Sleeper May/June 2018 - Issue 78

MAY | JUNE 2018 MAY | JUNE 2018 W W W. SLEEPERMAGAZI N E.COM

78

Six Senses Duxton

Andrew Zobler

Alila Yangshuo

Anouska Hempel works her magic at the first urban resort for Six Senses

The founder and CEO of Sydell Group talks collaborations, culture and community

A disused sugar mill in rural China is given a new lease of life by Alila Hotels & Resorts

Because good design demands simplicity. ™

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Inside Sleeper M AY | JU N E 2 01 8

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Hotel Reviews

Features

Cover Story

051 Six Senses Duxton Singapore

040 Meeting… Andrew Zobler Sleeper meets with the founder and CEO of Sydell Group on the opening day of NoMad Los Angeles to hear about expansion plans across the company’s compelling portfolio of hotel concepts.

051 Six Senses Duxton Singapore Showcasing a commitment to heritage restoration, Six Senses opens its first urban hotel – an intimate hideaway in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown. Designed by Anouska Hempel, the hotel’s Yellow Pot restaurant is a theatrical affair characterised by a bold palette of yellow, gold and black.

056 Alila Yangshuo Guilin 067 The Mandrake London 074 Shinta Mani Angkor Siem Reap 081 The Pilgrm London 086 Andaz Singapore 092 Another Place, The Lake Ullswater 101 Viceroy Chicago 108 The Capital Suite at InterContinental

048 Brand Standards… Mob Hotels Following a pair of openings in France, the man behind Mama Shelter connects Mob Hotels to a new audience, taking its ‘by the people, for the people’ concept stateside.

Park Lane London

110 The Pavilion Suites at The Berkeley

London

Location Report 113 Copenhagen 116 Radisson Collection Royal Copenhagen 123 Nobis Hotel 128 Sanders 137 Nimb

Departments 022 Check In 024 Drawing Board 141 Business Centre Hotel Analyst 146 Business Centre STR 161 Events 181 Company Profile Jung 185 Product Profile Lighting & Control 203 Specifier 226 Check Out

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Welcome

T

he hospitality industry is often criticised for its lack of commitment to the planet, with some arguing that travel – particularly at the luxury end of the market – is at odds with being green.

However there’s one issue that has repeatedly hit the headlines in recent months, spurring major operators to take action and prompting a shift in the way hotels will be run and even designed in the future; the consumption of single-use plastics.

In England, large retailers were first in the firing line, hit with a policy that enforces a 5p charge for carrier bags. It may have been a controversial move when first introduced in 2015, but has since been hailed a huge success, with usage plummeting by 90% – that’s a lot less plastic being pumped into our oceans.

Disposable coffee cups were next under the spotlight, pressuring high street chains to find alternatives to the ubiquitous non-recyclable, plasticcoated cup. And now it’s the turn of the hotel industry, with everything from drinking straws and water bottles to bathroom amenities and food packaging facing an outright ban.

Marriott International has announced plans to eliminate plastic straws from its UK hotels, as has Interstate Europe, estimating the move will stop more than 65,000 straws being disposed of annually.

Since then, a host of operators have followed suit, and in the latest development, Edition Hotels has launched an initiative to not only omit single-use plastics from its own properties, but to work with other hotel groups to bring industry-wide change. The scheme is the brainchild of Ben Pundole, Edition’s Vice President of Brand Experience, and will provide the tools and resources for staying plastic-free, such as a library of plasticalternative vendors who supply everything from environmentally friendly bamboo straws to water cartons for stocking up the mini-bar.

It’s an ambitious goal for an issue that been tackled time and time again, but the war on plastic seems to have really gained momentum in 2018.

What’s interesting is that going plastic free isn’t (yet) a legal requirement, but a choice that operators are making off their own backs to address what is fast becoming a global environmental disaster.

Catherine Martin | Editor

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Guest Book

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© Ki Price, Emulsion London

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© Jamie McGregor Smith

© Krishna Adithya Prajogo

RAMI FUSTOK

BILL BENSLEY

ANDRE FU

PRIYA PAUL

Immersed in London’s vibrant street culture from an early age, and son to sculptor Bushra Fakhoury, it comes as no surprise that Beirut-born Londoner Rami Fustok has an eye for art. Nowhere is this more prevalent than at his debut hotel – The Mandrake, a hedonistic oasis in London’s Fitzrovia, where provocative artworks feature alongside mythical creatures to make for a memorable stay.

Having designed dozens of resorts across Asia, the everenergetic Bill Bensley has turned his attention to developing his own collection of hotels, letting his creative spirit run wild in the process. Working with Sokoun Chanpreda, founder of Shinta Mani Hotels, the duo have revamped the Cambodian group’s existing properties, and opened an all-villa retreat where luxury with a conscience takes centrestage.

Andre Fu has been particularly busy of late, completing projects in both Europe and Asia. He recently returned to London’s The Berkeley to design its Pavilion Suites, and put the finishing touches to Andaz Singapore, where interiors are inspired by the alleyways of Kampong Glam.

The AFSO founder also picked up accolades at this year’s AHEAD Asia for his designs at Kerry Hotel Hong Kong.

“For all of us at The Park Hotels, creativity is in our DNA,” says Priya Paul, a leading figure in Asia’s boutique hotel sector and recipient of the Outstanding C o nt r ibut io n Awa rd at AHEAD Asia 2018. “Design for us is not just designing spaces that are creative and thought-provoking, it’s also about designing anything but ordinary experiences for our guests. It has been a wonderful creative journey.”

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Š Pal Hansen

Martin Goddard & Jo Littlefair GODDARD LITTLEFAIR

Ahead of putting the finishing touches to Hans’ Bar & Grill at the revamped 11 Cadogan Gardens, Goddard Littlefair take a fantasy break in Portugal’s winelands.

Where are you?

We’re in Porto, high on a hill above the Douro River, overlooking the wineries of Vila Nova de Gaia on the opposite bank.

How did you get there?

We’ve just arrived by boat from the Douro Valley World Heritage Site, where we enjoyed several days of wine tasting on a small quinta, followed by some relaxation at the Six Senses Spa. This is the final leg of a holiday in a country we both know and love – and also where we first got to know each other.

Who is there to greet you on arrival?

Artist Susana Bravo. We’ve always loved her work, and on arrival she presents us with a personalised collage created especially for us.

And who’s at the concierge desk?

The concierge is a descendant of a local family and an expert in the wines and produce of the region.

He’s ready to quiz us on our tastes, so he can come up with personalised suggestions during our stay.

Who are you sharing your room with?

Each other, of course!

It’s a former palace, available only on the basis of a personal introduction. It’s seven-star and the ultimate in discretion, with no signage or branding.

The view is of the valley and river, and the room is slightly angled towards the west to catch the sunset at its best. It’s the ultimate in decompression; a complete escape.

dessert is a take on the Portuguese patisserie classic, the pastel de nata.

Who designed it?

Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt.

What’s in the mini-bar for a nightcap?

Classic red port, infused with botanical herbs.

What’s the restaurant and bar like?

The restaurant is in the kitchen and service is a single sitting for all guests. The bar is a wine cellar and the sommelier takes us down before the meal to help select a wine based on our tastes. We enjoy drinks on the terrace overlooking the river, before being called to the table.

What luxury item have you brought with you?

Cashmere bed socks!

Who are you dining with this evening?

Fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent; American singer Nina Simone; novelist Zadie Smith; sculptor Antony Gormley; and French-American artist Louise Bourgeois.

Is there anything you would like waiting for you in your room?

White port, tonic and chilled negroni. And a few mystery packages from Dior wrapped in ribbons.

Who’s manning the stoves?

Niklas Ekstedt, a Michelin-starred chef taking Swedish cuisine back to its roots, with food cooked in a fire pit or birchwood-fired ovens. We recently ate at his restaurant in Stockholm and the tastes were extraordinary.

Describe the hotel, your room and the view...

The hotel isn’t even a hotel – in public, at least.

And what’s on the menu?

The starters and mains are all seafood-based, and

Would you like something to drink with that?

As well as the wine we’ve already chosen, there are optional, recommended single glasses to accompany each course.

Would you like a newspaper in the morning?

Several glossy magazines please, with a special focus on Portuguese art, design and architecture.

What toiletries would you like to freshen up with?

You can’t beat Aesop’s Parsley Seed range.

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Early morning alarm call or late check out?

Late check-out.

Bath or power shower?

Bath.

Full English, continental or something different?

Full English.

Swimming pool, spa or gym?

A spa, with plenty of water vitality experiences.

Name: Martin Goddard and Jo Littlefair | Position: Directors and co-founders, Goddard Littlefair | www.goddardlittlefair.com Notable hotel projects: Gleneagles, Perthshire; Principal, York; Corinthia, Budapest; InterContinental Berlin (2018); 11 Cadogan Gardens, London (2018); Hilton Münich (2019)

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One & Only One Za’abeel DUBAI

Kerzner International Holdings has announced the evolution of the One & Only portfolio with the introduction of its Urban Resorts brand.

Set to open in 2020 within Dubai’s One Za’abeel, One & Only One Za’abeel is being developed by Ithra Dubai, with interiors designed

by Denniston International. Strategically positioned at the crossroads of the city’s old and new business districts, the complex comprises two high-rise, mixed-use towers joined by The Linx – a connecting promenade with expansive views of the city. Bringing together hotel and residential elements, the development includes restaurants, a nightclub, a sky concourse and event spaces as well as a spa, swimming pool and gym.

Breaking from the brand’s traditional preference for ocean-front developments, One & Only Urban Resorts will occupy city spots from historic landmarks to ambitious newbuilds, offering new experiences for business and family guests whilst retaining the glamour of its beach locations. The design of each will celebrate the surrounding area, and seek to create sophisticated cultural hubs for locals and guests alike through the inclusion of signature restaurants and public spaces.

“Our Urban Resorts will be a translation of the life, energy and entertainment of our world-renowned beach resorts, offering curated experiences for each guest, from business and leisure travellers, families, as well as the community, an utterly unrivalled urban oasis,” explains Philippe Zuber, President and Chief Operating Officer, One & Only Resorts. “Central to all of Dubai – a true crossroads of the city – One & Only One Za’abeel will become a place where people want to be and come back for more, the ultimate destination in Dubai and the perfect landmark in which to introduce One & Only Urban Resorts.”

Ace Hotel KYOTO

Ace Hotels has teamed up with NTT Urban Development and architect Kengo Kuma for its Japanese debut.

as the past and the present, are connected to this venerable land with its various gardens, which have existed since the Heian period. Every detail and material was thought through to connect the building, land and history together.”

Channeling the neighbourhood’s artistic spirit through local collaborations and in-house cultural programming, the hotel will seek to generate a cultural hub for guests and Kyoto residents alike. Parts of the surrounding area occupy the former grounds of the Imperial Palace, whilst Ace Hotel Kyoto will also be in close proximity to cultural staples like Nishiki Market and the Museum of Kyoto.

“It’s been our longstanding dream to put down roots in Japan,” comments Brad Wilson, President, Ace Hotel Group. “We feel incredibly humbled and grateful to work with such well-respected and admirable partners to make our dreams a reality.”

Set to land in 2019 as part of a redevelopment of ShinPuhKan, Kuma’s design for the newbuild incorporates elements of the historic Kyoto Central Telephone Office that sits adjacent. The office’s retained central courtyard will feature alongside Kuma’s traditional wooden grid exterior, whilst a surface of louvres and meshes double as environmental devices, filtering light and wind. Across the façade, the concrete’s distinctive warm colour is a result of mixing the material with iron oxide.

“The thought was to create a hotel that is connected to Kyoto and open to the surrounding area,” Kuma explains. “To begin with, the proposition was to create a dense garden where communities, as well

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Amanvari BAJA PENINSULA

Aman Resorts, Hotels & Residences has announced plans for a new hotel on the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula, marking the brand’s Mexican debut.

structures are in keeping with Aman’s design ethos of ensuring that destination informs resort vision.

Part of the wider Costa Palmas development, Amanvari comprises 20 bi-level structures with floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto outdoor terraces and wraparound sundecks. The main pavilion will form the heart of the resort, taking the shape of an open-air beach atrium. This space will host three restaurants, a library and lounge, as well as a 30-metre infinity pool incorporating four hot tubs.

“Our number one priority is embracing our pathfinder spirit,” comments Vladislav Doronin, Chairman and CEO of Aman. “In the context of Amanvari, the raw landscape on the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula is a fitting location for our first destination in Mexico and illustrates our continued commitment to curating resorts of architectural distinction.”

Situated on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, Amanvari is scheduled to open in 2020, and will comprise a hotel alongside residential elements and a spa pavilion. Taking its name from the Sanskrit words for peace and water, the hotel is framed by the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range, and fronted by its own stretch of beach.

Los Angeles-based real estate firm Irongate has been tasked with development, commissioning architects Heah & Co to create a design that allows the landscape to take centrestage. Each hotel pavilion will take the form of an island rising from the earth, allowing flora and fauna to flow uninterrupted below. Resting on legs, the stilted

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Herman K COPENHAGEN

Brøchner Hotels has announced the summer opening of Herman K, a 31-key boutique hotel set within a disused transformer station.

Herman K has also partnered with the double Michelin-starred restaurant Kadeau for a venue serving up Nordic cuisine, whilst the bar adjacent will continue the signature Brøchner Hotels’ wine hour, with drinks on the house amidst a scattering of sophisticated furnishings. Digital elements have also been integrated throughout the project in order to streamline the check-in process and allow guests to personalise their entertainment system, with guestrooms featuring screens and speakers.

Herman K joins a portfolio comprising a total of 368 keys spread across four boutique hotels: Hotel SP34, Hotel Danmark, Avenue Hotel Copenhagen and Hotel Astoria. Seeking to transform the hospitality scene of Copenhagen, Brøchner will next repurpose the city’s Carlsberg factory as a 156-key boutique hotel in 2019, and open its first hotel outside of Copenhagen in Aarhus soon after.

Situated in central Copenhagen, the converted station was built in 1963 and features a distinctive façade of dark bronze slats and large glass doors that draw attention to the high-ceiling lobby. Within, the retention of the structure’s raw, unpolished architecture serves as a frame for a large bespoke installation art piece that casts moving shadows across the space.

The transformer’s crude architecture is both juxtaposed and emphasised by the interior scheme, which features a cool neutral palette alongside white marble and designer furnishings. The guestroom offer includes Duplex and a Penthouse Suite, which comes complete with a 40m2 private roof terrace.

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The Tampa Edition FLORIDA

Ian Schrager will bring his Edition concept to Tampa in 2021, providing the city with its first five-star hotel.

“We are thrilled that our Edition brand, in addition to our JW Marriott brand, will become part of SPP’s exciting vision for downtown Tampa,” says Kevin Montano, Senior Vice President for Global Development of Edition and W Hotels, Marriott International.

“The Edition brand is known for timeless design, uncompromising quality and impeccable modern service, and the property is sure to become a significant cultural and hospitality hub.”

The forthcoming JW Marriott hotel will land alongside a renovation of the existing 727-key Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina for a total of 1,246 guestrooms and over 150,000ft2 of event space.

When all three hotels are open, they will together play a key role in SPP’s Water Street Tampa neighbourhood, one of the largest real estate developments within a US central business district, comprising cultural, commercial educational and hospitality elements.

Designed by Morris Adjmi – who previously oversaw Williamsburg’s The Wythe – in partnership with local architectural firm Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, and with interiors by Manhattanbased firm Roman & Williams, the 173-key Tampa Edition will form part of a 26-storey tower with a rooftop pool and bar, high-end restaurant, spa and fitness centre. Ian Schrager Company is also curating restaurants and retail space on the ground floor.

With development input from Strategic Property Partners (SPP) and Marriott International, The Tampa Edition will be situated at the heart of the Water Street Tampa neighbourhood, which will also feature a newbuild JW Marriott opening in 2020.

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PROJECT: HOUSTON MARRIOTT MARQUIS DESIGNER: LOONEY & ASSOCIATES PURCHASER: THE CARROLL ADAMS GROUP

W W W. S T U D I O - A T.C O M

Southwark Hotel LONDON

Dexter Moren Associates and development firm Frogmore have been granted permission for a 274-key hotel in the heart of Waterloo.

council officers and local stakeholders,” says Mark Wood, Director, Dexter Moren Associates. “The approved scheme is a thoughtful and outward looking development that is respectful to its context and neighbours, as well as creating a beautiful pocket park that invites locals and hotel guests alike to meander through the re-instated roadway and spend time in the restaurant and courtyard.”

The pocket park will sit between the hotel’s two accommodation blocks, as will an oasis of seating, sculptures and greenery. Accessible by public route through the site, the space has been envisioned in the spirit of Ham Yard, St. Christopher’s Place and Shepherd Market.

The hotel’s restaurant will generate an active frontage along this path, with the dining area spilling out into the courtyard whilst the two separate blocks will be connected above by a lightweight glazed bridge link.

Nestled between Waterloo Station and Tate Modern on a disused brownfield site, the 9,141m2 newbuild will include a street-level restaurant, public courtyard and pocket park. The design reinterprets local characteristics as an understated structure with a refined palette of just three colours, textures and tones of brickwork – glazed green, yellow London stock and pale white matte – reflecting the Victorian industrial vernacular. The façade features a repetition of bay elements, creating a structure and vertical rhythm, whilst perforated metal panels add subtle industrial tones.

“This is a complex and sensitive site and our design has been through several iterations, each taking on board comments from

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Bodmin Jail CORNWALL

Interstate Europe Hotels & Resorts has been appointed to manage a luxury hotel within the infamous Bodmin Jail following a multimillion-pound transformation.

Our team is working closely with the owners and the architects to ensure we create a hotel that reflects and respects the building’s extensive history and provides guests with a memorable experience.”

A number of surveys, investigations and mitigations have been carried out at the site to ensure the building is developed without harm to important ecology. As such, the hotel’s guestrooms will be created by cutting through cell walls measuring more than half-ametre thick, and converting the 8m2 spaces into comfortable double ‘cells’ with large bathrooms opening off each. The hotel portion of the development will open in 2019.

Hannah Barker, Senior Architect at Twelve Architects, adds: “Our team has created a design that forges a symbiotic relationship between the building’s different functions while making the most of the building’s magical interior and exposed walls.”

Known for its rumoured ghostly residents, the jail was built in 1779 and was the site of over 50 public hangings before it closed in 1927. London-based Twelve Architects has now been appointed by owners Mallino Development Group to create a mixed-use scheme comprising a 63-key hotel alongside a teaching facility and events space. The studio will seek to preserve the prison’s historical features whilst creating a destination enjoyed by guests and visitors alike.

Nicholas Northam, Managing Director UK, Interstate Europe Hotels & Resorts, comments: “The Bodmin Jail development is a really unique project and one that we’re thrilled to be involved with.

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The Bulgari Hotel PARIS

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has revealed an agreement for a 76-key hotel in Paris, scheduled to open in 2020.

evoking a rationalistic style and aesthetics reminiscent of 19th century Haussmanian urban patterns.

Jean Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, comments: “We are particularly proud to have secured such an extraordinary location for the new Bulgari hotel in Paris. The Paris hotel, to be opened in 2020, will add the City of Lights to our collection and we are convinced that this new addition will represent an irresistible Roman jeweller hospitality experience in the Parisian upscale hotel market.”

The new opening will build on Bulgari’s 2017 launches in Beijing and Dubai, whilst the collection’s latest hotel in Shanghai opened earlier in 2018. Looking further ahead, Bulgari Moscow is scheduled to land in 2020, which will bring the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts Collection portfolio to eight properties, including the existing assets in Milan, London and Bali.

Comprising a range of luxury facilities including a spa, 25-metre swimming pool and a Bulgari restaurant and bar opening to a courtyard garden, The Bulgari Hotel Paris is being designed by Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel alongside Parisianstudio Valode & Pistre.

The hotel will be located at 30 Avenue George V, the street joining with Champs Elysees and Montaigne to form the Triangle d’Or, one of Paris’ most exclusive areas, with a wealth of luxury shopping, entertainment and cultural attractions nearby. The restyling of the building has been conceived as a transition to modernity, and incorporates traditional Parisian limestone, a renewed façade

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28/03/2018 14:38

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Š Nathanael Turner

MEETING

Andrew Zobler Since co-founding Sydell Group with Ron Burkle in 2005, CEO Andrew Zobler has built a diverse array of properties in distinctive buildings, collaborating with a host of talent across the design and F&B worlds.

Words: Matt Turner | Photography: © Adrian Gaut (unless otherwise stated)

I

t’s been a crazy few weeks,” confesses Andrew Zobler as we sit down in The Exchange restaurant at Freehand LA. It is a beautiful Sunday morning, and the opening day of NoMad Los Angeles situated just around the corner – one of three hotels he has launched in almost as many weeks. “We opened LINE DC in mid-December and Freehand New York last weekend. I’m going to Vegas tomorrow where we are working with MGM, then Austin on Tuesday where we’re opening another LINE.” But first of all there is the property we’re seated in – the third hostel-hotel hybrid launched by Sydell Group following Freehand’s debut in Miami in December 2012, and a follow-up in Chicago in May 2015.

Housed in the historic Commercial Exchange building, the 226-room Freehand LA features a mix of accommodations from shared bunk-rooms to spacious suites. It’s a slight move upscale for the brand, seeing the addition of amenities such as room service and doormen. But its design by Roman & Williams gives it a continuity with the other properties in the portfolio whilst rooting it in its locality.

“We saw there was a real gap in the US to do something in the hostel space. People were doing much more interesting things in Europe but there wasn’t much of high-quality in that space over

here,” explains Zobler. “I fell in love with the idea – the culture of it, a place where people want to meet other people, with a strong culture of community.”

He admits that the business model for Freehand is still developing.

“We’re still refining, trying to figure out how much of a hostel we are and how much of a hotel. Here it’s a little more hotel than hostel.”

As with all Sydell’s properties, its F&B partners are key. Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi of BarLab, who launched their award-winning Broken Shaker and Restaurant 27 at the original Freehand in Miami have been brought in once again to oversee The Exchange restaurant and the rooftop pool bar. The restaurant, helmed by local chef Andrew Chang, offers an Israeli-influenced take on the multicultural flavours of LA. On the roof deck, guests can lounge amidst bright pink furnishings sipping handcrafted cocktails. There is also Rudolph’s – a communal lobby space offering a menu built around tea-infused libations, afternoon tea service and light bites; a grab’n’go coffee counter by Café Integral; and a concept store by Flowerboy Project.

Visually, the project takes its cue from the 12-storey vintage blade sign (the largest in LA) that towers above the restaurant entrance.

“It’s very youthful, and very accessible. We really wanted to create

We saw there was a real gap in the US to do something in the hostel space... I fell in love with the idea – the culture of it, a place where people want to meet other people, with a strong culture of community.”

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Above: The gallery at Freehand New York, designed by Roman & Williams

something that was specific to California, as we felt a lot of the urbanism in downtown LA feels imported from elsewhere.”

Zobler says he sees himself as “more of a producer than a director” but in fact he started out as a lawyer rather than a hotelier, graduating from Brooklyn Law School before moving into hospitality real estate.

“Rolling the camera back, I did a lot of acquisitions, working for Barry Sternlicht with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in the early days before they bought Westin,” he remembers. “After Starwood bought ITT Sheraton I was offered a job as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Development North America, so I did a lot of deals, and worked on a lot of the early W Hotels.”

A stint as a partner in, and Chief Investment Officer of, André Balazs Properties followed, during which his involvement in the launch of The Standard High Line ignited an interest in the design side of the business.

He founded Sydell in 2005 in partnership with Ron Burkle. Early projects included the Ace Hotel Palm Springs and Ace Hotel New York, but the property with which Sydell really established itself as a recognised name in the hospitality world was NoMad: “I realised I was pretty good at the design and branding side, although I’d never really done it, so I started getting more active as an owner and developer. Then when the building that’s now the NoMad New York became available, I noticed it and thought it could be something

great. That’s really where the company started in its present form.

Luckily the NoMad was successful and people started thinking of us much more as operators and branders. But we didn’t do it with this grand idea of starting Sydell as a development company or to develop a NoMad brand, we did it as a specific response to that building.”

If there has been a constant thread throughout these many varied projects it has been Zobler’s ability to spot real estate opportunities in redundant buildings in developing neighbourhoods, then to identify the right partners and collaborators to bring them to life.

For NoMad New York, the building’s French façade led him to approach Jacques Garcia of Hotel Costes fame, for what would become the designer’s first hospitality project on US soil.

Restaurateur Will Guidara and chef Daniel Humm of Make It Nice, who had recently built 11 Madison Park from a French brasserie to one of New York’s most coveted fine-dining destinations, were enlisted to run the food and beverage. Both Garcia and Make it Nice have now been brought back in to handle the design and F&B respectively at NoMad Los Angeles.

As we walk the block from Freehand to NoMad, Zobler picks up the story: “Whereas NoMad New York was Paris-meets-New-Yorkbohemia, this was going to be Italy-meets-California, so we thought we would probably hire an Italian or Californian designer. But when we met with Jacques Garcia, he pulled out this big photo album of a

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Right: Freehand New York is the fourth hostel-hotel property from Sydell, following earlier openings in Miami, Chicago, and LA

house he owned, and we just thought it spoke so clearly to what we want to accomplish.”

Sydell sometimes acts as a joint venture partner, other times as owner, operator and developer. “We’re very chameleonlike as a company,” he says. “Ultimately it’s about doing whatever it needs to get it done, depending on the circumstances.” In London, for example, Sydell partnered with Soho House Group, at the suggestion of Ron Burkle, a co-investor in both companies, to help with the design and development delivery of The Ned – an ambitious conversion of the original Midland Bank building in the City of London to a combination of hotel, members club and restaurant spaces.

In Las Vegas they are working with MGM Resorts International on Park MGM, which Zobler says will create “a boutique experience on a resort scale”. Located on the site of the Monte Carlo next door to the T-Mobile Arena in the centre of the Las Vegas Strip, the project is billed as a reimagination of the conventioncasino hotel model. As we went to press, the first phase was unveiled, including completely reimagined guestrooms and suites, food and beverage offerings, lounges, pools, and meeting spaces. The NoMad hotel, occupying the top four floors of the tower, will open in Autumn 2018 with 292 guestrooms and suites; a dedicated entrance and lobby; highlimit gaming and a private pool. Designs are

by Martin Brudnizki.

