Hospitality Design - December 2023 - 81

On the West Coast, the Lafayett e Hotel & Swim Club in San
Deep red hues and dark finishes define
the moody Miami Sound Bar
Diego's North Park reopened in July under the ownership of CH
Projects, the hospitality group known for its unique restaurants and
bars around the city. Brooklyn, New York-based design fi rm Post
Company was tasked with creating CH Projects' fi rst hotel and the
onsite F&B venues, including the 1940s-inspired Beginners Diner.
To anchor the space in its old-school identity, a diner historian was
enlisted to ensure all the restaurant's details-from placemats and
fl atware to the fountain drinks served-were as realistic as possible.
It joins another West Coast throwback, the aptly named Retro
by Voltaggio in Las Vegas. The one-year residency at Mandalay
Bay Resort & Casino found a home in the old Aureole restaurant
and boasts a design from artist Keith Magruder that channels the
1980s. Reminiscent of a time capsule, the former wine tower now
holds skateboards, rollerblades, vinyl records, and more. " It was
easy to tell the story because we weren't creating something new, "
says restaurateur and chef Michael Voltaggio. " We're digging up old
memories and bringing them back to life. "
Diners aren't the only venues making a splash. Brooklyn's
The 1950s-inspired Record Room in
Queens, New York is accessed via a hidden
door inside the equally retro Cafe by RR
Greenpoint neighborhood recently welcomed all-day Mediterranean
concept Radio Star. Proprietor Sara Conklin's second eatery pays
homage to nearby Transmitt er Park, which was home to WNYC,
a nonprofi t owned by New York Public Radio, from 1937 to 1995.
Capturing the feel of those early years was paramount for Conklin,
who also craſt ed the space. " It was important to me that it seemed
used, touched by humans, and authentic, " she says. " I did not
want it to feel like a set but like it had been here the whole time.
Appreciation for yesterday was key. "
Record bars and listening lounges are also picking up steam.
According to Yelp's 2024 Trend Forecast, searches for listening bars
increased by a staggering 306 percent in the past year. Indeed, a
handful of venues dedicated to vinyl have opened in the past two
years, including Harlan Records in San Francisco, the Miami Sound
Bar, designed by TWA Architectural Group in collaboration with Edo
Lō pez, and the Equipment Room, which debuted in Bunkhouse's Hotel
Magdalena in Austin in March. Here, 1970s vibes come courtesy of
shag rugs, raw denim, and hints of lavender and orange.
Two New York boroughs have also been seeing an infl ux of the
Vinyl records are stored above a blue
banquette at Harlan Records in San Francisco
The subterranean Equipment Room in the Hotel
Magdalena melds wood, metal, and leather with
acoustic panels and vintage concert posters
laidback spaces. In Brooklyn, the House Under Magic-designed
Eavesdrop opened in Greenpoint last year; then came Honeycomb
Hi-Fi Lounge in Park Slope; and Public Records, which debuted in
Gowanus in 2019, added its Upstairs lounge at the end of 2022.
Two venues also launched in Long Island City, Queens: 929 and
Record Room. Owner Haoran Chen, with the help of his husband
Sean Yang, dreamt up 929 " as a community space connecting
diff erent generations of the East Asian diaspora through pop culture
and drinking culture, " Chen says. Neon lights and refl ective surfaces,
for instance, are reminiscent of 1990s Hong Kong, while the booth
décor is a tribute to '80s Taiwanese nightlife.
At the Record Room, patrons are transported back to the 1950s
in a space with plush velvet drapery, vintage-style furnishings, and
a glowing neon sign emblazoned with its name. " The market is in
love with the past, and it seems to be timeless in general, " says Julien
Albertini, cofounder of Asthetíque Group and partner of the Record
Room, who oversaw the design of the lounge. " We consider our
design a new classic that touches the past in a modern way. " hd
hospitalitydesign.com December 2023
081
Photos by WILL HERRERA, STOFFER PHOTOGRAPHY, ANTONELLA RE, NICK SIMONITE, and courtesy of RECORD ROOM

http://www.hospitalitydesign.com

Hospitality Design - December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - December 2023