

with such large amounts of cash.

What is being postponed are non-essential

What the brands will have to do now, is manage

brand standards. To understand what is going, a

owner expectations. With such significant cash

quick refresher on psychologist Abraham Maslow’s

now known to be with the brands, how much

hierarchy of needs will point you in the right

are the owners now going to expect them to

direction. If the standard is about safety or basic

contribute to new initiatives, brand standards,

physiological needs then it is most likely going to be

cleanliness protocols and suchlike?

ramped up. Cleaning, for example, is now right at

At Marriott, CFO Leeny Oberg painted the

the top of the list for customer priorities along with

deal as simply a prepayment: “It’s really again

security about health through screening and similar

overwhelmingly a reflection of monies that we

practices. On the other hand, being able to select from

receive earlier that then will get essentially paid

a menu of pillows is going to be less of a priority right

back by them paying us less than they otherwise

now. This will not last. We are entering an interim

would have over the next several years.”

period, post-lockdown pre-vaccine, during which there is the race to the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid.

HA PERSPECTIVE

In a few years, as Chris Nassetta among others has

By Chris Bown: So farewell many brand standards.

pointed out this week, there will be a return to where

Guests no longer care about the colour of the sheets,

we were at the beginning of this year.

the towels or the fabric on the side chair – they’re

Customers will once again want “self-

going to be more interested in how effectively

actualisation”. The boutiques will be back. Factoring

they’ve been cleaned. Hygiene is the new taupe.

this correctly into business plans is going to be where

In many ways, this is accelerating the direction of

fortunes are made.

travel. Major hotel groups have been reformulating their brands, softening the traditional ones to draw in more local connections, at the same time as launching those with an upfront local personality, such as Accor’s Greet, and Hilton’s Canopy.

Curiously, the brands are now shouting out loud about how abandoning the traditional approach to brand standards will improve efficiency, and returns.

Sadly, this move also blows smoke into the eyes of Airbnb, whose hosts have been promising that local connection, and some variety, for the last few years.

And the obsession with health and safety also plays into the hands of the brands, so long as they can promise guests a disciplined cleaning regime that actually delivers.

Hotel Analyst is the news analysis service for those involved with financing hotel property or hotel operating companies.

For more information and to subscribe visit: www.hotelanalyst.co.uk

119

Covid-19: Impact on European Hotel Pipeline The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the travel and hospitality industries in unprecedented ways, with hotel performance declines far worse than those recorded during both the SARS outbreak and the global financial crisis. One area that may be less obvious is the impact on the development pipeline, with the uncertainty of what’s yet to come as well as limitations on construction materials likely to play a part.

To measure the early impact on the pipeline, STR analysed project phase movement in Europe between January and May – before and after Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic – specifically at those projects that have either been upgraded (moved on to the next phase) or downgraded (moved back to a previous phase or shelved). However, it is important to remember that while projects have moved phase, STR cannot categorically state that all have been caused by the pandemic, although the insights can certainly be viewed as directional.

At the time of writing, Europe’s hotel pipeline showed clear trends as the number of projects downgraded outpaced those upgraded. While 443 were upgraded between January and May, 631 were downgraded (265% increase on the same period in 2019). Of those, the majority moved to the abandoned (340) and deferred (224) phases.

Focusing on key countries in Europe, the number of downgraded projects in the UK (396) increased 263% for May year-to-date when compared to the same period last year, while upgraded projects (183) were down 27%. In Germany, 128 downgraded projects represent a 256% increase yearover-year, while 110 upgraded projects represent just a 7% increase.

120

Hotel Pipeline Projects

May 2020 year-to-date vs. May 2019 year-to-date

Downgraded 265% Upgraded 13% Deferred 467% Abandoned 315%

STR is the source for premium global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights, tracking 8 million rooms worldwide. www.str.com

BUSINESS CENTRE

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INDOOR & OUTDOOR FURNITURE - DECORATION WWW.GOMMAIRE.COM

AHEAD AMERICAS

AHEAD Americas revealed the region’s best new hospitality projects on 10 June, as part of an online ceremony held in association with Global Founder Sponsor Grohe. Taking the form of a four-part ceremony broadcast throughout the day, featuring the reveal of winners along with a series of headto-head conversation pieces between judges, the programme recognised outstanding experiences and designs across 14 categories including those for Resort, Restaurant, Conversion and the prestigious AHEAD Americas Hotel of the Year accolade.

Santa Monica Proper Hotel was this year’s big winner, taking home the Hotel of the Year prize as well as the Guestroom and Lobby & Public Spaces trophies. “Every furnishing is a piece of art – it is truly out of the ordinary,” commented one judge on the Kelly Wearstler-designed property.

Elsewhere, Hawaii’s Mauna Lani – part of a US$100 million revitalisation project – was triumphant in the Renovation & Restoration category; the charming 16key Menhaden – a riverside boutique in Greenport – was named best Newbuild; and Grupo Habita’s Escondido Oaxaca – a reimagined 19th century Mexican residence fused with an adjacent brutalist tower – beat of stiff competition in the Conversion category, with judges praising the project’s “simplicity and warmth”, proclaiming it “a breath of fresh air for the hospitality world”.