“MGM really wanted NoMad,” explains Zobler. “But we couldn’t do that in isolation

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Above: The lobby at Park MGM, designed by Martin Brudnizki Opposite: Line DC is housed in a 110-year old church in the Adams-Morgan district

from the rest of the building, so we ended up convincing them to let us do the whole thing. It’s really going to be very special, we’re very excited about it. We’re involved in all the touchpoints – the design, the building, the branding, the culture, the F&B, although we’re not experts in operating a casino in Vegas which is what MGM do.”

“The Ned was a similar scenario – we share responsibility for operations and development, but the truth is we were overwhelmingly more responsible for putting the financing together and getting it built, Soho House are more responsible for the design and for operating it.”

The Sydell brand that offers the most flexibility according to Zobler is LINE, launched with its debut property in Los Angeles in 2015. “It was 400 rooms in Koreatown so it obviously wasn’t going to be a NoMad. We thought it needed to feel authentic to its LA location, so it was a response to that. We’re not slavish about brand in the way some of the other companies are. LINE is more just about doing things that have a sense of locality and place.”

Housed in an all-concrete building, Sydell opted to retain much of its original 1964 structure, collaborating with Venice Beach based interior designer Sean Knibb to bring colour to the monolithic backdrop of grey, rough textured walls with a range of ethnic influences reflecting the cultural diversity of LA. Local talent was tapped to partner on the F&B and retail elements:

celebrated Koreatown chef Roy Choi (of Kogi, Chego and A-Frame fame) to create its in-house drinking and dining spots Commissary, Café, and Pot lobby bar; The Houston Brothers for nightlife venues Break Room 86 and The Speek; with Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung opening an outpost of their art and design store Poketo in the lobby.

The contrast between the brutalist concrete envelope of LINE LA, and its DC sister property, housed in a 110-year old church building could not be more marked. Here, a community of local chefs, bartenders, artists, and designers from the Adams-Morgan district in which it is located drives the programming.

Next up is LINE Austin – a reinvention of an iconic, mid-century modernist building overlooking Town Lake in the heart of Downtown Austin, where Sydell is working once again with designer Sean Knibb, and Austin architect Michael Hsu. Sydell is named after Zobler’s maternal grandmother – a leading New York antiques dealer he credits with his appreciation for design and ‘found things’. As we walk the newly-opened floor of NoMad Los Angeles, he greets each of his staff individually by name, pausing only to run his finger along the back of a bar stool whilst appreciating the art on the walls: “This is a proud moment for me. Looking at the urban noir photography of LA mixed in with the beautiful fabrics, the distressed leather, that’s the NoMad formula. Hopefully we got the balance right.”

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© Gary Williams

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Mob Mentality MOB HOTELS

Set to take its socially-conscious concept stateside following a pair of openings in France, the man behind Mama Shelter connects Mob Hotels to a new audience.

Cyril Aouizerate Founder Mob Hotels Hailing from Toulouse, France, Cyril Aouizerate is known to most as the co-founder of Mama Shelter, the vibrant chain of boutique hotels where accesibility and inclusivity take centrestage.

As founder of Urbantech – a creative development and consultancy studio based in Paris – he has overseen the creation of restaurants, hotels and retail concepts, each with utopian ideals at their core. With two hotels already open, his latest project, Mob Hotels, now sets its sights on expansion into new locations and communities.

By the people Cyril Aouizerate – founder of Mob Hotels and co-founder of Mama Shelter – doesn’t want you to think of his new project as a hotel chain, rather a social movement complete with its own manifesto, a taste for social justice, and aspirations of becoming a self-styled ‘dream republic’.

“From the beginning I didn’t want to start a chain, or a new lifestyle boutique hotel,” he explains. “In our hotels we read the culture, the food, the way people are educated and learn about the world, and from that create a difference.” Working once again with business partner Michel Reybier and designer Philippe Starck – both holdovers from the Mama Shelter days – whilst bringing Steve Case of AOL Online and Glyn Aeppel of Glencove Capital into the fold, Aouizerate seeks to cultivate a series of “concrete utopias” under the umbrella of one simple philosophy: live together. With two properties already open in Paris and Lyon, Mob Hotels now sets its sights on expansion.

The story so far Starting life as a restaurant in the heart of Brooklyn, the Mob concept grew from feeding communities to housing them. By 2011, the restaurant had become a meeting place for locals, with Aouizerate watching on as members of the district’s artistic, creative and agriculture scenes connected within his creation. Fusing utopian philosophy with affordable rates, Mob Hotels was born when Aouizerate sold his Mama Shelter shares on the eve of Accor Group buying in, leaving him free to dedicate his efforts to a new project.

Social style Throughout the expansion process, Mob Hotels will seek to retain total control over all its buildings and operations, giving it the freedom all burgeoning social movements require to break the status quo. Taking cues from Starck’s eclectic Mama Shelter aesthetic, the 92-key Mob Hotel Paris brings together plush velvets and lush greenery with an expansive open-plan lobby and touches

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of Parisian chic. Elsewhere, elements of the surrounding neighbourhood’s multicultural melting pot have been incorporated, resulting in a millennial-leaning, creativefocused outpost that, since launching, has seen locals, travellers and, apparently, Kanye West come through its doors. “It’s about trying to create places that feel like your own, wherever you are,” Aouizerate notes. To the south, the 100-key Mob Hotel Lyon Confluence draws from a locale filling up with organic markets and music venues.

For the people “We don’t want to have numerical objectives or targets; we’re interested in the people,” Aouizerate explains. “I want Mob to explore how to build bridges and connect

everyone.” From printing T-shirts of Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr to instilling its Paris property with a start-up-incubator, Mob Hotels is a project preoccupied by social movements. Seeking to eventually incorporate educational and charitable elements into its concept, Mob’s tagline, ‘of the people’ hints at a more socially concerned approach, with social change a genuine end goal for Aouizerate. Starting small, this includes cultural programming and live events that emphasise minority artists and local contributions, alongside pop-up libraries and its Acteur de L’Utopie initiative.

Social spirit By maintaining total control over buildings and the operations within, Mob Hotels seeks to bring about change by way of thoughtful hospitality, eye-catching designs, and an ideology it hopes will spread beyond walls.

Each hotel features the staple guestrooms, restaurant and lobby spaces, but adds accessories, ephemera and extras to highlight its cultural core. Paris sees a host of instruments – from African pianos to left-handed guitars so no one feels left out – that guests are encouraged to pick up and use, whilst funded retail space allows young entrepreneurs to sell their products to guests and locals alike, free of

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rental charges. These inclusive ideas carry through into design: a symbol of protection painted on the entrance welcomes guests to Paris, whilst Buddhist temple bells and Tibetan prayer wheels cultivate a spiritual ambience within. The restaurant and grocery store are, of course, organic and sustainable.

What’s next?

With the USA a particular draw, the Mob mentality looks to bring a touch of compassion in an age of quite the opposite. The 144-key Mob Union Market in Washington DC, right at the heart of the issue, signals the intent with live music, a cinema, bar, restaurant and rooftop views of Capitol Building and US Congress, whilst a second addition to Mob House – the brand’s residential take on the concept – in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, seeks to bring diversity to a revitalised and quickly expanding downtown area. Lastly, a third hotel in the brand’s home country of France will land in Bordeaux in 2021, bringing together 120 guestrooms, a pool, bar, restaurant, live music, vegetable gardens, an outdoor cinema and more.

“It’s not a cynical vision; with Mob I’m trying to support change,” Aouizerate concludes. “How will we continue to live together without it?”

The Kelly Hoppen by Brintons collection brings the designer¹s unparalleled eye for trend-leading design to the commercial carpet sector.

Consisting of 13 geometric and organic designs in on-trend colourways, the collection reflects the designer¹s award-winning design style and pared back aesthetic. Kelly Hoppen took inspiration from diverse influences ranging from geometric shapes to elements found in everyday surroundings such as cracks in a pavement and splashes of paint.

Suitable for a wide variety of hospitality applications including hotels, casinos, cruise ships and airports, each Kelly Hoppen by Brintons design can be customised and is woven to order in a full range of specifications. Whichever direction is chosen, Brintons’ highly skilled design team will help to adapt the concept to ensure it matches the creative brief perfectly while complying with all the practical requirements.

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Six Senses Duxton SINGAPORE

Showcasing a commitment to heritage restoration, Six Senses opens its first urban hotel – an intimate hideaway in the heart of Singapore’s Chinatown.

Words: Juliet Kinsman | Photography: Courtesy of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

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nown for its wellbeing-boosting luxury resorts, Six Senses has spent the past two decades building its brand in far-flung and unique destinations, from the rugged Musandam Peninsula in Oman, to the UNESCO-protected Qing Cheng mountains in China.

Urban hotels may not have been part of the original masterplan when the group was established back in 1995, but for Six Senses, it seems the opportunity was too good to miss. “Such unique properties do not come to market often and we are delighted to be working with Satinder Garcha and Harpreet Bedi of Garcha Hotels on this project,” explains Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs. “The buildings will be the last

heritage hotels of this quality to be developed in Singapore. Each building has its own distinct personality, but what makes Six Senses Singapore so special is that guests can enjoy all the offerings of both locations plus the neighbourhood when staying with us. It’s all about community and being part of the rich, local culture of Singapore.”

Collectively known as Six Senses Singapore, Six Senses Duxton is the first component of the split property, with the Jacques Garciadesigned Six Senses Maxwell – also in Chinatown’s historic Tanjong Pagar area – set to follow in the coming months. And brand new as this outpost may be, it was five years in the making, due in part to the

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Above & Opposite: Public spaces, including the Yellow Pot restaurant, feature a bold palette of yellow, gold and black

preservation issues associated with heritage buildings. In recognition of the commitment to the restoration, both properties have received the Urban Redevelopment Authority Architectural Heritage Award.

Pulling up at the stained-glass porch, the romantically-lit row of shophouses spills with stories. Not from its previous life as the unremarkable Duxton Hotel, or even from its colourful past as a trading house; the address’s current incarnation is an exotic, theatrical escape from urban reality.

Singapore-based architect Faye Moya has sensitively restored the eight colonial merchant houses, while Anouska Hempel’s all-sensory signature style inside exalts it to levels of breath-halting beauty. The London-based interior designer’s knack of combining contrasting tones and textures and minimalism with maximalism makes a stay in any of her environments an adventure. Hempel’s signature layering evokes Blakes London, thanks to just-so stacks of books on lacquered tables, a phalanx of plumped cushions here and hand-picked art pieces there. Originally from Australia and influenced by time in Thailand, Hempel has developed an approach to design over the decades that makes her opulent, atmospheric and oriental interiors unmistakably glamorous.

At Six Senses Duxton, every tableau is art-directed to perfection and

the Golden Ratio is at play from the get-go. An unrivalled attention to detail extends to the textiles, custom-made furniture, and even the landscaping of the plants on the front veranda. Step inside and a sleek sofa begs guests to pause under a banner of calligraphy from Hempel’s personal collection, while the small but perfectly formed front desk is a lesson in symmetry. Explore opium-den-like nooks and appreciate it all as a softly-lit spectacle of the highest-quality craftsmanship and intriguing curios. Carefully considered lighting creates an enchanting charm, thanks to fittings created by Hempel in collaboration with Isometrix. Objets d’art, glassware and lamps are placed on shelves and occasional tables at perfect right angles to the lines of the room’s architecture, while shadow plays as prominent a role in the stage-setting as light. Even the soft swags of fabric seem to be neatly pinned to a baseline grid.

Geometrically and geographically captivating, there’s a distinct sense of place at Six Senses Duxton along with hints at far-flung fantasies. There’s a diverse mix of Chinese, Malay and European elements in the buildings, with neo-classical lion head motifs and Chinese porcelain-chip friezes co-existing with Malay timber fretwork, French windows, Portuguese shutters and Corinthian pilasters. Romantic Rococo and baroque references muddle the

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Above: The all-white Pearl Suite stars Syrian mother of pearl chests of drawers and looks out through shuttered windows

sense of time throughout, from reception to restaurant, and up to the 49 guestrooms. There are shades of the Elizabethan era in the bold palette of yellow, gold and black in Yellow Pot, the restaurant helmed by chef Sebastian Goh, while the antiquarian library-themed lobby bar has an air of Art Deco with its backlit stained glass behind the bar. Even the drinks follows suit, with the hotel’s signature house cocktail of hot whiskey, brandy and absinthe, crowned with a yellow chrysanthemum. Elsewhere, large golden fans feature alongside Oriental screens, while wallcoverings are made up of reproduced antique UK land-registry deeds. Juxtaposition – that oft-used word in the art and architectural worlds – is an art form for Hempel, as she confidently layers light with dark and new with old.

Entry-level rooms are monochrome while the top suites have their own individual look. The all-white Pearl Suite stars Syrian mother of pearl chests of drawers and looks out through shuttered windows onto a postcard-perfect stretch of Chinatown shophouses, while The Opium Room showcases collectable Chinese art and moody woods with a four-poster bed as the centrepiece. The contemporary en suite bathrooms are sculpted all-white spaces reminiscent of that 1990s’

hymn to minimalism, The Hempel Hotel. Design, refine and repeat is the mantra of the inimitable and indefatigable Hempel, who has excelled herself with this artistic renaissance of the three-storey row of buildings.

Since wellbeing is at the heart of Six Senses – which took over the management and operations of the hotel very late in the day – the brand has partnered with a respected local Traditional Chinese Medicine practice as part of its wellness offer. There’s also morning yoga and meditation in the local park.

Engaging with the immediate neighbourhood is one of the tenets of the hotel’s eco-integrity, and respect for sustainability has always guided this brand’s practices, to a greater effect than the standard CSR line. In addition to the environmental considerations implemented in the redevelopment of both properties, Six Senses is participating in a programme that will make its hotels carbon-free, after purchasing United Nations-certified carbon credits, while standing to save up to 20% in energy costs. It’s rare that somewhere so decadent and indulgent is also so considerate. Sleeping somewhere so sexy has never felt so good for the soul.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 49 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 bar | www.sixsenses.com Owner: Garcha Hotels | Operator: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas | Architecture: Moya Design | Interior Design: Anouska Hempel

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Alila Yangshuo GUILIN

A disused sugar mill surrounded by mountains and water is magically transformed into a new destination for Alila Hotels & Resorts.

Words: Lauren Ho | Photography: Courtesy of Alila Hotels & Resorts

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t’s not often you come across a hotel that is so special you want to keep it a closely guarded secret. And while China is not exactly short of luxury accommodation options these days, there are at least two reasons worth taking the trip to Alila Yangshuo. First is its heritage home within a disused sugar mill, and second is its flawless location – an hour south from the well-worn tourist paths of Guilin – in a remarkably serene slice of the countryside.

Embraced by the curve of the Li River, among the region’s dramatic tableau of soaring mountains, deep river-cut valleys and antique villages, the cluster of 1960s buildings have been rescued, restored and revived by Beijing-based Vector Architects and interior firm Horizontal Space Design to include a restaurant, bar, spa and 117 guestrooms and suites. These are set within both the heritage spaces and two low-slung newbuilds that slot seamlessly into their surroundings. “It was important to understand the historical context and the significance of the old factory,” explains Frederic FlageatSimon, CEO of Two Roads Hospitality. “We wanted the property to be a catalyst between late 1970s China and cool, contemporary modern China, so our brief was to create a real design statement with soul.”

Indeed, given that the original canvas – although in need of some love – was already pretty extraordinary, soul has certainly been achieved, in particular with the level of care and attention to every

detail from the landscape design to the lighting and layout. This is evidenced with the outdoor pool – a visual highlight of the property – that has been incorporated into the industrial truss formerly used to transport the sugar cane to the waiting boats docked on the river below. This is flanked on each side either by a scenic backdrop of looming mountains or the striking collection of bare brick buildings that make up the old mill. At the forefront is the gabled façade of the former pressing room – where cane sugar was extracted and treated – which now houses 1969 Bar and the hotel’s own rum distillery.

Inside, low-slung mid-century modern furnishings, sourced from Beijing-based store Lost & Found, are dotted around the sunken bar, which takes centrestage. “The vision for Alila Yangshuo was to integrate the new with the old, paying homage to the unique history and spirit of the buildings’ industrial heritage,” comments Ju Bin, CEO and founder of Horizontal Space Design.

Elsewhere, the old refining room, where the sugar was produced, has now been transformed to house an art gallery and the Sugar House Restaurant. Here, a full window – its soaring height guided by the lofty ceilings – opens onto an outdoor cantilevered dining terrace, while also framing the surrounding cocoon of lush mountain greenery. Inside, timber flooring, retro-chic furniture and curated artwork align to create sleek, minimal interiors in neutral hues that offset the building’s original concrete structure. In the evening, subtle

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lighting creates an intimate mood to indulge in chef Philip Zhu’s broad Chinese menu that highlights local favourites such as the hearty Guilin rice noodle soup topped with pickled vegetables, crispy pork and beef.

This intimate mood is echoed throughout the entire hotel, but particularly in the subterranean spa, already an award winner having beaten off stiff competition at AHEAD Asia. The former molasses storage facility is dominated by a concrete spiral staircase that ribbons down to the treatment rooms.

These have been moulded from underground volcanic rocks that were unearthed during construction and are suggestive of the region’s caves. Further rocks have also been planted above ground and can be seen dotted throughout the property among the wild grasses and flowers that make up the carefully curated, rough-hewn landscape.

These caves also provided inspiration for the design of the new buildings. Here, Gong Dong of Vector Architects has masterminded long, irregular open-air corridors – a geometric interpretation of a mountain pathway – that are broken up by intermittent cavern-like landings encased by curved bamboo installations that frame the

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Above: Occupying a former molasses storage facility, the subterranean spa is dominated by a concrete spiral staircase that ribbons down to the treatment rooms

surrounding scenery and also represent the bamboo tunnelling of the caves in the nearby hills. “We wanted to use something to soften the hard feeling of the concrete geometry,” explains Dong. “So we have this local bamboo art installation to create a balance between nature and industry.”

Further to that, the perforated façade of the building is the result of 40,000 hand-compressed hollow-cut bricks that take the shape of the sugar blocks produced in the 1960s. These cast a dappled light onto quiet interiors dressed with clean-lined contemporary furnishings from mostly Chinese brands such as Maxmarko and U+. Meanwhile, texture comes in the form of maroon-hued rocks, quarried from underneath the building, that have been shaped into granular tiles that line the bathrooms.

The public spaces are more dramatic, filled with bold furnishings such as colourful paint-spattered coffee tables and the rice paper bucket chair by PINWU Design Studio, as well as an outstanding collection of modern Chinese art, including one of Jiang Dahai’s famous cloud paintings which graces the lobby.

Water too, has been used to great effect, with shallow ponds reflecting the surrounding architecture and, as Dong says, “giving a new dimension to perceive the entire structure”. This is further heightened by the precise lighting scheme by Singapore-based Klaasen Lighting Design, who went to great lengths to highlight the most charming parts of the buildings. As such, up-lighting emphasises the architectural strength of the structures; concealed spotlights calls attention to the surrounding trees creating visual space; and smart lighting emanates from behind the perforated façades producing a lantern effect. “One of the key things about lighting design is also about what not to light,” explains Martin Klaasen, the company’s founder. “There can be a tendency to light up everything and then there’s no differentiation any more. One of the considerations was to use the water surfaces to reflect what’s going on outside. At night, this transfers into a reflective pool, which gives a nice, magical feel about the space.”

One of the most captivatingly visual properties to emerge in a while, Alila Yangshuo is indeed, magical.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 117 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 bar | Gallery, private events spaces | Spa, swimming pool, gym | www.alilahotels.com Operator: Alila Hotels & Resorts, Two Roads Hospitality | Architecture: Vector Architects | Interior Design: Horizontal Space Design Lighting Design: Klaasen Lighting Design | Landscaping: Qianbai Yu; Yingying Xiao

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The Mandrake LONDON

Entrepreneur Rami Fustok channels a passion for art with his debut property in London’s Fitzrovia.

Words: Ben Thomas | Photography: © Courtesy of The Mandrake (unless stated otherwise)

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mmersed in London’s vibrant street culture from an early age, and son to renowned sculptor Bushra Fakhoury, it comes as no surprise that Beirut-born Londoner Rami Fustok has an eye for art. Nowhere is this more prevalent than at his debut hotel, The Mandrake.

Inspired by the medicinal properties of the plant after which it is named, the new hotel in the capital’s Fitzrovia district instantly brings a level of mystery through cryptic signage, a dimly lit tunnel entrance and provocative artworks – the result of Fustok’s brief to the architects to “shock those entering the bubble.”

With this in mind, architects Manalo & White set out to create a memorable arrival experience in which the tunnel opens up to a double-height lobby that exposes glimmers of an internal courtyard.

Designed by landscape architects Bureau Bas Smets, the lush sanctuary of hanging passionflower and jasmine takes centrestage. “Rami fell in love with the space between the buildings, and the idea to then build a secret oasis wrapped around the outdoor space. He was fascinated with the notion of making it feel magical and otherworldly, and that then fed into the guestrooms, bar and restaurant around it,” says Brian Greathead, founder of Manalo & White.

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Left: Architects Manalo & White set out to create a memorable arrival experience in which a tunnel entrance opens up to a double-height lobby

“The idea was to transform the outdoor space from a breakout area to an integral part of this project. The space is, if you like, the spiritual hub of the hotel, yet if it had been a metre wider or a metre longer, it would have lost its degree of intimacy.”

Intimacy was insisted upon early in the project, with Fustok aiming to encourage sociability through the hotel’s public spaces.

Jurema, an al fresco bar, occupies the courtyard’s first floor along with an outdoor terrace, encompassing a wooden shack-style bar set to be operational in the summer months.

“One of the key ideas that Rami wanted to instil was a level of sociability, or the idea of bumping into people,” Greathead adds. “All of the public spaces are relatively intimate and designed to prompt conversation.”

A key aspect of Manalo & White’s role was the joining of the former office buildings, resulting in a labyrinth of corridors and a variety of room types. “The building itself

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Above: The Mandrake Suite is an opulent and magical affair that somewhat characterises the hotel’s identity

is vast, and each guestroom differs in shape and size, meaning the footprint of every floor is very tight. We therefore decided to integrate the stairwells as guestroom lobbies, and increased the depth of the balconies to create an extended living space.”

In bringing the spaces to life, the architects worked closely with fit-out specialists Beck, together overcoming the challenges of the building. Project Director Paul Akast notes: “The project was made more difficult by the fact that every guestroom was bespoke. Often with a hotel fit-out there may be three types of guestroom and two suites on a floor. Here, every single space was drawn out individually.”

Guestrooms are outfitted with bedding from Naturalmat and Crosswater bathroom fixtures, while German manufacturer Dornbracht has installed showers in the hotel’s Junior Suites. Bespoke touches such as a book selection targeted at each individual guest’s personal profile skilfully intrigue, whilst a mini-bar snooze button perfects the in-room acoustics.

Encased in white Veronese marble, the Penthouse Suite occupies the entire top floor and is flooded with natural light. The suite’s focal point bed features a cashmere mattress, handmade in Devon and adorned in fabric from the Isle of Bute, while its bathroom encompasses dual showers, a steam room and WC flush plates from Aquadomo, as well as a Jacuzzi under a retractable roof. Elsewhere, The Mandrake Suite somewhat characterises the hotel’s identity, an opulent and magical

affair boasting a freestanding bathtub, Bedouin-style tented bed, rich fabrics and a black and silver marble bathroom accessorised with Lefroy Brooks fittings. Throughout the guestrooms and public spaces, furniture has been procured by Argenta Projects and features the likes of Ben Whistler, while the restaurant’s banquettes have been expertly fitted by Beck and upholstered by Alma Leather.

Interior design by Culture in Architecture – headed up by Fustok’s sister Tala – sees Parisian jewel-toned velvets, gilded mirrors and metallic coffee tables balanced with earthy drapes and curvaceous wing chairs inspired by the city of London. Bespoke chandeliers feature in each of the 34 guestrooms and suites, while muted tones and pockets of colour echo a bohemian vibe and are woven through vibrant artworks. Soundscapes curated by engineer Pierre-Arnaud Alunni and distributed by AT&C, as well as specially designed scents

by Azzi Glasser complement the sensory experience, breathing life into the distinct areas.

In contrast to the soft furnishings, the building’s materials are industrial in look and feel, exposing original brickwork, a timberclad lift shaft and warehouse-style stairwells. Beck partnered with specialists to handcraft coarse concrete walls in the lobby, a process that took weeks to perfect, and wrapped the ceiling in reclaimed timber. “The reception area looks quite unique with the use of concrete and reclaimed timbers, and this continues effectively to the

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Above: Encased in white Veronese marble, the Penthouse suite occupies the entire top floor and is flooded with natural light

guestroom lobby where exposed surfaces feature in the ceiling voids,” Akast adds. “It’s quite unusual, but we push for the unusual as we like the challenge.”

Back downstairs, Waeska bar uses retractable glass doors to open onto the courtyard, and serves botanical-based cocktails created by a team of in-house mixologists. The art-inspired venue delves into the personal tastes of its owner, presenting storied antiquities and works collected on Fustok’s global travels – including taxidermy of a mythical creature by Cuban artist Enrique Gomez de Molina.

International influences continue at Serge et le Phoque, the Michelinstarred Hong Kong concept making its first overseas venture, where a radical yet refined approach serves up modern French cuisine to a 58-cover restaurant. A 16-person private dining room is dramatised using a red lacquered finish, with wine sommelier Bert Blaize on offer for exclusive tastings.

The hotel’s art-inspired programming makes use of a multi-purpose theatre space complete with a cinema, audiovisual installation from AT&C and murals by Berlin street art duo Herakut and artist PJ

de Villiers, while a curated workshop space plays host to an artist in residence every month. American tattoo artist Mark Mahoney – considered the founding father of black and grey art – is among those to have entered the realm, making his first visit to Europe to set up a miniature version of his famed LA parlour, Shamrock Social Club. Dean Culpan, General Manager of The Mandrake, explains the importance of the concept: “The purpose of our resident artists is to breathe life into the space, because as a boutique hotel we are always looking that little bit further, we want life. For us, it starts with picking the right team and programming.”

