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Meeting... Sharan Pasricha 040
As Ennismore looks ahead to its next phase of growth, the group’s founder and co-CEO shares how he turned a small indie hotel brand into the world’s fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company.
25 Years Of LW Design 047
Upon celebrating a milestone anniversary, the founder and CEO of LW Design discusses the past, present and future of hospitality design.
The Great American Summer 139 Brooklyn-based LMNOP tells the story of its latest visual identity scheme, which pays homage to nostalgic Nantucket summers.
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Honouring The Past
Ahotel plays many roles in today’s society, from providing the basic bed and board for weary travellers, to serving as a community hub for locals to work, rest and play. While these primary functions will forever remain at the forefront of new projects, the sector is increasingly taking on a new role: that of custodian.
Gone are the days that the development pipeline was made up of newbuild after newbuild, hotel groups are now reporting that the majority of their projects are conversions – in fact, there’s not a single newbuild in Marriott’s 2024 signings for the UK market. Though many such projects are the rebadging of existing hotels, a percentage are adaptive reuse of other buildings, perhaps a monumental city landmark or a majestic country pile.
This is evidenced in this year’s entries for AHEAD Europe; the Conversion category saw so many strong entries that the number of projects making it to shortlist stage had to be increased. There’s a former sanatorium in the Peloponnese, an 18th-century manor house set amongst Menorca’s agricultural pastures and Munich’s former state bank dating back to the early 1900s – all are now hotels and striking examples of making use of existing building stock.
It’s no secret that newbuilds are tough right now owing to the cost and capacity of construction, but conversions come with their own challenges, not least the strict regulations around heritage buildings. Despite this, a new hotel within old bones is quite the coup, so competition amongst owners to get their hands on a trophy asset is fierce. So too for architects and interior designers, who play an important part in shaping
the building’s future, which begs the question: for those in the business of hotel-making, is the role changing?
Some of the creatives behind projects in this issue of Sleeper believe so. Developing a hotel goes beyond best-in-class amenities and sparkling new interiors. Sharan Pasricha, coCEO of Ennismore, believes his role is of custodian, not only of the heritage buildings within the group’s remit – such as Gleneagles – but of the legacy brands that now fall within the portfolio. At Hyde London City, Studio Moren took inspiration from the era in which the original hotel was built, reinstating details that had been lost. They even supplied the hotel with a crib sheet so that the front-of-house team can educate curious guests on the history of the property. And at The Store in Oxford, developers Reef Origin also describe themselves as custodians, seeking to ensure the former department store is still of benefit to locals in its new guise as a hotel.
Indeed, there’s a responsibility with old buildings that requires careful consideration; many have a storied past that shouldn’t be forgotten nor erased by newness, and it’s often this history that serves as the draw for guests. There’s value in the decades of daily life that have taken place within the walls and it’s important to keep these stories alive. Architects and designers who can honour the past to build the future might just find themselves indispensable.
As the great-granddaughter of the legendary Conrad Hilton, Paris Hilton is no stranger to the world of hotels. So, when the opportunity came to design a penthouse at The Beverly Hilton in California – where childhood was spent celebrating special family moments – she had one goal: “for my fans to sliv – and stay – like an infinite icon”. With this in mind, the pop culture princess has created a oneof-a-kind immersive experience that captures her personal passions and signature style, perfectly packaged in pink.
With a career spanning 30 years, Marcel Wanders has developed a distinct design language that has been applied to everything from faucets and furniture to fashion accessories and cosmetics. The Dutch designer has also turned his hand to interiors, creating bold and surreal schemes for brands including Andaz and Mondrian. For his latest venture – the newly opened Kimpton Bem Budapest – Wanders has combined his signature style with motifs of Hungarian folklore for a whimsical sense of fantasy.
Leaving the medical world behind, Dr George P. Spanos became CEO of Domes Resorts in 2008, and has since built a multi-brand portfolio of hotels across Greece. Following the 2023 launch of Makris – its first standalone fine-dining restaurant – the group has now ventured along the coast to open 91 Athens Riviera, a notable differentiator in this increasingly popular market. In keeping with Spanos’ vision to push boundaries, the resort takes the form of a luxury camp, with 28 cabanas that cater to the cosmopolitan explorer.
A financial planner by vocation, Grant Maunder took an unlikely step into hospitality in 2011, reinventing a three-star hotel in the Swiss village of Adelboden. Now, the self-confessed accidental hotelier is back for a new venture, this time teaming up with Amsterdam-based design studio Nicemakers to transform a century-old chalet into The Brecon. A member of The Aficionados, the 18-room retreat eschews the clichés of traditional ski lodges, instead opting for homely interiors with Mid-Century moments.
210 Paris Hilton
102 Grant Maunder
088 Marcel Wanders
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CHECK-IN
Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson
The founders of Minarc take a fantasy break to a cliffside retreat off the coast of Iceland, where nature and design coexist in perfect harmony.
Where are you?
We find ourselves on a secluded, rugged island off the coast of Iceland – an untouched paradise where the natural world reigns supreme. Our fantasy hotel is perched on a dramatic cliff, the roaring Atlantic Ocean below. This is where the wild meets the serene.
How did you get there?
In true Viking style, we arrived via a fishing boat, transformed into a floating restaurant. Our journey was as epic as our destination – feasting on the freshest ‘Viking sushi’ straight from the ocean, accompanied by pink champagne. It’s not just a trip; it’s a culinary adventure.
Who is there to greet you on arrival?
Alfred Pennyworth from the Batman trilogy. As he opens the door and ushers us in, we quickly realise he’s not just a butler but a man of deep intelligence and care, someone who has seen and understood much more than he lets on.
And who’s at the concierge desk?
Actress Kristen Wiig greets us like an old friend, her easygoing nature and quick humour making the setting feel almost normal – as if we’ve both just stumbled into this strange imaginary world.
Who are you sharing your room with?
It’s just the two of us. Our shared vision and design passion mean that every moment in this fantastical space is an extension of our collaborative spirit.
Is there anything you would like waiting for you in your room?
Beluga caviar, ice-cold vodka and a bottle of Petrus red wine – a trio of indulgences to set the tone for an unforgettable experience.
Describe the hotel, your room and the view... Suspended off the edge of the cliff, our room is a daring feat of design, with furniture hanging from the ceiling and walls – gravity-defying and utterly unique. The view? Endless ocean waves crashing against the rocks below, a sight both powerful and humbling. This is a space where nature and design coexist in perfect harmony.
Who designed it?
Our dream team comprises legendary architects Richard Neutra, Kengo Kuma and Santiago Calatrava; each bring their unique touch to create a hotel that is at once modern, minimalist and sculptural.
What’s the restaurant and bar like?
The restaurant is a warm and modern space, with an ambiance that’s as soothing as it is rhythmic, much like our favourite band, Khruangbin. Prohibition-era cocktails, with our signature drink Last Word, are the star of the show. The bar is suspended from the ceiling, making it a playful, gravity-defying centrepiece.
Who are you dining with this evening?
Barack Obama, architects Richard Neutra and Frank Gehry, the President of Iceland Halla Tómasdóttir and British rock musician Ian Anderson with The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Gustave as his personal assistant.
Who’s manning the stoves?
Our good friend, Josiah Citrin. Alongside him is Hans Röckenwagner, ensuring every dish is a perfect fusion of flavour and flair.
And what’s on the menu?
It’s a journey through the senses starting with an amuse bouche of ocean delicacies, followed by a main course that’s as inventive as it is delicious. Dessert is a decadent affair, completed with post-prandial luxuries to linger over.
Would you like something to drink with that?
We start with a Vesper, a cocktail that’s as stylish as it is strong, and pair each course with a handpicked wine.
What’s in the mini-bar for a nightcap?
A classic gin and tonic, made with Ferdinand Saar Dry Gin and Fentimans Connoisseurs tonic water, for a refreshing end to the night.
What toiletries would you like to freshen up?
Water sourced from Iceland’s Dynjandi waterfall and ice cubes from Vatnajökull glacier – pure, invigorating and distinctly Icelandic.
Early morning alarm call or late check-out?
Late check-out. Mornings should be savoured.
DRAWING BOARD
Burj Azizi
UAE-based real estate firm Azizi Developments has unveiled plans for Burj Azizi, a mixed-use development on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road.
Slated for completion in 2028, the project encompasses an all-suite seven-star hotel inspired by seven cultural themes, luxury residences, a ballroom, beach club and vertical shopping mall.
Designed by multi-disciplinary firm AE7, the 131-storey skyscraper will stand at 725m, making it the second tallest tower in the world. Further recordbreaking elements include the highest nightclub and observation deck in the world, and the highest restaurant and hotel room in Dubai. Alongside numerous F&B venues, the development will offer a range of amenities including wellness centres, swimming pools and gyms as well as cinemas, mini markets and lounges.
“Our investment in Burj Azizi, surpassing AED 6 billion, represents more than just the creation of an iconic structure – it is a commitment to transforming Sheikh Zayed Road and elevating Dubai’s skyline to new, unparalleled heights,” comments Mirwais Azizi, Chairman and founder of Azizi Developments. “The seven-star hotel, crowned by the world’s highest lobby, will embody Dubai’s spirit, celebrating the world’s seven major cultures through its intricate interior design.”
Azizi concludes: “My vision for Burj Azizi is to create a lasting legacy, a tribute to Dubai as a destination of choice for both residents and visitors and a monumental achievement in engineering, setting new benchmarks for quality, luxury and innovation.”
DUBAI
Tripolers Oasis
DUNHUANG
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Owner / Developer: Tripolers
Operator: Tripolers Hotel Management
Architecture: GAD
Interior Design: Holloway Li
Landscaping: Z’scape www.hollowayli.com
Holloway Li has been appointed to lead the interior design at Tripolers Oasis, a boutique spa-hotel scheduled to open in 2026.
Situated in a working vineyard at the edge of the renowned Singing Sand Dunes in Dunhuang, China, the resort will feature 15 private villas dotted across the site, strategically positioned to maximise privacy and offer views of the picturesque surroundings. Further accommodation comes in the form of twostorey suites complete with roof terraces. Public areas include a lobby, restaurant, bar and lounge, boutique shop and spa facilities, all connected via sandy courtyards that lead to an outdoor pool and fire pit.
In developing the interiors, Holloway Li looked to the Japanese art of wabi-sabi, developing a scheme that embraces simplicity and imperfection through the use of reclaimed materials. Natural textures such as clay, teak and stone will be incorporated using local
building techniques, while furniture celebrates local craftsmanship.
For the colour palette, Holloway Li took inspiration from the nearby Mogao Cave, where monks, merchants and travellers sought shelter for centuries. As such, it incorporates earthy primary pigments found in the cave murals – Tubai (clary white), Shashi (sandy yellow) and Zhusha (earthy red) – reinforcing a deep connection between the guest experience and the region’s cultural legacy.
The resort is being developed by Tripolers, a China-based travel services group helmed by Chairman Wenhai Ma. “We were stunned by the incredible site for Tripolers Oasis and the opportunity to create a truly world-class offering,” says Na Li, Managing Director of Holloway Li. “Ma’s vision aligned with ours, and we are excited to work alongside our longterm local collaborators GAD and Z’scape to bring this breathtaking scheme to life.”
HOSPITALITY
CUSTOM BAR PROJECT: backlit Vetrite, mosaic counter, armchairs, tables and stools sicis.com
SWG3 Hotel
GLASGOW
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Developer: SWG3, Hotelier: Bruce Robertson
Architecture: Stallan-Brand
www.swg3.tv
SWG3 and Stallan-Brand have secured planning approval for a new mixed-use hotel in Glasgow’s Clydeside, marking significant investment in the redevelopment of the waterfront.
Built adjacent to SWG3 – an independent cultural campus for the arts – the building will incorporate 142 guestrooms along with two restaurants, two bars, co-working spaces, a gym, movement studio and a rooftop terrace. Catering to the city’s creative community, it will also offer a range of studio spaces for rent.
The development – which is expected to create more than 100 jobs – represents SWG3’s continued commitment to transforming its home, an industrial backland that once supported a shipbuilding economy; it now serves as a vibrant hub for design festivals, art fairs, workshops, exhibitions and gigs.
The hotel component represents the next phase of the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District initiative, which is aimed at promoting
industry and innovation across communities close to the riverside.
“In a hotel landscape dominated by international brands, it is a rare privilege to be able to develop a hotel product that is truly of its place,” comments hotelier Bruce Robertson,who is helping lead the development. “Our plan is to resolve a space that responds to its unique location, whilst resonating with the local community and delivering a range of benefits.”
Paul Stallan, Creative Director of StallanBrand, adds: “Whilst the SWG3 Hotel is strategically situated to support the immediate regeneration initiative, it will also contribute to the ongoing success of Glasgow’s ‘Hydro Effect,’ which has seen the city become a global magnet for major music and conference events. As a hotel for music lovers, the SWG3 team are excited to expand their programme with a new leisure offer that will ensure they remain more visible, vital and circular.”
The Alba DUBAI
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Developer: Omniyat
Operator: Dorchester Collection
Architecture: Zaha Hadid Architects
Interior Design: Gilles & Boissier
Landscaping: Vladimir Djurovic
www.dorchestercollection.com
Dubai developer Omniyat has revealed renderings of its new landmark, a US$1.9 billion mixed-use project comprising a hotel and residences managed by Dorchester Collection.
Slated to open in 2028, The Alba is located on Palm Jumeirah and has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects with interiors by Gilles & Boissier. At the heart of the vision is a focus on ‘well-living’ – ensuring longevity, sustainability and a deep connection to nature.
Along with the elegantly-appointed guestrooms, resort amenities include a range of culinary experiences, a branded spa and multiple swimming pools.
The landscaping, envisioned by Vladimir Djurovic, creates harmony between the architecture and the natural world, with the curved buildings appearing to emerge from the tropical forest. Describing itself as a ‘garden retreat by the sea’, the grounds will feature extensive planting, cascading waterfalls and lily
ponds, as well as shaded pathways that wind down to the waterfront.
“This project offers a harmonious blend of nature and cutting-edge design,” says Mahdi Amjad, founder and Executive Chairman of Omniyat. “Dubai derives so much of its charm and lifestyle from its seaside location, and The Alba – featuring Omniyat’s signature focus on crafting privacy-centric residences – enhances this unique connection with the water by offering a personalised waterfront experience. Omniyat will continue to collaborate with some of the world’s most visionary minds to surpass the traditional definition of well-living.”
Christopher Cowdray, President of Dorchester Collection, adds: “Guests and residents will enjoy exclusivity in Dorchester Collection’s first garden retreat by the sea, with its expansive private terraces and immersive wellness offerings, cultivating a sophisticated oasis for reawakening, reconnection and renewal.”
Muyu. collection designed by Stephane De Winter
Room2
MANCHESTER
Lamington Group has received planning permission from Manchester City Council to build the UK’s first net zero tower, which will open as Room2 Manchester.
Set to open in 2027, the 251-key aparthotel will comprise a combination of one- and twobed guestrooms and studios, alongside a diverse range of publicly accessible, community-facing amenities including a café, exhibition hall and 130-cover rooftop restaurant, bar and terrace.
Envisioned by Manchester-based architecture firm Bennetts Associates, the project seeks to reimagine and repurpose the Grade-II listed Union Bank building, sensitively integrating it with a 34-storey newbuild. The townscape approach involves the massing of the lower four storeys to create an open street-level block containing the hotel’s main entrance, whilst forming a unified base that connects to the historic landmark in a way that addresses the scale of the surrounding structures.
“This is an ambitious scheme, which reimagines a vital part of the city and will transform Manchester’s skyline with the addition of a new landmark,” comments Simon Erridge, Director of Bennetts Associates. “The project will revitalise a currently vacant and unloved site replacing it with an active and accessible building, and the listed Union Bank’s key spaces will be restored and re-opened to visitors and guests alike.”
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Owner / Operator: Lamington Group
Developer: Lamington Group, North Star
Architecture: Bennetts Associates www.room2.com
Uga Halloowella
SRI LANKA
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Operator: Uga Escapes
Architecture: Channa Daswatte
www.ugaescapes.com
Following ventures in Anuradhapura, Yala and Negombo, Sri Lankan hotel group Uga Escapes is set to open its sixth property, Uga Halloowella, in January 2025.
Located in the town of Hatton in the Nuwara Eliya district of Central Province, the boutique resort perches on a hilltop surrounded by historic tea trails. Overlooking Castlereagh Reservoir, it occupies a colonial-era bungalow on a sprawling 252-acre estate that was previously owned by Major Elton Lane, a World War I fighter pilot for the British Royal Air Force.
Steeped in history, the property has been sensitively restored by Uga Escapes in collaboration with renowned Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte. It comprise six suites, indoor and outdoor dining experiences and a large infinity pool, with expansive lawns and lush landscaping.
Inside, three categories of accommodation pay homage to the site’s past. The Lane Suites
honour the bungalow’s original owners, Elton and Violet Lane, and feature a large living room, four-poster bed and wood-burning fireplace, as well as ornate clawfoot bathtubs positioned to take in the surrounding landscape. The Pekoe Suites are named after the trail that winds its way around the property, and The Planter’s Suites are a nod to the talented plantation workers. The signature restaurant meanwhile will explore Sri Lankan culinary traditions using fresh produce sourced from the highlands.
“We are thrilled to announce the latest addition to our stunning portfolio of boutique Sri Lankan hotels,” says Priyanjith Weerasooria, owner and Managing Director of Uga Escapes.
“One of our most ambitious projects to date, Halloowella is the epitome of old-world charm and sophistication and, paired with the warmth of Uga hospitality, will offer the ultimate base from which to explore our country’s famed central tea trails region.”
Meeting… Sharan Pasricha
As Ennismore looks ahead to its next phase of growth, the group’s founder and co-CEO shares how he turned a small indie hotel brand into the world’s fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company.
The first time I met Sharan Pasricha, he was clearing tables at the newly-opened Hoxton in Paris. Efficiently and cheerfully done. It should have been the waiter. It could have been the General Manager. But it was actually the owner.
The founder of Ennismore. The name comes from Ennismore Gardens, a street in London’s fashionable South Kensington, where Pasricha was living around the time the business was established.
When Ennismore was founded in 2011, it was an owneroperator set-up. A decade on, with a healthy portfolio of Hoxton hotels, the group entered into a joint venture with Accor to create what it described as ‘the world’s largest and fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company’.
Ennismore aims to curate and manage unique properties around the world, driving creativity and innovation to produce experiences that deeply resonate with guests. To do so, the business comprises four in-house studios: Partnerships & Collaborations, focusing on revenue generation and brand activation; Digital & Tech, overseeing digital product and technology innovation; Carte Blanched, which develops new food and beverage concepts; and AIME, the interiors and graphics studio responsible for the authentic storytelling that is at the heart of every hotel.
The growth and success of The Hoxton brand ultimately led to the Accor collaboration. By whatever metric, Accor is one of the world’s largest hotel groups and its knowledge
of delivering scale, network growth and distribution is leveraged alongside Ennismore’s know-how in building brands. Successfully navigating this journey sees Pasricha as recipient of the Outstanding Contribution accolade at the forthcoming AHEAD Europe 2024.
Key to his success has been an entrepreneurial drive that began at an early age. To fund a comic habit, Pasricha would sell the sandwiches his mother made for school lunches, demonstrating business savvy beyond his years when he inflated prices owing to popular demand – that was until a classmate let slip at a parents’ evening and the racket came tumbling down.
Pasricha admits to having a curious mind. He has long been interested in how things work and not necessarily in how to make money. His education included attendance at The Doon School, a boys-only boarding school in India, later followed by studying for an MBA at London Business School.
“I have always enjoyed having a wide knowledge base,” he comments, comparing himself to those who are into the minutiae. “There’s always someone who is smarter at that one thing; my job is to find that person and give them a role so they can excel. I spend a lot of my time finding experts in their field – those who are brave enough to challenge, to think disruptively and be curious. You are only as good as those you surround yourself with.”
So why did this curious mind choose hospitality? “Real estate was the initial attraction. I’ve always loved architecture
and design, as well as place-making and the development of neighbourhoods. And equally I’ve always been an operator.” Pasricha goes on to explain the need to understand supply and demand drivers, profit margins, food costs, waste and the environment; the business rationale pours out.
Yet he clearly has a strong creative mind too, as he talks of the guest experience and attention to detail. “Hotels exist at this beautiful intersection between real estate, creativity and operations. I enjoy sitting in the middle of it all,” he explains graciously. “I love making people feel good, showing them that during their meal or stay, they are creating memories. There’s something special about being present in these physical experiences we create; that’s why I get up every day.”
In the first decade of building The Hoxton brand, the focus was very much on real estate, with the adaptive reuse of car parks and office buildings to what is now a dozen or so hotels. It was at this stage Pasricha began to understand how local the real estate business is. “To deliver outstanding returns and performance, developers really need to know their microneighbourhood,” he realised.
At the same time, he had created a strong brand resulting in other owners and developers asking him to operate their hotels. “I had never considered this when we first set up in business. It was always about building a sustainable platform,” he narrates. Having studied various independent hotel groups, he realised that they mostly tapped out at 8-12 hotels. “I had ambitions to be disruptive on a global scale and started to gain an understanding of the assetlight business,” he continues. “Having made the decision to build an asset-light platform at a new scale, it was then that I met with Accor.”
And coincidently, it was with school friend Gaurav Bhushan, an Accor lifer who began his hospitality career as a waiter in Australia. “Gaurav had been front and centre of the Accor
“Hotels exist at this beautiful intersection between real estate, creativity and operations. I enjoy sitting in the middle of it all.”
brands include those developed or acquired by Accor, such as Jo&Joe, SO/, 25hours Hotels, Mama Shelter, 21c Museum Hotel, SLS, Hyde, Mondrian, Morgans Originals, Delano and more. The global design team is headed up by Mark Eacott and Charlie North, who oversee the interiors for different brands.
Super attentive and nodding frequently, Pasricha acknowledges that it is complicated to build a brand-led organisation. “If you did everything regionally, as most traditional companies are organised, then you miss a trick from a brand and design perspective. I believe the way our organisation is set up is right for us,” he states confidently. And the result has been year-on-year annual growth. “In an entrepreneurial business, you have to zig-zag your way through problems, concerns and thoughts, especially when you’re growing as fast as we are.”
Brands are sacrosanct to Pasricha, who is fond of saying “we are in the brand business, not the product business”. He leaves that to his competitors. “Every one of our 17 brands has a mission. My job is to ensure that each has a reason for being.”
story when it came to lifestyle, making strategic investments alongside Sébastien Bazin,” Pasricha continues. “We realised that there was a unique opportunity to combine forces and create something that the industry hadn’t seen before.”
And so the wheels were set in motion. “On meeting with Bazin and Bhushan, we knew that the only way for lifestyle brands to flourish was to have a brand-led organisation. This is how we have set up Ennismore. Our company is organised by brand and the expertise is delivered locally,” he explains, adding that every executive-level leader has a dual role. “They wear a global hat overseeing the brand across all regions, and they have a local hat, because so much of what we do is localised.”
Additional to The Hoxton, Ennismore’s
Many are labelled ‘founder brands’, for which Pasricha states: “When we set up this partnership, I was adamant that we would keep the spirit of these founders alive.” Good examples are Serge Trigano of Mama Shelter, and Christoph Hoffmann of 25hours Hotels. Hoffmann is currently working on a deal in Saudi Arabia for the brand and is still as engaged as ever in his capacity as founder, some eight years after the acquisition.
