Boutique Design - January/February 2017 - 18

the buzz

Karim Rashid started the New Year by launching a new venture. The famed
designer has teamed with Alex Hughes to launch New York-based Kurv
Architecture Design Professional Corp. (DPC).
"Our company's role and mission is to apply our collective knowledge and
experience with the worlds of real estate, architecture, interiors, industrial
manufacturing, construction and digital technology onto new ideas and experiences for better buildings and better development," the co-founders say.
A spokesperson for Rashid pointed out that the new firm is not meant to
compete with the designer's namesake design firm, which will continue to
operate as a separate company. "This new company specializes in real estate
development, investment opportunities and architecture consulting services,"
the representative says. "Its day-to-day operations are managed by Hughes.
Rashid's role as a non-licensed partner is limited to bringing in his brand,
contacts and aesthetics to the enterprise, serving as Kurv's chief design officer."
Rashid is a prolific designer of products and interiors; his hospitality work
includes the Temptation Resort and Spa Cancun, Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia; Semiramis hotel, Athens; and nhow hotel, Berlin. He was the cover
subject of the July+August 2016 edition of Boutique Design and keynote
speaker at the most recent Boutique Design New York (BDNY). (For a review
of that event, see page 52.)

ACCORHOTELS SETS PACTS WITH
25HOURS AND BANYAN TREE
AccorHotels has been very busy in recent months. In addition to launching a
new lifestyle brand, JO&JOE (see page 34), the Paris-based hotel giant has
acquired a 30 percent stake in Germany's 25hours Hotels, along with a 5
percent stake in Singapore hotel operator Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd.
In both cases, the participants say the partnerships are designed to accelerate the smaller partners' growth plans. Hamburg-based 25hours currently
operates seven boutique hotels and has five more in the pipeline. (A dollar
figure for its deal with AccorHotels was not disclosed.)

boutiquedesign.com january + february 2017

Hughes was director and vice president of interior design for Rashid's
design studio from 2012 to 2016, and his career also includes stints as a retail
architect for Ralph Lauren, as well as design posts in the studios of Donald
Billinkoff and Peter Marino Architect.
Kurv Architecture's current projects-all in New York-include mixed-use
buildings at 1655 Madison Ave. (shown), 665 W. 187th St. and 215 W. 28th St.,
along with residential projects at 30 Thompson St. and 329 Pleasant Ave.

"This alliance came about because we were immediately attracted by
these individual, design-oriented boutique hotels that are a great workplace
for urban nomads and an ideal starting point for outings into key cities," says
Sébastien Bazin, AccorHotels' chairman and ceo. "Through this partnership,
AccorHotels is investing further in one of the fastest-growing segments in
the industry and enriching its offer to achieve scale in this segment."
Meantime, the AccorHotels/Banyan Tree pact calls for the two to team
on developing and managing Banyan Tree branded hotels around the
world. In addition to the 5 percent stake in Banyan Tree it acquired for
about $17 million, AccorHotels has an option to buy an additional 5 percent.
Banyan Tree is an operator and developer of 43 hotels and resorts, 64 spas,
77 retail galleries, and three golf courses. Its primary business is centered on four brands: Banyan Tree, whose
Bangkok locale is shown, and Angsana, as well as newly
established Cassia and Dhawa.
"This agreement is not only transformational for
Banyan Tree, but is also an innovation for the global
hospitality industry," says Banyan Tree executive
chairman Ho Kwon Ping. "With the current consolidation
of mega-hotel companies, smaller but also global
players-many family-controlled-are also seeking strategic alliances with the global giants. Our pact with
AccorHotels allows us to remain an independent
company, enabling us to continue securing hotel management agreements on our own and yet accelerating
Banyan Tree's speed and scope of expansion."
AccorHotels operates more than 4,000 hotels, resorts
and residences under nearly 20 other brands, including
Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, onefinestay, Pullman, Novotel,
Mercure, Mama Shelter, Adagio, ibis and hotelF1.

C O U R T E S Y O F K U R V A R C H I T E C T U R E D P C (16 6 5 M A D I S O N AV E .) ; C O U R T E S Y O F B A N YA N T R E E H O L D I N G S ( B A N YO N T R E E B A N G KO K )

RASHID GOES OUT ON A KURV

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - January/February 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - January/February 2017