The Lobby

Living Better

While we continue to lament the effects of Coronavirus, one thing that lockdown has taught us is the value of space and time. Open spaces away from crowds to breathe in the fresh air, and the luxury of time to take a step back from the stresses of daily life and reset.

With that in mind, French designer Sybille de Margerie has been exploring the idea of living better, taking the ponderings of Marcel Proust – who stated “the most remarkable journeys come from the inside, free from time and space” – as inspiration.

The resulting concept, Le Cocon de Luxe, comes in the form of an ovoid-shaped dwelling designed as an extension of an existing property or a remote refuge in the great outdoors, where guests can isolate.

“This period has been such an inspiration to me that I wanted to go beyond all constraints and conceive a space as part of a new design concept,” says de Margerie. “I wanted to design an atypically luxurious room; a sort of wrapping, a protective showcase, nestled in the greenery.”

Wide openings between indoor and outdoor eliminate boundaries, while a fluid layout and the presence of elliptical curves create a sense of freedom. Interiors echo the natural world and feature raw textures such as wood and stone, together with brass, leather, cotton and linen. Colourful wallpaper and plush upholstery add a poetic touch, while furniture is nomadic, making the layout of the space customisable to the individual.

“The original idea came from an egg-shaped concept, a cocoon – a birth, or rather, a rebirth,” de Margerie continues. “The layout is inspired by the complementary forces of Yin and Yang; through playing with opposite systems, the space balances a sunny side and a shady side, dark and light, night and day. They may as well represent the duality of human nature; introvert or extrovert, an intimate life or a social world.”

Beast x Gubi House

Hospitality and retail come together in Shanghai in a new hybrid space for creatives.

Danish design company Gubi has teamed up with Beast – a Chinese lifestyle brand and one of the nation’s most popular trendsetting platforms – to unveil a new concept space in Shanghai.

Set within a 100-year-old mansion in the city’s French Concession, Beast x Gubi House comprises a café, garden, event space and boutique hotel, and is another example of the hybrid hospitality spaces making waves in the sector.

Having undergone a five-year renovation, the culturally significant building now evokes a sense of calm, offering a moment of quiet reflection in the heart of the bustling city. With a soothing palette of timber, rattan, marble and travertine, the café spills out onto a courtyard, where Gubi’s Nagasaki Chair and new Epic Tables overlook a verdant, wild flower garden.

Inside, the team worked with local interior design firm Chaos Programme to sensitively create a range of settings that demonstrate the versatility of Gubi’s furniture, lighting and interior objects. Pieces including the Beetle Dining Chair and Bestlite Lamp are paired with antiques and original artworks owned and curated by Beast, such as paintings by Shanghai-based artist Zhang Enli and photography by Sugimoto Boss. There’s also a room dedicated to the art of floristry, the field in which Beast made its name.

On the second floor, the two-bedroom suites are designed around Gubi’s Stay Bed and Grand Piano Sofa, which feature alongside the Pacha Lounge Chair and Moon Coffee Table, while the third floor showcases material finishes and doubles as a private events space.

The new venture marks an alignment of mindsets that sees the brands’ shared passion for design, art and fashion target the next generation of Chinese consumers, and for Gubi, it’s a unique opportunity to expand outside Europe and benefit from Beast’s market knowledge to develop a local supply chain.

The Anti-Social Club

‘Social spaces’ has been a familiar buzzword in hospitality in recent years, often used to describe concepts that are designed to encourage meeting and mingling. But with Covid-19 putting a temporary end to public gatherings, hotels are having to rethink the layout and operation of their lobbies, bars and restaurants.

As such, St Moritz Hotel & Spa in Cornwall has come up with a solution – The Anti-Social Club, thought to be the first purposefully designed Covid-safe restaurant in the UK. The pop-up venture features 16 private dining rooms serving up to 96 covers, with clear guidance and exacting operating procedures that ensure the original two-metre rule and new environmental health requirements are met at all times.

All drinks and sharing platters will be delivered to each private dining room via a central corridor and hatch mechanism, meaning that the distancing requirements are not compromised at any time, and also ensuring that staff and guests do not risk bumping into one other.

© Gingerhead Design

Demand for bookings has been so high that the creative team behind the hotel has also reworked plans to enable breakfast service in the sea-facing beach huts that come as an accompaniment to the hotel’s King-class rooms. The huts, which overlook the Camel Estuary towards Steppa Point and the Atlantic beyond, are classic English seaside in style, kitted out with bunting, deck chairs and accessories. Guests staying in the King rooms can pre-book a time slot for their full Cornish or club continental breakfast to be delivered and served in a safe manner, making for a unique dining experience.

“We’ve had to soar to our optimum heights of creative thinking to create The Anti-Social Club, an experience we’re proud to have dreamt-up as an antidote to the C-word,” explains Hugh Ridgway, the hotel’s co-founder. “Safe doesn’t have to mean boring and we’re finding every way to keep an appropriate sense of humour around all of our new options, as well as delivering yet another first in the UK market.”

Where Architects Sleep

No-one appreciates the beauty of a building quite like an architect, so who better to recommend the world’s best places to sleep?

