Sleeper March/April 2018 - Issue 77 by Mondiale Media

MARCH | APRIL 2018

Ibiza

Jackalope

NoMad LA

The changing face of the once-hedonistic haven

An art-infused escape in Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wine country

Sydell Group touch down in the City of Angels

Because good design demands simplicity. â&#x201E;˘

18th - 23rd March Stands 1.1 H01 and 5.1 C90 British lighting design since 1997 astrolighting.com

Inside Sleeper MARCH | APRIL 2018

Hotel Reviews

Features

Cover Story

048 NoMad Los Angeles

042 Meeting… Alessandro Munge Following the opening of The William Vale in Brooklyn, Alessandro Munge talks designing with spirit and the narrativedriven style that embodies his approach.

000 La Granja Ibiza Restoring the centuries-old farmstead that anchors this retreat deep in the Ibicenco countryside was more an act of conservation than transformation by Armin Fischer of Dreimeta, whose designs acknowledge the imperfections of stone, wood and unfired clay according to Japanese principles of Wabi-Sabi

054 Kerry Hotel Hong Kong 065 Jackalope Victoria 073 Downtown Camper Stockholm 080 The Hoxton Paris 088 Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne 098 Wild Coast Tented Lodge Yala 104 The Silo Cape Town

125 Location Report… Ibiza Stylish new hotels are proliferating on the Balearic island previously best known for its hedonistic nightlife.

110 Adare Manor County Limerick 119 Trunk (Hotel) Tokyo

Location Report 125 Ibiza 128 La Granja 138 Nobu Hotel 144 Sir Joan

Departments 024 Check In 026 Drawing Board 153 Business Centre Hotel Analyst 158 Business Centre STR 163 Events AHEAD 172 Events Radical Innovation Award 177

Company Profile Grohe

183 Product Profile Outdoor Furniture 204 Product Profile Spa & Wellness 207 Specifier 226 Check Out

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Living the good life outside. Love it, live it, share it. www.tribu.com

PURE BRASS In a choice of resplendent Chrome, Nickel, Gold and Living Brass finishes

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allermuir.com

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01/09/2016 10:09:33

Welcome

otels were once seen primarily as a place for weary voyagers to recuperate from the arduous business of travel. But increasingly, the experiences traditionally offered within the confines of a hotel are shaping the experience of travel itself. As hotels have evolved beyond providing simple shelter and security, to hubs where dining, working, and socialising take as much precedence as bedding down for the night, the design of conventional hotels is influencing alternative models such as cruise ships, yachts, river boats and sleeper trains. Even commercial space travel is moving inexorably closer to becoming a reality. Such concepts offer so much more than a just a means for getting from A to B. They’re kitted out with state-of-art spas, restaurants helmed by Michelinstarred chefs, and in many cases, are designed by leading names in the hotel world. Muza Lab - the firm responsible for the award-winning design of The Alpina Gstaad - has recently completed the interiors for Belmond Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury sleeper train. Renowned hotel designer Adam Tihany is the creative force behind a new fleet of ships for Seabourn. And London-based practices Jestico + Whiles and Richmond International are currently working on P&O Cruises’ next-generation liner. It would seem that operators are looking to replicate the success of the hospitality industry, transferring the skills of specialist hotel designers to the world of mobile hospitality. Hotel groups are getting in on the act too, bringing the same levels of luxury seen in their land-based properties to the skies and seas. Four Seasons has its own private jet, The Ritz-Carlton has announced the 2019 launch of its yacht collection, and Accor has bought a stake in Orient Express, with plans to develop the brand globally. And there’s a whole industry dedicated to the manufacture and supply of marine grade fabrics, fixtures and fittings, that generally have to meet more exacting standards than traditional hospitality materials. With this in mind, I’m delighted to announce the launch of a new supplement dedicated to this growing market. We’re in the process of delving deeper into the sector, and as I write from Fort Lauderdale, a key event for the global cruise industry is unfolding around me, bringing together the buyers, suppliers and cruise line executives who will together define the future of the sector. All are out to prove that travel is not just about the destination, but the glory of the ride.

Catherine Martin | Editor

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Guest Book

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104

ANDREW ZOBLER

ERIK NISSEN JOHANSEN

MARIA VAFIADIS

THOMAS HEATHERWICK

As founder and CEO of Sydell Group, Andrew Zobler has overseen the creation of acclaimed projects including The Ned, and the expansion of brands such as The Line and Freehand Hotels. His latest undertaking – NoMad Los Angeles – continues the spirit of the brand’s inaugural New York property, taking up residence in a historic building whilst balancing considered integrity and significant character.

Taking home an A HEA D Europe prize for Stylt Trampoli’s work at Huus Gstaad, founder and Creative Director Erik Nissen Johansen demonstrated a keen eye for visual delights. Expanding on this playful approach, Nissen and his team have recently completed the 494-key Downtown Camper by Scandic, featuring suspended nets, swings and colourful quirks alongside energised communal spaces.

“Each of the buildings we have designed or redesigned is completely individual in character, and offers a unique experience for guests and residents,” says Maria Vafiadis, f ou n d e r a n d M a n a g i n g Director of MKV Design of her latest project: interiors for a trio of hotels at the expansive Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort Lake Lucerne, an Alpine retreat featuring 383 keys across four distinct properties.

Emerging as one of Britain’s most recognised designers, Thomas Heatherwick has built a portfolio that includes infrastructure, installation and architecture projects as well as high-profile public appointments. Overseeing the architectural transformation of an historic Cape Town granary, his work at The Silo and adjoining Zeitz MOCAA reimagines the V&A Waterfront icon for a new generation.

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SALER SOFT design José A. Gandía-Blasco www.gandiablasco.com

ATLANTA BARCELONA IBIZA LISBOA LOS ANGELES PORTO MADRID MIAMI NEW YORK ONTINYENT

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06/02/2018 12:28:43

Front Desk EDITORIAL

P O R T FO LI O Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Editor-at-Large

Matt Turner – m.turner@mondiale.co.uk Catherine Martin – c.martin@mondiale.co.uk Kristofer Thomas – k.thomas@mondiale.co.uk Ben Thomas – b.thomas@mondiale.co.uk Guy Dittrich

A DV E R T I S I N G Commercial Director Advertising Manager Advertising Sales

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AHEAD Global Sponsorship

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ÂŠ Tomislav Mataic

Una Barac ARTELIOR

Taking a break from crafting Dream Hotel Group’s UK debut, Una Barac heads to her fantasy hotel in Norway, where Scandanavian classics sit centrestage.

Where are you? The Lofoten Islands, off the northwest coast of Norway. It’s late September and we’re there to enjoy the breathtaking scenery by day and Northern Lights by night… weather permitting. How did you get there? We sailed into port in a J/112E – the latest E-series sport cruising yacht from J/Boats. Who is there to greet you on arrival? Ian Schrager. He’s there to host a dinner party that we will attend later that evening. And who’s at the concierge desk? The concierge from Rosewood Beijing. I’m usually an independent traveller and don’t rely hugely on concierge, but in Beijing, I struggled with the language barrier and they were wonderfully helpful. Who are you sharing your room with? My partner; he is my best travel companion. Is there anything you would like waiting for you in your room? Upon arrival, we are refreshed with chilled bottles of still glacier water, bottled locally at its source. I love water and drink three litres every day. Describe the hotel, your room and the view... It is a boutique hotel with just 25 guestrooms, their curvilinear, asymmetric concrete forms are clad in timber and hide amongst the towering pine trees. The property is nestled in the landscape, perfectly

at one with its surroundings. We breathe in the calming scent of pine needles. A gravelled path meanders to the entrance, and as we reach the portecochère, friendly staff in colourful Scandinavian jumpers greet us with a smile. The small reception pod is carved from local Lovgavlen marble, and we are checked-in on an iPad by the open fire. Furniture is a mix of Norwegian contemporary design and Danish classics, all upholstered with locally sourced pure lamb’s wool fabrics. Lighting is an eclectic mix of iconic pieces by Poul Henningsen and Louis Poulsen, complemented by new additions from Frandsen, while walls are adorned with contemporary works by Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard and photography by Torbjorn Rodland. Who designed it? Zaha Hadid was the architect and the interiors are the work of Joseph Dirand. Hadid was an inspiration throughout my architectural studies, while Dirand’s work is timeless and so respectful of the local context; I imagine he would bring warmth and elegance in a pared-back Scandinavian manner. What’s the restaurant and bar like? Concrete walls and stripped-down timber floors draw inspiration from the Scandinavian aesthetic. Dirand’s choice of furniture and lighting bring oodles of style and comfort. The space he has created is classic, yet modern; glamorous, yet understated. The sound of the ice inside cocktail shakers is heard over the soft sounds of Sigur Rós – my favourite Icelandic band.

Who are you dining with this evening? My partner, who makes us all laugh with his dry Yorkshire wit; Ian Schrager, hosting the event and sharing his thoughts on the hospitality industry; Robbie Bargh of Gorgeous Group, spreading wisdom on F&B; Mies van der Rohe, teaching us how to create iconic spaces; and Karl Lagerfeld, to give us a few style tips. Who’s manning the stoves? Tom Sellers, who recently won a Michelin star for Restaurant Story in Southwark. His cooking is a work of art. And what’s on the menu? We’ll start with series of amuse-bouche; they are amazing delights based on unassuming traditional home recipes such as bread and dripping. He presents this in the style of a beef-fat candle, with freshly baked warm bread. His courses of sea and land continue with crispy cod skin, scallops with tomato raisins and caviar, finished with a venison quartet. I’m not a fan of desert so we opt for a cheese board, while petit fours are replaced with Japanese mochi rice balls. Would you like something to drink with that? Perfectly chilled Gavi di Gavi, specially selected by the Balls Brothers’ sommelier. What’s in the mini-bar for a nightcap? Hendrick’s Gin with Fever-Tree tonic, lashings of cucumber and a twist of coarsely ground black pepper.

Name: Una Barac | Position: Executive Director, Artelior | www.artelior.com Notable hotel projects: Unscripted Birmingham Central Hall; Hotel Indigo, Belgrade; Four Seasons Hotel Hvar; Tarcin Forest Resort & Spa Sarajevo MGallery by Sofitel

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Svart HOLANDSFJORDEN

Snøhetta has revealed its design for Svart, the world’s first energy positive hotel concept in the Arctic Circle. Developed in collaboration with Arctic Adventures of Norway, architects Asplan Viak and construction firm Skanska, the circularbodied hotel will sit at the foot of Svartisen, a 370km2 glacier running through Meløy, Norway. Designed to leave minimal footprint on the landscape, the architecture is inspired by fiskehjells – a wooden structure for drying fish – and the vernacular of rorbue, traditional seasonal homes for fishermen. The hotel will be built to Powerhouse standard, meaning it functions to both reduce the use of energy whilst generating its own, and is set to open as the northernmost building of this type in the world. Reducing yearly energy consumption by approximately 85% compared to modern building standards in Norway, Svart’s roof is clad with solar panels to optimise the harvest of solar rays, and positioned so that guestrooms and restaurants enjoy the sun all year round. Secluded terraces create a shaded façade to ensure privacy and isolation from the high summer sun, whilst large windows offer panoramic views and natural light in the shorter winter days. Built atop weather-resistant wooden poles below the fjord’s surface, the foundation doubles as a boardwalk for visitors whilst geothermal wells connected to heat pumps will be used to warm the hotel. Accessible only by boat, Svart will surround guests with untouched natural features including the glacier’s blue ice, a host of rare plant species and the clear waters of Holandsfjorden. Plans are also in place for an energy neutral boat shuttle from the city of Bodø.

Six Senses SINGAPORE

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has announced the conversion of two heritage nearby buildings in Singapore to create its first city hotels.

Bedi of Garcha Hotels on this project,” comments Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs. “The buildings will be the last heritage hotels of this quality to be developed in Singapore. Each building has its own distinct personality, but what makes Six Senses Singapore so special is that guests can enjoy all the offerings of both locations plus the neighbourhood when staying with us. It’s all about community and being part of the rich, local culture of Singapore.” Six Senses Duxton, set in Chinatown, will feature eccentric surprises including golden fans in hues of black and yellow, layered with Oriental screens or calligraphy wallpaper from Hempel’s personal collection. Maxwell, meanwhile, reflects the authentic decor of the era in which it was built with a contemporary, colonial twist. Duxton is due to open in April 2018 within the city’s Central Business District, with Maxwell following suit three months later.

Six Senses Duxton – sustainably restored by designer Anoushka Hempel – comprises 49 guestrooms and suites, while the 138-key Six Senses Maxwell, incorporating a spa, outdoor lap pool and club lounge, will be designed by Jacques Garcia. Celebrating local culture and history while adding a touch of playfulness, both structures feature a mix of international elements including neo-classical lion head motifs, Chinese porcelain-chip friezes, Malay timber fretwork, French windows, Portuguese shutters and Corinthian pilasters. “Such unique properties do not come to market often and we are delighted to be working with Satinder Garcha and Harpreet

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YotelPad VARIOUS LOC ATIONS

Yotel has announced a new venture into the extended-stay market with the launch of YotelPad, a branded aparthotel concept.

in Utah and Downtown Miami. YotelPad Park City is located at Utah’s Park City Mountain, the largest ski resort in the US and will be developed by Replay Destinations, whilst the Miami location will form part of a mixed-use development that includes 250 Yotel Cabins and 208 Pads by the Aria Development Group. Further YotelPads in Geneva’s lake region and Dubai’s Business Bay are set to follow in the coming years. Jo Berrington, Vice President of Brand at Yotel, explains: “YotelPad will transcend traditional boundaries with a blend of hotel-quality standards and home-like comforts, all achieved through our signature design DNA making the most out of compact spaces. Not only does this allow each guest or owner to have a fully functional private pad, but with the added benefit to work, connect, relax and socialise in multifunctional and fun spaces, creating a strong sense of community.”

Known as Pads, standard guestrooms will start from 215ft 2 and feature Yotel’s adjustable smartbeds – as well as en-suite bathrooms, kitchenettes and storage space – whilst the brand’s signature Technowall will facilitate easy connectivity and personalisation. Location-specific amenities include gyms, cinemas and libraries. Hubert Viriot, CEO of Yotel, comments: “Following the successful roll-out of YotelAir and Yotel, we saw a natural opportunity to rethink the traditional extended-stay segment in the same fashion we disrupted conventional hotel models.” YotelPad will launch globally with five projects already confirmed in North America, Europe and the Middle East, the first two being

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E d i ti o n 26 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; L a u n c h e s M ay 20 1 8 For fur ther information email: marketing@chelsom.co.uk

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Rosewood Half Moon Bay ANTIGUA

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed to manage Rosewood Half Moon Bay Antigua, set to open in 2021.

Rosewood’s Sense of Place philosophy into Half Moon Bay’s incredible natural environment to create unforgettable experiences for our guests.” The resort is also set to feature several dining concepts, including a signature lounge perched on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, as well as a pool grill, beach bar, and on-site organic farm to supply fresh ingredients year round. Meanwhile, a fitness centre, tennis court and six treatment room Rosewood spa will complete the offer. Developed by Vancouver-based Replay Destinations, Rosewood Half Moon Bay will join a regional network of Rosewood properties including Rosewood Baha Mar – slated to open in Spring 2018 – and the soon-to-reopen Rosewood Bermuda and Rosewood Little Dix Bay. In total, Rosewood manages 21 hotels in 12 countries, with 17 new properties currently in the pipeline.

Situated on 132 acres of oceanfront, the project will rejuvenate the former Half Moon Bay Hotel with a scheme borrowing from historic Caribbean architecture and reflective of its beach locale. Comprising 47 pavilion-style suites, each featuring views and with amenities including private infinity plunge pools, hammocks, open-air baths and live orchid walls, Rosewood Half Moon Bay Antigua will further integrate a residential component and 13 estate homes. “With its secluded location and breathtaking beach, Half Moon Bay is one of the world’s most stunning hidden gems, and a natural destination for Rosewood’s affluential explorers,” says Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group. “We look forward to integrating

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Artyzen Hotel NANJING

Artyzen Hospitality Group is set to open its second hotel in China, Artyzen Hotel, within the anticipated Sifang Collective arts hub.

garden – the 22-key hotel features public and private spaces designed with bold primary colours and prominent geometric structures. Emphasising a light atmosphere to create a sense of space, guestrooms will feature walk-in wardrobes, freestanding bathtubs and panoramic views out to the lake, woodland and hills that surround the cluster. HBA’s use of irregular wall grids, geometrical rugs and contemporary furnishings seeks to fuse the scheme with Sottass’ distinctive vision and Artyzen’s philosophy of art, culture and emotional wisdom. “Sifang is a one-of-a-kind project, unique in so many different ways. Not just a hotel – an experience – driven by remarkable architecture that is not just about design,” says HBA Partner David T’Kint. “All the buildings somehow embrace the natural surroundings and each unit is unique and has its own narrative.”

