[New] Meeting… Ruby Hotels

As Ruby Hotels prepares to launch a new property in London’s Notting Hill, Head of Design Matthew Balon discusses his love for delving into local history and culture to create hotels with a tale to tell.

Words: Ben Thomas

“Being part of the company’s growth process was something that really attracted me to the role,” says Matthew Balon, Head of Design at Ruby Hotels, as we sit down to discuss his career trajectory at the group’s debut property in London. Having worked with Marriott International and Radisson Hotel Group during his time as an interior architect at Munich-based studio RaumConcept, Balon joined Ruby Hotels in 2017 when the brand was still in its infancy, and has since built an in-house design team that oversees every aspect of the aesthetic. “The ability to design in-house gives us the freedom to be creative and try new things,” he explains. “It also means the entire design-and-build process is faster, which makes things more fun as we’re able to see our vision progress quickly.”

Efficiency is something that Ruby has championed from the outset, establishing a ‘Lean Luxury’ philosophy that provides only the essentials, like a comfortable bed, a good shower and a vibrant bar, ensuring that guests aren’t paying for unnecessary extras. But that doesn’t mean skimping on soul or character, far from it. From a design perspective, the idea is to amplify the essentials with layers of decoration that draw on the locale. “We’re always looking to tell a story inspired by the location of a hotel,” Balon confirms. “And while there is a connecting factor between all of our sites – predominantly in the guestrooms, where around 80% of the elements are standardised – the public spaces provide an opportunity to try something different, for ourselves and the city.”

In writing these stories, a deep dive into the destination is Balon’s first port of call, whether that be the history of the area, its culture or the surrounding architecture. “I love research and spend as much time as possible on this part of the design process,” he explains, recounting tales of his explorations into the South Bank area and its centuries-old market for Ruby Lucy.

At Ruby Zoe meanwhile, opening in London’s Notting Hill this Spring, interiors will take cues from the Caribbean culture of the neighbourhood and its iconic carnival. “The design scheme is inspired by the post-war period, which saw an influx of Afro-Caribbeans,” says Balon. “The district soon became a melting pot for characters and stories, with a spirit of generosity created by those who came to call it home.” As such, Balon is hoping to provide a feel for what the place is all about, painting a picture for both Londoners and international guests.

The locally inspired approach begins with the façade, which speaks to the surrounding vernacular using a clever two-tone skin. “The building has an interesting method of communicating with the area,” Balon explains. “When viewing it from the Holland Park side, it presents a neutral façade that references the Brutalist architecture of Notting Hill, but when viewed from the other side, it presents more of a playful look with coloured ceramic tiles that mirror the shades of Portobello Road.” The exterior also pays homage to the district’s musical heritage, with soundwave-like panels that “dance across the front of the structure” in the words of Balon, who reveals that Ruby’s design team loved the architectural concept so much, they decided to incorporate similar elements within guestroom panelling, as well as an installation of speakers and music-themed lighting fixtures.

Music will take centre stage at the hotel’s bar too, which blends the pastel tones of the iconic street nearby with warm textures and sun-bleached surfaces that tip their hat to island life. Building on Ruby’s brand standard of having a performance stage within each of its properties, Zoe will feature two podiums, where artists from the neighbourhood can tell their stories or play their songs. “The bar is the heart of our public spaces; it’s the first thing that guests see when they enter any of our sites,” says Balon, adding that the space in Notting Hill will feature large picture windows, plenty of greenery, and vintage furnishings and materials that develop a natural patina over time. “Our bars must channel a laidback atmosphere. We want passers-by to look in from the street and feel comfortable coming inside for a drink, without the impression it is exclusively designed for hotel guests.”

This sense of community will be championed through a piece of public art outside the ground floor of the development, which will honour the traditions of carnival and masquerade. Designed by BritishTrinidadian visual artist Zak Ové, the mosaic will bring together hundreds of pieces of glass and tile, becoming a symbol for the Notting Hill neighbourhood. “We felt strongly that artwork should be integrated into the building, sending a meaningful message that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” Balon stresses.

The same message will be conveyed at Ruby Giulia in Florence, which presents a completely different climate, history and design world than in London. As such, materials will be reflective of their surroundings, with many of the 19th-century building’s original features preserved. “Some locations are more historically inspired,” explains Balon, stating that the traditional Florentine arcades on the ground floor will allow for dramatic public spaces with high ceilings and loose furnishings that harmonise with the city’s heritage.

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The forthcoming Florence hotel will also house a workspace, continuing the same philosophy as the brand’s core portfolio with the aim of using space efficiently and delivering on what guests really need. Stuttgart and Dublin will follow suit, learning from the blueprint set by Ruby Workspaces in Vienna, Munich, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Amsterdam; the latter was Ruby’s fifth co-working space to-date, but the first to occupy the same structure as a Ruby hotel, offering 138 workstations across three floors.

Ruby Emma in Amsterdam’s Omval neighbourhood also marked the operator’s first re-flagging project, with the former QO hotel transformed into a Ruby property that takes its visual cues from the area’s nautical history.

Likewise, a debut in Edinburgh in 2025 will see the conversion and partial new construction of three connected buildings on the city’s famous Princes Street, with 300 rooms and a 24/7 bar once again paying homage to the locale.

With the group’s pipeline continuing to grow across Western Europe, Balon is relishing the opportunity to take that first step into different markets, though he is the first to admit that scaling up also brings with it the challenge of new regulations and ways of thinking. With this in mind, could Ruby look to outsource the design of its hotels? “We would never say never and it’s certainly something we are keen to explore in the future,” Balon confesses. “For now though, we must collaborate in ways that make sense for the way we work.”

Passing the ten-year mark does however mean that the group is starting to think about refreshing its older properties. “Ruby Hotels is still young, so it’s difficult to say for certain what the lifecycle of our hotels is,” Balon concludes.

“We recently visited our first site in Vienna to see what shape the project was in and whether it stood the test of time. I can tell you I was surprised at how well it looked! That comes down to our core values of using quality materials, like real wood and brass, which can develop a patina over time. They are perfectly imperfect, and that’s what we’re all about.”

Design

The Lobby

Hang In There

Bedouin tents have been a symbol of hospitality in the harsh terrain of the Arabic deserts for centuries, but suspending them between two rocky ridges is an entirely new prospect.

Hanging high above the mountains of Sharjah, Floating Retreat by Dubai-based Ardh Architects comprises a series of tents, which rest on an architectural framework inserted amidst adjacent cliffs. The platform is secured with crisscrossing, high-stress cables – much like a suspension bridge –to provide stability in windy conditions, with the pods using a motorised system to be raised and lowered according to guest desires, leaving them suspended in mid-air.

Built to withstand the elements, the floating suites are crafted from lightweight, breathable materials that have a minimum lifespan of five years, after which they could be repurposed to create new products.

Inside, the tents feature a bed, armchair and private bathroom, while mod-cons include an entertainment system with WiFi access. Guests can also visit a spa at the top of the mountain, while down on the ground are a reception, restaurant and concierge offering activities such as mountain climbing, desert treks and cycling.

“The pointed tops of the tents celebrate the past and evoke a sense of adventure,” says Omran Alowais, founder of Ardh Architects, which is working with Shurooq Investment Company to explore new potentials in the hospitality industry. “These cliff-edge sleeping pods are typically built for professional climbers, but our proposal delivers them to the general public. Floating Retreat is a new type of camping experience that allows travellers to connect with nature in a way that is simply not possible within a concrete jungle.”