In the works for five years, The Mandrake is certainly hedonistic, and Fustok’s vision has no doubt shaken up London’s hotel sphere.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true from his point of view,” says Akast. Greathead agrees, concluding: “It’s very much built on his image, it reflects his outlook on life, his personality, and his desire to create the perfect kind of place that he would want to go to. He is a natural fit as a hotelier, and this project has simply nurtured his character and turned it into a business.”

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 34 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 3 bars | Theatre | www.themandrake.com Owner: Rami Fustok | Developer: Newman Assets | Operator: Pistache Hospitality Group; Frederami | Architecture: Manalo & White Interior Design: Tala Fustok | Lighting Design: DPA Lighting | Main Contractor: Beck | FF&E: Argenta Projects

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Shinta Mani Angkor – Bensley Collection SIEM REAP

Bill Bensley teams up with Shinta Mani Hotels to open an all-villa retreat in Cambodia’s temple town, where luxury with a conscience takes centrestage.

Words: Catherine Martin | Photography: Courtesy of Bensley Design Group (unless otherwise stated)

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s the creative force behind many of Asia’s luxury resorts, Bill Bensley is known the world over for his distinctive and often whimsical designs. With over 200 projects to his name – from JW Marriott Phu Quoc to InterContinental Danang – he’s the go-to guy for brands looking to bring character to their properties. And while Bensley is undoubtedly proud of his accomplishments, it’s his latest venture in Cambodia that is closest to his heart.

Shinta Mani Hotels is a growing collection of boutique properties that not only provide luxury lodgings, but give back to the local community through a dedicated foundation. It is the brainchild of Sokoun Chanpreda, a Cambodian businessman who returned from overseas to invest in the future of his country, developing and operating a number of independent hotels, bars and restaurants.

“Sokoun first commissioned us to design Hotel de la Paix [now Park Hyatt] in Siem Reap,” says Bensley of the beginnings of their relationship, back in 2005. “At that time, there were not many trained folk to employ, so Sokoun started a hospitality school. I helped a bit, and then a bit more, and now we’re equal partners in what I think is a life-changing experience to be able to really help people much less fortunate.”

The partnership has led to a portfolio-wide rebrand, taking in two facing properties in Siem Reap, now refurbished by Bensley; the launch of a super-luxe sub-brand bearing the designer’s name; and an undisclosed pipeline of new hotels across the country.

The debut of The Bensley Collection came in January this year with the opening of an all-villa resort within the grounds of Shinta Mani Angkor. Naturally, Bensley was responsible for the design scheme, overseeing every detail from the music to the interiors to the uniforms. And he’s clearly relished in the freedom of crafting his own brand, letting his creative spirit run wild.

On arrival, guests are ushered into the lounge, where check-in takes place beneath a painted sky and ceremonial spears. A small cocktail bar serves a selection of wines and spirits and is the only public space to speak of. Facilities at Shinta Mani Angkor and Shinta Mani Shack, adjacent and opposite, offer the full gamut, from a spa and swimming pools, to Bensley’s Bar and Kroya restaurant, where signature dishes include sun-fried fish, crispy fermented pork and Khmer favourite fish amok.

While guests are free to use these facilities, many favour the seclusion of their own private sanctuary. Each of the ten self-contained

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Above: Each villa’s poolside terrace is clad in mesmerising black and white tiles surrounded by an abundance of plant life

villas offer 156m2 of living space across two pavilions and reflect how Bensley himself likes to live; in complete privacy and surrounded by lush tropical gardens. “Often I’m asked what is the most important design aspect to building a resort,” he explains. “For me, it’s about completely private outdoor spaces. It is a glorious luxury. Think about it; where can you go and be outside, next to your room and be completely private? Shinta Mani Angkor Bensley Collection is about that, and about providing the best accommodation in Cambodia.”

A traditional brass key and padlock opens the door to each oasis, revealing a veranda clad in mesmerising black and white tiles surrounded by an abundance of verdant plant life – grasses line the poolside, palms grow from every corner, and vines cascade down from above. The outdoor living space extends upstairs to the roof terrace, where a huge daybed looking out to the ancient tree canopy of Siem Reap’s palace awaits.

A well thought-out site plan along with high walls enveloping each compound promise the total privacy that Bensley talks of. And the walls themselves add interest to the space, featuring a threedimensional carving that portrays the rippling robes of Jayavarman – a Khmer king known for his powerful, pioneering spirit. The ripples extend inside the villa, as does the greenery thanks to floor-to-ceiling

windows offering direct sightlines to the gardens. In fact, a sliding door from the guestroom makes it possible to leap straight from the bed to the pool.

Interiors are regal yet residential, inspired by Cambodia’s Khmer culture. Stately armchairs are upholstered in plush fabrics; carved wood casegoods feature brass detailing; and artwork depicts national sights as well as old Asia. The scheme is dominated by monochromatic tiling to striking effect, with pops of Khmer orange adding colour to the soft furnishings.

Rest and relaxation takes centrestage in the first pavilion, while the second – accessed via a partially covered pathway – houses the bathroom and dressing room. Here, carved light fixtures hang over twin basins kitted out with polished gold faucets, while mirrors are framed in bamboo canes that fan outwards to mimic the palms.

Almost entirely glazed, the space offers a one-of-a-kind bathing experience where guests can take a refreshing shower overlooking the tropical garden, or an al fresco bath in the splendid stone tub; truly at-one with nature in their own private sanctuary.

In creating his own brand, Bensley has also paid due care and attention to the service aspect, employing Bensley Butlers – trained at the hotel’s own hospitality school – to cater to a guest’s every whim.

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Above: Guestrooms feature a three-dimensional wall carving that portrays the rippling robes of a Khmer king

Yes, they can arrange a poolside BBQ or organise guided tours of nearby Angkor Wat, but it’s the personalised, intuitive touches, such as remembering how you like your morning coffee, or magically appearing with a glass of freshly-squeezed fruit juice when in need of a pick-me-up that really sets them apart, bringing a new level of luxury to this part of the world.

But it’s not all about self-indulgence. This is luxury with a conscience. Bensley’s desire to be personally involved in Shinta Mani Hotels stems largely from the group’s philanthropic spirit.

Since the hotel school opened in 2004, hundreds of Khmer students have graduated to secure employment in the hospitality industry, and Chanpreda has since expanded the Shinta Mani Foundation to give back to the wider community. A proportion of the daily room rate is donated to the cause to support health, education and development programmes, and guests are encouraged to head out into the countryside to see the sanitation systems, schooling and small businesses that have benefitted.

“People crave experiences that are emotional and visceral;

experiences that feel real and authentic,” says Bensley of the guests’ wish to help. “In Siem Reap we have been working with local communities for 15 years and have done a world of good.”

The next chapter for Shinta Mani will take both the hotel brand and the foundation to the Cambodian wilderness in the form of a luxury tented camp in the Cardamom Mountains. “We are now trying to understand the community at Shinta Mani Wild and have them work with us,” Bensley continues. “It’s not an easy task as their livelihood for generations has been based on hunting. Now that has virtually all been consumed, they are realising that farming is a more viable, sustainable source of income.”

Set to open later this year, the ambitious project will see custom designed tents elevated over moving water, where guests can feast on delicacies grown and foraged from the surrounding land and encounter extraordinary wildlife. The low-impact resort – ‘a utopia of sustainability’ as Bensley describes it – will double as a research and conservation centre that not only protects the threatened landscape, but creates new opportunities for the people that call it home.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 10 villas | www.shintamani.com Owner: Sokoun Chanpreda and Bill Bensley | Operator: HMD Asia | Architecture and Interior Design: Bensley Design Studios Contractors: KOKI Engineering; Pido Cambodia; Ralys Group

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The Pilgrm LONDON

Carefully balancing the aesthetics of modern London with considered historical details, The Pilgrm is a feat of British craftsmanship.

Words: Kristofer Thomas | Photography: © Tom Kahler

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alance between authentic and contemporary has emerged as a contentious issue in 21st-century London. Developers keen to capitalise on the city’s historic draw often contend with fiercely protective locals, critical planning departments, eagle-eyed journalists and discerning guests. Cultural sensitivity, especially in the context of the capital’s legacy buildings, can make or break a project.

Few areas of London have more experience walking this thin line than Paddington. The ongoing Paddington Waterside development project has seen its banks laden with new restaurants and office space – some at the expense of original Victorian vernacular – as

well as a slate of new hotels keen to take advantage of the growing market. For better or worse, Paddington is in a period of transition.

Embodying this transition, yet in a way that favours old world design, is The Pilgrm, a 73-key boutique hotel created by The Zetter Group’s former Partner and General Manager Jason Catifeoglou.

With a clear idea of what he wanted to achieve, Catifeoglou enlisted Sheffield-based creative studio 93ft, who designed the interiors and brand identity, and custom-made in excess of 1,000 bespoke furnishings, fixtures and accents that appear within.

“The hotel was trading as The Royal Norfolk, which hadn’t been

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Above: A collection of antique German cocktail chairs were given a makeover and paired with bespoke steel-frame marble tables within the intimate lounge

refitted for decades, but we could see the beauty of the structure’s existing features and that formed the basis of how the project unfolded,” says Tim Hubbard, Director of 93ft. “It was built to a high standard, but the last fifty years had seen various poor renovations.

We decided early on that everything that went into The Pilgrm would be of the same standard as when the building was built.”

Concerning a cluster of 19th-century Victorian buildings, the studio sought to reimagine the space whilst retaining the spirit. With input from Chalk Architects, 93ft and Catifeoglou have created a hotel that owes as much to the area’s history as it does the styles prevalent across contemporary London, with an eye on its past but a finger firmly on its pulse. Incorporating a series of original statements alongside carefully salvaged details – whilst refusing to knock through walls or alter the existing structure in any significant way – 93ft’s design touches every aspect, altering the aesthetic but continuing the recognisable narrative.

Guests are introduced to this thematic motif by way of a stark contrast. In the lobby sits one of the hotel’s two restored main staircases – the other stone, this one timber – whilst above hangs The Drop Chandelier, a modernist lighting fixture comprising 50 bespoke vertical brass tubes. Worlds collide from the off; a desire to reclaim inherent beauty offset by a bold progressive statement.

Adding to this is the absence of a check in desk – a digital system

allows guests to take care of that before arrival – replaced instead by a custom Atlantic stone counter wrapped in Iroko timber, which acts as both reception and serving station for the intimate coffee shop the space doubles as.

“It was fitting that what we put back into the building has substantial heart and a story worthy of the surroundings,” Hubbard continues. “We have worked with materials that will last another 100 years and beyond. We knew having a cookie-cutter approach to the design was not possible.”

Directly upstairs is The Lounge, where elongated timber chevron flooring unfolds to host steel-frame marble tabletops and a collection of antique German cocktail chairs with updated textiles. The space also features The Green Window, one of the few architectural changes that saw a wall replaced by a window of decorative glazing, mirrors and solid panels. The Lounge runs into the bar and kitchen, where a Guatamala Verde marble server feeds a palette of emerald green tiles and a mix of pastel and patterned soft seating.

From here the maze of halls and stairways extends. Timber flooring is replaced by midnight blue Tom Dixon carpets, and wood clads each stairwell whilst a row of single lights by each door, bearing the guestroom’s number, guide the way. Within, guestrooms contain three core elements defining each: a bed, a feature headboard; and, size permitting, a bespoke chair that characterises the room.

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Above (left): Sheffield steel accents adorn bespoke seating Above (right): The bathroom scheme is complemented by Marflow’s St. James range

The beds incorporate a safe within their base, a modern interpretation of the old ‘money under the bed’ saying updated to suit a laptop, whilst, for smaller guestrooms, 93ft has designed a steel frame and Sapele timber bunk system that accommodates for low ceilings. Elsewhere, in the largest suites, the expansive 200-year-old mahogany headboards take centrestage, embracing wear-and-tear but carefully burnished to a premium finish.

Ephemera includes a miniature Marshall amp, a smattering of high art and culture magazines, and the wall-mounted Wail – a bespoke mahogany, steel and brass unit condensing clothes rail and full length mirror into one, with integrated power and light to create a spacesaving essential. And it is the bespoke that defines this renovation.

From furnishings to accents to branding, The Pilgrm’s design is 93ft’s achievement, with everything from textiles to lighting created exclusively for this unique scheme.

Custom fixtures designed in house and constructed within a onemile radius of the Sheffield studio play to the demanding London crowd but bypass trends that will date in favour of working in tandem with the building’s unique history, with each space designed

to tell a different story, relishing the inconsistent layouts. “Out of the 73 guestrooms a handful were very challenging but, rather than shift our thinking, we believed in the design strategy and quality ethos,” Hubbard confirms. “Certain fittings were modified and had to take a more fitted approach, but that is the nature of renovating three buildings built 150 years ago. We embraced it.”

Carefully planned details plot a course through The Pilgrm: wood reclaimed from London’s Natural History Museum clads cabinetry downstairs; cast iron radiators differ from room to room depending on the needs of the space; a deep pine sofa beneath The Green Window subtly continues the colour scheme. The long circuit begins and ends in the lobby, a horseshoe trail that sees the design come full circle as guests leave.

“We want guests to enjoy the hotel’s personality, to interact with the timbers and materials we’ve used,” Hubbard concludes. “And to recognise that this hotel is not from a catalogue, that it is made up of materials with heritage. We’d love guests to feel enjoyment that this level of comfortable luxury is possible in this affordable haven amongst the bustle of Paddington.”

EXPRESS CHECKOUT: 73 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 coffee shop | www.thepilgrm.com Owner: Jason Catifeoglou | Architecture: Chalk Architects | Interior Design, Branding and FF&E: 93ft

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Andaz SINGAPORE

Andaz enters Southeast Asia with a contemporary lifestyle destination that seeks to embrace Singapore’s urban spirit.

Words: Catherine Martin | Photography: © Geoff Lung

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ingapore is a city of contrasts, where old and new, past and present sit side-by-side. In just fifty years, the former British colony has transformed from a small town to a major global hub, bringing trade, tourism and prosperity to its shores.

Naturally such growth brings a wealth of new construction, with towering skyscrapers often favoured where space is at a premium.

But Singapore isn’t a nation to forget, and continues to celebrate its heritage through the restoration of legacy buildings.

These two worlds meet at the crossroads of Beach and Ophir. To one side, a pair of newly built skyscrapers house premium office space, private residences and a luxury lifestyle hotel; to the other, the bustling alleyways of Kampong Glam and Little India, where time-honoured shophouses play host to locals going about their daily life. It is this spirit that André Fu and his team at AFSO have sought to bring to the steel towers.

Designed by German architect Ole Scheeren, the mixed-use Duo development is a striking addition to the skyline, not to mention a clever piece of urban planning. The concave towers – their façades encased in a hexagonal skin – dematerialise as they reach the ground, resulting in a permeable public plaza punctuated with cafés, restaurants and green space.

Above & Opposite: Alley on 25 seeks to bring the spirit of the local neighbourhood inside through a variety of shophouse-style dining experiences

For guests arriving at Andaz, the journey begins at level two, where an abstract interpretation of the shophouse façades – in the form of dramatically lit timber slats above carved niches – introduces the principal theme. The concierge team occupy one alcove, while another features a patisserie serving up delectable pandan chiffon cakes – a national favourite.

Up on the 25th floor, the main lobby lives up to Singapore’s reputation as a garden city, with pockets of succulent greenery bringing a courtyard feel to the check-in zone. This level is also home to seven distinct F&B outlets, and it is here that Fu’s expertise in space planning along with knowledge of the brand and understanding of how guests will use the space, really comes into play. Rather than a vast all-day dining restaurant that attempts to cater to all, Fu has created a series of small outlets, each with no more than 40 covers.

Collectively known as Alley on 25, the hub seeks to bring the spirit and flavours of the local neighbourhood inside through a variety of shophouse-style dining experiences, abiding by Andaz’s global in scale, local in perspective mantra.

At The Green Oven, a cast iron oven takes centrestage, while Smoke & Pepper is a theatrical affair, serving Asian barbeque favourites prepared over an open charcoal grill. At Icehaus – which showcases dishes prepared in a cold kitchen, such as a selection of charcuterie, sustainably sourced seafood, sandwiches and salads – interiors are

crafted in white Carrera marble accented by a palette of mustard yellow. Plancha’Lah is an intimate yet high-energy shophouse in which guests are seated at counters overlooking the chef’s hotplate, and Aunties Wok & Steam – a tribute to Singapore’s tze char food stalls – is dedicated to the art of steam cooking, where an island kitchen evokes a market dining experience.

While each has its own identity, the outlets sit side-by-side in a loop around the perimeter of the building, creating an alley-like route that allows guests to wander at leisure before making their selection. Fu’s shophouse theme runs throughout, with bronze or timber framework demarcating the spaces, and in some cases extending overhead to mimic the profile of an exposed pitched roof.

Rounding out the F&B offer is Mr Stork, a destination rooftop bar set within a lush tropical landscape. Service is from a circular bronze pavilion, with the drinks offer comprising fruity and floral cocktails made using garden produce, as well as the hotel’s own pale ale, an exclusive collaboration with local microbrewery Red Dot Brewhouse. A cobbled path meanders around the gardens to reveal a 360-degree panorama of the city, and while the views are undoubtedly impressive, it’s the installation of ten teepees hidden amongst the plantlife that have been a real hit, particularly amongst the Instagram-loving generation.

The shophouse concept continues up to the guestrooms, where

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Above: Locally inspired materials, textures and decorative details are subtly woven into the guestroom scheme

Fu has once again embraced the neighbourhood spirit, pairing it with his own highly refined aesthetic. The 342 rooms and suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the Singapore skyline, best enjoyed from the comfort of a bespoke chaise lounge that incorporates a side table and beautifully crafted leather magazine rack. The larger rooms are arranged as a fluid series of spaces that continue in a loop, much like Alley on 25, with shutter doors in bold mango separating the bedroom, dressing room and bathroom, the latter furnished by Laufen, Roca and Hansgrohe. In the living spaces, tones of russet and mustard complement the warm timbers of the casegoods and wall panelling, with locally inspired materials, textures and decorative details subtly woven into the scheme. Fu has also added character through original touches such as the doorbell, housed in a bespoke brass postbox, and the lighting, inspired by Singapore’s street lamps.

Being the first Andaz in Southeast Asia, Hyatt has gone all-out to ensure its events spaces continue the brand promise, and bring

something new to the city’s MICE market. Alley on 3 is the hotel’s 1,375m2 events ‘alleyway’, comprising four residential-style spaces flooded with natural daylight. The Garden Studio accommodates up to 100 guests and offers views out to the garden, while The Glasshouse – Andaz Singapore’s contemporary take on the traditional ballroom – features floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides and is thought to be the only venue of its kind in the city. Fu has worked with specialists to ensure the space is operationally seamless, with state-of-the-art AV equipment and flexibility built-in through the installation of vertically folding retractable walls. Manufactured and fitted by Skyfold, the fully automated and acoustically sound solution is finished in fabric and veneer in line with Fu’s design, and neatly retracts into the ceiling when the ballroom is at full capacity.

Having recently played host to AHEAD Asia, The Glasshouse has already been under the scrutiny of the region’s design community, and if early reports are anything to go by, it’s sure to be a contender when next year’s competition comes around.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 342 guestrooms | 6 restaurants | 2 bars | 1,375m2 event spaces | Spa, gym, swimming pool | www.hyatt.com Owner / Developer / Investor: M+S | Operator: Hyatt Hotels Corporation | Architecture: Büro Ole Scheeren | Interior Design: Andre Fu Lighting Design: Andre Fu | Main Contractor: Obayashi Singapore

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Another Place, The Lake ULL SWATER

The team behind Watergate Bay has launched new hospitality brand Another Place with the opening of a Lake District retreat, designed by Household.

Words: Matt Turner | Photography: © Luke Hayes

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t’s a freezing cold day in February when we pull up outside Another Place, The Lake but that isn’t deterring guests from canoeing out on Ullswater, the Cumbrian lake it overlooks. The scenery is awe-inspiring. This is the second largest, and for many, the most beautiful lake in England. Hotelier Will Ashworth had been looking around the UK for suitable sites to build on the success of Watergate Bay, the Cornwall hotel he and his team transformed from a traditional seaside resort to a vibrant, year-round destination.

Rampsbeck, the 19-guestroom hotel they acquired in May 2015, fit the bill in terms of its beautiful location – though it has required significant renovation and an extension to transform it into the hotel that stands on the site today.

“The hotel had been refurbished to a high standard in 2008 but we realised we needed to move it on from being a classic country house hotel to something more contemporary and relaxed,” says Ashworth. “We needed around 40 guestrooms, and to create a Swim Club similar to the one we have at Watergate. Ramspbeck’s owners already had permission for an extension so we were fairly confident we would get planning consent.”

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Above: The Living Space offers a variety of fluid family areas for relaxed all-day dining

“We built the new wing around the idea of it being a luxurious ‘barn’ to the original white Georgian house, inspired by barn door motifs and simple, rustic functionality,” continues Choi. “We celebrated the contrast by mixing original antique furniture with bespoke additions, cloudy limestone surfaces and contemporary weaves throughout upholstery and curtains, seamlessly balancing the old with the new. Another Place, The Lake is all about blurring boundaries, embracing the surrounding nature and making space for relaxed living, so we chose earthy tones and seasonal accents like wools and tartans to represent the locality and give a feel of changing seasons.”

There are two restaurants – the all-day, open-plan Living Space, and the more formal Rampsbeck. “In The Living Space and Rampsbeck Restaurant, great food is celebrated for its power to bind people together and enjoy time socialising,” says Choi. “Fluid family spaces and cosy cubby holes for fireside evenings give the hotel a homely touch that epitomises relaxed living.”

The Another Place brand is based on the idea of ‘active relaxation’ – a philosophy its owners describe as being “all about the balance of life – being active, getting amongst the elements, eating and drinking well, spoiling yourself a little, chilling out, getting cosy and most important of all, having a good time.”

To this end, the Swim Club comprises a panoramic 20-metre pool,

Another Place engaged creative agency Household, with whom they had worked previously at Watergate Bay, to design the hotel: “The design had to embody the ethos of relaxed living and establish a brand signature for the Another Place experience collection,” explains Siu-Lan Choi, Creative Director at Household. “With the insight that people gain deep peace and respite from being connected to nature, we created a guest journey that fuses the location’s unique energy into the brand.”

According to Ashworth, much of the inspiration for the design came from the surrounding landscape: “When Household first came to visit the site, the bracken had turned a lovely orange hue, the lake had that slate colour to it, and the surrounding hills were a lush green. They have created a design that’s very much in keeping with the environment.”

“We were inspired by stories of the lake being carved by an ice-age ribbon that nestled between mountains, and the resulting natural views that were so loved by poet Wordsworth,” adds Choi. “With this backdrop as our narrative, we set out to design a heart-stirring hotel, one that imagines ways for guests to get as close to this breathtaking landscape as possible.”

The original 18th century manor house has been extended with the introduction of a number of family suites, as well as fresh, contemporary spaces with views over Ullswater and the fells beyond.

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Left: The panoramic 20-metre pool is flanked by two huge glass walls, giving guests the impression of swimming into the lake beyond

hot-tub, and sauna flanked by two huge walls of glass overlooking Ullswater, and a skylight above. There is also a fully-equipped gym, two treatment rooms and a snug for manicures and pedicures.

Children are well-catered for with their own spaces discreetly located away from the main hotel building, including the cabin, safari tent and play area. A ‘Sheep Shed’ and newly built jetty on the shores of Ullswater provide access to the outdoor activities that are a fundamental part of the Another Place concept: “There’s a relaxed informality to the way we put things together,” says Ashworth.

“But we also facilitate people getting active if they want to – they’re not just with us to eat, drink and have massages.” The hotel has worked with a variety of local companies to provide activities ranging from fell walking to paddleboarding, kayaking to wild swimming, and even skiing on nearby Helvellyn when weather permits.

There are ambitious plans in place to expand the concept further afield. With funding secured from investors Actev, owned

by Gavyn Davies and Sue Nye, Another Place is actively looking for other “exceptional locations” in the UK, targeting approximately six new hotels over the next eight years.

“Whether on the coast, by a lake, in the countryside or the city, each hotel will derive inspiration from its particular surroundings.” concludes Ashworth.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 40 guestrooms | 2 restaurants | 2 bars | Private dining and meeting room | Gym, spa and swimming pool | www.anotherplace.co.uk Owner / Operator: Another Place | Architecture: Harrison Pitt Architects | Interior Design: Household

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Viceroy CHICAGO

Goettsch Partners and TAL Studio celebrate Chicago past and present in the reincarnation of the historic Cedar Hotel for Viceroy’s Icon Collection.

Words: Renee Perenchio | Photography: Courtesy of Viceroy Hotel Group (unless otherwise stated)

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he melding of old buildings and new is never an easy feat in architectural terms. While some campaign to preserve historic city landmarks, others look to advance the urban landscape with the construction of shiny new skyscrapers. At Viceroy Chicago, it’s the best of both, where the design solution creates harmony through contrast. A rich depiction of yesterday and today, the hotel’s 18-storey glass curtain tower stands boldly behind the low-rise brick and terracotta façade of the former Cedar Hotel.

Located in the heart of the Gold Coast neighbourhood, the 1920s-era property sat abandoned – temporarily housing a handful

of short-lived restaurants and bars – before Chicago-based Convexity Properties stepped in with the help of Viceroy Hotel Group, architects Goettsch Partners, and hospitality design firm TAL Studio. From demolition to completion, the team spent 22 months bringing the luxury lifestyle brand to Chicago’s historic district.

Home to the city’s wealthiest residents, the Gold Coast today is a collection of restored mansions and high-rise apartments, where locals are renowned for their community spirit. In this expanding neighbourhood, it would have been easy to demolish the dilapidated Cedar Hotel and start afresh, but for Goettsch Partners, social

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© Christian Horan

Above: In the lobby, bronze desks sit afront a large depiction of a Venetian carnival recital by South American cubist artist Badi

significance triumphed and the architects undertook a 14-month process to deconstruct and reassemble the building’s façade. The hotel was not a protected landmark, nor was there any requirement to retain the exterior, yet the team opted to meticulously number, sort, and preserve, and brick-by-brick resurrect the familiar face of the Cedar Hotel. So, why go to the trouble? “The best urban hotels today seamlessly blend with their context and simultaneously create a new identity,” says Paul De Santis, Partner and Senior Project Manager at Goettsch Partners. “Although the previous hotel had been abandoned for many years, it maintained a certain nostalgia among local residents and visitors alike. Preserving the vintage façade is a strategy that honours the past while creating a stimulating dialogue with the new architecture.”