As one himself, the spirit of being a founder is strong within Pasricha. And in the legacy Accor brands where the founder is no longer involved, Pasricha steps up. Taking the case of Delano, how does this work? Does he just ‘magic’ himself into Ian Schrager’s shoes? “It’s no different to what we did at Gleneagles,” he confides. Founded in 1924, Gleneagles is
Ennismore properties include Gleneagles (top) and the one that started it all, The Hoxton Shoreditch (bottom)
“We have the privilege of being custodians of a lot of brands, reinvigorating some that are decades old.”
a heritage property in Scotland, acquired by Pasricha in 2015. It is a partner brand, whereby it is operated by Ennismore, but the ownership sits outside of the group. Similarly with Estelle Manor, a luxury hotel and country club in Oxfordshire. “I’m not the founder of Gleneagles, but I have played a part in repositioning it to what it is today.”
He refers to the history and integrity of both Gleneagles and Delano, with 100 and 30 years respectively. “When you have a brand weighted in history, it’s easier to tell a story than when starting from scratch,” he continues, referring to the impact Delano had on lifestyle hotels globally, the collaboration with Philippe Starck and its influence on modern day lifestyle hotels. Are these hotels like children? “I don’t think so. You love your children equally and I’m wedded to Ennismore,” he says, keeping the family analogy going. “We have the privilege of being custodian of a lot of brands, reinvigorating some that are decades old.”
And there are many chapters still to be
written, with a current pipeline of over 120 hotels – Mama Shelters in Casablanca, Cape Town and Singapore; Hyde in Johannesburg, Perth and Queenstown; Mondrian in Gold Coast and Bucharest; 25hours in Trieste and Jakarta. The list goes on. Pasricha also sees opportunity in the fast-growing branded-residential space, a sector for which Ennismore has just announced the SLS in Madrid plus Rixos and Hyde in Dubai. Pasricha is undoubtedly a smart and decisive man. He is also approachable and down to earth. Open, honest and inclusive – an enthusiastic leader. And with a humble realisation of his success. Good timing and coincidence has played a part, but more so has entrepreneurial drive and a passion for place-making. What he has so successfully achieved with The Hoxton is being replicated through the Accor joint venture. “What makes us unique is being an autonomous business powered by Europe’s largest hotel company,” he concludes. “It allows us to do things incredibly disruptively and move its scale.”
Amongst Ennismore’s 120-strong hotel pipeline, Mondrian will make its Australian debut in 2025 with a beachfront hotel and branded residences
KEY HOTEL PROJECTS
The Dubai Edition (2022)
Bab Al Shams, Dubai (2023)
SIRO One Za’abeel, Dubai (2024)
Grosvenor House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai
25 Years Of LW Design
Upon celebrating a milestone anniversary, the founder and CEO of LW Design discusses the past, present and future of hospitality design.
Aquarter of a century after LW Design’s inception in Dubai, the studio’s founder and CEO Jesper Godsk reveals more about the journey so far.
ON THE INITIAL VISION
When we started LW Design back in 1999, Lars Waldenström, Morten Hansen and I saw a clear gap in Dubai’s interior design market. At the time, the landscape was dominated by a sense of over-the-top opulence. While this suited certain tastes, we believed there was room for something different – something that reflected the simplicity, functionality and understated elegance of minimalist Scandinavian design. Our vision was to introduce this philosophy to the region, and in doing so, offer a fresh perspective that emphasised clean lines, natural materials and timeless aesthetics. That vision was pivotal to establishing LW Design as a firm that could deliver high-end projects that resonated with authenticity and purpose.
ON ITS EVOLUTION
Our approach has evolved over the years, driven by both our expansion and the changing needs of our clients. What started as a team of three in a small office has grown into a global firm with over 125 team members and offices in Hong Kong, São Paulo and Aarhus. With this growth, our design philosophy has had to adapt to different markets and cultures, but our core DNA remains unchanged – collaboration, honesty and an unwavering commitment to quality.
One major evolution has been the transition to the next generation of leadership within the company. Over the last eight years, it’s been incredibly rewarding to
see individuals like Rachel Kidd, Pooja Shah-Mulani and Andrew Harms take on key roles. They bring their unique perspectives and talents to the table, but are also committed to preserving the essence of LW’s design approach. This evolution ensures we remain true to our roots, whilst staying relevant and forward-thinking.
ON MILESTONE HOTEL PROJECTS
After successfully completing over 500 projects globally, it’s nearly impossible to choose a single one that I am most proud of. However, if I had to highlight two that particularly stand out, they would be Buddha Bar Dubai and The Dubai Edition; both projects transformed our perspective on our capabilities and altered our understanding of what we can achieve. This transformation was pivotal, shifting our mindset and inspiring us to push boundaries in design.
Buddha Bar Dubai was a groundbreaking endeavour, where the owner envisioned a magical oriental experience that drew inspiration from his explorations of the East, including a journey through Tibet. This marked our first large-scale F&B project, which exemplifies our philosophy that design transcends aesthetics; it is about creating a holistic experience for guests. Every element, from intricate décor to curated furnishings, immerses visitors in a captivating atmosphere.
On the other hand, The Dubai Edition represents a bold statement in understated luxury. This project seamlessly integrates both architecture and interior design by LW, while introducing a new dimension of elegance to the city. By embracing the principle of ‘less is more’, we created spaces that meet the high expectations associated with the Edition brand.
ON CHANGES IN HOSPITALITY DESIGN
The hospitality design landscape has evolved significantly since we first started. One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is the shift in focus from purely aesthetic luxury to creating spaces that feel personal and authentic. Today’s travellers are looking for more than just beautiful interiors – they want to connect with the space and the story behind it. There’s been a real move towards designing spaces that offer a sense of place, where guests can feel immersed in the local culture and environment, and this is something we always strive to achieve in our projects.
Functionality and operational excellence have also become a bigger priority in hospitality design. It’s no longer enough for a space to look good – it has to work seamlessly from an operational perspective. Whether it’s a hotel or an F&B venue, owners and operators expect designs that enhance the guest experience while optimising flow and efficiency. We’ve adapted to these demands by ensuring that our designs are not only visually striking but also practical and tailored to the specific needs of the client.
ON NEW OPENINGS
We have several exciting hotel projects in the pipeline, each designed to offer distinctive and memorable experiences for our guests across the globe. For example, following the launch of our first fitness and recovery hotel SIRO One Za’abeel, we are designing wellness-focused Verdala Hotel in Malta. We’re also working on Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur, W Hotel Riyadh and Four Seasons Neom. In addition to these flagship developments, we have a diverse portfolio of both boutique and large-scale hotels, as well as F&B outlets, planned for a variety of locations around the world including Croatia, Kenya, Turkey, Canada, Macau, Philippines and Saudi Arabia. Over the last few years, we have also made a concerted effort
Recent projects for the studio include (top to bottom) The Dubai Edition; SIRO One Za’abeel, Dubai; Bab Al Shams, Dubai
“We believed there was room for something different – something that reflected the simplicity, functionality and understated elegance of minimalist Scandinavian design.”
to diversify our portfolio by exploring new market segments. As part of this strategy, we are expanding into the resort and lodge sectors, tapping into the growing demand for naturebased and experiential travel.
ON THE NEXT 25 YEARS
While I’m immensely proud of everything we’ve achieved so far, I believe we have now reached our ‘perfect model’ on a global scale. What my partners and I see over the next 25 years isn’t necessarily an expansion in size, but rather a deepening in strength – strength in our presence, our identity and the impact of our work. Our goal is global recognition, not measured by the number of projects or offices, but by the uniqueness and diversity of our portfolio and the way our work resonates across regions and sectors in new, meaningful ways.
In today’s market, we believe that the size of a project doesn’t define its value. Instead, what matters most is aligning the right project with the right team, and executing it in a way that’s authentic to our creative vision. That, in my opinion, is the true marker of success. This approach often pushes us out of our comfort zone, but that’s where the magic happens. It’s in these moments that small ideas turn into bold ambitions, and our passion for creativity is unexpectedly reignited. These challenges help us to continue growing – not in number, but in depth, relevance and creative excellence. We want to be known for pushing boundaries, embracing new challenges and delivering work that leaves a lasting impression.
ON HOSPITALITY IN 2100
It’s difficult to predict with certainty how hospitality will evolve, but by examining the past, we can uncover valuable
insights as to what the future might hold. Over the past 75 years, the industry has been transformed by technology, increased global travel and changing customer expectations. However, rather than focusing solely on technological advancements like AI, automation or virtual experiences, it’s important to highlight a critical constant: the human connection and people-centric approach.
At the core of hospitality is the desire for escapism –an innate human need to break free from everyday life. Traditionally, hotels and resorts have provided this in the form of unique services, luxury and comfort – a getaway that feels like a ‘home away from home’, yet is enhanced by offerings beyond what is available in daily life. No matter how far into the future we look, this fundamental human desire is likely to persist, though it may evolve in extraordinary ways.
Today, there are still parts of the world that remain unexplored or inaccessible to the average traveller, but in the future, much of the earth may be fully explored, commodified and accessible. As a result, future guests may seek experiences that push the boundaries of what is physically and mentally possible, such as space tourism, undersea hotels or deep underground retreats. In this sense, escapism in the future might be more immersive and multi-dimensional, involving not only new physical destinations but also mental and emotional experiences facilitated by advances in neuroscience or virtual reality, allowing individuals to craft deeply personalised retreats that cater to their psychological needs, as well as their physical desires. The challenge for future hospitality providers will be how to balance the advancement of technology with the enduring demand for authentic, human-centric service.
Forthcoming projects include the interiors for Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur
The Lana, Dubai.
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THE LOBBY
Hotel developers are a visionary crowd, seeing the beauty in everything from dilapidated warehouses to long-abandoned forts, bringing them back to life as memorable experiences for travellers and locals alike. In Hamburg – where adaptive reuse projects have played a key role in the growth of the city – real estate developer EHP has created a new hotel within a very different type of building – a historic bunker.
Constructed in 1942 on the orders of Adolf Hitler, the Flakturm IV bunker served as a defence against aerial attacks during the Second World War, and despite its turbulent past, still stands as a memorial to the victims of the Nazi regime. Now, the colossal concrete structure has been given a new lease of life, emerging as the 134-key Reverb by Hard Rock. Described as a vibrant hub for music fans to create and connect, the property is home to a 2,200-capacity music hall
and multiple F&B venues that play host to live bands and DJs, as well as affordable accommodation for artists and an outpost of the famed Rock Shop, selling music-inspired merchandise. In addition to an exhibition space that enables visitors to explore the history of the building, the transformation also considers the future, thanks to the development of a new public roof garden. Reached via a 560m-long ‘mountain path’ that scales the perimeter of the bunker, the rooftop is a place to relax amongst the greenery whilst taking in 360-degree views of the city. The project has been led by Phase 10 and Landscape Architecture+, who worked with Hilldegarden to create the new community space. With the help of environmental scientists, around 10,000m2 of green areas have been created, planted with a total of 4,700 shrubs and 16,000 perennials – making it a flagship project for climate adaptation in large cities.
Beautiful Bunker
Eclectic Environments
Since its inception, Mama Shelter has been synonymous with quirky interior design, be it through the incorporation of boldly patterned fabrics and graphics, or signature touches like a cartoon mask jauntily placed inside guestrooms. Now, the brand is offering the chance for guests to recreate the Mama feel at home, teaming up with La Redoute Interieurs to produce a limited edition furniture collection that blends its signature style with the French furnishing company’s timeless craftsmanship.
The range, developed by Mama Shelter’s Artistic Director Benjamin El Doghaïli in partnership with La Redoute Interieurs, features an array of pieces envisioned to add a touch of eccentricity to any space. “I present to you a collection that blends a true tribe of objects of all sizes for the home,” says El Doghaïli. “Designed in the same way I envision the Mama Shelters, it is eclectic, friendly and breaks away from
the norm. A surprising combination of shapes, materials and colours. The challenge is to blend eclecticism and coherence, just like at Mama.”
The collection includes armchairs, stools and uniquely shaped lighting, as well as soft furnishings such as cushions and rugs. “The stool has a neck elongated by rings and its ears are adorned with jewellery. The mirror resembles a sacred outfit for rituals in raffia. And the armchair is like a child’s drawing, outlined with giant piping,” El Doghaïli reveals. “The table is like a workbench around which you can eat, play and dream. The lamp is a friend from the East who discreetly lights us up.”
Much like Mama Shelter hotels, each piece brings a playful spirit to interiors. “The pièce de résistance is the Emmanuelle chair,” the designer concludes. “It is all about hearts, with a wax cushion featuring a pattern that recalls all the signature pieces of the collection.”
The Glorious Playground
Marking a century of glamorous gatherings and lively sporting pursuits, Gleneagles has released a book chronicling its past and looking ahead to its next 100 years. Published in partnership with Rizzoli, Gleneagles: Stories from the Glorious Playground explores the Scottish hotel’s extensive history, from high times to wartime. Written by James Collard with a foreword by HRH The Princess Royal, the celebratory volume features contributions from novellist Justine Picardie, and writer and broadcaster Tom English, as well as bespoke illustrations and archival photography of the hotel which, upon its opening in 1924, was dubbed the ‘Riviera of the Highlands’. “Gleneagles promised all the fun of a house party for those who might not have country houses of their own: a successful London or Glasgow entrepreneur, perhaps, or even a Hollywood power couple,” the tome reads. Its pages explore memorable moments from the past 100 years, ranging from a Christian Dior fashion show in the 1950s to hosting the G8 Summit in 2005, as well as insight into the hotel’s new vision under the custodianship of Sharan Pasricha and Eiesha Bharti Pasricha.
Built to Last
A new coastal development in Helsinki puts natural materials front-and-centre.
The use of natural materials in architecture and interior design is an increasingly prevalent way to maximise sustainability credentials, and a new venture on Helsinki’s coastline is taking this approach to the max. In line with the city’s target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2030, Katajanokan Laituri is a landmark building made entirely from solid wood.
Designed by Anttinen Oiva Architects, the newbuild forms part of an ambitious shoreline development, and cuts a unique figure in a district otherwise known for its Art Nouveau architecture. “The aim of transforming the Katajanokka shoreline is to create a lively urban space. With this project, we will be able to open the shoreline to the people of Helsinki,” says Deputy Mayor Anni Sinnemäki. “A building made of wood, that is durable and has as low a carbon footprint as possible, meets the city’s goals.”
Owned by Varma Mutual Pension Insurance
Company, the four-storey building is made from Finnish and Swedish timber, and combines pioneering architectural methods with more traditional materials – resulting in a structure made to last for the next 100 years.
The property, which houses new design hotel Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4, as well as the head office of forest industry firm Stora Enso – a supplier of the development’s solid wood loadbearing elements – has been envisioned with eco-friendly principles at its core. Solar panels feature alongside nature-inspired touches such as a multi-species green roof and a small birch tree forest growing in the hotel’s atrium. Inside, the wooden structure has been left visible where possible, complemented by the use of authentic raw materials. The 164-key hotel aims to be as sustainable in operation as in design, with renewable sources of energy used and a goal of carbon neutrality.
A group of friends combine their skills to create an Austrian chalet-style retreat, accessible only by cable car through the Alps.
In the Tyrolean Alps, a cable car transports guests from Ehrwald village, up Ehrwalder mountain to an elevation of 1,550m. The Zugspitze – the highest peak in Germany – is in one direction; the forest-covered trail to Austria’s Seebensee Lake, in the other. This slope has long appealed to cross-country skiers, hikers and bikers but now it has another draw too; Eriro, a nine-bedroom hotel that sits on the footprint of an old inn. The owners are a group of friends: Martin and Christina Spielmann, who run Hotel Spielmann in Ehrwald; timber specialist Andreas Mader; and the project’s design visionaries, Dominik and Amelie Posch, who also own La Posch, a collection of chalets in nearby Biberwier.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to buy this land,” explains Dominik, of the purchase in 2021. “We were lucky because a lot of investors were interested but the owner of the inn wanted to sell to locals.” It took two years for the necessary permits and plans to be approved, during which time Unikateur was tasked with developing a brand identity. “We began with an in-depth vision workshop, collaborating closely with the owner families to capture their core values and aspirations,” reveals Isabelle Spoor, founder of Unikateur. “From there, we developed a holistic brand and product concept, ensuring that each aspect –from architectural design to guest experience – reflected
the hotel’s authentic alpine roots. Our strategy ensured that every detail embodies the hotel’s ethos of originality and the connection to its natural surroundings.”
Tyrolean-based architect-designer Martin Gruber was also brought on board. “Martin wanted to create something different, not what you see everywhere, and that’s what we wanted too,” confirms Dominik. “We chose the same archaic materials that were used by past generations for mountain huts,” continues Gruber, of the spruce chalet-style structure, whose appearance will weather over time.
“When you’re building in the mountains you have to respect the rules: Adolf Loos, a 20thcentury Austrian architect wrote a paper that talked about having a roof with a deep overhang so people can shelter from the falling snow, and that’s something that we’ve incorporated here.”
Inside, the palette is deliberately simple: local stone, wood, sheep’s wool and hessian. “The main things we wanted to achieve were a contrast between soft and hard, a gentle
colour scheme and to bring nature inside,” says Amelie, who was a driving force behind the interiors. There’s no check-in as such; instead, guests enter into the ground-floor living area, furnished with a long black oak table, modular sofas by Living Divani, Little Petra chairs from &Tradition, and cosy off-white bouclé sheep wool rugs warming the stone underfoot. Much of the wood throughout – such as the hessianbacked lattice panels – is spruce, and comes from the owners’ forest nearby. “There are over 4,800 single splint lengths in the panels, each handmade and cut with a knife to give a rough shape,” reveals Amelie. “You can’t buy them like this, they are a one-off.”
The open-plan space unfolds into the restaurant beyond, where a patchwork of bouclé sheep’s wool squares covers the back wall and a row of spruce dining tables with curvedback seats are strategically positioned to face the sunset. Just as the design ethos is hyperlocal, so too is the food by German chef David Franken, who runs the zero-waste kitchen.
A study in contrasts between hard and soft, the interiors feature local stone, wood, sheep’s wool and hessian
There is no menu: one evening, guests might sit down to a family-style supper, another a sixcourse degustation feast – think starters such as a salad made from the last tomatoes of the season served with meadowsweet vinaigrette, and desserts like pine sorbet. “My food is so simple: it’s all about the products and the people behind them,” explains Franken, who is passionate about the importance of producer relationships, as well as pickling, foraging and cooking over flames. Future plans include a second restaurant, offering a small, traditional lunch menu for non-guests.
In the rooms – which range from the 40m2 Tree suites each with a private balcony furnished by Ethimo, to the 213m2 penthouse – lime-brushed walls and ceilings made from reclaimed wood once used in cowsheds set the scene. All face the southwest valley – apart from Rock, which looks out onto the Zugspitze – and have the same huge windows and homespun details, from plank bed bases and sheep’s wool bedheads to tree-trunk bathtubs. “We used a
WE create UNIQUE HOSPITALITY CONCEPTS
In a time that constantly strives for uniformity, the true art liesin living the unique identity that defines you. One-of-a-kind creations aren’t arbitrarily different; they are authentic. That’s where their strength lies.
www.unikateur.com info@unikateur.com
lot of glass because of the uniqueness of the panorama,” explains Gruber. “The light is an element that changes constantly, giving the space a dynamic appearance.”
Rocks collected by the owners’ children are threaded throughout as custom-made bedside lights, an installation in the stairwell and on a novel string pulley system outside each room door that lets housekeeping know if cleaning is needed. Equally original are the cocooning sheep wool walls in the corridors.
Each room also has a record player, boardgame and a booklet on identifying flora and fauna that tie in with the hotel’s programme of analogue activities that take place in a creative workshop next to the yoga studio, such as woodworking and pottery; the latter is taught by local ceramicist Stefanie Kappeler, who made some of the tableware for the restaurant. “Everyone has such busy lives so we wanted to offer something mindful,” says Amelie, citing meditative walks and breathwork as other examples. More active options include Nohrd gym equipment for those
who prefer indoor workouts, as well as guided cross-country running or skiing, and borrowing the hotel’s e-bikes and mountain bikes.
Equally rooted in nature is the sanctuary-like spa, where dried bunches of St John’s Wort, nettles and heather hang from the walls by the trio of pools, and treatments use oils made from herbs with medicinal properties that can be found nearby. There’s also a herbal sauna, sheep’s wool hammocks for a post-dip snooze and a quirky hay-lined room where guests can watch a looping reel of nature scenes while listening to music through headphones.
“I wanted to create a sense of calm, whether through sound in the spa or organic forms in the restaurant,” says Gruber. “Everything is very tactile; Dominik and Amelie were interested in processes, not just results and I think people can feel this.” Amelie concludes: “What was important was the handcrafted element so that the materials tell stories and guests see the work that’s gone into everything.” An underlying concept that is a huge success.
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Owners: Amelie and Dominik Posch, Christina and Martin Spielmann
Architecture: Andreas Gruber Architekten
Interior Design: Amelie and Dominik
Posch, Andreas Gruber Architekten
Brand Identity: Unikateur
Lighting Design: Perschl Lichttechnik
Landscaping: Karl Sailer, Amelie and Dominik Posch
Main Contractor: Mader www.eriro.at
Against apathy
Tres by Nani Marquina + Elisa Padrón
Transforming Sophisticated Design Into Elegant Reality
Chris Turner Procurement is proud to have delivered the FF&E and OS&E for the Hyde London City, seamlessly blending modern luxury with timeless aesthetics. Every piece, every detail, reflects our commitment to delivering spaces that stand the test of time.
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Photography by Heiko Prigge
LONDON CITY
A bohemian lifestyle brand makes its UK debut, combining Victorian heritage with artistic splendour.
Words: Catherine Martin Photography: Courtesy of Ennismore
Ennismore has quite the knack for creating dynamic F&B venues within its hotels, so it comes as little surprise that on a rainy Tuesday lunchtime, the modern Turkish restaurant at Hyde London City is buzzing. Pair that with Hyde’s history – beginning life as a Sunset Strip lounge that has since become a Los Angeles institution – and it makes for quite the compelling offer.
The newly opened hotel was in fact in planning long before Ennismore’s involvement, with application for conversion to hotel use dating back to 2013, before the project stalled. Revival came in the form of Alex Shamash, first-time hotelier and co-founder of OB Capital, along with the appointment of Studio Moren as lead on both architecture and interiors. Their task was to transform a Grade II-listed building into a luxury lifestyle hotel, working within strict planning and heritage regulations to deliver a memorable guest experience.
The building itself, located at 15 Old Bailey within the City of London bounds, is a majestic
landmark that stands out for its French Second Empire style, characterised by mansard roofs, elaborate mouldings and decorative columns. Designed by Edwyn Evans Cronk and completed in 1874, it was originally built as a hotel – the first in London with electric lighting – and served as a flagship for Spiers & Pond. But since 1900, the building has been used as offices, undergoing several refurbishments over the years, at times heavy-handedly so. So when it came to the current conversion, there was nothing remaining in the way of heritage features, meaning Studio Moren had a little more than a structural shell to work with.
Taking the lead on architecture and spaceplanning, Ed Murray, Associate at Studio Moren, sought to get the most out of the building, charting a journey through the ground-floor public areas and optimising the upper levels to reach the appropriate key count. “The floorplate was difficult in terms of space planning due to the structural columns,” explains Murray. “As a result, guestrooms are a mix of shapes and
sizes; we introduced solutions such as open bathrooms, to make them feel more spacious.”