All four sections of the AHEAD Americas 2020 ceremony are available to watch online, where you can view the head-to-head panels in full, and hear what judges thought about the wider shortlist, the trends that defined the year, and what the hospitality industry might look like in a post-Covid world.

www.aheadawards.com

B A R , C LU B O R LO U N G E

HOTEL NEWBUILD

Little Sister Lounge at Moxy NYC East Village, USA Lightstone Group / Marriott International / Tao Group Stonehill Taylor / Rockwell Group

The Menhaden, Greenport, USA Tellus Capital / Studio Pedrazzi Architecture + Design

E V E N T S PA C E S

H O T E L R E N O VAT I O N & R E S T O R AT I O N

Bode, Nashville, USA TMC Group / DAAD

Mauna Lani, Hawaii, USA Prospect Hill Group / Auberge Resorts Collection RIM Architects / Hart Howerton / Meyer Davis

GUESTROOMS

L A N D S C A P I N G & O U T D O O R S PA C E S

Santa Monica Proper Hotel, USA The Kor Group / Proper Hospitality Howard Laks Architects / Kelly Wearstler

Aurea, Nicaragua Aurea / Carlos Ayala + Partners / Rutciel Cabrera

HOTEL CONVERSION Escondido Oaxaca, Mexico Grupo Habita / Taller de Arquitectura X / Década / Carlos Couturier

L O B B Y & P U B L I C S PA C E S Santa Monica Proper Hotel, USA The Kor Group / Proper Hospitality Howard Laks Architects / Kelly Wearstler

AHEAD

LO D G E S , C A B I N S A N D T E N T E D C A M P S

SUITE

Islas Secas, Chiriqui, Panama Belvedere Property Management / Hart Howerton Tom Scheerer Incorporated / The Life Group of Companies

Su Casa Dorado Beach – A Ritz Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico Dorado Beach Resort / CPG Real Estate / The Ritz-Carlton Reserve / Champalimaud Design

RESORT Asbury Ocean Club, Asbury Park, USA iStar / Salt Hotels / Handel Architects / Anda Andrei Design BonettiKozerski Architects / Madison Cox Associates

TRANSPORT Celebrity Flora Islas Galapagos Turismo / Celebrity Cruises DeHoop Shipyards / BG Studio International

VISUAL IDENTITY R E S TA U R A N T San Morello at Shinola Hotel, Detroit, USA Bedrock / Kraemer Design Group / Gachot Studios

Sister City, New York, USA Omnia Group / Northwind Group / Atelier Ace

NEW CONCEPT

S PA & W E L L N E S S

Nayara Tented Camp, San Carlos, Costa Rica Nayara Resorts / Luxury Frontiers

Equinox Hudson Yards Club & Spa, New York, USA The Related Companies / Equinox Hotel / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill / Joyce Wang Studio / TLee Spas

H OT E L O F T H E Y E A R Santa Monica Proper Hotel, USA

12 MARCH 2020

10 JUNE 2020

9 NOVEMBER 2020

18 NOVEMBER 2020

DUBAI

LONDON

GLOBAL FOUNDER SPONSOR

ORGANISED BY

FOUNDATION SPONSOR

POWERED BY

GLOBAL SPONSORS

EVENT SPONSORS

www.aheadawards.com

TROPHY SPONSOR

BAM!

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SIPPING

Clean Machine In the first of a series of features looking at how the hospitality industry can respond to a new standard of health security, we take a look at the products bridging the gap between design and hygiene.

O

f the many new normals set to emerge from the

need to ensure it meets the many certifiable criteria being

Coronavirus pandemic, the raising of cleanliness

set, and then shout about it from the rooftops.

and hygiene standards to meet the levels expected

In this sense, recovery for the hospitality market will be

by returning guests will be most pressing to address.

tied to physical action and design intervention as closely as

After months of lockdown, unprecedented development

it is messaging efforts. As such, it’s the big players – with

after unprecedented development, and wall-to-wall news

economy of scale and a sizeable marketing budget – that are

coverage, the task for hotels will be to ease the anxieties of

more likely to appeal to guests when choosing a place to stay;

guests and reassure them that their public and private spaces

Airbnbs and small, family-run guesthouses could well suffer.

are clean and safe.

Beyond certificates however, guests will be looking for

But as long as there have been hotels, there have been

visible signs of cleanliness, though it may be unwise to lean

questions regarding their cleanliness: Who was the last

too heavily on the sanitised healthcare aesthetic – for the

person to sleep in this bed? How much time and effort was

sake of both guest comfort and the integrity of the designed

really spent cleaning all 300 guestrooms? How many people

experience. For almost every property, this will mean a

have used the remote control since it was last disinfected?

reassessing of its components, as well as the design scheme

Often, all it takes is a simple blacklight for most guests to

they are placed within, not only to meet the new normal head

never see a hotel room in the same way again, and these

on, but to ensure a degree of safeguarding for the future.

concerns will only be amplified by a global pandemic.

In the first of a series of features exploring the products

In its wake, one of the earliest steps taken by the industry

and suppliers bridging the gap between hygiene and design,

was for the major brands to announce partnerships and

we take a look at one of the most visible aspects of design

programmes outlining their hygiene strategies. Marriott

in the hard and soft surfaces that coat a project.

International showcased its use of electrostatic spray technology with hospital-grade disinfection capabilities recommended by the World Health Organisation; Hilton Worldwide has collaborated with RB – the maker of Lysol and Dettol products – and the Mayo Clinic to further develop the group’s housekeeping processes; Radisson Hotel Group teamed up with inspection and certification company SGS; IHG partnered with experts to unveil new science-led protocols; Accor and Bureau Veritas launched a safety label to support the return to business; and Four Seasons revealed that John Hopkins Medicine International will be guiding and validating its Lead With Care programme.

