Hospitality Design - November 2018 - 100

Guestrooms in Max Brown Midtown by Saar Zafrir recall
a cozy apartment in the heart of Düsseldorf

The concrete-clad Butcher Social Club in the lobby
of Amsterdam's Sir Adam hotel by ICRAVE
The soaring façade of the Milan EDITION

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November 2018 hospitalitydesign.com

The launch of Sir Hotels in 2013 gave
Wizman the opportunity to create a branded
collection of boutique properties with deep,
individualized connections to their cities, and
a strong focus on public areas and F&B that
are the heart of the hotel, and rooms that offer
an escape from the bustling cities. As the
definition of luxury continues to evolve, "We
aren't interested in the traditional concepts of
luxury but we still want to impress our guests
with stunning design that looks and feels good,
paired with intuitive service," he points out. The
brand's robust growth in Europe is marked by
two Sirs in Amsterdam, in addition to Berlin,
Hamburg, and Ibiza, with Barcelona next.
EHPC's other major brand, Max Brown
Hotels, is more low-key and affordable in
coveted, central locations (think Amsterdam,
Düsseldorf, and Berlin with Vienna on
the boards), offering guests a more private,
apartment-like experience. Its elevated, "cutthe-bullshit" approach speaks to a different
kind of luxury customer. "Travelers are more
multidimensional than ever before," he says.
"Just because you have a higher budget, doesn't
mean that you'll stay at a super fancy hotel, and
vice versa."
Wizman also owns the W Amsterdam.
After purchasing the former telephone
exchange building and the adjacent KAS
bank, he pitched Starwood (now Marriott) on
introducing a 5-Star luxury brand to the city,
one that was "cool enough to be freer" with
its design. Wizman once again called upon
Baranowitz + Kronenberg for the project.
"When we build something together, we
don't need to talk," he says of their frequent
partnership. "It's almost telepathic."
Indeed, the hotelier has found a niche
seeking out inventive, out-of-the-box design
firms. From FG Stijl's eclectic Sir Nikolai in
Hamburg to New York firm ICRAVE's edgy Sir
Adam, Wizman is attracted to designers who
are willing to forego convention, those who get
his vision. Currently, Wizman is teaming up
with Ian Schrager to transform a centuries-old
building in Milan into the latest EDITION
property. Set to debut by the end of 2020, the
palatial building boasts huge public spaces
with 45-foot-tall ceilings. Always diversifying,
Wizman also has a number of other properties
in the works, including the opening of the
renovated Hotel Omm in Barcelona as Sir
Victor in 2019.
With EHPC's expanding slate, "usually my
office is split between the lobby of my hotels, the
restaurants, and my office in our headquarters,"
Wizman explains. His actions speak to his
endgame. "[I'm trying] to eliminate the borders
between hotel, apartment, restaurant, and
office. Now, everything is more fluid than ever.
What I create are places people need in our
constantly changing world."
Hospitality Design - November 2018

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