Situated in Nanjing, the project comprises 22 buildings designed by two-dozen of the most recognisable names in international and Chinese architecture. Featuring creations by dissident artist Ai Weiwei, British architect David Adjaye, and Italian designer Ettore Sottsass, the mixed-use project will house art galleries, conference and event spaces, a museum and spa. Part of CIPEA (The China International Practical Exhibition of Architecture) Sifang Collective is set for a 2018 opening, and features interiors by Hirsch Bedner Associates throughout the hotel element. Situated within the Sottass-designed recreation centre – a bold, enveloped structure incorporating circular walls and an internal

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The DogHouse ABERDEENSHIRE

Independent brewer BrewDog has announced plans to build the world’s first craft beer hotel in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

co-founder and Captain of BrewDog. “The idea of opening a beer hotel has always been high on our agenda, and now we are finally able to realise that dream, right here at our headquarters. This will be the ultimate destination for craft beer fans seeking hops with their holidays. This is a beer Nirvana.” BrewDog introduced the DogHouse concept last year with the announcement of a hotel in Columbus, Ohio, at the site of its American brewery. The venture into hospitality follows the fifth round of Equity for Punks in October 2017, with sights set on a programme of global expansion. This includes construction of new breweries in Australia and China, the opening of 15 new craft beer venues in the UK, increasing the production capacity of its UK brewery, and the creation of a dedicated craft beer TV network.

Scheduled to open in the first half of 2019, The DogHouse will be built on a 3.25 acre site adjacent to BrewDog’s current 1 million hectolitre brewery, with funding coming from the company’s Equity for Punks initiative, a crowdfunding drive that has raised over £53 million from 73,000 backers. 26 guestrooms will feature beer taps and a built-in beer fridge in the shower, whilst guests will be able to watch brewers at work with rooms overlooking a newly completed brewhouse expansion and canning and packing hall. “The DogHouse is our gift to passionate craft beer fans making the pilgrimage to our brewery in Aberdeenshire,” explains James Watt,

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AFRICA by Eugeni Quitllet

Glamour | Beauty | Modernity | Elegance | Magic www.vondom.com

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino H O L LY W O O D, F L O R I D A

Hard Rock Hotels has unveiled plans to expand its flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with a guitar-shaped tower that will add 806 guestrooms.

bring it to life,” Allen comments. “It will be the first building in the world that’s truly to scale designed as an authentic guitar, so it’s not just an exterior façade, the curving of the building will be identical to an authentic guitar.” A 10-acre water complex surrounded by private villas will be set at the tower’s base, with waterfalls greeting guests on arrival. A pool tower will also flank the new structure, containing an additional 168 guestrooms and bringing the total key count to over 1,300. Further amenities include a 41,000ft2 spa, and a Hard Rock Live venue. Seminole Tribe Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr adds: “Our ancestors and elders welcomed curious tourists to our Florida reservations, and today’s members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida will soon welcome visitors from all over the world to what will become a landmark destination.”

Designed to resemble two guitars back-to-back, with necks that reach 450ft into the air, the structure is part of a USD$1.5 billion expansion that will double the resort’s current size, adding new gambling and entertainment facilities with 60,000ft2 of retail and restaurant space. The vision of James F. Allen – longtime CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International – the project also features contributions from design firms including Rockwell Group, EDSA, Wilson Associates, Wimberly Interiors and Cleo Design. “Our talented team of architects and designers have done an amazing job of designing this incredible structure and working to

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Tetusa Oasis Thermal Resort ÇEŞME

Ljubljana-based architectural studio Enota has revealed its design concept for Tetusa Oasis Thermal Resort, an undulating complex in Turkey’s coastal town of Çesme.

sunlight to reach the subterranean levels. The same principle is applied to the semi-circular units on the site’s perimeter, where the surrounding land is used to obscure the view of the levels gained. As additional levels are added, each block is individually adapted to fit the topography, resulting in a series of unique yet unobtrusive architectural shapes. Filled with trees and water features, the spaces between and atop the structures will be adapted to blend with the surrounding area, whilst creating an environmentally conscious attraction for guests, with the 58,700m2 complex doubling as a city park. Founded in 1998 and led by principal architects Dean Lah and Milan Tomac, Enota focuses on research-driven, environmental designs incorporating new technologies, including Slovenia’s Hotel Ribno and Croatia’s forthcoming Stone Terrace Hotel.

The extensive wellness and medical facility is set within a low-rise housing area, and comprises a spa, water park, hotel, healthcare centre and elderly care facilities. With strict site regulations meaning that limited space was available to facilitate the complex’s numerous programmes, Enota found an unconventional and striking solution, raising the scheme from the ground as a series of rolling hills. Billed as ‘an introverted oasis,’ construction will begin in 2019. Designing the entire resort in circular blocks, each section of the structure is wrapped around a deepened inner atrium, allowing

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MEETING

Alessandro Munge With his detail-oriented, narrative-driven style in demand, Alessandro Munge talks designing with spirit and finding the why. Words: Kristofer Thomas | © Maxime Bocken (unless otherwise stated)

alking from Manhattan’s Lower East Side to the Williamsburg Bridge, I catch sight of Brooklyn’s first notes while crossing. The journey takes less than an hour, but the division in style is rapidly clear: Nolita’s sculpted window surrounds and lattice fire escapes giving way to the more colonial tones and painted row houses that characterise regenerated Williamsburg. From here it’s a parade of vibrant graffiti, boutique shops and café windows lined with laptops – all the hallmarks of gentrification – though above is a resolute link to the past: the series of water towers that have long featured as part of the borough’s skyline. These distinctive profiles – cylindrical containers atop steel-legged supports – partially inform the architecture of what is now one of the most prominent structures in the area. Rising from a block of repurposed factories and redbrick breweries stands The William Vale, where Alessandro Munge – the Italian-Canadian founder and director of Studio Munge – has created a hotel indebted to the borough’s diverse communal past as much as its creative-hotspot present. We meet in the lobby by a wall-length mural by artist Marela Zacarias that tells the Brooklyn story through analogous colour, pattern and shape. Minimal furnishings unfold across a marble floor, and as we sit down to speak, a queue begins to form by the elevator to the hotel’s wildly popular rooftop bar. “I want people come to The William Vale and find something that

thinks outside of the box in terms of what Williamsburg is,” Munge explains. “There’s a respect for what was here before as well as what’s here now. I want guests to come in and know that whatever they see and touch is part of the city. There’s an authentic locality to it all.” Authenticity is important to Munge, especially in the context of hotels, the design of which he sees as a more personal and emotional undertaking than anything else. His insistence on a palette of locally-sourced materials and art within The William Vale generates the faithful aesthetic, whilst his close consulting of Brooklyn natives both young and old ensures an equally relevant narrative. “We start all of our projects with a narrative and a discussion. We find the why, and only then do we begin to design,” he adds. A graduate of Toronto’s Ryerson University – though immersed in the world of design long before enrolment – Munge initially cut his teeth selling and delivering fabric for his mother’s drapery business. Promoted to the table, he soon began cutting, stitching and flexing his creative muscles, exploring design solutions whilst seeking out new clients and oppurtunities. “This is where I discovered a passion for infusing business into art, and art into design,” he notes. “I tend to approach things with a business mindset but a high creative energy, in the hopes I’ll create work that isn’t necessarily what you’d find in a magazine but still works commercially.” Whilst formal education provided a wealth of connections and

“I have no interest in repeating myself. I don’t want to do my clients or myself an injustice.”

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Above: The William Vale’s lobby, where a 3D mural by Marela Zacarias tells an analogous story of Brooklyn’s past through abstract colour and shape Opposite: The recently opened Bisha Hotel in Toronto was an opportunity for Munge to bring everything he’s learnt back home

valuable industry training, Munge was ambitious, and eager to forge his own path, one that ultimately led to the opening of his own studio. And so, after five years of training and working at Yabu Pushelberg following a teacher’s recommendation, he ventured out with colleague Sia Leung to form Munge Leung in 1997. Twenty years on, Munge finds himself walking Robert de Niro and Nobuyuki Matsuhisa through the mock-up rooms of Nobu Toronto; being named Contract Magazine’s Designer of the Year; and, having parted ways with Leung in 2015, truly independent, overseeing his 60-strong studio. “I like sixty, it feels good because I never want to let go of a design,” he says of his tight-knit team. “I learnt very quickly that large scale offices, unless they are incredibly well organised and work around a very specific philosophy, run the risk of losing the spirit of where it all started.” Working with Rosewood, Hilton, Park Hyatt, The Ritz-Carlton and Shangri-La, whilst forging close relationships with influential hoteliers and hospitality figures such as Toronto’s King of Clubs Charles Khabouth, Munge has instilled hotels worldwide with his narrative-driven, conceptually intriguing and detail-oriented style. A rejuvenation of Vancouver’s Rosewood Hotel Georgia in 2013 saw him emphasise the presence of original terrazzo flooring and elevator cab minutiae, whilst a close reading of the property’s heritage

resulted in considered, respectful interactions between historical surroundings and his own bespoke furniture and lighting creations. Inspired by the Algonquin School of Canadian landscape painters, Munge’s vision at Park Hyatt Toronto – set for a 2019 reopening – breaks the concept of design down into its working parts of texture, colour and shape before reassembling them as landscape-influenced interiors. Farther afield, his scheme at Shangri-La Nanning draws visual inspiration from the building’s angular form and progressive architecture, as well as the curving profiles of rice fields and rivers, bridging the Guangxi province’s treasured cultural past with wider China’s burgeoning future. “We’re malleable in that we’re not thematic one hit wonders. I have no interest in repeating myself,” he stresses. “I don’t want to do my clients or myself an injustice.” It is the recently opened Bisha Hotel Toronto – Munge’s project with Charles Khabouth – and the forthcoming Nobu Toronto that are of particular importance to him however, in both a personal and professional capacity. “These two are special,” he says with a smile. “For me, it is an opportunity to bring everything I’ve learnt throughout my career back home to Toronto.” This homecoming marks the culmination of a decade’s work. Both mixed-use properties, interiors at Nobu and Bisha will showcase Munge’s skill for integration, blending residential and hospitality

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Above: A ten-year project, Munge’s work within Nobu Toronto showcases an intergration of residential and hotel elements

elements to create guestrooms that feel like homes, and homes that function as effectively as any of the bar, club, spa or hotels found in the studio’s portfolio. Describing the former as “Nobu with Canadian essence” and the latter as “something the city has never seen before,” it becomes clear how much Munge – as both designer and individual – values a sense of place, and what lies beneath the surface of each project he undertakes. The spirit he wishes to preserve at his practice is exactly that, the spirit, finding and designing around the soul of a project’s unique character to create something that stands the test of time whilst immediately appealing to guests and locals alike. Across the breadth of his work, cheap and easy snapshot moments are rejected in favour of meaningful, relevant details, whilst keen focus is placed on the presence of an emotional connection and the generation of lasting, significant memories. “I’m interested in how entire buildings live and breathe, from the moment you walk through the door,” Munge concludes. “I want everything I do to be everlasting, so that if you flip a chair upside down a century after I’m gone and it says ‘Alessandro Munge’, then

there’s a legacy. It would be a dream to have pieces and places that stand the test of time, and test those times.” As his ride to the airport arrives, Munge insists I see The William Vale’s rooftop view before I leave. We part with a handshake, and I make my way to the elevator. There are no installations, murals or loudly announced selfie opportunities up here. Westlight unfolds within glass walls to offer stunning views, guiding guests through a subtle change in mood, whilst black metal stairs lead up to an open-air terrace, where parties are held when the weather permits. Flanked by binocular stations and looking out to Manhattan, The Bronx, and Queens beyond, the restrained design marks a logical conclusion to the hotel’s all balcony layout. It strikes me here that, for all the intricacies of The William Vale’s design, it is perhaps this simply presented space atop the hotel that best embodies its creator’s approach. Munge does not design for the ubiquitous wow moment, nor to floor the guest with a singular wondrous surprise, rather he works as facilitator, infusing projects with elements that allow guests to distil their own interpretations and meanings, just as he did when conceiving the vision.

“We start all of our projects with a narrative and a discussion. We find the why, and only then do we begin to design.”

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The Ned, City of London, in collaboration with Soho House & Co and Sydell Group architects@epr.co.uk | www.epr.co.uk

Image courtesy of The Ned

NoMad LOS ANGELES

Sydell Group have opened their second NoMad Hotel in the former Bank of Italy building in Downtown LA, with interiors by Jacques Garcia Words: Matt Turner | Photography: © Benoit Linero

talian neo-classicism meets modern day California at NoMad Los Angeles, the latest property from Sydell Group, as its founder and CEO Andrew Zobler explains to Sleeper on an opening day tour. “The ceiling was really what drove the design,” he says, gesturing towards the spectacular ornate coffered roofspace and Doric columns that dominate the ground floor of the former Bank of Italy building. “It was an epiphany when we realised that the colours in the ceiling could shape the rest of the space.” Zobler admits that they initially consulted Jacques Garcia, the French designer responsible for the original NoMad Hotel in New York, out of courtesy as much as anything else: “The original property is where Paris meets bohemian New York, but this was going to be more Italy meets California. So we thought we’d hire an Italian or a Californian designer. But when we visited Jacques Garcia and started talking about we wanted, he pulled out this big photo album of a house he owns [the Chateau du Champ de Bataille in Normandy] and it spoke volumes to what we wanted to accomplish here.” The original banking hall on the ground floor now accommodates the majority of the hotel’s public spaces. Guests entering from the

main entrance on 7th Street (there is a more discrete entrance to the hotel reception around the corner on Olive St) enter the Palm Court, with its vibrant green floral fabrics creating a smooth transition to the lobby beyond. The restaurant comprises a relaxed all-day dining area at street level with a more formal dining space, complete with bespoke rugs by ICE, on the mezzanine above. All food and beverage throughout the property is overseen, as it is at NoMad New York, by chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park – current holders of the coveted number one slot in the San Pellegrino World’s Best 50 Restaurants list. To one side of the lobby, the Coffee Bar takes its inspiration from the 300-year-old Caffè Florian in Venice, Italy. It operates as an allday café throughout the day – from pastries and coffee-to-go in the morning, through to light lunches or casual aperitivo later in the afternoon, light flooding in through the Matisse-inspired windows. At night, antique mirrors slide back to reveal a full cocktail bar which glows beneath the red Venetian chandeliers and wallhung portrait of Saint Vibiana, patron saint of Los Angeles. On the opposite side sits the Giannini Bar, named after Bank

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Above: Bathrooms feature fittings by Waterworks and lighting by Fine Art Lamps

of Italy founder Amadeo Giannini, who commissioned architects Morgan, Walls & Clements to create the building in 1922. As with the original NoMad bar in New York, its a dark, moody and atmospheric space, featuring a seasonally changing cocktail menu crafted by Make it Nice’s Bar Director Leo Robitschek. Down in the basement, bathrooms now occupy the original bank vault that once housed 12,000 safety deposit boxes, behind a 50-ton door (remarkably similar to that at the Ned, Sydell Group’s recent collaboration with Soho House in London), a raw crystal chandelier by Preciosa hanging above. The guest-only Library area to the rear of the ground floor features a 12-foot tall light fixture hand-sculpted in France by Atelier de Mandres. Here the peacock takes centre stage, its plumage resplendent with vivid blues, reds and greens echoed in the upholstery to the custom-made furnishings. Plush fabrics from the likes of Pierre Frey, Zimmer + Rohde and Dedar are layered throughout the space with Garcia’s trademark élan. An eclectic collection of art books and literary tomes line the bookcases, housed between carefully restored

square pilaster columns topped with Corinthian Capitals. In the guestrooms, signature elements – paravents upholstered in rich brocades, freestanding pedestal bathtubs and custom linens by Bellino – sit alongside a casual yet considered arrangement of artworks and photography: “While NoMad New York celebrates its Parisian and Beaux-Arts heritage with photography and ephemera through a vintage lens, NoMad Los Angeles uses a more modern style of photography,” says Antoine Ricardou of Be-Poles, the NYCbased art curators. Prints from Thomas Blanchford’s evocative series of moonlit midcentury modern buildings are juxtaposed with hand drawn sketches of cupolas commissioned from an Italian illustrator alongside various collections from Portraits de Villes and vintage artworks sourced from antique stores across the globe. Says Zobler: “It’s relaxed although there’s a formality to it: the photography that shows the less glamorous side of LA mixed with the historic artworks, the beautiful fabrics, the leather which is a little distressed. It doesn’t take itself too seriously – that’s the NoMad formula.”

