Good Design

Posted on March 9, 2012 by

The talent for creating “good design” is the ability to blend artistic expression, engineering marvel and ingenuity — a culmination of one’s gestalt that leads to new ideas.

When I was a child I thought it would be quite fun to be a train engineer and drive the big black steam locomotives down the tracks — although being a policeman or a robber sounded good too! My father was a civil engineer but created artwork in his free time; certainly these interests were also influential upon my life’s direction. As an adult, I’m torn between my passions for engineering and art. Of course, now my time is not spent doing either of them — I’m really more in design management. But both things would be interesting to pursue again — for example, by fixing up an old car or motorcycle in my garage, or through painting — and for me, good design contains a significant dose of these two factors.

Fuel for my inspirational drive also comes from the ability to work on international projects and meet such an interesting variety of people. Visiting diverse cultures helps me spot new trends and be exposed to different ways of thinking, so that these can be interwoven with the requirements of design briefs. Naturally, though, each job is different and has its own set of influences. The owner’s requirements, the brand’s standards, the target market, the hotel’s locale, the history of the building and its style of architecture … all combine in an abundant pool of potential inspirations upon which our design team can draw. The trick is to synthesise these diverse ideas into a harmonious whole so that the final scheme feels like it effortlessly belongs in its environment — and thus is a “good” hotel design.

Of course people’s expectations develop over time. Not only have technological capabilities increased, but also the degree to which design is valued. The instantaneous delivery of news and trends around the world means that we, as designers, need to adapt more quickly than ever. Expectations today are different than they were 30 years ago; in fact, they’ve changed quite a bit even in the last 10 years.

Gorenje seating designed by Karim Rashid (Photo: Randy Krisp)

A designer whom I think balances this influx of influences really well is Karim Rashid — not so much because I like what he creates, but because by merging the abundant possibilities of technology with creative ideas, he has his finger on the pulse of what is happening today. Makes me wonder what he wanted to be as a child …

So as a designer that is a product of his past, am I a “train conductor” driving design forward, or a policeman enforcing design rules? No.

Am I a bit like a “robber,” taking inspiration from my experiences and environment to create my own version of good design? Absolutely — it’s impossible not to be one!

However I realize that I am not the judge of what constitutes good design — I’m just an interpreter of a flurry of global influences. Clearly hotel design is not a piece of art that only expresses the thoughts and feelings of an artist — the design must be used and accepted by the people for whom it was created. Good design has unexpected, unusual and informal solutions that are authentic to a hotel’s location and relevant to guests’ lifestyles. And if it’s successful, other designers might even borrow from it for one of their inspirations!

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Money is the fountain of youth for historic hotel icons

Posted on March 1, 2012 by

Not too long ago I visited the recently refurbished Savoy hotel in London, where presumably US$ 400 million has been spent on a 268-bedroom hotel. Before going, I couldn’t understand how it was even possible to spend over US$ 1 million per room on the renovation of an existing luxury hotel. But having seen the final result, I can confirm that it is a fantastic, sophisticated British “icon” just as it always has been – only now all the crinkles of the ages have been ironed away.

However, I experienced an entirely contrasting program in New York City between Christmas and the New Year.

My wife and I stayed in one of “the” hotels in the city, one which is famous for the stars and presidents that used to stay there. Sadly, it is necessary to say “used to stay” because nowadays the hotel is full of tourists which step inside to take a picture of themselves in the lobby, or even guests which walk around juggling egg crate holders full of Starbucks coffee cups and paper bags stuffed with bagels.

Although we had a little suite with two desks, I had to charge my laptop in the bathroom as that was the only place I could find an electrical outlet.

The wiring under the desks was breathtaking! And when the light switches were flipped on in the bedroom, nothing happened – and in the living room, only the desk lamp emitted a pale light.

Our “suite” certainly had been two guestrooms before – meaning we also had two complete bathrooms – but the living room was of practically no use, as the noise from the elevators seemed to rumble right through the space.

