Soft SellS Today's coolest hotel collections and soft brands make superb styling and experiential expertise their book of standards. This trendsetting trio shows how to make that work. BY ORIANA LERNER ElEgancia HotEl s guEsts wANt EvERY hotel to be a hidden gem. They just don't want to play detective to find them. Enter the 2017 version of a soft brand. Hotel industry giants are turning the tables on boutique hoteliers, leveraging the stronger-thanever power of loyalty programs and global reservation systems to make finding that dream room effortless. From the recent launch of Hilton's Tapestry Collection to A-list hotels coming under the umbrella of major companies' have-it-your-way flags, this is the heyday of soft brands and collections. What does that mean for design? Read on to find out how the (very different) solutions that are the heart and soul of these groups of rugged individuals take shape in a wine country retreat, a retro urban oasis and an eramelding city hideout. march 2017 boutiquedesign.com 29http://www.boutiquedesign.com