Boutique Design - May/June 2011 - 32

Q + A

confronted with design on a pragmatic level. At the time, the function of interior design was about making the hotel look pretty, not about creating a marketable identity. I really saw what style could do when Ian Schrager opened Morgans Hotel in New York and used the French designer Andrée Putman. That property was modern, sleek, ahead of its time. I was inspired to do the same in Europe.
BD: How did you deﬁne what your boutique hotels would be?

The notion of boutique should convey a sense of rarity about it. It’s an intimate place, friendly with almost a local, neighborhood vibe. When I started out, yes, there was Morgans and a few others, but no real templates. I had to create one in my head. I imagined myself as a foreign visitor coming into a hotel for the very rst time. The décor should somehow ful ll my fantasies and expectations and describe how I would be spending a few days in a speci c environment. I didn’t want standard, predictable interiors that could be anywhere in the world. So for my rst hotel, the Montalembert in Paris, I wanted the place to feel like the Left Bank. Guests had to be greeted with a warm, sincere welcome, not a corporate one.
BD: What are the building blocks of good boutique hotel design now?

Lisbon’s Bairro Alto Hotel references in uences from some of the country’s legendary designers and architects.

pro le. Do market research beforehand. Draw inspiration from the hotel’s locality to establish a sense of time/place/history. Come up with a theme/concept/story board that motivates the design team to focus. Think big, then scale down appropriately.
BD: Is there a major “don’t”?

surroundings, rather than enjoying a sense of relaxation and ownership.
BD: What design fad should go away?

The predictable “trendy” look that’s a cross between a nightclub and a diner!
BD: How has your design philosophy changed from the Montalembert and The Clarence (Dublin) to the new projects, like Lisbon’s Bairro Alto and others?

Don’t deliberately overspend. Institutional investors won’t accept it.
BD: Boutique hotels need impact. So where do you draw the line on what’s too much?

It’s important to understand the customer

My philosophy hasn’t really changed; it has just evolved. Each property has to have a personalized, customized approach. My Over-the-top starts when a hotel is over- point of honor is that I never repeat what designed. The ideas for a big hotel shouldn’t I’ve done before. I also ensure that practiget squished into a small one. The test cality is not sacri ced to aesthetics. is when a guest feels oppressed in the
BD: You have an extraordinary eye for ﬁnding design stars before they’re celebrities. What do you look for?

A grid of blue is the perfect frame for the pristine bedroom in this suite in the newly renovated Vidago Palace near Oporto.

You must be referring to commissioning [the French designer] Christian Liaigre when I did the Hotel Montalembert in Paris. Christian was relatively unknown when I hired him to help me to renovate this property. The younger generation knows from the media what good design is. So, I get a lot of submissions of their work. What impresses me is an overall design sensibility, how receptive the designers are, how well they listen. I want to know they’ll interpret my vision and ful ll the design brief without being concerned by their own egos. I like someone who is a bit avantgarde and doesn’t necessarily follow the

Boutique Design | May+June 2011

Boutique Design - May/June 2011

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