Hospitality Design - July 2011 - 49

sketchbook

perspectives

WELCOME HOME
“Home2 Suites by Hilton’s passion is to redeﬁne the market, recreate the experience, and even enhance the economics of the mid-tier, ‘true’ extended stay-segment,” says Dawn Koenig, vice president of brand performance for Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites, the ﬁrst new brand from Hilton in 20 years. For the design, the Hilton team turned to FRCH Design Worldwide, since they “liked their fresh approach to the brand and desire to help make our vision of breaking out of the ‘me-too’ and ‘sea of sameness’ a reality,” Koenig

sisterly love
Lorraine and Sabina Belkin come from a family of restaurateurs, so it seemed only natural for them to open their own. And appropriately, they named it Duo. “We wanted to bring a beautiful, elegant restaurant to New York,” explain the sisters. “We thought of every detail to make sure we captured elegance, sophistication, yet something fun and creative. We think of it as sexy sophistication.” For the design, they brought in Andres Escobar, founder of local and Montreal-based rm Andres Escobar & Associates, who says he brought an overall feeling of elegance and re nement to the space. To do so, he out tted the restaurant with Art Deco chairs, velvet wallcovering covered in Swarovski crystals, gold lea ng, and metallic crocodile and Chester eld patterns. Standouts include two eight-foot paintings depicting women adorned with owers, a seven-foot crystal chandelier, and his reinvention of the presentation of liquor bottles as if they were perfume bottles placed in a showcase draped with crystals. As he says, “We want guests to get an Old World feel through the rich elements, but also feel at home with the oversized comfortable chairs and banquettes. [There’s] eye candy everywhere they look.” Yet his greatest challenge: “Trying to design a different product not yet on market in such a vibrant city as New York.”

explains. With the desire to attract GenX, Millenial, and women travelers, the team came up with a design aesthetic dubbed “hip and humble.” “The brand palette had a high dose of personality, but was never overwhelming,” explains Tom Horwitz, principal at FRCH, adding that it was done with an affordable sustainability agenda. Public spaces convey a hangout atmosphere; guestrooms are laid out in an unconventional suite arrangement with a working wall and lots of places to “put your stuff ”; and the exterior is actually a kit-of-parts, with 16 versions. As Koenig says, “Home2 Suites has a charismatic and unexpected design style that has purposeful zones and practical spaces. We are inviting, unpretentious, and foster a sense of differentiation.”

big apple redo
The Sheraton New York is getting a corridor and guestroom facelift courtesy of the local ofﬁce of Wilson Associates. “We drew from the brand’s new design schemes, elevating the sense of luxury, creating a sophisticated, classic look in an elegant, yet comfortable setting,” explains John Paul Pederson, a senior interior designer at Wilson. “The new design is intended to be classic, timeless, and feel like a ‘New York pied-a-terre,’ while allowing for maximum guest types and ﬂexibility.” Pederson and the team infused the rooms with rich, dark wood ﬁnishes and black granite, set off by fabrics with a hint of lavender and silver and platinum tones. Textural grass cloth walls give the rooms a residential feel, while the carpet and drapery don patterns inspired by the “repetitive and symmetrical street grid of the hotel’s locale,” he says. For storage and ﬂexibility, the rooms feature sleek, low desks and credenzas, chaise lounges that can convert to a bed, casegoods

with maximum drawer storage, and a two-drawer dresser tucked away in the closet. “The goal on this project was simple: infuse a timeless sensibility in place of trend,” Pederson says.

www.hospitalitydesign.com

July 2011

49
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - July 2011