Uncovering the thoughts of more than 250 creatives – including Norman Foster, Kelly Hoppen and Kengo Kuma – Where Architects Sleep is a compendium for the design-conscious traveller, detailing 1,200 hotel recommendations across 100 countries. Created by Sarah Miller and published by Phaidon, the 528-page tome features every kind of accommodation, from simple hostels to a traditional Mongolian ger, an alpine ryokan and a palapa in the heart of Mexico. Each listing comes with insightful reviews, key information and specially commissioned maps for easy-tonavigate geographical organisation. The book also uses a key to indicate which destinations are budget friendly, eco-conscious or focus on wellbeing. Chiltern Firehouse in London, Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and The Upper House in Hong Kong all make the list, while the most recommended stay is 7132 Hotel in Vals, Switzerland.

Though travel plans are currently on hold due to the pandemic, Where Architects Sleep provides some much-needed inspiration for planning new adventures.

© Jack Hardy

Crossing Cultures

A new book published by April & Thames takes a look at the career of Andre Fu, following the rise of the designer by way of a series of reflections on standout projects.

Crossing Cultures with Design charts the relationship between culture, design, luxury and craftsmanship present throughout Fu’s portfolio. Having trained as an architect in the UK and with bases in both London and Hong Kong, his projects draw as naturally on European principles of beauty as from Oriental qualities, traditions and modernity. The book features 18 of AFSO’s recent projects from around the world – including Fu’s own apartment – illustrated with stunning photography, sketches and mood boards, as well as Fu’s personal perspective, offering a glimpse into his design language. There’s a focus on hotels with insight into St. Regis Hong Kong, the Pavillion Suites at The Berkeley in London, and Andaz Singapore, as well as a look at product collaborations with Lasvit and Tai Ping.

“Since I tend to experience each of my projects independently, I have rarely had the opportunity to consider how my work has evolved over the course of my career,” Fu’s preface reads. “Creating this book has given me a fresh insight not only into the past but also into the future, by allowing me to reflect on the influences and development of my design language.”

An introduction by design critic Catherine Shaw recounts her first meeting with Fu following the completion of The Upper House in 2009. Describing his style as “opulent interiors with a fresh, new contemporary mix of simple forms,” she praises Fu’s achievements in having “redefined the idea of modern luxury as sheer, unadulterated comfort rather than monumental, statement-making, marble-clad spaces.”

Elsewhere in the book, Fu recalls his work at Hong Kong’s Kerry Hotel, where he devised a scheme that engages both indoors and out; implements the movement of water as a recurring design motif in reference to the waterfront; and successfully create a sense of intimacy despite the newbuild’s vast scale. “Other than the logo, I had complete design freedom over every detail throughout the hotel,” he notes. “Uniforms, menus and cutlery are the final layer and may seem like a small part of the overall story, but they make all the difference to an experience,” – an attention to detail that saw the AFSO founder claim prizes at AHEAD Asia 2018. Fu’s next project sees him designing interiors for Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto – a 160-key flagship for The Mitsui Fudosan Co. – set to open later this year.

Listen Up!

Since lockdown began, Sleeper has been exploring new ways to bring you the best of hospitality experience and design. Along with our first AHEAD Americas online ceremony and a slate of new digital content, we’ve been hearing from some of the industry’s leading lights as part of the #Sleeper2020 podcast – a series of conversations with pioneers such as Claus Sendlinger, Alexandra Champalimaud and David Rockwell.

Launched at the beginning of June and hosted by Sleeper’s Editor-at-Large Guy Dittrich, new episodes are broadcast weekly on the Sleeper website and Spotify, with an archive available on both platforms. We’ve also collaborated with Ben Pundole – founder of A Hotel Life – to turn a selection of his Instagram live conversations into podcasts, including interviews with Ian Schrager, Carlos Couturier and Josh Wyatt.

Covering topics from the future of the industry in a post-Covid landscape to firsthand accounts of the stories behind some iconic hotel projects, you can now hear from the explorers, artists and thinkers defining the world of hospitality experience and design from the comfort of your smartphone. We might be unable to connect the industry via physical events for the time being, but we nonetheless remain committed to reporting on the latest developments and finding new ways to bring the community together. Future guests we have lined up include Bill Bensley, Jefferey Beers and Anouska Hempel, with additional episodes set to be announced soon. Stay tuned for more.

Could remote hotels and exclusive buyouts gain ground as travellers look to avoid the crowds?

Off-grid adventures have become a popular escape in recent years but never have they been so appealing than in the midst of a highly contagious health crisis. While some are put off by the often arduous journeys to far-flung destinations or the idea of being alone in the remote wilderness, these are now the very circumstances that travellers are seeking. In a bid to avoid the crowds, this year’s holiday plans could well involve ditching the packed cities or beaches for more secluded hideaways or exclusive buyouts.