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Kerry Hotel HONG KONG

Rocco Yim and André Fu join forces to design an urban resort on the Kowloon waterfront, creating a new flagship for Shangri-La’s Kerry Hotels. Words: Catherine Martin | Photography: Courtesy of Kerry Hotel (unless otherwise stated)

ndré Fu has made his name in the hospitality sector through designing high-end, intimate hotels such as The Upper House in Hong Kong, and Singapore’s Fullerton Bay Hotel. So it came as something of a surprise when it was revealed that he would put his name to the new Kerry Hotel in Hong Kong, a relative giant at 546 keys, with four bars and restaurants, a variety of leisure facilities and sprawling events spaces. For Fu, the commission was about taking risks, and showing his versatility as a designer. “I’m at a point in my career where I can take projects that are a little bit of a surprise to people,” he explains. “No-one would have imagined that I would do a hotel of this scale, with a huge ballroom. If I had designed another 100-key, highly curated hotel, it would have been more of the same. Kerry has allowed me to show how design can reinvent perceptions of certain types of hotel.” Occupying a prime plot on Victoria Harbour, the 16-storey newbuild is the first hotel to be built on the Kowloon waterfront in almost two decades. For owner-operator Shangri-La, the aim

Left: Floor-to-ceiling curved windows span a width of 80 metres, wowing arriving guests with their panoramic harbour views. In the expansive lobby lounge, banquettes upholstered in a palette of muted mauve and mineral grey snake around an oval stone island bar

ÂŠ Michael Weber Photography

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was to not only provide the facilities expected of a five-star lifestyle hotel, but to give back to the local community. As such, the site incorporates a public park that links to Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, hugely popular with both tourists and locals thanks to uninterrupted views of Hong Kong Island. There are also plans to relocate the unsightly bus station to beneath the hotel, a joint venture with local bodies that will see the development of further green space. From the exterior, Kerry Hotel is characterised by sweeping curves that respond to the maritime nature of the site; the work of Rocco Yim and his studio Rocco Design Architects. A podium structure at the base houses the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public spaces, while guestrooms sit above, behind a faĂ§ade that gently ripples to reflect the movement of the water. The flowing shapes continue inside, where floor-to-ceiling curved windows span a width of 80 metres, wowing arriving guests

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Above: Hung Tong honours Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, with traditional metal gates, wooden vents, vintageinspired chairs and tinted glass pendants set against a red brick backdrop Left: Dockyard, designed by Avroko, brings a food hall component to the property and offers a range of culinary delights from ten cooking pavilions

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Above: In the guestrooms, Fu’s furniture designs take are organic in form with rounded edges, while carpets feature undulating waves in shades of mineral blue

with panoramic harbour views. Curvilinear walls clad in Turkish onyx demarcate the check-in area, giving way to laser etched bronze screens and an expansive lobby lounge. Here, banquettes upholstered in a palette of muted mauve and mineral grey snake around an oval stone island bar, watched over by a pair of tai chi sculptures by Taiwanese artist Ju Ming. Another of Ming’s bronze pieces sits out on the terrace amongst landscaped gardens and water features. The outdoor spaces are a key component of the design scheme, with Fu instilling a dynamic interplay between indoor and out. “The idea was to create an urban resort – something that you don’t often experience in the city, particularly in Hong Kong where space is at a premium,” he explains. Fu believes that it is the openness of the site, its proximity to the water, and the extent of the outdoor spaces that lend themselves to a resort concept, but he’s quick to add that the lively public spaces bring a metropolitan vibe. “We’re still in the heart of the city, we can still cater to multiple functions, and parts of the hotel are high-energy; there are a lot of urban qualities that aren’t typical for a resort but it’s the juxtaposition of the two that differentiates it from an urban retreat; it’s an urban resort.” Unique for a Hong Kong hotel, every F&B outlet has both indoor and outdoor areas. At level three, Big Bay Café offers al fresco dining amongst tropical palms and frangipani, while inside, guests are taken

on a culinary journey of global cuisine, with seven pavilions each focusing on a different cooking method. On level seven, plantlife takes on a wilder appearance, with wheat and natural grasses used to create intimate seating areas in Red Sugar. The extensive terrace – undoubtedly the hotel’s most popular spot – offers skyline views and transforms from a relaxed terrace by day, to a vibrant bar by night. The adjoining restaurant, Hung Tong, honours Hong Kong’s past while creating a modern experience of Chinese cuisine. Inspired by the shipyards that once dominated Hung Hom, the space celebrates the old town, with traditional metal gates, wooden vents, vintage-inspired chairs and tinted glass pendants set against a red brick backdrop. Dockyard, a fourth restaurant accessible directly from the promenade, brings a food hall component to the property and offers a range of culinary delights from ten cooking pavilions. Diners can choose from Indian fusion dishes, Japanese bento, Korean dumplings and Hong Kong noodles, ordering via an app before dishes are delivered direct to the table. The app can be used to browse menus and pay, removing the need to queue, or wait for service. The operational model has also informed the design scheme, helping maximise space and essentially increasing the number of covers. Having delivered a number of food halls in the USA, New

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Above: The outdoor spaces are a key component of the design scheme, offering panoramic views of the Hong Kong skyline

makes sense in intimate boutique hotels, Fu’s casegoods are custommade to requirement. Elsewhere, Kerry Hotel is home to an impressive array of business and leisure facilities. Base Camp Kerry Sports comprises a spa, harbour-front swimming pool and 24-hour fitness centre, the latter of which goes beyond the typical hotel gym with dedicated training zones for cardio, weights and yoga. The MICE offer meanwhile is the most extensive in the city, with a total of 17 events spaces including a 2,000-capacity pillarless ballroom featuring a 15m LED wall. And in yet another boundary-pushing initiative, Shangri-La has partnered with Kafnu – a shared-space concept from Next Story Group – to open on the second level of the hotel. Described as an ecosystem for entrepreneurs and creatives that combines elements of co-working, living, playing and recharging, it is the first in a number of Kafnu-branded spaces to launch across Asia in the next 12 months. The venture also aligns perfectly with Shangri-La’s ambition to instil a sense of community in Kerry Hotels, an element rarely seen in the five-star space and one that could potentially set the brand apart.

York-based firm Avroko was appointed to design the space. “It’s a unique proposition in this local but slowly shifting neighbourhood; an attempt to provide an amenity both for hotel guests and the community at large,” explains Principal William Harris. Interiors take their cues from the maritime world, with portholeshaped windows, rope detailing and industrial finishes prevalent throughout. “Active loading docks and the shipping industry provided the bulk of the design inspiration,” says Principal Adam Farmerie, adding that the connection to the harbour had a significant impact on choice of materials. “Trade, sustenance and humble, functional materials were the foundation of our concept. We embraced the history of the location, in particular the thriving shipping industry that defined Hung Hom at the turn of the 20th century.” Guestrooms also take full advantage of the location with the majority facing out to the harbour. Fu has once again taken inspiration from the water, his furniture designs organic in form with rounded edges, while carpets feature undulating waves in shades of mineral blue. And, challenging the perception that bespoke only

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Jackalope MELBOURNE

Entrepreneur Louis Li shakes up Australia’s hotel scene with his debut property in the Mornington Peninsula. Words: Lauren Ho | Photography: © Sharyn Cairns (unless otherwise stated)

he fact that he hails from a family of hotel developers has not only given entrepreneur Louis Li a solid understanding for the makings of a luxury hotel, it has also given him the impetus to break the mould. Something he has certainly achieved with the launch of his debut property, Jackalope. Set amongst an 11-hectare patch of rolling vines at Willow Creek winery, just south of Melbourne in the Mornington Peninsula, the property’s bucolic setting is at complete odds to its audacious appearance – the result of Li’s brief to the architects to “go further than ever before, to be fearless and to take risks”.

With this in mind, Melbourne-based firms Carr Design Group and Fabio Ongarato Design have gone full steam ahead with the invention of a whimsical, otherworldly concept that centres on the legendary jackalope, a mythical creature of North American folklore. The brand identity embodies the hybrid nature of the antlered rabbit, and is coupled with a site-specific design narrative that focuses on the medieval practice of alchemy – the seemingly magical process of the transmutation of matter, in particular the attempt to convert base metals into gold. “The idea is to create a transportive experience away from the every day, to create a unique escape – a surreal hotel

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Above: In fine-dining restaurant Doot Doot Doot, the standout feature is a chandelier comprising 10,000 light bulbs, designed by artist Jan Flook Opposite: Flaggerdoot embodies ‘distillation’ with test tube-like glass vessels lining the walls, while Rare Hare offers a more rustic setting

in a rural landscape – something truly rare and unexpected,” says Chris McCue, Director of Architecture at Carr. And so, this begins with a giant black seven-metre aluminium jackalope sculpture by artist Emily Floyd, which takes centrestage in the hotel’s piazza. This is bolstered by the property’s original red brick 18th-century heritage cottage that the architects have restored and highlighted with an angular modern jet-black metal-clad extension. “The imposing theatrical form of the new hotel celebrates the pitched roof of the listed cottage,” explains McCue. Meanwhile, charred timber detailing references alchemy and the idea of ‘transformation’. “Not only is it a physical change in the material,” says McCue, “but the beauty is when the sunlight catches the timber with a shimmer, and there is a change from black to silver, which again links to the alchemy process.” Inside, a subtle reference to the concept is revealed in the 46 guestrooms which, dressed in a dominant masculine black and dark grey palette, reference the concept of ‘projection’ – the final stage where lead is transformed into a precious metal – with muted tones of either silver, copper, bronze and gold that, as Dan Cox, the interiors director at Carr says, “reflect the whimsy of alchemy and the art of transformation.” Blackened timber accent walls, deepsoak black resin tubs, and low-key lighting meanwhile, complete the

understated look that takes a backseat to the views of the endless flowing vineyards, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows and best experienced from the room’s private terrace. In contrast, a theatrical mood pervades the public spaces, which boldly embrace the theme. As such, Flaggerdoot, the hotel’s bar housed in the heritage section of the property, embodies ‘distillation’ with test tube-like glass vessels lining the walls, a marble clad bar – representative of the alchemist’s work bench – and iconic statement furniture and installations such as a specially commissioned light fashioned from chemistry equipment by conceptual artist Rolf Sachs, 19th-century busts by artist Andrew Hazewinkle, fashion designer Rick Owens’ Stag Bench, and Edra’s Leatherworks chairs designed by the Campana brothers. And with an electric blue pool table to boot, the space is the ideal spot to sample an array of experimental cocktails, such as PB&J – a concoction prepared with strawberry jam, coconut milk, lemon and peanut gin – before making your way to Doot Doot Doot, the fine-dining restaurant. Here, the standout feature is the chandelier overhead, by FOD. Comprising 10,000 light bulbs, the 8x10-metre installation – matched to the colour of the vineyard’s chardonnay – reflects the alchemistic phase of fermentation, suggesting the sensation of wine bubbling above. Below, dark herringbone flooring and black leather banquettes

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Above: Geode is a dramatic geometric pavilion designed as a multi-functional space that can be used for special occasion dining or screenings

continue with the hotel’s masculine aesthetic, setting the tone for a fresh, seasonal five-course menu by Executive Chef Guy Stanaway and executed by Head Chef Martin Webster. Expect uncomplicated dishes using seasonal Australian and Japanese ingredients, such as the crowd-pleasing spanner crab with silky pureed potato and sprinkled with furikake seasoning and bottarga. This is all served on flat earthenware by local ceramicists Cone 11 and Sarah Schembri – a deliberate choice by Stanaway who says: “The tableware was chosen to contrast the hard edges and bold design of the restaurant interior. We wanted to draw the outside in with textural components and organic forms.” And, as a rule, the paired wine – which is served in the most delicate of glassware by Austrian manufacturer Zalto – can only come from like-minded wineries of the same size or smaller than the 11 hectares at Willow Creek. Back across the palazzo and past the looming jackalope sculpture, Rare Hare has fast become a local hangout for its approachable, reasonably priced dishes, from negroni cured trout with horseradish cream, rye toast and dill; to wagyu beef flank topped with caramelised onion and nduja butter. This is all served in a rustic setting at long

communal tables that surround a central fireplace, while a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows highlight those vineyard views. Overindulgence is best slept off back at the hotel, alongside the inky infinity pool, or perhaps with a spa treatment at Geode, a dramatic geometric pavilion designed as a multi-functional space that can also be used for special occasion dining or screenings. In the works for almost a decade, Jackalope Hotels’ inaugural property is certainly a head-turner and there’s no doubt the 30-year old Kunming-born Louis Li has a vision. “I think Louis realised how special he wanted to make this,” says Cox. “He was quite unrelenting in his vision, but because this was his first hotel, there was a freshness that unlocked a lot of design blocks because it was so unconventional.” Up next is a 32-room urban sequel said to be located within the historic 1911 Maria George building on Flinders Lane in Melbourne’s Central Business District. Due to have the same focus on art, design, dining and storytelling, the property – if its big sister is anything to go by – is bound to be a sensation.

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Downtown Camper by Scandic STOCKHOLM

Scandic adds to its signature hotels collection with an energetic and playful property designed by Stylt Trampoli. Words: Guy Dittrich | Photography: Courtesy of Scandic Hotels (unless otherwise stated)

he casual playfulness of the great outdoors is all encompassing at Downtown Camper by Scandic in the heart of Stockholm. Interiors combine elements of biophilia, sporting pursuits and the wilderness, translated in the form of abundant plantlife, kayaks suspended from the ceiling, climbing ropes and open fires. The highly saturated interiors tell a tale at every touchpoint in a package wrapped up with a superbly laidback yet efficient service ethic. The hotel is managed by Scandic Hotels under a long-term lease with owner Stena Fastigheter AB, however the Scandic name is downplayed, despite the fact that at 494 keys, it is the group’s largest

property in Sweden. According to Robert Wilhelmsson, Director of Product & Concept Development at Scandic Hotels, the oxymoronic name comes from the overarching idea that “when you are somewhere, you often want to be somewhere else”. A collaboration with Erik Nissen Johansen, founder and Creative Director of Gothenberg-based Stylt Trampoli, saw the idea of neighbourhood design bypassed to look instead at changing societal behaviours. For Nissen Johansen, this meant the bleisure idea of combining business and leisure – a hotel that is not an urban resort but an urban escape. Prior to refurbishment, the hotel – a purpose-built construction

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Above: Guestrooms are spacious with wood floors, dark grey finishes and warming pastel tones in the upholstery and drapes

amidst the brutalist buildings of the Brunkebergstorg area – operated as Scandic Sergel Plaza. It was in need of a full refurbishment and Stena were of the opinion that the property would perform better with a more exciting story rather than a repeat of the standard corporate look. “Our rustic approach – relaxed and casual – was very difficult to do for a traditional hotel group,” explains Nissen Johansen of the challenge to convince the owners of Scandic’s ability to deliver a new type of product. Luckily, this desire to try something different was in line with the recently launched signature hotel collection, which currently includes Haymarket by Scandic and Grand Central by Scandic. “Every signature hotel is unique and has a unique story, and therefore has to be branded in a unique way,” explained Thomas Engelhart, Chief Commercial Officer at the launch. As such there is currently no plans for a roll-out of the Downtown Camper concept. The singular story for Downtown Camper is told using the design, but also permeates the events programming. This is led by Kristian Hell, the hotel’s lifestyle concierge, who oversees a roster of weekly activities not typically expected of a city centre hotel. Bikes for rent is the norm. But skatebaords? And kayaks – why not? Stockholm has four times as many waterways than Venice. Or join the crowd of lycra-clad guests stretching in the lobby before heading off on an early evening run followed by a communal dinner.

