Contract - April 2016 - 86

HOSPITALITY

Guestrooms (this page
and oppposite) feature
bright white moldings and
streamlined furnishings,
all implementing variations
of a refined color palette
with shades of blue and tan.
While the building is more than
a century old, modern
furnishings with clean lines
were selected. Because most
of the rooms vary in plan,
many of them were
individually designed.

small lounge area in front, but that was sparsely
furnished and uninviting. "People would stop and
look through the arches, then turn around," says
Girelli. "It was as if they were walking into a museum
with a velvet rope blocking the doorway."
To rejuvenate the Garden Court, and update
it for what travelers seek today, Girelli reversed the
allocation of uses. Now, roughly 60 percent of the
space is lounge and 40 percent is dining. Tall bronze
screens clearly delineate the two zones, and a large
custom carpet-with an oversize floral pattern that
matches the scale of the room-softens the
architecture. Measuring 49 feet by 92 feet, the
carpet was designed by Girelli and custom made
by Brintons just for this interior. To further create
the ambiance of a comfortable living room, she
furnished the lounge with mixed seating, including
Chesterfield sofas, upholstered benches, and slipper
chairs. A long communal table with built-in
outlets-a custom design produced by Berman
86

Falk-is, in essence, a casual workspace along one
side of the room. And continental breakfast and
cocktails are served, depending on the time of day,
at a new bar on the other side.
Guestrooms with European flair
For the guestrooms, Girelli's vision was of
apartments in Paris or San Francisco's Nob Hill.
But the century-old hotel rooms were not uniform
sizes and all of the electrical outlets were embedded
in the floor. As a result, the design team had to
create 50 individual room plans. Standard rooms
are relatively small by today's expectations, so
Girelli streamlined the furnishings. For example,
old-fashioned spindle headboards were replaced
by tufted leather ones. The vanities have nailhead
trim and leather handles, a nod to steamer trunks.
In the premier suites and other select rooms,
toilets are outfitted with Toto Washlet electronic
bidet seats. No detail was overlooked.

Trained as an architect with a focus on
historical preservation, Girelli relished the chance to
highlight the architectural flourishes of the building.
Walls of the rooms and corridors are painted a pale
periwinkle, with bright white moldings to contrast.
She brightened the corridors, adding sconces with
double bulbs as well as new chandeliers with nested
shades to diffuse light. Girelli also quadrupled the
size of the hotel's gym, which now has windows
that overlook the glassed-in pool-a rare luxury
in the dense city.
Since the redesign was completed a few
months ago, occupancy rates have increased
significantly. "Beatrice understood exactly what
the intent of the project was, and, since she has
a European background, she knew the historical
reference point," says Sneen. "The renovated
hotel is amazing." c

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Contract - April 2016

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