Studio Moren has also been savvy in planning an extension to house additional guestrooms. “There was a lightwell at the rear of the building that we were able to redevelop in a sympathetic style,” reveals Murray. “Across the seven floors this results in an extra 21 keys, maximising returns for the client.”
For the interior design, the approach was to honour the era in which the hotel was built, reinstating features that might have been found in the original. “We wanted to celebrate the Victorian age and subtly bring back design details that were lost,” explains Tom Thorogood, Co-Head of Interiors at Studio Moren. “We embraced the challenge of incorporating the building’s rich history with the contemporary vibrancy of the Hyde lifestyle brand.”
In the 111 guestrooms, this equates to a strong and spirited aesthetic, rich in colour and texture with dark jewel tones and bold use of pattern. The two schemes are inspired by Victorian-age
discoveries and characterised by a Timorous Beasties wallcovering behind the headboard. The first references Charles Darwin and his seminal studies such as industrial melanism and the theory of evolution, told through a richly decorated wallpaper depicting a scene of tropical splendour. The second is an ode to the 1816 invention of the kaleidoscope, and features Timorous Beasties’ Totem Damask, showing a kaleidoscopic synthesis of arabesques, splatters and florals in inky blue. The Headliner Suites meanwhile, take the approach to the max, covering every wall in a House of Hackneydesigned wallpaper featuring leaves and palms – a scheme inspired by Marianne North, a Victorian biologist and botanical artist.
For all room types, the palette carries through to the en suite, where glazed tiling in coordinating shades lines the walls and floor; here, Studio Moren worked closely with Reed Harris to create bespoke tiles through the manufacturer’s colour-match service. Furniture is also bespoke, made by Montrose Hospitality
to Studio Moren’s design. There’s a beautifully crafted brass-trim desk and wraparound chair, as well as a matching bench seat that doubles as a shoe rack. Bedside tables follow the arched form of the headboard and are compact in size, just big enough to hold the essentials. Despite the rich walnut finish, there’s a lightness to the furniture that enhances the feeling of space; in most cases, the desk and bedside tables are wall-hung, and the bed is a frame rather than a divan, meaning luggage can be stored underneath. Bedside lighting is simple and intuitive too – an opal glass globe mounted on brass from Chelsom, part of a wider scheme devised by Elektra Lighting.
Further features of the design include bespoke carpets from Ulster, sanitaryware from Coalbrook and ironmongery by Häfele. All form part of a service provided by Chris Turner Procurement. Founder Chris Turner, together with Procurement Manager Francisco Hernández Olaya, managed every aspect of the FF&E and OS&E procurement process, from
budgeting and coordination to installation.
“We worked closely with Studio Moren to help bring the vision to life,” comments Turner.
“We are very proud of being able to keep the design integrity; we like to take a collaborative approach, so if there are elements that need to be value engineered, we work together to find a solution. For us, it’s not about purchasing the cheapest product, it’s about providing value.”
Across the guestrooms, there’s real quality in the finishes too; a showaround with Studio Moren reveals the elevated details, such as backlit grilles, bevelled edges on mirrors and fluted glass to partition the vanity. Classic Hyde touchpoints such as dressing gowns inspired by surf ponchos and sliders instead of slippers bring the brand to the fore. Playful touches are introduced too, seen in the illuminated eyes that take the place of the do not disturb signs, and in the public restrooms, designed around Victorian illusionism. Here, 3D-effect marble flooring and a rippled stainless steel ceiling with fibre optic lighting play tricks on the eye, as does the
cubicle wallcovering, which, when viewed in a certain way, reveals a face.
The details continue in the public spaces, cleverly planned to make use of the three entrances – one for the hotel, and one for each of the F&B venues. Victorian-era architectural detailing such as decorative cornicing, high skirting boards and timber flooring have been reintroduced, and design elements are used to differentiate between spaces. Via the main hotel entrance, guests arrive to a leather panelled check-in desk with timber top, which switches to marble as it extends through to the bar. The gantry overhead is also a continuous structure, dressed with plants in the lobby and bottles at the bar, and the change in flooring to patterned tiles further signifies a transition.
At Leydi, the Turkish restaurant that has already won a legion of fans, interiors take a different approach. The concept has been developed by Ennismore’s Carte Blanched and sees chef Selin Kiazim curate the menu in her first consultancy role. As an all-day dining
Turkish restaurant Leydi features Arabic-style archways and rattan booths beneath bespoke lighting by Chelsom
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offer, the cuisine brings a wide range of Middle Eastern flavours to the plate, from home-baked pide and generous meze to mangal-grilled meat served family-style. For the design, Studio Moren looked to the archives for inspiration.
“We discovered a book that chronicles a female traveller’s journey through the Middle East during Victorian times,” explains Thorogood.
“Using her photographic journal as a reference, we introduced Arabic-style archways, brass lighting and artworks that she might have collected on her travels.”
Set against a light and fresh palette of soft blush, the multifoil archways cut a striking figure, harmonising with the rattan booths and bentwood dining chairs. The central lighting feature is again by Chelsom, designed as a contemporary take on a traditional chandelier.
Down in the basement, Black Lacquer honours the Hyde brand’s club nights and is inspired in name and concept by vinyl records, its refined Japanese aesthetic informed by Tokyo’s ‘listening bars’. Setting the scene,
Venetian plaster walls in midnight blue create a moody ambiance, while crafted details celebrate a Japanese reverence for simplicity. High-level shelving houses a curated collection of records, and the bar is intentionally single level to encourage connection between mixologist and guest – a bonus when the art of cocktail making is this good. There’s a DJ booth and prime people-watching spots at the bar, or softly-lit alcoves for more intimate occasions.
Much like Leydi, Black Lacquer brings something new to this part of the city. As the first Hyde in the UK, the hotel sets a precedent for the brand, and for Studio Moren, it showcases design capabilities in the fast-growing lifestyle sector. “This project has been a gift in the way in which we have been able to embrace the building’s incredible history through our architecture and interior design,” concludes Murray. “Its transformation brings the property back to its original purpose, providing a positive contribution to the City of London and the wider hospitality sector.”
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BY SEBASTIAN HERKNER
BATHROOM
The Store
OXFORD
Reef Origin breathes new life into a former department store in the heart of a famed British university town.
Aplace of discovery and a treasure trove of toys, fashion and haberdashery. These are just some of the phrases used to describe Boswells, a much-loved department store in the British city of Oxford. Said to be one of the oldest of its kind, the family-owned business first began trading in 1738, specialising in the provision of luggage and trunks – clients included Captain Cook, who allegedly took the shop’s wares on his trips to the southern hemisphere. In 1912, entrepreneur Arthur Pearson took ownership, reopening Boswells as a department store and affirming its status as a beloved pillar of the city’s high street. Trading was successful for over a century, until Boswells was forced to close in 2020.
The site then caught the eye of developers Reef Origin, who entered into a joint venture with La Salle Investment Management and Oxford City Council to facilitate its purchase. With EQ Group brought on board, the property has now been transformed into a 101-key lifestyle hotel, aptly named The Store.
“It was very sad that Boswells was closing, and it was a difficult decision for the family,” says Eleanor Alexander, Partner at Reef Origin. “But we were able to ensure that the building would still be an asset for the people of Oxford and beyond. We see ourselves as custodians of a property that is so loved, taking it into a new era and giving it a new lease of life, yet still referencing and celebrating its past.” To this end, Boswells’ legacy remains – its original sign still takes pride of place on the façade, while black-and-white photography throughout the hotel offers insight into its former life.
“Imagining the stories that buildings would tell if they could speak” was key in developing The Store’s design language, reveals Alexander. Given its history, the ins and outs of department store shopping made up a large part of these imagined stories. “The question of why people love these shops was important to us,” she explains. “In its heyday, shoppers would have visited various different departments within Boswells, always finding something new. They
Interiors draw on the property’s heritage and include industrialstyle details such as Crittal windows, brass accents and matte black faucets by Lusso
would pop in for one thing and come out with five other items. There were lots of interesting wares and plenty of temptation. This is what we wanted to recreate with The Store.”
Reef Origin’s in-house design team UrbanR partnered with Isla James Interiors to bring The Store to life. The layered scheme of which Alexander speaks is most evident in the guestrooms, which draw on the site’s architectural heritage, and as a result are as varied as Boswells’ merchandise. “I love projects that are refurbishments or revitalisations, because the design cues are already there,” Alexander explains. “You can just work within the parameters they set.”
Boswell House is one of two buildings that make up the site – its civic-style architecture provided a useful template for designers, who have crafted monochromatic, neutral-toned interiors that mimic the existing language. Guestrooms are split into two categories: Heritage, where Crittal windows frame views of the city, and Art Deco, where punchy colours and bespoke artworks draw the eye. The second building, constructed in the 1910s, features rich red and orange tones that showcase Oxford’s older architectural traditions. Here, guestrooms draw on the spirit of a “Cotswolds boutique hotel”, according to Alexander, with an old-world British feel created through abundant patterns and textures. Bringing together old and new, the team has removed the existing fourth floors of both buildings,
adding two new levels. The result is one of contrast, with a dark ceramic exterior on one building, and zinc and brick on the other. Interiors meanwhile are modern and minimalist, with linens and simple stripes appearing throughout. Outdoor terraces have been added to three rooms on the very top floor, complete with furniture that allows guests to recline as they take in views of the Oxford cityscape.
The complexities of working within an existing building has resulted in a variety of room types, with the designers opting for a range of schemes. “We made it quite difficult for ourselves,” Alexander quips. “But it always comes back to that concept of discovery. The idea is that a guest could stay at The Store on several different occasions and have a different experience every time, much like visiting a department store.”
The legacy of Boswells continues in the public areas, including the open-plan lobby bar and lounge. Here, the large shopfront windows that run the length of the space have been optimised, opening the hotel up to the street to appeal to passers-by. “It entices you to come in, much like a shop,” Alexander explains. “We wanted to make it feel part of the streetscape.” Inside, bright blues and reds are paired with bold patterning, as well as a marble feature bar framed by gold-toned arches. Crittal screens divide up the ground floor, creating cosy nooks that include a fireside snug complete with plush red seating and low marble tables.
Also finding home on the ground floor is restaurant
Treadwell, named after the yard it was built on – coined ‘one of Oxford’s greatest nuisances’ in the 1800s, thanks to its debaucherous reputation and boisterous residents. “We were really fascinated by all the people on the censuses that used to live here,” Alexander reveals, noting that some of these characters – a fish hawker, shoe-maker, needlewoman and even a scavenger – appear on the restaurant’s menu. Now a far more refined destination, Treadwell serves up a range of classic British dishes with international twists – sausages and mash is paired with a Cajun-inspired gravy, and chicken pie is accompanied by gunpowder new potatoes and makhani jus.
At the building’s apex is a relaxed rooftop bar with a wraparound terrace, where the majority of the seats are oriented towards the view. “Oxford has an amazing landscape with spires and towers, but because of strict planning rules, it’s really inaccessible to the public,” says Alexander. “So we wanted to open up the skyline and make it accessible. The feelings of
wonder and joy that visitors might get from exploring a department store come through as guests ascend and uncover the beauty of the cityscape.” Beverages are suitably on-theme, alluding to what is arguably Oxford’s most famous output – academia. Tequila, mezcal and amaro are paired with pineapple juice, lime juice and agave syrup in ‘Modern Education’, while ‘Cambridge’, a nod to the city’s rival university town, is a new take on a Negroni, featuring blackberry, lemon thyme, anise and bay leaves.
The hotel’s focus, though, is undoubtedly on celebrating Oxford and all it has to offer. “If you are guided by the context the hotel sits within, you can’t go wrong. If somebody has chosen to come and stay in Oxford, they want to experience it,” Alexander concludes. “However the city doesn’t always hold tourists overnight – people come for the day and then leave, and they only just scratch the surface. The city has so many layers to peel back and discover, and we wanted to showcase that through the design of The Store.”
Interior Design: UrbanR, Isla James Interiors www.thestoreoxford.com
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91 Athens Riviera
ATHENS
Domes Resorts ventures into new territory with a luxury cabana concept that caters to the cosmopolitan explorer.
Extending south from the suburbs of Greece’s sprawling capital, the Athens Riviera has long been a draw for locals seeking a weekend escape from the crowds of the city. In its 1950s heyday, well-heeled travellers flocked to the coastal resorts of Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Sounio, where palm-fringed beaches and waterfront cafés were said to rival those of the South of France. Over the decades its popularity gradually waned, but more recent years have seen a revival, with developers snapping up land to create new residential communities, shopping districts and entertainment venues, in addition to world-class hotels. A number of international players have already planted flags along the coastline – and there’s more to come – though perhaps the most unique venture comes courtesy of Domes Resorts, a homegrown operator with a portfolio of hotels across Greece.
Taking the form of cabana beach club experience, 91 Athens Riviera is the brainchild of Grivalia Hospitality, a real estate group focused on luxury lifestyle assets across Greece. Its vision was to create a members’ club with facilities for both travellers and locals – an approach that ensures yearround revenue, even in the winter months when tourism is at its quietest. As such, the 45,000m2 site features eight tennis courts and a clubhouse, as well as a multi-zone sports centre with dedicated personal trainers, and a spacious spa incorporating treatment rooms, a hair and beauty salon, sauna, hammam and hydro pool. For the accommodation and F&B components, Grivalia Hospitality enlisted the expertise of Domes Resorts, which was attracted by the
Words: Catherine Martin • Photography: Courtesy of Domes Resorts
prospect of introducing something entirely different to the market. “We are immensely proud of this pioneering project, marking the first of its kind in the Mediterranean,” comments Dr George P. Spanos, CEO of Domes Resorts. “At Domes, we consistently strive to redefine luxury lifestyle hospitality experiences; 91 Athens Riviera stands as a milestone for our brand, epitomising our commitment to creating innovative projects that fuse five-star quality services with handpicked destinations.”
The decision to install individual cabanas rather than build a large, multi-use structure was driven in part by the location, which operated as a family campsite through the 1970s. “The owner’s approach was clear: to transcend conventional camping by embracing a glamping model, and create a vibrant membersonly beach club,” explains Spanos. “Guests enjoy time in nature with all the freedom of a luxury home, rooted in an active lifestyle.”
The 28 cabanas have been designed and fabricated by Lighthouse Sustainability, a
specialist in tensile structures, while interiors are by Chadios Architects. Each measures 43m2 and is shaped as a cocooning dome – a lowimpact solution that doesn’t detract from the landscape. “The vision was to offer an immersive outdoor experience that is both eco-centric and indulgent,” explains Amalia Stavropoulou, Interior Architect at Chadios Architects. “The resort was designed to harmoniously blend into its natural surroundings, creating an oasis of serenity and refinement for guests to enjoy the environment while having access to all the conveniences expected from a luxury stay.”
Accessed via meandering pathways lined with shrubbery and native grasses, the cabanas nestle amongst the landscape – some are shrouded in greenery and offer garden views, while others overlook a man-made lagoon. All come with a private deck from which to kick back and take in the scenery, and there’s even the option of a plunge pool for the ultimate luxury. “The approach was to honour the area’s natural heritage while creating a refined, forward-
Cabanas are fitted out to the same standard as any guestroom in the Domes portfolio, with soft furnishings by Vagenas, faucets by Graff and outdoor furniture by Janus et Cie
At all-day dining destination
Barbarossa, the terrace features lattice framework ceiling detail that effectively filters the sunlight
thinking destination that elevates the existing camping tradition to a new era of travel,” reveals Stavropoulou of the overarching ethos, though this didn’t come without its difficulties. “The challenge was to create a luxurious experience within the confines of a tent and its inherent limitations,” she continues, adding that the aim was to ensure guests don’t feel deprived of the amenities typically offered by a high-end hotel.
Interiors are therefore carefully planned to maximise space, and the quality of FF&E and fit-out matches that of any guestroom in the Domes portfolio. “Inside every cabana, we designed a central zone that houses all essential facilities, serving as both a functional hub and a natural divider,” Stavropoulou explains of the layout. This central zone combines the WC, shower and vanity, all neatly concealed behind the bedhead, with the remaining space being open plan and furnished with custom freestanding furniture pieces created in collaboration with Cassina. In line with the elevated camping approach, the cabanas are kitted out with all the mod-cons of a hotel room – from a Nespresso coffee machine and well-stocked mini-bar to a 50inch TV and Marshall speaker.
To enhance the connection between indoors and out, the palette comprises organic materials and natural tones. Wood, stone, ceramic tiles and ecofriendly composites make up the solid surfaces, while the colour palette for the soft furnishings draws inspiration from the land. “It features the rich reds and browns of the soil to reflect the earthy tones of the Athenian Riviera, and the vibrant green of the trees to offer a refreshing contrast, evoking the lushness of the natural surroundings,” notes Stavropoulou. “The soft beige of the sand completes the palette, echoing the serene beauty of the coastal setting. Together, these colours create a warm and harmonious atmosphere, inviting guests to embrace the tranquil surroundings of the resort.”
For the F&B offer, Grivalia Hospitality knew it would need a bold concept to draw a local crowd, and so brought in Barbarossa, the famed restaurant from Paros helmed by Chef Dimitris Nikolis. The venue operates as an all-day dining destination with beach and poolside service, offering Cycladic and Mediterranean cuisine that tastes as good as it looks. Interiors here aim to cultivate a laid-back yet
vibrant atmosphere, drawing from the timeless elegance that characterised the Athens Riviera in the 1970s. “A standout feature is the threedimensional wall adorned with terracotta-toned decorative bricks, strategically designed to draw visitors into a space brimming with intense sensory experiences,” says Stavropoulou. “To introduce an element of exclusivity, part of the central dining area is subtly sectioned off with curved wooden bookcases, creating a more private setting for special occasions.”
Considered spatial planning creates subtle zoning that caters to different moods and uses, resulting in a restaurant that is equally suited to a morning coffee as to a glitzy evening out. The bar area is distinguished by black and white herringbone flooring and eye-catching display shelves, while the terrace features lattice framework ceiling detail that effectively filters the sunlight. There are cosy corners for two and large communal tables, as well as casual lounge seating and semi-circular booths, with a seamless flow between spaces to enhance the
indoor-outdoor feel. The materiality follows the same style and quality of the cabanas, with natural wood, marble and terrazzo evoking a sense of authenticity, and once again forming a visual connection to the surroundings.
The opening of Barbarossa at 91 Athens Riviera is a notable milestone for Domes Resorts, further strengthening the group’s F&B portfolio following the 2023 launch of Makris – its first standalone fine-dining restaurant located in the centre of Athens. The cabana concept meanwhile is a major differentiator on this increasingly popular stretch of coast, and according to Spanos, there’s more to come. “It’s been a truly thrilling year for us, pushing boundaries and exploring new projects,” the CEO concludes. “This coming year, we’ll be launching our first Neema Fashion Hotel, as well as Domes Maison, an urban chic members’ club in Corfu. This expansion, along with our collaborations with various creative and lifestyle brands, keeps injecting fresh energy towards our mission to be destination ambassadors.”
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Owner / Developer: Grivalia Hospitality
Operator: Domes Resorts
Masterplan: ASPA KST
Architecture and Interior Design: Chadios Architects
Marcel Wanders crafts a whimsical design scheme inspired by Hungarian folklore for Kimpton’s debut in Budapest.
Words: Cara Rogers
Photography: Courtesy of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
The Hungarian legend of the Wondrous Stag speaks of two young royals who, as part of a hunting trip beyond their homeland, came across a white stag. In pursuing the animal, the brothers set off a chain of events that led to the founding of the Hungarian empire, so the story goes. It’s no surprise, then, that a large bronze depiction of the majestic animal takes centre stage in the lobby at the newly opened Kimpton Bem Budapest.
The stag forms part of a wider mythology-inspired design scheme by Marcel Wanders, who opted to honour national folklore for Kimpton’s debut in Budapest. “Hungary is not only a country, it’s a culture,” says Wanders, speaking on the eve of the hotel’s launch party. “Its people have their own style of storytelling, which can be felt in the design.”
Wanders was initially approached by Market Asset Management (MAM) about his potential involvement in the project. With longstanding personal ties to Budapest, and a portfolio that did not yet include a hotel project in the city, it was an appealing venture. Once officially on board, he set about immersing himself further into the Budapest way of life – speaking with locals, hearing stories, visiting libraries and reading works by Hungarian poets. The result, he says, is a design language that “goes beyond the cliché”.
“The city itself is a fusion of old-world charm and modern innovation, and Wanders was able to reflect this duality in his design,” says Henry Reeve, Director of Interior Design for IHG Hotels & Resorts, on the designer’s creative vision. “His whimsical, often theatrical style introduces a sense of
fantasy and luxury to the interiors. Elements of Hungarian craftsmanship and local motifs are intertwined with his signature aesthetic, creating plenty of details for the curious guest to discover.”
These motifs are noticeable even from the hotel’s exterior. Entry to the 127-key property is through a grand wrought iron gate inspired by Budapest’s Art Nouveau period, adorned with ornamentation depicting foliage and animals. Inside, the lobby sits beneath ornate coffered ceilings – the statue of the stag standing proud within a central glass atrium. True to Wanders’ signature style, an assortment of bold colours and patterns feature throughout the space – green furniture sits alongside bold yellow accents, and striped ombré rugs have been layered atop parquet flooring. Framing relaxed seating arrangements are sweeping arched niches, backed by dreamscapes of mountains, soaring hot air balloons and mystical allusions to astrology and the stars.
Two reception desks are equally striking, their
curved forms mirroring the coffered ceilings to soften the space. Each piece – custom-made by Sicis, whose pixel mosaics can also be seen in the public bathrooms – is clad in a charming floral mosaic of green, turquoise and purple.
Across public areas, the scheme takes guests on a fanciful journey characterised by Wanders’ trademark eccentricity. “I want guests feel different things in different spaces,” says the designer. “You have to surprise people.” Bar Huso, for example, is a stark contrast to the lobby; its interiors are inspired by the Danube – which flows just over the road from the hotel – with dark blue panelling that extends overhead, shimmering fish scale-style ceramic tiles lining the bar, and glass domes depicting aquatic scenes adorning the walls.
The bar is one of three F&B venues at the hotel, which also include signature restaurant Agos, located on the ground floor and spilling out onto the street. A bright space with an open kitchen and a long communal table at its centre, the Mediterranean-Hungarian dining
Marcel Wanders has introduced a sense of fantasy to the hotel’s interiors, drawing on local motifs and craftsmanship
spot features punchy design details, including towering mosaic-clad sculptural columns.
Up above is Fennen, a rooftop destination where a greenhouse-style bar features alongside relaxed outdoor seating. In keeping with planning regulations, the venue is concealed from sight when viewed from street level, ensuring the 19th–century mansion’s façade remains as intended.
The building’s transformation, led by 3H Architects, had long been a talking point in the local community. Originally built by the Hapsburgs in the late 1800s, its long life has seen it function as a military hospital during World War One, Gestapo headquarters throughout World War Two, and later a primary school. Given its chequered history and significance to the local community, careful handling of the site was paramount. The façade facing the historic Bem Square was listed and therefore had to be preserved, while everything behind was demolished – five floors were added above ground, and three below. The process
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was further complicated by the irregularity of a building constructed in a bygone era, with variations such as the thickness of walls across the property making it difficult to accurately measure corridors and rooms.