The bathroom floor was a beautiful polished marble, but slippery – even with dry feet it was nowhere near the brand standards for health and safety.

The sprinkler system, which although it obviously had been installed more recently, looked a bit provisional; the doors had not been sound-proofed, and the interiors showed signs of wear and stains.

Having seen The Savoy before and then by comparison this formerly luxurious hotel in New York City, I began to imagine how it could be a very expensive exercise to create an atmosphere reminiscent of the last century with the modern comforts of today – in fact, even more costly than building a completely new hotel.

Yet still, this hotel remains the “Grande Dame” of New York’s places to stay and it certainly deserves a major revitalization!

Posted in Design, Hotel, Hotel Design, interior design, London, New York, renovation, Savoy, Travels | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why guest preferences become lost in the shuffle

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

In an earlier blog I wrote about the problem of guests’ desires being left out of the design equation. It has made me wonder if some readers might question how that could even happen.

A designer has to serve many masters who rarely sing from the same hymn sheet. It’s the nature of the beast. We are recommended for a scheme by an operator, but we make a contract with the investor by whom we then get paid. In the planning phase, the operator wants the hotel to have woven carpets and gold-plated water taps. But then the investor tells us that new taps have not been taken into account in the budget because they were just completely forgotten. And of course, when the design presentation is made, the investor suddenly brings along his wife who has always dreamt of being an interior architect. Naturally, she has very refined taste and wants it to be reflected in the style of the hotel. Furthermore, she attended a course in feng shui. However, the investor himself prefers classical design, since its ability to add prestige to the guests’ perception of the hotel has been tested over time. Finally, one can’t go wrong with a vintage style. But then this is in conflict with the warm, Mediterranean style that the wife has envisioned.

In essence, the problem is that all the parties involved feel confident that they can convert the interior architect to validate their own ideas.

While the executive housekeeper requires dark, patterned carpets that hide any kind of stain, the sales manager is certain that a hotel with a lighter scheme would feel friendlier and be easier to market. Of course the hotel manager favors this brighter style too, but his wife has just chosen warm terracotta tones for their living room at home.

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Hotel design sets the trends

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

Do you still remember when hotels were just very boring caves in which we were condemned to live for a day or two?

We designed vandal-proof cabins/wet rooms with an infrared barn heater on the ceiling and a telephone and an ashtray next to the toilet. Carpets in the bedroom were designed to hide coffee stains and the curtains served a double purpose as the perfect solution for guests to clean their shoes.

It’s hard to believe that these functional spaces have not only evolved into lifestyle properties but are even seen as a launching pad for the latest trends! How did this happen, and why is this so? The reason is that hoteliers discovered that they are building and operating hotels for guests – not for the comfort of the cleaning staff.

Morgans 1983 with Putman’s signature checkerboard pattern

 

Morgans updated by Putman in 2008

The pioneers of lifestyle properties such as Ian Schrager, who collaborated initially in 1983 with Andrée Putman to originate the first boutique hotel, Morgans and then subsequently in 1988 with Philippe Starck to create the Royalton Hotel, discovered that stylish hotels attract guests and publicity. Although not everything was successful, a new direction in design was born and a substitution for outdated, traditional (i.e. “no-risk”) hotels was found.

Royalton 1988 designed by Starck

Nowadays the idea that hotel design generates lifestyle trends makes sense. Any other form of interior design is quite specifically created for either one person or target market; for one example, to reflect the taste of a distinctly defined clientele within a retail shop or, for another example, to express a brand philosophy at an exhibition stand.

But a hotel will always need to attract guests 365 days a year and for much longer than just one season! They are created with the purpose of being used by a diverse range of personalities and ages for a variety of events. Therefore, the design must have a broader appeal in order to attract a majority of people and potential guests. Yet at the same time, these guests expect a special experience, one which they ordinarily would not have at home.

So the result is that a hotel’s design inspires trends for “everybody.” This might sound weak since by the time a hotel opens, artists and designers are sometimes already further along with “tuning in” contemporary preferences, but indeed, it remains a venue where the public can experience mainstream lifestyle trends.