With more people aware of bacterial presence, health security and proper cleaning methods than ever, hotels must react accordingly; the bar has been raised in this sense, and how far a project can prove its credentials could end up driving revenue through a second, third or tenth wave. Whilst each partnership and programme will produce a variety of results, the common goal is to set medically-advised standards that can be verifiably met and communicated to guests. And even if a hotel boasted high standards pre-pandemic, it will now

Clockwise from top left: LG Hausys’ HI-MACS; the Traveller Collection from Brentano; Tedlar’s bacteria-resistant AvantGarde wallcovering; Drapilux’s Bioaktic-clad textiles; Sekers fabrics treated with SafeFront and Aquaclean finishes

THE SCIENCE OF COMFORT

PROTECT AND SERVE

THE VINYL EFFECT

Designed with both interior aesthetics and

Along with specialised flame-retardant, air

Oratex is the first degradable vinyl alternative,

premium standards of hygiene in mind, LG

purifying and soundproofing fabrics, Drapilux’s

manufactured by Brooklyn-based textile

Hausys’ HI-MACS surface could now prove

core range also features the healthcare-oriented

supplier Fil Doux, and features the bleach-

as essential to the hotel interior market as it

Bioaktiv textile – clad in a bioactive substance

cleanable, water-based ink and denim

does the healthcare sector. Resistant to dirt,

agent that works to break down residual germs

protectant Pro-Tech Plus; an eco-friendly

viruses, bacteria and multiple chemical agents,

and bacteria. Safe for human skin, the function

application that affords easy cleaning whilst

the 15-year guaranteed material can be applied

extends beyond healthcare environments

extending the textile’s lifetime in high-traffic

to walls, furnishings and worktops alike with a

by way of design options including subtle

areas with durable construction. With Pro-Tech

near-seamless, non-porous cover. Tests carried

transparents, delicate florals and bolder stripe

Plus available as a treatment for the brand’s

out in accordance with US Environmental

and block colourways. Reducing bacteria by over

18-shade Moody Blues colourway, the range

Protection Agency guidelines show that HI-

99%, the Bioaktiv finish was recently applied

offers a sustainable alternative that doesn’t

MACS can be decontaminated in 30 seconds

to a protective face mask designed by Drapilux

sacrifice its hygiene credentials.

after contact with the HIV virus using a solution

following the outbreak.

of bleach or isopropyl alcohol, whilst European

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Cleanliness anxieties will be most prominent

for easy cleaning and limits the penetration

in enclosed interior spaces, so returning guests

of viruses – as well as an additional SafeFront

may feel more comfortable taking to rooftops,

finish that protects against bacteria as standard

For guests returning to hotels following the

terraces and outdoor areas whilst social

– a wide variety of Sekers fabrics carry a double

Covid-19 pandemic, safety will be key, though

distancing measures remain. In this sense, a

layer of protection against germs. Easy to

any interventions in this sense should not

hotel’s exterior areas may prove valuable to

maintain and durable enough to survive the

sacrifice design integrity. Tedlar’s Avant-

leverage whilst interiors are altered. Brentano’s

rigorous deep cleans that will be expected

Garde collection of wallcoverings – resistant to

Traveller Collection of fabrics and textiles are

of post-Covid interiors, the anti-microbial

mould, mildew and bacteria growth thanks to

suitable for both, with the new Himalaya,

treatment incorporates nanotechnology to

the brand’s signature film – allows designers

Andes, Giza and Pyrenees additions all finished

create a surface that halts microbes from

to create coherent schemes that bring together

with a bacteria-resistant and bleach-cleanable

thriving and acts as a barrier that stop bacteria

laboratory-tested function with visuals inspired

treatment. Inspired by the aesthetics of

penetrating the fibres. The SafeFront finish was

by the natural patterns of travertine and ivory.

adventure and exploration, the range’s durable

found 91% effective against a feline coronavirus

Tests have shown the treatment does not

woven fabrics allow designers to incorporate

strain, a strong indicator of its capabilities

support or provide nutrients that assist in

distinctive texture without having to worry

whilst the Covid-19 strain is unavailable for

bacteria growth including E. coli, whilst the

about germ build-up across the knitted surface.

commercial testing.

EXPERT APPROVED

collection’s Greenguard Gold stamp certifies its ability to improve indoor air quality.

132

CERTIFIED FRESH

Standard trials demonstrated a resistance to

Featuring an Aquaclean treatment that allows

133

134

SPOTLIGHT

The Great Outdoors With over 40 years of experience, Janus et Cie pairs craftsmanship of the past with innovations of the future to bring design and comfort to the outdoors.

Words: Donna Salek

L

each meet high performance standards and

ounge poolside or dine al fresco at the

Whilst Feldman’s own designs have proven

world’s top hotels and the chances are, your

popular, collaborations with the likes of Piero

comfort rests in the arms of Janus et Cie.

Lissoni, Paola Navone and Patricia Urquiola

Since its inception, Janus et Cie has

A leading name in the world of luxury outdoor

have also been hugely successful. More recently,

been acutely aware of its environmental

furniture, the design-driven manufacturer has

a partnership with André Fu saw the designer

responsibilities. The brand operates with

been furnishing the hospitality industry for

create Rock Garden, his first collection for

a commitment to eco-friendly practices,

over 40 years, its sofas, daybeds and armchairs

the brand, which went on to appear in the St.

implementing the use of innovative sustainable

dressing the patios and terraces of Raffles

Regis Hong Kong. “Each collaboration has been

materials such as synthetic wood created using

Singapore, Rosewood Mirabar Beach and Asbury

unique and incredibly special,” Feldman notes.

post-consumer plastics, and aluminium frames

Ocean Club.

“We seek out skilled and talented visionaries

that are crafted from recycled content and fully

Established in 1978 by founder and CEO

who think outside of the box, and we invite

recyclable at the end of their life.