A stark contrast, the new glass tower features sharp, pleated curtain folds and a geometric pattern inspired by one found in the original hotel. With the new structure set back from the reconstructed exterior, a beautiful, open transitional space was created. Rather than take a traditional atrium approach, luxury hotel and resort designer Todd-Avery Lenahan, founder and Principal of TAL Studio, designed a network of orthogonal windows and three-dimensional light boxes that bring warmth and light to the arrival experience in a new way. “The objective was to create a dynamic connection between two potentially disparate archetypes,” explains Lenahan.

“The cleanly delineated reflective boxes and deeply recessed windows acknowledge and give substance to the brittle façade from the inside; a contemporary ghost of the historic brick face on the reverse.”

Grounded with a collection of mid-century furnishings inspired by an important period in Chicago’s architectural history, the living room’s central wall instantly becomes the focal point upon entering the hotel. The monumental 30ft ‘tableau wall’ towers over guests with colourful graphic bravado inscribed with a collection of quotes from French poet Marcel Proust. A shimmering presentation of thousands of words, the wall challenges guests to look away from their phones and contemplate these words on their own terms.

“For an intelligent social space in an intelligent social city, the Proust tableau elevates the hotel lobby with scale, impact, and provocation that is befitting of the Viceroy brand’s entry to the Chicago market,” says Lenahan. “Dramatically lit each evening, the tableau wall fills the living room with conversations that emanate from its plane without ever a word spoken.”

Lenahan fused this inspiration with that of the Flâneur, an 18thcentury French literary type characterised by an eye for exploration and a free spirit. “The overall interior design plans were one-of-akind, created with detail, precision and the highest quality, resulting in an authentic, inspired and dynamic experience for guests with many design dimensions and nuances,” confirms Lenahan.

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© Christian Horan

Above: Guestrooms feature a distinct headboard wall displaying a digitally reproduced work by Tim Modus, laden with bronze geometric patterns

crafted a transformative space that lends itself to both atmospheres.

Orange creamsicle marble flooring and neutral leather barstools blend effortlessly with the light of day and glamour of night, while gold detailing, soft lighting, and expansive windows create a “picture frame to the sparkle of the Chicago skyline that surrounds”. Classic cocktails and elevated bar snacks are served up daily through a partnership with Boka Restaurant Group, one of the premier chefdriven F&B operators in the country.

The Chicago-based group’s collaboration extends down to onsite restaurant Somerset. Helmed by Michelin-star chef Lee Wolen and sitting adjacent to the lobby, Somerset flows off a large garden terrace that absorbs the energy of the surrounding Gold Coast avenues. Within, design firm Avroko has adopted a contemporary approach to American country club culture appropriate for the neighbourhood’s high society of the past and present. The dynamic trio of dining experiences begins in the main restaurant and bar, where inspirations pull from nearby Lake Michigan marinas and glass back-bar screening hints at canvas sails. The mezzanine level perched above offers a view down onto the ‘marina’ and a more intimate clubhouse vibe. The grandeur of a central perforated brass and timber chandelier by Goodshop anchors the triple-height space and is complemented by details such as sporting medals and custombuilt speedboat models that dress the adjacent private dining room.

The tableau is the first of many moments of discovery and surprise layered throughout the hotel. As the exploration continues, a series of bold artwork and contrasting low-capped ceilings draw guests into the lobby. Lenahan’s classicist approach and use of spatial disciplines creates tension and a provoking transfer into the more intimate reception zone. Statuesque bronze desks reminiscent of modern sculptures found throughout Chicago sit afront a large depiction of a Venetian carnival recital by South American cubist artist Badi. The painting introduces a colour scheme that materialises throughout the hotel, serving as a prelude to discoveries that are yet to come.

Guest corridors are laced with bright teal, citrus and red, continuing the colour story and giving integrity to Badi’s introductory palette.

Behind the playful doors, guestrooms take on pops of the same and feature reproductions of cubist figural artist Miette Brave’s works.

Mid-century-inspired gold light fixtures accompany custom walnut casegoods and a network of drapery tracks that expertly interface with the angular, floor-to-ceiling windows. A distinct headboard wall displays a digitally reproduced work by London-based artist Tim Modus, reimagined into a wallcovering and laden with bronze geometric patterns nodding to the same era.

Up on the 18th floor, a seasonal outdoor pool and terrace overlook Lake Michigan and connect to rooftop cocktail lounge, Devereaux.

Poolside bar by day, cocktail destination by night, Lenahan has

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© Anthony Tahlier

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This Page & Opposite: In Somerset, operated by Boka Restaurant Group, Avroko has adopted a contemporary approach to American country club culture appropriate for the neighbourhood’s high society of the past and present

© Anthony Tahlier

Environmentally-friendly reclaimed teak tiles

by IndoTeak Design line the floor, feeding into the country club aesthetic, topped with dining chairs from Stellar Works. Also of note is the marine blue curved banquette at the heart of the dining room, again designed bespoke by Avroko together with Stellar Works.

Further preserving the hotel’s original character, Cedar Hotel’s neon sign has been repurposed as a decorative feature, mounted on the wall for all to admire.

Upon opening, Viceroy Chicago became the sixth addition to the Icon Collection, the group’s brand tier characterised by ultralavish experiences for guests with a sense of adventure. The Midwest outpost will soon be followed by openings in Portugal’s Algarve, Serbia, Danang in Vietnam and Bocas del Toro in Panama.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 180 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 bar | 5,000ft2 events spaces | Swimming pool, gym | www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com Owner: Convexity Properties | Operator: Viceroy Hotel Group | Architecture: Goettsch Partners | Interior Design: TAL Studio; Avroko (restaurant)

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The Capital Suite at InterContinental Park Lane

ith London’s luxury hotel market showing no signs of slowing, long established properties are giving newcomers a run for their money with the addition of new services, facilities and accommodation types.

At InterContinental London Park Lane, which recently relaunched its restaurant as a lively Mexican eatery headed up by charismatic chef Martha Ortiz, the latest development comes in the form of a suite. Created to meet the needs of wealthy business travellers, The Capital Suite is thought to be the first of its kind in the city, featuring two en suite bedrooms, interconnecting living spaces, a private office, and, perhaps most remarkably, a full-size boardroom.

The state-of-the-art facilities marry with intelligent use of space in an interior scheme led by London-based RPW Design. “The brief was to transform a former office space serving the hotel’s administration into a versatile suite for guests, providing a further asset for the property,” explains Ariane Steinbeck, Managing Director, RPW Design. “We developed a space that would enable guests to benefit from a healthy work-life experience during their stay, and offer the utmost in privacy and discretion as there is no need for a commute through the hotel between working and resting activities.”

Access is via a private entrance by the valet drop off, while an elevator delivers guests directly inside the suite – the ideal solution for those who value their privacy. And the facilities, as well as the

LONDON

RPW Design completes the first business suite of its kind, offering the full complement of working and living spaces with the highest level of privacy.

Words: Catherine Martin | Photography: © Will Pryce

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use of a personal butler, mean there’s no need to leave the suite at all.

Inside, the series of spaces can be configured to meet specific needs; the boardroom, for example, sits at the heart of the suite and as a result can be easily connected with other areas such as the smaller meeting room or office, creating a fully equipped business centre.

Each space can be hired independently, or the two-bedroom suite can be rented as whole, providing ample opportunities for business meetings, dinner parties and relaxation.

The interior design scheme is also conducive to work, rest and play, with RPW drawing inspiration from the nature of Hyde Park, just a stone’s throw away. Great consideration was given to the selection of materials, such as soft leathers, stone and walnut timbers, resulting in a classic, natural environment with high-grade finishes. “We wanted to achieve and develop a space that is elegant and enduring,” explains Steinbeck. “These two aspects were essential to create a new asset that would last for decades, rather than years. It was therefore important to find a style that exudes longevity and features highquality materials that are durable and require minimal maintenance.”

Well versed in the challenges of hotel design, RPW paid due care and attention not only to aesthetics, but the lifespan of the scheme.

“One of the biggest environmental issues in hotel operations is the frequency of renewals arising from wear and tear,” continues Steinbeck. “To maintain the quality, our choices therefore focused on

the simple rule: durable design equals sustainable design. We achieved this through the use of luxury essentials such as 100% wool for the hand-tufted rugs and walnut veneer for the casegoods, accompanied by leather, bronze and marble.”

There’s quality at every touchpoint, and charming design details that pay homage to Hyde Park while bringing character to the space.

The bespoke handles on the cabinetry for example are evocative of tree branches, while the fruits of the Plane – the tree that populates and represents London’s Royal Parks – is incorporated into the headboard design by way of stitching. In the second bedroom, bronze panels manufactured by Decca frame the bed, depicting a window scene complete with climbing foliage and songbirds.

Artwork and accessories draw on Hyde Park’s equine traditions and the historic location of the hotel, while the green landscape has inspired textures, patterns and themes in the carpets, designed and developed in collaboration with Tai Ping. RPW also worked alongside art consultant Peter Millard to source bespoke works that function as intriguing interpretations of the theme.

The new suite undoubtedly brings a unique offer to InterContinental Park Lane. Steinbeck concludes: “We believe The Capital Suite is the first business suite of its kind; offering intelligent design that provides guests with the exclusive ability to configure and use the space to fit their specific needs and desires.”

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The Pavilion Suites at The Berkeley

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ver the past two years, Maybourne Hotel Group has pumped significant investment into its properties, with The Berkeley benefitting from a dramatic new entrance, a new-look Blue Bar, and the refurbishment of many of its guestrooms.

The hotel’s latest development sees the addition of two new signature suites that once again show a commitment to design and innovation. Having created The Opus Suite back in 2012, André Fu has returned to transform underused office space into The Pavilion Suites. Conceived to reflect the look and feel of a contemporary urban penthouse, each suite – measuring in excess of 2,300ft2 – is housed within a glass pavilion and surrounded by sweeping terraces.

In bringing the spaces to life, Fu worked closely with fit-out specialists McCue Crafted Fit, who brought their skill and expertise to produce a high-quality finish across the dining room, expansive lounge and master bedroom, glazed on three sides for an abundance of natural daylight.

“I have always been fascinated with the modernist legacy of the glasshouse and how it brings natural daylight centrestage,” comments Fu. “It has been inspiring to work with The Berkeley, and have the unique opportunity to introduce this purist form into two of its luxury suites. My overall aim was to create an effortlessly contemporary space, where relaxed modernity sits alongside what is quintessentially classic British.”

LONDON

Adding to its impressive collection of signature suites, The Berkeley unveils The Pavilion Suites, designed by André Fu. Words: Catherine Martin | Photography: © Jamie McGregor Smith

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COPENHAGEN An historic relationship with design hotels has resurfaced in Copenhagen, taking the form of a new wave that channels Scandinavian design through a contemporary lens.

Words: Kristofer Thomas

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S

ince Arne Jacobsen took to designing each and every element of The Royal Hotel Copenhagen in 1960 – from façade to cutlery and everything in between – Denmark’s capital city has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with design-led hotels. An auteur’s labour of love, the project combined traditional hotel function with ideas and aesthetics drawn from a then emerging Scandinavian design movement, instilling spaces with a keen sense of restrained minimalism and simple yet beautiful furnishings.

Though much of the original scheme has been lost, the property – billed as the world’s first design hotel – reopened this year as Radisson Collection Royal Copenhagen with a new look courtesy of local studio Space Copenhagen, who breathed new life into the building whilst retaining Jacobsen’s original focus on refined simplicity. Like Jacobsen, Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou brought a native feel to proceedings, designing furniture especially for the newly christened property whilst updating interiors for a new audience. Inspired by both the legendary architect’s style and approach, this redesign has seen the hotel come full circle in a way: still a strictly Danish affair but more in line with times that have seen design become one of Denmark’s most prominent exports. Amongst its calling cards are the Copenhagen Light Festival, streets laden with flagship stores from Hay, Bang & Olufsen and Muuto, and installations including The Wave – a multisensory pathway of triangle structures along the Ofelia Dock waterfront.

The modernisation of The Royal Hotel is also indicative of a wider hotel boom currently unfolding within the capital. From Herman K, a 31-key boutique project set within a disused electrical transformer and home to a new outpost from the Michelin-starred team behind Kadeau, to the sleekly envisioned Nobis residing within what was once home to the Royal Danish Academy of Music, there has been a resurgence in acclaimed creations and recreations across the city.

The numbers reflect this: ADR in 2017 was up 1.7% at the end of 2017, whilst RevPAR rose 1.8% to reach DKK823.85. Occupancy sits at 78.4, though the incremental increase of 0.1% signals that, even before this period of revival, the Danish capital was still high up on the list for guests worldwide, particularly due to the rise in New Nordic cuisine and an influx of premium restaurants clamouring to fill the dining void that Noma left – closing its doors in early 2017 shortly after being named best restaurant in the world.

COPENHAGEN: IN NUMBERS

Operating from the central Indre By district, Brøchner Hotels is arguably at the epicentre of Copenhagen’s new wave. Overseeing a portfolio of five boutique hotels including the aforementioned Herman K, Brøchner has created a series of properties that, like the legendary Royal, channel the country’s design spirit whilst offering guests new experiences. The 118-key Hotel SP34, comprising three townhouses in the bohemian Sankt Peders Stræde neighbourhood, marries mid-century Danish furnishings with uncomplicated polished concrete floors, whilst the brand’s forthcoming Hotel Ottilia will reside within the city’s iconic Carlsberg factory, with the listed property set to retain much of its original architecture.

Elsewhere, a converted 1969 block of buildings and an 18th century property link to create Hotel Danmark, a centrally-located urban retreat that nods to Danish classicism. All part of Brøchner’s ongoing plan to transform the city and redefine luxury in line with Danish values, these projects see local harmony fused with a global outlook.

Separate from Brøchner’s collective, Sanders Copenhagen, nestled between royal castles and renowned art galleries is the product of a collaboration between ballet dancer and theatre director Alexander Koplin and designers Lind + Almond, who fuse elements of the seemingly ubiquitous Scandinavian hygge concept with historic materials and details, paying homage to the city’s cultural spirit whilst hinting at the international draw it exerts today.

Likewise, the reinvigorated Nimb Hotel is the latest incarnation of a cluster of guestrooms, some dating back to 1908, and sees the property injected with new facilities amidst a scheme that fuses Scandi minimalism with Arabian-nights style luxury; an odd pairing on paper but a further sign that the city is opening its perspective beyond national borders and trends.

Though the aesthetics may have evolved, the spirit of Scandinavian design is alive and well, thriving within Copenhagen’s celebrated hotel scene. Comprising reinterpretations of iconic properties and bold new ventures alike, the city’s modern hospitality offer owes much to the movement that, for many, defines the country’s cultural past, though concurrently demonstrates that for a design movement to stay relevant it must be open to consider exterior influences. During an era preoccupied with preserving national cultures, Copenhagen is a shining example that a country’s cultural spirit can be honoured whilst still accepting new ideas and being open to adaptation.

Occupancy

RevPAR (DKK)

ADR (DKK)

Year-end 2017

Year-end 2017

Year-end 2017

78.4

823.85

1,050.24

0.1%

1.8%

1.7% Source: STR

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Radisson Collection Royal Hotel COPENHAGEN

Arne Jacobson’s iconic hotel finally gets the makeover it deserves, courtesy of Danish design studio Space Copenhagen.

Words: Lauren Ho | Photography: Courtesy of Space Copenhagen (unless otherwise stated)

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t’s billed as the world’s first design hotel and, when it first opened in 1960, was the talk of town, as much for being the city’s first skyscraper, as for its head-to-toe design by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, his remit famously including everything from the exterior façade down to the furnishings and even the cutlery.

Since then, changes in ownership and, quite simply, the hands of time have meant that the SAS Royal Hotel – now the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel – had seen better days, with much of its original details sadly lost or in a state of disrepair.

Now, after years of careful planning, the iconic property is finally back on top form thanks to a thorough overhaul by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou of local design studio Space Copenhagen. “We were looking for a collaborator that truly understood the importance of doing this project right by our original creator, Arne Jacobsen,” explains Tom Flanagan-Karttunen, Area Senior Vice President of the Nordics, Radisson Hotel Group.

“Space Copenhagen is a leading force in the field... they have a great local understanding combined with international experience, which is important.”

With the property under Norwegian ownership and managed by the recently renamed Radisson Hotel Group, the commission was a

Danish homecoming of sorts for Bindslev Henriksen and Bundgaard Rützou, who began by eagerly poring over the hotel’s original plans and delving into the basement storage facilities. Here they uncovered old imagery and original furnishings, such as the Jacobsen-designed Giraffe chair, that they brought back into production with the aim to use in the hotel’s new restaurant.

Of course, the property’s listed status directed many of the design decisions, not least the recognisable modernist façade with its alternating bands of windows that, from the inside, means each guestroom has a ‘cut out’ view from wall-to-wall. Using this feature, the pair, who said they particularly love the changing reflections of the façade throughout the day, nodded to this by lining the adjoining wall with a series of mirrors that imitate the length of the window and pulls double duty by smartly reflecting the views. Elsewhere, Jacobsen’s Swan chair, which has always been a feature of the rooms, has been given an update and now sits alongside Space Copenhagen’s bespoke furnishings – including the Spine Collection for Danish design house Fredericia – all sensuously curvy and in keeping with Jacobsen’s original design philosophy. Additional pieces come in the form of the solid wood and blackened steel Exchange Chair from Stellar Works.

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© Rickard L. Eriksson

Above & Opposite: Public spaces and guestrooms feature many of Arne Jacobsen’s original furniture designs, alongside bespoke pieces by Space Copenhagen

The circular theme continues downstairs in the lobby, an expansive space dominated by Jacobsen’s original rhythm of pillars and the iconic central spiral staircase – now clad in tactile leather and crowned with a halo chandelier – that leads to the suite of meeting rooms on the first floor.

Originally designed to be a downtown airline terminal – to which well-heeled travellers were transferred on a shuttle bus from Kastrup airport – for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), the lobby, complete with a selection of bespoke shops, was distinctly formal in its nature.

And while the retail aspect has long since gone, the space has never adjusted to its purpose as a hotel lobby, leading the design team to prioritise this key function by re-organising the layout. Now, a buzzy street-facing bar and restaurant greets new arrivals. Headed up by acclaimed chef Christian Paradisi, Café Royal retains the original marble floors dating back to the 1960s, along with several of Jacobsen’s designs, including the Drop chair, which Fritz Hansen brought back into production in 2014.

On the other side of the spiral staircase, the re-positioned reception area has a warm and inviting living room feel. Here, original artworks, bespoke circular chandeliers that reference the listed ceiling in the conference room upstairs, and Jacobsen’s Egg chair – always a part of the lobby – mingles with the designers’ own pieces such as a curvy version of the Stay Sofa for Gubi and a newly designed chair,

that recently launched at Paris’ Maison & Objet fair, for Danish company &Tradition. “We wanted something that had a contrast of the very sharp and straight, but still curved, to fit in with Arne Jacobsen’s pieces that were naturally a part of this environment,” explains Bindslev Henriksen.

Meanwhile, the subdued charcoal urban tones, flecked with dusty pink and brass details, is a welcome update that was partly in response to the original material palette of black marble and deep wood panelling, but also a deliberate move away from Jacobsen’s favoured green tones, which the pair felt, in their words, was a bit too retro. “We decided to update the colour palette, because if we hadn’t, it might have seemed like we were miming something that hasn’t been here for a long time,” says Bindslev Henriksen.

The same reasoning applies to their furniture choices. “We could have gone with Fritz Hansen and covered the hotel with Arne Jacobsen pieces,” notes Bundgaard Rützou. “But the trick was not to pay homage by doing what has been replicated in thousands of hotels. So we decided to restore some of those that are here and complement them with something else – so they almost become framed by something that doesn’t aspire to the exact same language.”

Flanagan agrees: “We have done all we can to pay the right respect to the original pieces that the creator placed in the hotel and accentuated those with our designs.”

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Left: Café Royal – a street-facing bar and restaurant – retains the original marble floors dating back to the 1960s and marries with charcoal urban tones and brass detailing

While Jacobsen was clearly ahead of his game, designers and architects who take up all aspects of a project are more common these days and a way in which Bindslev Henriksen and Bundgaard Rützou particularly like to work. This affinity proved a positive point in the final result, which is a sympathetic and modern take on what they think Jacobsen would have done, while respecting the architect’s legacy. “The final result is truly amazing,” says Flanagan-Karttunen. “Space Copenhagen has done an outstanding job with carefully protecting our legacy while at the same time interpreting and modernising to meet the expectations of new generations of travellers.”

And, should you want to go back in time for a taste of the past, the hotel’s famous Room 606 still remains exactly as Jacobsen designed it – turquoise palette and all – which makes it all the more enjoyable knowing that the rest of the hotel is now firmly in the 21st century.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 206 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 bar | 10 meeting rooms | www.radissoncollection.com Operator: Radisson Hotel Group | Architecture: Arne Jacobsen | Interior Design: Space Copenhagen | Lighting Design: ÅF Lighting MEP Consultant: Rambøll | Project Management: Chandler KBS

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Nobis COPENHAGEN

Wingårdhs has preserved and enhanced the former home of the Royal Danish Academy of Music for Nobis Hospitality Group’s first property outside Sweden.

Words: Matt Turner | Photography: Courtesy of Design Hotels

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obis is a hotel in harmony with its surroundings. Nestled in Copenhagen’s cultural quarter behind the Ny Carlsberg Glypotek museum, this quietly understated property is housed in a 5,500m2 structure, built in 1903 as the home for the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Originally designed by architect Martin Borch, Royal Surveyor in Copenhagen from 1903-1923, it was one of the first concrete buildings in the capital. Now it has been converted to Nobis Hospitality Group’s first property outside of their native Sweden, comprising 77 guestrooms, a restaurant, bar, and spa.

Architects Wingårdhs, which previously worked on Nobis’ Miss

Clara hotel in Stockholm, was tasked with overseeing the evolution of the property. They have sought to pay homage to the building’s history while adding their own modern touches. The result is a successful blend of old and new; original architectural details such as the stunning grand staircase have been preserved and restored. Bold contemporary elements have been introduced in natural materials such as marble, copper, stone, hard oak, and glass. The interiors are toned-down and discreet, with the building’s sense of space and elaborate, elegant detailing at the fore.

“It’s been a privilege to work with this fantastic building,” says

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Above: Ornate ceiling details, and parquet Dinesen floors combine with modern furnishings and light fixtures in the guestrooms

Gert Wingårdh. “Danish classicism, of which this is a fine example, is something special – more sophisticated, more stripped down than in Sweden. We’ve been delicate and respectful, emphasising every detail of the original architecture and decor, adding superior quality natural materials such as various marbles, stone, wood and glass, with a subtle colour scale, accentuated with beautiful greens.”

It has taken a deft touch on the part of the designers, carefully preserving the original building’s elegance and beautiful detailing.

In the lobby the guests are met by a reception desk of cast concrete, complemented by a heritage colour scheme of greens and greys. From the lobby, the monumental staircase has been extended downward, leading to Restaurant Niels, with a spectacular lighting installation occupying its void. The courtyard wing is an addition from the 1960s that is now clad in copper sheeting and glass, the irregular pattern varying in both length and width.

“With the annex section from the 1960s, where the restaurant has its own separate entrance, we’ve allowed ourselves more architectural liberty,” Wingårdh adds. “We’ve been inspired here by Le Corbusier’s

La Tourette Dominican monastery from the late 1950s, with its boldly elegant lines. I think there is something of a connection between this style of Fifties modernism and turn-of-the-20th century classicism.”

Rich blue-green tones have been incorporated into the guestrooms, with additions to the original décor clearly articulated as freestanding objects. Much of the bedroom furniture has been custom designed with curved upper lines reflecting the shapes of the building’s original windows. Steel-framed beds combine with wardrobes, stools, benches, and desks made from wood and natural leather. Other furnishings have been sourced from the likes of Carl Hansen, Hay, Moroso, Living Divani and Tacchini. Art is incorporated into the wool rugs found gracing the chevron patterned Dinesen parquet floors. Light floods in through the high, white-painted windows. Bathrooms are clad in grey Bardiglio marble from Italy and have freestanding vanity cabinets with co-ordinating mirrors.

“We searched for the right location for Nobis Hotel Copenhagen for many years,” says Nobis founder Alessandro Catenacci. “As soon as we stepped into this building it all felt exactly right.”

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 75 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 bar | 2 meeting rooms | Gym, sauna and spa | www.nobishotel.dk Owner / Operator: Nobis Hospitality Group | Architecture and Interior Design: Wingårdhs

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SOFAS | BEDS | MATTRESSES Visit us at: 638-640 Kings Road, Fulham, London, SW6 2DU 0207 352 5551 WWW.DELCOR.CO.UK NORTHUMBERLAND | LONDON | LINCOLNSHIRE | CHESHIRE

Sanders COPENHAGEN

Ballet dancer and theatre director Alexander Kølpin has collaborated with designers Lind + Almond to create a homely hotel in the heart of Copenhagen.

Words: Matt Turner | Photography: Courtesy of Sanders Copenhagen

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n the Norwegian tongue from which it originates ‘hygge’ translates pretty much directly as ‘cosy’. But in Denmark – the country that has seen the word develop from a loosely defined cultural concept to a worldwide trend encompassing how-to books, home furnishings and happiness indices – it is much harder to define.

Attempts to pin down its meaning range from ‘the ritual of enjoying life’s simple pleasures’ to ‘a cosiness of the soul’ or ‘the art of creating intimacy’ but much of the idea’s appeal lies in its nebulous, intangible nature.

Whatever ‘hygge’ might mean to different people, Sanders has it in abundance. An indefinable sense of wellbeing and conviviality envelopes you as soon as you enter. Whether it’s the flickering candelight, the roaring open fire, or the warm tones of the natural wood furnishings set against artfully curated bookshelves, Sanders immediately feels like home.

