THE EXPERIMENTAL HOTEL EXPERIENCE – INTERIOR RESPITE AND SPLENDOUR BY DOROTHÉE MEILICHZON

The Experimental Hotel Experience

Interior Respite and Splendour by Dorothée Meilichzon

Words by Nicolà Abela Garrett Photography - Chzon

Some hotels serve as merely a bed and bathroom throughout your holiday, a nightly stopover to freshen up before you venture out in search of the next attraction. Then there are other hotels which, quite literally, are the attraction. They give your holiday the right balance between sightseeing and cocooning; why search high and low for good art when you’re being housed by a masterpiece? Three examples of such excellence hail from the Experimental Group portfolio, a collection of globally-spread boutique hotels whose interiors were forged by design superstar Dorothée Meilichzon. With an agency in Paris that’s been going strong since 2009, Meilichzon is currently considered to be one of the hottest designers in the business, leaving her mark on some of the most prestigious establishments in the world. To quench our wanderlust for hotel luxury, we’ve taken a closer look at her work.

Il Palazzo Experimental Venice, Italy

Dorothée Meilichzon is all about creating fun experiences through zestful spaces and interiors, without eliminating the identity of the surroundings. Indeed, Il Palazzo Experimental – previously known as Ca Molin – is a breath-taking collision of Venetian splendour with postmodern pop art.

Situated along the waterfront of Venice’s Dorsoduro quarter, the thirty-two rooms within Il Palazzo Experimental were blessed with Meilichzon’s fusion of bold designs straight out of the Memphis Milano handbook, with the building’s original terracotta hues and Gothic Venetian windows.

You will find strong elements of urbanised Art Deco through scalloped edges and formidable lighting fixtures, in the form of Luciano Vistosi’s glass lamps. In keeping with the Italian persona, Breccia Capraia marble cuts through the colourful movement, and many a floor is speckled with terrazzo tiling. The many forms of stripes found in the interior’s upholstery and wallpaper is an echoing continuation of the historical beams that have been preserved within the original structure. Meanwhile, the bathrooms boast a cinemà italiano vibe, with hand-glazed tiles and trims of black marble. Meilichzon has also stayed true to the location by incorporating the aquatic colours of the Venetian Laguna, as well as those of local façades.

As the only Italian location in the Experimental Group collection, they had certainly made a defining choice with this house of antiquity. One element that had informed the designer in her curation is the palazzo’s infinity of natural light. The building is bathed in it, and it magnifies the riparian aspect of this boutique hotel. Guests are enchanted by the celestially lit rooms in every corner of the palazzo, where the Sun and the water cast the final touch - and the culminating flourish - upon the fashionable arrangements within.

Menorca Experimental Menorca, Spain

When in doubt, take refuge in art and nature. Experimental Group’s Menorcan location is a haven of Mediterranean agrotourism and a respite for those in search of an artistic muse and a good spa. One of the larger Experimental Group complexes, Menorca Experimental sits on 30 hectares of Menorcan countryside, with forty-three rooms reborn from the “gracious old bones” of a 19th century farmhouse. The idea behind Menorca Experimental is for guests to follow in the footsteps of artists such as Picasso, Miró and Dalí, who all sought residences in such environments for inspiration and contemplation. Dorothée Meilichzon used the trajectories of these artists as a starting point, and perfectly transformed the space into a masterpiece in its own right. The boutique resort features nine rooms with their own dipping pools, and the entirety of the house is resplendent with white, terracotta and peach hues, rustic textures and waxed concrete floors, finished off with splashes of olive green, pale blue and burnt red across the arrangements. Fundamentally, Meilichzon ensured the preservation of the house’s original features, and elevated them with her own style. Although the essence of Menorca is still prevalent, the space is dressed with artefacts that fall into the Cubism category, such as glassware, ceramics and textiles. The geometric aspect of Meilichzon’s trademark headboards is also a continuation of this theme. Meilichzon and her team remained loyal to the terrain through the use of leather, terracotta, wood shutters and wooden beams, as well as stone and concrete-built furniture. For that designer yet sustainable feel, bespoke furniture was produced by local carpenters, who followed Meilichzon’s drawings in conjunction with their own flair.

Henrietta Hotel Covent Garden, London

The final result of Dorothée Meilichzon’s collaboration with the Experimental Group’s Henrietta Hotel is a testament to the old adage that one can never get tired of London; there has simply been so much life poured into this eighteen-room boutique hotel. Nestled in the heart of London’s West End, Henrietta Street has been an artery of Covent Garden for centuries, and Meilichzon drew inspiration from the street’s history directly from the architecture that is still standing. Henrietta Hotel is a reflection of London’s buzzing scene, and the multitude of opulent sounds, smells and sights you can come across in affluent Zone 1.

Much like the hotel’s surroundings, there is a theatricality to the interiors, a zing of fun, grandeur and revelry that reflects Covent Garden’s predominant industry. It cannot be denied that Meilichzon’s own unorthodox style is at home with London’s age-old fondness for quirk, and just like almost any form of English eccentricity, the design for Henrietta Hotel is pleasantly un-pigeonholed. The numerous touches of retro speak to the city’s own relationship with vintage, and the salient element of art deco reminds one of the bright young things that graced haunts such as this back in the period’s heyday in Europe. Undoubtedly, the hand-built multi-layered headboards are the centre piece in every room, inspired by the grandiloquence of London façades. They come with a cornucopia of detail, such as fabric panels by Rubelli, mirrors and hand-painted patterns. In contrast to this vibrancy, you’ll find white Carrara marble for skirting, and carpeting features a Mosaïque Casson-inspired pattern, created by Meilichzon herself. Brassy bedside lamps are sealed into the bedside tables for a futuristic feel, and the overarching colour palette includes emerald green, pale pink with royal blue, and vermilion.