But then, of course, designers must envision these properties two years before the hotel opens its doors – and the style must still be acceptable in five years time!

While for the most part today’s guests want a “design” experience, I believe that the range of possible hotel environments could be much wider in the future, with a “lifestyle theme” being just one of the options. In general, though, hotels which have a design theme will continue to deliver the uniqueexperience craved by guests.

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Guests must always come first

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

In my last blog I wrote about a spotlight positioned just above the bedhead in my guestroom, which — although intended to be a stylish design element — dazzled my eyes and created a terribly uncomfortable glare.

Flying home — almost asleep and drifting in and out of dreams — a question popped into my mind. Can the creation of hotel interiors really be considered a specific branch of design, like, for example, retail and graphic design?

I also couldn’t stop thinking about why small practices are “celebrities” within the architecture and design scene yet our office, while known for being the largest firm in Germany, is certainly not identified as a design star (although we’ve won several awards).

Somehow in my daze I came to the conclusion that we might not be real designers — at least not what designers should be in order to become famous.

And so my dreaming brain raised the question: What special qualifications are required for our profession? I know it might sound a bit obvious, but I believe that qualified hotel designers should love guests more than they love their egos. The needs of travelers must be more important than a designer’s desire for self-fulfilment and recognition as a trendsetter or as an artist who is completely free from anything other than personal inspiration.

Of course as hotel designers we should also be able to create environments that naturally flow together and have a cohesive scheme, but what really sets us apart from “decorators” is our understanding of the functional needs of a hotel and its maintenance. The key necessity for successful designers is that we never forget for whom we are making these efforts: the guest! We have to engage with hotel users and develop our internal “antenna,” or intuition, to identify what elements will bring them pleasure.

Designers must enjoy being with people; we have to like hotel guests and think about what would make them happy, comfortable, excited and so on. While current trends and cutting-edge design are important, our first priority must always be to use design as a tool for providing guests with a positive impression of the hotel.

So, do “star” designers with a trendy or “signature” style put their personal needs above those of the guests? Certainly a hotel created with the primary intention of satisfying guests is more likely to remain consistently popular than one that caters to the designer’s whims but ignores functionality and the comfort of those who stay there.

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“Human” design vs. design for design’s sake

Posted on January 13, 2012 by

As you may know, I clearly am not in favor of architecture and design that is formulaic and built for purely functional purposes.

Rather, I strongly believe in “human” hotel design, which – as is often the case in life – requires a compromise between functionality and design expression, formality and pragmatism, cosiness and coolness, or tranquillity and liveliness.

The following happened to me at the Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (although the scenario could happen anywhere). Upon entering my hotel room in Moscow and turning on the light switch, two bright spots flashed against the headboard and pillows and a faint glow was emitted from the decorative glass art between the beds. No other lamps came on, and since the room was rather large, the illumination level was similar to twilight. Of course, there were additional lights on the desk as well as two table lamps flanking the sofa – but they all had individual switches. (And by the way, the sofa stood in front of the window with these two heavy side tables and lamps, so I had to stand on the seat cushions to close the curtains! At least I took off my shoes first!)

So to make the room useable, I switched on the additional lamps, checked my emails at the desk and finally got into bed – but I still wanted to read the newspaper which I’d brought with me from the airplane.

Now as a “trained” hotel guest, I had intentionally switched-off the table lamps before getting under the covers so that I would not have to get up when I became tired after reading. But lying in this bed felt like being on stage. The spotlight directly overhead was so bright that it dazzled me eyes and made me totally uncomfortable.

This might not seem like a very serious issue; however, it was clear that someone had put real effort into the guestroom’s design by creating a plaster cornice of exactly the same width as the headboard to incorporate these high-performance spotlights – a task requiring complicated coordination between different trades. Yet they are not bright enough to illuminate the room as well as being far too intense to bear while sitting or lying in bed.