These physical activities have a strong connection in the Nordics but the hotel wanted to take the guest experience a step further , offering the chance to explore oneself. A series of talks covering various mindfulness, leadership, engagement, mental and emotional wellbeing topics is offered along the lines of the content provided by co-working spaces such as NeueHouse. Add in yoga sessions, an ‘After-Adventure Happy Hour’, film nights and DJ sets in the bar and you have a packed programme from which to choose. Other ideas of co-working are obvious in the various bar and lounge spaces, but once again Scandic take things a step further with co-living spaces. There are six Camper Co-Living rooms, each sleeping six and interconnected so that larger groups can share the common areas. Rooms are generously spacious with wood floors, dark grey finishes and warming pastel tones in the upholstery and drapes. “Guestrooms are less saturated,” explains Nissen Johansen, and this creates a sense of calm liveability. Deep sills above radiators are pressed into service as banquette seating areas. Cork pin boards sit above work desks. Hanging space is arranged around a metal wallmounted storage system. Double rooms within the Co-Living rooms are segregated by glazed Crittall-style metal-framed ‘walls’ screened with dark gauze curtains. Taking the bed count to a staggering 1,103 requires some extra beds, ingeniously wall hung. Double bunks by

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Above: The sauna is uniquely fashioned in an oval shape and covered in small branches to resemble a bird’s nest

PMI Hotel lnterior, complete with individual USB power sockets and micro-lamps, deploy with ease and come complete with ladder. The black and white bathrooms are functional and effective with a Grohe and Duravit fit-out. The hotel has its own toiletries as well as an unusual item that complements the standard Scandic colourcoded waste separation bin – an egg timer to encourage water saving. Back in the public spaces, the design channels a sense of togetherness. The beating heart of the Campfire restaurant is the circular fire itself – where guests are encouraged to toast marshmallows over the open flames. Another fireplace is centred in the middle of the Nest rooftop lounge bar, adjacent to the fitness studio and sauna, uniquely fashioned in an oval shape and covered in small branches to resemble a bird’s nest. The sense of fun is pervasive with numerous decorative items scattered around the hotel. Multi-coloured lengths of climbing rope are jumbled up in a large glass jar; table tennis tables with leather nets occupy the lift lobbies; the reception desk ramps up from the floor as a skateboard park would; and suspended beneath the glazed roof is

a net of thick ropes, where, after securing their mobile device in the phone nursery, guests are encouraged to hang. Literally. In a series of meeting spaces, Stylt went to town on the playfulness. The Games Room has heavy duty and beautifully constructed wooden swings alongside a table version of curling. The Boardroom is dominated by a long table made from huge tree trunk split in half that sits upon a tartan carpet shaped like a massive bearskin. Connected is the Camper Lounge complete with working kitchen for demonstrations. There is also a cinema, Nightwood, with tiers of amply cushioned seating. And next door is the Cocoon Room with banquette seating around a circular table beneath a forest of dangling battle ropes. There’s no doubt that Stylt Trampoli took enormous pleasure bringing this design to life. That the owner and operator had the confidence to take on such a daring project is testament to the energy and passion Nissen Johansen brings. Guests will be lucky enough to experience a very different Scandic hotel, one where Nissen Johansen hopes “the design will make hearts beat faster.”

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The Hoxton PARIS

Marking its largest and most ambitious project to-date, The Hoxton respectfully transforms a townhouse fit for royalty whilst building on its urban sensibilities. Words: Kristofer Thomas | Photography: Courtesy of Ennismore

hen Ennismore acquired The Hoxton, Shoreditch in 2012, it caught the East London neighbourhood in something of a sea of change. Instilling the hotel with its now signature pared-back urban styling, this new-era Hoxton reflected an influx of creative-type millennials and gastro-pubs to the area, catering to a new generation of guests with a suitably edgy yet refined approach. With the launch of The Hoxton, Paris in the city’s 2nd arrondissement, Ennismore aims for similar success, translating its offer for a district of the French capital undergoing its own transformation, from industrial trading block to start-up haven. “The Hoxton hotels are always designed with the neighbourhood in mind, inspired by the buildings they’re in and the streets that surround them,” says Emma Montier, Senior Design Manager at Ennismore. “We’re big on local elements, and design each hotel to be an authentic reflection of the area.” Occupying an 18th-century hôtel particulier – a grand townhouse once reserved for noblemen and royalty – guests are welcomed by a façade so illustrative of the quintessential Rococo aesthetic that the French government appointed it an official Monument Historique. Flanked by newly opened artisan bakeries as well as relics from the area’s textile production past, the entrance alone captures Paris in transition, a thematic motif expanded upon within.

Above: The Hoxton’s signature open-plan lobby features an original 17th century staircase alongside pastel and jewel-tone banquette seating

Unfolding around a pair of courtyards, the property comprises 172 guestrooms across three conjoined buildings, with each structure channelling its own atmosphere. The main section is lively, with rooms arranged above the restaurant, bar and event spaces, whilst the second main block cultivates a more ambient offer, complete with private balconies and terraces angled away from the hubbub. The third and oldest section, between the two, contains check-in and a maze of casual breakout spots. Constant throughout all are vibrant F&B and public spaces by Soho House & Co, that seek to infuse historical details with a lively communal spirit, and intimate guestrooms by local studio Humbert & Poyet conducting Parisian seduction through dark palettes and precious details. The entire scheme was overseen by Ennismore’s in-house design team, and is a conscious evolution of the brand. “As a brand, we’ve grown up and become a little more refined,” notes Montier. “In terms of design, we’re less industrial these days; we’ve introduced more colour and pattern to the designs, which you can see in Paris.” Bridging the structure’s aristocratic past with The Hoxton’s keenly urban outlook is a series of 15 staircases dating back to the 1700s – lovingly preserved and in some cases relocated to accommodate a new layout – forming both the metaphorical and physical spine of

the project. Bathed in light cast from a wall of glass in the lobby, the first of these stairways turns back on itself in a partial spiral, creating a profile that resembles a DNA strand and succinctly depicting The Hoxton philosophy: respect for the past but looking ahead. Across the lobby, original iron columns have been repurposed as stair supports, punctuating the cobblestone floors and juxtaposed with pastel-toned banquette chairs and marble-topped tables. Distressed plaster walls and two-seaters by Stellar Works bring an edgy touch, though rarely distract from the building’s original features. Adjacent, the hotel’s restaurant Rivié – named after Etienne Rivié, an advisor to Louis XV for whom the original structure was built – features exposed brickwork and an elegant mixture of dark wood and leather furnishings, creating a partition from the main lobby by way of colour coding. Suspended above, a series of globe lights with exposed filaments recall the industrial leanings of Shoreditch, whilst the bar is lined with plush velvet and copper stools atop original mosaic tiling. The dining area spills into one of the courtyards, where a canopy of white Tuuci parasols cultivates a winter garden tone. Whilst Rivié and the lobby act as the hotel’s lively social hub, the intimate Jacques’ Bar, located in the oldest section of the building, offers a more tranquil backdrop. Taking cues from the work of Orientalist French artist Jacques Majorelle – specifically his exotic

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Above: The hotel’s restaurant, Rivié, features a mixture of dark wood and leather furnishings alongside historical elements including the mosaic tiling the bar sits atop Left: Humbert & Poyetdesigned guestrooms feature furnishings inspired by French designers Jean Provué, Mathieu Matégot and Bernard Gras, with pieces including Munna’s Babe armchair

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Above: Guestrooms feature Naturalmat beds and a smattering of simple furnishings atop reclaimed oak chevron flooring that hints at the building’s royal past

Marrakech gardens – the bar incorporates a reclaimed timber parquet de Versailles floor and detailed floral wallpaper. Situated below is Les Voutes, a series of seven subterranean meeting spaces and a pantry, each with unique designs and vaulted ceilings. “It’s the most mature hotel in The Hoxton portfolio so far, with more standalone spaces like Jacques’ Bar,” Montier confirms. “We always want our spaces to be comfortable, and for guests to treat the lobby like their living room. We’re open-minded and our doors are open to one and all.” Guestrooms by Humbert & Poyet flip the scheme, swapping out the white stone and neutral shades that inform public areas for a darker, more alluring palette of midnight blues and matte blacks, with monochrome detailing and touches of gold. Fusing inspiration drawn from historic Parisian architecture with aesthetics championed by contemporary French designers such as Jean Prouvé, Mathieu Matégot and Bernard Gras, guestrooms are divided into four categories – shoebox, cosy, roomy and biggy – and embrace the building’s unconventional layout, some featuring high ceilings

whilst others wrap around corners at right-angles. A sense of place is subtly integrated through cornicing, panelling and reclaimed oak flooring, whereas Lampe Gras lighting, woven metal partitions and Naturalmat beds with leather headboards inject a modern twist. Described by Montier as the grandest and most ambitious Hoxton project to-date, Ennismore was tasked with taking The Hoxton aesthetic and approach to new levels whilst retaining a distinctly location-specific undercurrent. It has resulted in a property that features all the hallmarks of a Hoxton but one that could only ever have been created in Paris, the challenge of translation handled with respect and flair. Though plans for additional UK properties in Southwark and Shepherd’s Bush have now been announced, first up is the brand’s North American debut, with The Hoxton, Williamsburg, landing in Brooklyn later in 2018, followed by openings in Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago. With the Ennismore subsidiary taking a further step towards the global stage, The Hoxton, Paris sends a clear message: the British are coming.

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31.08.17 17:22

BĂźrgenstock Hotels & Resort LAKE LUCERNE

Almost a decade in the making, the historic BĂźrgenstock Resort enters a new era, reopening as a mountaintop hotel village that is not only a celebration of its past, but an exemplar of innovative and sustainable hospitality. Words: Catherine Martin and Juliet Kinsman | Photography: ÂŠ Robert Miller

luxury, health and leisure can be provided to the highest possible standards while being as considerate as can be to the environment. With two-thirds of the land in Western Europe covered with forests, lakes and mountains, the Swiss revere their natural resources – especially since their only indigenous natural resource is hydropower. At Bürgenstock, all energy, including that which is used to pump the water, is generated at the regional station in the canton of Nidwalden. It’s sufficient to keep the buildings air-conditioned throughout summer, and to cover 80% of the heating requirements during Switzerland’s coldest months. Cradled by a circle of mountains, with the Eiger and the Jungfrau peaks visible to the southwest, the project is also a landmark in ecological and sustainable thinking. Technically, many of the resort’s most sustainable features were introduced by founders Franz Josef Bucher and Josef Durrer back in 1888. They opened the first electric cable car in Switzerland, and built a water pipe to transport lake water to the resort for drinking needs. Katara Hospitality has applied the same forward thinking to this next-generation development. Excavated rock was used to recreate the historic 1928 golf course, while gabions – rock filled cages – have been used where possible instead of what could have been concrete walls. By reusing reclaimed materials – 165,000m² in total – the number of truck journeys in and out of the valley was slashed by thousands.

atara Hospitality has a knack for acquiring legacy hotels and restoring them to their former glory. A commitment to reinvesting in such properties to turn them once again into thriving businesses has served the Qatar-based group well, with icons such as Le Royal Monceau, Hotel Schweizerhof, and Lausanne’s Royal Savoy being prime examples of what a little imagination – and a lot of capital – can do. Its latest project, one that has been in the works since 2008, is the reinvention and expansion of Bürgenstock Resort, a mountaintop retreat that has been attracting well-heeled travellers since the late1800s. Having fallen into decline over the years, Katara Hospitality stepped in with investment of CHF550 million – not including the purchase price – to create a hotel village that seeks to celebrate its past while bringing a forward-thinking quality to this remote part of the Swiss Alps, some 500 metres above Lake Lucerne. Under the guidance of Managing Director Bruno Schöpfer, the all-new Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort comprises 382 guestrooms across four properties, as well as 67 residences, 12 restaurants and bars, a 10,000m2 spa, events spaces for up to 900 people and a stateof-the-art medical centre. And if the stats aren’t impressive enough, the resort is a triumph of innovation. Almost entirely carbon neutral thanks to a unique hydroelectric energy system using water from the lake, Katara is proving that

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Above: The Palace’s destination restaurant, RitzCoffier, features some 1,000 vintage copper pots collected from across the resort

As well as through the construction of building itself, there was considered planting of heritage species and varieties of greenery. And in order to preserve a particular protected tree, one corner of the infinity-edge pool had to be re-aligned. There are also 13 beehives under the Palace Hotel, with a glass-paned showroom so that guests can see bees busy making their honey, connecting guest experience to eco initiatives. Reconnecting with nature is key to a resort such as this; the intention being that visitors can walk everywhere thanks to a village promenade, as well as having access to 70km of hiking and biking trails, a nine-hole golf course, a sculpture trail, ice-skating rink and horse stables. The four hotels – two of which are newbuild – have been brought to life by no less than six architecture and design firms, with Londonbased MKV Design appointed to create the interior schemes for three of the properties, as well as the residences, events spaces and spa, which according to reports has been a major draw. Built on the site of the previous spa and extended by blasting a tunnel through the mountain, the Alpine Spa emerges as a cantilevered glass box perched above the lake. Extending across three levels it features multiple steam and sauna experiences, as well as relaxation rooms, plunge pools and the spectacular infinity-edge pool, a real treat from which to take in the snow-capped mountains.

In all, the resort comprises 30 buildings including staff accommodation, a weather station repurposed as a tourist information booth, a Swiss farmhouse used for private events, and a wedding chapel, where Audrey Hepburn was married. At the far end of the site is Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence, a hotelcum-hospital with wellbeing at its heart. Designed by Italian architect Matteo Thun, the 160-key property has its own spa, a restaurant serving healthy cuisine, and a host of medical facilities that would be the envy of any hospital. Cryotherapy, physiotherapy, weight management programmes and post-operative care are just some of the services on offer, supported by a cardiology unit, on-site lab for blood and urine testing, state-of-the-art treatment rooms and over 30 full-time medical specialists. The property is built to Thun’s own philosophy of Three Zeros – zero km, zero CO2 and zero waste – bringing another eco element to the resort. The façade is made up of locally sourced larch and stonefilled gabions, both of which will lend themselves to plant coverage come spring. Thanks to its terrace structure and green, naturally insulated flat roofs, Waldhotel blends perfectly into the landscape. Interiors, also by Thun, are suitably clinical, softened through circular lighting installations, plush velvet upholstery and touches of flora and fauna in the artwork and soft furnishings.

