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Hospitality Reinvented

URBane planneRserik nissen Johansenstylt trampoli

boutiquedesign.com september 20182

september 2018volume 14 | issue 7

on the coverURBANE PLANNERSErik Nissen JohansenStylt TrampoliPhoto: Oscar Mattson

departments

FROM THE EDITOR | 4

IN THIS ISSUE | 6

CHECK OUT BOUTIQUEDESIGN.COM | 8

THE BUZZ | 10

DESIGN DECONSTRUCTED | 22

PRODUCTS: SEATING | 60

PRODUCTS: ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS | 70

EXIT INTERVIEW | 80

desIGn dIsrUptOrs part I: strOnG Hand | 24Ace Hotel Group made its mark by shaking up the expected version of what a hotel could look like and how it could feel. As it approaches its 20th birthday, the company readies itself to launch two new flags, sister City and maison de la luz, that bring the same iconoclastic thinking to a broader sector reach. What they share? A common purpose: offering guests a retreat from the hectic pace of life in the post-post-grunge era.

desIGn dIsrUptOrs part II: mULtI-HYpHenate | 26lark Hotels’ leadership team juggles a stack of hats across every aspect of the business, from design to development, management and ownership. Find out how that’s enabling them to grow at high velocity and rewrite the stylebook for boutique properties.

seCOnd sIte | 32What happens when two restaurants are renovated into one fiery food spot? Find out in the behind-the-scenes story of Kojin, DesignAgency’s latest collaboration with momofuku. sample some groundbreaking strategies for heating up new-concept design.

CItY CentrIsts | 38the Grand poet Hotel riga by semarah and the eveN Hotel/staybridge suites seattle south lake union are poster children for a new approach to urban (re)development. Convert five awkwardly-connected buildings into a design-led business hotel in a stuffy neighborhood? sure. take a chance on a wellness brand/extended stay combo? of course.

LOCaL LeXICOn | 44Hotel Freigeist Göttingen freely mixes Jean-paul basquiat-inspired art, sleek Nordic furnish-ings and Asian accents to craft a landing pad for creatives in this historic center of learning.

HanG tIme | 54play (and work and eat) nice, now. shared spaces aren't just a thing in offices. Hoteliers Hilton and the student Hotel offer next-gen lessons in creating venues for business and leisure interaction.

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CBD’s aren’t the only sites that are A-ok for hotel develop-ment. Post-recession, there are plenty of ways to play urban markets—from lifestyle properties that serve as flashpoints for neighborhood redevelopment to dual-branded projects that lure a broad cross-section of travelers with their twofer options. Location is still key, but it’s up to hospitality designers to craft interiors that become the heartbeat of their communities.

Redevelopment: Grand Poet Hotel, riGa by SemaraH

Giving new life to an old building—or five, in the case of the Grand Poet Hotel by Semarah’s —is about creating a story. But, in a lesson from Shakespeare, a good story isn’t complete without making up at least one word. Erik Nissen Johansen, founder and creative director of Gothenburg, Sweden-based design firm, Stylt Trampoli, and his team created the word “diplohemian” to describe how the hotel’s design narrative merges the neighborhood’s s diplomatic history with today’s modern, bohemian vibe to create one interconnected design.

The trick, Johansen says, was to push the envelope from a visual standpoint to impress contemporary travelers but also stay true to the traditions of the past. The series of buildings previously housed the Interior Ministry, which dates back to the 1950s, so creating a cohesive experience was no easy task. Although they are adjacent to each other, the structures didn’t fit together easily. At some points, the flow was interrupted by three or four steps up or down. Transitions from corri-dors were anything but seamless, with various twists and turns and changes in styling. Johansen’s team worked around these obstacles by using clever carpet designs to tie the spaces together and help with wayfinding. For example, the floorcovering leading to guestrooms uses art deco references and diamond shapes to direct visitors.

Johansen describes the design as “quirky,” which is what he says visitors can expect from the hotel’s footprint—but that’s not a bad thing. It’s intentional, a result of creating a larger-than-life getaway from historic buildings filled with idiosyncratic nooks and crannies.

Stylt’s team also mined the upside and managed the downside of working outside of the usual hotel box. The initial hurdle centered on how to develop a consistent design concept and realistic budget

CITY CENTRISTSHoteliers are creating their own urban hot spots with redeveloped assets that energize emerging neighborhoods and dual brands that generate a sky-high sense of community.

By aliCia hoisington

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1 What do you do with quirky room footprints? Adorn them with funky, free-standing furniture to make the space pop.

boutiquedesign.com SEPTEMBER 201840

without the usual advantages of a standard one-and-done room bay. � is 168-room property with more than 50 room layouts was anything but plug-and-play. To create a residential feel in such unique � oor plans, � exibility was key. Instead of built-in casegoods, loose furniture, from tables, sofas and ward-robes, provided a solution that could be adapted throughout the di� erent room types without sacri� cing style or functionality. If a couch looked too large in one room, the team had the option of moving it to another in hopes of a better � t. � at limited both change orders and the need to rebuy FF&E.