The result was the creation of around 40 different floorplans, characterised by varied colour palettes of either green or blue, and furniture pieces from Moooi, which Wanders cofounded in 2001. Standout details in guestrooms include headboards and wallpaper depicting lush foliage and blooming plants in the green rooms, and lively waters and exotic sea creatures in the blue. Bathrooms remain on-theme, mirroring the same hues as the bedroom; each is kitted out with shapely sanitaryware from Laufen, designed in collaboration with Wanders.
While some guestrooms have views out to the Danube, inward-facing options look onto a tranquil courtyard. Here, balconies – furnished with Piapolo stools by Fermob –feature gold-toned balustrades with intricate cut-out illustrations inspired by Hungarian Art
Nouveau. The landscaped setting has been filled with greenery, a gazebo and a large statue of the Turul bird, a sacral creature of Hungarian mythology. It’s from this space that gentle piano music plays in the morning, serving as a harmonious start to the day.
“Like every Kimpton, the property is wholly unique. Wanders’ playful style has introduced a layer that is the perfect addition to our brand signatures,” concludes IHG’s Reeve, referring to the likes of an evening social hour, as well as a handy ‘Forget It? We’ve Got It!’ programme that ensures guests are kitted out with everything they need for the duration of their stay.
Other amenities take the form of a range of events spaces, including a ballroom accommodating up to 120 guests, and a bold allred meeting room. Wellness spaces meanwhile include a fitness centre, as well as a hot tub and steam room, where mosaics resemble those of the city’s Király thermal baths. Perfect for a hotel where the smallest of details pay homage to its location.
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Deos MYKONOS
Myconian Collection’s home-grown hospitality offer expands, with Galal Mahmoud creating a Cycladic resort that inspires feelings of awe.
The story of the Daktylides family, founders of Myconian Collection, is the very definition of a ‘mom-and-pop’ hotel business. Husband and wife George and Eleftheria Daktylides built their first four hotels on Mykonos – Kohili, Korali, Kyma and Kalypso – from scratch whilst also raising the four sons who have now taken over the business. According to family legend, the original plan was for George to bequeath each of his sons a hotel when he retired. But it continued to expand well beyond that original ambition, and the family acquired land for future projects as Mykonos has grown in stature and appeal. More hotels soon followed: the Royal in 2000, the Imperial in 2002, the Villa Collection in 2012, Utopia in 2013 and Avaton in 2014. More recent additions include its first beachfront property, Myconian O on Ornos Bay, and Panoptis, a collection of private villas overlooking Elia Beach. The group now stands at 14 properties in total, all located on Mykonos.
Its latest hotel, Deos, feels like something of a homecoming, its design influenced by the traditional villages that existed long before Mykonos became an international jetset destination, yet offering all the amenities its present-day visitors expect.
Deos translates as ‘awe’ in Greek, and the location is certainly awe-inspiring, occupying an enviable position atop a hill overlooking the old town of Mykonos, its famed windmills and the original harbour. It also promises a tranquil and elevated escape from the crowds and cruise ship passengers who increasingly pack the narrow streets of the town below and the surrounding beaches. Despite its slightly secluded location, the bustling heart of Mykonos town is less than a ten minute stroll down a steep public path renovated by the Daktylides family to offer locals as well as hotel guests quicker access to the harbourfront promenade below.
Long term collaborator Galal Mahmoud of GM Architects was enlisted to oversee
masterplanning, architecture and design. The studio has responded to the challenging topography of the site with what Mahmoud describes as “a carefully staged choreography of all aspects of the luxury guest experience,” in a project he hopes will set a new benchmark for the Aegean.
“The multi-sensorial experience is everywhere – from around the pool area facing the magnificent Aegean Sea and its magical sunsets, the village-like walkways and piazzas guiding guests to their suites, to the fully private suite-only accommodations with their large terraces and private pools. The project draws its language from modern Cycladic architecture and is seamlessly carried throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces. Locally sourced and carefully crafted finishes and furniture provides a much looked for sense of place.”
And if guests are in any doubt as to where they are, they need only look out to the horizon. The hotel’s architecture has been carefully positioned on the vertiginous hillside to give
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guests a feeling of floating weightlessly between sea and sky, complete with spectacular views across to the neighbouring islands of Delos, Syros and Tinos. The 60 rooms, each adorned with private terraces, hot tubs or pools, are delicately inserted, cascading down the hillside.
“If Deos has an ethos, it is to merge inner and outer spaces holistically,” say GM Architects. “The architecture has artfully established conditions for flow. We followed an approach that is more about the experience of every guest living both inside and outside the property. A contemporary Cycladic line intimately follows the landscape and enhances its connection with accents such as the rustic walls made from rocks quarried on site, the generous planting of indigenous flora, or scenic apertures that selectively frame the view.”
Restaurant and bar Epico – which is situated by the property’s saltwater infinity pool – offers sophisticated interpretations of traditional Greek dishes using locally sourced ingredients. The family’s roots within the island community
have allowed them to cultivate relationships with local farmers and fishermen, as well as growing much of their own produce organically.
Further down the cliff, nestled into the hillside, the hotel’s spacious Sana spa and adjacent fitness centre includes a marble-clad indoor pool lined with suspended, lozengeshaped architectural features breaking up the space. It all feels intimate and exclusive, the discrete clustering of low-rise white stucco buildings that comprise the public areas lending it the feel of a Cycladic village.
Guestrooms are simple yet tastefully furnished with subtle touches that elevate them from austere minimalism, such as decorative wall murals, bespoke rattan furnishings and paintings from local artists. Wave-like ceiling features – timber in the restaurant and flowing white fabric in the lobby – enhance the connection of the hotel to the sea. Deos is a hotel at one with its surroundings, deeply rooted in the landscape of the island from which it has sprung.
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Operator: Myconian Collection
Architecture and Interior Design: GM Architects www.myconiancollection.gr
The Brecon
ADELBODEN
An ‘accidental hotelier’ enlists Amsterdam-based Nicemakers to transform a Swiss chalet into a homely hideaway with Mid-Century moments.
At the turn of the 20th century, it seemed likely that Adelboden, a pretty village 1,350 metres up in the Bernese Oberland, would be the bright future of Alpine tourism. After all, in 1903, Sir Henry Lunn – a man who would eventually go on to establish the Lunn Poly travel agency – brought a group of British travellers there on the first-ever ski package holiday, tackling the slopes dressed in tweed. Hotels opened to cater for the new demand, with salutary English names such as The Bristol and The Victoria. In 1931, local hoteliers combined their resources to open an Art Deco-style, Olympic-sized swimming pool to draw in summer visitors to the area; it became a symbol for the village immortalised in travel posters of the time, its surface reflecting a beaming sun.
After the war, however, Alpine tourism in Adelboden began to decline; over the decades, many of its hotels closed and were demolished. Its slopes continued to host the annual Giant Slalom World Cup race and were popular with Swiss skiers, but hotel rooms had dropped from a pre-war peak of more than 5,000 to a number in the hundreds. In 2011, Welsh brothers Grant and Craig Maunder acquired a locallyowned hotel, initially intending it to be a passive investment. But having been charmed by the world of hospitality, the self-confessed accidental hoteliers rebooted the three-star property as The Cambrian. A spa was added, along with
an infinity pool offering views over the mountains and Engstligen waterfalls, and the interiors were overlaid with a fresh design by the Dutch-based Studio Jeroen Wand – oak veneer all around and scatterings of furniture and lighting by Punt Mobles, B&B Italia and DWC Editions.
Earlier this year, Grant unveiled his second hotel in Adelboden which, like his first, is built on the bones of a pre-existing structure – namely the 1980s Hotel Huldi, a classic, timber-clad chalet with balconies – although this time, the building was completely gutted. And like The Cambrian, he turned to the Netherlands to design its interiors, appointing Amsterdam-based studio Nicemakers, founded by Joyce Urbanus and Dax Roll. “I’d stayed at The Hoxton, Amsterdam, which they designed, and had really liked its look,” says Maunder. “Their Head of Design, Lotti Lorenzetti, previously worked at Soho House Group. I felt that from a design perspective, doing something that felt quite clubby and Mid-Century would work really well here.”
As with The Cambrian, Maunder was keen to avoid the usual ski-hotel clichés of wraparound pine panels and vintage skis mounted on the walls. “We also wanted to avoid yet another clean, minimal Swiss hotel,” notes Lorenzetti. “The client was set on the idea of creating a place that could be rented exclusively by a group of friends and treated like a high-end version of a home. The mix of patterns and details
are intended to imitate a collection that has gradually been added to over the years – far from the Swiss aesthetic of clean minimalism.”
Guests enter through an unassuming revolving door, the significance of which requires an intimate knowledge of 1970s comedy to decode. Maunders was inspired by a scene in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), in which Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau is befuddled by the revolving door at The Palace Hotel in Gstaad. Carved on the four wings of the door at The Brecon are fork handles, a reference to a famous TV sketch set in a hardware store by British comedy duo The Two Ronnies, wherein the phrase ‘four candles’ is mistaken for ‘fork handles’. International guests may be forgiven for not immediately recognising the references.
Walking through the revolving doors takes guests straight into the main living space, with the reception desk straight ahead, the open kitchen and breakfast area through a tiled arch on the left, and a lounge bar blurring into the main restaurant to the right. There’s an
immediate sense of relaxed informality, with a variety of sofas and armchairs to sink into and a fireplace for winter warmth, as well as unusual objects and artworks to examine more closely. Tactile surfaces are prevalent throughout, from embroidery, sheepskin and bouclé fabrics to deep pile rugs by Ege. Natural materials also play a role in the palette with a wood-panelled ceiling above and slate flooring underfoot, which continues from the small terrace outside into the main space and even into the lift.
“Bearing in mind the cost of products and services in Switzerland, we had to be very selective when it came to having items made locally,” explains Lorenzetti. “We decided early on to use family-owned carpentry company Burn, which the owner had worked with previously. They created the wooden ceiling, as well as all the panels and doors. We visited the old hotel before anything had been demolished and spotted some details that we liked and wanted to reinstate, such as the textured plaster and red mosaic tiles in the stairwell. We also wanted to
The main living space is furnished with emerald bouclé sofas, marble coffee tables and sheepskin rugs
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Texture features throughout the interiors, from the wood-panelled ceiling to the ‘crazy’ slate paving underfoot
use the flagstone to give the impression that the outdoor flooring extends inwards, and used it to clad the whole ground-floor façade to create a stronger base for the building.” Maunders refers to the slate as “crazy paving” and asked a friend from Wales to install it: “The Swiss don’t really do crazy paving,” he confides. It’s a nod to his homeland, as are the woollen blankets in the guestrooms, woven by small Pembrokeshire mill Melin Tregwynt.
“Working with the owner was one of the most enjoyable parts of the project,” says Lorenzetti. “The whole process felt very personal and different to our usual hotel projects.” All of the tableware in The Brecon for example, was crafted by Maunder’s wife Andrea in her studio in Wales, working from a colour palette given to her by Nicemakers and then driven over to Switzerland by truck.
Sourcing vintage objects is a strongpoint of Nicemakers, and the team scoured markets in Italy, the Netherlands and France to find the reception desk and spindle chairs, as well as the brown leather armchairs in the living space. A hanging pendant in a corner nook was made from seaweed paper in Wales; larger overhead fabric pendants are by a French brand Memori, which works ethically with local artisans. A yellow sofa is from Artilleriet, another from Belgian-based Ethnicraft; and a jute rug was crafted by Nordic Knots. Many furniture pieces,
including bookshelves and modular tables designed to slot into each other, were envisioned by Nicemakers and made in Portugal. The reupholstered dining chairs are survivors from the original Hotel Huldi.
The art, meanwhile, is curated by Julien Rademaker from Bisou Gallery Amsterdam, who collaborated closely with the design team. The collection for The Brecon is inspired by nature and craft to match the warm, robust style of the interiors, ranging from brutalist wooden sculptures by Dutch artist Faan Olgers to delicate textiles by Mae Engelgeer, along with original paintings and prints by Steven van Lummel, Simona Frigerio, who specialises in deconstructed animal paintings, and Welsh woodcut artist David Robertson.
Downstairs, a former nightclub has been transformed into the less raucous boot room for winter sports. A corridor on the first floor leads to a small spa and relaxation area – where an original fireplace that was in the lobby has been set – then out to a plunge pool and terrace
where aperitivo is often served under the cover of parasols by Glatz.
Set across five floors, the guestrooms continue the careful attention to detail with bold prints, vintage finds and framed prints, along with bathrooms featuring Zucchetti taps and pink terracotta tiles – retro without feeling cliché. Highlights include the double-aspect Waterfall Corner rooms, and Mountain, a mezzanine loft suite with wooden stairs leading up to the second bedroom.
“We tried to give the rooms the feeling of being ‘collected’ rather than manufactured,” explains Lorenzetti. “So we had to stop ourselves from making sure everything matched. After all, the brief was to create spaces that felt like bedrooms in a domestic household, and you wouldn’t buy everything from the same shop for that. It pushed us to think about this project differently, and showed that hotels don’t have to apply a cookie-cutter formula. We hope to be able to work on more hotels with this ethos and mentality in the future.”
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Owner: Grant Maunder
Affiliation: The Aficionados Interior Design: Nicemakers Art Consultant: Julien Rademaker www.thebrecon.com
Argini
SYROS
A 19th-century mansion, once home to a Greek revolutionary, has been transformed into a boutique hotel that blends historic grandeur with modern luxury.
Words: Matt Turner • Photography: Courtesy of Argini Syros
Less well known internationally than its neighbour Mykonos, Syros is home to Hermoupolis, the capital of the Cyclades, and was once one of Greece’s most vibrant and industrious trading ports. Founded during the 1820s, as the war for Greece’s independence from Ottoman rule raged, Hermoupolis emerged as an extension of the earlier Venetian hilltop settlement of Ano Syros to accommodate refugees fleeing other Greek islands – Chios, Psara, Crete and beyond.
The town soon established itself as a leading maritime hub between Europe and the East. Most notably it was the shipbuilding powerhouse of the Greek economy, its yards building and repairing thousands of vessels. Wealthy shipowners and industralists began to build themselves mansion houses in Vaporia – an aristocratic enclave overlooking the port named after the Greek word for ‘steamships’. One of these beautiful mansions, originally built in 1853 by prominent businessman Grigorios Paikos, a noted member of the Filiki Eteria ‘secret society’ that opposed Ottoman rule, now houses Hermoupolis’ latest luxury hotel Argini, following an extensive renovation by its new owners, the Polykretis family.
As with many of the grand public buildings in central Hermoupolis, such as the Town Hall and Apollo Theatre in central Miaouli Square, Paikos built his home in a grand Neoclassical style, employing Venetian painters to decorate its walls and ceilings with lush, ornate artworks. Following Paikos’ death in 1879, the house passed through the hands of various prominent families through the 20th century, gradually falling into disrepair. Today, Maria Polykretis
explains how her father Yiannis Polykretis was born and raised in the building next door, returning to his home island following a successful business career spanning civil engineering to seismology, to acquire the building that now houses Argini.
The resulting hotel offers a series of beautifully renovated guestrooms alongside a ground-floor lobby, lounges and courtyard restaurant, basement hammam and outdoor rooftop pool bar. It takes its name from a celebrated collector of ancient Greek art – Argini Belaki Salvago, sister of Antonios Benaki who founded his eponymous museum in Athens in 1931.
The project has been a seven-year, hands-on labour of love for the family. Its public areas retain a sense of grandeur in their Neoclassical proportions and delicately restored architectural features. Contemporary furnishings from the likes of Poltrona Frau, Gessi, Artemide and Flos have been introduced to create a hotel that blends 19th-century heritage with the trappings of modern luxury. Original elements such as double-leaf hardwood doors, 1.2m-thick stone masonry and a grand marble staircase have been meticulously restored under the watchful eye of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
The vaulted archways of the basement now accommodate a wellness area with a hammam and indoor plunge pool overseen by a classical marble sculpture. The rooftop Under The Sky bar meanwhile, offers impressive views of the Venetian settlement of Ano Syros in one direction, the Aegean Sea in the other.
The intervening floors house a series of 11 stunning suites,
each individually decorated, many with original ceiling and wall frescoes carefully repaired by Cleopatra Tsourakis. The original ballroom is now the signature 44m2 Masterpiece Suite, its Renaissance-style ceiling artwork depicting heroes from Greek history, both ancient and modern. Arched French windows and a private balcony overlook the magnificent façade of the Agios Nikolaos Church. Lighting by Artemide was purposefully selected to illuminate the ceiling and landscape paintings on the walls whilst protecting them from high temperatures. Bathrooms are clad in striking Covelano Macchia Vecchia marble, and feature luxurious underfloor heating, walk-in rainshowers and a freestanding bathtub.
Other rooms are named after notable architects and builders who helped create Hermoupolis. Ernst Ziller – architect of the city hall and many other significant royal and municipal buildings across Greece – combines Silver Portoro and Hermes marble, oakwood flooring and Gessi bathroom fittings with Buster + Punch lighting.
The P.Sampo room, an homage to the architect of the town’s Apollo Theatre, blends original exposed stone walls with the elegantly grooved lines of its bedside furnishings. The G.Paikos suite, named in honour of the building’s original owner, features further frescoes and a double balcony. Another room dedicated to master builder Aristidis Vidalis features a striking central light by Italian firm Tooy.
The restaurant, Elexis, is a collaboration with Athens-based Trastelis Group. Breakfast features local specialities such as strapatsata and spanakopita, with homemade honeys and conserves, while the dinner menu, created by Head Chef Nikos Stamatis, blends cosmopolitan culinary flair with authentic Greek flavours.
Syros is increasingly on the radar of sophisticated travellers seeking alternatives to the better-known islands, and only a short ferry ride away from Mykonos, where many international airlines now fly directly to its new airport. Argini gives them another reason to visit its richly storied capital.
DESIGN DETAILS
SUITE
Bab Al Shams
Embodying tradition through contemporary architecture is not always the simplest of feats, yet such was the challenge faced by Anarchitect in the creation of eight new villas at Bab Al Shams in the United Arab Emirates. Tasked by Kerzner International to develop “a contemporary yet authentic experience”, the design team set about encapsulating the essence of desert living, drawing on the traditions of the Bedouin who have historically inhabited the region.
“Our vision was deeply informed by the Bedouin lifestyle, particularly their close relationship with the desert environment,” reveals Jonathan Ashmore, Founding Principal of Anarchitect. “The concept draws on the Bedouin tent’s circular form, which fosters a sense of unity with the landscape, reinterpreting it as a permanent and immersive space. The divergence from traditional orthogonal forms was a
deliberate choice to offer guests a more fluid experience between the built environment and the natural world. We wanted the architecture to engage with the landscape on a deeper level, ensuring the suites feel part of the desert itself.”
As such, the design of the villas highlights the surroundings, framed by expansive windows and a sky oculus. “The windows reflect the Bedouin’s relationship with natural light and ventilation, with a refined, contemporary edge,” Ashmore explains. The architecture, alongside interiors by Delfina Design, draw on raw, natural materials that blend with the desert terrain and honour the simplicity of Bedouin dwellings.
“Our aim was to create a vision that feels rooted in tradition while embracing modern hospitality standards,” Ashmore concludes. “This ensures that the design itself speaks to both the past and future of desert living.”
LOCATION REPORT TOKYO
With Japan’s tourism back to prepandemic levels, its capital is a hotspot for home-grown and international hospitality alike.
Words: Cara Rogers
Japan’s bustling capital has no shortage of attractions, from ancient temples telling tales of times gone-by, to ultra-modern skyscrapers that point to advancement and innovation. A long history has seen the city evolve from a small fishing village into one of the most-visited cities in Asia, with leisure and business travellers coming from near and far to experience all it has to offer.
Tokyo’s hospitality offer is diverse too, spanning large-scale urban resorts to traditional ryokans. The greatest impact came from its hosting of the 2020 Summer Olymics, held in 2021 owing to the pandemic. Though a closed-door competition, the event was accompanied by a significant uplift in new openings. STR reports that “because the pandemic pushed back development timelines and caused a high volume of temporary room closures in 2020, Tokyo’s year-overyear hotel supply increase was 19.4% in May 2021”.
The city’s tourism mirrors that of the country as a whole, whereby destinations including Kyoto, Osaka and the legendary Mount Fuji are keen sites of interest. It’s little wonder then, that STR reported in May 2024 that “Japan’s growth in RevPAR has remained extremely impressive over the past 15 months – a function of a later opening post-pandemic, aboveaverage inflation, and an influx of international demand”. For the country as a whole, data from CoStar shows an impressive RevPAR increase of 64.9% between 2022 and 2023, while preliminary findings for H1 2024 show a 21.1% uplift.
Honing in on Tokyo, the numbers are even greater, with a year-on-year RevPAR growth of 102.7% for full-year 2023. Though the steep increase can be explained by the lifting of strict border and quarantine measures in April 2023, which kickstarted the country’s tourism.
In addition to the projects featured in this report, a host of new openings in Tokyo are only affirming the city’s appeal. Many of the big players are making their mark on the city. Earlier this year, Pan Pacific Hotels
Group opened Bellustar Tokyo and Hotel Groove Shinjuku, for instance. At the time of opening, Marcel Holman, the group’s Vice President of Operations for Japan, Indonesia and China, commented: “With the Japanese tourism industry rebounding in recent months following the relaxation of pandemic restrictions, with over 1 million arrivals in February this year, it is an exciting time for Pan Pacific Hotels Group as we expand our footprint in Japan.”
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts also made its debut in Tokyo, enlisting Milan-based Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel to design a hotel that fuses the spirit of the brand’s hometown with Tokyo’s heritage. Other recent openings include Hotel Toranomon Hills, envisioned by Space Copenhagen as the city’s first Unbound Collection property from Hyatt.
As for future development, the latest data from THP reveals that Japan is one of the top markets for new hotel development in Asia Pacific, ranking eighth behind larger countries such as China, India and Australia. In total, the country has 62 projects listed in the database, amounting to 14,431 new rooms. As the largest city and business hub, Tokyo leads the way as the most active destination with 8 projects (1,483 rooms) in the pipeline, followed by Osaka and Kyoto. Forthcoming openings in Tokyo include the debut of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, currently slated for 2028 and forming part of the redevelopment of the city’s World Trade Center.
The first JW Marriott-branded hotel meanwhile is set to open its doors in 2025, brought to life by Yabu Pushelberg. Located in the city’s heart, the hotel will be a key component of JR East’s redevelopment of the former JR Shinagawa Depot Railway Yard, which will span four blocks and is expected to become Tokyo’s newest international township.
Though catalysts such as the Olympic Games are in the rearview, the city is continuing to build on the momentum it gained, affirming its presence in the international hospitality landscape.
Janu
TOKYO
Janu’s debut unfolds in a dynamic series of spaces layered with colour, texture and pattern that reference both European decorative traditions and Japan’s cultural tapestry.
One of the most anticipated brand launches in recent years, Janu’s inaugural property in the Japanese capital has been painstakingly crafted by stellar design talents and artists. Set in the new Tokyo neighbourhood of Azabudai Hills – characterised by upscale residences, galleries, boutique stores and abundant green pockets – it is the younger sibling to Aman, and marks a move into new territory for the group. Plans for the brand were announced in 2020, with Chairman and CEO Vlad Doronin seeking to redefine hospitality with a proposition of human interaction, playful expression and social wellness. Certainly, the urban village of Azabudai Hills – with elegant architecture by Pelli Clarke & Partners and 24,000m2 of landscaping by Thomas Heatherwick – creates the perfect stage for a hotel promising to initiate socialising, movement and discovery.
