SAN DIEGO, California—Good design entails more than surface-level looks. Functional utility is often a driver, making a project’s design team just as important as the lead developer or operator.
So concluded panelists during the “New in the West” session at BDwest. What first began as a showcase to highlight some of the most exciting hotel projects happening west of the Mississippi quickly morphed into a discussion of tactics and problem solving through design, as highlighted by the following three examples:
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| The rooms in the Harbor Court Hotel might be small, but they’re packed with interesting design elements such as full-length mirrors with evocative decals. (Photo: CBT Architects) |
Challenge 1: Get big ROI on tiny rooms
The Harbor Court Hotel boasts an enviable footprint. Located on San Francisco’s Embarcadero Waterfront, it features uninterrupted views of San Francisco Bay of near-postcard quality.
What it lacks, however, is spacious guestrooms. The 131-room hotel has 42 different room layouts, the largest being only 11 feet by 10 feet, said Jackie McGee, a principal and senior interior designer at CBT Architects, which was tapped to oversee the hotel’s top-to-bottom renovation.
“Part of this renovation is really about how do we increase the (return on investment) of the hotel and give the guest this incredible experience? We know this room is small. … That’s what the owner has. We have to create an environment that is just really, really entertaining,” she said.
Her design team responded by packing each room with unique design elements to keep travelers engaged.
For instance, mirrors along one wall (designed to make the rooms look bigger) are partially covered by decals to make them more visually appealing. The wood floors in the bathroom feature herringbone patterns. Even the wall clock has an interesting twist: instead of displaying numbers 1 through 12, it displays mathematical equations in a nod to the surrounding tech industry and the intellegencia that drive it. (For example, instead of the number 12, the clock displays the equation for the square root of 144.)
Not one inch of space is wasted, McGee said. While room sizes have not changed, the rooms themselves are infinitely more interesting—creating an environment in which people want to stay (and for which they’re willing to pay more), she added.
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| Elkus Manfredi Architects kept the budget in mind when they designed a neutral palette for rooms at the Linq Hotel & Casino, with the notable exception of dynamic headboard photography that evoke the Las Vegas surroundings. (Rendering: Elkus Manfredi Architects) |
Challenge 2: Turn a tired, old asset into something hip and new
When Marianne Weiss, senior interior designer at Elkus Manfredi Architects, showed pictures of the old Imperial Palace hotel in Las Vegas, groans (and laughter) were audible from conference attendees.
That’s precisely why Caesars Entertainment hired Elkus Manfredi Architects to transform the property into the Linq Hotel & Casino, the center of the group’s mixed-use complex on the Las Vegas Strip.
“(Caesars) had decided not to tear the building down. They could make more money by keeping it,” she said.
Her team’s challenge: “How do we take those 2,500 rooms, the existing low rise and change it for the millennial audience?”
The makeover began on the outside. The design team removed the portico roofs, took off the balconies (which were against code) and added a fresh coat of paint: white along most of the exterior walls with brightly colored accents of green and blue in each room window cutout. Animated lighting is being installed at present to give the exterior an even livelier, inviting vibe at night, Weiss said.
On the interior, the designers eliminated the labyrinth of rope lines that marked the “torturous” check-in experience of the past, replacing them with automated kiosks and cleaner, stylish front desks.
Designers also took out the blinking slot machines from the lobby. The new space is more open, with areas to congregate and enjoy a cocktail from the visible Vortex Bar. That’s what millennials want, Weiss said—places that encourage interaction as opposed to solo gambling.
Another challenge: Helping guests navigate the property’s three hotel towers. Whereas in the Imperial Palace every corridor looked the same, now each tower is color coded with red, green or blue carpets and accent lights. The idea is to create a memorable journey to the room, Weiss said, “so you could find your way back at 4 a.m.”
The rooms themselves were made clean and neutral. The palette is pleasing to the eye and easy on the owner’s budget, she said. To inject some personality, each room features a large, billboard-sized graphic above the headboard featuring imagery that complements the nearby surroundings, such as a sequin motif or brilliant marquis lights.
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| The 70th floor lobby of the InterContinental at Wilshire Grand is a dramatic climax of the guest arrival experience. (Rendering: AC Martin Partners) |
Challenge 3: Turn a disjointed arrival process into something grand
Building the tallest hotel west of the Mississippi has its advantages, said Chris King, design principal at AC Martin Partners. Publicity is one of them. Offering fantastic views on the planned rooftop deck is another.
But the 900-room InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property in the Wilshire Grand mixed-used development currently under construction in downtown Los Angeles also has its share of obstacles.
Chief among them: Create a seamless entry and check-in process for guests, who must enter the property on ground level before traversing 70 floors via a double-decker elevator.
To do that, the AC Martin team turned the initial entrance into a visually compelling art gallery with installation that stretch from floor to ceiling.
The double-decker elevators will continue that artistic motif with audio visual installations, King said.
The 70th-floor lobby will be the crown jewel, however. With a 180-degree glass backdrop of views of Los Angeles, it’s a natural climax to the art-accompanied journey that will leave a lasting impression on guests, King said.