Janice Feldman, the company began life as a

them to bring innovation and expertise to the

Janus et Cie’s success can be attributed to

single store in the Los Angeles Pacific Design

design table whilst also capturing the core of

its strong, consistent values and unwavering

Centre and has since grown to encompass 19

the brand.”

mission to create beautifully designed outdoor

withstand harsh weather conditions.

showrooms across North America, Asia Pacific

New for 2020, the Patricia Urquiola-designed

furniture. To understand its ethos, it helps to

and Europe, as well as field offices and select

Anatra collection has been expanded, with the

take a deeper look into the company’s namesake.

dealers across the globe. Following a 2016

latest elements constructed using the same soft

‘Janus’ takes after the Roman god, whose face

acquisition, it is now part of Haworth’s Lifestyle

textured braiding, wrapping the frame to gently

looks both backward and forwards, serving as

Design family, sitting alongside Cappellini,

create a harmonious weave.

a metaphor for Janus et Cie’s approach, which

Other products launching this summer

honours heritage and craft while looking to the

include Feldman’s Akuu handwoven seating

future to pursue the innovation of materials and

For Janus et Cie, there has always been

collection, whilst the Matisse range has also

progressive engineering.

a focus on quality and craftsmanship, and

welcomed new functionality, with an armchair

So what does the future hold for the brand?

Feldman is known for her commitment to

featuring the series’ signature geometric sled

“We will be opening a new showroom in London,

material innovation, having led new product

frame and a comfortable mesh seat.

another in West Hollywood, and are moving into

Cassina and Poltrona Frau, though continuing to operate independently.

development. “A product’s design can

Resilient materials are common threads that

a new space in Miami,” says Feldman. “The

sometimes begin as simply as a sketch on a

run throughout all of Janus et Cie’s collections.

world of design is constantly evolving and there

napkin,” she muses. “I am constantly drawing,

Janusfiber, the brand’s signature ‘generation-

has never been a dull moment since I started the

looking for creative solutions for our clients and

next’ fabric, is offered in a multitude of finishes

company. We have some exciting collaborations

developing new concepts.” Designing some

that harmonise with natural or synthetic

on the horizon, and our team works diligently to

of its most popular collections, the brand’s

materials and boasts mildew and microbe-

ensure that we find a balance between adapting

portfolio blends the luxurious aesthetic typically

resistant qualities. With Janus et Cie’s products

with the changes in the world around us, whilst

desired in interior furniture, with the rigorous

appearing on cruise liners and yachts too,

remaining true to our heritage.”

durability expected of outdoor use.

rigorous testing is conducted to ensure that

www.janusetcie.com

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SPOTLIGHT

Indoor Furniture With new models innovative, stylish and resilient indoor furniture launching daily, it’s hard to keep up. Here is our top pick of products to help you dress your interiors.

Minotti Shelley Dining Chair

SPOTLIGHT

1.

2.

1. Bespoke Furniture Wood Couture A newly formed venture in the FF&E sector is aiming to bring a fresh approach to bespoke furniture supply, with the launch of an end-to-end service for residential and hospitality projects.

Founded by Paolo Della Casa and Filippo Sona, Wood Couture manages all phases of sourcing, manufacturing and delivery of furniture, artwork and decorative accessories, building on the combined experience of its team of experts to meet the needs of owners, operators and designers.

Having vetted a number of facilities, the founders have partnered with key manufacturers to establish a total-quality management system that produces furniture for all hotel classes. Through custom software, the team can make and share live design modifications and generate shop drawings instantaneously, eliminating back-and-forth steps and subsequently streamlining the process. “We come in at the very beginning to help the interior designer remain in budget, collaborating with them to design pieces whose quality we know is achievable, and thus we help the owner stay within budget while they maintain their designer’s original vision,” say Della Casa and Sona.

Once a project begins, Wood Couture is on site to manage the fabrication process and live-track the progress, with owners able to follow every step from their smartphone.

Sona has over 20 years of experience in management consulting for the hospitality sector, while Della Casa is an entrepreneur in FF&E, understanding the realities of contract furniture. Both successful in their fields, they decided to join forces to create something new. “We aim to bring a new and simplified way of working, through a collaborative process driven by our deep experience, aided by technology and guided by our ability to visualise every moving part of the project at once,” the duo conclude. “We believe in delivering the right products at their just value.” www.woodcouture.com

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3.

2. Adell Arper

3. Armadillo Expormim

Designed by Lievore + Altherr Désile Park, Arper’s Adell range takes inspiration from the brand’s Soft(er) concept and has been crafted with sustainability at its foundation. Its shell is made from recycled polypropylene and is available with multiple configuration options for both indoor and outdoor use. The link between the shell and nature is strong, with the special texture on the surface achieved by way of a concentric pattern, made from over 500 hand-designed lines – inspired by tree rings and shell stripes.

Highly adaptable, Adell is an enduring product with a long lifespan, thus reducing the amount of waste in our environment. The chair comes in a choice models with either four legs, sled legs or wooden legs, and designers also have the option of adding accessory cushions. www.arper.com

Expormim and MUT Design Studio have joined forces to launch the Armadillo chair, a Postmodern revision of the classic papasan in rattan. The product has the shy modesty of the animal from which it gets its name, with the unmistakable signature of the Valencian studio in its silhouette. Armadillo blends beauty, Mediterranean essence and Expormim’s craftsmanship, showcasing the simplicity and attention to tradition that characterise MUT’s work. The latest collaboration is an ode to calm and is made in Mogente by craftspeople who still bend and sand the rods by hand, resulting in guaranteed stability and visibility. To finish the look, optional cushions are available, with upholstery in either natural or faux leather, virgin wool fabrics, velvet and polypropylene. www.expormim.com

SPOTLIGHT

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3.

140

4.

1. Floor Coffee Tables Gommaire

2. Bras Furniture Fusion

3. Kite Stellar Works

4. Shelley Dining Chair Minotti

The Organic Living collection by Gommaire, comprising indoor and outdoor furniture, has seen the addition of the new Floor coffee tables. Assembled in the brand’s own atelier and crafted from reclaimed teak, the tables – pictured above in black – are robust, stylish and guaranteed to last. The tables come as a set, consisting of three sizes: D50 x H33cm, D65 x H37cm and D80 x H42cm.