According to General Manager Nikolaj Tamaklo, this was the intent of owner Alexander Kølpin – a former ballet dancer and artistic director who has taken design references from the theatre as well as his own extensive travels to shape his collaboration with design team Lind + Almond. “Alexander had always wanted to open a hotel, it was a dream of his for 12 years – and he had been dancing in the Royal Theatre just down the street all his life, so this was a sort of homecoming for him. We wanted to create a home rather than a

hotel. We wanted people to be a bit confused – ‘is this a restaurant, a club, a house... what is it?’”

Three former townhouses have been combined into one 54-guestroom property, with a kitchen, living room and sophisticated yet welcoming cocktail bar occupying the ground floor.

This is the first significant hospitality project for Lind + Almond, whose founders Pernille Lind and Richy Almond count Soho House & Co, Conran + Partners and Anouska Hempel Design amongst their former employers.

They have created a hotel that eschews fashion in favour of a timeless, subtle and understated palette. Rattan and bamboo furnishings combine with rich green leathers, and natural materials of timber and stone. Printed fabrics add a touch of English eccentricity.

Though there is a clear influence of classic Danish mid-century modern design, there is not an Egg chair or Artichoke light in sight.

Whilst much of the woodwork is of local origin, the marble comes from Italy, Portugal and Greece, while slate comes from the Lake District and limestone from Croatia.

“The overall palette is subtle and understated – there was a distinct intention to shy away from the latest trends,” explains Lind. “The public spaces are generally in earthy tones whose colours are timeless.

The hotel has further embraced natural tones of timbers and stone as much as possible.”

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This Page: Bespoke handcrafted Lind + Almonddesigned beds, wardrobes and sideboards appear throughout guestrooms, alongside vintage pieces sourced from Copenhagen and London

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F FL LU US SH H II N N S ST TY YL LE E with aquadomo loo flush-plates with aquadomo loo flush-plates

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Left: Public areas are decorated in warm, timeless tones with a mix of vintage and bespoke furnishings

In the lobby, the only indication you are in a hotel is the reception desk above which hangs a spectacular 1940’s vintage chandelier in murano glass, originally designed by Carlo Scarpa for a Swiss bank.

Kølpin’s theatrical background comes to the fore in cocktail bar Tata – where red velvet curtains and a roaring fireplace provide a backdrop to the beautifully lit, carefully stage-set spaces.

Much of the furniture has been designed by Lind + Almond – the handcrafted wardrobes, beds and sideboards have since been released as an ‘L+A for Sanders’ retail line. Other pieces from Sika Design, Novocastrian and Beau Marche sit alongside vintage pieces sourced in London and Copenhagen. In the bathrooms, metal vanity stands by Aquadomo combine with sanitaryware from Lefroy Brooks.

Artworks were sourced by Lind + Almond and commissioned by Kølpin in collaboration with Dais Contemporary to complement the historical context of the building.

The hotel’s piéce de resistance, and for now at least, its best kept secret, is a rooftop conservatory with retractable ceiling where guests can cozy up on rattan chairs by Tine K Home surrounded by ivy covered walls overlooking Copenhagen’s rooftops.

“Our brief was to create a hotel that had an international feel while simultaneously feeling like Alexander’s home,” explains Lind “We wanted the interior to look like a lifetime’s worth of collecting, but equally to feel calm and assured in its identity. We wanted the interior to transport guests to another time, but one that you couldn’t quite pinpoint.”

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 54 guestrooms | 1 restaurant | 1 bar | Private dining and meeting room | www.hotelsanders.com Owner / Operator: Kølpin Hotels | Interior Design: Lind + Almond

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INFANTE SAGRES HOTEL, PORTO, PORTUGAL

“Art is not a plaything, but a necessity” — Rebecca West

“Sun, Shade, Vision” by Kat Lanser © Kalisher

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Nimb Hotel COPENHAGEN

The latest phase of renovations brings new facilities to Tivoli Gardens’ fairytale boutique hotel.

Words: Ben Thomas | Photography: Courtesy of Nimb Hotel (unless stated otherwise)

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ince opening in 1909, Nimb Hotel has caught the eye of many a traveller, both for its fairytale façade in one of the world’s oldest amusement gardens, and its culinary excellence – with former leaseholders Vilhelm and Louise Nimb establishing the hotel as the pre-eminent place to eat and sleep in town.

Originally designed by Tivoli director and architect Knud Arne Petersen, the Moorish-style palace has undergone a series of renovations over the years, the most recent being the doubling of the key count. Completed at the end of 2017, the latest phase sees 21 suites added as part of the newly built Tivoli Corner, with

interiors fusing Arabian opulence with a soupçon of Scandinavian minimalism, while simultaneously paying homage to author Hans Christian Andersen.

Under the remit of René Jasper Thomsen, the suites have been individually designed with handpicked art and carefully selected Danish antiquities, while Italian marble stucco flooring and crystal chandeliers accompany Bang & Olufsen sound systems. The notion of hygge – or homely experiences that evoke a sense of happiness – also remains prominent through the inclusion of sumptuous furniture, large bathtubs and cosy fireplaces.

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© Lasse Salling

Above: Farm-to-table restaurant Gemyse creates vegetable-based dishes with flavours that span from Nordic to Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines

of the most interesting new additions to the hotel’s culinary offer is Gemyse. The farm-to-fork concept operates in collaboration with Aarstiderne, a Danish brand specialising in organic produce, to create vegetable-based dishes with flavours that span from Nordic to Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines.

Elsewhere, Fru Nimb offers traditional open-faced sandwiches and schnapps with ingredients sourced from the gardens, while Nimb Bar serves artisan cocktails beneath the original crystal chandeliers of the hotel’s heritage ballroom. Wine-cellar-cum-restaurant Nimb Vinotek complements the extensive F&B offer, acting as a space for private functions with wooden long tables and a rustic ambience.

Filip Boyen, CEO of Small Luxury Hotels Of The World – the collection of independent properties of which Nimb is a member – concludes: “Nimb Hotel has succeeded in reinterpreting exclusive hotel experiences that will undoubtedly attract new guest segments to Copenhagen and Nimb in the same way as several of the leading Nordic gourmet restaurants have done. With the expansion and extensive restaurant offering under the same roof, Nimb Hotel sets new and exciting standards for boutique hotels.”

The hotel’s Vilhelm and Louise Suites feature a four-poster bed, open-plan living area, private terrace and two bathrooms, while Corner Suites afford views over the Chinese pagodas and cherry trees of Tivoli Gardens.

Plans to construct a 1,300m2 rooftop terrace will further add to the hotel’s leisure offer. With the help of New York-based architects Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, a rooftop expansion is set to be completed in mid-2018 and includes a swimming pool and bar, Sticks’n’Sushi restaurant, a sports club and new treatment rooms.

“The expansion of Nimb Hotel by a further 21 rooms and the roof terrace allows us to reach for even greater heights in regard to the service we can offer guests,” comments Iben Marburger, General Manager of Nimb Hotel. “We now have the exotic charm of the old building and the bang up-to-date design experience of the new one, giving us a perfect opportunity to create authentic experiences to suit each individual guest.”

In addition to the guestrooms, the new 2,000m2 wing houses several restaurants, as well as Tivoli Food Hall – which encompasses 16 food stands alongside retail outlet Illums Bolighus. Perhaps one

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 38 guestrooms | 4 restaurants | 2 bars | Conference & banqueting facilities | www.nimbcopenhagen.com Owner / Operator: Tivoli | Interior Design: René Jasper Thomsen

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THE INTELLIGENCE SOURCE FOR THE HOTEL INVESTMENT COMMUNITY

Interstate makes Europe move Interstate Hotels & Resorts has added 12 new hotels to its international portfolio, including the company’s first hotel in France, after signing a deal with Borealis Hotel Group.

Interstate told us that it hoped the two would work together to expand more deeply into Europe, hailing Borealis’ “strong track record” under the lease model.

Interstate will manage the hotels under long-term agreements for owner, development and lease partner Borealis Hotel Group.

The pair were considering further growth in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and additional Western European countries. In addition, Interstate told us that it would continue to pursue the UK and Russia.

Included in the deal were the 314-room Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South and the 63-room Hotel Indigo The Hague-Palace Noordeinde, with the other properties under construction and due to be delivered by late 2019 or early 2020. Franchisors include InterContinental Hotels Group, AccorHotels, Marriott International and Hilton.

Bart van de Kamp, CEO, Borealis Hotel Group, said: “We voluntarily selected Interstate to manage our hotels because we look for strong partners that bring key core competencies and thus optimise the overall strength of the business.

Importantly, Interstate has proven

to be competent, owner-centric managers who think of the hotels as their own.”

Interstate and Borealis have been affiliated since 2011, when Interstate began managing hotels in the Netherlands for The Vincent Hotel Group, a Borealis subsidiary.

In the subsequent four years, TVHG and Interstate opened and managed 10 hotels under Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hampton

by Hilton brands, leading to a sale of the company in late 2015 to Westmont Hospitality for an undisclosed fee.

Interstate’s EVP, acquisitions & development, EMEA, Aaron Greenman, told Hotel Analyst: “Since the sale, Borealis and Interstate have continued to discuss potential future opportunities.

Borealis has continued to actively develop high quality, internationally-branded hotel projects, and in 2017/18, the two companies agreed to embark on a new collaboration.”

Greenman was confident in the ongoing potential of the European market, adding: “As we all know, the European hotel sector has been performing strongly over the past several years, with certain metropolitan markets, such as Dublin and Amsterdam leading the way. While the end of the economic cycle will eventually lead to slower revpar growth, due to a number of factors we anticipate Amsterdam and most of the other markets Borealis and Interstate are actively involved to continue their recent trend of robust performance.”

At the time of the sale of TVHG

to Westmont Hospitality Group, the lease structure gave the some pause. All of the hotels were sold with leases of between 40 and 45 years, with index-linked rentals.

Dirk Bakker, head of EMEA hotels at Colliers International and CEO, Netherlands, who worked on the deal, said: “There were no direct comparables. What you are selling is cashflow.”

Commenting on the strength of the lease model, Greenman said: “Borealis’ lease model has a strong positive track record in the institutional investment community, and the freeholds for several of its previous developments have been successfully sold to some of the leading institutional European real estate investors active in the hotel sector.”

Interstate also expanded its business in the UK with the signing of the Ramada Encore in Bournemouth under a management contract. The acquisition of the Ramada Encore took Interstate Europe’s operational UK portfolio to 71 properties.

The Netherlands continued to perform strongly. According to STR, occupancy levels reached an all-time high last year, rising 3.4% to 74.3%. This rise in occupancy led ADR to increase 5.3% to EUR117.93 and revpar to rise by 9.4% to EUR87.57. Amsterdam saw a 4.1% increase in occupancy to 81.5% and a 6.0% increase in ADR to EUR143.91.

The Netherlands has also shown itself to be a safe haven from the UK’s decision to leave Europe. The end of last year saw the EC announce that

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the European Medicines Agency would be moving to Amsterdam and, at the time of writing Unilever was also due to announce that it was moving its headquarters from the UK to Rotterdam. The company played down the role of Brexit in the decision-making process, instead it is thought that it would find greater protection from takeover in the Netherlands, following last year’s attempt by Kraft Heinz.

HA Perspective (by Katherine Doggrell): The growth of the thirdparty operators and the resurgence of leases has been a growing theme of the past few years, but what this means when the market peaks has yet to be addressed.

The good news for all is that leases are evolving, with James Miller, partner, CMS, telling us that when you talk about leases in this sector now: “In fact you’re talking about five or six different contracts – dry fixed rentals are very different from a share of Ebitdar and then there are two different types of ground lease.”

For the TPOs, the news is good.

Miller said: “The operator is in quite a strong position. For a landlord, if say you have existing office space which you can convert you have a better chance of full take-up with a hotel than offices. In an urban environment location seems to be less sensitive for a hotel than it is for office space so long as there are good transport links.

“If you have done a deal with a white label on development then if market conditions sour, you as a landlord, having probably put

a considerable amount in per key to meet the franchise standards, will want to continue that lease agreement. Quite often, the last thing the landlord wants to do is take back the asset.” The long-term nature of the contracts, he added, meant that there were numerous options to work out the returns to everyone’s advantage.

As the entrance of the institutions drives more leases, and with the forthcoming changes to capital gains tax for non-resident owners, Miller suggested that which has not reared its head since the failure of the Vector Reit, commenting: “White labels taking leases, could be a catalyst to Reit conversion in the sector.”

The UK may get its Reit after all.

IHG looks to luxury crown InterContinental Hotels Group said that it would expand Regent Hotels & Resorts from six to 40 hotels after paying USD39m for a 51% stake in the group.

The company is now expected to acquire either Principal Hotels or Belmond as it rounds out its luxury portfolio.

IHG will have the right to acquire the remaining 49% interest in Regent in a phased manner from 2026, which the company said that, based on its current projections, would result in a payment of less than USD100m.

Under the terms of the deal IHG will acquire a 51% interest in a joint

venture with Formosa International Hotels Corporation to acquire the Regent Hotels & Resorts brand and associated management contracts.

The 51% interest will be paid for in three tranches of USD13m, the first upon the date of completion, the second in 2021 and the third in 2024. When contacted by Hotel Analyst, the group gave no timescale for the brand’s expansion.

There are currently three hotels in the Regent pipeline. The company was sold in 2010 to Formosa International Hotels by Carlson and Rezidor, after having been acquired from Four Seasons in 2007. Formosa paid USD50m for the brand, reportedly beating off IHG. The company said at the time that it would look to China for growth, with Europe and the US being mired in the financial crisis.

Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, said: “As one of the pioneers in defining luxury hotels both in Asia and around the world, Regent is an excellent addition to IHG’s portfolio of brands. We see a real opportunity to unlock Regent’s enormous potential and accelerate its growth globally.”

Steven Pan, executive chairman, Formosa International Hotels Corporation, commented: “The brand has an unrivalled heritage at the very top end of the luxury segment and the flagship Regent Hong Kong was consistently voted the world’s best hotel in the 1980s and 1990s. Returning the property to its original roots as a Regent hotel is symbolic of our ambition to return the brand to its former glory and will go down in history as one

of the greatest brand comebacks in the hotel industry.”

Following an extensive refurbishment due to start in early 2020, the InterContinental Hong Kong will become a Regent Hotel in early 2021.

February this year saw the company confirm the creation of a dedicated division to drive its luxury business, a segment it described as being worth USD60bn, which was expected to grow by over 50% in the next 10 years. Barr told analysts that the group would acquire “one or two small luxury asset-light brands that we would incubate and grow”.

He added: “We see a real opportunity to round out our portfolio and add other luxury brands at a price point above InterContinental, and potentially also in the resort space.

“A more comprehensive luxury offer will have numerous halo benefits, including helping to strengthen our loyalty offer and attracting more B2B customers. It will further strengthen our owner proposition, giving us the ability to deepen our relationship with those who want to work with us across a broader range of segments and allowing us to fill a portfolio gap that many of our owners have.

“It also gives us the opportunity to build our presence at higher price points and meet the demands of higher value consumers, whose needs our current brand portfolio doesn’t quite capture.”

Supporting this, the company was creating a dedicated luxury division, which it will look to acquire.

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Rumours continue to link IHG to either Belmond or Principal Hotels Group as its second luxury purchase.

According to The Times, IHG was working with an investment partner to acquire the Principal brand’s 12 city centre hotels, including Blythswood Square and the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, St. David’s Hotel in Cardiff and the Principal Edinburgh George Street, formerly The George, as well as the Principal London. Starwood Capital is thought to be looking for GBP1.2bn for the Principal Hotel Company, with Henderson Park also reported to be bidding on the group.

IHG’s eponymous brand had 194 hotels open as at 31 December 2017, with 63 hotels in the pipeline.

The brand contributed 18% of gross revenue last year, behind Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn, with 26% and 24% respectively.

HA Perspective (by Katherine Doggrell): This correspondent continues to cling to the idea of IHG buying Belmond, more because of a desire to see the company make a grand, transformative gesture than of any suspicion that a deal so complex and potentially expensive can come off.

With Regent we have a brand which various owners have promised great things, but has yet to fulfil those hopes and dreams. IHG is using it to reflag one InterContinental, leading observers to wonder how much of the 40 hotels it has in its sights will come from existing properties,

given the mixed offering which the eponymous brand represents. As a way to reposition InterContinental, the deal may make sense.

But as a new spiffy brand for IHG, it will involve a level of resurrection which the company may not have, showing no inclination towards big spending. This cautious attitude also makes a potential cherry picking of Starwood Capital’s UK estate intriguing viewing should it succeed. With another party owning the sites, it too is no dramatic move and one which leaves it at the mercy of another’s whims. And with the ownership community showing itself to be particularly brand agnostic these days.

We’re not ones for drama here at Hotel Analyst and there is always an argument for sticking to one’s knitting. But with IHG being constantly circled by the M&A eager, the best defence is surely a strong offence.

Additional HA Perspective (by Andrew Sangster): IHG has been in need of a new tune once it ran out of real estate to sell. Having handed back to shareholders USD13bn over the past 14 years, a different song was needed as to why the shares are an attractive investment.

To be fair, just 60% of that USD13bn came via asset sales with the rest from operational cashflow.

This latter will of course continue but generating returns at a rate of less than half of what they were is not the most appetising offer.

So IHG has embarked on being leaner, meaner and fitter. The main focus of this is stripping out USD125m

from central overheads, a huge number given the size of the company.

There seems good sense in much of the reorganisation: the split into mainstream, upscale and luxury creates sensible focus and the push into cloud-based technologies, working with technology partner Amadeus rather than doing it all in house, should help make the usually clunky IT infrastructure more nimble. (Although it remains critically important for IHG to retain control of IT: a quick glance at the retail sector will show that the retailers who outsourced their IT were usually the first to go bust.)

But it is a struggle to see how creating a region encompassing Europe, Africa and Asia will turn out well. The challenge is the practical issue of time difference and distance.

The same criticism could be levied about the decision to site the new marketing and tech functions in the US. Eric Pearson, who has been put in charge of commercial and technology organisation is based in the US along with the new chief marketing officer Claire Bennett: liaising with the UK HQ in Denham could well prove more challenging than the boosters of communications technology will have you believe.

Given the grumblings by many IHG staffers about the uncertainty created by the restructure, there remains some work to be done on internal communications. It has been hard not to attend industry gatherings without seeing an IHG employee huddled in the corner with a recruitment consultant lately.

Meanwhile, IHG has at last found its acquisition chequebook. Having missed Starwood, a deal that could well haunt it, IHG is clearly now in the mood to buy. Regent makes a lot of sense for IHG given the target’s exposure in Asia. Keith Barr had dropped several heavy hints that this move was in the offing to the point where it would have been very awkward had the acquisition failed at the last minute.

The story in the London Times linking IHG to Principal in the UK also seems logical. Barr made it clear during the prelim results that he wanted to buy an upscale softbrand. Teaming up with a property investor to buy out Starwood Capital seems smart: it’s a Starwood deal even if not the big one.

Is Belmond also likely? Given the share structure it would have to be a consensual deal and it remains unclear why Belmond would want to be swallowed right now. But at the prelims Barr spoke about wanting luxury brands plural above InterContinental and also cited resorts as being desired. Belmond ticks these boxes and offers a highprofile collection brand to boot.

UK supply to hit performance An increase in new hotel rooms in London was likely to hit performance both this year and next, according to PwC. Supply was unlikely to wane in the short term, with Colliers International reporting that London

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had moved back into the top 10 in terms of attractiveness to investors.

PwC forecast that occupancy growth of 0.4% this year in London and 0.3% next year as weak demand continued and increased room supply weighed down growth. ADR was also expected to be tempered, with a 0.2% gain in 2018, against 4.3% seen last year. Revpar was forecast to see only 0.6% growth this year compared to 4.6%. In 2019, a 1.9% gain was predicted.

Liz Hall, head of hospitality and leisure research at PwC, said: “The boost to inbound holidays from the weak pound has started to fizzle out and ongoing uncertainty around Brexit and the fragile economy is a recipe for some tough year-onyear comparisons for the next few months.

“This year, one of the main challenges to growth is demand.

With more rooms potentially set to open in London than the Olympic year, that will mean a lot of rooms to fill. Hotels will be looking to events such as the Royal Wedding in May to provide an uplift while other events like the Farnborough International Air Show and additional unique sporting events will do the same for the regions.”

According to data from STR, a potential 9,000 new rooms could open in London in 2018, well ahead of the 8,000 that opened in 2012, the Olympic year. Other cities with large pipelines for 2018 include Manchester, Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In the regions, hotel occupancy was forecast to see further marginal growth of 0.6% in 2018 and 0.5%

in 2019, taking occupancy levels to 77%. ADR was set to grow modestly this year with 0.6% growth, with revpar up 1.1%.

Hall added: “We expect hotel trading in many regional cities to remain relatively buoyant, driven by a variety of factors such as business travel and short leisure breaks.

However, international destination cities could also feel the impact of the weak pound effect diminishing and of increasing new supply additions.

“Over the next two years we expect occupancy to edge up only a little, largely reflecting the continued expansion of the branded budget hotel sector. ” For STR’s own forecasts for the year ahead, managing director Robin Rossmann told attendees of the IHIF in Berlin that in London: “Demand is waning and occupancy is declining.” Rossmann said that the following the Brexit referendum, there had been a big boost in demand as the pound became cheaper allowing hoteliers to boost their rates, but that now occupancies had turned negative, with rate beginning to decline.

Rossmann said that “2018 will be challenging for London with 0-2% revpar growth.”

Despite the caution, investors were continuing to be drawn to London and the UK, with Colliers International reporting that the capital has re-entered the top

asking “is this the top of the cycle?”

Just listen to the tumbleweeds on the next earnings call.

And fair enough. No-one wants to get caught out – just look at the US. There was a frenzy of calling the top and then Donald Trump started throwing cash around and all of a sudden every road warrior out there was revving up the Hyundai and burning up their expense account.

But on the off-chance Theresa May doesn’t feel like throwing out her austerity measures, here in the UK the peak appears to be looming, and with it a wave of new rooms which will be hard to fill. Both Hall and Rossmann – neither to be avoided in post office queues – remained cautious. Hall told us that she thought we had “a way to go before a perfect storm hits”, while Rossmann laid claim to a resounding “not yet”. Eyes are on the restaurant sector, where oversupply is combining with costs and a wary consumer to see an almost daily cull of sites. Things are looking peaky.

10 listing of hot spots for hotel development and acquisition, according to the company’s annual UK Hotels Market Index.

London earned its place because of the city’s recovery in ADR performance for 2017. It continued to be the largest market and in terms of revpar, was still the top performing market.

Regional markets continued to catch up to London in terms of their attractiveness to investors and cities such as Hull and Plymouth entered the list for the first time in 2017.

Edinburgh topped the Index, moving up four places in 2017 since the previous year with its position attributed to strong occupancy levels and ADR growth in 2017, resulting in a four-year upward revpar trend combined with constrained new supply. Bath ranked second, moving 10 places up, as a result of strong ADR performance, combined with a lower active pipeline.

For London, the total number of rooms expected to enter the market over the next two years as a percentage of total existing room supply as at 31st December 2017 was 8.1%, or 11,120 rooms.

HA Perspective (by Katherine Doggrell): For anyone trapped in the corner of a cocktail party, or an airline queue, or even the queue at the post office, there is good news.

At this point in the cycle most rooms can be effectively cleared by

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 or call +44 (0)20 8870 6388

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Global Hotel Inventory Hotel supply growth by room count 2008-2018

North America +10.5%

The hotel sector continues to attract real-estate investors, evidenced by the substantial growth in performance metrics

and

supply

development

over the last decade. There are currently 184,296 hotels comprising 16,966,043 million rooms around

2008: 5.6m rooms 2018: 6.2m rooms

the world. This represents a 17.7% increase in global room inventory since 2008.

The US maintains the largest pipeline, with more than 589,000 rooms under development, putting it significantly

Central and South America +25.1%

ahead of China, with the second highest at 328,000 rooms, and the UK, with 137,000. The GCC shows the highest rate of growth on top of existing supply, with a substantial amount of rooms in the pipeline in both the UAE (78,000) and Saudi Arabia (63,000). Looking at these top five growth markets, as well as the

2008: 440k rooms 2018: 550k rooms

worldwide picture, there is clearly no shortage of investment interest for new hotels in the years ahead.

Supply comparisons based on STR’s global census data for year-end 2008 and February 2018

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Europe +7.1%

2008: 4.4m rooms 2018: 4.7m rooms

Asia Pacific +41.3% Middle East and Africa +26.2%

2008: 3.3m rooms 2018: 4.6m rooms 2008: 693k rooms 2018: 874k rooms

STR is the source for premium global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights, tracking 7.4 million rooms worldwide.

For more information and to subscribe visit: www.str.com

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AMERICAS FINALISTS REVEALED The AHEAD Americas 2018 shortlist has been announced. Nominated projects include a retro-chic retreat in Napa Valley, an eco-friendly nature-inspired luxury hotel in Brooklyn, and a boutique escape on Mexico’s west coast. On 17 May, a panel of judges will gather in New York to debate, deliberate and vote to decide this year’s winners. Returning to chair, Larry Traxler will head up a panel comprising Andrew Fay, President of The Gettys Group; Matoula Karagiannis, Vice President of Design at Sydell Group; Anwar Mekhayech, Co-Founder of DesignAgency; Markus Schreyer, Vice President Americas at Design Hotels; and Brad Wilson, President of Atelier Ace and Ace Hotel Group, amongst others.

Winners will be announced on 12 June 2018 at Faena Forum, Miami, in a ceremony themed ‘Tango in the Night’. The Latin Americaninfluenced celebration will nod to the host venue’s Argentinian heritage through colour, music and style.

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ESTMINSTER BRIDGE LONDON

15 MARCH 2018 - ANDAZ SINGAPORE

12 JUNE 2018 - FAENA FORUM

NOVEMBER 2018

ASIA WINNERS ANNOUNCED

A meticulously restored warehouse on the banks of the Singapore River, an urban resort on the Kowloon waterfront, and a repurposed sugar mill in the foothills of Yangshuo’s ancient karst mountains were amongst the winners of AHEAD Asia in March, as the region’s best new hotels went head-to-head to compete for a top industry accolade.