Denniston’s founder Jean-Michel Gathy is responsible for the interior design. Describing the hotel’s DNA, he says it “exudes a youthful energy, brimming with liveliness and playfulness”, with the spaces conceived as a “thrilling exploration” to “awaken the senses and ignite the imagination”. In developing this vision, both European influences and Japan’s cultural riches play their part.
From the outset, this worldly approach becomes clear in the public entrance gallery, with its classic moulded wall panelling reminiscent of European interiors, and an arched woven rope ceiling taking its inspiration from the Japanese
technique of shimenawa. A monumental granite welcome desk on which a bonsai rests is framed by a glass-protected panel containing a 17 th-century etching of a romantic European landscape, in graphic form. Guests ascend to the fifth floor for the main hotel lobby, passing a couple of specially commissioned art pieces along the way; of note are the striking blue stone-like sculptures by Sakuho Ito actually made from rusted, handcrafted washi paper.
With a bird’s eye view of Tokyo Tower, the busy lobby opens into the Janu Lounge & Garden Terrace, with tea drinkers perched beneath oversized demi-lanterns, one half real, the other a clever reflection made by the mirrored panelling. The lounge is one of eight dining venues across the destination, each with its own distinctive character. Denniston’s Senior Interior Designer David Schoonbroodt notes: “Instead of isolating restaurants within their own world, the challenge was to merge the F&B spaces so they are a continuity of public areas, yet still retain their own strong identity.”
Transporting the idea of an Italian food market to Tokyo, Janu Mercato has a reproduction of an olive tree as its centrepiece, with three open kitchens bringing the theatre from behind Calacatta Oro marble counters. Bathed in natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, there is a clear connection to the Azabudai Hills community beyond, not least from the the outdoor terrace, furnished with Fermob’s iconic
European influences and Japan’s cultural riches play a part in the design scheme across public spaces and guestrooms
Luxembourg collection, initially designed for Paris’ Jardin du Luxembourg. Spilling through into the adjacent Janu Patisserie, blonde oak flooring plays opposite an oversized lighting feature overhead that also nods to the Japanese tradition of washi. Bringing to mind knife scores in pastry, Toshiichi Suzuki’s ceramic feature wall catches the light and adds another layer to the design alongside the striated pink marble. Turning to Japan’s Edomae tradition, sushi, sashimi and other small plate specialties are served in Iigura. Intimate in size to showcase the skills of the chefs, the omakase venue conveys its craftsmanship through geometric Kumiko screens and hinoki counters, surrounded by timber cladding. Just by its entrance, Japanese artist Yohei Imamura displays his silkscreen printing talent in an eye-catching shade of blue, reflected in Ito’s art pieces too.
Chinese cuisine can also be sampled at Janu Tokyo, in the popular Hu Jing with its red lacquer and woven rattan walls, bamboo detailing, suspended lanterns and Shanghai
brick feature walls. Artworks here range from Fong Min Liao’s abstract paintings to Luca Brandi’s vibrant acrylic on canvas, alongside Marion Borgelt’s three-dimensional circular sculptures in red, orange and black to be symbolic of Chinese culture. Foodies are spoilt for choice, with culinary options additionally available at Janu Grill, with its industrial blackened steel bar, and speakeasy-style restaurant Sumi, where 13 guests are seated beneath a riveted copper hood for a live grill experience. Cocktail lovers meanwhile should head to Janu Bar, where skilled mixologists pour drinks amid towering display shelves of liquor bottles and sake containers.
The duality of Asian and European design influences can be detected in the 122 spacious guestrooms and suites too, notably through the wall feature that is based on a traditional Japanese adobe technique, yet here given a contemporary reimagining. A neutral and earthy colour palette brings a sense of lightness and calm to the accommodation – a quiet minimalist
quality; but on closer inspection, small surprises are in store. The fabric light shades by beds look simple enough, for example, yet when lit, they reveal an ornate vintage French bell shade within. Large walk-in wardrobes are matched by equally generous bathrooms with deep soaking tubs separated by partition screens that could both reflect a Japanese architectural style or the glass panelling of a Parisian atelier. Denniston worked with The Flaming Beacon studio on pre-programmed lighting schemes for these partition features.
As a hotel devoted to the idea of modern wellbeing, whether individually or through shared social experiences, the 4,000m 2 Wellness Centre certainly sets Janu Tokyo apart. Glistening hydrotherapy and thermal areas are a delight, flooded with light, paved in smooth polished stone and crisp stainless steel, and given their own identity through a central cascading art installation by Naoto Kashiwagi. Called Leaves & Seeds, it playfully flutters to mimic the effect of falling leaves into water.
Other works here by the Japanese visual artist celebrate the sun and moon in circular wall art pieces. The impressive Wellness Centre is also home to active spaces, including movement studios and a gym, as well as the first boxing ring to be installed in one of the city’s hotels. For those who prefer hands-on wellbeing, the Janu Spa includes seven treatment rooms and, perhaps most indulgently, two standalone private Spa Houses, complete with their own hot and cold plunge pools and therapeutic areas. They are distinctive touches in a hospitality destination that pulls out all the stops to inspire and connect.
Reflecting on the arrival of Aman Group’s younger sibling in Tokyo, Schoonbroodt concludes: “Playfulness is where Janu diverges from its big sister. With a vibrant social and lifestyle, F&B portfolio and large spa, it’s the place to be. Janu represents an evolving interior design in which cultures are more and more interlaced, for a youthful mixture that heads into new realms.”
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Owner: Aman Group, Mori Building Co
Operator: Janu
Architecture: Pelli Clarke & Partners
Interior Design: Denniston
Book Curation: Ultimate Library www.janu.com
Trunk (Hotel)
YOYOGI PARK
A dialogue between Japanese and Scandinavian designers delivers ‘Japandi’ minimalism in the Tokyo neighbourhood of Tomigaya.
The vibrant green canopy formed by Yoyogi Park’s majestic trees feels within touching distance of the guest balconies at Trunk’s third property, located a short walk away from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya, where the group’s founder and CEO Yoshitaka Nojiri grew up. Having made his mark with the original Trunk (Hotel) in 2017, followed by the one-suite Trunk (House) in 2019, the entrepreneur is now pushing ahead with ambitious plans to open 26 new properties by 2030, beginning with Trunk (Hotel) Yoyogi Park.
Much like others in the portfolio, this latest venture perfectly embodies Nojiri’s vision of creating immersive boutique hotels that are deeply embedded in their community, each embodying a local spirit for a true sense of place. At first glance, the serene neighbourhood of Tomigaya may seem an unlikely address for a Japanese brand with an international following, but each corner of this residential district opens to boutique stores, hip coffee shops or independent restaurants, with locals zipping by
on bicycles or wandering on foot to the local grocer. It’s a canny choice for a hotel that offers guests an ‘urban recharge’.
Blending in with its surroundings, the seven-storey newbuild sits quietly amongst its neighbours, marked only by a discreet doorway and subtle signage. Architect and lead interior designer Keiji Ashizawa was keen that the hotel form a visual connection to the park across the street, and so opted for an exposed concrete façade produced using a Japanese technique, punctuated by generously-planted balconies that front all 25 guestrooms. “The balanced appearance of the exposed concrete, which is primarily roughened with high-pressure water, creates a sense of rhythm and stable ambience,” Ashizawa explains. “While concrete can lead to a cold atmosphere, this surface has been adjusted so that the aggregate is visible, bringing a rich texture and expression similar to that of stone.”
This concrete façade extends inside, where a sandblasted finish lines corridors that flow from one to another to inject a surprising
sense of space. It also makes an appearance as a feature in the compact, uncluttered guestrooms. For interiors, Ashizawa teamed up with Copenhagen’s Norm Architects to develop a ‘Japandi’ aesthetic; the marriage of Japanese and Scandinavian design sensibilities combining into a soft minimalism where natural materials are key. “We mainly used oak in the guestrooms – for wallcoverings, headboards and freestanding and built-in furniture, with any variation the result of textural finishes,” says Ashizawa. “Copper is used extensively too, from entrance walls to light fixtures and door handles. Finally, stone is the accent material, seen in countertops and coffee tables, adding tension to spaces, like seasoning in cooking.”
At the heart of the ground floor is L’Ombelico, a restaurant that signals its intent to serve the local community through its central positioning and attractive streetside terrace. A signature copper pizza oven catches the eye from the street, as do other copper accents such as the suspended lamps made by artist Eiko Miki
For interiors, Keiji Ashizawa teamed up with Copenhagen’s Norm Architects to develop a ‘Japandi’ aesthetic, where natural materials are key
using a metal-hammering technique. Other pieces come from a collective of artists with disabilities, including Rikuto Yoshida of Atelier Yamanami, his brush strokes layered atop photographs of Tokyo taken by Jonas BjerrePoulsen of Norm Architects. This popular neighbourhood Italian is always busy, its buzz created in part by chef Yu Inoue of trattoria L’Arte in Sangenjaya, who also oversees operations here. “The restaurant is open to the city, producing significant interaction between the hotel and the surrounding area,” observes Ashizawa. “It’s no exaggeration to say the hotel’s impression is almost entirely shaped by L’Ombelico.” Playfully for hotel guests, the restaurant can be accessed directly through the lobby by an unassuming panel that is in fact a sliding door.
From the lobby to the guestrooms, furniture collaborations have resulted in bespoke pieces. Lounge chairs and round oak tables in the lobby are by Ariake Collection based in Saga prefecture, while Karimoku Furniture is responsible for
much of the outdoor seating, including waterresistant sofas and tables for the rooftop lounge. Serving hotel guests only, the rooftop features an infinity pool and sunken seating area with a fire-pit, set amongst verdant landscaping by Buzz that includes species of aloe, agave and fan palms. Cocktails are served from the adjacent bar, its curving timber folds accompanied by green tiles that reflect the swimming pool and park beyond. Vases on tabletops cheekily take the form of human buttocks.
Of the five suites, the Owner’s Suite offers a bird’s-eye view over the pool. Here, art by Mitsuyasu Hatakeda recycles wire from vineyards into the shape of swimming bodies. More artwork from Atelier Yamanami decorates the spacious suite, which accommodates softly curving sofas and the Tearoom Club Chair designed by Stockholm’s Nick Ross for Audo Copenhagen. Elsewhere, guestrooms offer residential comfort in handwoven woollen rugs from Kvadrat, tactile oak and stone, and paper cord chairs designed by Norm Architects
for Ariake. To celebrate Japan’s artisanal techniques, there are also decorative woodblock printing pieces by Daichiro Shinjo and washipaper pendants by Kyoto-based Kojima Shoten. “Working on this project reminded me once again of the crafts and manufacturing traditions that remain strong in Japan, and the fact we can still create spaces to make the most of them,” notes Ashizawa, crediting the emerging and established makers who have contributed to the creation of this hotel.
A final mention must be given to the Trunk Atelier team, whose job it has been to source original accessories for the guestrooms. From door tags illustrated by Akina Haga and made using discarded fibres from banana plants, to hairdryer cases created from Yezo deer hide that would otherwise go to waste, there has been much consideration given to the wider environment. Fittingly, this consideration for nature and society, which is a cornerstone of the brand’s hospitality ethos, is wholeheartedly showcased at Trunk (Hotel) Yoyogi Park.
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT
Owner / Operator: Trunk
Architecture: Keiji Ashizawa Design
Interior Design: Keiji Ashizawa Design,
Norm Architects, Trunk Atelier
Visual Identity: Trunk
Landscaping: Buzz
Main Contractor: Kitano Construction
www.yoyogipark.trunk-hotel.com
Crowne Plaza, Birmingham City Centre
The Tokyo Edition
Intimacy brings a sophisticated human touch to the second Tokyo Edition, a new local landmark that celebrates its connection to Ginza’s charming back streets.
Springing from an established partnership between the brand’s creator Ian Schrager and Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, The Tokyo Edition Ginza injects a warm, slick and intimate hospitality offering into the heart of the city’s most coveted address. Ginza, with its heady mix of designer shops, upscale restaurants and art galleries interwoven with century-old stores, yakitori joints and bars dotted around the narrow back streets, has been crying out for a hotel with the savviness of an Edition. Created by Schrager in collaboration with Marriott International, the brand opened its first Tokyo property in Toranomon back in 2020. The venture has been a great success, so for the second outpost in the Japanese capital, it was only natural that Schrager and Kuma would unite once more, but this time, their inspiration comes from the streets of Ginza.
“Since my father’s time, who was born in the late Meiji era, Ginza has been the commercial centre of the city, lined with stores where
people do business from home,” notes Kuma. “The style in which people lived on the upper floors while their business is based out of the ground floor has been common since the Edo period. In addition, this street had a uniquely hospitable atmosphere. I told Ian all about this and it became the concept for the hotel.”
It is the crossover between the cutting edge and traditional Japanese culture that has become the foundation of the hotel, which prioritises human-scale proportions through a continuity from the street. There is also tribute paid to the different elements and city functions being woven together in Ginza. This is first evident in the aluminium-detail façade of the sleek 14-storey newbuild, as Kuma observes: “We installed latticework outside, with the linear components layered like woven threads. Originally, shops in Ginza had their own unique lattice designs that gave clues as to the items being sold. We applied this same tradition to The Edition’s façade.”
A residential homeliness becomes apparent stepping into the double-height lobby, where diaphanous curtains float gently in the breeze, holding onto the shared connection to the street, much like a house. This welcome is intentional, with walnut selected for its warmth and materiality, contrasting with contemporary lounge furniture in soft ivory and blush, accessorised with silk pieces from antique kimono belts. On the statement undulating sofa, guests enjoy their first spotting of the lifestyle brand’s signature faux-fur throws, here in white, which are a repeating feature in the guestrooms above. Of course, this is an Edition, so some aesthetic drama is needed. From the scalloped gold-hued bar, antique crystal bottles with amber liquids glisten, while the discreet check-in deck is offset by a 20 th-century Japanese silk byōbu (folding screen). Lighting is one of Schrager’s points of design genius, so it comes as no surprise that the elevator walkway is illuminated by a floor-to-ceiling, two-tone lightbox panel – to dazzling effect.
Perhaps the most striking lobby feature though, is the white metal sculptural staircase that leads to the mezzanine floors. “We aimed to bring a unique glamour to the staircase and make it immediately noticeable as soon as guests enter the hotel,” says Kuma. “That glamour is not found in grand marble or a modernist element such as concrete; rather it comes from the gentle light that is emitted from the all-white structure.”
The atmospheric staircase leads up to Punch Room, a signature F&B venue for the Edition brand, though its first outing in Japan. Here, dark walnut coffered walls are matched by a ceiling in which Kuma’s historical study of traditional Ginza stores translates into a unique woodwork grid designed especially for the hotel. “Koshi patterns would differ from shop to shop in Ginza, with these lattices a type of vocabulary for the private homes,” explains Kuma. Beneath the grid ceiling, upholstered club seating in jewel tones of blue, gold and green, along with leather Chesterfields, evoke the atmosphere of
Sophie
light and airy, punctuated with pistachiocoloured seating, while Punch Room and the lobby bar feature vibrant jewel tones
a smoky London gentlemen’s club. Large silver punch bowls are filled with intriguing cocktails that are perfect for sharing, with the appealing graphic design of the cocktail menu by Tokyobased artist Asuka Watanabe.
To enhance the F&B choices, The Tokyo Edition Ginza also has a 14th-floor brasserie named Sophie. In contrast to Punch Room, this all-day venue is light and airy, awash in blonde oak punctuated with vibrant pistachiocoloured seating and a smattering of plants. The restaurant’s feature back wall displays a collection of photography from Tokyo’s streets by artists including Pak Han, Ash Shinya Kawaoto and Tatsuo Suzuki, each one capturing the city’s many eccentric characters. As a final F&B flourish, the hotel also benefits from a hidden green retreat at the very top of the building. The Roof serves natural wines and biodynamic fizz from an olive tree and fernfilled garden space, away from the hustle and bustle of the district.
It is in the 86 guestrooms and suites that
Schrager’s New York sensibilities come into play, finessed by touches of Kuma’s traditional detailing. For continuing warmth and tactility, cosseting walnut is used on walls and floors, with crisp white linens and travertine tables providing a clean contrast. Framed blackand-white prints by Takay Photography and Sayaka Maruyama enhance the simple, timeless interiors, while bathrooms are given a glossy finish with green travertine basins, chrome fixtures and oversized mirrors. Even in the comfort of the guestrooms, the link to the Ginza streets below is unbroken, thanks to inset alcove seating and leather armchairs located near floor-to-ceiling windows for views of the neighbourhood below.
“Ian’s concept has never been about separating the hotel from the street, an idea I fully agree with,” Kuma concludes. “Our work on The Tokyo Edition Ginza has been based on this; we have designed the hotel as a continuation of the street, while considering the historical context of this part of town.”
Brooklyn-based LMNOP tells the story of its latest visual identity scheme, which pays homage to nostalgic Nantucket summers.
Words: Cara Rogers
Ahotel’s visual identity can set the tone for the whole guest experience,” says Leigh Nelson, Principal and Creative Director of Brooklynbased multidisciplinary studio LMNOP.
The firm’s eye for crafting a layered visual identity has seen it bring its creative vision to a range of hospitality projects, including newly opened Nantucket haven Beachside Hotel.
The result of a partnership between Blue Flag Capital and Parts + Labor Design, the property’s retro interiors hark back to the 1960s, when the island became a popular spot for hedonistic travellers. “Blue Flag brought LMNOP into the fold soon after the deal was inked,” Nelson explains. “It was important to our client that our team be involved from the beginning to help write the story of the hotel and what it was going to offer its guests.”
Having previously worked with the developers in Nantucket, LMNOP began its research for Beachside Hotel, their prior understanding of the island and its unique character making for a natural fit. “We find early collaboration always produces the best results, and we were able to commence our work at the same time as the interior design team. We have a very fluid and open working relationship with them,” adds Nelson.
The studio’s approach to the project was defined by a ‘less is more’ philosophy, she reveals. “It’s an approach that
guides us to emphasise simplicity and elegance. We can avoid being over-designed, and instead present a familiar, casual nostalgia that sets the tone for the experience, whilst also being punctuated by more vibrant brand moments, such as signage and merchandise. By taking this approach, we encourage guests to slow down and create their own self-driven experience.”
Given Nantucket’s history as a popular summer destination, the hotel’s visual identity draws on the essence of an idyllic American summer, embracing a warm nostalgia that sets the stage for guests to create their own memories. “That feeling is something that we felt everyone could connect to,” adds Nelson, highlighting that the studio’s work is “a love note to the great American summer”.
As well as the locale, branding draws on the property’s landscaping and interiors. “We were excited by the unique layout and amount of space we had to work with,” Nelson explains. “Lots of lawn space and a swimming pool is quite rare for the island, so we knew that using
these features to show the connection between recreation and relaxation would be a major part of the narrative.”
Nelson continues: “There’s an approachability to the hotel that was important to get across. Typography has a familiar, almost utilitarian feel. Colours riff off a simple primary palette, and checkerboard patterns echo nostalgic picnic tablecloth imagery.”
Other details include signage that feels unique to the Nantucket vernacular and incorporates plenty of playful moments. Completing the offer is a comprehensive retail experience, with merchandise that ranges from sweatshirts and hats, to bottle openers and koozies – all designed to be engaging and fun.
Inside guestrooms, Do Not Disturb tags have been rethought, hanging from a keychain and adorned with a custom illustration of sleeping sardines – quaint touches that, Nelson says, are often purchased by guests as a take-home memento, leaving a lasting impression long after summer is over.
Beachside Hotel’s visual identity draws on the nostalgia of an idyllic American summer
Construction Pipeline Global Hotel Groups
Marriott International continues to have the largest hotel construction pipeline in the world as listed in the THP database, with 953 four- and five-star projects currently on the boards, amounting to 202,847 rooms globally. In Asia Pacific, the group has renewed focus on China, where brands including Luxury Collection and W Hotels are set to enter new destinations through 2025 and beyond.
IHG is growing in the Asia Pacific region too, with Japan the leading country for strategic growth. With 50 hotels open across the country and 15 in the pipeline, the group is on a mission to double its presence over the next few years, developing to meet demand from increasing tourist arrivals.
As the second most-active player globally, Hilton Worldwide is on course for expansion across all regions, due in part to the acquisitions of Graduate Hotels and NoMad. The group is slated to double its presence in the fast-growing lifestyle category, with 350 hotels set to join the portfolio over the next four years.
For Accor, the Middle East & Africa is a key region for new construction, particularly Saudi Arabia. Embracing an ambitious growth trajectory, the operator is set to add over 45 hotels to its roster by 2030, solidifying its leadership across all segments and reaffirming its position as the largest operator in the Kingdom.
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
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GLOBAL PICTURE
Marriott International continues to lead global development with 202,847 rooms across 953 projects in the pipeline. Hilton Worldwide meanwhile maintains its majority hold amongst the top ten most active brands, with its flagship crowning the list, followed by midscale Garden Inn and extended-stay Home2 Suites.
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All hail the conversion
While investment transaction volumes are lifting across Europe, new development remains constrained by the higher cost of finance, and worries over the capacity of the construction industry to build to expected costs. The situation has been evident on quarterly results calls, with major brand groups declaring an ever higher percentage of signings as conversions.
But there are conversions and conversions. Traditionally, during tougher economic conditions, new development is constrained, and brand groups look to sign existing hotels, either independents or those migrating from rival brands. Today, the hotel niche is also significantly converting, or repurposing, properties from other classes, including retail but most notably today, from the office market.
The office sector was hit by a double whammy from the pandemic and politics; enforced new ways of working meant organisations reassessed their office space needs, in a world where working from home became more mainstream. And, as energy costs rose following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so a light was shone on those office blocks that had not been upgraded to be more energy efficient. Talk of “stranded assets” ensued.
Tim Walton, senior vice president western Europe at Marriott, told Hotel Analyst that his board of 2024 signings in the UK showed no new builds: “It is 90% conversions from other hotels - mostly unbranded, and 10% repurposing of other buildings. That tells you something of where the market’s at.” He said other European markets were similar. “New build is still relatively tough.”
Walton added that Marriott’s new Four Points by Sheraton Express brand, designed specifically for conversions with a flexible approach and low conversion costs, is especially helpful in winning signings. “What we’re finding is
there’s a lot of independents that see salvation in a brand.” And he said that increasingly, new signings are on a pure franchise basis.
Europe at large remains a challenging landscape for those specifically looking for new build opportunities. Sharan Pasricha, cochief executive of Ennismore, told the Financial Times in September that the group’s focus is on growing in the Middle East and the Americas, where development is easier.
“Europe is generally a lot more challenging than perhaps some of the other areas,” he commented, noting that Ennismore’s current presence in the Middle East is set to grow by 70%, against 61% in the Americas and just 35% in Europe. It has planted teams in Riyadh and Cancun to capitalise on local opportunities.
Pasricha said projects in Europe “sometimes take a bit longer to develop than in other regions and other jurisdictions, versus properties that we have in the Middle East and in the Americas that are considerably bigger, develop a lot faster and have some strong feeder markets attached”.
While it is about to launch an SLS-branded hotel in Barcelona shortly, the group’s pipeline is significantly spread across central and South America, with projects signed in Argentina and Uruguay. In the Middle East, Ennismore is building on its solid presence with four projects under construction in Saudi Arabia alone.