Founded in 2015, Gommaire arose from a fusion of ideas and years of experience between Gommaire Cleybergh, Bert Verelst and Laurent De Greef. The brand’s offering strives to complement a range of different settings, from rustic to contemporary interiors. www.gommaire.com

Furniture Fusion’s Bras sofa, high-back and low-back chair are inviting and striking from all angles. With generous dimensions, each piece features distinct armrests – a design element that welcomes and embraces its users. The rounded silhouette of the Bras low-back chair is intriguing to the eye, and he accompanying high-back chair evokes a similar feeling, providing extra head support for more reclined comfort.

The final piece in the collection, the sofa, combines a sleek profile with a comforting backrest. Each of the pieces in the Bras range comes in a variety of fabrics and colours, as well as options for different legs and chair bases. www.furniturefusion.co.uk

Conceptualised by Japanese firm Nendo with commercial and hospitality spaces in mind, Stellar Works’ Kite armchair is perfect for narrow spaces such as corridors, elevator lobbies and entrances.

Attempts to make an armchair smaller usually lead one to think of gradual elimination of the backrest to create a bench-like piece, but casting the backrest as the star to which the seat is adjoined yields a design that is less about sitting and more about leaning. Kite’s backrest and seat are independent parts, with shallow and deep seats and taller and lower backs available to be mixed and matched according to the size of the space and degree of privacy desired. www.stellarworks.com

The new Shelley dining chair by Minotti joins its existing range’s armchair and lounge little armchair. The new product has been designed for dining areas and features the same refined style and cubing shapes as GamFratesi’s original designs. With a formal elegance and comfort, the armchair easily combines compact proportions and a contemporary aesthetic, with references to features of Scandinavian style. The height of the seat has been increased by six centimetres compared to the lounge little armchair, maintaining the same metal structure in a Black-Nickel finish. Available in a range of colours, the seat’s materiality of the saddle-hide ensures sophistication. www.minotti.com

SPOTLIGHT

2.

1.

3.

142

4.

1. Purus River Bespoke

2. AIIR Leisure Plan

3. Camaleonda B&B Italia

4. Pukka Ligne Roset

Purus is a striking and elegant range of furniture from River Bespoke, comprising a coffee table, side table and console table. The brand rose to popularity for its signature custom-made shelving designs, which help to create eye-catching wall features – popular amongst luxury hotels such as The Langham in London.

Constructed in solid or stainless steel, Purus’ clean lines and timeless designs allow the pieces to slot seamlessly into both contemporary and traditional interiors, adding a touch of luxury to any living space. Bringing together a compelling array of tones and textures, the resulting tables are both highly practical and visually pleasing. www.riverbespoke.com

Designed by Gamfratesi, Dedon’s AIIR collection – available through Leisure Plan – is a contemporary interpretation of the classic shell chair with a light and transparent design, offering refined, ergonomic and comfortable seating suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The design incorporates injection-moulded polypropylene in four colourways – Salt, Pepper, Saffron and Nori – supported on premium teak or powder-coated steel legs in four colours, with the option to add seat and back cushions. Available as an armchair or side chair, the range coordinates with a number of Leisure Plan’s design tables, which come in a variety of sizes. www.leisureplan.co.uk

In its reissue, B&B Italia’s Camaleonda range preserves the elements that have made it a contemporary classic. The design retains the original’s 90x90cm seat module, together with the backrest and the armrest. The generous polyurethane padding that forms the characteristic capitonné design remains unchanged too, still manufactured with the system of cables, hooks and rings created by Mario Bellini in 1970, which defines the characteristic look and modularity. Thanks to the tie-rods and rings, the modules can be unhooked and recombined at will. The sofa is available in a range of colours and fabrics, further lending designers creative flexibility. www.bebitalia.com

Offering comfort and a charming design, Ligne Roset’s Pukka collection – designed by Yabu Pushelberg – finds its roots in the C&B period when Gaetano Pesce presented his UP50 collection.

For this range, he paid homage to the sponge, and the way it would spring back to its original shape. Expanding on this, Yabu & Pushelberg added a soft, organic and feminine design, which fills spaces with sensual comfort. The stitching detail, use of ultra-flexible foams and tension of its lines combine to create an intriguing piece. The range utilises stretch Gentle fabric, which is made from 100% wool stretch velvet, and comprises an armchair, medium settee and footstool. www.ligne-roset.com

Ascot Chair by Table Place Chairs_ Riggs Hotel, Washington DC

Table Place Chairs_ provide hospitality in spaces with design led contract furniture

London Showroom Opening Soon

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tableplacechairs.com

24/06/2020 13:37

SPOTLIGHT

1.

2.

3.

144

4.

1. Ascot Dining Chair Table Place Chairs

2. Watu Warisan

3. Sylvain Restoration Hardware

4. Adnet Nicholas Haslam

Table Place Chairs’ Ascot dining chair is a favourite amongst luxury restaurants, featuring in properties such as Riggs in Washington DC – a boutique hotel designed by Lore Group and led by Creative Director Jacu Strauss. The hotel’s interiors, which take inspiration from the glamorous décor of the Roaring Twenties, proved to be an ideal match for the Ascot design. The chair’s wraparound upholstered arms provide comfort to diners, whilst optional detailing such as buttons and studs give it an extra touch of elegance. Available in a choice of finishes and colours, the chairs are crafted from fabrics that meet fire-resistant requirements and are Crib-5 compliant. www.tableplacechairs.com

Warisan’s Watu collection is a contemporary range suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The offering comprises a chair, outdoor armchair, lounge chair, coffee table, side table and lounger, all of which are manufactured using teak – subsequently, the products in the series are available in finishes of natural teak or ebony. Warisan is a luxury furniture manufacturer based in Bali, priding itself on providing complete services from assisting in furniture design selection and technical advice, to production schedule, quality control and shipment logistics. With its fully in-house production, the brand demands strict quality control at all stages of creation. www.warisan.com