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GRAND HOTEL KEMPINSKI RIGA, LATVIA

Above & Opposite: MKV Design has used a palette of stone, timber and bronze, enhanced by furniture by Minotti, and fabrics by Pierre Frey, Agua Fabrics, Designers Guild, Decca, Casamance and Zimmer+Rohde

MKV Design, headed up by Maria Vafiadis, took the lead on the interior scheme for the three other hotels, having been tasked with creating a guest experience specific to each. While all are individual in character and style, common features – such as the use of just one type of stone – tie the resort together. Above all, MKV’s objective was to celebrate the history of Bürgenstock, adding new layers and thus ensuring a future. This idea permeated every aspect of the project – ‘the future has a past’ was coined as the slogan for the development – meaning that before any design decisions were made, the team delved into the history of the site, repurposing antique furniture and restoring features to their original design. There’s even a museum dedicated to the resort, housed in a passageway that links two of the hotels. First in MKV’s remit was the restoration of Taverne 1879, a traditional Alpine chalet with 12 cosy guestrooms and a 65-cover restaurant famous for its Swiss specialities. Next up, The Palace Hotel, an icon at the heart of the resort, has been reinvented as a synthesis of grand fin-de-siècle architecture and contemporary interiors. Originally opened in 1903, the hotel had been refurbished several times through the course of the last century, but was in need of a complete overhaul. Working within the principles of

historic preservation, MKV Design has essentially conceived a new hotel. Ground floor public areas have been recreated as a faithful interpretation of the original, while guestrooms above are contemporary in style, with natural oak casegoods, worn leather armchairs and faux fur throws. The lobby lounge has been sensitively restored to replicate the original space with its famous pink marble effect columns, while furniture has been custom-designed to complement antique pieces and original paintings from the hotel’s vast collection. The Palace’s destination restaurant, RitzCoffier, is an homage to haute-cuisine chef Georges Auguste Escoffier and Swiss hotelier César Ritz, who worked together at Bürgenstock before hitting the big time. The restaurant teems with memorabilia, not least some 1,000 vintage copper pots collected from across the resort, brought back to splendid decorative effect. An old cooking range has been repurposed as the buffet counter, and reclaimed elements, such as an antique hearth and imposing original timber doors add historic gravitas. The real showstopper however is the five-star Bürgenstock Hotel. It may be newbuild but elements of the past are still incorporated, and particularly evident to those who arrive by boat. After docking on the shore, guests are transported up the mountainside and directly

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Above: The Alpine Spa, with its spectacular infinity-edge pool, emerges as a cantilevered glass box perched above the lake

into the hotel via an electric funicular dating back to 1888. Once inside, the lobby opens up to spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, best enjoyed from the comfort of the lobby lounge. Vafiadis has paid particular attention to the scale, height and internal layout of the space, reconfiguring the masterplan for operational and circulation reasons. She has also introduced curvilinear forms that reflect the ridges and valleys outside, bringing a softness to the interiors that is enhanced by deep-seated sofas positioned around cosy fireplaces. With little in the way of artwork or ornamentation, it is the scenery that steals the show. Vafiadis has intentionally selected materials that are neutral in colour, defined predominantly by their texture to complement the landscape. The natural stone comes from the mountains, sawn timber represents the forest, and the use of metal in the form of tactile bronze panelled walls resembles the golden light of late afternoon. Public areas include a cigar lounge, wine tasting room, cinema and Asian restaurant, although guests could be forgiven for not wanting to leave the comfort of their rooms. All 102 guestrooms are directed

toward the view, and feature dark walnut parquet, contemporary oak cabinetry crafted with the finest Swiss attention to detail, walkin closets and Bose sound systems. In a change from the traditional guestroom floorplan, Vafiadis has split the room in two and dedicated a large portion to the en suite, repositioning it by the window. A key requirement was to provide not just a bath, but a bathing experience. As such, a huge square-shaped tub inserted between stone and fire overlooks the view, which can also be enjoyed from a window seat. “Our project at Bürgenstock Resort has been exciting, challenging and enriching,” comments Vafiadis. “Each of the buildings we have designed or redesigned is completely individual in character and offers a unique experience for guests and residents. However, as a collection, they represent one of the most visionary developments we have ever had the privilege to work on.” Visionary is indeed the word. Bürgenstock’s unique mix of classic Swiss hospitality and innovative planning has culminated in a resort that is not only beautifully designed, but sets a new standard for sustainable luxury.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: 383 guestrooms across 4 hotels | 12 restaurants and bars | Conference Centre | Spa | www.buergenstock.ch Owner / Developer / Investor: Katara Hospitality | Operator: Bürgenstock Hotels & Resort | Architecture: Matteo Thun; Rüssli Architekten; Patrik Dierks Norbert Sachs Architekten; Lüscher Bucher Theiler Architekten; Rothenfluh & Partner Architekten | Interior Design: MKV Design; Matteo Thun

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26/02/2018 09:10

Wild Coast Tented Lodge YA L A

Flora and fauna take precedence in the development of a new tented camp from Resplendent Ceylon, set on the edge of Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park. Words: Laura Ivill | Photography: © Tim Evan-Cook (unless otherwise stated)

ild Coast Tented Lodge was conceived as much as a resort for animals as a resort for human beings,” says Louis Thompson, CEO of Nomadic Resorts, the multidisciplinary firm behind the design of a new eco-project in southeast Sri Lanka. Inspired by nature and the ancient rocks of the wild coast after which it was named, the camp sits on the edge of Yala National Park, a vast area of forest, grassland and lagoons and home to wildlife such as leopards, elephants and crocodiles, as well as hundreds of bird species. It is the third resort from Resplendent Ceylon, the hospitality division of prominent tea producer Dilmah Tea, and adds a safari dimension to its existing portfolio that includes Ceylon Tea Trails in the central highlands, and Cape Weligama, an intimate luxury-villa resort perched on the ochre cliffs of the southern coast. With an upswing in tourist interest in peacetime Sri Lanka, it has been part of Resplendent Ceylon’s DNA to establish and fund local community health, welfare and conservation projects. Three further resorts in the pipeline will complete the set and create a luxury trail across the island.

Above: Locals were employed and trained to construct the bamboo grid-shelters housing the public spaces

At Wild Coast Tented Lodge, guests are welcomed at the outdoor reception suite, from which a path snakes though the semi-arid forest to the ocean-side facilities – comprising a restaurant, bar, infinity pool, spa, library, garden terrace – and out to the softly blasted beach of rocky outcrops and pounding surf. At concept stage, back in 2014, Thompson and his team took inspiration from nature, notably the ancient rocks containing striations of sediment smoothed by rain and sea into giant boulders. “We’d taken these as a starting point, but as we went through the national park, we took photographs of termite mounds and hanging wasps nests, and incorporated them into our scheme,” Thompson recalls. He didn’t know if the team’s “far-out” designs would fly. However, Resplendent Ceylon’s founder and Managing Director Malik J Fernando was impressed, particularly with the lightweight, natural materials, the minimal impact on the landscape, and a real sense of place with the bamboo pavilions mimicking the rocks on the beach. The seven-acre site features 28 freestanding cocoon suites – known as loopers – four of which are beach facing with private plunge pools, with the remainder clustered around a series of waterholes that from the air, resemble leopard’s pawprints. A meeting with a Colombo zoologist cemented the idea for the waterholes so that the safari

experience in the park could be absorbed from within the resort. The decision was also made for the property to remain unfenced, ensuring wildlife corridors remain uninterrupted while new habitats are established. In addition, a saline 40-metre wraparound infinity pool is not spotlit at night out of respect for the nocturnal habits of the region’s wildlife, who like nothing better than a pre-dawn stroll along the sand. In Resplendent Ceylon’s promise to work with the community, a dozen local fishermen were employed to construct the steel frameworks for the cocoons. Others helped excavate the waterholes, sifting the gravel and reusing the natural materials for paths and mud bricks. As the project became more complex, extra villagers were drafted in and trained up to construct the bamboo grid-shelters housing the public spaces. Open to the elements, the bar and restaurant have been designed to mirror the boulders scattered across the beach, with arched openings and 10-metre-high vaulted ceilings. Here, guests can enjoy creative daily-changing menus of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine as well as sundowners and picnics al fresco while watching dusk settle over the Indian Ocean. Interiors fuse colonial expedition chic with contemporary design

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Left: Interiors fuse colonial expedition chic with contemporary design innovations, displaying craftsmanship in teak flooring, repurposed metallic hardware and tan leather accents

innovations, displaying craftsmanship in teak flooring, repurposed metallic hardware and tan leather accents. Strong focus is placed on materials that age gracefully. The look continues in the guestroom cocoons, each measuring 41m2 and featuring sumptuous four-poster beds alongside freestanding handmade copper bathtubs. The design team, Bo Reudler Studio from The Netherlands, has gone all out with an aesthetic that is unmistakeably safari-style, with more than a nod to 1930s explorer, by way of Jules Verne and steampunk. The result is a spacious, self-contained eco-pod on stilts, and when it rains who could fail to enjoy the exhilaration of being cocooned in a luxurious watertight shelter while the heavens beat down.

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The Silo CAPE TOWN

Opening on the V&A Waterfront as the newest member of The Royal Portfolio, The Silo sees Thomas Heatherwick and Liz Biden transform an historic granary complex into a hotel and muesum. Words: Maryanne Haggas | Photography: Courtesy of The Silo

nce the tallest building in Sub-Saharan Africa, Cape Town’s historic grain silo complex is well versed in attention. Closing in 2001 after nearly 80 years at the heart of South Africa’s industrial and agricultural development, the sorting and storage facility played an integral role in South Africa’s international trade, infrastructure and economic evolution. Situated on the V&A Waterfront, in the shadows of Table Mountain, Lions Head and Signal Hill, the building is woven into the fabric of the nation’s recent history, as both a cultural and mercantile touchstone. Sitting empty for much of the 21st century, the complex has now been reimagined by industrial designer Thomas Heatherwick and The Royal Portfolio as a 28-key hotel, and the new home of Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa). Joining The Royal Portfolio, a collection of hotels, lodges and residences across South Africa founded by Liz and Phil Biden in 1999 – with Liz Biden also overseeing interiors – The Silo is a celebration of art, style, architecture and design, as well as a tribute to both timeless glamour and contemporary luxury. Built into the structure’s former grain elevator, The Silo occupies six floors atop the museum, with Heatherwick working to preserve

many of the original architectural features. 42 cylindrical storage silos have been carved out internally to form Zeitz MOCAA’s grand atrium, whilst the historic brutalist exterior retains its striking geometrical framework. The most prominent change comes in the form of rows of pillowed glass windows, each with subtly extruding panes that create the illusion of a building that breathes. The windows further provide enhanced views from the guest suites, whilst also transforming the upper part of the building into a glowing beacon at night when illuminated from within. “Light plays a large part in The Silo experience as Cape Town’s shifting moods are reflected in the mountains and through the early morning sea mist drifting across the harbour,” Liz Biden, founder and Director of The Royal Portfolio explains. “The effect is quite unusual and utterly mesmerising.” The redeveloped building was designed primarily to showcase a contrast between historic infrastructure and modern design. This stark contrast between old and new has been emphasised by Biden’s lively and eclectic interiors, a quirky distinction from the cold, and raw tone of the building’s exterior.

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Above: Pillowed windows create the illusion of a breathing building, and transform the upper levels into a glowing beacon at night

Drawing inspiration from years of travels, Biden has deployed a unique and varied collection of art and interior artifacts that detail the guestrooms, whilst pieces from local artists provide counterbalance and a sense of place. The Silo also houses its very own collection of contemporary African art, showcasing both new talent and successful artists, whilst the basement level accommodates The Vault, a private gallery exhibiting creatives on the rise. Stand-out features begin on the ground floor, with the lobby setting the scene for the unfolding contrasts to come. Suspended from the double volume ceiling hangs Haldane Martin’s contemporary chandelier, juxtaposed against original grain hoppers, whilst Mohau Modisakeng’s Ditaola series, alongside commissioned pieces by Jody Paulsen and Frances Goodman, reinforce the distinction in styles. “The Silo Hotel is an exciting and ambitious project which we believe will perfectly complement our existing properties and rank among the very best hotels in the world,” Biden offers. “The building is modern and industrial so the interior design contrasts that with the addition of comfortable, colourful and more playful touches.” The reception area, as well as The Granary Café and Willaston Bar above, each display unique variations of whimsical interior ornaments, with colourful contemporary African art and an original machine head adorning what was once the distribution floor. The Willaston Bar – the only area open to the public on a daily

basis – is named after the first ship to carry grain from the silo complex to Europe in 1924 – the SS Willaston. Teal stools in soft Italian leather were manufactured locally by Moorgas & Sons, as were the plush velvet sofas, whilst circular chandeliers by ADA Lighting are inspired by steel rings used inside the grain elevator. An additional 80 crystal chandeliers displayed generously throughout the hotel were handmade in Egypt. Guestroom interiors have been instilled with their own unique characters, each featuring a collection of details and trinkets, such as individualised crockery by The Potter’s Workshop and Africaninspired fabrics by Ardmore, whilst pieces taken from Biden’s personal art collection have been used to highlight elements of the colour palette and views over the harbour. Divided into seven categories based on room size and views, guestrooms are more spacious vertically than they are horizontally. At 187m2, the one-bedroom penthouse is largest, punctuated by original structural beams and featuring a balcony from which to soak in triple-aspect views of the capital. “My goal has always been to pay tribute to luxury and comfort for our guests. This has meant balancing the stark and industrial style of the architecture with aspects of classic glamour and modern comfort,” Biden explains. “Decorating this property has welcomed new challenges. It is very different from the rest of The Royal Portfolio.

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Left: The Granary Café displays unique variations of whimsical interior ornaments, with colourful contemporary African art and fabrics

Space for one is restricted by the core elevator shafts running through the building as well as the cubic geometry of each floor.” Further containing the five-room Silo Spa, and topped by a sky terrace, rooftop restaurant and a swimming pool surrounded by the building’s distinctive stone column framework, The Silo lands as a focal point of the waterfront. With 100,000 daily visitors during peak season, the district is one of South Africa’s foremost tourist destinations for both external and internal travel, and the addition of a significant museum and architecturally adventurous hotel will only serve to draw further interest. Though The Silo may have shipped its last grain nearly two decades ago, this new lease of life will see it remain in the hearts and minds of both locals and guests for years to come.

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26/01/2018 11:24

Adare Manor COUNTY LIMERICK

Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famed manor house reopens following a painstaking restoration by Reardon Smith Architects, Kim Partridge and David Collins Studio. Words: Molly Dolan | Photography: ÂŠ Jack Hardy

he history of Adare Manor is storied. First mentioned in literature in 1226, the estate is most notably the former home of the Quin family, ancestors of the Earls of Dunraven. Forward 600 years and plans for the home as it stands today become evident, created in 1832 by the 2nd Earl of Dunraven, Windham Henry Quin and his wife Lady Caroline Dunraven, an unconventional duo according to accounts. The couple aimed to transform their home into a masterpiece, modelled on the great houses and cathedrals of Europe. The project was timed perfectly, providing labour for the villagers in Adare, preventing the ravages of Ireland’s catastrophic potato famine. To this day, the village has remained prosperous owing largely to this house. A tribute to the Dunraven’s flair, the architecture follows that of a calendar house, adorned with 365 leaded windows, 52 ornate chimneys, seven stone pillars and four towers to mark the annual calendar. The manor today has retained many of its original artefacts, from Flemish choir stalls to the prodigious tower, marginally visible from the entry gates, a short drive away from the hotel itself. The approach to Adare Manor is a regal one. Imposing gates, complete with a burning fire lantern, greet visitors. The ornate gatehouse is a recent addition, created by Reardon Smith Architects using the same materials as the existing estate buildings and inspired by an earlier historic entrance. A winding path lays beyond the gates, passing the tidal River

Maigue, a 13th century castle ruin and manicured lawns, before the building reveals itself. The first encounter with the architecture comes in the form of an archway, perfectly framing the hotel’s porte cochere. A mammoth project, Reardon Smith was tasked with the restoration and refurbishment of the estate’s existing properties, as well as the addition of a new building housing 42 guestrooms, a ballroom and banqueting suite. The result is sensitive to the heritage of the estate as well as environmentally responsive. The Neo-Gothic architecture comes complete with gargoyles and symbols of heraldry, decorated stone and wood carvings, all returned to their former splendour. A classically styled colonnade connects the manor with the new west wing, linked at a right angle to an existing bedroom annex. The artchitectural design of the extension has been completed with the utmost sensitivity. The locally-sourced limestone is a near match to the original, while other façade features complement the existing; new window frames match the house’s appearance, yet adhere to modern acoustic and thermal requirements. Upon entering the hotel, heavy duty wooden doors open into a voluminous triple-height space housing the lobby lounge. The Dunraven’s original fireplace acts as a focal point, surrounded by vintage and bespoke furniture, all personally sourced by the project’s interior designer Kim Partridge. “All of the furniture is bespoke,” Partridge explains. “Many of the

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Above: Inspired by Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, The Gallery features Flemish choir stalls and original stained glass windows Previous Page: Guestrooms and suites feature Lewis & Wood wallpaper, original damasks and views across the estate’s manicured grounds

tables are Pugin-influenced. Pugin’s premise was to bring a design and simplify it from the Georgian days.” The result is pared back design, which progresses to more Georgian-inspired pieces through The Oak Room and The Library dining spaces. Of the hotel’s 104 guestrooms, 62 are housed in the property’s original building. Steeped in history and hidden secrets, each room is individually designed with its own personal touches, paying tribute to the creative force behind the original manor. The focal point of each room flits between full-height windows offering views of the grounds, and the bespoke damasks hanging behind the headboards. As with the public spaces, each piece of furniture is bespoke, while original fireplaces occupy many rooms. Custom solid bronze ironmongery from Carrson International features throughout, while bespoke Dernier & Hamlyn lighting ensures a seamless, atmospheric transformation from day to evening. Speaking of details, Partridge explains: “The collection of books in each guestroom has been carefully considered, ensuring a variety of topics whether it be the people of Ireland, the pubs, the gardens or the stately homes. It is a nod to the country.” Ensuring that the history of Ireland is referenced at every touchpoint in the subtlest manner, the Lady Caroline Suite features a damask based on a piece of fabric found at London’s Victoria &

Albert Museum. The fabric was once part of a dress from Amsterdam, found during the same time that Lady Dunraven would have been visiting on her grand tour of Europe. Partridge continues: “It is all relevant. There is a story behind every chosen piece.” Meanwhile, most bathrooms feature a freestanding Victoria & Albert tub, along with an oversized rainshower and underfloor heating. Elsewhere, many of Lady Dunraven’s acquisitions from her travels to Antwerp remain. Most notably, The Gallery – said to be the second longest room in Ireland – houses an original Flemish choir stall. Inspired by Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, the dining space also features hand carved wall panels, three enormous fireplaces finished with restored stained glass windows casting multicoloured glances throughout. The hotel’s primary dining space The Oak Room is grand, featuring candle-lit tables amidst oak panels, a plethora of original art and more stained glass. Partridge continues: “The curation of art took a while. All of the art is original and dated either 18th or early19th century. It was important to collate an amazing art collection to be enjoyed by everybody.” A number of the artworks are by famed painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, with many of his pieces adorning The Drawing Room. Much anticipated, The Carriage House is set to round off the hotel’s F&B offer upon opening this spring. Designed by David

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Above: Soft furnishings throughout have been supplied by Watts of Westminster, Gainsborough Silks and Designers Guild

Collins Studio, the restaurant is located a short walk from the manor, in the grounds of the 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed golf course. Speaking of The Carriage House, Simon Rawlings, Creative Director at David Collins Studio comments: “We have taken the core DNA of a traditional golf clubhouse, then modernised it. In order to keep a connection between The Carriage House and the manor, we’ve used a lot of the details found at the main house and reinterpreted them using different materials.” Notably, the clubhouse features intricate mosaics inspired by the window leading found in the manor. Rawlings also oversaw the design of the hotel’s underground drinking den, The Tack Room. The subterranean, vaulted space is dimly lit with lashings of embossed leather, while original flagstones line the floor. Rawlings continues: “The colour palette is an intriguing jade green and rust, while the furniture has been designed to hug the quirkiness of the room. Nothing is quite expected.” The bar serves a complex list of cocktails in a variety of ornamental glasses. Also located underground is the UK and Ireland’s only La Mer spa.