Like most old buildings, this quintet had some plusses to o� set the minuses. At the top of the list were the mid-century architectural elements that play well to a modern eye. But there were also some surprising � nds: A number of old stoves and warming ovens had been left behind. Some were repaired, while others were repurposed as focal points that add a wry but warm residential ambiance to the public spaces.

What results are spaces that balance the old and the new. Checkered, pinstriped and parquet � ooring options throughout eateries, lobby, bathrooms and guestrooms present a hard-edged, formal vibe that is juxtaposed with custom patterned and � oral wallpaper throughout. Small touches like placing � oral throw pillows on traditional pin-striped sofas in the lobby subtly support the design statement rather than shouting over it.

“We had to be a little over the top, but we also had to know where to stop. We had to justify the design through our stories,” Johansen says. Despite all the chal-lenges, he says the end result is worth it. “When a hotel like this opens, you have all the quirkiness and history built in. You could never achieve that otherwise.”

DUAL-BRANDED DEVELOPMENT: EVEN HOTEL SEATTLE SOUTH LAKE UNION/STAYBRIDGE SUITES SOUTH LAKE UNION

With site and space constraints, building one hotel in an urban environment is head-scratching enough. So, what happens when hoteliers decide they need two to become one? Dual-branded hotels are becoming more popular as

owners look to appeal to a wider variety of guests � ocking to urban locations, whether for business, leisure or bleisure. By pairing complementary � ags, multi-hotel campuses (and vertical developments) give even brand loyalists another way to customize their experience—and still get their points. However, this also means designers must work with two di� erent sets of brand standards while ensuring the spaces tie together visually.

Farley Hunter, principal of Atlanta-based F.A. Hunter & Associates, whose � rm designed the EVEN Hotel Seattle South Lake Union/Staybridge Suites South Lake Union, notes that the project was developed on a sloping corner site. � at means the Staybridge guests enter on one corner on the lower level, while those checking into EVEN enter from another corner to access that hotel’s lobby, which is one level above its sister property.

Once inside, the layout directs both brands’ guests to shared elevator banks that lead to the guestroom � oors. Hunter says way� nding signage, and a little creativity in the room numbering were key to making the circulation pattern work. All EVEN rooms are even numbers in the 100s, while Staybridge rooms are assigned “addresses” in the 1000s.

Guests also come together in the � tness space, designed with EVEN’s brand standards, as well as a communal outdoor courtyard. Hunter says that, because the building sits atop its own parking garage, its owners wanted to add a natural counterpoint to the architecture. “� ey were adamant that outdoor green space be integrated into the design,” he says. “� e courtyard of the U-shaped building enabled us to make that a centerpiece.”

Still, the brands also must have their own identities, and Hunter says Inter-Continental Hotels Group (IHG) made a point to drive that idea home. For instance, EVEN is known for its signature colors—orange, turquoise, forest green and brown. Prominent in the branding for this wellness-oriented � ag, that palette plays out through public spaces and guestrooms. For instance, the � tness center pops with orange accent walls; the lobby features a calming turquoise on opposing walls and ceilings; and furniture is highlighted by orange throw pillows against that same turquoise on chairs and benches.

ERIK NISSEN JOHANSENSTYLT TRAMPOLI

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2 The Grand Poet Hotel’s “diplohemian” design bal-ances diplomatic touches with bohemian flair.

PROJECT PARTICIPANTSTHE GRAND POET HOTEL BY SEMARAH

CLIENTSemarah Hotels

DESIGN FIRMStylt Trampoli: Erik Nissen Johansen, founder and creative director; Andreas Hagsjö, art director; Magnus Stenberg, copywriter; Alexandra Lebell, senior lead architect; Jenny Ahlbäck, architect; Made-line Johansson, senior interior designer; Elisabeth Johansen, project manager

PURCHASING FIRMSemara Hotel Purchasing Department

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PROJECT PARTICIPANTSEVEN HotEl SEattlE SoutH lakE uNioN/StaybridgE SuitES SoutH lakE uNioN

oWNEr InterContinental Hotels Group Noble Investment Group

oPErator InterContinental Hotels Group

dESigN FirM F.A. Hunter & Associates: Farley Hunter, principal; Alice Lim, designer

arCHitECturE Murphy Varey

PurCHaSiNg FirM Carver & Associates

gENEral CoNtraCtor Exxel Pacific

art JVA Wendover

FlooriNg aNd MatErialS Belstone Products CaesarStone Ceramic Technics Daltile Durkan Carpets/Mohawk Flooring Interface Flooring Signature Carpets StonePeak Ceramics

FurNiturE D’Style JLFurnishings MTS Seating Restoration Hardware Southfield Furniture

ligHtiNg Design Within Reach Hallmark Lighting Renaissance Lighting Trinity Lighting

WallCoVEriNgS aNd MatErialS Eykon MDC

FabriCS ArcCom Architex DesignTex Fabricut Justin David Kravet Loomsource Luna Maharam P/Kaufmann Robert Allen SamelsonChatelane Valley Forge Fabrics C

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Design touches give sustainability a sense of humor—and a reason for guests to remember the property. EVEN doesn’t have an art program per se. Instead, its words, not pictures that tell the story. Hunter and his team mixed art and marketing by putting a water station at the entry with words on the wall instructing, “Stay hydrated and stay well.”