Envisioned by acclaimed Australian designer Anthony Spon-Smith, Restoration Hardware’s new Sylvain sofa is characterised by sculptural curves and sumptuous upholstery. The design elevates the laid-back aesthetic of the 1970s, with a curved back, rounded arms and generous cushioning offering maximum comfort in minimalist form. The sofa is available in four different sizes, 14 fabrics and 28 colours, as well as in an alternative leather version. Its frame is handcrafted from kiln-dried solid wood with corner-blocked joinery, while its feet are made from solid wood, and its seat cushions consist of high-resiliency foam wrapped in feather-down blend. www.restorationhardware.com

Part of the Paolo Moschino range, the Adnet collection – inspired by designer Jacques Adnet – is a range of leather and brass interior pieces. Adnet is known as an icon of French Modernism and believed in the functional aspect of furniture combined with geometric simplicity; he was the first to incorporate chromed metals and embellishments such as leather into his designs. Individually handmade, Adnet’s brass, leather and lacquer offer luxurious versatility and elegance, whether displayed in a traditional or contemporary environment.

The combination of brass with the rich faux-suede or leather further channels a sophisticated look and feel. www.nicholashaslam.com

Explore Line Table for hotel opening projects and renovations at the new craster.com

WWW.CRASTER.COM

ADV - Craster Sleeper April-May - WEB.indd 1

02/07/2020 16:43

SPOTLIGHT

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2.

3.

146

4.

1. Hook Night Table HMD

2. Zelo Rex Kralj

3. Hyperion Bar Vaughan Benz

4. Band Kettal

HMD’s Hook night table combines wood with brass to give richness and functionality to hotel guests. The table is available in brushed, polished or old brass to match any wood veneer that is specified – from natural oak to smoked veneers – comes with the option of one drawer, and can also be made entirely in wood. Designed by Monica Hedderich, the idea behind Hook was to create a product with a minimalist style, in order for it to fit a range of rooms and projects.

Holding over 25 years of experience in furniture design, production and distribution, HMD offers unique and original interior concepts, comprising quality furniture and upholstery. www.hmd-interiors.com

Tom Fereday’s Zelo collection for Rex Kralj is made up of a stackable chair, an armchair and a barstool – each of which is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The products demonstrate both Fereday and Rex Kralj’s passion for geometric shapes and uncompromising comfort, while the range is also a new iteration of the celebrated Shell chair in wire metal, designed by Kralj in 1956.

Zelo reflects Feredays’ respect for Kralj’s design fundamentals, and is made using the latest in metalwork technique and 3D knitting technology for the cushions and pads. The armrests for the chairs are crafted from solid acacia wood derived from sustainable production methods. www.rex-kralj.com

Vaughan Benz has introduced the Hyperion Bar as part of its Modern Deco series. Available in custom lengths, the bar features lighting at its base and below the top to add to the drama of this statement piece. Brass metal inlay on the front of the high-gloss lacquered sides create a striking graphic element, whilst storage space located in the base offers room for refrigerator units to be installed.

Combining both considered design and resilient materials, the bar is finished off with a strong, polished black granite top.

Founded in 1986, Vaughan Benz has supplied furniture to luxury hotel brands across the globe, including Andaz, Four Seasons, St. Regis and Waldorf Astoria. www.vaughanbenz.com

Designed by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola, Kettal’s charming Band collection centres around the breakdown of structure and the ideation of an object produced using a set of pieces. Directly challenging the classic, sophisticated lines of traditional furniture design, the chair is contemporary, schematic and conceptual. Its structure, characterised by repetitive angular shapes, allows its raw materials – aluminium or teak wood, and parallel fabrics – to take centrestage. The range comprises a dining chair, dining armchair and club armchair, with Kettal also enabling users the ability to choose from a selection of different coloured aluminium and terrain fabrics. www.kettal.com

SPOTLIGHT

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2.

3.

148

4.

1. The Canvas Chair Fredericia

2. Macaron Piaval

3. Gregory Flexform

4. Remind Pedrali

One of Børge Mogensen’s last designs before his death, The Canvas Chair is a statement against the frivolous decor of the 1960s. Displaying Mogensen’s signature trademark frame of horizontal and vertical lines and a natural canvas seat, the product embodies simplicity and exudes an earthy informality. The design draws on his preference of natural materials, uses flat canvas as the seat, and has its back suspended between round pieces of wood, resulting in an uncanny sense of balance. The prime European oak and linen canvas are both available in black or natural coloured versions, with an optional loose seating cushion in canvas or leather. www.fredericia.com

Having recently won the Best Furniture category at the Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2020, Piaval’s Macaron collection combines high-quality Italian design with a great level of comfort, developed to match the specific requirements of naval interiors. The range comprises an armchair, lounge chair and sofa, each styled with sophisticated lines. Macaron is composed of two parts: the first is its padded, enveloping shell, which is supported by a curved wooden profile; and the second is the seat, where the rear legs are inserted. The precise overlapping of these two layers recalls the image of the French pastry from which the collection takes its name. www.piaval.it

Designed by Antonio Citterio, Flexform’s Gregory sofa boasts a strong personality, considered proportions and refined construction details. The design is characterised by a metal base, whose rigour is moderated by the use of elastic straps with cowhide details, the latter covering the visible parts of the base on which the seat cushions rest. This aesthetic-formal solution is attributed to the company’s heritage, as well as the tailoring of the grosgrain piping that adds value to the extra-soft cushions padded with soft goose down.