Ronald Egelman, head of development for north and west Europe at Wyndham, said he feels the market is improving, but only in parts. “The market’s definitely more active, a lot more is happening. Is it improving? I’m not sure. There are a lot more portfolio and structured deals, sellers are getting more realistic.” But, when asked about new development and construction, he added: “I’ve seen hardly any - it feels like everybody is more focused on repurposing.”
Egelman pointed to London’s financial district, the City of London, where he said planners have become much more open to
conversions – a contrast from a decade or more ago, when they were keen to preserve the district’s status as an office destination. Now, the Square Mile has up to 5,000 keys approved, as it welcomes alternative uses, particularly high-end hotels.
At Hilton, Nick Smart, vice president for development in the UK and Nordics, said conversions are currently a key part of growing the portfolio. He pointed to an office conversion in the City of London that will become a Curio hotel, and the debut of the Home2Suites brand in Europe, via an office conversion that JMK Group is carrying out in Dublin. The 290unit long-stay hotel will be created from the existing Telephone House office block. “We are seeing a thawing - banks are under tremendous pressure to lend, in that context if they have a relationship with a customer who develops, there are opportunities,” he noted. “But it is a gradual thawing.”
Smart said Hilton is seeing good traction in Europe with its new Spark brand, designed specifically for conversions. First launched in the US, where dozens of sites have been opened and more signed, the brand has been released internationally. Its first UK signing, in Romford, was open in a matter of weeks and repurposed a hotel that had been used for a government contract immediately after its initial completion; and a first mainland European signing has also been sealed in Germany. “It is a huge opportunity.”
HA PERSPECTIVE
By Chris Bown: So the hotel sector in Europe has become substantially greener than we all thought, consuming only repurposed buildings to create its new hotel stock. The pandemic completely disrupted the development pipeline, after which supply chain shocks proved a further drag, before rising finance costs threw another spanner in the works. Now, desperate office landlords, who have realised they
can no longer lease their leaky, draughty tired assets, are flailing around looking for a solution. And a hotel conversion is just such a thing.
But not all repurposing is easy, and imaginative solutions such as hotel rooms without windows are one such way to turn a deep floorplate office block or department store into a hotel. One big brand representative we spoke to declared themselves impressed by the progress of Zedwell, the Criterion Capital hotel brand that is making a virtue out of offering city centre rooms without windows. EasyHotel and other budget brands already quietly offer such rooms, and Premier Inn and PPHE are both now launching subterranean hotels - how long before one of the big brands really flexes its brand standards?
HA PERSPECTIVE
By Andrew Sangster: Any discussion about hotel conversions will orientate around whether you are talking about repurposing buildings or rebadging existing hotels. By far the biggest market is rebadging existing product.
Change of use is hard. There is the challenge of whether the building is suitable for repurposing, and then there is the challenge of whether the costs are low enough to make the project profitable. A hotel consultant this week told me about a chain of department stores in Germany that planned to add rooms to higher floors, where the value per square metre plummets relative to the lower floors. Out of almost 50 buildings, barely half a dozen were suitable. This example shows that unless you are very lucky with the design of the building or the value has fallen dramatically, you are not going to make a project work financially. If anything, the 10% hit rate is probably on the high side.
The bulk of conversions, then, are existing hotels switching flags, or, attaching one for the first time. And the perception is that most of the flag switching is being done by smaller chains being rebadged under the moniker of a big chain. The key thing that is coming together is the infamous bid-ask spread. Speaking at a hospitality-themed session at the Urban Living Festival held in September, Dave North from Lloyds Banking Group said that the past year had seen five-year swap rates move from the mid-
fives to the mid-threes in some cases. “I think we’ve kind of turned a corner,” said North.
In the same session, corporate financier Andrew Harrington of AHV said that the market to date had been made by long-term buyers such as longterm funds, operators and private family offices. PE had been out of the market, said Harrington, as they were looking at things in a “strange way”, considering short-term rates and not factoring in yield compression. The transaction market is now moving as debt is more available and there is equity. With values in the office market now bottoming out on most estimations, apart from some regions, notably Germany, “true” conversions, ones that see a building change its use, are probably close to their peak. The pick-up in the transaction market will, however, generate a lot more rebranding opportunities. The brand companies will no doubt continue to call them conversions and confuse everybody.
Hybrids consolidate
The hybrid and hostel space has seen several reorganisation moves, as smaller brands look to bulk up in the niche. Fallen brand Selina has found new owners, European chain TOC Hostels is now in new ownership, while Generator is looking to a new partnership as a way to accelerate growth.
Asian group Collective Hospitality has acquired the majority of the business of hostel group Selina following its administration. Based out of Singapore, the business is already active with its own hostel properties in Thailand; it currently trades via its in-house brands including Slumber Party, Bodega and Path Hostels. The deal with administrators means Collective now holds the leases to around 100 hybrid hotels in 22 countries around the globe. Collective is a part of Destination Group, a business established by owner Gary Murray in 1996. Destination has a track record of developing four- and five-star hotels, for brand groups including Radisson and IHG. He says that the hybrid space has great opportunities:
“Corporations accept the digital nomad type of employee. Today, when we’re building traditional hotels, we always put in coworking areas, something you never did five years ago. We’re opening a Radisson Red in Phuket and half of the lobby is a digital nomad work area. The hospitality business has evolved to digital nomads, probably one of the fastest growth segments. And interestingly enough, most of the big brands have not been able to nail it.”
Murray is expected to negotiate fresh deals with landlords, and could still let go some sites that are fundamentally not viable, moving ahead with an approach that Selina’s management had latterly realised was necessary.
In Spain, Room00 Group has paid around EUR20m to acquire the TOC Hostels business, putting it immediately into first place as Europe’s leading hostel business. Combined, the portfolios give Room00 30 hostels across three countries, with a signed pipeline of 20 more.
Room00 has to date traded under Room00 Hostels, Room Select Hotels, and a third brand, Letoh Letoh, with sites across Spain. TOC will bring locations across Spain, Portugal and Italy, with the TOC division expected to deliver revenues of at least EUR70m in its first year under new ownership.
“The combination of both companies will generate operational efficiencies, cost reduction and improvement of services,” said Ignacio Requena, CEO and founder of Room00 Group. “The acquisition has the potential to significantly transform both companies and the market in which they operate, contributing competitive advantages and new growth opportunities.”
Generator, meanwhile, has formed an unusual partnership with Asian hotel group Dusit. The pair believe they can each support the other in finding sites, via a symbiotic collaboration. Generator is strong in Europe and the US, operating hostels and hybrid properties; Dusit has a good presence in Asian markets across several segments of the hotel space.
This groundbreaking partnership marks an exciting new chapter in the growth trajectory
of our companies,” commented Generator CEO Alastair Thomann. “Dusit’s unique blend of tradition and innovation aligns perfectly with our vision for delivering culturally rich experiences for inspired travellers worldwide.”
And UK-listed hostel operator Safestay has had a busy first-half building its pipeline. It added Spanish sites in Cordoba, where it acquired a hotel, and in Calpe, where it signed its first management contract to take on an existing shuttered hostel. And in Brighton, it secured a building for conversion to a 220-bed hostel. In central Europe, it acquired a leasehold site in Budapest, while exiting a lease on a hotel in Vienna, where it has been unable to secure permits to convert the property to a hostel.
Operationally, Safestay reported a 6% increase in bed nights sold, with occupancy up at 70.6%. The company said summer 2024 bookings were ahead of the previous year, with group bookings continuing to recover.
HA PERSPECTIVE
By Chris Bown: The hybrid hostel niche remains a tough one to build scale in. Patient private equity backers know it is a profitable space, done rightwitness A&O. But now feels like there is momentum to scale up and build some stronger, more substantial brands.
Collective is in a good position, having grabbed the spoils of the Selina house of cards. Leader Gary Murray sounds like the sort of character who will quickly work out which bits of the business he has picked up have merit, and which sites need to be dropped - putting Selina in a position to rise again.
Trammelling tourists
A further round of government actions have been announced, as authorities react to continuing concerns around overtourism. At the same time, some are now suggesting it is time to reframe the issue of travel demand, reflecting its positive economic impact, while planning more sensibly to mitigate its problematic impacts. Authorities in Greece are the latest to react
to the growing pressure from tourism in their country. The country’s prime minister has announced a range of measures to restrict its growth. The move comes as a broader debate opens up around not just the pressures, but the positive value of tourism. Indeed some are calling for an end to the use of the word ‘overtourism’, concerned it has become a pejorative term that ignores the benefits of welcoming international visitors to a destination.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a range of measures, aimed at reducing pressures across the mainland and the country’s many islands. It comes shortly after the mayor of Santorini, one of the most visited islands, complained that his picturesque island was being overrun with visitors.
With Greece enjoying a strong economic benefit from growing tourism numbers, Mitsotakis was keen to point out that pressures are only being felt in a few key places. In 2023, the country welcomed close to 31 million arrivals, generating an estimated EUR20bn. “Greece does not have a structural overtourism problem. Some of its destinations have a significant issue during certain weeks or months of the year, which we need to deal with,” he said.
One measure will be a levy on cruise ship passengers, targeted specifically at arrivals on Santorini and Mykonos during the summer season, where it will be set at EUR20 per passenger. There will also be restrictions on the timing and volume of cruise liner arrivals. An accommodation tax already in place will be increased for the summer season from April to October. Local communities have been promised a slice of revenues generated.
Elsewhere, the government aims to clamp down on short term rentals. In parts of Athens, no more short term rentals will be permitted for the next year. And, to encourage more housing back into use by locals, there will be a threeyear tax break for those switching from short term to long term rental; an incentive also available for those currently simply sitting on unrented housing assets.
Indonesia is preparing a clamp down on
further development on the island of Bali. The destination has already seen the number of hotels grow to 541 from 507 prior to the pandemic. A moratorium on the development of new hotels, villas and nightclubs is being drawn up, with reports suggesting it will be at least two years, for four regions on the island. The island’s acting governor, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, has also suggested there may be a more centralised approach to the issue of building permits in future.
A recent paper from the World Economic Forum points out that overtourism was already an issue prior to the pandemic, so in that sense it has simply returned. And it points out a range of measures that destinations can take.
According to the WEF, the term overtourism was first used in 2001, when discussing pressures from visitors to the ancient ruins of Pompeiothers have also laid claim to popularising it since. “Overtourism is more than a journalistic device to arouse host community anxiety or demonise tourists through anti-tourism activism. It is also more than simply being a question of management – although poor or lax governance most definitely accentuates the problem.”
Tourism, says the report, is simply an oversupply of visitors, compared with the capacity of the destination to cope with them. Often, it argues, this is a consequence of the tourism supply chain stimulating demand without thinking through what happens next, or the “ripple effects” on local communities. But, in some cultures these impacts are considered as less problematic. Stresses are enhanced when the beneficiaries of growing tourism - such as five-star hotel owners - are disconnected from impacted locals.
Ivar Yuste, of Spanish consultant PHG Hotels & Resorts, has been critical of the draconian approach of Barcelona, and more recently commented: “I think the abuse of overtourism claims is spiralling out of control. Politicians are exploiting the concept of overtourism as a convenient pretext to justify broad-based tax increases. Alarmingly, some ‘big four’
management consulting firms are now openly advising local governments clients to increase taxes, despite what appears to be a glaring conflict of interest. Yet there is no compelling evidence that destinations implementing these new taxes see any tangible benefits; and there is no proof that higher taxes actually reduce tourism flows.”
He added that most sectors of the economy successfully regulate supply and demand by price adjustments - “yet, tourist destinations are exhibiting a concerning lack of sophisticated revenue management strategies, undervaluing their assets in the process.
“Instead of imposing new taxes, destinations should focus on optimising their pricing strategies across the board – from hotels and restaurants to museums, shops, cafés, DMCs and leisure suppliers in general. By doing so, they will better manage tourist demand flows while maximising revenue.”
HA PERSPECTIVE
By Chris Bown: We’re all for calls for a more grownup debate about tourism. It is clear that joined up strategic thinking is needed, to help balance demand from visitors, with the sometimes fragile landscapes and ecosystems they believe they want to visit.
Pricing is one simple way, but it needs to be sensibly planned, and not simply a gouging exercise. And regulation needs to be applied carefully. One simple example of the latter is near your correspondent’s home in Wales. There, government has instituted draconian short-term rental regulations, and allowed local authorities flexibility to increase property taxes for properties that are not a primary residence. All this with the intention of creating more homes for locals.
The result in the seaside town of Tenby, is a flood of properties for sale, as investors try to get outfaced with a threefold increase in property taxes, and the requirement to fill their property for more nights than they can find willing guests. But the
properties for sale do not make appropriate or indeed affordable homes for locals, in many cases.
HA PERSPECTIVE
By Andrew Sangster: Overtourism is a term that has been popularised in the last decade but it describes a phenomenon that has existed for much longer. It’s where the growth in tourism is perceived to have reached a level where it creates harm – negative externalities in economics speak.
Prior to the Covid lockdowns, overtourism was in common currency but it is in the post-Covid lockdowns recovery period where we have seen a marked increase in complaints about tourism. This is because tourism has reached new peaks and it has scaled those peaks rapidly from a position of almost no tourism. It is a bit like the frog in a pan of water. Heat the water gently, and you can most likely cook the frog. Put the frog straight into boiling water and it will jump out. The post-Covid lockdowns recovery has made people realise the extent of tourism’s negative externalities.
Back in 2018, the European Parliament published a report “Overtourism: impact and possible policy responses” that provides a useful overview of the issue. It mentions that speed of change is a key cause of discontent with social media being a key cause of problems back then, something compounded by the rapid post-Covid lockdowns recovery.
The report cites low transport costs as an accelerant and mentions Airbnb and Booking.com as issues. Although the lowering of accommodation costs is not explicitly mentioned, it is most likely how much easier it is to access accommodation, which is a contributing factor.
What is also interesting is to see the list of regions in Europe at risk of overtourism at the time of the report’s publication. Among the 15 regions listed as most vulnerable to overtourism are Valencia, Andalucia and the Canary Islands. The latter, in particular, has seen a marked uptick in protests. Cumbria, Cornwall, West Wales, North Yorkshire and East Wales are UK destinations that made the top 15.
Interestingly, other areas where there have been issues around overtourism, like Venice, Amsterdam and Barcelona, are not listed. This suggests that vulnerability to overtourism protests is more complex than the factors listed in the report.
One of the biggest issues is the perceived conflict between the availability of residential accommodation and the rise in tourist accommodation. More tourist accommodation, runs the argument, results in less availability of residential, particularly rental.
The real issue, of course, is that more residential accommodation needs to be built. The “artificial” shortage sees tourists outbidding locals for places to stay. Proper planning ought to allow enough residential accommodation to be built (even if some local residents might not get the sea views their parents have enjoyed).
In the meantime, the hotel sector needs to be aware that it is increasingly likely to be in the firing line. Tourists don’t vote, at least in the destination they are visiting, and are easy targets for populist politicians. The hotel industry, along with the wider travel and tourism sector, needs to do a better job explaining why it matters and the benefits to society of its growth.
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Performance benchmarking for the global hospitality industry
1. RIO DE JANEIRO
Boosted by the Rock in Rio music festival, Rio de Janeiro’s hotel industry reached its highest monthly ADR and RevPAR in eight years, according to preliminary September data from STR. The biennial event saw RevPAR average at BRL648.33 for the month, marking a 49.4% increase over September 2023.
September 2024 (year-over-year % change)
Occupancy 71.5% ( 10.3%)
ADR BRL907.20 ( 35.5%)
RevPAR BRL648.33 ( 49.4%)
2. BERLIN
Proving that business travel is back, Berlin’s hotels posted all-time high ADR and RevPAR for September 2024, coinciding with InnoTrans, the world’s largest trade fair for transport technology. Performance spiked on 25 September – day two of the event – recording an ADR of EUR310.01 and RevPAR of EUR295.57.
September 2024 (year-over-year % change)
Occupancy 85.4% ( 1.4%)
ADR EUR177.49 ( 18.4%)
RevPAR EUR151.60 ( 20.1%)
3. ABU DHABI
Events also boosted hotel performance in Abu Dhabi in August, resulting in its highest occupancy on record. Throughout the month, the Emirate hosted an international chess festival, an equestrian exhibition and a UFC fight, which collectively drove a 10.5% uplift in occupancy over the previous year, and a 19.3% increase in RevPAR.
August 2024 (year-over-year % change)
Occupancy 75.9% ( 10.5%)
ADR AED434.30 ( 8.0%)
RevPAR AED329.80 ( 19.3%)
4. BRISBANE
In Brisbane, a mix of business and leisure events propelled ADR and RevPAR to all-time highs for any September on record, according to preliminary data from STR. Occupancy peaked at 87.9% on 18 September, when the Brisbane Festival overlapped with the second day of the National Bus & Coach Show.
September 2024 (year-over-year % change)
Occupancy 78.5% ( 3.3%)
ADR AUD236.64 ( 1.7%)
RevPAR AUD185.82 ( 5.0%)
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HOTEL REFURBISHMENT
Over the course of 8 weeks, 78 bathrooms were completed, with the pace increasing to 156 bathrooms every 10 weeks, along with the refurbishment of all hotel corridors after the initial phase.
In total, 523 bathrooms and 7 floors of corridors were successfully refurbished within 8 months, all while the hotel remained fully operational.
The leaders of Asia’s hospitality scene come together in the Garden City for AHEAD’s first ceremony of 2024, with
Kicking off the 2024 awards season, the hospitality industry gathered at Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay in Singapore for the first AHEAD awards ceremony of the year, eager to celebrate the best hotel projects from across Asia.
Opening the Chair Billie Khoo, took to the stage to share insight on this year’s judging.
“Throughout the judging process, it became apparent that what the panel seeks is beyond budget, beyond cultural adaptations and beyond a colour palette,” she revealed. “This year more than any year prior, the natural attraction towards authenticity or what we call ‘realness’ is greater than ever.”
The prestigious Outstanding Contribution accolade was presented to Ho Kwon Ping, founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts and Laguna Resorts & Hotels, and Executive Chairman of Thai Wah. The visionary leader was commended for building a brand with an ethos of “Embracing the Environment, Empowering People”, immersing guests in nature-led spaces for three decades.
In the first of the category awards, the trophy for best Bar, Club or Lounge was presented to Aer, the new rooftop bar at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai. Atelier Pond was lauded for its
nautical-inspired design, whereby ocean views are set against a backdrop of sailcloth fabrics, stripes and brass accents. “True to concept” praised one judge, with another describing it as “feeling atop an ocean liner”.
The second F&B-focused award of the night was given to Mondrian Hong Kong’s Carna by Dario Cecchini, a lively dining destination characterised by the chef’s nose-to-tail philosophy, where interiors by Joyce Wang Studio take inspiration from ancient Roman architecture. Mondrian’s debut in the city, with its bold design concept courtesy of byKK, was also named the best Hotel Renovation –judges hailed it as “fun, colourful and witty –all things Mondrian”. The Hong Kong outpost wasn’t the brand’s only victory on the night – in the Suite category, Mondrian Singapore Duxton’s Shophouse Suite, conceptualised by Studio Carter Design, was praised for its “unique experience and sense of place”. Allowing guests to experience a reinterpreted vision of Singaporean heritage, the space’s design deconstructs the traditional shophouse.
Also scooping multiple trophies was Pan Pacific Orchard, with WOHA Architects’ biophilic concept impressing in the Event Spaces, Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces and Sustainability categories. A verdant sanctuary
in the sky of the Garden City, the property is home to over 100 plant species that cover more than 300% of its total land area, resulting in a scheme that “seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces”, the panel concluded. Meanwhile, a former factory-turnedrestorative retreat in Kuala Lumpur was victorious in the Hotel Conversion category, with one judge calling the Studio Bikindesigned property “the most ambitious” amongst its competitors. The Lobby at Else Kuala Lumpur was also named the best in the region, thanks to an “industrial yet warm” aesthetic that provides a welcome refuge from the bustle of the city’s Chinatown. The most celebrated project of the night however, was Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park. Declared “a hotel that is truly more than the sum of its parts” by the panel, the Tokyo property took home trophies for best Guestroom and Newbuild, as well as Hotel of the Year. Crafted by Keiji Ashizawa Design and Norm Architects, the project impressed with its “beautifully harmonised design” that strikes a delicate balance between tradition and modernity. It was also commended for its “sensitive and considered engagement with the community”, which the panel dubbed “a pleasure to see in hospitality design”.
Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park winning big.
BAR, CLUB OR LOUNGE
AER at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai – India
Provenance Land / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts / Prakash Mankar / Atelier Pond / PLandscape
EVENT SPACES
Pan Pacific Orchard – Singapore
UOL Group / Pan Pacific Hotels Group / WOHA Architects
GUESTROOMS
Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park – Tokyo, Japan
Trunk Co / Keiji Ashizawa Design / Norm Architects
HOTEL CONVERSION
Else – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
GF Land / Else Perspective / Faizah Architect / BEP Akitek / Studio Bikin
HOTEL NEWBUILD
Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park – Tokyo, Japan
Trunk Co / Keiji Ashizawa Design / Norm Architects
HOTEL RENOVATION
Mondrian Hong Kong – China
Peterson Group / Ennismore / byKK / Joyce Wang Studio
LANDSCAPING & OUTDOOR SPACES
Pan Pacific Orchard – Singapore
UOL Group / Pan Pacific Hotels Group / WOHA Architects
LOBBY
Else – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
GF Land / Else Perspective / Faizah Architect / BEP Akitek / Studio Bikin
LODGES, CABINS & TENTED CAMPS
andBeyond Punakha River Lodge – Punakha, Bhutan andBeyond / Pem Gyaltsen / Fox Browne Creative
RESORT
Rissai Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve – Sichuan, China Luneng Group / Marriott International / WATG / Jaya Ibrahim
RESTAURANT
Carna by Dario Cecchini at Mondrian Hong Kong – China Peterson Group / Ennismore / Joyce Wang Studio
SPA & WELLNESS
St Regis Spa at The St Regis, Singapore Marriott International / Avalon Collective
SUITE
Shophouse Suite at Mondrian Singapore Duxton – Singapore Craig Road Property Holdings / Ennismore / Accor / DP Architects / Studio Carter
SUSTAINABILITY
Pan Pacific Orchard – Singapore
UOL Group / Pan Pacific Hotels Group / WOHA Architects
ACCESSIBILITY
ÀNI Private Resorts
NEW CONCEPT
Not A Hotel
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
Ho Kwon Ping
HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park – Tokyo, Japan
Trunk Co / Keiji Ashizawa Design / Norm Architects
Clockwise from top left: Carna by Dario Cecchini at Mondrian Hong Kong; Not A Hotel, Ishigaki; St Regis, Singapore; Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park, Tokyo; Else, Kuala Lumpur; Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore
Spanning coast and countryside, branded and boutique, the winners of AHEAD Americas are revealed.
The second event in the AHEAD calendar took place in New York, with leaders from across the Americas coming together to celebrate creative excellence in the world of hospitality design. An opening address from Brad Wilson, CEO of Ace Hotel Group and chair of the judging panel, told of the discussion and debate that took place during the judging process, before commending the 200-plus entrants on their achievements in creating memorable guest experiences. “Your work represents the very best of hospitality design; you’ve pushed boundaries, reimagined spaces and delivered projects that left us both inspired and wondering how we can book a stay ourselves!” he commented. “The creativity, passion and attention to detail in your submissions were truly remarkable; they signal a bright future for our industry and for our guests, who benefit from the much richer experiences being created today.”