A well fenestrated stone façade follows the architectural cues of the original building, allowing light to suffuse the secluded sanctuary. Meanwhile, a new large skylight arching over the pool allows a flood of light whilst also providing a framed perspective of the sky. The relaxation and pool areas feature large double doors, offering landscape views and access to the riverfront terrace. Outside, the renovation of the grounds was designed to improve the biodiversity and habitat of the estate, while respecting key historical elements. Reardon Smith Landscape introduced a variety of gardens including formal parterre, cloister, and walled courtyard alongside arboretum planting and swathes of new woodland habitat. Throughout the duration of the project, more than 2,500 woodland trees and 175 new extra-mature signature trees were planted. The painstaking restoration of Adare Manor has resulted in not only breathtaking architecture and interiors, but a fascinating insight into the life and times of the Dunravens, Adare Village’s beloved Lord and Lady.

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Bathroom design for exceptional architecture The Westin Hamburg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Elbphilharmonie

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20.02.18 16:24

Trunk (Hotel) TOKYO

Entrepreneur Yoshitaka Nojiri brings socially-conscious hospitality to Japan, with a vibrant community hub in Tokyo’s trendy Shibuya neighbourhood. Words: Ben Thomas | Photography: © Masahide Iida / Courtesy of Trunk (Hotel)

he definition of socialising is changing in today’s digital age, with many operators seeking to provide a vibrant hub for both hotel guests and locals. Yet for Trunk (Hotel) – a new concept in Tokyo’s Shibuya district – the notion is about much more than catching up over coffee. Along with the more traditional aspects of connecting with fellow travellers, the project strives to enable guests to make meaningful social contributions through their stay. A member of Design Hotels, Trunk is the brainchild of Yoshitaka Nojiri, and has been brought to life with the creative direction of

Hiroe Tanaka. Both have a track record in the wedding industry, yet the property is the duo’s first venture into the hotel sector. “Trunk (Hotel) defines socialising by focusing on five elements – environment, local first, diversity, health and culture,” explains Nojiri. “We aim to provide sustainable methods of contribution, enabling guests to put their desire to help others in society into action.” As a result, every aspect of the hotel reflects the socialising concept, whether that be through providing a platform for human interaction or giving back through social contributions. The architecture, for example, is the work of husband-and-wife team Mount Fuji

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Above: Trunk (Lounge) is a fluid space designed for co-creation and gathering, with long communal tables and clusters of seating conducive to socialising

Architects Studio and comprises two adjacent four-storey buildings, both encased in a grey stone façade amidst tiered balconies and a profusion of greenery. “Trunk (Hotel) was designed to be constructed on a hill landscape, with the architecture stretching both horizontally and vertically with multiple layers,” Tanaka notes. “Since the concept is socialising, we also raised awareness of the environment through the use of recycled materials, eco-friendly strand boards and Ecoma wood during construction.” Inside, ecology is a recurring theme, the FF&E including coathangers fashioned from surplus iron remnants alongside a fleet of repurposed bicycles. Bed frames and table boards make use of old materials, stools derive from cork, and beanbags are constructed from upcycled ship sails and residual leather. Staff uniforms follow suit, with aprons fashioned from deadstock denim. “Inspired by the industrial history of Shibuya, we incorporated materials such as high-quality local stone, wood and iron that will age well as time passes,” Tanaka says of the decision to cherish original Japanese culture, somewhat westernised since World War II. “Our design team evolved into one that constantly mixes new methods with those more traditional.” Enlisting the help of interior design firms Jamo Associates and Line-Inc, local references abound in the hotel’s living quarters, from

wooden tables by Osaka furniture designers Truck, to organic madein-Japan toiletries that emphasise a homegrown aesthetic. In line with the socialising concept, Trunk’s 15 guestrooms can accommodate single parties or larger groups, with the sought-after Dining Suites featuring a sizeable kitchen as well as its own wine cellar, while the Terrace Suites offer expansive outdoor dining spaces – ideal for social gatherings. Taking the place of a traditional lobby and functioning as the heart of the hotel, Trunk (Lounge) acts as a hip hangout, finished with concrete floors, abstract artworks, and a wraparound bar serving artisanal cocktails. The fluid space is designed specifically for cocreation and gathering, with long communal tables and clusters of seating conducive to socialising-of-old, while integrated power outlets and complimentary Wi-Fi remind guests that this is, of course, the 21st century. It is also here that Trunk plays host to a varied programme of events, from community-spun workshops and exhibitions to an in-house music series. The F&B spaces also cater to Trunk’s ethos, with the dining offer both communal and local. An assortment of dried fruits is sourced from a nearby grocery store, as are regional produce found in the mini-bar. Even the coffee is made in the neighbourhood. “We have two restaurants inside the hotel, both with common points

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Above: Trunk (Kushi) employs traditional Shibuya cooking techniques to serve kushi-yaki dishes

such as Tokyo-inspired food from modern and traditional cultures, and healthy local-first ingredients,” Noriji explains. Trunk (Kushi) employs traditional Shibuya cooking techniques to serve kushi-yaki dishes, prepared and grilled skewers under the guidance of longestablished restaurateur, Yakiniku Yuji. In contrast, Trunk (Kitchen) collaborates with Japanese agricultural producers Isonuma Milk Farm, Fukagawa Winery and Tanaka Farm to source organic ingredients and rediscover native flavours. Plating dishes at the chef’s table, a prime spot next to the kitchen, the brand’s social philosophy again reinforces its staunch narrative. Completing the offer, Tanaka and Nojiri have transferred their bridal expertise in the form of Trunk (Wedding) – a clean-lined wooden rooftop chapel with a fragrant herb garden and bird’s eye views. Here, Line-Inc was tasked with designing four banqueting venues, each with a different theme, as well as a wedding workshop, where couples can plan the finer details of their big day. Elsewhere, the property’s retail outlet, Trunk (Store) – a minimal white outlet designed by Torafu Architects – is an antithesis to a modern culture of mass-consumption in Japan. Borrowing traits

from the country’s indispensable convenience store, the space shines a spotlight on items created in small-volume production, offering functional and earth-friendly pieces such as mugs made from recycled pottery, homemade onigiri rice balls and Trunk-branded produce. While the design concept exemplifies aspects of the brand’s ethos, social value is paramount to the concept, along with a drive to connect guests to society. And as part of its own contributions, Trunk (Hotel) has committed to donating JPY5,000,000 per year to charitable organisations. Having been shortlisted in three categories at AHEAD Asia 2018, Trunk is undoubtedly having an impact on Japan’s hospitality sector, whilst providing a refreshing outlook on Japanese culture and design. “We focused on native design throughout the property,” Nojiri concludes. “From the Edo period to the present day, Tokyo has continued to change as the beating heart of Japan, where everything is densely populated and disseminates an ingenious culture. By adding Trunk’s identities throughout the hotel, our core values of contribution, sincerity, originality and innovation formed the overarching concept of socialising.”

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CLAYBROOK - Ad layout (Sleeper magazine) Mar 18 output revised.pdf 1 22/2/2018 14:34:38

CMY

“True art, when it happens to us, challenges the “I” that we are.” — Jeanette Winterson

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IBIZA The hospitality scene on the Balearic island hitherto best known for its hedonistic nightlife and hippy beaches is maturing, with an increasingly sophisticated and diverse variety of luxury hotels. Words: Kris Thomas and Matt Turner

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biza is changing. Much of its coastline suffered as badly as any in Spain thanks to rampant overdevelopment from the 1960s to the 1980s. A perennial favourite for package holidaymakers, its hotel scene was long dominated by a handful of local families, working in partnership with Spanish hotel groups and tour operators. International hotel brands have been conspicuous by their absence. Despite’s Ibiza’s long held reputation as a mecca for those seeking alternative lifestyles, for many years the only options for visitors seeking alternative accommodation were a smattering of inland yoga retreats and agroturismos; the remote, if luxurious, five star Hacienda Na Xamena; or the unbridled hedonism of the legendary Pikes. Things began to change around the turn of the millennium as nightclub owners and promoters, newly minted with the riches they had pocketed from the superclub phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s, extended their activities into the hotel sector. Pacha opened its own property on the harbourfront, as did El Divino. And Es Vive, opened in 2001, was a gamechanger with its combination of poolside DJ sets and club-inspired branding – a model that has since evolved into the likes of the 268-room Ibiza Rocks Hotel, with its main stage headline acts and a party that rolls from day to day, or mega-club-with-rooms Ushuaïa. In recent years international lifestyle brands have begun jostling for position in Ibiza’s increasingly luxurious, diverse, and design-driven hotel scene. According to HVS, the number of five-star hotel rooms in Ibiza almost doubled from 2009-16, reflecting intensive investment interest in the Balearics from hoteliers and investors. And the hotels are getting bigger. In 2016 the average room count for a five-star hotel was 231 compared with 126 in 2009. Yet entry into this increasingly competitive market can be as difficult as bagging a VIP guestlist at one of the nightclubs for which Ibiza is world-famous. Construction of new hotels is severely restricted, if not outright forbidden. Conversions of existing properties must be sensitively handled to respect the local environment. And construction projects can be frustratingly slow. Nonetheless, recent years have seen the arrival of the likes of Hard Rock Hotels and Melia’s ME alongside homegrown brands such as the aforementioned Ibiza Rocks and Ushuaïa. 2017 in particular was a significant year, with the opening of Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay and Sir Joan marking a significant upscale shift. Meanhile Ibiza Town’s oldest hotel, the Gran Hotel Montesol, now part of Hilton’s Curio Collection (still the only major non-Spanish hotel brand on the island), benefitted from a redesign by Lázaro Rosa-Violán which saw the enlargement of its bedrooms and the enhancement of its public areas.

A generation of clubbers who took to the shores of Ibiza in their youth has now grown up, graduating from all-night Judge Jules sets to early morning yoga classes and sunsets by the pool. Though many still flock to the Balearics for its celebrated clubbing scene and promises of debauchery, changing times have seen the hospitality landscape change direction. Tired of a nightly 85.9 decibels – equal to that of freight trains and industrial machinery – Ibiza’s tourism board and city council have promised a clampdown on excessive nightclub noise as well as taking steps to introduce new legislation that would combat “uncivic tourism” including a ban on unlimited alcohol deals, a rumoured cap on all-inclusive holidays, and the prohibition of renting housing to tourists through Airbnb, not to mention the introduction of tourist tax across the Balearics. Over 3 million people travelled to Ibiza in 2017, a 5.7% increase on 2017, with British tourists accounting for nearly 27% of the total number. At the Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum 2017, STR noted a 6.4% growth in RevPAR for August year to date 2016. With tourism and hotels a major cog in the island economy, the hope is that a diversification of guests and a new focus on building business year-round could change the face of a highly seasonal tourist economy, and repair a reputation that islanders see as not wholly representational if not downright damaging. However, in an ironic twist it could turn out to be the first generation of clubbers – venturing out in the mid-1980’s as institutions like Pacha and Amnesia were established – who turn out to be the catalyst for this change. Now seeking hangover-free mornings, wedding venues and childfriendly escapes, these guests have driven the emergence of a new kind of Ibiza hotel, properties that channel luxury, gastronomy and tranquility as opposed to vodka and lasers. Seven Pines Resort Ibiza – a 195-key, all-suite project centred on wellness and homely ambience – is a notable addition for 2018, with its whitewashed Ibiçenco interiors and stunning views over Es Vedra. Cine Serra, a former cinema located in Ibiza town’s Vara del Rey will open as a five-star hotel in 2018 featuring 50-60 rooms, financed by KKH Capital Group, with design by Barcelona-based OAB. In the North of the island, Six Senses has announced the launch of a new resort being developed by Beach Box Ibiza S.L, and expected to open in 2020, featuring 134 guestrooms overlooking crystalline Cala Xarraca Bay. Even in the traditional tourist-trap of San Antonio, things are changing with the opening of the Paradiso Ibiza Art Hotel by Concept Hotel Group. With Miami modern interiors it features space for local artist takeovers and an emphasis on diversity.