Additionally, backrest roll cushions foster correct posture for its users, significantly improving the level of comfort. www.flexform.it

Pedrali’s Remind chair, devised by Eugeni Quitllet, evokes the soft, sinuous curves of wooden chairs from the late 19th century, reinterpreted in an innovative style. The sensual and romantic design is made from a monoblock of injection-moulded polypropylene, and the transpiring seat and backrest contribute to the chair’s airy, lightweight appearance, as well as to its embracing comfort. The perforated backrest can be decorated with a a number of tiny colourful pixels made from polypropylene, allowing designers to create their own customised patterns.

Remind is also offered in a recycled grey version, made entirely from postconsumer and industrial waste. www.pedrali.it

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SPECIFIER

SPECIFIER

Bang & Olufsen Beovision Harmony TV Bang & Olufsen has unveiled the 88-inch Beovision Harmony TV, which folds down into a sculptural form when not in use; two oak and aluminium panels partially obscure the black screen, then as the TV is turned on, they fan out and allow it to rise above. The two-metre-wide television also comes with an OLED 8K display from LG Electronics, which delivers four times more detail than 4K, and is compatible with Bang & Olufsen’s speaker programme, allowing users to connect up to eight wireless Beolab speakers for true 7.1 surround sound. www.bang-olufsen.com

Preciosa Mercury Wall Sconce The Mercury wall sconce by Preciosa retains the industrial edge of the brand’s Mercury chandelier, with its striking and smooth form, and is suitable for long hallways, staircases and foyers. Crafted from gold, the product forms part of the New Interpretations portfolio – a preserve of design intent that channels historic chandeliers through a contemporary lens, redefining their original meaning in a modern context. The Mercury chandelier itself is inspired by Preciosa’s bohemian cast brass light, Louis, which was created by Czech designer Rony Plesl and uses its surface to reflect light. www.preciosalighting.com

Arte Essentials Modulaire Part of Arte’s Essentials collection – made up of non-woven wallpaper in a subtle colour palette and tactile textures – the Modulaire range interprets geometry in a modernistic way, channelling a strong sense of artistry by way of lines, surfaces and objects that stand out for their simplicity. From Mazed, Furrow, Wind (pictured) to Module, Sweep and Flourish, the wallcovering patterns are all highly breathable and durable, meeting the demands of the contract market.

Modulaire joins Les Nuances and Travellers in the wider Essentials series – the latter using pure hues inspired by natural materials such as rattan and tropical plants, and taking users on a journey around the world, from the sands of the Balearic beaches to the depths of the African jungle. www.arte-international.com

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SPECIFIER

Ferreira de Sá Econyl® Regenerated Nylon Ferreira de Sá has partnered with Econyl® Regenerated Nylon to create a sustainable fibre made from waste. The Econyl® Regeneration System emerged as a way to help protect the environment and the planet’s resources.

The process begins with the collection of discarded materials such as fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpets, and industrial plastics from oceans and landfills. These are then subsequently separated and cleaned in order to recover as much nylon as possible. Through a complex regeneration and purification process, the nylon is recycled and turned to its original purity, ensuring that it is the same as virgin nylon.

Finally, this is processed into yarn and used in the production of Ferreira de Sá’s rugs.

The introduction of the new yarn has also brought about new support tools for designers to use. Econyl® Regenerated Nylon sample boxes have since been created with more than 45 7x7cm samples in the cut and loop techniques, while a box of pompoms was also produced with around 45 neutral and metallic colours.

“Econyl® fibre presents itself as a yarn that’s not only regenerated from waste and fishing nets but also a solution to the world’s waste and pollution problem by reducing the global warming impact of nylon by up to 80% compared with the material from oil,” says Fernanda Barbosa, CEO of Ferreira de Sá. www.ferreiradesa.pt • www.econyl.com

Ferreira de Sá’s Waffle Honey indoor rug

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SPECIFIER

Gira eNet Smart Home Gira has launched a progressive software update that enables voice control for its eNet Smart Home system. Suitable for areas of up to 120m2, the technology is activated by installing either the Gira eNet Smart Home skill for Amazon Alexa or downloading the eNet Smart Home app via Google Assistant/Google Home, and then linking a Gira My eNet account – users must have an eNet server that is 2.2.1 or higher and a smart device to do so. Voice controlled features include lighting, blinds and individual scenes along with a range of compatible switches, apps and control panels: Gira G1, Gira E2 Design Line, Gira System 3000 and Gira Standard 55. www.gira.com

Nanimarquina Flora Nanimarquina has collaborated with Barcelona-born artist Santi Moix to create Flora, a collection of rugs that explore the parallels between life and death through biomorphic flowers. The series comprises three different canvases: Backyard, Promenade and Bloom, each of which is made using a hand-tufted technique.

Backyard is a literal representation of one of Moix’s works, in which the original has been transferred as reliably as possible to a rug.

The mural takes its name from the natural space behind a house, where the flora is wild, using a carefree approach to depict flowers and lines in low relief to reflect the pencil sketches of the painting. www.nanimarquina.com

Richard Ginori Aria Designed in collaboration with ALMA, the International School of Italian Cuisine, Aria is Richard Ginori’s first ever reversible tableware collection. The series aims to boost cooking inspiration by way of seven modular elements that can be used on both sides and combined. These are light and resistant thanks to the use of Hyper*P, a porcelain formulation that offers both high performance and impact resistant. Giving chefs the ability to transform the aesthetic appeal of any dish, Aria is a true reflection of the Richard Ginori identity: a synthesis between the culture of beauty, excellence of know-how, innovation and creativity. www.richardginori1735.com

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SPECIFIER

SHOWROOM

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L’Origine King’s Road

Astro Lighting Velo

L’Orgine has opened a new showroom in the heart of London’s Chelsea neighbourhood. Spread across three floors on King’s Road, the space showcases the French brand’s selection of wooden parquet flooring, which is offered in a number of different finishes, colours and patterns. There’s also a small workshop, where in-house cabinetmaker and carpenter Evan can create bespoke samples in a matter of minutes. “One does not become a master in an art overnight. It is something that has to be seeped into an individual’s blood, heart and consciousness over a considerable period of time,” says founder and CEO Vincent Coignet, who regularly mixes materials such as gold leaf and Swarovski Crystal with L’Orgine’s woods. “Being brought up in a family who only knew one thing, and that was the art of wood.”

