CONCIERGE

Exceptional spaces to eat, play, work, and stay.

HOTEL MARCEL

Opening in May 2022, Hotel Marcel will be the first net-zero hotel with Passive House and LEED Platinum certification in the United States. Occupying a long-vacant landmark Marcel Breuer–designed building in New Haven, Connecticut, the 165-room property celebrates the late architect’s style with interiors that both complement and contrast with the massive structure. For the public spaces, interiors firm Dutch East Design employed a warm tonal palette that includes travertines, terra cotta, oak, and bronze, while guest rooms are done up in a darker array of grays, greens, blues, and walnut. “As the steward of both the interior design and branding for Hotel Marcel, we wanted to reintroduce to the public the raw beauty and strength of brutalism, with the building’s architecture leading the narrative,” says Dieter Cartwright, a partner at Dutch East Design. “It was important to create a warm and inviting interior on a human scale and offer a softer juxtaposition to the concrete façade and finishes.” In the lobby, details including a sunken lounge, custom-designed lights, and patterned textiles all nod to the Bauhaus style. The eighth floor, which retains its original wood paneling, comprises nine suites that once housed the executive offices of the building’s original tenant, the Armstrong Rubber Company. »

ROSEWOOD SÃO PAULO

Luxury hotel brand Rosewood has opened its first property in South America—and brought along some of the design industry’s top names to complete the project. The Rosewood São Paulo—centrally located near the lively Avenida Paulista in Brazil’s most populous city—sits in the historical enclave of Cidade Matarazzo. Comprising private residences, shops, and entertainment venues housed in elegantly preserved buildings from the early 20th century (all updated with 100-percent locally sourced and upcycled materials), the development is one of the most sustainable in Brazil and the country’s largest upcycling project.

The newly opened hotel—spearheaded by entrepreneur Alexandre Allard, with Pritzker Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel and designer Philippe Starck heading up the design—features 160 guest rooms and suites (along with an additional 100 private Rosewood Suites), six food and beverage concepts, and a Brazilian jazz bar.

In Starck’s deft hands, the building—a former maternity ward that had fallen into disrepair since its closure in the 1990s—was transformed into an aesthetic ode to Brazil. Most of the materials used for the renovation were locally sourced, and Starck worked with 57 Brazilian artists and artisans to produce a permanent collection featuring more than 450 artworks. Taking cues from the hotel’s commitment to sustainability and biodiversity, Nouvel clad the tower’s exterior with a latticed, weathered steel façade that’s planted with more than 250 trees and flowers from Brazil’s Mata Atlântica rainforest. »

REYKJAVIK EDITION

Among the newest offerings from Ian Schrager—creator of the PUBLIC and EDITION hospitality brands— is the REYKJAVIK EDITION, a 253-room hotel in Iceland’s capital. Designed by local architecture firm T.ark and New York–based interiors studio Roman and Williams, with guidance from Ian Schrager Company, the hotel embraces a modernist sensibility and highlights Icelandic talent.

Perched on Reykjavik’s Old Harbor, the hotel includes two bars, a signature restaurant and nightclub, spa, gym, and rooftop social space. Throughout the property, materials such as ash wood, basalt stone, leather, and pale-gray oak provide a minimal and earthy foundation against which colorful textiles and art are displayed. Pieces from local creatives—wool bed throws by Ístex, ceramics by Guðbjörg Káradóttir, and in-room art by Icelandic artists Páll Stefánsson and Ragnar Axelsson—tap into the city’s appreciation for design and craftsmanship, while striking architectural elements in public spaces (coffered ceilings, leather-wrapped columns) underscore the brand’s continued dedication to details. »

EX NIHILO

The French fragrance brand Ex Nihilo has made its brick-andmortar debut in the United States with the opening of a blue-hued boutique in Los Angeles. Designed by the company’s Paris-based, in-house design and architecture team, the space combines intense ultramarine-blue details (a modernized nod to the French identity) with gold shelving and accents. A polished concrete floor and exposed ductwork ground the room with an industrial feel, and a custom marble perfume bar at the center of the shop serves as a space for fragrance consultations. “We wanted [this boutique] to be more Californian, taking inspiration from an art gallery more than a classic perfume shop,” says Benoit Verdier, a co-founder of Ex Nihilo. “The aesthetic is very sophisticated and luxe, but twisted with rough elements and minimalist design.” h —Rachel Gallaher