Hospitality Design - May 2013 - 206

special

feature

brands

SLS
When restaurateur and nightlife guru Sam
Nazarian opened the SLS Beverly Hills in 2008,
it’s no surprise that F&B was an integral part of
the programming. As were strategic partners,
both in food with chef José Andrés (the hotel
marked the debut of the Bazaar), and design
with Philippe Starck.
Four years later, the newest SLS property
in South Beach—just steps from Starck’s iconic
designs at the Delano and Shore Club—perfects
the idea of a totally integrated resort. “It’s a
small footprint, but every square inch is revenue
generating,” explains Arash Azarbarzin,
president of sbe’s hotel group.
The look and feel is decidedly Starck, from
the towering silver duck sitting on the pool deck
to the haunting images of a Japanese woman’s
eyes and lips gracing the walls of Katsuya
restaurant. “It is a sophisticated cocktail of
poetry, surrealism, surprises, and tenderness,”
says Starck, pointing to “the strange glowing
kayak above the reception counter” as one of the
standouts. “As for me, it is a new sentimental
story with a great partner, across the street of
what was a real revolution twenty-five years

ago.” Adds Azarbarzin: “Starck continues to
reinvent himself, subtly, constantly challenging
himself.”
The challenges will continue. SLS Hotels are
slated for New York (before Super Bowl 2014);
Las Vegas (1,600-plus rooms set to open in the
former Sahara Hotel and Casino in the fall of
2014); Miami’s Brickell (marking the brand’s
first residences when the hotel is unveiled in
2015); and—somewhat surprisingly—Seattle in
2016. (China is also on the docket.) “Seattle is
dear to me personally—I lived there for two and
a half years,” says Azarbarzin. “We wanted to go
to a city and make an impact and a difference
right away. There is a big white space in the
market between Four Seasons and the boutique
hotels.” The 184-room hotel will be part of a
$400 million high-rise development steps away
from Pike Place Market; SLS will take floors two
through 15 (the rest is office space) with 30,000
square feet dedicated to F&B, and 20,000 square
feet of conference and event space, one of which

will be in an old church that is being preserved
as part of the development.
Following the Ace, Gansevoort, and King &
Grove, SLS New York on Park Avenue will be
the newest addition to what is being called the
NoMad district, which Azarbarzin says “once no
man’s land, is becoming an epicenter of energy
and cuisine.” Once again, Starck will translate
his dream world into the 190-room hotel,
complete with a coveted rooftop lounge. “The
historical rough concrete of the structure shall
create an intense contrast with the luxurious
and artsy furniture,” he says. “Some hidden
fertile surprises—a maze of mirrors and art,
some strange paintings of mysterious women
hung from the ceiling—create a phantasmagoric
and surreal universe.”
Now that SLS is becoming a bona fide
brand, Azarbarzin says the focus is “on
service, intangibles,” he says. Expect a fully
encompassing guest loyalty program by the time
the Vegas hotel opens.

1. A breezy, pinkaccented oceanview
guestroom at SLS South
Beach.

3. The Bazaar at SLS
South Beach, complete
with a white seashell
chandelier.

2. The Lenny Kravitzdesigned penthouse at
SLS South Beach.

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4. Intriguing eye images
adorn the walls of
Katsuya at SLS South
Beach.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - May 2013