The evening ceremony marked the culmination of a lengthy judging process in which projects were assessed not only on creative excellence, but on commercial viability and guest experience. Following an initial round of online voting, the judging panel – chaired by Guy Heywood, Chief Operating Officer at Two Roads Hospitality – met in Singapore for a day of deliberations before the winners were decided.

Over 300 industry leaders – many dressed to impress with a Malay, Indian or Arabic twist – descended on Andaz Singapore for the official results, joining in a celebration inspired by the surrounding streets of Kampong Glam. The evening kicked off with al fresco cocktails on the terrace between the towers of Ole Scheeren’s Duo skyscrapers, before henna demonstrations, flowerfilled photo opportunities and a lively dance show opened proceedings. The ceremony itself took place in The Glass House – a contemporary take on the

traditional ballroom – where André Fu’s interior scheme proved an elegant backdrop to the shortlisted projects.

Fittingly, the first award of the night, for Bar, Club or Lounge, went to Fu – in this case for his design of Red Sugar at Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong.

The bar celebrates the heritage of the city’s dockyards, and extends out to a landscaped terrace overlooking the harbour. Judges commended the project for its intelligent use of space, and interiors that marry exposed brick and industrial detailing with a modern twist. The new flagship was also triumphant in the newbuild category, with both Fu and Rocco Design Architects applauded for bringing a resort-like escape to an urban setting.

Also taking home multiple awards were WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design – the multidisciplinary practice behind St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Co-founders Wong Chiu Man and Maria Warner Wong took to the stage to receive the award for the hotel’s imaginative event spaces, as well as its sprawling suite. Known as John Jacob Astor Estate, the three-bedroom overwater villa impressed the judging panel with its quality finishes and luxurious setting.

Other winners – each the recipient of a sculptural glass trophy designed

by Lasvit – included Kokaistudios for Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto; Vector Architects and Horizontal Space Design for Alila Yangshuo; Bond Design Studio for Shangri-La Hotel Singapore; and Ministry of Design for the Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces at Vue Hotel Houhai Beijing, which judges felt was a worthy winner for bringing interesting contrast and unexpected geometry to the rigid scale of traditional Hutong architecture.

The final set of awards – in which winners were selected from shortlisted hotels across all categories – saw Fabio Ongarto Design pick up the accolade for Visual Identity for its graphic design and branding at Jackalope – a vineyard hotel in Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula – described by judges as boldly complementing the interiors and adding an extra dimension to the identity of the property. The New Concept of the Year accolade was presented to the founders of Trunk Hotel for bringing socially-conscious hospitality to Japan in a new model that enables guests to make meaningful social contributions through their stay, while Priya Paul, Chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution Award. Collecting the award via video, Paul said: “For all of us at The Park Hotels, creativity is in our DNA. Design for us is not just designing spaces that are creative

and thought-provoking, it’s also about designing anything but ordinary experiences for our guests. It has been a wonderful creative journey. Thank you AHEAD Asia for this recognition.”

But the night ultimately belonged to Zarch Collaboratives and Asylum Creative for their sensitive conversion of a former warehouse on Singapore’s Robertson Quay, picking up an impressive three awards before being named AHEAD Asia Hotel of the Year – the top accolade awarded only to standout projects. The debut property from The Lo & Behold Group, The Warehouse Hotel beat off stiff competition in the Guestroom category, and later emerged as the winner for its lobby and public areas. The doubleheight space – where a collection of ceiling-hung cogs and wheels take are suspended – was praised for breaking the norms of a traditional hotel reception and offering a guest experience with real character.

These projects will now compete in a global biennale together with other regional finalists. The global winners will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles in January 2019, for which further details will be announced soon.

See overleaf for the full list of winners...

THE WINNERS...

BAR, CLUB OR LOUNGE

LANDSCAPING & OUTDOOR SPACES

EVENT SPACES

LOBBY & PUBLIC SPACES

RED SUGAR AT KERRY HOTEL, HONG KONG Shangri-La International / Kerry Hotels / Rocco Design Architects / Andre Fu of AFSO

VOMMULI HOUSE NATURE DISCOVERY CENTRE AT ST. REGIS MALDIVES VOMMULI RESORT Appaswamy Real Estates / St. Regis Hotels & Resorts / WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design

GUESTROOMS

THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL, SINGAPORE I Hotel / The Lo & Behold Group / Zarch Collaboratives / Asylum Creative

HOTEL RENOVATION & RESTORATION

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL SINGAPORE Shangri-La International / Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts / Bond Design Studio

VUE HOTEL HOUHAI BEIJING, CHINA Crystal Orange / Beijing Crystal Orange Hotel Management Consulting / Ministry of Design

THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL, SINGAPORE I Hotel / The Lo & Behold Group / Zarch Collaboratives / Asylum Creative

RESORT HOTEL

ALILA YANGSHUO, GUILIN, CHINA Landmark Tourism Investment Company / Alila Hotels & Resorts / Vector Architects / Horizontal Space Design

RESTAURANT

BRASSERIE AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KYOTO, JAPAN Kyoto Higashiyama Hospitality Assets / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / Kume Sekkei / Kokaistudios

SPA & WELLNESS

SPA ALILA AT ALILA YANGSHUO, GUILIN, CHINA Landmark Tourism Investment Company / Alila Hotels & Resorts / Vector Architects / Horizontal Space Design

SUITE

JOHN JACOB ASTOR ESTATE AT ST. REGIS MALDIVES VOMMULI RESORT Appaswamy Real Estates / St. Regis Hotels & Resorts / WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design

URBAN HOTEL – CONVERSION

THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL, SINGAPORE I Hotel / The Lo & Behold Group / Zarch Collaboratives / Asylum Creative

URBAN HOTEL – NEWBUILD

KERRY HOTEL, HONG KONG Shangri-La International / Kerry Hotels / Rocco Design Architects / Andre Fu of AFSO

VISUAL IDENTITY OF THE YEAR

JACKALOPE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA Jackalope Group / Fabio Ongarato Design

NEW CONCEPT OF THE YEAR

TRUNK HOTEL, TOKYO, JAPAN Trunk / Mount Fuji Architects / Jamo Associates / Line-Inc

THE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD

PRIYA PAUL, APEEJAY SURRENDRA PARK HOTELS

THE AHEAD ASIA HOTEL OF THE YEAR THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL, SINGAPORE

MARCH 2019

12 JUNE 2018

SINGAPORE

FAENA FORUM MIAMI

NOVEMBER 2018

19 NOVEMBER 2018

DUBAI

PARK PLAZA WESTMINSTER BRIDGE LONDON

Organised By

Headline Sponsor

Trophy Sponsor

Global Sponsors

Event Sponsors

Partners

Music Consultant

Digital Partner

www.aheadawards.com

Design By

Foundation Sponsor

ADD SOME COLOUR TO YOUR DESIGN

Surfaces as required The manufacturing service from TECE individualises toilet flush plates made of plastic and metal. All colours as well as metallic surfaces are available, and you also have the option to create an individual design using logos. TECE offers flushing technology within a system – down to the finest detail.

www.tece.com

Please disturb.

Radical Innovation is a global design competition dedicated to discovering and fostering big concepts that have the power to radically change the hospitality industry. Since 2006, we have awarded more than $150,000 to visionary architects, designers, and hoteliers.

We also proudly connect visionary students from around the world with scholarships, internships, and opportunities.

Join us at the New Museum in New York City for a live design competition to meet this year’s finalists and cast your vote for the grand prize winner.

October 3, 2018 New Museum New York City www.radicalinnovationaward.com

Produced by

Official Partner

Founding Sponsor

collection FOCUS pattern SQUARED

contract@arte-inter national.com www.ar te-inter national.com

2018_05_Sleeper_Arte.indd 2

16/04/18 13:03

Events T H E M E E T I N G P L AC E F O R T H E H O S P I TA L I T Y I N D U S T R Y

15-16 MAY

16-18 MAY

16-18 MAY

20-22 MAY

HOLA Miami www.holaconference.com CHRIS Miami www.chrisconference.com Wanted Design New York www.wanteddesignnyc.com Sleepover Brooklyn www.sleepoverbrooklyn.com

20-23 MAY

21-22 MAY

22-24 MAY

4-6 JUN

ICFF New York www.icff.com Boutique & Lifestyle Hotel Summit London www.boutiquehotelsummit.com Clerkenwell Design Week London www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com APHIC Bangkok www.questexevent.com

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6-8 JUN

11-13 JUN

11-14 JUN

12 JUN

HI Design Europe Berlin www.hidesign-europe.com NeoCon Chicago www.neocon.com LE Miami Miami www.lemiami.com AHEAD Americas Miami www.aheadawards.com

22-24 MAY

CDW presents...

A hub for diversity WANTED DESIGN

CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK

17-22 MAY

Wanted Design has announced its eighth edition, taking place in Brooklyn’s Industry City from 17-21 May, and Manhattan’s Terminal Stores from 19-22 May. Unfolding as part of the wider NYCxDesign event, the show offers a selection of design-led programmes including launches, workshops and interactive activities.

Look Book, a programme dedicated to North American design studios, will occupy 500ft² of space in the Tunnel, the main exhibition space for Wanted Design Manhattan, serving as an in-person portfolio for interior designers and architects to connect with selected makers. Meanwhile, as part of the Brooklyn edition, Wanted Design will join forces with Industry City to showcase the district as a hub for diverse, multidisciplinary thinkers, makers and entrepreneurs.

www.wanteddesignnyc.com

Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) is back for its ninth edition in May, playing host to design-led exhibitions, showroom presentations, talks and installations. Following the success of last year’s event, which attracted over 34,000 visitors, the event will feature more than 200 brands including Samuel Heath, Carrson International and Arte Contract, with Italian furniture specialist Arper among those debuting collections in the UK. On the agenda is CDW Presents, featuring a series of bespoke design projects including Brintons’ Craigend Collection with long-term collaborators Timorous Beasties, and Hakwood’s Behind Closed Doors installation, with each project aiming to activate the district’s streets whilst pushing the boundaries of design concepts, process and material capabilities.

Also in the pipeline is the CDW talks programme in partnership with Mapei, which will explore current industry topics as well as the latest product developments. Design studio Fredrikson Stallard are set to reveal where their continued inspiration is drawn from with CDW content editor Max Fraser, while Moroso’s Art Director Patrizia Moroso will discuss the advantage of combining craftsmanship and tailoring with industrial processing techniques. Meanwhile, Ola Rune of Claesson Koiviston Rune will explain his role in the ever-growing Swedish design partnership, and a panel featuring interior designers from Harding & Read, Lewis Taylor, David Collins Studio and Forster Inc talk future trends, technological innovations and the diversification of brands.

Elsewhere, the event’s seven exhibition areas will each feature a different curatorial focus ranging from cutting edge international design to emerging talent, luxury interiors and the best of British. New for 2018, the Light exhibition will take over former cold-store turned nightclub Fabric, hosting a light-dedicated programme of standalone installations from international brands within its brick vaults. www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com

Going green TENDENCE

30-3

JUN-JUL

Tendence will return to Messe Frankfurt in June to showcase the latest in consumer goods. Presenting the work of 1,100 exhibitors, the event will again feature its international volume sourcing hall, where visitors and buyers can place orders for new releases ahead of the upcoming season.

Highlighting products for the home, interior and accessory markets, the event is set to feature the second edition of its Outdoor Living space, as well as a Concept Store Inspirations programme providing insight on how to create experiencebased retail outlets.

www.tendence.messefrankfurt

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hgschmitz.de

Gira E2 Stainless steel.

Fits to the wall.

New frames and inserts in high-quality stainless steel have been added to the successful Gira E2 switch range, opening up a whole new set of design possibilities.

Planners can fit out buildings with a con­ sistent design, while differentiating different areas in terms of value.

Its sophisticated appearance makes Gira E2 stainless steel particularly suited to upscale facilities, both in the private and commercial sphere.

The frames for the flat installation protrude a mere 3 mm from the wall, blending in with the architecture in a particularly elegant fashion – and thereby providing an additional design option.

Numerous functions from the Gira System 55 meet all the require­ ments of a modern, future-proof electrical installation.

More information: www.gira.com/e2

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28.02.18 13:46

HI Design MEA 4-6 MARCH 2018

In demand hospitality buyers meet premium suppliers as HI Design descends on the Persian Gulf for its second MEA edition.

Words: Ben Thomas | Photography: © Richard Pereira

B

uilding on the success of 2017’s inaugural Middle Eastern event, HI Design MEA this year welcomed attendees to the Arabian Gulf’s developing isle of Bahrain, which became a meeting place for suppliers and buyers from across the region.

Hosted at the Art Rotana Hotel on the Amwaj Islands, the threeday event saw 187 hand-picked delegates take part in a well-practiced programme of one-to-one meetings, networking opportunities and supplier showcase, whilst Sleeper’s Editor-at-Large Guy Dittrich conducted a series of conference sessions addressing a variety of topics, from creative thinking and sharing spaces to the development of the Middle East hotel-scape with the help of performance data from STR. From interior designers to architects and project leaders, buyers included representatives from hotel operators including Marriott International, Hilton, Jumeirah Group and Shangri-La Hotels, to design firms Wilson Associates, Perkins+Will and HBA. Suppliers ranged from Astro Lighting, Janus et Cie and Laufen to Villeroy & Boch, Cane-line and Roca, with each setting out to market their latest collections in pre-arranged meetings held throughout.

Welcoming attendees to the opening evening following a sunkissed tour of the region, James Burke, co-director of Atticus Events, notified guests of the recent acquisition by DMG Events, before introducing Andy Stuart, Vice President of Design & Hospitality for DMG, who noted: “The HI Design forums dovetail perfectly with the work our teams do with Index and the growing selection of Hotel Shows. The acquisition of HI Design gives us another way to serve our market, bringing suppliers together with buyers from four- and five-star hotel projects in a well-controlled atmosphere primed for doing good business.”

Following an evening of networking, the event was kick-started the following morning by Philip Wooller, Area Director for the Middle East and Africa, STR, who opened the seminar programme with a look at the region’s hotel project landscape over the last decade, whilst providing an insight into the future for developers, architects, hoteliers and manufacturers. Wooller introduced the session with a market overview, evidencing that tourist arrivals in the Middle East region were up 7% in 2017, resulting in room revenues of US$4.5billion for the annum. The region saw a 51% increase in the pipeline, with Dubai ranking highest in the hotel development update at 36,394 rooms under construction.

The spotlight was also placed on Saudi Arabia and it’s NEOM Project – the planned 26,500km2 transnational city and economic zone to be constructed in the Egypt-bordering city of Tabuk. However there was concern about the level of new supply coming to market, as the Middle East was shown to be the only region where supply outpaced demand in 2017, with a 5.2% supply change in comparison to a 4% increase in demand.

Later that afternoon, Jesper Godsk, Founding Partner and CEO of multidisciplinary studio LW Design Group, graced the stage alongside Dittrich to offer his own take on the development of the Middle East hotel-scape, discussing the approach he employs to remain loyal to the LW Design brand and the future of hospitality design within the region. He also touched on LW Design Group’s recent work in Dubai with Jumeirah on Zabeel House, in additional to Hyatt Regency Dubai’s Miyako restaurant, Buddha Bar at Grosvenor House Dubai Marina, and Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa, a winner at last year’s AHEAD MEA. “Looking back, it was not on the cards that interior design would be

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my career path, but by coincidence I joined the Danish design school, graduating in 1991 with more social skills than design, yet had seen that there was so much to learn,” he began. “Along with the desire to travel I ended up in Dubai in December 1995, where it became obvious that this was a place of opportunities and a few years later I met Lars and Morten.”

Referring to co-founders Lars Waldenstrom and Morten Hansen, Godsk went on to explain how the regional hotel-scape has evolved since the trio founded LW Design in 1999, commenting: “The whole of the Middle East is changing and there is a lot more global brand awareness of the projects we are producing.”

Delving more specifically into the development of Dubai and the elements that have driven design in the city, he concluded: “Where I think it really moved forward was with the development of Dubai Marina, and then after that was the downtown plot which Emaar Hospitality Group have developed and where the Burj Khalifa lives.

These are the major steps in which I have seen the city grow.”

The second day of proceedings saw the return of science journalist and author Caroline Williams, who expanded on the previous research she had presented to the audience at HI Design’s Asia event in Borneo in November. Delving into neuroplasticity – or the notion that the brain retains the ability to rewire itself to new roles and functions throughout our lives – Williams explained what happens when we combine existing ideas to create something entirely new.

“The worst thing for focus and creativity is stress,” she noted.

Williams continued to discuss the studies that had formed the basis for a series of trips she took in order to discover whether the brain’s cognitive capabilities could be improved, and went on to provide a glimpse of how technology may result in shortcuts to moments of creative insight. “Neuro-feedback is quite standard technology, anyone can learn to look at their brainwaves on a screen monitoring electrodes and regulate them. As technology improves, methods may potentially arise to regulate our brainwaves and result in finding quicker paths to creativity.”

The final panel of the event saw Carol Finnie, Regional Portfolio Director for the Middle East, DWP; Diane Thorsen, Principal and Design Director of Perkins + Will’s Dubai studio; and Pallavi Dean, owner and Design Director of Pallavi Dean Interiors, come together in a discussion concerning sharing spaces – in particular the crosspollination amongst sectors and the journey towards experiential hotel design. Addressing themes such as co-working, multi-functional design and retail stores, the speakers explored how other sectors are

influencing and informing their approaches and what those sectors are learning from hospitality design specialists.

“We don’t design for a trend anymore, we design for individual experiences,” Finnie commented, on whether designers need to adopt a more psychographic approach. “I think we all need to be more flexible in what we do.” Reinforcing the ideology, Dean added: “What’s going to happen in 2030? It’s not going to be about the guestroom or lobby, it will be about the experience.”

Sharing her thoughts on the convergence of experiential design, Thorsen discussed the role of technology in the integration of retail outlets within the hotel sphere. “Technology is starting to blur the boundaries between multiple sectors, and with the best ideas arising from collaborations, could lead to great timeless design.”

As the final seminar session came to a close on day two, buyers and suppliers were invited to network with one another, providing an opportunity to discuss upcoming projects before the farewell dinner. This year’s HI Design MEA edition marked the end of an era for founders Jonathan Needs and James Burke, and closed out over 17 years of work in developing and running the business forum.

As the final evening drew to an emotional end, Needs and Burke were invited to the stage to bid their goodbyes, before encouraging attendees to remain in positive spirits for the future.

“Having nurtured and grown the HI Design events into the leading forums they are today, we look forward to seeing the next stage of their development,” they concluded. “We are extremely proud of how HI Design has established itself over the last 12 years, developing and growing in different parts of the world, and during some very challenging global economic times. We believe the DMG Events Design & Hospitality portfolio will provide an ideal environment for HI Design to continue to flourish. It is also great news that a number of our colleagues, in particular Sofi Khan, Charlie Gilmour and Guy Dittrich, who have worked with us for many years, will carry on doing so with DMG. We have enjoyed our time immensely working with this wonderfully creative industry and will of course miss the many friends we have made. But now is the time for a new chapter and we hope that the many supporters of HI Design around the world will continue to support it for many years to come.”

HI Design MEA 2019 will take place at Shangri-La Hotel Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 6-8 March, whilst the next forum will take it to Berlin for DMG Events’ inaugural Europe edition. www.hidesign-mea.com

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CONTRACT COLLECTIONS

romo.com

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13/04/2018 12:05

International Hotel Investment Conference 5-7 MARCH 2018

Marking both its largest programme and audience yet, IHIF 2018 saw an optimistic industry gather in Berlin following a strong year for hotels worldwide.

Words: Kristofer Thomas

O

ptimism in the industry has been strong,” began Kerry Gumas, President and CEO of Questex Hospitality, introducing the 21st edition of the International Hotel Investment Forum at InterContinental Berlin. “Hotel investment deals have reached new highs, and our programme has been designed to inspire and inform you how to reach your own new heights.”

Welcoming a record 2,300 delegates, including owners, investors, operators, designers and architects, this year’s conference also marked the event’s largest programme so far, comprising over 200 speakers – 35 of which were CEOs – and 23 hours of focused breakout sessions. Concerning the challenges the hospitality sphere faced in 2017 and opportunities for future growth, IHIF 2018 built on its legacy as a hotbed of deals, decisions and insightful discussion whilst adapting to a changing landscape with new elements including a dedicated technology hub showcasing the products and systems of tomorrow.

Under a theme of reaching new heights, the three-day event tackled the contentious issues of how best to foster innovation, the role of brands in today’s market and the blurred lines of the aparthotels concept, whilst exploring the hottest emerging markets and the economics – both macro and micro – that catalysed the optimism.

With each day anchored by a central theme – economic investment, strategy and development and innovation respectively – the forum sought to address global topics, whilst also providing attendees a platform to forge new partnerships and operators to announce the latest news.

THE GLOBAL MARKET First to take the stage was Megan Greene, Chief Economist and Managing Director at Manulife Asset Management, providing an economic overview addressing the macro factors and offering context for the specifics to come. “Secular stagnation is here to stay,” she explained, with “low growth and lower inflations” the main

“Europe is on top with the highest RevPAR, and it’s not often you can say that about Europe.”

Robin Rossmann, STR

culprits. However, soft data pointed to both businesses and consumers expressing confidence, but contained a warning, with Greene noting “in 2017 every asset class was up. It shouldn’t be like that.” Hard data painted a different picture, with the oversupply of debt, regulation and workforce all factors of concern. With two billion people added to the global workforce in the last decade, low productivity in the developed world and an increasing debt burden on every major economy, her forecast didn’t include a US recession, though didn’t entirely rule one out. Turning her attention to Europe, Greene looked to recent political upheavals in France and Italy as signs of looming reform, whilst noting that an impending Brexit

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would damage the UK’s industry far more than the EU’s. Lastly, on China, Greene noted the “dangerously high” risk as public and private debt exceeds 250% of its total GDP. THE HOTEL MARKET Caution on a global scale gave way to good news in the context of hospitality, as Robin Rossmann, Managing Director at STR, presented the Global Investment Outlook for 2018. The audience was pleased to hear that RevPAR is up globally, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth, and what would have been three years in a row of more than 5% increases were it not for the impact of the 2016 terrorist attacks. From a European perspective especially, this was welcome news.

“Europe is on top with the highest RevPAR growth of anywhere in the world,” he commented.

“And it’s not often you can say that about Europe.” Posting a +5.6% RevPAR increase yearon-year, Europe led the way with all time highs that appear to be rising still, followed by Southern Africa with +4.6%, Central America at +3.8%, Asia at +3.5%, Australia and Oceania at +3.7% and South America at +2.7%.

“Occupancies are now 10% higher than they were back in 2008, and 2008 was the previous peak for hotel occupancies across Europe – hotels had never been fuller,” Rossmann explained.

“Since then we’ve had the economic crises and the rise of the sharing economy, but despite this we’ve seen structural demand growth that has far exceeded these threats and the supply growth.”

US political concerns have not yet filtered

through, with the region experiencing another strong year despite supply quickly rising to meet demand. 2018 should be a reasonably solid year for the US, though Rossmann expressed concerns that US supply growth had now peaked.

Elsewhere, Asia suffered from accelerated supply growth and relatively low demand growth for the last four years, but turned this around in 2017 with accelerated demand growth that is now set to outperform new supply.

However, the Middle East – the only region to see RevPAR declines – now faces supply concerns.

With 100,000 guestrooms set to open in 2020 alone, Rossmann noted: “It’s a developing market and we’ve seen supply growth multiply over the previous years, and that isn’t about to stop.”

Though he also advised not to discount the pull of the region, with Dubai now the world’s fourth most visited city.

In terms of recovery, London, Barcelona, Berlin and Manchester took little time to regain footing after terrorist attacks, while Paris was still struggling. Rossmann predicted that Paris, Istanbul and Brussels would be set for a good year of recovery, whilst Eastern Europe could see an increase in RevPAR due to Russia hosting the World Cup. Barcelona, on the other hand, scored an own goal with its referendum, going from +10% RevPAR growth to -15% for the end of year, and a flat expectation for the months ahead.

The UK market saw a boost in demand following Brexit, as guests took advantage of a devalued sterling, London feeling the benefits most with its 3% growth in 2017, but a troublseome last six months had seen demand drop below supply and occupancies in the negative, with rates declining as a result.

On a sunnier note, whilst parts of the Mediterranean suffer from political unrest, there are areas with RevPAR up 40% over four years, and resorts with 50% increases. Looking ahead, Rossmann predicts another strong year overall.

Markets impacted should recover, whilst European gateway cities should benefit the most.

THEORY & STRATEGY “It’s always good to remind ourselves how much the hotel investment market has moved since the inception of IHIF in 1997,” mused Chris Day, Global Managing Director, Christie & Co, when introducing ‘Follow the Money,’ a panel to discuss the hotel market’s shifting sands, alternative investment models and how new investors are impacting the way projects are owned, operated and profit. “Roll on 21 years and the market has come far. Alternative investments are becoming mainstream as investors worry about the ramifications of technology and changing habits,” he added.

“At this stage of the cycle things are changing incredibly fast. There’s lots of new money coming into the hotel space, and the old money has started to behave like new money.”

Keith Lindsay, CBRE Hotels

The influx of Asian investment formed a large part of the discussion, with the private equity firms that once ruled the roost becoming the sellers following new legislation in China. However, in a year that saw global transactions reaching US$67 billion worldwide, US investors are still on top, with the EU, Swedes and French close behind.

Elsewhere, Middle Eastern investors are becoming more comfortable with President Trump, and a diversified investor pool has provided more capital to work with.

“All the trends and forecasts are pointing towards more people travelling, and, consequently, the need for accommodation is only going to increase,” Day added, pointing to provincial

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France as an area he would invest, whilst George Nicholas, Global Head of Hotels for Savills, opted for London or Berlin, citing the longstanding appetite for these destinations on a cultural level.

The following panel ‘Investor’s Intentions’ covered similar ground, with Keith Lindsay, Managing Director EMEA, CBRE Hotels noting: “At this stage of the cycle, things are changing incredibly fast. There’s lots of new money coming into the hotel space, and the old money has started to behave like the new money: volatile.”

