Hospitality Design - December 2013 - 93

personality hotels now
Back in the day, children carried lunchboxes emblazoned with the faces
of their favorite rock stars and actors. Embedded within this small,
simple ritual was the desire to become aligned with that person, a status
symbol that in essence allowed them to reveal to the world-or at least
their fellow classmates-they were part of the brand, too. Lunchboxes
don't quite satiate this need as an adult, and so there are hotels, where for
as many nights as they like, guests immerse themselves in the carefully
curated authentic lifestyles of disparate personalities. Bulgari has been
particularly successful, launching properties in Milan, Bali, London, and
soon, Shanghai that embody the Italian luxury goods company. Fashion
behemoth LVMH also catapulted onto the hospitality scene with Cheval
Blanc, a seasonal ski lodge in Courchevel, France, and now the 45-villa
Randheli in the Maldives, crafted by Jean-Michel Gathy of Kuala Lumpurbased Denniston Architects.

2
3

Florence-based designer Michele Bönan also has a knack for
translating fashion to hospitality. For the Ferragamo family-owned
Lungarno Collection, he designed the Portrait Suites in Rome, and the
forthcoming Portrait Firenze in Florence. "Harmony and irony are two
contrasting themes that underline my design concept for Lungarno
Collection. For the Ferragamo family it was essential to recreate the
elements of consistency, continuity, and accuracy that so profoundly
marked their success in the fashion world for over eighty years," he
explains. "Details of fashion permeate every hotel in the collection. Like
a pair of shoes, each property is different, created with a desire to appeal
to the personal tastes of discerning travelers." When the Portrait Firenze
opens this spring, Bönan says guests can look forward to details like vintage
linen and silk fabrics and handcrafted furniture, as well as photos, books,
music, and films from the 1950s: "It's a celebration of Italian craftsmanship,
a tribute to 'Made in Italy.'"
Welsh designer Laura Ashley's rustic, Romantic English designs have
pervaded furnishings and fashion since the 1950s. Capitalizing upon that
heritage, the brand recently unveiled the Manor, its first hotel-the former
Edgewarebury Hotel in Elstree, England. Set in a circa-1540 Tudor home
with a bloom-filled country garden, each of the 49 guestrooms pay homage
to the English countryside. A medieval door, salvaged from the Norman
Lewes Castle in Sussex, sets the tone for the lobby, where paneling dates
from the 16th century and stained glass lines the stairwell. Guestrooms are
just as graceful, with neutral hues, a casually French feel, and details like
button-backed chairs. In the grand Mayfair bridal suite, a four-poster bed
sits underneath original wood beams.

1. The Mayfair bridal
suite at Laura Ashley's
first hotel, the Manor.

2. A fashion-inspired
guestroom at Lungarno
Collection's Portrait
Firenze.

3. A rendering of the
Dollywood DreamMore
resort, which capitalizes
upon views of the Great
Smoky Mountains.

It was 1986 when Dolly Parton opened Dollywood theme park, her
own uplifting showcase of Southern hospitality, in Tennessee's Great
Smoky Mountains. In 2015 her vision expands with the Dollywood
DreamMore resort, which will be "authentic, comfortable, welcoming,
and whimsical," says Jennifer Kleen, founder of Atlanta-based FODA
Design, who is overseeing the resort's look. "Inspiration came from Dolly,
of course, the art of storytelling, family togetherness, and the beautiful
Smoky Mountains. The resort encourages guests to think of a simpler
place and a simpler life-when it revolved around the front porch and
family connections. It's a place where you can slow down, kick back,
and dream more." Dreaming comes easy when there are rockers on the
front porch, and fresh lemonade, mountain views, over-scaled fireplaces,
and swings instead of sofas in the three-story volume lobby. Butterflies, a
passion of Parton's, comprise a recurring pattern that complements a color
palette of soft gray-blue and deep, rich green mimicking the Great Smoky
Mountains. Materials nod to tradition through rustic wood with carved
details, tin ceilings, tiles evoking quilt patterns, and shelves fashioned from
pipes. "We balanced these materials with tufted wool rugs and leather
sofas, as well as iron lamps accented with antique mirror, silver leaf, and
crystal to bring in Dolly's feminine touch," says Kleen. "Finding a way to
put everything to good use is a way of life in the Smokies."

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