Capella Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, Nayarit, Mexico Interior design by Roy Azar Architects
“i’m home” the guest room
Create a logical flow within the room, with ample access around furniture.
The One&Only Ocean Club, Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas Interior design by Barry Design Associates a publication of
W Dallas Victory Hotel and Residences, Dallas, Texas Interior design by Shopworks
First Impressions A vestibule entrance removes guests from shared corridors, generating a dramatic sense of arrival into the heart of the guest room. It’s Sigh Time Create a transition zone where guests can kick off their shoes, empty pockets, put down weighty bags and hang up their jackets. Hey, Over Here! Develop a beautiful focal area within the room, whether it’s a large window with a view, access to an exterior space, or an intimate fireplace setting, inviting guests to delight in their surroundings.
Bed Head Situate the bed so that it faces the door to the room – don’t place the head of the bed within view of the guests’ arrival. Allow space on either side of the bed, and unless you’re dealing with terribly small space, avoid blocking windows with the bed.
Crazy for my PDAs We’d be hard-pressed these days to find a business or leisure traveler without a smartphone, laptop, e-reader, tablet or other handheld device. Accommodate guests with hardwiring and spaces to use, store and charge multiple devices.
Sense and Sensibility Create a logical flow within the room, with ample access around furniture, an uninterrupted indoor/outdoor path, and smart organization of functional room elements.
Do Not Disturb Never overlook acoustics – study the wall and floor assemblies so guests don’t hear the hotel’s heating and cooling systems, noise in adjoining rooms, or people chatting in the corridor.
St. Regis Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico Interior design by Roy Azar Architects
where do we go from here? the guest room corridor
You Had Me at Hello From the guest floor elevator lobby, set a tone for what and how the guest will feel and sense as they begin to decompress into their surroundings. Develop key focal points – from the guest elevator lobby to the termination of corridors – to lead and define the room sequence succession experience. Tipping the Scales Be sensitive and incorporate the correct use of height, length and width ratios in corridor design to ensure a comfortable scale, helping guests feel at ease. Break up long corridors with turns, lighted alcoves and a sequential room layout.
Punctuation, Please Create a sense of room arrival with clearly defined door drops. Raised ceilings, differentiated carpet or tile design, individual room lighting and easy-to-read, aesthetic room numbers provide a front-door arrival that welcomes. Right at Home Thoughtfully selected furnishings, art and design elements give the corridor “place,” creating a residential feel and enriching the character of the hotel and its locale. Let The Sunshine In Whenever possible, incorporate natural light into guest corridor design. Used creatively, the light will augment a long stretch of
corridor, opening up views to public areas or natural scenery, making the journey to the guest room interesting and entertaining. Bienvenido! Welcome guests to their rooms with an effortless and coordinated entry experience, using signage, lighting and keycard entry points that are attractive and easy to use. Take Cover Corridor wall surfaces, treatments and coverings must be extremely durable to withstand the wear and tear of constant hits from guests’ luggage and valet, housekeeping and room service carts.
Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah Interior design by Wilson Associates
soul immersion the spa
Privacy, Privacy, Privacy Allow for complete privacy from every corner and every room. Make it an escape. Place the spa in a quiet or serene location, and make the most of any natural views or vistas the site has to offer. Right Place, Right Time Avoid locating the spa in proximity to other public areas like the restaurant, meeting rooms or business functions – the journey to and from the spa should be an experience in and of itself. Comingling the spa with other public locations, noise and traffic quickly erases that “in the moment” sensation. Treat Me Right It’s a delicate balance between servicing the guest and discretely providing services. Place back-of-
house and support spaces near or within the treatment zones, where the guest experience and servicerelated functions interact but are not seen. Sensory Sensation Create texture, bring the outdoors in, and delight guests with dramatic passages and arrivals to their treatment rooms. Use a color palette and materials to stimulate and enlighten the senses as the guests begin their retreat and escape. Mood Maker Incorporate features to create an ambient and relaxing quality – exceptionally appropriate lighting, tranquil water elements and serene landscaping should work in harmony to create a place of sanctuary.
Where’s the Hook? In urban settings or locations where the connection to the outdoors is not possible, an iconic, signature element – such as a themed co-ed pool – can serve as the draw and allure for the spa. Did You Hear That? We hope not. Getting it acoustically correct is the single biggest technical challenge to tackle in spa design. While studying your wall, floor and ceiling assemblies, don’t overlook HVAC systems, lights and equipment noise. Water features, music and “white noise” will assist in providing the quiet that the guest will appreciate.