The high praise continued with the Outstanding Contribution accolade, this year awarded to the late Jeffrey Beers. Having founded his studio in 1986, the visionary designer brought his signature style to many of the world’s top hotels, restaurants and bars. In a heartfelt address, renowned chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud took to the stage to pay tribute, recounting anecdotes from the projects they collaborated on. The award was accepted by Jeffrey’s son Justin, who encouraged the industry to keep sharing stories of his father, to keep his memory and passion for design alive.
In the category awards, winning projects spanned rural and urban destinations, coast and countryside, branded and boutique. Opening proceedings in the hotly-contested Bar, Club or Lounge category, The Pinky
Ring at Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas emerged triumphant, with Yabu Pushelberg lauded for bringing an elevated and sultry scheme to the Strip.
Next up in Event Spaces, judges were won over by the rustic charm of Flat Mountain Farm in North Carolina, where Shutze Studio opted for authentic materials that harmonise with the surroundings. The winning project in the Lodges, Cabins & Tented Camps category also takes cues from nature; designed by Post Company, The Rounds at Scribner’s in the Catskills caught the eye of the judges for its commitment to the narrative.
In Restaurants, it was The Long Bar at Raffles Boston named as the best in the Americas, with judges describing Paolo Ferrari’s interiors as a “testament to tailored, refined and elegant design”. And for Guestrooms, The Manchester in Kentucky impressed; the interiors, by Jenny Bukovec Design & Creative, celebrate a sense of place through a rich palette of timber, leather and handmade tiles – craftsmanship that didn’t go unnoticed by the panel.
The Hotel Conversion category sparked plenty of debate on judging day, so the eventual winner was one that contributes to its local community. Here, Method Co enlisted Stokes Architecture & Design to help transform a historic brownstone building into The Quoin, a vibrant neighbourhood hub in Delaware.
Outside the States, Mexico’s new hotels fared particularly well this year, taking home a total of five awards. Grupo Habita’s Otro Oaxaca won Hotel Newbuild for its “architecturally stunning” approach, in which Root Studio was praised by judges for the use of “simple and honest materials”. Along the Riviera Maya, it was the Tara Bernerddesigned Maroma that stood out for its
“deeply authentic narrative”, leading the Belmond property to be named winner in the Hotel Renovation category. The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai picked up two awards – for Lobby and Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces –in a scheme by Edmonds International, Ian Schrager Company and Rockwell Group. The creative trio, along with developers Alhel, wowed the judging panel with the hotel’s integration into the site, adding that the “high drama and impressive use of scale” has a “memorable impact”. And in Bacalar, Design Hotels member Boca de Agua was rewarded for its commitment to Sustainability, where measures include construction methods that prioritise the fragile landscape.
Back in the USA, Firmdale’s Warren Street Hotel in New York won in the Accessibility category having shown a commitment to ADA-compliant facilities, while the New Concept award went to El Cosmico, an offgrid campground and creative hub underway in the Texan desert, where Liz Lambert, Bjarke Ingels Group and Icon are joining forces to create the world’s first 3D printed hotel.
The big winner of the night was Rosewood’s Kona Village in Hawaii, designed by Walker Warner Architects, Delawie, Nicole Hollis and Vita Inc. Having won Resort, Spa & Wellness and Suite, the property took home the ultimate accolade – AHEAD Americas Hotel of the Year. One judge lauded the “incredible sense of place created by the integration of Hawaiian culture and the volcanic landscape” while another stated that the “exquisite use of materials and unique moments bring the spaces to life”. In all, the property was deemed to combine the very best of architecture and interior design, resulting in a truly memorable guest experience.
BAR, CLUB OR LOUNGE
The Pinky Ring at Bellagio Hotel & Casino – Nevada, USA
Buccini/Pollin Group / Method Co / Stokes Architecture & Design / Method Studios
HOTEL NEWBUILD
Otro Oaxaca – Mexico
Integradora de Servicios Aliño / Grupo Habita / Root Studio
HOTEL RENOVATION
Maroma, A Belmond Hotel – Quintana Roo, Mexico Belmond / Cabrera Architecture / Tara Bernerd & Partners
LANDSCAPING & OUTDOOR SPACES
The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai – Mexico Alhel / Marriott International / Edmonds International / Ian Schrager Company / Rockwell Group
LOBBY
The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai – Mexico
Alhel / Marriott International / Edmonds International / Ian Schrager Company / Rockwell Group
LODGES, CABINS & TENTED CAMPS
The Rounds at Scribner’s Catskill Lodge – New York, USA Marc Chodock / Escape Hospitality / Taconic Engineering / Post Company
RESORT
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort – Hawaii, USA
Rosewood Hotel Group / Walker Warner Architects / Delawie / Nicole Hollis / Vita Inc
RESTAURANT
The Long Bar at Raffles Boston – Massachusetts, USA
Trinity Stuart Development / Accor / Studio Paolo Ferrari
SPA & WELLNESS
Asaya Spa at Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort – Hawaii, USA
Rosewood Hotel Group / Walker Warner Architects / Delawie / Nicole Hollis / Vita Inc
SUITE
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort – Hawaii, USA
Rosewood Hotel Group / Walker Warner Architects / Delawie / Nicole Hollis / Vita Inc
SUSTAINABILITY
Boca de Agua – Bacalar, Mexico Rodrigo Juarez / Frida Escobedo / Mariel Lozano / Brenda Landeros
ACCESSIBILITY
Warren Street Hotel – New York, USA Firmdale Hotels / Stonehill Taylor / Kit Kemp Design Studio / Brook Landscape
NEW CONCEPT
El Cosmico – Texas, USA
Liz Lambert / Icon Technology / Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
Jeffrey Beers
HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort – Hawaii, USA
Rosewood Hotel Group / Walker Warner Architects / Delawie / Nicole Hollis / Vita Inc
Clockwise from top left: The Manchester, Kentucky; The Pinky Room at Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Nevada; Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort, Hawaii; The Rounds at Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, New York; The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai, Mexico; Warren Street Hotel, New York
EE SMITH CONTRACTS, AT THE PINNACLE OF SUPER-PRIME FIT OUT ACROSS ALL LUXURY SECTORS
House of Kaldewei
As Kaldewei extends its reach across the hospitality industry, the sanitaryware manufacturer reflects on ‘luxstainability’, durable design and creative collaborations.
Words: Cara Rogers
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” These are the words of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and also the answer given by Kaldewei’s Divisional Head of Innovation and Portfolio, Christian Büttner, when asked about the sanitaryware group’s guiding principles. “This quote highlights the importance of usability and the user experience in our products,” he adds. “Luxury products, first and foremost, must offer undisputed best-in-class functionality. Then, by adding some designer magic and surprise elements, while also considering sustainability and aesthetic longevity, the product may earn a place in the Kaldewei portfolio.”
The portfolio in question has grown from strength-to-strength since the company’s founding in 1918 in Ahlen, Germany. With the fourth generation of the family now at the helm, the group’s offer includes a wide range of bathtubs, shower surfaces and washbasins. An ethos of ‘luxstainability’ underpins strategic orientation, embodied through Kaldewei’s use of durable materials like steel enamel, as well as a philosophy of 100% circularity.
It’s a philosophy that makes it a good fit for hospitality, explains Paul McSherry, Kaldewei’s International Project Manager. “In such a high traffic and demanding environment, Kaldewei’s products combine beauty with durability, guest experience with luxury and sustainability with investment,” he says, noting that the group has been the bathroom supplier of choice for a host
of notable hotel projects of late, including the long-anticipated refurbishment of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. McSherry continues: “Bathroom maintenance is very disruptive and costly, so owners need to avoid this by buying once and buying well.” Büttner concurs, adding: “We strive for longevity in our products, not only through the materials we use but also through their functionality and aesthetics.”
Kaldewei’s diverse range of products sees it kitting out an array of hotels, be it lifestyle or luxury. “A product’s popularity depends on a hotel’s positioning and brand standards,” says Büttner. “Typically, our beautiful bathtubs are more popular in the luxury segment, while our sleek and secure shower trays are favoured in the lifestyle segment. Our stylish washbasins have broad appeal across different categories. For the more luxury projects, we often supply spa solutions, whirlpools and proprietary systems such as Skintouch or Sound Wave. We also offer custom adaptations for larger projects, including adjustments in size, finishes and colour.”
A recent collaboration with furniture brand e15, has proven popular across the board, its minimalist aesthetic making it well-suited to varied interior schemes. Envisioned by Stefan Diez, the collection of oak bathroom accessories includes stools, towel racks, benches and bathtub bridges. Another recent launch, the Werner Aisslinger-designed Flowline Zero, saw a new category introduced to the Kaldewei
portfolio: stainless steel floor drains, with added functionality through a click-and-clean mechanism. “The market response has been overwhelming,” quips Büttner. “Particularly from interior architects who appreciate the seamless integration of the same flooring in the shower area. I was pleasantly surprised by the attention the cleaning feature received; it seems we have addressed a longstanding issue.”
The product is the latest in a long line of fruitful collaborations for Kaldewei – past partners include Bethan Laura Wood, Arik Levy and Anke Salomon. “We are continually updating and renewing our products, which involves constant collaboration with industrial designers and architects,” says Büttner. “I prefer to view this as partnering with creatives, rather than merely commissioning someone to design a bath, for example. In return, I expect a genuine interest in advancing the Kaldewei portfolio and contributing significant products to the already crowded sanitary market.”
Collaborations past and present – as well as in-house endeavours – are explored in depth at Kaldewei’s recently launched Iconic World, where an interactive exhibition immerses visitors in the brand’s universe. Sleeper’s tour of the space showcased the group’s growth, whilst also nodding to its family roots. The Iconic World finds home on the site of the founder’s home, for instance, quite literally inviting guests into the house of Kaldewei. www.kaldewei.co.uk
Style and Substance
Combining human-centric design with cutting-edge technology, Hoad & More and Schneider Electric team up to present their vision of fusing form and function.
In the world of luxury hospitality, style and functionality are not competing interests, but rather elements that work together to elevate the guest experience. Hoad & More, renowned for its bespoke craftsmanship, and Schneider Electric, a leader in energy management, automation and sustainability, have combined their expertise to create a seamless new experience for designers, operators and guests.
The venture marks the next stage of growth for interior fittings and lighting supplier Hoad & More, which has evolved from its origins as a small studio in Hackney to a team of creatives working with the likes of Rosewood Hotel Group, Marriott International and IHG Hotels & Resorts. Schneider Electric meanwhile has a history that dates back to the 19th century, and is known for bringing its expertise in electrification, automation and digitisation to infrastructure and buildings.
“For Hoad & More, partnering with Schneider Electric was a natural choice,” comments Jona Hoad, Director of Hoad & More. “Schneider’s solutions go beyond guestroom management; they offer owners and operators a comprehensive energy management system for the entire hotel. This holistic approach, combined with our personalised design solutions, is transforming the hospitality industry. By closely collaborating with interior designers, we are creating a winwin scenario where technology seamlessly merges with design, providing beautiful and
relevant touchpoints that enhance the guest experience throughout.”
At the centre of the partnership is the ability to integrate advanced technologies – such as Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure – into beautifully-crafted, intuitive switch plates designed by Hoad & More, all the while addressing a rising demand for eco-conscious luxury. Targeting architects and designers working on a wide range of commercial and residential projects, the resulting solid brass switch plates cater to the technical and aesthetic considerations of a project, ensuring energyefficient functionality without compromising on style. For guests, this translates to a seamless, intuitive experience where technology enhances comfort without overwhelming.
“What truly sets this partnership apart is its visionary approach to hospitality,” states Hoad.
“Both Hoad & More and Schneider Electric are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation, ensuring that hotels are not only meeting today’s demands but are also prepared for the future. By embracing cutting-edge technology, personalisation and sustainability, we have created a solution that appeals to all parties – owners, designers and guests.”
The collaboration also addresses broader industry demands, particularly a growing emphasis on sustainability, whereby hotels are judged not only on the basis of design and service, but on environmental impact. Hoad
& More’s bespoke switch plates are created with principles of a circular economy in mind, meaning they can be easily refurbished, reducing waste and extending their lifecycle. This approach aligns with Schneider Electric’s solutions, which help hotels reduce energy consumption and meet decarbonisation goals.
For owners and operators, the efficiency and revenue potential of the smart solutions are maximised, with streamlined operations leading to reduced costs and increased profitability. Hotels that invest in smart and digital guestroom controls can increase operational efficiency and improve revenue through higher guest satisfaction and retention, with data suggesting that quality product design and guest-centric innovation can lead to up to a 5% increase in incremental revenue. Notably, guests are increasingly willing to pay premium rates for hotels that consider their environmental footprint.
The partnership represents a forwardthinking approach in the hospitality sector, recognising the importance of design, sustainability and digital technology in shaping the guest experience and improving hotel operations. By addressing both the technical and aesthetic needs of hotels, Hoad & More and Schneider Electric hope to provide a compelling solution for an industry that is increasingly focused on balancing luxury with responsibility. www.hoadandmore.com • www.se.com
#6 LANGKAWI
4 - 6 March, 2025
Pelangi Beach Resort – Langkawi, Malaysia
SPOTLIGHT FABRICS,
SURFACES & WALLCOVERINGS
From maximalist prints and 3D-effect panelling, to sleek marble and Renaissance-inspired tiling, these are the products breaking ground in the world of fabrics, surfaces and wallcoverings.
Egger PerfectSense Lacquered Chipboard
Egger’s PerfectSense Lacquered Chipboard has been envisioned to meet increased demand for sustainable interior solutions that do not compromise on design. With a matte-lacquered, anti-fingerprint surface on a high-quality chipboard core, the 100% recyclable material offers functionality, stylish opacity and a negative carbon status. Furthermore, the core is crafted using recycled content and sawmill by-products, promoting material circularity. The surface is available in ten solid colours and four woodgrain effects that emulate true wood veneer, suitable for various vertical applications, including wall panelling, frontals and casegoods. www.egger.com
1. Rubelli
Kieffer Untitled II
Rubelli recently unveiled Kieffer Untitled II at Focus/24 London, continuing the journey that began with the brand’s renewal under Formafantasma’s creative direction in 2023. Comprising 24 new fabrics, Untitled II expands Kieffer’s exploration of materials, textures and colours, adding to and enhancing the previous collection’s offer with new design possibilities. With an emphasis on the use of natural yarns and dyes obtained through oxidation, materials such as wool, jute and recycled cotton feature throughout, while new yarns including hemp-velvet and chenille raffia introduce rhythmic textures and vibrant colourways.
www.rubelli.com
2. Noël & Marquet
Bertrand Lejoly Collaboration
Noël & Marquet, a manufacturer of highquality, sustainably-crafted decorative mouldings, has launched a new collection of 3D wall panels. Developed in collaboration with Belgian designer Bertrand Lejoly, the range includes the ARC L and the ARC S, which feature elongated curves that nod to the retro interior design style of the 1970s. The new Canelé R L wall tile meanwhile can be combined with the linear Scandinavianinspired Canelé L panels to create modern and dynamic wall compositions. All the panels can be quickly and easily applied to walls, allowing designers to efficiently add unique architectural detailing to interiors.
www.noel-marquet.net
3. LX Hausys
Pink Leia
From timeless palettes to playful tones, HIMACS by LX Hausys offers diverse solid surface options suited to a broad array of design schemes. New for 2024 is Pink Leia, which responds to an increased audience demand for rosy hues in interiors. Instantly memorable thanks to its powdery pastel tone – which is eye-catching without being overpowering – Pink Leia is ideal for high-impact bathroom, spa or bar designs. The versatility and durability of HIMACS products makes for creative applications that are both easy to maintain and built to last. The high-performance material can be moulded into any shape and joined with virtually invisible seams, while its longevity, reliability and versatility make it ideal for hospitality applications, from decorative wall cladding to service counters and sleek sanitaryware. A homogeneous blend of minerals, acrylic and natural pigments, it offers a non-porous, stain-resistant and hygienic surface that meets the highest standards of both aesthetics and functionality. HIMACS is available in an extensive range of colours – including new versions with SCS-certification for recycled content, and a wide variety of basin shapes. LX Hausys offers a vast product portfolio, including HIMACS surfaces, seamlessly blending design and technology to craft premium materials that cater to a wide range of spaces, from hospitality to commercial and residential.
www.lxhausys.com
1. Skopos Fabrics
Skopos
Studio
Skopos Fabrics is inviting specifiers into its studio, an ever-growing library of design, allowing them to delve deeper into the minds of the Skopos creative team. The collection of printed textile designs, developed from archive ideas and document artworks, showcases a range of artists and trends, leaving specifiers to browse and determine how best to bring patterns and colours together – designs have been developed to work hand-in-hand with the brand’s other accent collections and upholsteries. As well as featuring on the website, a physical binder of designs will soon be launched, updated regularly as new ideas are introduced.
www.skoposfabrics.com
2. Morris & Co Digital Experience
For the first time, Morris & Co’s extensive range of original wallpapers, paints, fabrics, home décor and lifestyle products is available for purchase through a dynamic digital experience. The brand, whose history dates back to 1861, has unveiled a new online home. The platform offers access to archival designs with unprecedented ease, whilst also providing behind-the-scenes access to the brand’s rich past, as well as the production stories that bring its offer to life. Celebrating Morris & Co’s story throughout, the immersive shopping experience embraces the changing needs of today’s customers whilst also staying true to its heritage.
www.wmorrisandco.com
3. Richloom Contract
Perform 2
Perform 2, a fabric collection by Richloom Contract, blends timeless elegance with durability. Designed to brave the elements in a hotel’s outdoor spaces, the range includes performance velvets, ethereal sheers and captivating prints. Comprising 16 patterns, available in 42 colours, Perform 2 ensures versatility across three main themes: Tropical Chic, Desert Oasis and Verdant Harbor. Crucially, the fabrics can be incorporated into a wide array of settings, be it poolside retreats or starlit restaurant terraces. Headquartered in New York, Richloom Contract offers an expansive product range – from prints and woven materials, to intricate decorative textiles. www.richloomcontract.com
4. Casamance Amaryllis
Casamance’s Jardin Felicia collection draws on a springtime aesthetic throughout its designs, which are inspired by delicate petals and leaves as the sun’s rays shine through them. The series brings together modern graphics with flamboyant colours, which are then lifted by metallic inks – such is the case with the Amaryllis wallpaper (pictured). Often blooming in the depths of winter with its flowers held by long stems, the amaryllis takes centre stage in the wallpaper’s composition. The overlapping flowers are stylised and printed as planes of colour on a base that resembles blotting paper, while golden or coppery metallic films add a further layer of sophistication. www.casamance.com
Control budget, save time and increase the environmental credentials of hotel design projects with Simple Swaps.
To find out more to.egger.link/simple-swaps
1. Cosentino
Cosentino recently announced the launch of its Le Chic Bohème by SilestoneXM collection. Expanding on the original range, which debuted in 2023, the new Le Chic Bohème embodies the luxury aesthetic of the brand’s hybrid mineral surfaces. Made using 99% reused water and 100% renewable energy, the collection features four new colours: Jardin Emerald, Rivière Rose, Château Brown and Blanc Élysèe, all showcasing sophisticated veining and nuanced patterns. Jardin Emerald draws on the beauty of green marbles through a sophisticated pattern of golden veins, complete with metallic accents and black and cream notes that add a graphic depth. Rivière Rose, which pays homage to the whimsical patterns of ocean waves as they break on the coast of the French Riviera, sees a sea of taupe and blush pink veins bring vibrance to a warm white background. Château Brown meanwhile, is a take on earth-toned trends, featuring an elegant dark brown with a subtle marble finish, filled with light thanks to reflections of metallic pinkcopper and bronze veining. The final design, Blanc Élysèe is a delicate lattice of gold, grey and copper veins running through a bright cream background, to evoke the timeless elegance of classic Parisian palaces. The intricate, interlocking veins of each design are made possible by Cosentino’s new molding technology, which also enables finishes on edges and recesses with full continuity, even in curved, die-cut or milled cuts. www.cosentino.com
2. StoneCircle Bespoke Stone Surfaces
StoneCircle has extensive experience fabricating and installing bespoke marble, onyx and other stone surfaces into many luxury London hotels – often in restaurants and bars to create unique design details. The colour and type of stone can be varied to suit a wider interior design scheme, while techniques such as cutting and inlaying using waterjet cutting machines allow the company to create bespoke pieces in consultation with the designers and the client. Onyx can be used to create a striking look when backlit (pictured), whereby the translucent pink onyx on the bar’s countertop and shelving on the walls glow with the light behind. The design language is carried through to the floor, where discs of onyx have been inset into wooden parquet flooring.
www.stone-circle.com
3. Sicis Faux Mosaique
Faux Mosaique by Sicis reimagines the timeless art of mosaic, blending tradition with modern design to create an offering that can transform interior spaces. Expanding beyond classic mosaic applications, Faux Mosaique offers wallpapers, fabrics, carpets and Vetrite – Sicis’ signature laminated glass panels, which capture light and create a soft, opalescent glow – each crafted to bring new layers of depth to any environment. Inspired by intricate patterns and organic textures, the collection evokes the beauty of mosaic in striking ways, honouring the legacy of the material’s craftsmanship, while meeting the demands of contemporary interiors. The range also offers flexibility and modularity, allowing designers to adapt patterns in scale, colour and placement where needed.
www.sicis.com
Le Chic Bohème
Timorous Beasties
Textiles and Wallcoverings
Timorous Beasties is known for its unique wallpaper and textile collections, showcasing designs that reframe historic furnishing and decorative traditions from a contemporary and often satirical viewpoint. The brand’s products are designed in-house at its Glasgow-based studio and supply a wide range of specifications –from hand-printing to digital – and work with materials, including metals, glass and concrete. In addition to designing products to furnish the interiors and exteriors of a wide array of residential, hospitality and commercial spaces, Timorous Beasties also collaborates with clients for a breadth of bespoke projects. Recent hospitality partnerships have seen the brand bring its designs to the guestrooms at Hyde London City and Radisson Blu Glasgow, where its bespoke vinyl wallcoverings were designed and printed to fit each room elevation to reduce waste and installation time. Timorous Beasties’ fabric and wallcovering collections can be supplied on contract base specifications, and have furnished Claridge’s, The Goring and Pan Pacific London, as well as properties from other major hotel groups, such as Four Seasons, Hyatt, IHG, Fairmont and Hilton Worldwide. The brand’s extensive collections can be seen at its flagship London showroom, recently relocated to the heart of Clerkenwell.
www.timorousbeasties.com
Isola, a range of marble mosaic tiles from Reed Harris, has been designed to blend age-old craftsmanship with contemporary design, delivering the visual warmth of natural stone in a refined decorative format. Traditionally, marble mosaics have been associated with ancient art and architecture. Now, Reed Harris has breathed new life into the material, allowing it to be integrated into contemporary interiors by reinterpreting its appeal to meet the desires of modern designers. While classic mosaics often focused on intricate pictorial representations, Isola embraces a minimalist, geometric design that resonates with today’s aesthetic preferences. By combining the artistry of traditional marble mosaics with new patterns and applications, the range serves as a testament to the enduring allure of natural materials. Each pattern can be configured in a combination of marbles from Isola’s colour palette, with mosaic orders assembled on demand to ensure the flexibility to fulfil unique requests. Four surface options meanwhile are on offer: honed mosaic for a smooth, flat finish, a polished look to bring out the natural markings in the stone and reflect light, or the sandblasted and sandblasted brushed finishes, which provide a slip-resistant option for areas prone to moisture, ensuring enhanced traction and safety.
www.reedharris.co.uk
Reed Harris Isola
Find out how our market-leading panels can save you up to £30m2 on your next hotel project. Visit us at the London Business Design Centre, Stand 2 on November 27th and 28th.