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La Granja IBIZA

One of the oldest farmhouses in Ibiza has been reimagined as a rural retreat, with interiors by Armin Fischer of Dreimeta, for the latest Design Hotels project. Words: Matt Turner | Photography: © Courtesy of Design Hotels

‘G’

marks the spot where you will find La Granja, nestled on a remote hillside near Santa Gertrudis village in Ibiza. The website lists no address, just a set of GPS co-ordinates. The only clue you’re in the right place is a discreet chalkboard sign by the side of the road, scrawled with a single handwritten symbol. Even then, driving up a roughshod dirt track towards an unmarked electric gate I wonder whether I’ve gatecrashed some private villa by mistake. Indeed, the property started life as a residential conversion of one of the island’s oldest farmhouses, until its owner approached Claus Sendlinger, founder and CEO of Design Hotels, with a view to transforming it to a hotel. “He originally planned to do an art hotel, but I thought there was an opportunity to do something very special here,” explains Sendlinger. “We had been looking for another project following our previous work in Tulum, Rio de Janeiro and Mykonos, and I knew I wanted to do something based around a farm. So when this came up in Ibiza, it was a slam-dunk.” The result is not so much a hotel as a new model of hospitality

Above: Dreimeta have followed Japanese principles of wabi-sabi, celebrating the imperfection of raw materials, for the guestroom design

combining elements of member’s only retreat, working agroturismo farmstead and restaurant-with-rooms. Above all, says Sendlinger, it’s a place where people connect – “a study in holistic hospitality born from the growing desire to connect in real time over shared experiences – an antidote to the increasingly online nature of our times.” We are meandering through the 10-hectare organic farm that surrounds the property, his two sons Alex and Neo running around our feet, as Sendlinger lays out his vision, pausing occasionally to check on the progress of the fruit and vegetables that will end up on his guests’ plates. “Community is originally described as a group of people sharing an interest or sharing a location. It starts with interaction, and what I hear repeatedly about La Granja is that people feel the depth of this place in the conversations they had with the people they met here.” The project is a collaboration with Friends of a Farmer, an international association devoted to the cultivation of art, music and crops. ‘Master farmer’ Andy Szymanowicz is an expert in biodynamic agriculture, overseeing 20 tiered acres of pine and citrus forests and fertile gardens, and working closely with resident chef José Catrimán, a lifelong proponent of simple, farm-to-table cuisine. The design of the property was led by Armin Fischer of Dreimeta, who has embraced both the heritage of the farmhouse and its inherent

connection to the land, while honouring rustic simplicity, growth and decay. Inspiration was drawn from Japanese principles of wabi-sabi to steer the conversion of the centuries-old stone finca that anchors the property. Converting the once-private residence, which bears Iberian and Moorish influences, was more an act of conservation than transformation. Weatherworn imperfections have been left in place, celebrated for their flawed beauty, enhanced and enriched with artisanal bamboo furnishings and carefully crafted decorative elements by Danish firm Tine K Home. Materials are raw and natural: burnt wood, brushed and oiled ash, wood, stone, and slate. The six guestrooms are stripped back to the bare essentials – a clothes rail, simple earthenware pots for the toiletries, organic linen bedding and matting on the floor against a monastic backdrop of arched walls in unfired clay, and dark-wood beamed ceilings and doors, accented by hammered iron fixtures. Ample cozy nooks for moments of simple solitude are found both inside and out. But it’s in the shared spaces – the kitchen, communal dining area and tiered terraces overlooking the surrounding countryside – that the connections happen. Sendlinger describes it as “a laboratory of sorts – a testing ground in agritourism, education, ritualistic relaxation, and temporal societies.” Signed and labeled garden plots encourage guests to wander the grounds, learning about agriculture through a series of workshops,

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Above: A centuries old farmstead plays host to bamboo furnishings and decorative elements by Tine K Home Left: The palette is one of rough hewn wood, stone and ironmongery

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Gira E2 Stainless steel. Fits to the wall. New frames and inserts in high-quality stainless steel have been added to the successful Gira E2 switch range, opening up a whole new set of design possibilities. Planners can fit out buildings with a con sistent design, while differentiating different areas in terms of value. Its sophisticated appearance makes Gira E2 stainless steel particularly suited to upscale facilities, both in the private and commercial sphere. The frames for the flat installation protrude a mere 3 mm from the wall, blending in with the architecture in a particularly elegant fashion – and thereby providing an additional design option. Numerous functions from the Gira System 55 meet all the require ments of a modern, future-proof electrical installation. More information: www.gira.com/e2

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Above: The kitchen serves communal dinners daily, using produce either grown within the grounds of La Granja, or sourced locally

classes and community-based projects. Guests are invited participate in a programme of rituals including meditation, yoga, daily music sets and lectures from thought leaders on a diverse array of topics. The atmosphere may be one of effortless, laidback chic, but behind-the-scenes every last detail is carefully considered. As our coffees arrives, Sendlinger gently chides our waitress for the off-theshelf espresso cups that have appeared since his last visit. A joiner is asked to make minute adjustments to the thickness of a table-top, being made, as are many of La Granja’s furnishings, at an on-site carpentry workshop. Later, after we have scrambled up a steep slope to a meditation circle hidden away in the woodland, he’s dismayed by the garish foam yoga mats scattered around. It’s all done with characteristic twinkly-eyed good humour but I’m left in no doubt such errant details will be quickly rectified. A day earlier, I’d had La Granja virtually to myself, and spent a blissful afternoon taking in its otherworldly aura of calm, beauty and simplicity. The only sounds the wind through the trees, and the occasional chirruping of cicada in the brush.

Then, imperceptibly, as the sun set it began to stir into life. There were pots and pats rattling the kitchen. A DJ arrived to set up his decks beneath the ancient tree by the bar. Slowly the atmosphere built as guests arrived, the drinks and conversation flowed, and the music was turned up a notch. It turned out to be not just the weekly Friday night ‘ritual’, but also the birthday of La Granja’s music director Jaime Fiorito (son of the legendary Balearic DJ Alfredo). Rico Loop, an improvisational ‘one-man-jam’ instrumental artist began piecing together an intricate musical journey, beat-by-beat, note-by-note. By the end the crowd were whooping and cheering, not to the drop of a heavy bassline but to acknowledge the arrival of Loop’s daughter, carrying a candle as in a religious ceremony, sitting on his knee and singing, her voice then sampled and stitched into the electronic tapestry being woven before us. It was a magical moment and one that brought to mind another of Sendlinger’s earlier comments: “We’re looking more and more for experience. As time passes, what endures are the moments that stick in your memory – the ones that moved your soul or altered your mind.”

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Nobu Hotel IBIZ A BAY

Ibiza’s latest luxury resort is a ‘playground for grown-ups’ where indigenous materials meet Japanese-influenced art. Words: Matt Turner | Photography: Courtesy of Nobu Hotels & Resorts

obu might be famous for raw fish, but the one that arrives at our table is most definitely cooked, baked in salt in the traditional Spanish way, the chef preparing it tableside with all the dexterity of an itamae sushi master. We are sat in Chambao – the beachfront chiringuito at Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay, as its PR manager Andrea Cerosio explains: “We wanted to give our guests all the facilities of a traditional family resort, but the levels of service they might expect in a private villa or on a yacht.” And given the level of high end gastronomy on offer close-by (Heart, the Adrià Brothers’ collaboration with Cirque du Soleil is just down the road, as is Lío, Pacha Group’s phenomenally successful cabaret club-cum-restaurant) the boat has really been pushed out in terms of its F&B offer. Alongside the inevitable, eponymous Japanese sushi restaurant and Chambao, there is Peyotito, an offshoot of London restaurant Peyote, offering a modern take on its Mexican menu of tacos and ceviche. Celicioso offers gluten-free patisserie, nourishing juices and superfood salads. Though of course for guests who just want to sit in a poolside cabana with a beer and a burger that is on offer too. Billed as ‘the ultimate playground for grown-ups’, the resort is a significant addition to the jet-set hotspot of Talamanca Bay – where upscale yacht clubs sit shoulder-to-shoulder with luxury hotels such as Ibiza Gran Hotel, OD Ocean Drive, and El Hotel.

It has been developed by London & Regional in collaboration with MC Hotels and Nobu Hospitality, with PM Arquilab as architects. The majority of the interior design was conceived by Jennica Arazi and Mario Nicholau, acting on behalf of the owners, in collaboration with Madrid-based procurement company Proffetional. The Nobu restaurant was designed by Studio PCH, a Californian practice responsible for numerous Nobu restaurants around the world. The design is inspired by its Ibicenco surroundings – a blend of hippy-chic white, turquoise and gold which blurs the distinction between internal and exterior spaces, whilst the architecture is more akin to that of an Asian resort, with a series of spaces organised to perfectly frame the sea and sky beyond. “Ibiza is known as ‘la isla blanca’,” explains Jennica Arazi, “so the starting point for the design and brand identity of the hotel was a colour palette of white, with turquoise and aqua for the Balearic sea, and hints of gold for the Ibicenco sunshine.” Limestone floors blend seamlessly with the decking, replete with Tuuci furnishings, outside. Floor-to-ceiling windows open up onto expansive views of the Mediterranean sunsets for which Ibiza is renowned. Natural materials indigenous to the island are used throughout: light coloured wooden beams, piedra laja stone cut walls, and whitewashed biriba cane ceilings alongside raffia lamps, macrame hanging chairs, and rattan sofas.

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Above: Guestrooms feature handblown glass pendant lamps; custom furnishings by Profettional and patterned blue fabrics

Accent colours of teal, lapis and indigo in the rugs and fabrics reflect the everchanging colours of the sea, as does the handmade turquoise ceramic of the reception desk, whilst the gold tones in wall sconces and bespoke brass screens that break up the lobby space suggest the reflection of sun on water. In the rooms, hand-painted headboards framed in bronze are the focal point, adorned on each side with handblown coloured glass pendant lamps, made on the neighbouring island of Mallorca, or macrame pendants made from recycled paper which complement woven-rope oversized armchairs from B&B Italia. Textured rugs were made in Valencia from repurposed leather belts. Bathrooms are in white marble, with Dornbracht fittings and Hollywood-style brass bulb lights to the mirror. The artwork lends a residential feel, with bespoke commissions from local artists showing subtle Japanese influences. In the lobby, seasoned Ibiza resident Aldo Kovacs has created a painting that greets guests at the concierge desk depicting the natural landscape of a protected heritage site of wild reeds, known locally as ‘Ses Feixes’,

located on one side of the hotel, and the sparkling waters of Talamanca Bay to the other. A quadriptych of large format Chrysocolla-textured panels was commissioned from Elizabeth Langford, a young British artist, now Ibiza-based, who works with indigenous pigments to create striking pieces of abstract art with a Japanese tone. Handmade ceramics also feature extensively. Andalucian sculptress Anna Ortiz has created wallhangings of one-off plates, paired with the work of artist William Pauer who uses the Japanese art of Raku to make pots and dishes which are home to succulent plants in the rooms. A boutique store selling stoneware sake cups alongside a plethora of local products was created by Madrid-based MEC, as was the kids club. An offshoot of the Marbella Club, with which Nobu shares ownership, this offers a wide range of activities many of which will appeal to adults as much as their offspring: Flower Power parties, cooking classes, foraging expeditions and DJ workshops. This playground for adults is one to bring out the child in anyone, even those who’ve grown up and come back to experience a more sophisticated Ibiza than the one they one knew in their younger days.

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Sir Joan IBIZA

Hotelier Liran Wizman of EHPC has worked with designers Baranowitz & Kronenberg to create a luxuriously specified hotel inspired by the yachts in nearby Marina Botafoch. Words: Matt Turner | Photography: ÂŠ Amit Geron

Above: Guestrooms feature stripped yacht flooring with furnishings from Vitra, B&B Italia, Ligne Roset, Living Divani and Poltrona Frau

“I

n Ibiza everything is white, and that’s very much the spirit of the island, but here we felt we needed to do something different, something out of the ordinary,” explains Ignacio Gomez Escolar, General Manager of Sir Joan, over a poolside café cortado. Where most Ibiza hotels rely on the surrounding sea and sand for much of their visual impact, Sir Joan is marooned on a busy traffic intersection between Ibiza Town and Talamanca Bay. Its architects, Barcelona-based Ribas & Ribas, have responded with a striking chequerboard ziggurat structure housing 38 rooms and suites behind its cantilevered terraces, as well as two restaurants, a lobby, bar, pool and cabanas on its ground floor. The immediate surroundings may be nondescript, however the hotel’s views over the nearby harbour and Ibiza’s historic Old Town are anything but. Its proximity to both Dalt Villa and Marina Botafoch puts it in prime position to entice the sophisticated travellers who flock to Ibiza, and increasingly do so all year-round. Interiors are by Baranowitz + Kronenberg, the Israeli-duo also responsible for Sir Albert, Sir Hotels’ first property in Amsterdam, and its Berlin brethren Sir Savigny. “We envisioned Sir Joan as a social vessel where space, design, music and cuisine are made-to-measure and hand-stiched,” explain Baranowitz + Kronenberg. “Contextual highlights and insightful stories run as a subtle undercurrent throughout all guest touchpoints

and endow Sir Joan with a compelling quality of unexpected and authentic familiarity.” The influence of the luxury yachts moored up in Marina Botafoch is evident in the no-expense spared guestrooms. Loose furnishings are supplied by a roll-call of prestigious design brands: Vitra, B&B Italia, Ligne Roset. Living Divani and Poltrona Frau indoors; Expormim, Roda and Gandia Blasco on the terraces outside. Casegoods, custommade in Italy, are exquisitely engineered. Bathrooms are in the finest Carrara marble. The top floor penthouse suites boast 80m2 wraparound terraces with 360 degree views, private cabanas and an open-air kitchen. Each room features a balcony, while the suites have up to two balconies as well as an indoor living area. “The guestroom design is a subtle homage to yacht living,” say the designers. “The choice of stripped yacht flooring and the water impression radiated by the highly polished stainless steel wall panels allude to leaving everything behind, and setting off on a one of a kind voyage under the sails and crew of Sir Joan.” Nautical influences are also in evidence in the ground floor lobby, where vertical corrugated steel bars line up along the walls, evoking naval ropes and the erosion of metal by the sea, beneath a rippling mirrored ceiling. Armchairs by Minotti, Gam Fratesi and Bernhardt surround tables by Riva 1920. The outdoor courtyard boasts a triangular pool, heated throughout

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Above: The lobby features armchairs by Minotti, Gam Fratesi and Bernhardt and tables by Riva 1920

the winter season, lined with cabanas and lounge chairs by Roda and Expormim, alongside coffee tables and ottomans by Gervasoni. The property also features a collection of artwork including pieces by Spanish art legend Joan Hernandez Pijuan, and Carlos Irijalba Inercia, alongside photographs from Ibiza-based photographer Landry A. “We were inspired by the marina, the ocean, but also by the people on the island,” adds Liran Wizman. “By combining contemporary design with nostalgic details, we aim to create a unique urban oasis at the heart of the world-famous island.” Wizman is the founder and owner of Europe Hotels Private Collection, parent company of both Sir Hotels and its sister brand Max Brown. He is also co-founder, with Yossi Eliyahoo, of Entourage Group, the F&B operator responsible for both of Sir Joan’s restaurants: Izakaya and The Butcher. The former is an Asian / South American kitchen and bar, originating in Amsterdam and offering a mix of sushi, ceviche and skewered, Robata-grilled meats. A bold move, given that the recently-opened Nobu Ibiza Bay

Hotel, just down the road from Sir Joan is world-famous for a similar combination of contemporary Japanese cuisine fused with Peruvian flavours. What’s more, halfway between Sir Joan and Nobu sits Zela – a new restaurant from Rafa Nadal, Pau Gasol and Enrique Iglesias in partnership with Mabel Group, also offering a blend of Oriental and Mediterranean flavours, with a strong Japanese influence. “It’s completely new for Ibiza,” explains Escolar. “You have three restaurants all offering this cuisine in the same street. But we are all doing well so far, we’re not fighting for business. Our objective is still to be here in three years time – most of the seasonal restaurants only last a year. We want to be something that stays here and make ourselves a name.” The Butcher, a high-end burger bar also founded in Amsterdam and since expanded to Berlin as well as Ibiza, has been a huge hit with late night revellers as well as hotel guests. “We’re open 21-hours-aday,” says Escolar. “At any given time there is always someone on the terrace enjoying a burger. That’s Ibiza for you.”

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Boutique hotels eye growth Lime Wood Hotels has announced expansion for its Pig hotels, adding three new sites with an investment of GBP30m. The news came as Virgin Hotels revealed its first hotel outside the US, in Edinburgh, with Laura Ashley Hotels also looking to grow into the Middle East, Indian Ocean and Asia Pacific region. At Lime Wood Hotels, the latest properties under The Pig flag will be in Kent, West Sussex and Cornwall. There are currently five hotels in the portfolio – in the New Forest, near Bath, at Studland in Dorset, near Honiton in Devon and in Southampton. Robin Hutson, chairman & CEO, told Hotel Analyst that the sites were financed through some internallygenerated funds, some bank debt (through Santander) and some private loans from Jim Ratcliffe, the chemicals entrepreneur and the group’s financial partner. Hutson said that the group had no specific expansion targets, stating: “I only want to do exceptional properties and you have to kiss a lot of frogs to get the properties which you want, but when you buy into the right one you know it. We have geographical targets and with these three hotels we now have a Pig in every southern county.” The group has no immediate plans for the north. Hutson said: “I don’t want to dilute what we’ve got. I know the south well, it’s served me well over the years.”