The fitness center’s burnt-orange walls get stronger visually with the addition of graphics that trumpet, “Stress, you are so outta here” and “Walk in. Strut Out.” Or, just to the right of the door leading to the courtyard: “Come on out. The nature’s fine.” According to Hunter, that tone and the focus on nature and well-ness set the mood for the rest of the décor. “Our clients wanted nature to be coming in, so plants and terrariums became a major part of the design as is the living wall in the lobby,” Hunter says.

Staybridge required a different kind of onsite R&D, says Hunter, who helped create the first prototype for the brand 20 years ago. This midscale player typically requires a larger foot-print because of its bigger, extended stay rooms. But, this hotel had to be built on a tighter site, so the team scaled-down guest-rooms to one bedrooms and studios. What resulted was a new prototype that shows other developers that the brand can be built smaller to comfortably fit in urban locations.

Equally important when located in the middle of an urban center, is the need to develop a design concept to integrate the property into the surrounding neighborhood. It must become an extension of its community, says Hunter. That’s why IHG wanted to create an edgier color palette for Staybridge in hopes of attracting younger crowds more attuned to city life. The team pulled inspiration from Seattle landmarks to fashion the design and colors. For example, purples used throughout guestrooms and public spaces reference hues used at the nearby Pacific Science Center. The bubble pattern in the corridor carpet is an insider nod to the design of Amazon’s headquarters.

The designers also riffed on locals’ appreciation for trans-parency. “When you walk through (Seattle), you can see into the restaurants and hotels,” Hunter says. “You can get a lot of interaction with the city that way.” That doesn’t stop at the face. The see-through fireplace in the Staybridge brings that theme inside.

Whatever the aesthetic direction, hospitality’s new urban dwellers are becoming major influencers in how cities evolve. And designers are playing a major part in developing new defi-nitions of the look, feel and even sights/smells that bring char-acter and life to undiscovered neighborhoods. No pressure.

3 Have a (Swiss) ball at EVEN Seattle. Guest rooms not only allow space to work out, but make the equip-ment an integral part of the design.

4 I can see right through you—well, your fireplace. The lobby of Seattle’s Staybridge is anchored by a fireplace around which guests can congregate on all sides.

farley hunterF.A. HuNTER & ASSOCIATES

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SEPTEMBER 2018 boutiquedesign.com 79

BOUTIQUE DESIGN (ISSN 2573-1904) Vol. 14, Issue 7, is published monthly (except Jan/Feb, July/Aug) by ST Media Group International, Inc., 11262 Cornell Park Dr., Cincinnati OH, 45242-1812. www.stmediagroupintl.com. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to non-qualified individuals in the U.S.A. $46 USD; in Canada $77 USD; all other countries $101 USD. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2017, by ST Media Group Int’l. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Boutique Design, PO Box 3060, Northbrook, IL 60065-3060. For single copies, back issues, or subscriptions: bd@omeda.com, Fax: (847) 763-9030, Phone: (847) 504-8166, New Subscriptions: www.boutiquedesign.com/subscribe. For reprints / content services: Marcus Glover, Content Sales Specialist, marcus.glover@sheridan.com,(800) 635-7181 Ext. 8065.

ALIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

ATI Decorative Laminates . . . . . . 66

AVIXA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

BDNY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49-53

BDwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

BERMANFALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Best of BDNY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Charter Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Craftmade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Crypton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

D’ Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Daniel Paul Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Davis Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

DeepStream Designs. . . . . . . . . . 17

Enduratex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Fabricut Contract . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 21

Global Safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Gold Key Awards for Excellence in

Hospitality Design . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Hallmark Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

HICAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Innovations in Wallcoverings . . . 67

ISA International . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Kalisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Light Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Modern Nature Design . . . . . . . . . 9

modularArts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

MTS Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OBC

Munnworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

room360º by FOH. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Samuelson Furniture . . . . . . . . 29

Sorrentino Mariani Furniture . . . 57

Surya Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Tarkett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Telos Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Treefrog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Trinity Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

usona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Vermont Modern . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Walters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC-1

HOSPITALITYREINVENTEDBoutique Design’s content is tailored to the design principles that defi ne the boutique and lifestyle approach—and to the visionaries driving the future of hospitality.

In every issue you’ll fi nd unique, forward-looking hotel and leisure projects that inspire trends and set edgier standards for guest spaces worldwide.

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