Closing out day two, ‘The Owner’s View’ addressed the relationships between owners and the rest of the market. “We need to work with brand managers and operators as they have a huge place in the market and at the table,” said Neil Kirk, Principal, Henderson Park. “We have to make sure we’re focused, and that they’re focused on what we need – only then we can work together.” Cody Bradshaw, Managing Director and Head of European Hotels, Starwood Capital, closed with a reminder: “Many people find owners demanding, but this is an every day business, revenue has to be fought for every single day.”

BIG PLAYERS The ‘Hottest Markets’ session saw each panellist select a location in which to hypothetically invest through the year ahead. Pierre Frédéric Roulout, CEO of Louvre Hotels Group began by echoing the event’s unifying theme and choosing “the whole world: it’s hot everywhere,” noting that China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ project would create a more connected world with a more democratised market. Michelle Woodley, newly appointed President of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, opted for the Middle East, stating: “Business has matured in places like Dubai, and owners have started looking more closely at their P&L whilst becoming more proactive. With that we were able to come to a market with confident owners and operators who are ready to do something different.”

Thomas Magnusson, CEO and co-founder, Magnusson Worldwide, noted his excitement to

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09.05.18 13:52

invest in UK properties, commenting: “It’s been steady for a while, but there are some icebergs in the water, so we want to help independent hoteliers in the UK compete against the advance of Airbnb and the rise of the brands.”

Next up, the ever-popular CEO panel saw Geoff Ballotti of Wyndham Hotel Group, Keith Barr of IHG, Sébastien Bazin of AccorHotels, Christopher J. Nassetta of Hilton Worldwide and Patrick Pacious of Choice Hotels take the stage to discuss the role of brands, adaptation and trends.

“Brands have enormous value, much more than I could ever have imagined,” Bazin believed.

“Brands are like friends, they’re there for you when you need them, whatever you need. The difficulty is to avoid killing your brand. Protect it, because that’s what the client wants: purity.” Adding to this, Pacious warned that, as important as a recognisable brand is, “they should also evolve; there is a way to evolve whilst staying relevant”.

Barr spoke of the difficulty in introducing new luxury brands to the saturated market, commenting: “It’s difficult to start a luxury brand from scratch. Often in terms of luxury it’s better to go out and find an asset that you can nurture, incubate and grow.” Barr then saw out the panel reminding the audience that “it’s been said over and over again: if a brand is not increasing its market share and growing that top line, then we’re not doing our job”.

SIDE ORDERS Between the plenary panels, a series of breakout sessions took place, taking a detailed look at niche aspects within the industry including the value of restorations, talent management and security, amongst other topics.

During the wellness focused session, moderator and author Sophie Benge asked: “Why are we talking about wellness at an investment forum?” with Greg Payne, Managing Director of the Spa & Wellness Advisory offering: “People are becoming more health conscious now, and from a hotel perspective if you want to attract people and profit

in the future, then you’ve got to align yourself with their mindset.”

As part of a session titled ‘F&B: Increasing Revenues From Hotels & Bars’, Bob Puccini, CEO of Puccini Group, explained: “The biggest issue I still see is places that don’t know who they serve. Our success has come from identifying who operates successfully in that trade area and going after their audience with a different context.”

MPS Puri, Chief Executive, Nira Hotels & Resorts, tackled the issue of destination cuisine, stating: “Some locations don’t have strong food cultures, but you can begin to build that culture and environment around elements of entertainment and surprise.”

“It’s not about how many hotel rooms you have, but how you’re recognised in the industry.”

Federico J. Gonzalez, Radisson Hotel Group

Meanwhile, Ariane Steinbeck, Managing Director of RPW Design, noted the importance of hotel-specific designers during the renovation process, as part of the ‘Renovating Hotels to Drive Profit’ breakout. “There’s no faster way to age your property than following trends,” she explained.

“Proper design means that it is functional, not just pretty, which is why it’s advisable to hire a designer with experience in hotels.”

NEWS & AWARDS Punctuating the show were awards presentations, concise lightning talks and, in the case of some brands, major announcements. Using the event as a platform to reveal the news of its rebrand, Carlson Rezidor emerged the other side as Radisson Hotel Group. Speaking the morning after a party celebrating the change, Federico J.

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Gonzalez, President and CEO of the group, told the audience: “It’s not about how many hotel rooms you have, but how you’re recognised in the industry.” Radisson Hotel Group now has ambitions to be one of the top three hotel groups in the world, and, by 2022, aims to be “the first choice for guests, owners and talent”.

Adrian Zecha was given the IHIF Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his contributions to the hotel industry over 45 years with brands including Regent, Aman and his latest venture, Azerai. “It is an honour to receive such prestigious recognition,” he acknowledged. “Although I must say that in my 45 years or so in the hospitality industry, I could not have achieved this milestone without the participation and encouragement of my colleagues and industry professionals.”

This year’s HAMA Europe Asset Management Achievement Award was given to Global Holdings’ Pulitzer Amsterdam, recognising it as the best hotel project in a class that has led the way in terms of innovative solutions, whilst the Young Leader Award celebrated Tina Yu’s progression through the ranks of KSL Capital Partner’s European office to reach the role of Senior Vice President.

Following a comfortably strong year for both IHIF and the market at-large, Gumas commented: “The collective worth of face-to-face meetings, collaborative thinking and shared intelligence continues to motivate hospitality professionals worldwide to attend well organised and purposeful conferences and exhibitions. We’re absolutely delighted to have just hosted the most successful IHIF in its 21-year history and are already in preparations for 2019.”

Though the industry may change faces between now and then, IHIF will continue to explore the reasons whilst providing the industry with its foremost investment conference. Taking place from 4-6 March 2019 at InterContinental Berlin, the 22nd edition of IHIF will, with a little luck, be as optimistic and celebratory as the 21st. www.berlinconference.com

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Tourism Investment Hospitality & Design Forum 16 APRIL 2018

As part of Tourism Investment’s annual hospitality forum, German manufacturer Tece brings together designer, developer and operator to debate changing brand standards.

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uxtaposed against the industrial qualities of a Gio Ponti-designed factory in the eastern Lambrate district of Milan, are the curvaceous forms and polished surfaces of a series of mock-up hotel spaces by renowned Italian designer Simone Micheli. This is the unlikely but memorable setting for the Tourism Investment Hospitality & Design Forum, held during Milan Design Week.

The event was founded by hospitality advisors PKF Hotelexperts together with online magazine About Hotel, and attracted some 700 delegates to a curated programme of panel discussions, product displays and networking.

Following a series of sessions examining hospitality trends, investment and regeneration, the day culminated in a design-focused panel hosted

by Tece, the German manufacturer of sanitary products and installation systems. “We are happy to help the hotel design industry further through discussion and by supporting networking and business development opportunities,” explained Sebastian Noack, Head of International Project Business, Tece, of the company’s involvement.

Entitled ‘How to deal with brand design standards in a time of demand for individuality’, the panel brought together designer, developer and operator in an animated discussion moderated by Sleeper’s Editor-at-Large, Guy Dittrich.

The broad consensus regarding the dichotomy between standards and individuality was one of compromise and flexibility. “Brand standards are very precise for the select-service brands,” explained Stefanie Rummel, Director of Design & Project Management, Marriott International of

the guestroom design at its Moxy hotels, “but the public areas vary due to site constraints, meaning that whilst the brand’s feature zones are always implemented, there is flexibility.”

Rudolf Grossmayer, board member of Viennabased UBM Development concurred, stating: “The width of a guestroom is a figure that brands usually want to standardise, however an increasing number of projects are conversions or multi-use buildings, where static measures make this difficult. We had one case in which several brand products required a room width of 3.2m but we could only have 3.1m; all but one brand accepted this compromise.”

Emma King, Head of Interior Design, IHG, said that the group’s brand standards are becoming more flexible, stating: “They are prescriptive for each brand, but what we have done is reduce the amount of brand build standards in order to focus more on the individual designs.”

She continued: “Our brand standards book is getting thinner and we are referencing the Interior Design Guide more.” At IHG, brand standards include architectural components and guides to finishes, while the Interior Design Guide covers design philosophy, area-by-area execution and FF&E criteria.

“Many operators have chosen to move their visual identity towards more of an experiential identity,” argued Isabel Pintado, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Wilson Associates. “Brands such as Autograph Collection and Curio do not have a visual identity, they have an experiential communality. There is no need to replicate, patrons

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are after new experiences, a sense of location and local culture.” These so-called ‘collection’ or ‘soft’ brands are a realisation of the need for flexibilty and the idea that each hotel is different.

Pintado also noted that operators are losing their power to influence design direction, particularly in the Middle East, where hotels are often designed to an owner’s personal taste.

This view was shared by Grossmayer, who said: “Design is one important component among many others in brand selection for a new hotel. We as developer always need some flexibility in applying brand standards for design. They are not carved in stone from our perspective.”

Considering the influence of brand design standards and their potential restrictions on creativity, Clint Nagata, co-CEO of Blink Design Group outlined his belief that good design is about solving problems. “Understanding the rules, or in this case standards, enables us to find ways to break them,” he stated. “It’s hard to create something different or unique without knowing what the problem is.”

Clearly there is a ‘softening’ of brand design standards. Grossmayer sees that “each hotel should have its story and… this is one of the tasks of the developer to define.”

But last word goes to Nagata, who has designed a number of properties for Regent Hotels, recently acquired by IHG. He quoted Bob Burns, founder of Regent Hotels some forty years ago, who once said: “The only thing we specialise in is luxury, and the only thing our hotels have in common is the fact that they are all unique.” Long live brand design standards!

Above L-R: The panel – Clint Nagata, Blink Design Group; Emma King, IHG; Isabel Pintado, Wilson Associates; Stefanie Rummel, Marriott International; Rudolf Grossmayer, UBM Development; and Philippe Gacon, Accor – debate changing brand standards in hotel design Below: The event was held during Milan Design Week at a hotel installation designed by Simone Micheli

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Sleep + Eat NEW PLANS FOR 2018

Europe’s curated hotel design and development event is taking a further step in its evolution by this year becoming Sleep + Eat. Brand Director Mark Gordon explains why.

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roud of its reputation as a focused boutique event, Sleep has informed, delighted and inspired designers, hotel operators, owners and suppliers with its combination of disruptor room sets, insightful conference sessions and newly launched products.

It has become the place to do business, make new connections and meet colleagues from around the world. Last year, Sleep welcomed over 4,800 visitors from across the UK and Europe as well as the Middle East and the USA – a 20% increase over 2016 – attracting a chorus of praise from across the hotel industry.

Innovation and recognition of the growing interdependence of restaurants, bars and hotels in creating the full hospitality experience lie at the heart of the decision to become Sleep + Eat, but the emphasis is very much on evolution, not revolution. As in previous years, Sleep + Eat will comprise an international exhibition of design-led products from established and rising manufacturers, a conference bringing together some of the sector’s most respected characters, round table opportunities with industry leaders, the Sleep Set room installations and the pop-up Sleeper Bar. In addition, this year will bring Eat Set, whilst the increase in floor area gained by moving to the National Hall in London’s Olympia will allow for more first-time exhibitors, both suppliers to the restaurant and bar sector and to hotels. Brand Director Mark Gordon explains:

it financially successful, it has to be an experience that appeals to staying guests and the local community alike. A lot of convergence has taken place: hotel bars that appear to be standalone bars, high street restaurants locating themselves in hotels, restaurant brands becoming hotel brands, and top class restaurants opening bedrooms upstairs. As we talked with our exhibitors and design partners, we realised that many of them were working across this confluence and that while Sleep did not necessarily exclude Eat, it did not shine a light on it either. Becoming Sleep + Eat was not a decision taken overnight, but in the end we all believed that this would open new doors for our community.

Why has Sleep become Sleep + Eat? There can be no denying that for many hotels, their food and beverage component has become more of a challenge and an opportunity than ever before. If they are going to do it well, and make

Where do you think the future for design in hospitality lies?

Personally, I’m excited by convergence and the growth in demand for hybrid experiences – coworking, co-living, members’ clubs with hotels,

Tell us about the brands and designers who have already signed up?

Every year, we take great care to combine regular Sleep exhibitors with newcomers. Over 100 exhibitors from last year have already signed up, including Bang & Olufsen, Chelsom, Crosswater, Designers Guild, Dornbracht, Elegant Clutter, Fabbian, Harrison Spinks, Laufen, Loloey, Morgan Furniture, Roca, Style Library and Vitra. We’ll be announcing our new exhibitors in the summer. I’m also delighted to say that we have a full house when it comes to our Sleep Set participants. For now, their names are confidential but I can tell you that they encompass leading architectural and design practices based in the UK and Asia.

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restaurant and hotel brand collaboration. I do think that designers in hospitality are in a better, more exciting place now than a generation ago.

Today, design is recognised as a vehicle for change in how we live, and restaurants, bars and hotels are seen as places where new ideas can be piloted.

What makes the difference between a good show and a great one?

I think that, just like the hospitality sector, it’s about creating an exciting and meaningful experience. We have a fantastic community that really cares about their industry and works very hard to contribute to it and deal with the various challenges it throws up. A good show reflects the challenges and aspirations of its visitors; a great show responds to them in a way that is stimulating, re-affirming and enjoyable.

Looking forward, what is your long-term vision for Sleep + Eat? You might call it carefully sculpted growth. By this I mean the ongoing development of opportunity for everyone involved in the creation of hospitality experiences to participate either as a visitor or contributor. Sleep + Eat will remain a boutique event focused on innovative ideas and high-quality products, retaining its spirit by continuining to reach out to more overseas companies and individuals, wherever great work is being done.

Sleep + Eat will work to continue the legacy of Sleep – identifying, exploring and reflecting the industry zeitgeist and, helping to nudge it forward.

Sleep + Eat will take place on from 20-21 November at the National Hall in Olympia, London. Register at www.sleepandeatevent.com.

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Progress as Tradition JUNG

With products both aesthetic and invisible, technology specialist Jung supplies owners, operators designers and guests with solutions and experiences in equal measure.

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s technology has developed to become more complex and outwardly sophisticated, efforts are often made to draw attention to the effect – the dimming of a light, the closing of an automated blind – but hide the source. Where guests appreciate the convenience these evolutions in service have generated, they may not be so forgiving towards a bulky television unit or a light switch protruding far from the wall to interrupt a design scheme.

In this sense, technology and design must work hand-in-hand, and those involved in hotel design especially must cultivate a balance between the two, keeping guests plugged in to the assistance and leisure inherent to modern technology whilst also protecting the integrity of the physical space.

Understanding that a hotel’s technological aspect should work to streamline processes and enhance service whilst simultaneously

contributing its own aesthetic merits, German switch and system specialist Jung may not present guests with centrepieces or grand architectural statements, but, since its inception in 1912, has nonetheless seen its products become key components of hotel projects worldwide. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and in the context of design those subtle accents provided by unsung sources including switch covers, skirting boards and door handles can perhaps make-or-break a scheme.

Working under the mission statement ‘progress as tradition’ Jung has carved out a niche in the market of architectural technology, in terms of both the physical assets of switches, sockets and dimmers, as well as the invisible systems that govern their effects and elements of light, temperature and communications throughout a property. A solutions specialist as much as it is a supplier of products, Jung works

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Above: The LS switch affords an expansive spectrum of design options Right: Plug & Light is a light source as much as it is a solution to planning issues

in the space between design and technology, fusing them through aesthetic-focused fittings and practical operational apparatus, catering to both the design scheme and the end-user.

Products including the LS range of switches, for example, are enhanced by an expansive collection of colour and material finishing options. The relatively simple casing, characterised by its narrow profile, allows designers to select the switch that best suits the specific needs of a space rather than having to settle for the closest alternative.

Likewise, the LS 900 is offered in Le Corbusier’s original 63 Les Couleurs, highlighting at once the brand’s design-savvy credentials and its dedication to flexibility. Not content with applying this ethos to switches alone, the newly launched Plug & Light – comprising a wall unit and easily attachable bulb that docks through magnets – provides a reliable source of light, a streamlining of the planning process and, whilst fitting all standard European sockets, offers a range of decorative attachments and colours too.

At the intersection of the brand’s services lie the various interfaces it creates. In hotels that see a wealth of nationalities and creeds come through their doors each day, universal design is a vital resource.

Whilst the sleek black casing available with Jung’s modular LB management system may seem its most outwardly attractive feature, the easily navigable interface of universal symbols across its surface provides the value. Allowing guests to manage their rooms from one

convenient source, unappreciated subtleties such as this can elevate both the experience and aesthetics of a hotel environment.

At its core, Jung’s expertise lies in control, be that the means to achieve a desired level of lighting or an easy way of altering temperature. However, for every guest-facing product there is an equally innovative benefit for hotel operators and housekeeping.

The staff profiles available with the Jung Guest Room Management System permit more control over how staff access, clean and prepare a property between guests, whilst the Jung Switch Manager software provides planners with a resource to reliably calculate the technological needs of a project. Similarly, Node 2292 allows designers to create unique interfaces to suit specific requirements.

With home smart systems becoming more widely accessible, the presence of guestroom technology will likely take a large step into this market. Jung’s answer, the eNet range, sees guestroom control elements condensed into a smartphone interface, with a host of functions customisable at the tap of a screen. Where in the future its physical products may become unnecessary, Jung’s early-adoption of forward-thinking technology will ensure its relevance even as switches and sockets become relics of the past. When Jung equates progress as tradition it wishes to normalise inevitable leaps forward, but has already embedded the possibilities within the minds of guests. www.jung.de

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Bespoke Hotel Furniture | Made in the UK +44 (0) 113 248 0605 | www.curtisfurniture.co.uk

In the Spotlight LIGHTING & CONTROL

As experiential design infiltrates every aspect of life, lighting fuses tradition with technology to create new perceptions of space, colour and shape.

Lighting has remained a key dimension of architecture and interior design over the years, enhancing the perception of space, as well as the recognition of colours, shapes and volumes. With increasing digitalisation in all aspects of hotel design, as well as guest desires for a more immersive experience, lighting design is beginning to shift its attention beyond aesthetic and function, focusing further on the importance of the experience.

Though the modern guest craves more interaction with people and nature, they are also unwilling to relinquish the need for intuitive technology. As a result, more focus is being placed on how lighting can adapt to modern lifestyles, echoing the trend of multi-functional living spaces.

Further, the blending of vintage and modern styles is also growing in importance, pendants and chandeliers for instance often combines with LED technologies to herald a new era of design. Art-inspired pieces too, including sculptural fixtures, are emerging across the industry, posing opportunities for designers to play with balance and motion.

Delving into experiential lighting design at Milan Design Week, Preciosa presented its playful Breath of Light installation – inviting visitors to use their senses in order to interact with the concept.

Likewise, Lasvit exhibited its Independant and Neverending Glory chandeliers at Monsters Cabaret, an artistic concept showcasing lighting, glassware and audiovisual installations at Teatro Gerolamo.

NEXO LUCE Oxen Inspired by Bauhaus designs, Oxen by Nexo Luce balances contemporary aesthetics and innovative solutions. The series expresses elegance and minimalism, centering on geometric forms and colour schemes of copper, antique bronze and satin gold, as well as polished chrome, black and white.

Featuring ceiling, floor, wall and table lights, Oxen champions the integration between art and design through the simplicity of lines and shapes, using slender frames and glass and metal combinations to create bold contrasts.

CLAN MILANO Walley Clan Milano’s Walley chandelier draws inspiration from the refined aesthetics of the 1950s to deliver sophisticated minimalism and elegance. The collection features solid elliptical frames endowed with a metallic finish, creating a fluid configuration that surrounds white globes in encased glass, while suspended stars emanate a soft luminiscence. www.clanmilano.house

www.nexoluce.com

BROKIS Jack O’Lantern Designed by Lucie Koldova, Jack O’Lantern is inspired by the carving of pumpkins and features a subtle and geometrically balanced structure that offers a wide variety of combinations. Available in surface finishes of chrome and brass, the light can be hung separately or in vertical arrangements. In addition to the suspension variant, there is also a wall composition comprising five frames joined in a single module for up to five glass spheres which rely on gravity to stay in place. www.brokis.cz

ANGLEPOISE Original 1227 Mini Ceramic The Original 1227 Mini Ceramic series by Anglepoise exudes simplicity and elegance, combining the glossy smoothness of pure bone china shades with chrome-plated fittings and grey fabric cables for subtle textural contrasts. The four-piece collection radiates soft, ambient light as the white gloss shades turn translucent, while a debut cluster pendant is both a contemporary take on the chandelier and a statementmaking addition to the range. www.anglepoise.com

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Medway Reading Light Brass and Brown Leather WA0313.BR

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HECTOR FINCH Tanya The debut product from its collaboration with Italian ceramics manufacturer Fos Ceramiche, and designed by MZDS Design Studio, the Tanya series from Hector Finch is crafted from fine porcelain and affords a luminosity hard to achieve in ceramic shades. The latest addition to its comprehensive range of pendant lights, Tanya’s translucent white porcelain ware uses a dense body to achieve a strong shape and sharp definition. www. hectorfinch.com

JONA HOAD DESIGN Type A Combining multiple switches, a charging point and reading light into one integrated panel, Jona Hoad Design’s Type A series is both aesthetic and functional, and creates a touch-point in which hotels can communicate their brand identity. Completely customisable and bespoke, the tailored plates can also be used to house in-room controls or integrate technology, helping to create a seamless guestroom experience for the modern traveller. www.jonahoad.com

ASTRO Edge Reader Mini

A modern interpretation of an early-American candle form, Another Country’s Orbit Sconce series features a reflective spun brass disc that rotates 320-degrees, acting as both a reflector and deflector of light. Created by design studio Workstead and produced in the USA, the sconce is the most elemental piece of the Orbit series, and emits a soft beam from a single point of light.

Inspired by the Edge Reader luminaire, Astro has introduced a fresh take on the original design with the addition of Edge Reader Mini. The more discreet and modest option provides bedside illumination, and has been reengineered with a recessed LED lens to allow for glare-free radiance. Available in a matte white or black finish, the Edge Reader Mini appears to float on the light it emits, combining a soft, ambient glow with practical functionality.

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ANOTHER COUNTRY Orbit Sconce

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MARSET Jaima Designed by Joan Gaspar, the Jaima series uses flexible, ductile materials that sift the light as it moves in the wind. Taking its name from the Bedouin tents of North Africa and inspired by their varied fabrics and forms, Jaima is available in three sizes and four colourways, with a blank interior to optimise the quality of downward light. The shades can also be combined with two stands to create adjustable and rotating floor lamps, while the fixture is able to be attached directly to the floor or wall, and the shades can be hung independently as pendants. www.marset.com

ARTEMIDE Calipso Neil Poulton’s Calipso range for Artemide draws its design from a photo of the moon, and comprises a fractal shape and non-pure geometry that displays the irregular beauty of nature. Made up of small circles with varying diameters, the light brings together optical and aesthetic intelligence, moving away from the traditional look of technical appliances. Featuring a non-glaring emission with UGR19, the series is available in suspension, ceiling and stand-alone versions. www.artemide.com

MAIORI Couture Maiori’s Couture collection has been designed by Normal Studio, and features three individually sized solar lamps inspired by traditional Asian lanterns. The series is a compilation of Batyline Alphalia fabric assembled artistically, designed by French manufacturer Serge Ferrari.

Selected by the designers for the quality of its tight mesh that maximises the LED’s capacity, the lamp produces a diffused radiance to enhance the volume of light emitted. www.maiori.com

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PENTA LIGHT Glo Designed by Carlo Colombo, Penta’s Glo lamp is now available in various transparent, gold, silver and black colourways, as well as the latest 4ever and total white finishes. Redefining its shape with a modern palette of refined colours, the series instils a strong visual impact within various interior design solutions. Offered in table, floor and suspended models, the design of Glo creates abstraction within the living space. www.pentalight.it

TERZANI Core Terzani’s Core series is reminiscent of the natural energy at the heart of the world. Designed by Christian Lava, the light features vibrant spheres of faceted crystal which break through the iron surface of the pendant to reference bright lava seeping through the earth’s crust, forcing light to pass through the metal structure and create a powerful exchange. As the LED light pours through, the pendant itself also emits an organic radiance. www.terzani.com

LEDS C4 Radar

Presented at Teatro Gerolamo during Milan Design Week, Lasvit’s composition of 108 small Neverending Glory chandeliers dominated its Monster’s Cabaret installation. Showcased amongst unique glass artworks and monstrous installations including Independant by Maxim Velovský, the series brought together the work of 16 creatives, who had spent two years on the project.

Minimalist in style, Radar by Leds C4 has been designed with a modern and restrained profile to blend into a variety of guestroom aesthetics. The wall light features an adjustable beam that provides illumination for reading at night, offering visual comfort and a colour temperature of 3000 Kelvin. Radar is available in white and black, as well as other sophisticated finishes.

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LASVIT Neverending Glory

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Contemporary Craft Furniture

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JUNG Plug & Light Jung’s Plug & Light comprises a wall unit and an easily attachable bulb that docks through magnets, providing a reliable source of light that can also streamline planning processes. Once fitted, each light can be swivelled continuously by 360-degrees to provide direct light to a variety of areas. The fitting is compatible with all standard European sockets, and offers a range of decorative attachments and colours including alpine white, black or lacquered stainless steel. www.jung.de

NUURA Anoli Designed by Sofie Refer, Nuura’s Anoli range is inspired by raindrops and comprises neatly mouth-blown drop shaped pendants, which are hand-painted with a golden finish in reference to Nordic nature.

Combining to form a chandelier that resembles drops hanging from a leaf, the pendants are available in small and medium sizes, while chandeliers consist of three, six or thirteen pieces and can be customised for exclusive projects. www.nuura.com

CHELSOM Capri

Combining a wall and table light fitting with a mobile phone charger, Niko from Faro Barcelona complements minimalist schemes by eliminating the need for excessive cables. With the integration of wireless charging technology at its core, the lighting solution also features a marked zone highlighting where to place a Qi-compatible smartphone for charging.

