Hospitality Design - February 2019 - 48

perspectives interview
8. Olive green booths and
dark teal walls mingle in
Palihouse Santa Monica's
quirky yet sophisticated
lobby.
9. Guestrooms in Palihotel
Seattle embrace a
retro-inspired look with
bespoke furnishings that
echo the natural beauty of
the city.
10. Green and white
define the simple
bathrooms at the Palihotel
Culver City, a redo of
a former 1920s-era
boarding house.

10
Tell us about your three LA hotels, in
Culver City, Westwood Village, as well as
your latest, the Silver Lake Pool & Inn.

[For Culver City], it was one of those projects that
found us. Most people think it's a shitty building,
but to take this hidden gem and turn it into the
neighborhood's favorite hotel is right up our alley.
With Westwood Village, we created this very cute,
neighborhood hotel. I wanted to do something that
appeals to a slightly older audience-more classic
with a muted color palette.
We partnered with Venice, California-based
Electric Bowery on the design of [Silver Lake
Pool & Inn] and created an urban resort that hit
all the right touchpoints for discerning designminded hotel guests and locals. We achieved that
by creating a space that felt urban but relaxed and
casual at the same time. That is a hallmark of all
Palisociety properties in general, but this property
takes it to the next level.

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February 2019 hospitalitydesign.com

11. A custom reception
desk in the Palihotel
Seattle lobby sits beneath
15-foot-tall ceilings and
skylights.

11
What can you share about your first
East Coast hotel, the Palihouse
Miami Beach?

It's [on Indian Creek], which is a much cooler
location than being on the ocean. We're going to
bring that residential chicness to the property,
which Miami is not really known for. My
inspiration was what a pied-à-terre in Florence
or Milan would feel like [with] stoked tile, bold
pink color, and mixmatched fabrics. Plates on
the wall as opposed to artwork, which feels
more coastal but with an Italian vibe. The
[Art Deco] exterior of the building will speak
for itself, but I'm bringing a European boho
chicness to it.

What is your secret to success?

Ever since I can remember, I was always
connected to people, faces, and things, and how
they tied together and why people gravitated

toward them. In doing this for a long time, you
learn what works and what doesn't. It was
a gradual process for me, because I started
my own company when I was young. I had
the autonomy to try things that I felt were
interesting. I studied what else was going on
and how other people were doing things. When
I decided to do the lodging myself, I didn't have
any fear about doing it my own way. I know
what I like. I have the freedom and the luxury
to explore what that is. For me, it's this ability
to mix and match things that are perhaps
not supposed to be traditionally mixed and
matched. I'm not a designer by trade. I have
no idea what the rules are, so I don't know if
I'm breaking any. The result is something very
eclectic. It creates attention, and customers
respond to it. hd
See m ore at hospi t ali t ydesi g n.com

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Hospitality Design - February 2019

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