After more than 20 years of experience, and thanks to the savoir faire passed on from his father, Coignet is now expanding the business internationally, working on prestigious hospitality, retail and residential projects in both France and the UK. www.loriginelondon.co.uk

Astro Lighting has unveiled its 2020 collection, which includes Velo, a new addition to the British brand’s popular plaster series.

Pared back and geometric in form, with sinuous lines that suit smooth plaster material, the product complements various types of architecture and adds a pleasing glow of illumination both up and down the wall. Elsewhere in the wider range is Ottavino, a decorative luminaire suitable for bathroom application, featuring a fluted cylindrical glass design that is offered as either a wall or pendant variant. The carefully fluted detailing is created through 2D design, whereby the glass is shaped upwards to achieve a ribbed cylinder. The height of the pendant is adjustable, meaning it can be used either side of a mirror to provide shadow free illumination across the face. Astro Lighting has also launched its Kinzo design in ceiling spotlight form. Characterised by architecturally pure proportions, the light is available in a range of metal finishes, dimmable direct to mains LED and can be tailored to the user’s desired colour temperature. www.astrolighting.com

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n Tapas on hold in Madrid until 2021. HI Design Europe will now take place 2 – 4 June 2021. Visit www.hidedesigneurope.com for updates. n We’re still scheduled to visit the sunny Island of Cebu for HI Design Asia from 4 – 6 November 2020. Visit www.hidesignasia.com for more details. n Float in the dead sea in Jordan from 9 – 11 December 2020 at HI Design MEA. Visit www.hisdesignmea.com for more details. n HI Design cook off! Get your utensils ready for July!

More details to come, register your interest to take part – marketing@hidesignevents.com n Are you ready to attend our events yet? Have your say by visiting www.surveymonkey.co.uk /r/hidesignevents to complete this short survey or simply scan the QR code with your smart phone camera

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SPECIFIER

@aroma All In One Type The All In One Type professional diffuser by @aroma employs a spray method that does not rely on heat or water, rather it creates an aromatic space by releasing the maximum potential of essential oils. Designed by Toshihiko Sakai, the minimalistic device can operate on a weekly or timer setting and allows for multiple concentrations to be set in a single day. @aroma specialises in scent architecture and design for interior environments. The company’s experts combine their knowledge in blending essential oils with the technology of advanced diffusion systems to create refined scent experiences that use 100% natural ingredients. www.at-aroma.com

Gan Lan Natural Designed by Neri & Hu for Gan, Lan Natural – an adaption of the Lan rug – shares the design and philosophy of the original indigo piece, but instead uses a palette of neutral tones that provide versatility and serenity for a variety of spaces. Available in four sizes, the wool rugs are made using two different techniques: the base is a Glaoui, which combines high pile and flat areas, and upon it, overlapping layers of hand-embroidered geometric patterns crafted by Gan’s team of female embroiderers. No chemical dyes are used in the rugs’ manufacture, thus maintaining the natural colour of the wool and minimising environmental impact. www.gan-rugs.com

Absolute Lifestyle Dispenser Editions Joining Absolute Lifestyle’s wider range of bespoke design accessories, the Dispenser Editions are crafted from high-quality resin and come in various colours, finishes and patterns for a distinctive look that can complete a number of interior schemes.

Developed using the brand’s signature ‘Easy Care’ approach for easy maintenance, each dispenser features two separate inserts for refilling, both of which are dishwasher safe for maximum hygiene and are also suitable for hand sanitiser. The collection is sustainable and boasts a low carbon footprint too, thanks to the use of regionally sourced materials and artisans. www.alhkg.com

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Read and Rest

Once deemed a dying art form following the

another has in-built tables for study – with

advent of digital, print media continues to prove

reading materials displayed on a tiered shelf in

its worth, achieving something of a cult status in

the centre. When booking a stay at the hotel,

recent years. Much like the resurgence of vinyl

guests are also encouraged to share their personal

records, magazines are experiencing their time

interests, meaning complementary titles can be

in the limelight once more, bringing with them a

delivered to their room prior to arrival.

sense of nostalgia that offers a welcome reprieve from today’s fast-paced world.

Print magazines reign supreme at this hotel in Beijing, where guests can browse a library stocked with a curated selection of publications.

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“In the context of Beijing’s busy city life, Read and Rest Hotel at its core is an attempt

Recognising the power of print in detaching

at promoting a quality lifestyle that is balanced

the mind from the pressures of modern life,

between feeding one’s curiosity (read) and

Beijing-based studio Office AIO centred Read

bringing calmness to one’s senses (rest),” say

and Rest Hotel – a 60-room boutique nestled

Office AIO founders Tim Kwan and Isabelle Sun.

in the winding alleys of the Xiang’Er Hutong

Striking the balance between staying connected

– around an in-house library stocked with an

and switching off is a challenge that many of us

intriguing assortment of print publications. The

are all too familiar with, but burying one’s head

space is lined with oak and defined by a series of

in a great magazine without the threat of pop-up

secluded alcoves – one is fitted with a cushioned

ads or roaming charges will always be considered

bench where guests can lounge with a magazine,

time well spent in our book.

PHONO by CHELSOM EDITION 27 LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 2020

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chelsom.co.uk

16/06/2020 15:05

CLUB.

B AT H S E R I E S

ACCESSORIES

LIGHTING

MIRRORS

www.de c or-walther.de

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02.07.2020 17:15:13