With this in mind, the sector’s marketing gurus have been put to task in promoting their properties, whether it be a self-contained suite or a true off-grid retreat. Going Off-Grid

In northern Iceland, Deplar Farm – a 12-room retreat on the Troll Peninsula – is a remote spot where sheep outnumber humans by more than 2:1; the perfect refuge for those concerned about social distancing. Similarly outlying is &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, a 10-suite resort occupying a vast expanse deep in the Namib. And just opened is Camp Sarika by Amangiri, a luxury encampment surrounded by 600 hectares of raw wilderness in the heart of the Utah desert. In fact, many of the lodges and tented camps that have appeared recently are already well-placed to weather the pandemic, with self-contained units and wide-open spaces meaning that guests can go for days without seeing anyone else.

Escapist travel was tipped as being big this year before Covid-19 even began its deadly spread, with The Future Laboratory calling it ‘The New Remote’ in its Future Forecast 2020 report, stating: “In a bid to experience something beyond the well-trodden bays of St Tropez, Dubai and the Maldives, today’s luxurians are seeking untethered trips in which they travel to sometimes untouched, often unexpected locations in the name of experience-collecting.” It adds: “Hoping to retrace the steps of early 20 th century explorers, luxury consumers are seeking the services of firms such as Black Tomato and The Explorations Company, which works with researchers to arrange one-off experiences unavailable to the typical tourist.”

Meanwhile, luxury resorts in tropical destinations are capitalising on new demand for exclusive buyouts. Anantara, for example, is offering holidaymakers the opportunity to take over entire resorts, with packages available for its properties in the Maldives, Mozambique and

the Arabian Gulf.

Closer to home, the UK’s country house hotels are pivoting to private rental. The owners of Brownber Hall in the Yorkshire Dales felt they could no longer operate in the same way, so are making preparations to return as a private rental, along with a new farmhouse. For many of the world’s small hotels, this could be a way to entice apprehensive travellers back.

The long-term effects of Covid-19 on travel and hospitality are a major talking point right now and a question that’s being asked of our #Sleeper2020 podcast interviewees. Rob Wagemens, founder of Concrete, summed it up when he said: “A big trend we see is the desire to go back to nature, to spaces outside of the cities. Because of connectivity, our lives have become extremely hectic; I strongly believe that in the future, we will live this intensive city life for days at a time, and then completely disconnect, where it’s just you and your family to do things together without interruption. This will be very interesting for hospitality in the future.”

Courtesy of Leman Locke

Hospitality pivots towards extendedstay models as the sector shows signs of resilience.

With the global pandemic forcing many hotels to close, it left much to ponder; how will the industry navigate this crisis? Unsurprisingly, the circumstances have taken their toll, but one segment that appears to have weathered the storm better than others is extended-stay.

Property experts Savills believe that the segment could lead the recovery, with its research report explaining: “Daily data from STR suggests that UK serviced apartment occupancy, running over April and into early May, was trading marginally above that for hotels at approximately 25%. In addition, it has been reported that proportionally fewer serviced apartment properties have had to close compared to hotels.”

Savills also state: “London serviced apartment occupancy stood at 61.8% for Q1 2020, down 21.5% on the same period in 2019 as Covid-19 started to take hold in March. Hotels reported a larger decline of 23.0% over the same period with average occupancy at 59.4%.”

In light of this performance, there has been a rise in conventional properties, such as The Residences By The Legian Seminyak and Six Senses Douro Valley, turning to long-stay models. And 25hours Hotels has now released its long-stay offer to the motto ‘stay a little longer’, with competitive rates in line with the average monthly rent. Even Airbnb, deemed as a ‘disruptor’ to the hotel industry, revealed plans to pivot its business model to long-term stays of 28 days or more, stating that post-Covid guests are “looking for ‘primary’ housing that doesn’t feel temporary or transient”.

As travellers rebuild the confidence to fly again, they are seeking properties that offer the comfort of social distance and autonomous living. Additionally, set quarantine periods in some countries have resulted in longer trip durations, increasing the appeal of generous room sizes and living spaces with private facilities for cooking, working and exercising. This particular privacy of apart-hotels has become more advantageous in a world that has regressed to desiring minimal contact with strangers and public spaces out of concerns for health and safety.

Home-meets-hotel brands such as Locke – which opened Locke at Broken Wharf in London earlier this year and recently announced future openings in Dublin, Lisbon, Berlin and Copenhagen – are known for blending traditional aparthotel formats with the design, F&B and

In it for the Long Run

programming of a lifestyle hotel. Similarly, the Native brand – which opened its doors in Manchester last year – prides itself on granting guests with all the freedom they desire, to help them feel more like residents than lodgers.

As travel restrictions begin to lift in Australia, Skye Suites has reported an uptick in bookings for its self-contained apartment hotels. Pierre Abrahamse, Chief Operating Officer of parent company Crown Group, believes that ‘togetherness’ will prevail: “People want to reconnect with those they have been separated from for the past few months,” he explains. “Guests are calling to ask can they book cojoining apartments so that they can enjoy a holiday with their kids and the grandparents in the one place, or so they can have friends who live in regional areas finally able to join them in the city for restaurant or gallery outings. Togetherness is emerging as the biggest trend for 2020 and beyond.”