The rapid addition of three sites has not brought thoughts of an exit any closer. Hutson said: “One day we’ll sell, but we’re not in a rush, we’re still enjoying it.” The hotels remain driven by their restaurants, with 60% F&B and 40% rooms. Hutson said: “We’ve always sweated the F&B hard and that’s what makes the difference and accounts for our success. If you drive the F&B well it pushes up the occupancy and we are now at over 90%.” The company sources 90% of its fresh food within 25 miles of its hotels (with the exception of the Bath property, which is more than 25 miles from the nearest fishing port) but the move has not inured the group from rising costs. Hutson said: “There’s been an upward trend in food costs in the last 18 months, regardless of where you’re sourcing. Wine, for example, often comes from further afield and you’re conscious that you don’t want to ramp up the cost for customers, so we have been looking at other, quality products and more sensible prices.” Staff too, are becoming harder to find after the EU Referendum, with Hutson adding: “There’s a nervousness among the non-EU staff, out of the 700 people we employ around a third of them are non-Brits. Some of them are EU nationals who have been around a long time and they are hopeful that they won’t be at risk. We’ve seen far less Eastern Europeans knocking on our door. It’s going to be very tight, but we tend to be in middle class areas where there are offspring

going to university who come to work with us in the holidays and sometimes they do stay on. We also offer a lot of training and development.” At Virgin, the hotel brand which was launched in 2010 with an investment target of USD500m within three years, opened its first hotel, in Chicago, in 2015. This year it is expected to open a property in San Francisco, followed by Washington DC, Dallas and Nashville in 2019 and New York, New Orleans, Palm Springs and Silicon Valley in 2020. The group has ambitions to expand across European capitals with properties in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid and Istanbul in addition to key cities in South America. When it was founded, the group had planned to expand by taking advantage of distressed hotels being bought to market by banks in the US, an environment which did not develop as expected. Sir Richard Branson said: “Edinburgh is such an iconic city and we’re thrilled to be able to say it will be the home of the first Virgin Hotel in the UK and across Europe. My grandparents were from Edinburgh, so Scotland has always held a special place in my heart. The people of Edinburgh have been so great in welcoming us to their great city; we can’t wait to open our doors to people across the country and, indeed, the world.” The 225-room hotel, which is due to open in 2020, will be on the India Buildings site in Victoria Street which was acquired in 2014 by developers Jansons.

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At Laura Ashley Hotels, the company, which has two hotels in the UK, said that it was looking to grow Laura Ashley Serviced Residences across key city and resort destinations in the Middle East, Indian Ocean and Asia Pacific region. The group, which is owned by Malaysia’s Malayan United Industries, had planned to grow in the UK by converting hotels from sister company Corus Hotels. Nick Turner, principal, Laura Ashley Hotels & Resorts said: “Hotel brands don’t simply appear fully formed into the world, they develop gradually, over years rather than months: they grow organically and are shaped by great regional partners and events. We look forward to working with hotel owners and operators within the region in order to apply Laura Ashley’s world famous heritage, premium design and style-led philosophy.” Seán Anglim, COO, Laura Ashley, added: “This expansion opportunity will ensure that even more travellers will soon be able to experience Laura Ashley’s unique heritage, designs and quintessentially English guest experience.” The UK’s boutique guest are expected to see more options after Minor Hotels’ purchase of a “significant stake” in Corbin & King, for GBP58m. Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotels, said: “We at Minor Hotels are thrilled to be entering the UK market and are proud to partner with such a respected industry leader. Our strategic joint venture

will build upon Minor Hotels’ history of operating signature restaurants within our hotels and in third-party locations. We look forward to working with Jeremy and Chris to expand the Corbin & King portfolio in the UK and key international markets.” HA Perspective (by Katherine Doggrell): What is a boutique hotel is a question which has been perplexing the sector since some enterprising designer first put a chair with a pattern other than floral in a hotel lobby. Hutson told us: “Our hotels have always been boutique and for the last 25 years we have been at the vanguard of that. It’s a hotel where there is a consideration for its look and feel as well as its functionality. They are always smaller, with more individualisation and every detail has been considered – we say here that if it comes from a hotel supplier then it’s almost certainly wrong for us.” And there the story would end if it wasn’t for the march of scale, scale, scale and the need for the global operators to have all the strings in their bows and more besides. Hutson has no plans to sell, but when he does there’s no doubt the majors will be sniffing around as they have before. Hutson said: “There is a wellknown path of small businesses getting messed up by larger companies. It depends on the pressure to expand, the pressure on returns. We do many things which might not deliver the right rate of return, but are part of what we do.

As soon as an accountant starts to look at it rather than a hotelier, you can start putting the nails in the coffin.” The good news for the sector is that it has matured in recent years and there is less temptation to kill the pig that laid the golden egg – witness Accor’s hands-off approach to Mama Shelter, which is due to arrive in London in 2019. But while a few hotels popping up here and there gives Accor some cachet, they will never be core. The answer for the global operators may be multiple small chains. Good news for all you M&A lawyers out there.

consider selling a stake to another investor, although it did not confirm to Hotel Analyst which owner would be cutting their holding. In April last year the group signed an agreement with Permira Debt Managers to refinance its existing debt and support future growth. The key elements were: a GBP275m, senior secured loan with a five-year maturity from closing at Libor +7%, a further GBP100m of available financing to drive further global expansion of the business on the same terms and renewal of its revolving credit facility of GBP30m plus GBP5 accordion for four-anda-half years. The company described the new debt solution as “highly flexible and tailored so that the cost of the loan reduces as the company’s net debt levels decrease”. The agreement allowed it to pay off its GBP152.5m 9.125% senior secured notes and retire its GBP40 of PIK notes, before the maturity date of October 2019. The company’s most recent results filing, for the year to 1 January 2017, saw it report that it had, at that date, 69,400 members, with a global waiting list of over 44,000. It operated 18 Houses, one hotel, 43 public restaurants, 15 spas, two cinemas and 527 hotel rooms. The group offered two types of memberships – access to an individual site and access to the full portfolio, with fees ranging from GBP400 per year to GBP1,785. The group’s primary source of turnover was F&B, which accounted for 60%, with membership fees at 16%, accommodation 13% and

Soho House moots IPO Soho House is reported to be looking at an IPO in New York which would value it at around USD2bn, appointing Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan to look at fundraising options. The company, which opened the award-winning Ned in the City of London last year, has been beset with financing issues as it targets three to four new clubs every year. After the opening of the 252-room Ned, Soho House is continuing to expand, with sites planned in Brighton and Texas next year and LA and Amsterdam this year. The company is 10% owned by Nick Jones, with Richard Caring holding 30% and Yucaipa holding the remainder, which it acquired in 2012 for GBP250m. It has been reported that the group would also

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retail and other sales 11%. At the UK business, turnover for the year rose by 14%, to GBP118.9m, driven by growth in F&B, with accommodation turnover growth of GBP4.8m. Ebitda for the period rose by 1% on the year to GBP10.1m. Other than the Dean Street Townhouse the group’s hotels were co-located within its Houses. The company said that Soho House Berlin had performed ahead of expectations, but that “as with all businesses in Turkey, Soho House Istanbul has been impacted by the political and economic challenges currently prevailing over the country”. The group said it had managed costs and would look to recovery as the country stabilised. Soho House was also looking to expand its Soho Works coworking facility, which it opened in Shoreditch in 2015, with a view to potentially expanding the concept across the UK and internationally. In 2015 the group pulled a GBP200m bond issue which had been intended to fund expansion and pay down debt. According to Reuters, Soho House had been looking to refinance a GBP145m 9.125% 2018 bond callable in October 2015 with a new GBP200m five-year non-call two senior secured note. Prior to this, Moody’s had downgraded the company’s credit rating, commenting: “This rating action reflects slower than expected profit growth demonstrated by Soho House resulting in a significant increase in adjusted leverage beyond Moody’s prior expectations.

In addition, while the company met its March interest payment, its liquidity remains constrained even with the recent GBP15m equity infusion associated with the recent consent solicitation. “Moody’s is also mindful of the uncertainty that results from Soho House exploring growth opportunities in new markets where the model is yet to be proven, which we expect may challenge profitability.” HA Perspective (by Katherine Doggrell): When Yucaipa took its stake in Soho House, in 2012, the company was thought to be valued at around GBP250m. That, six years later, it is thought to be muttering around the USD2bn mark, is a sign of its enthusiasm, if nothing else. We would hate to draw any comparisons with that other Yucaipa investee, Morgans Hotel Group, which spluttered around for a few years before being rescued by SBE, but they are there to be seen. Soho House, as at Morgans, leaned on the hip for its clientele (in the case of Soho House, riven with those fickle creative types) and fashion does not always longevity make. There is much to set private members’ clubs apart from the hotel sector, fortunately. The revenue from membership, but also the expectation of the kind of service which used to be expected at hotels. With the rapid expansion of the brand, Soho House is at risk of diluting all that sets it apart and all that made its members feel exclusive and sheltered from the

harshness of the real world. In a bid to drive revenue it is also spreading the brand around, with spas, coworking, restaurants, a retail store, cinemas, wherever you can imagine media types spending money on flat whites. The company, sucking in funding like a Bentley sucks in petrol, is at risk of running on fumes. As it spreads thinner and thinner there may be nothing left but a taint in the air.

business and are fully committed to reviewing it on a regular basis at the board level.” Brittain was asked about the approach at the company’s thirdquarter results, which saw it report flat like-for-like hotel sales, which it said was driven by market weakness. Revenue sales were up 5.5%, aided by investment in expanding existing hotels. Revpar at Premier Inn UK was down by 1.5%, with both rate and occupancy falling. Brittain said: “We continued to deliver our strategy to win market share through investment in new hotels and extensions, which will mature to give strong returns over the next few years. Our performance in the quarter moderated as the budget hotel market weakened and we had a particularly challenging October. Although it is early in the fourth quarter, performance so far has been encouraging and reflects a return to year-to-date performance.” The company conceded that supply was an issue, with London up around 4.5% last year and the provinces 1% to 2%. The group said it was confident of increasing its capacity to 85,000 rooms by 2020, with the remaining 13,700 rooms now secured through a mix of extending existing hotels, new freehold developments and new leasehold hotels. Brittain added: “We do expect the tough UK high street environment and inflation in our sector to continue to pose challenges in the year ahead. However, we have good momentum in the delivery of our plan to enhance our UK market leadership positions, create an

Weakened Whitbread faces breakup calls Whitbread said that it “will not deviate” from its current strategy after the news broke that activist investor Sachem Head was pushing for a break up of the company. The comments came as Whitbread reported that its performance in the third quarter had “moderated as the budget hotel market weakened”. The end of last year saw Sachem Head take a 3.4% stake in the company. Sachem Head has made no public comment but is thought to be calling for Costa Coffee to be separated from the hotels and restaurants business. The US-based group has a track record in calling for break-ups, pushing for a spinoff at Shire, the pharmaceutical group based in Dublin and listed in London, last autumn. CEO Alison Brittain told analysts that she still believed Whitbread was the right owner for Costa Coffee, adding: “We remain entirely openminded about the structure of the

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international business of scale in Germany, China and Costa Express, and develop a more efficient infrastructure. This will create further customer loyalty and deliver long-term growth in earnings and dividends and a strong return on capital.” Langton Capital’s Mark Brumby commented: “The UK economy is facing well-documented headwinds. Sterling has weakened and costs have risen but the silver lining, the surge in inbound tourist numbers, does not seem to be sufficient to fill all of the new hotel capacity in London. This may change but it will take time. Hotels are rarely demolished, and Whitbread and others will simply have to trade through any supply-led slowdown in trading.” With performance off its peak, Sachem Head has not been the only group to suggest a split. In October Credit Suisse warned that Whitbread was vulnerable to interest from activist investors and private equity funds, having fallen to its lowest valuation relative to the market in 10 years. Credit Suisse pointed to Whitbread trading at a new low relative to the FTSE250, at an 8% PE discount versus a 10-year average 17% premium. The company suggested a number of options, including sale and leaseback of property and increasing the group’s gearing to 3.7 times Ebitda from the current 1.2. Most familiar to regular followers of Whitbread was the option of splitting the Costa Coffee business off, with additional plans to exit from the pub restaurant business

and use the cash at Premier Inn instead. The note cautioned: “Whilst this has been a recurring theme, it remains an undisputed fact that private equity is sitting on a record level of dry powder.” A recent note from Barclays also pointed to recent deals in the coffee shop sector being in the high teens to earnings, against the market valuation of Costa, which was at nine times. The bank said that, if Whitbread was able to get an enterprise value of 15 times earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation for Costa, as well as selling then leasing back its property portfolio, the total group value would rise to between GBP44 and GBP49 per share. Shore Capital joined the speculation, commenting that increasing Premier Inn’s sale-andleaseback programme from the current GBP100m to GBP150m a year could see the group’s shares rise from the current position of GBP39 to GBP55. HA Perspective (by Katherine Doggrell): Brittain, now used to fielding the break-up question, has reiterated her belief that they are so very hard to do and that Whitbread is still the best home for Costa Coffee. There is some logic in this, rather than just a reluctance to miss out on the employee discount on lattes. As Barclays told us, Whitbread has GBP15m to GBP20m

of shared overhead between Premier Inn and Costa which would need to be addressed. But what’s GBP20m between friends? Brittain is also thought to have doubts that Whitbread would get the best price for Costa Coffee, giving the increasing vulnerability of the high street in the UK and evolving tastes of the consumer, which would rather go artisan with the few meagre pennies in its pocket. But this is the Idiot Child argument – only a mother would love it. Whitbread remains convinced of the overseas potential, and it’s not alone. Any sale is likely to see great interest and a good price. As for Premier Inn, growth in the sector – some driven by itself – is giving it the yips. To counter this it is pinning its hopes on Germany, a market which many see as a safe haven for investors, although it has had recent issues with costs as its economy booms. Even the strongest market is vulnerable, as Scandic’s profit warning has shown. The company expects lower fourth-quarter Ebitda, primarily attributable to operations in Stockholm, where, it said, “the market was weak in the quarter, and costs were not fully adjusted in line with the weaker like-for-like sales development”. Morgan Stanley added in a note that “Swedish performance has been particularly weak in Stockholm due to high supply growth and a slowdown in demand”.

For both Premier Inn and Scandic weakness is not related to the product, but to market conditions. Whitbread has talked much of efficiencies keeping the wolf from the door and Scandic is leaning on its geographic spread. Despite the calls to split Whitbread, in a downturn where size will weather the storm, it will not give up Costa easily. Additional HA Perspective (by Andrew Sangster): Things have changed fast for Whitbread. Less than two years ago analysts at Morgan Stanley were quoted as describing Premier Inn as “possibly the best hotel business in the world”. Those same analysts now have Whitbread on an equal weight rating. What’s gone so wrong? Negative sentiment towards the UK economy is playing a part. So too are projections for weak revpar growth in the hotel market, particularly in London. But these worries have not stopped deal flow and, if anything, the UK economy is defying expectations with its growth rate: the latest projections for 2017 GDP from the Office for National Statistics came in at 1.8%, only a whisker down on the 1.9% achieved in 2016. Morgan Stanley points out that Whitbread is currently trading below the five-year average for its price to earnings ratio while most

other leisure stocks are trading at or above. It is not a well-loved stock (both Accor and IHG are trading well above their five-year average PE ratios). Something is going to have to give and it is most likely corporate action by Whitbread. There seems little obvious synergy between Costa and Premier Inn, so the current intransigence on separation seems perplexing. The “we’re too busy” answer given at the trading statement press conference is unlikely to satisfy shareholders. If Whitbread’s management is determined to hang to Costa then the next most obvious route to cheering up shareholders would be an opco-propco split. A big unbundling would certainly provide the wherewithal for some serious share buybacks. But this would not fix the root cause of Whitbread’s problems. The lack of geographic diversification and (although not obvious yet) the diminishing returns on expanding the estate in the UK. Scandic has similar low-growth issues and doesn’t have the options available to Whitbread to radically alter things. Maybe Scandic and Whitbread should start talking.

Hotel Analyst is the news analysis service for those involved with financing hotel property or hotel operating companies. For more information and to subscribe visit: www.hotelanalyst.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 8870 6388

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Following the 2016 Brexit Referendum, UK hotels have largely benefited from the weakening of the pound as the country welcomed an influx of international tourists. There was also a boost for domestic tourism, as travelling to other countries became less affordable for many UK residents. This led to new peaks for hotels in both London and Regional UK. Increased demand allowed hoteliers to drive

RevPAR

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+4.1%

set 2017 apart from previous years. Between 2015 and 2017, Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ADR increased by 4.1%, while Regional UK saw a 3.3% increase. The remaining question is whether this tide of demand and rate growth will be sustained through 2018, especially as long-term

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RevPAR

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20-22 May 2018 Sleepover is a nomadic series of events connecting a community of hospitality innovators around the world. This year’s event will take place in Brooklyn, a borough with a storied past that has redefined itself and built one of the most culturally fascinating destinations in modern America. Today, boutique hotels and luxury condos sit side-by-side with start-up labs, co-working spaces, makers workshops, urban farms and craft breweries. Above all Brooklyn’s diverse culture is driven by a DIY attitude, leading to our overarching theme for this year’s Sleepover of ‘Make it Happen!“ You can find more information and apply for reservations at: www.sleepoverbrooklyn.com

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