Minimise disruption in hotel bathrooms
Fitting Multipanel over tiles in an average sized hotel saves the same amount of CO2 as a 125 nights room capacity.
1. Agua Fabrics
Zephyr
Agua Fabrics has expanded its offer with Zephyr, a new indoor-outdoor material designed to last. The two-tone woven fabric is soft to the touch, crafted to mimic the look and feel of natural wool, whilst also being versatile enough to perform both in the comfort of a hotel lobby and in an outdoor dining setting. Available in both bold and neutral shades, Zephyr’s colourfast dyes ensure that it can withstand UV rays, preventing the fading of its rich tones over time – even with prolonged outdoor use. The range’s Crib 5 fire-retardancy and waterproof coating meanwhile provide additional durability, allowing use throughout the year, regardless of the elements. www.aguafabrics.com
2. Arte
Brushed Suede
Arte has unveiled Brushed Suede, a collection that reimagines different painting techniques as wallcoverings. The first of two designs in the range, Brushed Suede (pictured) is named after a process whereby paint is applied in patterns to create a soft suede look. Arte’s approach is less time-consuming and labour-intensive, mimicking the aesthetic without the complexity behindthe-scenes. Brushed Suede is available in 25 colourways, including neutral tones, as well as brighter red, purple and green hues. The second wallcovering, Sherwood, draws inspiration from the forest after which it is named in Nottingham, renowned for its trails. www.arte-international.com
3. Neolith Atmosphere: Breeze of Innovation
Neolith has launched Atmosphere: Breeze of Innovation, a range of surfaces available in four colours – WhiteSands, Rapolano, Artisan and Ignea. Produced using a new digital technology, WhiteSands is inspired by the serene dunes of New Mexico’s White Sands National Park, its soft texture and pale colour creating a brightening effect. Rapolano meanwhile is a tribute to the design of 16th-century Renaissance Italian palaces; Artisan is inspired by the limestone that covered Europe’s Gothic cathedrals in the 14th and 15th centuries; while Ignea (pictured) evokes the aesthetic of volcanic landscapes, paying homage to the Earth’s magmatic cycles. www.neolith.com
4. Kriskadecor Weaving Collection
Kriskadecor, the Spanish studio known for creating bespoke design solutions using aluminium chains, has unveiled the Weaving Collection. Designed by Estudi{H} ac and its Creative Director José Manuel Ferrero, the range pays homage to the world of fashion and textiles through 14 designs that mimic weaving techniques. Reimagining Kriskadecor’s aluminium chains, various weaving methods have been translated through graphic design to create a three-dimensional effect that interacts with the light, colour and finishes of the chain links. The finished product combines the durability of metal with the appearance of textiles, adding a unique feature to interiors.
www.kriskadecor.com
Vagenas Outdoor Living
UK wall panel manufacturer Grant Westfield is set to showcase its brands Naturepanel and Multipanel at this year’s HIX – the event for hotel interiors. Launched following the rise in demand for slat wall design, Naturepanel offers an aesthetic inspired by natural materials and a Scandinavian design style, with products available in three different wood-effect finishes: Bleached Cuneo Oak, Brown Cuneo Oak and the newly-launched Warmia Walnut. Completely waterproof, the panels are suitable for hotel bathrooms, gyms and receptions, and are easy to clean and quick to install, as well as EPD-accredited and FSCcertified. The richness of Warmia Walnut adds depth and drama, facilitating the creation of eye-catching interiors, whilst also providing the appearance of traditional wood slat walls without the maintenance. www.naturepanel.co.uk
The story of Veganas began in the 1960s with a vision to curate an eclectic range of wallpapers, upholstery fabrics, accessories and sophisticated carpet solutions. Now, years of continuous and meticulous research in the upholstery, carpet and flooring markets have culminated in a diverse portfolio of brands imported by Vagenas, including Misia. The In & Outdoor collection (pictured) has its roots on the island of Corsica, inviting users to imagine themselves in a hamlet perched on a cliff, or in a fisherman’s cottage on the water’s edge. The range features bouclette fabrics, patterns, airy voiles and modern stripes, which mimic the finesse of blended cottons, linens and felted wool in shades of gold, olive green and plum. Each of the fabrics follows outdoor use specifications, made of high-tech fibres that are resistant to external hazards such as chlorine, salt water, light and humidity. www.vagenas.eu
Grant Westfield
Warmia Walnut
Atlas Concorde Boost Expression
Atlas Concorde recently partnered with designer Elisa Ossino to launch Boost Expression, a collection of porcelain wall tiles with a three-dimensional concrete effect. Here, the designer speaks on the process of bringing the products to life.
How did this collaboration come about?
I was initially invited to Atlas Concorde’s showroom in Milan to learn more about their offering. The brand then invited me to design a collection, and the idea of working with a material I had never dealt with was an interesting challenge.
What values do you share with Atlas Concorde?
We both share a strong attention to the material quality of surfaces – I have been conducting research on materials and possible applications for years and have recently delved into surface design. The collection that I designed emphasises texture and tonal variations in a continuous dialogue between materials and spaces, light and shapes.
What are the defining characteristics of Boost Expression?
My main idea was to work on the identity and expressiveness of the material, without imitating other surfaces. Also important was to work on the sensorial aspect of the material, so I spent time exploring the three-dimensionality of the surfaces. I designed 3D and tactile textures that vibrate with the variations of light, creating a soft and pictorial effect on internal surfaces.
What was the inspiration behind your designs?
Geometry was certainly a strong inspiration, and the irregularity of the material on 3D geometric patterns generated a very interesting dialogue. The pattern of each piece is a narration of light and touch, where we can identify chiaroscuro transitions, Modernist traits and Op Art references, to name but a few.
What kind of colour palette did you opt for?
I created a palette of natural, warm colours specifically for the project – timeless and able to lend themselves to different types of settings, both in the city and in nature.
What interiors is Boost Expression suited to?
I think the collection works well both in domestic and contract environments. It is perfect for hotels where you are looking for a sophisticated but warm and enveloping atmosphere.
www.atlasconcorde.com
SPECIFIER
Sutherland Furniture Fall 2024
Sutherland Furniture has teamed up with architecture and design firm Workshop/APD for a Fall 2024 collection. The new pieces include the Drift Sofa and Drift Chaise, which feature soft yet tailored upholstery that bridges the gap between indoor and outdoor living. The angular base is reminiscent of a ship’s hull to create the illusion as though the pieces are floating. “We do so much work in coastal climates and we are always searching for sophisticated modern outdoor furnishings,” explains Andrew Kline, Associate Principal, Workshop/APD. “These pieces feel subtly coastal, in the way that rounded sand dunes softly intersect, or waves crest and break.” The Archer Coffee Table and Archer Occasional Table meanwhile, play with material and curvature by combining wood and GFRC components. The former is a powder-coated aluminium drinks table with crisp lines that seamlessly blends into its surroundings. www.sutherlandfurniture.com
Apaiser Tulle
Inspired by the elegant drape and fluidity of fabric, Apaiser’s Tulle collection captures the grace and indulgence of couture in every meticulously crafted piece. Featuring a sculpted surface enhanced with slender, uniform reeds, the range creates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow that captivates the senses. The soft undulations infuse each piece with a sense of fluidity and motion, enhancing its architectural detail and organic flow within the bathroom. Sustainably handcrafted from the brand’s signature ApaiserMarble, Tulle comes to life when finished in soft whites or moody darks, where the contrast highlights every subtle curve and contour, revealing its craftsmanship, precision and dedication. Comprising a freestanding bathtub, countertop basin, single and double vanities, and a matching side table or shower stool, the series embodies the brand’s approach to sustainable luxury.
www.apaiser.com
Unikateur The Art of Crafting Unique Hospitality Brands
Unikateur is a creative agency specialising in the development and marketing of hospitality concepts. The company delves deep to unearth the essence of a hotel, crafting experiences that resonate – from the first interaction to the final farewell. Working with owners and operators throughout the course of a project, Unikateur effectively helps to shape the brand, working to the belief that authenticity is the cornerstone of lasting success. As such, its approach is rooted in a holistic understanding of the brand, the design scheme and the market. Blending creative vision with practical expertise, Unikateur’s seven-phase process brings brands to life, ensuring every touchpoint, from the logo to the guest experience, reflects a cohesive, compelling identity. Most recently, Unikateur partnered with the owners of Eriro, an Alpine hideaway in Austria, to develop a brand that remains faithful to its heritage whilst embracing a touch of modern elegance. Its remit spanned from the hotel’s name – derived from the ancient word for ‘at the beginning of the forest’ – to its minimalist design language and thoughtfully curated F&B concept. According to the studio, every aspect was crafted to evoke tranquillity and a connection to nature: “Ideas become actionable concepts through experienced strategists, but only through determined creators do they transform into unforgettable experiences.”
www.unikateur.com
CURTAIN SYSTEMS FOR SMART HOTELS
CASE STUDY
Ultimate Library
The OWO
Ultimate Library curates bespoke book collections for luxury hospitality and residential projects worldwide, each tailored to reflect the location, design and character of the property.
At The OWO, set within the Grade II-listed former Old War Office, the London-based firm undertook three distinct projects that showcase a dedication to creating unique and immersive reading experiences.
For the hotel component, Ultimate Library collaborated with Raffles leadership to curate a collection that enhances the guest experience, immersing curious visitors in the building’s storied past and its role in British history. In The Drawing Room, beautifully crafted shelving is stocked with a wide range of tomes, including biographies on Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming, alongside titles celebrating London’s literary legacy.
In a collection of residences, designed by
Albion Nord to marry old and new, classic and contemporary reading books add warmth and soul to each space, and include biographies of key British figures, alongside titles on London’s cultural history and the visual arts. According to Camilla Clarke, founder of Albion Nord, the bespoke collection adds to the scheme: “Ultimate Library go over and above to help us source the best books for the job.”
And at The OWO Penthouse, created by Winch Design, the coffee table is topped with luxuriously produced monographs that nod to the contemporary artworks displayed throughout, by artists such as Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama and Harland Miller. Sophie RobsonBarton, Senior Interior Designer at Winch Design, shares: “The books look incredible, and they are also relevant to the spirit of the penthouse and its location.” www.ultimatelibrary.co.uk
▪ UK Manufacturer and Dedicated In-House Design Team
▪ Supplier to Major International Hotel Groups & Cruise Lines
▪ Experienced in Large Project Work with Bespoke Product Capability
▪ Bespoke Joinery and Case Goods Manufacturer
▪ Products Exceed all Compliance Standards
▪ Promotes Sustainability and Circular Economy
▪ Global Manufacturer to over 70 International Markets
▪ Solid Surface Fabrication of Basins, Vanity Units and Bathroom Structures
Forest Group EasyTouch Remote
Forest Group has launched the EasyTouch remote, the first in a new series of remote controls for its window covering systems. Featuring a sleek, modern design, the six-channel remote takes an ergonomic shape that fits comfortably in the hand. Its intuitive button layout makes curtain control effortless for guests, while its robust design ensures it can handle the demands of daily use, making it suitable for both residential and hospitality settings, particularly the ability to deactivate unused channels. Available in matte white and black finishes, the EasyTouch remote blends seamlessly into any interior design with a transparent wall holder making it easily accessible.
www.forestgroup.com
Dornbracht Light Gold
Lively, light and multi-faceted, the new Light Gold finish from Dornbracht subtly alternates between cool and warm undertones. Available in a glossy or brushed version, it combines luxurious aesthetics with lightness and elegance for eye-catching accents in modern bathroom interiors. The launch marks one of the brand’s first specially developed PVD finishes following a €7m investment in a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient production line. The new technology complements electroplating and wet paint, or powdercoating, introducing new colour schemes to Dornbracht’s curated selection of finishes. Light Gold is available on several design series, including Meta, IMO and Lissé.
www.dornbracht.com
Elstead Lighting Atomo
Elstead Lighting has partnered with Canadian lighting brand Eurofase to expand its Quintiesse premium collection. The collaboration seeks to bring a fresh and modern design to the range, in a bid to elevate its appeal to architects and designers requiring 240v electrics. The three-light Atomo wall light (pictured) belongs to a family of ceiling pendants and wall fixtures comprising hand-blown glass spheres and a proprietary LED lamping called Crystal Pitch. Faceted crystal gears surround the light source to emit refraction within the crystal glass globe. Available in polished chrome or gold finishes, the wall lights are IP44-rated for use in the bathroom, as well as other interior settings.
www.quintiesse.com
Inner Design
Shanti
Inner Design presents Shanti, a revolutionary chair that blends modern aesthetics with the essence of tranquillity. Designed by Joachim Froment and inspired by Rajvi Bhogaita, Shanti offers a personal sanctuary for relaxation, ideal for offices, airport lounges, hotels and homes. Produced in Belgium, Shanti exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. The chair is customisable, with a curated selection of luxurious textiles from Burel Factory, Maharam and Designs of the Time for the upholstery, allowing it to seamlessly fit into various design schemes. Inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design principles, Shanti is both sustainable and elegant. Its sleek cocoon design integrates features like built-in adjustable LED lighting and a movable shell, setting it apart from bulky, tech-heavy meditation pods. Produced locally in Brussels and designed to last, Shanti not only enhances personal well-being but also supports sustainable practices. Inner Design’s Shanti offers a refined space for individuals to unwind, reconnect and find peace in a hectic world.
www.inner-design.com
Roman Colour Finishes
The rapid evolution of colour options in the designer bathroom market has never been more dynamic. As such, British shower designer and manufacturer Roman has expanded its Haven Select Wetroom Panel range with the introduction of a new Gun Metal colourway. This new option reflects the growing preference amongst architects and designers for the dark grey hue’s timeless sophistication, which is increasingly used in high-end bathrooms. The Haven Select Wetroom Panels now also feature 8mm fluted glass, a design choice that is gaining popularity due to its elegant, space-enhancing appeal. The pairing of Gun Metal with fluted glass offers a blend of classic and contemporary, creating a statement centrepiece in any bathroom setting. Roman has also announced the release of another highly sought-after finish, Brushed Bronze, now available in Roman’s Haven Select Wetroom Panel range. As with all finishes, Brushed Bronze and Gun Metal will be offered at no additional cost, with all colour options priced consistently.
www.roman-showers.com
SV Casa
Luxury Hotel Accessories
It’s the little touches that make a hotel guest’s stay all the more special, and no one knows this better than SV Casa. Co-owner and Managing Director Niccolò Santi delves into the mastery behind the luxury hotel accessories brand.
An Italian born in Rio de Janeiro, raised in Cairo and based in Hong Kong, Niccolò Santi has strategically positioned SV Casa at the forefront of the luxury hotel accessories and OS&E market. By seamlessly merging artisan bespoke design with large scale production, SV Casa meets the unique demands of each hotel it partners with.
Having completed over 400 hotel projects, from the 3,600-key Fontainebleau in Las Vegas to the luxurious Rosewood Hong Kong, Capella Sydney and The Lana in Dubai, the driving force behind the brand’s success is a people-centric approach. “We aim to treat our clients the same way a luxury hotel treats their guests,” explains Santi. “After all, hospitality is a people’s business.”
As the luxury hospitality sector continues to expand, there is increasing emphasis on differentiating through unique products and experiences. SV Casa believes it can make a point of difference, by offering fully bespoke capabilities from gifting to guestroom, bathroom and F&B setups and much more. “Not every link in a luxury hotel chain is the same. Our commitment is to understand each property and continue the story started by the interior designer with each and every product,” reveals Santi.
SV Casa is currently involved in some of the most eagerly anticipated projects in the hospitality industry, yet it is in constant competition with itself. “Our best project is always the next one,” states Santi. This relentless pursuit of excellence ensures that luxury never becomes mundane at SV Casa.
The brand’s journey is testament to its dedication to bespoke craftsmanship and ability to adapt and innovate continuously. Its story, much like the products it creates, is one-of-a-kind. www.svinternationaldesign.com • www.sv-casa.com
Original BTC
Blossom Linear Wall Light
The Blossom Linear Wall Light is the result of an ambitious project undertaken by the Original BTC design team in partnership with its most experienced craftspeople. The luminaire features an elongated shade, casting a warm, soft glow while simultaneously providing gentle illumination. From a distance, the light appears monolithic and linear, yet up close, the details shine through. The petal-shaped top stretches into gently curved elements, separated by slim lines where the ceramic is slightly thicker. Brass screws affix the shade to the backplate, which holds the LED light source and the IP44-rated wall light can be positioned next to a mirror or above a bathtub, adding warm accent lighting to any space. To achieve the symmetric lines of the shade, the team tried and tested many moulds and perfected the firing process. The slip is poured into the mould, left to dry until solid, with any excess returned to the slip barrel for reuse. The greenware then air dries, is sponged and fettled to smooth out any irregularities, before being biscuitfired, glazed and fired again. The final assembly takes place in the Original BTC factory in Witney, Oxfordshire. www.originalbtc.com
Tuuci Ocean Master Voilare
The new Ocean Master Voilare parasol features a sophisticated silhouette and intricate frame system that creates its own focal point above and beneath the canopy. The larger Ocean Master Mega Max Voilare features a pagoda-inspired top, with a 20ft canopy that sits over 24 curved fluted ribs and a 133mm mast that aids and defends against the wind. Piping and tassel enhancement options meanwhile complete the design. The smaller 2.6m or 3.4m Ocean Master M1 Voilare parasol has 12 curved ribs, a 51mm mast and a flowing sea scallop valance. The M1 Voilare Wonder offers preselected enhancements, including a Wonder screenprint on a double-sided canopy, with all enhancements available in a variety of colours. By combining pre-selected upgrades with customisable elements, the Voilare Wonder offers a balance of convenience and personalisation, enabling hotels to enhance their outdoor spaces. Ocean Master Voilare parasols have a vision hub design constructed of marine-grade stainless-steel for both flexibility and durability, making them suitable for hospitality, commercial, restaurant settings and residential applications. www.tuuci.com
You provide the luxury stay
Manutti has supplied Solid dining armchairs to the Inspire Santorini luxury villas, fusing contemporary design with natural beauty against the backdrop of the Fira cliffs. Designed by Studio Rare Encounters and delivered by Pergola, the seats are characterised by clean lines and warm wood that harmoniously complement the villas’ whitewashed walls and minimalist architecture, crafting an inviting outdoor oasis. These terraces showcase high-quality materials such as wood and aluminum, creating a seamless aesthetic. The selection of Manutti’s Solid chairs reflects a commitment to elegance and comfort, enriching the serene ambiance of each terrace. www.manutti.com
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with locations across Europe, Graff has positioned itself as at the forefront of design, creating designer-based collections for the luxury market. A contemporary line with subtle yet elegant industrial details, the Vintage series (pictured) brings a sense of nuance and historic intrigue to the bath space with rich industrial chic details equally suited for a metropolitan loft space or a country estate. The Harley range meanwhile, was derived from the stylings of classic motorcycles, fusing an industrial aesthetic with details nostalgic of the all-American icons.
www.graff-designs.com
Ethimo Boldini
Ethimo has reimagined the Bold dining table on a smaller scale with different colours for outdoor lounge areas. Boldini coffee tables present an opportunity to create different arrangements and original combinations alongside the many other Ethimo lounge items. Available in three shapes, the tabletops are created in Rosso Francia or Verde Guatemala marble or sand-coloured travertine, available in a bright glossy finish that accentuates the natural veining. The glazed ceramic legs echo the shiny tabletops, adding dynamism and cohesion to the overall design. The tables can be used as standalone pieces to add a touch of colour to their surroundings or can be grouped together as a triptych, thus providing the option to create personalised arrangements. The attention to detail, choice of materials and variations in colour, make the new Boldini coffee tables distinctive pieces that add character and charm to outdoor environments.
www.ethimo.com
Graff Vintage / Harley
Manutti Inspire Santorini
DUX
A Partnership with Bang & Olufsen
DUX recently partnered with Bang & Olufsen to launch The Audio Headboard, a solid wood headboard complete with two Beosound Level speakers. Handcrafted to the requested specification, the product is available in three solid wood finishes, with three choices of stone top colours.
Here, Kevin Slade, DUX’s Director of Growth tells all on the partnership and what the launch can bring to hotels.
How did the collaboration with Bang & Olufsen come about?
We are always looking for new collaborations that fit our brand, and I had discovered that Bang & Olufsen were looking for a new way to be present in the bedroom and sleep industry. Through some very positive early discussions, it was apparent to all involved that this was a perfect partnership to build.
How is the headboard suited to hotels?
It seamlessly and beautifully combines a statement piece of furniture in the form of a headboard with technology that many guests look for in a hotel room: fine sound, smart voice assistance and wireless charging.
How does the headboard improve guests’ wellbeing?
The use of music to both go to sleep and wake up can enhance a person’s sleep and ultimately their wellbeing. With this in mind, DUX has created a playlist for winding down and waking up that uses the beats per minute in a track to influence energy levels.
What advantages does the product bring to operators?
By having all these features in one item, it minimises the number of suppliers, ensures a smooth, integrated design and offers guests a truly premium experience.
What kind of interiors is the headboard suited to?
The design was intentionally Scandinavian, however the varied finish options make it versatile for all settings.
How can it be customised?
We handcraft each and every product to order. With The Audio Headboard, personalisation options include varied sizes and finishes, as well as a choice of cushions. Both DUX and Bang & Olufsen have a long tradition of bespoke products, so anything within reason is possible!
www.duxiana.com
ADVERTISING INDEX ISSUE 117
Stay Like Paris
Paris Hilton puts her signature pink stamp on The Beverly Hilton, with experiential suites that invite guests to ‘Stay Like an Infinite Icon’.
From modelling and singing to business and activism, Paris Hilton is a woman of many talents. Now, the great-granddaughter of the legendary Conrad Hilton is turning her hand to interior design, curating her own immersive, experiential suites at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. For one month only, guests are invited to ‘Stay Like’ the pop culture princess in a penthouse that is adorned from top to toe in all things Paris and pink – 26 shades, to be exact. From the plush bedroom through to the spa-like bathroom and private terrace, the interiors showcase futuristic furniture, metallic motifs and iconic Paris memorabilia including posters, photos and vinyls of her forthcoming album, Infinite Icon. There are also nods to the mogul’s personal passions: mirrors are etched with treasured quotes such as “never pass a
mirror without looking in it”; there’s a stash of her favourite rom-coms to watch from the comfort of the lounge; and rugs throughout come directly from her own home, allowing guests to truly live like the icon. “Partnering with Hilton to help design these iconic one-of-a-kind suites that reflect my personal style and celebrate my new album has been an incredible experience,” says Paris. “The rooms are complete with a touch of glamour, fun and, of course, lots of pink! It’s the perfect space for my fans to embrace their best lives while experiencing the energy and vibe of my new album in a truly special way. I’m excited to bring this collaboration to life in an iconic hotel like the Beverly Hilton, where I grew up celebrating special moments with my family. I can’t wait for my fans to sliv – and stay – like an infinite icon.”
