Hospitality Design - February/March 2022 - 35

A forthcoming restaurant in Las Vegas,
featuring a cascading light fixture
A smoky blue and metal ceiling
installation evokes surrealism at
the Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City
facing another building. We had 150 rooms
that ended up having 120 diff erent types.
Seeing a fi nished product is so important in
helping us understand our role in how [design]
can aff ect people. We want guests to be wowed
by the room. That's important to us.
What is the fi rm's design philosophy?
TS: It's to pay att ention to details. We're
problem solvers, not only from design
perspective but also from operational point
of view. Every project has challenges, but we
don't call it that, we call it opportunities.
A rendering of the St. Regis Cap Cana in the
Dominican Republic, with a design inspired by
the country's rugged cliffs and dance traditions
Hilton, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and W. Here,
the partners weigh in on their creative process
and the ever-changing meaning of luxury.
You've worked with a number of legacy
hospitality brands. How are they
reimagining the idea of luxury?
Boris Mathias: We've seen all those brands
evolve, and they're trying to identify what
their true DNA is in terms of service, design,
or [F+B]. Each brand has a specifi city, which
we get to know. We also show them what
[guests] have in their homes, which infl uences
the overall design direction. [For example],
with our design of the St. Regis Kanai, we are
showing how luxury has evolved in a more
casual, sophisticated way.
Tatiana Sheveleva: Luxury, for me, is about
timelessness. St Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Four
Seasons, [they're all] timeless. Five years from
now, it'll be the same. It's like Chanel or Gucci.
That identity, that signature, is what we are
trying to keep in mind.
You recently completed the RitzCarlton,
Mexico City, which debuted in
fall 2021. What was that experience like?
TS: We took the team with us for the opening, and
when we were there to celebrate in this beautiful
hotel, it opened my eyes on why we do this.
Everybody in that room was so happy. Everybody
was talking about the process, how we built this
hotel, all the details. The hotel is very calm and
comfortable with a residential feel. The location
is absolutely spectacular. There's nothing like this
type of hotel [in Mexico City].
Were there any challenges?
Loris Ognibene: Every fl oor plate was diff erent.
The building is not a straight box. The only
straight wall we had was on the back, which is
What is the most rewarding aspect of
creative collaboration for you?
LO: For all of us, these hotels don't happen in
a weekend. When we get a project, we're all
excited; we already have images in our head
of what it could be. I try to get the design on
paper and then we go through the process
[with the client] while still keeping their
initial design intent and creating something
beautiful. We sketch it, present it, and it gets
built, [and hopefully people love it].
TS: For me, it's to see the fi nished product.
We're creating beautiful spaces that make
people happy. As a designer, it also brings up
a lot of emotions. We did it as a team, and I
can't believe it's our design. When you see the
fi nished product, it's like, 'Wow, this is what we
did. This is amazing.' That's what drives me.
Brand Identity: Exploring the New Luxury
April 26th
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: HD Park
hospitalitydesign.com February/March 2022
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http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - February/March 2022

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