Inspired by Art Deco designs, the Capri table lamp by Chelsom features heavily ribbed Opal glass globes secured with metal threads to knurled decorative doublestepped caps. Available in brushed brass and black bronze in addition to alternative finish options, the table lamp forms part of the brand’s wider Edition 26 collection – as designed by Robert and Will Chelsom – and features a rotary dimmer switch with integral white LED light sources.

www.faro.es

www.chelsom.co.uk

FARO Niko

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ELSTEAD LIGHTING Apollo Featuring a brushed brass frame with white marble inserts atop and below, Apollo by Elstead Lighting combines materials to exude a sense of luxury. Completed with a hexagonal shade in navy faux suede and a gold faux silk lining, the lamp’s radiant glow references the eponymous Grecian god, and adds to the brand’s comprehensive range of over 350 portables. www.elsteadlighting.com

VAUGHAN Westport Manufactured in solid brass with the option of a bronze finish, Vaughan’s Westport wall lights have been articulated for both library and guestroom settings. The collection also comes with a choice of fabric lampshades or a brass spun shade in various shapes, and features an adjustable arm for increased versatility. www.vaughandesigns.com

CHRISTOPHER WRAY Meja Christopher Wray brings together pendants, table and floor lamps in the minimalist Meja collection, with each featuring a black curved metal structure with two or three cylindrical aluminium heads. Available in finishes of black, white and gold, the elegant and contemporary lighting solution can be used as an individual pendant or combined to create a statement piece, and can be suspended either from round or linear plates. www.christopherwray.com

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SWAROVSKI Infinite Aura A collaboration with innovation consultancy Ideo, Infinite Aura by Swarovski features a sleek metal disc with a ring of precision-cut crystals, creating a reflective illusion when illuminated. Comprising five fixtures, a pendant light in three sizes and a wall or ceiling light in two sizes, the pendants can be customised with a finial to add a string of faceted crystals, while a bespoke Swarovski lighting app allow users to control five pre-settings and three effects. www.swarovski-lighting.com

SONNEMAN Constellation Designed by Robert Sonneman, Constellation features a group of starlike LED hubs in a fixed relationship, which combine to form patterns along a running path. A series of preconfigured constellations are also joined to the satin nickel frameworks in woven arrangements, while the Ursa model is driven by multiple LEDs on each side of the connecting hubs, resulting in emanating illumination. www.sonnemanawayoflight.com

CAMERON DESIGN HOUSE Vesanto

The Viisi collection from Panzeri is inspired by the shape of a javelin and features a pentagon-based structure. Designed by Gio Minelli and Marco Fossati, the lamp is available in a floor or hanging model, with the latter version offered in two lengths and with a choice of either direct or indirect lighting.

The result of designer and in-house engineer Simeon Chilvers’ study of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes, together with hexagonal forms in nature, Cameron Design House’s Vesanto series features a strong geometric form and simple, clean lines. Chilvers allowed geometry and aesthetics to guide the outcome, employing a pearled diffuser placed along the internal side of each hexagon structure to emit light. The range is available as a single or up to eight-tier system, as well as in bespoke options.

www.panzeri.it

www.camerondesignhouse.com

PANZERI Viisi

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Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Dubai | Godwin Austen Johnston | Preciosa Lighting Ulster Carpets, Unit 1 Compton Courtyard, 40 Compton Street, London, EC1V 0BD Tel: 020 7017 0040 | Email: uclondon@ulstercarpets.com

PRECIOSA Pearl Drop Inspired by a 15th century painting, the Pearl Drop pendant by Preciosa is created from hand-blown glass opal spheres brought together with individual brass details. Designed by Frank Tjepkema, the statement lighting piece is classic in its reference to pearls yet contemporary in the simplicity of its overall shape. Accenting both contemporary and heritage decors, the series uses its size and presence to balance at the intersection of tradition and modernity. www.preciosalighting.com

DERNIER & HAMLYN Four Seasons Hampshire Following commissions in London and Baku, Dernier & Hamlyn, in partnership with Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, has manufactured unique antique brass chandeliers for public spaces throughout Four Seasons Hampshire. The bespoke lighting specialist produced nine 12arm pendants at 1m-high and others 1.2m-wide for the hotel’s drawing room, while five chandeliers hand wrapped in rope were installed in the lounge and reception areas. www.dernier-hamlyn.com

MOOOI Meshmatics

Designed by Filipe Lisboa, Viso’s Wandering Star fixture is constructed from solid European marble and a cast glass lens. Featuring a dual-tone globe and internal diffuser, the pendant’s metal plated details are finished in hairline bronze, while its marble surface is available in nero black, carrara white gloss, travertino, Indian green and matte white.

Created by R ick Tegelaa r, Meshmatics elevates the nature of wire netting by developing a machine and set of tools to model it with accuracy. The thin and flexible material is stretched and captured within three layers, creating a mesh structure that reflects and diffuses the light of integrated LEDs, while contributing to keep the light source cool by absorbing some of its heat.

Playful transparencies cascade through the lamp’s frame, creating shimmering reflections and casting shadows onto ceilings.

www.visoinc.com

www.moooi.com

VISO Wandering Star

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TURNING IMAGINATION INTO REALITY

FIND OUT MORE AT LIVINGDESIGN.COM Brovägen 1, 18276 Stocksund, Sweden

T: +46 8 755 17 65 -

info@livingdesign.com

Specifier P R O D U C T S & S E R V I C E S F O R H O S P I TA L I T Y D E S I G N

ARTE Focus Featuring relief patterns, geometrics and reflections, Arte’s Focus collection comprises seven designs: four monotone and three multi-coloured options. All patterns have a non-woven backing with a slightly shiny vinyl top layer, creating interplays between light and dark. www.arte-international.com

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TUUCI Automated Max Cantilever Marrying technology and shade, Tuuci’s Automated Max Cantilevers are available in single and dual configurations, and make use of an intuitive push-button interface. Integrating shade, light and heat functions, the system features energy-efficient infrared heaters alongside Tuuci’s ambient Luna LED light, whilst the umbrella itself creates up to 480ft 2 of uninterrupted cover from atop a telescoping mast. www.tuuci.com

KAST Arla

ULSTER Watercolours

GESSI Rilievo

Minimal in form, Kast’s Arla series comprises a slim-edge counter-top basin with subtle curves and a contoured bowl. Combining the characteristics of natural stone with the flexibility of precision casting, Arla incorporates a refined finish as well as slim edge details to enhance both its design and practicality. The collection is available in two sizes, a compact cubic model and a rectangular style.

U lster’s latest ax mister collection, Watercolours, mimics washes of soft pigment blending into paper. Available in two designs – Amulet and Mineral – the range offers five colourways echoing natural elements, with brushstroke details layered over the designs to create an antiqued effect. The collection is constructed from 80% wool and 20% nylon, and is suitable for extra heavy wear.

Part of Hirsch Bedner Associates’ HBA Products line – which sees the studio creating hospitality-specific fittings for designers and projects worldwide – Rilievo is the flagship launch collection in partnership with Gessi.

Combining timeless form with contemporary function, the bathroom range comprises basin, bidet and shower mixers in varying sizes and metallic finishes.

www.kastconcretebasins.com

www.ulstercarpets.com

www.gessi.com

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A collection worth coveting

Designed to make a statement, our tap finishes integrate elegant colours with innovative technology to create long-lasting pieces that never go out of style.

Info: KOHLER.CO.UK | References: KOHLERGLOBALPROJECTS.COM | News: KOHLER.DESIGN | Inspiration on IG: KOHLERDESIGNFUL

LATITUDE Creativity without boundaries Mark Jory, founder of branding and experience design agency Latitude, discusses the guiding principles of branding, as well as the firm’s recent ventures in North America and the Middle East.

Tell us a little about what Latitude does and what has been happening at the company?

Having set the business up in 1993, we very quickly established ourselves in the hospitality and lifestyle branding sectors. Hotels in particular have become a specialist area for us, working with the likes of Aman, Armani, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, St. Regis, Six Senses, Jumeriah and Raffles. As well as working with these global firms, we’ve also created many new hotel brands for investors including La Ville, Vida and most recently Rest Republic in Dubai and the rebranding of The Columbus Monte-Carlo. Part and parcel to any hotel branding project is F&B, and this gives us the chance to work alongside the interior designers and the hotel team to bring it all to life. To celebrate our 25th anniversary, we recently expanded to New York, basing ourselves in Brooklyn. We’re looking forward to establishing the brand in the North America market, as well as working alongside many of the global investors located in New York.

What benefits does working with a branding agency bring to a hotel project?

It’s firstly about ensuring engagement happens early on in the hotel development process to gain the most impact.

We describe branding to our clients as establishing the guiding principles and focus, and believe in a holistic approach through strategy and collaboration. Branding can and should influence the decision-making process, making it much more subjective to a common agreed goal.

First and foremost, it’s not just the logo above the door. In an era where the buzzword ‘experiential’ has become the defining expression of the industry, brand is exactly that. www.latitudeagency.com

HYPNOS Ashbourne Designed for the hospitality sector, Hypnos’ pocket sprung Ashbourne mattress features generous layers of natural wool filling that trap air to both insulate and transport moisture away, making it suitable year round. The fillings also work to minimise pressure points on the body, increasing blood circulation and alleviating tension, whilst the material used within is hypoallergenic, complies with fire regulations, and is enhanced by antibedbud, microbial and bacterial treatments. www.hypnosbeds.com

ABSOLUTE LIFESTYLE Ciera Comprising a tissue box, wastebasket and amenity box, Absolute Lifestyle’s Ciera collection has been inspired by geometric shapes, simplicity and diamond-cut profiles. Constructed from handcrafted stainless steel and finished with copper plating, Ciera can be fitted with high quality resin bases for bathroom use, or leather covers for a luxurious addition to the guestroom. www.alhkg.com

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Matki Boutique Walk-In T h e e p i t o m e o f l u x u r y, b e a u t i f u l l y e n g i n e e r e d i n t h e U K

F O R A B R O C H U R E A N D N E A R E S T B AT H R O O M S P E C I A L I S T C A L L 01 4 5 4 3 2 8 811 | W W W. M AT K I . C O. U K | M AT K I P L C , B R I S TO L B S 3 7 5 P L

BRINTONS Craigend Collection Designed by Timorous Beasties, the Craigend collection is inspired by the Gaelic word for rock – Creag – and translates natural surfaces and textures usually found underfoot outdoors into a range of bold, colourful carpet designs. A blend of 80% wool and 20% nylon, the patterns include interpretations of sand dunes, stone moss and lichen, and draw from materials including paint, ink and fabric. www.brintons.co.uk

AT&C Andaz London Liverpool Street

PIAVAL Pipe

MANDARIN STONE Fusion

Tasked with designing and integrating an audio system that would maintain the integrity and character of Andaz London Liverpool Street’s original 1901 Ballroom, AT&C installed a near invisible line-array speaker system from Italian manufacturer K-Array. Delivering full coverage, sound and functionality, the system features an intuitive iPad controller to allow for customised input during functions and events.

Piaval’s Pipe range translates the shape and profile of pipes into sinuous seating.

Featuring a ring that separates and joins the back leg of the seat to support the backrest, Pipe is both decorative and functional, bringing together traditional woodworking practices with technological research. The Pipe chair can be customised with fabrics and leather variations.

Mimicking the characteristics of natural stones including the distinctive aesthetics found in cuts of marble, limestone and granite, Mandarin Stone’s Fusion range combines these textures and colours for a distinctive surface. Suitable for both floors and walls, Fusion is available in shades of black, grey, light grey, sand and white matte porcelain, and formats from large to chevron variations.

www.atandc.net

www.piaval.it

www.mandarinstone.com

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www.eesmith.co.uk // Tel: 0116 2706946

SKYFOLD Vertically Retractable Acoustic Wall A quick and easy solution for space flexibility, Skyfold’s Vertically Retractable Acoustic Walls are a fully automated and electrically operated means to change the layout of a room. With the touch of a button, the walls conveniently fold into the ceiling, and with no floor or wall tracks blend effectively with the interior space. Available in acoustic models of up to 60 STC, the system also offers a range of customisable features. www.skyfold.com

GOMMAIRE Copenhague Lounge Gommaire’s Copenhague Lounge collection – comprising lounge units along with sofa, sunbed and chaise elements – is constructed from reclaimed teak wood and powder-coated aluminium. Retaining a rustic charm whilst channelling contemporary elegance through striking profiles, the quick-drying foam cushions are available in a spectrum of colourways with weather resistant fabrics included as standard. www.gommaire.com

ERCOL Von Designed for Ercol by Hlynur V. Atlason, Von is a modular furniture collection comprising seat, bench and table units and has been created to cater for socialising, lounging and relaxing. The components can be arranged into bespoke configurations tailored to the requirements of the space, whilst a combination of classic wooden frames and upholstery in deep primary shades form a versatile furnishing addition. www.ercol.com

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1817-2017.

200 YEARS DURAVIT. YOUR FUTUR RE BATHROOM.

Vero Air. A new interpretation of timeless geometry.

With the bathroom series Vero, Duravit laid the foundation for architectural bathroom design. Vero Air is the new interpretation of the classic Vero bathroom series. Developed and manufactured using the latest technology, Vero Air is more striking and retains the unmistakable character of the original Vero series. For more information, visit www.duravit.co.uk and pro.duravit.co.uk

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LA BOTTEGA Maison Margiela Jazz Club Containing organic shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, body creams and soaps channelling the sophisticated Maison Margiela ethos, the La Bottega distributed artisanal hotel range brings together haute couture and sustainability. Alongside alternative fragrances including the soothing Tea Escape and the fresh linen of Lazy Sunday Morning, Jazz Club offers a heady scent of cocktails and cigars. www.labottega.com

BETTE Starlet Based around a central oval tub, Bette’s Starlet range is available in a wide variety of profiles including the rectangular BetteStarlet Spirit, the freestanding BetteStarlet Silhouette and the striking BetteStarlet Hexagonal. With its sophisticated shapes stemming from the symmetry of the core oval, the series offers comfort alongside a host of design options and customisation opportunities. www.bette.co.uk

VICTORIA & ALBERT BATHS Soriano Designed by Meneghello Paolelli Associati and made in Italy, Soriano is Victoria + Albert Baths’ stainless steel brassware collection with a contemporary brushed finish. Inspired by the coding logic of 1s and 0s, the fixtures are characterised by crisp lines and geometric angles, with the spout, lever and base of each piece defined by one shape. The range also incorporates concealed elements, resulting in a minimal aesthetic. www.vandabaths.com

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INDOOR & OUTDOOR FURNITURE - DECORATION

GOMMAIRE.COM

CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY

Hakwood

Stellar Works

Midtown Athletic Club & Hotel, Chicago

Moxy NYC Times Square, New York

Flooring specialist Hakwood has been specified within Midtown Athletic Club & Hotel Chicago, as part of a renovation process

by DMAC Architects that transformed the largest tennis club in the US into a 575,000ft 2 hotel and leisure resort.

Hakwood flooring has been installed throughout both the boutique hotel and club elements of the project, with ranges including Tranquility from the brand’s Colour collection and Forza from the Sierra collection making an appearance. Seeking to bring warmth and create a relaxing contemporary retreat, the wood was also used for ceiling décor in select environments, acting as an organisational element as well as an immersive colour palette.

Comprising numerous fitness facilities, an indoor sports arena, fitness studio, and spa alongside 55 guestrooms and an eatery, the hotel balances social hub and leisure getaway through the mediator of design, with Hakwood’s contributions further including the distinctive wood patinas and finishes. The hotel also features The V Suite, a guestroom designed by tennis legend Venus Williams and her V Starr interior firm.

For Moxy NYC Times Square – Moxy Hotel’s flagship New York property – Asian furniture specialist Stellar Works has created a series of folding pieces with designers Yabu Pushelberg, instilling the project with sleek and durable furnishings that address spatial requirements in a stylish manner.

Engineering each piece through a year of prototypes and stability tests, Stellar Works has developed furnishings with unique folding mechanisms in a variety of imported materials, from leather belt and loop from Japan to table tops from Holland.

Durable, secure and user-friendly, with the studio involved from the early days of the project, the collection integrates seamlessly, inspired by the hotel’s wider Yabu Pushelberg aesthetic. The studio now plans to sell these furnishings as the Moxy Collection.

Functioning to save space across the 612-key hotel, wherein guestrooms range from 150m 2 to 350m 2 , the foldaway solutions seek to make the most of limited dimensions with chairs and tables designed to hang from wooden wall pegs, with the pegs also doubling as coat hooks.

Bringing together Eastern and Western aesthetics, the brand’s pieces take the forms, styles and motifs characteristic of Japanese design and filters them through the lens of European traditions.

www.hakwood.com

www.stellarworks.com

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FORM FOLLOWS PERFECTION

Perfection in detail – that is what AXOR stands for. Such are the exclusive surfaces. Finishes that add to the mixer’s natural radiance. And give individuality free rein. A perfect example: AXOR Uno in Polished Brass. axor-design.com

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COLL ABOR ATION

Vitra x Terri Pecora Plural

Bringing together influences drawn from communal bathing traditions and contemporary organic shapes, Vitra’s Plural collection seeks to reestablish the bathroom environment as a social space through versatile modular elements and a focus on personalised creations.

“The Plural collection celebrates a new modern ritual, a contemporary version of shared bathing spaces,” explains Milan-based American designer Terri Pecora. “I like to call it shared intimacy.”

The collection encourages users to layer and group units to create overlapping heights, colours and configurations, with the basin units designed to allow them to be grouped at the centre of a room as a contemporary nod to the communal rituals of old.

Further comprising two mirrors – one of which is vertical and can rotate between two basins, with the other horizontal and angled towards the wall for multiple viewing positions – as well as three innovative syphon solutions, Plural seeks to place guests face to face, or make them engage with their surroundings.

Erdem Akan, Design Director, Vitra adds: “At Vitra, we wanted to create a new methodology that responds to the recent evolution of the bathroom ritual. We focused on the time spent in the bathroom and our interaction within the space rather than the products. This investigation led us to work with Terri Pecora on the design of the Plural collection, which reinterprets the bathroom as a social hub.”

Presented at Salone del Mobile Milano 2018, the Plural series features neutral colour palettes and wood finishes that bring a sense of warmth and domesticity, with the aesthetic intended to present the bathroom as a living space in its own right.

“It’s a place where you take care of yourself, and I think spending time with other people and socialising is a beautiful way to do that,” Pecora continues. “It’s a place where you can sit and chat, more intimate than a kitchen or a lobby, so Plural facilitates communication. For hotels it is perfect, so unusual but so classy and warm. People may be hesitant to have an unconventional bathroom like this at home, but hotel guests want the surprise and the wow moment.”

Eschewing the rigid geometry of similar modular ranges in favour of soft and rounded profiles, Plural aims not to tessellate exactly but to form a system of “individual modularity” where there are no correct or incorrect pairings.

“Guests look for beauty and style, but more so they want surprise.

They spend money, and a hotel is their home away from home, so they want to feel taken care of and special,” Pecora concludes. “With a unique range like Plural I think you can really make that extra impact on people, and create the idea that you’ve been to a special place, not just a bathroom.” www.vitra.com

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17-19 OCTOBER 2018 THE KERRY HOTEL HONG KONG

ASIA PACIFIC’S ESSENTIAL HOTEL CONFERENCE SINCE 1990 For over 25 years, HICAP has been the unequaled annual gathering place for Asia-Pacific’s hotel investment community, attracting the most influential owners, developers, lenders, executives, and professional advisors from around the globe.

PRODUCED BY

MEDIA SPONSORS

PATRONS Frasers Hospitality Group InterContinental Hotel Group JLL Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd.

PLATINUM SPONSORS AccorHotels Artyzen Hospitality Group Baker McKenzie Belmond Hotels Hilton Kafnu Hong Kong Lodgis Hosptiality Pte. Ltd. Marriott International Meliá Hotels International Proskauer Sidley Austin LLP STR WATG/Wimberly Interiors Withersworldwide Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Destinations

Asian Hotel + Catering Times GlobalHotelNetwork.com Hotel Analyst Hotel News Now Hotelier Indonesia HOTELS JETSETTER Magazine SLEEPER ST Media Group International TTG Asia Media WIT

SUPPORTERS HAMA Asia Pacific ISHC ITP PATA Official Publication of HICAP Travel Weekly Asia as of 30 April 2018

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

www.HICAPconference.com

Phone: +44 (0)20 8760 0900 Email: info@dernier-hamlyn.com Web: www.dernier-hamlyn.com

DERNIER & HAMLYN IS A BRITISH COMPANY SPECIALISING IN BESPOKE CONTEMPORARY AND HERITAGE LIGHTING DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE.

LEATHER SHOWS PROFILE A successful reference: Bar Spelunke, Vienna

Good design. In good leather.

See you at HiDesign Berlin

Ehrlich Leder-Handels GmbH Freiburger Str. 65 Fax +49 7351 1980-70 88400 Biberach, Germany info@ehrlich-leder.de Phone +49 7351 1980-0 www.ehrlich-leder.de

t: 020 7384 1485t: 020 e: sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk 7384 1485 e: sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk t: 020 7384 1485 e: sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk

t:t:t:020 020 0207384 7384 73841485 1485 1485 e: e:sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk 1485 e: sales@tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk www.tindle-lighting.co.uk

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O L Y M P I A , L O N DO N W 1 4 8 U X S AV E T H E DAT E E U R O P E ’ S H O S P I TA L I T Y D E S I G N E V E N T S l e e p + E a t i s a b o u t i q u e m a r ke t p l a ce f o r h o t e l i e r s , r e s t a u ra n t e u r s a n d t h e d e s i g n p r o fe s s i o n a l s b e h i n d E u r o p e ’ s l e a d i n g h o s p i t a l i t y p r o j e c t s . F i n d ex p e r t l y c u ra t e d d e s i g n i n a l l i t s fo r m s . H e a r t h o u g h t leadership, see the latest trends, and m a ke a n d s t r e n g t h e n r e l a t i o n s h i p s with the hospitality supply chain.

J o i n t h e c r e a t i ve co l l e c t i ve .

S a ve t h e d a t e .

VIS IT S LEEPAND E ATE VENT.CO M

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Demista Quarter Page Ad 2017

21/6/17

10:29

Page 1

Create a feelgood environment.

indoor • outdoor | residential • hospitality • commercial chairs • stools • lounge chairs • tables info@martaonline.eu • +31 6 430 30 426 • www.feelgooddesigns.eu

demista

TM

Simple to install • Internationally Approved 10 Year Warranty

A division of Aztec (Europe) Ltd

Telford Road Glenrothes Fife KY7 4NX

TEL: +44 (0)1932 866600 • FAX: +44 (0)1932 866688 www.demista.co.uk • E. sales@demista.co.uk

ROCK

The Home of the Glamorous Wardrobe

FULL DESIGN SERVICE l SELF INSTALL REPLACEMENT DOORS Design Studio Cobham by appointment

www.rockfurniture.co.uk

0208 191 7115 Visit our new online shop

G race Cast iron radiators hand made in England

Book a home consultation or visit one of our showrooms for bespoke heating Chelsea

Wimbledon

info@castrads.com

Manchester www.castrads.com

Advertising Index Albrecht Jung

139

Extremis 085

North 4 Design

222

Alger International

033

Feel Good Designs

222

Penta Light

027

Aliseo 045

Ferreira De Sa Rugs

135

Perrin & Rowe

115

Allermuir

Gandia Blasco

029

Piaval 100

Another Country

014 & 015 193

Gira 163

Point

112

Aquadomo 133

Gommaire 213

Porcelanosa

201

Argenta Projects

066

Hakwood 105

Preciosa 227

Arte 160

Hansgrohe 215

Radical Innovation Award

Artemide 191

Hector Finch

Restoration Hardware

Astro Lighting

HI Design

002

184 178 &179

Roca 173

AT&C 073

HICAP 218

Rock Furniture

B&B Italia

228

158 008 & 009 222

HotelsWorld 225

Romo 168

Beck 069

ICE International

Sanipex UK

131

Shaw Hospitality

037

Bette 220

Janus et Cie

Brintons 050

JC Hospitality

159 004 & 005 010 & 011

Skyfold 091

Brokis 019

Kalisher 136

Sleep + Eat

Castrads 223

Kettal Group

Spradling 177

Chelsom

006 & 007

221

012 & 013

Kohler 205

Stellar Works

121

Claybrook 145

Latitude 095

Styal Library

103

Cosentino 180

Laufen 122

Sun & Shades

063

Curtis Furniture

Lefroy Brooks

039

Tarkett 079

183

Delcor 127

Ligne Roset

016

Tece 157

Demista 222

Living Design

202

Tindle Lighting

220

Dernier & Hamlyn

Tribu Furniture

021

Malone Fabrics

171

Duravit 211

219

Mandarin Stone

099

EE Smith

209

Matki 207

Ulster Carpets

Ehrlich-Leder

219

McCue 111

Vaughan 187

Tuuci 217 199

Elstead Lighting

197

MLE 195

Very Wood

031

EPR Architects

148

Muzeo 167

Vincent Sheppard

043

Ercol Furniture

080

Naturalmat 065

Vola 140

Ethimo 035

Nexo Luce

189

224

On Top of the World MAISON HELER, METZ

Where most modern buildings boast of seamless integration, Curio Collection by Hilton’s upcoming Maison Heler in Metz offers quite the opposite. Designed by Philippe Starck, the 14-storey hotel in north-east France appears to be business as usual up until the very top, where a traditional 18th century Alsatian home sits – bringing together two distinct architectural styles. “This project is out-of-scale phantasmagoric architecture,” Starck explains. “It’s a game about uprooted roots, a symbolic construction of the Lorraine region.”

Featuring a rooftop terrace and a garden peppered with local trees, the house – a faithful interpretation of the region’s design heritage

– will juxtapose with the rectilinear, monolithic structure below, channelling a collision between old and new through bold aesthetic contrasts. Containing a lounge bar and restaurant, the house seeks to create a surreal and habitable work of art. Part of a social, ecological and economical development of Metz, the 119-key Maison Heler marks the first hotel Starck has designed from the ground up, and is set to land within the newly created Quartier de l’Amphithéâtre. As enticing as it sounds, visitors to Maison Heler’s humble abode may want to keep track of how many glasses they drink at its bar, as the stairs back down to street level could prove troublesome after a few.

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Sending Light to the world preciosalighting.com

styling monica montemartini - photo fabrizio bergamo

Discover the Outdoor Collection

Bay, design Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien. www.bebitalia.com B&B Italia Store London, SW3 2AS - 250 Brompton Road - T. +44 020 7591 8111 - info.bromptonroad@bebitalia.com UK Agent: Ben Ritson - T. +44 793 1556345 - sales@ritsondesign.com

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