So while perhaps the designers’ intention was to create a nice lighting detail, the end result is that the ceiling lights have been incorrectly sited and they definitely do not create a convenient and enjoyable guest experience. One of the most important things we, as “human” hotel designers, must remember is that our schemes are only successful if they make guests feel comfortable.

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Cross-branding: Friend or foe?

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

We’ve often heard that hoteliers dream of being sponsored by well-known brands; it’s a topic that has come up on the numerous occasions that our design company has participated in co-branding exercises. But since our office is in Germany, I must admit that I don’t know anything about cross-branding in America. Maybe it works differently; it would be very interesting to learn more about how partnerships between hotels and lifestyle brands function there.

In Europe, it is very common for spas to be named after the cosmetic products used on the premises. It is also not that unusual for hoteliers to create a suite with a theme inspired by local products or, for example, a musical style. Nonetheless, it is still rare for hotel operators to collaborate with major brands on a concept for an entire hotel.

Celebrated fashion houses continue to be a strong focus for hoteliers when they endeavour to create a brand, since the association allows them to benefit from a famous label while giving operators the chance to sell a lifestyle and a feeling – not just a bed. Missoni, Armani, Bulgari and Versace have gone so far as to allow the use of their names for the title of a hotel; fashion icons like Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix have also designed hotels and permitted their names to be used for marketing purposes.

But cross-branding exists with “normal” brands as well.

Volkswagen introduced its small car, Fox, by opening a hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, with rooms individually designed by artists. But then — the other way around — when creating a hotel at its factory site in Wolfsburg, Germany, (a project in cooperation with Andrée Putman) the company used the brand recognition of Ritz-Carlton to show the world that the brand “Volkswagen” had become more serious about luxury cars.

We also designed the first “Golden Arch” hotel in Switzerland.

When looking at the design, it is obviously a McDonald’s hotel but, as it turned out, only two of these properties ended up being built in Switzerland. (We had anticipated the number might grow to be as high as 2,000 worldwide.)

Trying to analyze the positive and negative effects of cross-branding on both hotel operators and the associated namesakes would result in a never-ending blog. While I am sure that it all comes down to creating positive experiences for guests through a quality product and a high level of service, it is also not automatically assured that the promise of a strong brand will lead to a successful hotel.

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Multifunctional Spaces

Posted on November 16, 2011 by

Do these “all-in-one” spaces reflect guests’ evolving lifestyle — or do they just reduce costs for owners and operators?

I still remember the good old times when a typical hotel would automatically have at least two dining facilities, one serving only breakfast and then an individual à la carte restaurant. Of course, the better hotels would also have an additional fine dining establishment and maybe even some private banquet rooms.

The lobby was just a lobby, and if it had a bar (we called it a coffee bar), then there would also definitely be a separate night bar. The business centre would be close to the lobby – sometimes combined with a secretary, as “managers” did not use computers themselves.

But nowadays everything is “open plan” with the lobby, lounge, restaurant, bar, meeting space, business centre and relaxation spaces all mixed together. In comparison to the functional layouts and space required during my early days in business, there has clearly been about a 50% reduction in the footprint of a hotel’s public areas.

But stepping into a lifestyle atmosphere like this, you can see that it seems to work.

Young business professionals are glued to their laptops, others hang on sofas with one leg over the armrest and talk loudly with each other – or even more loudly on their mobile phones. People watch TV, listen to music, conduct interviews, eat, drink, and relax. It has become obvious that hotel public spaces have transformed into private living rooms.

citizenM Amsterdam lobby

So to answer the question raised above, I think that we save space and reduce costs while guests seem to gain more comfort. The only uncertainty I am left with is to wonder if these young, good-looking people in the lobby might have also days when they don’t want to join the party, when they want to have true privacy and be served as guests, not as friends.

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Naturally Beautiful

Posted on November 3, 2011 by

So much has been written and discussed about trends. Countless numbers of them constantly take shape all around us – one day it’s purple, the next day it’s pink; today it’s organic and tomorrow probably crystalline…

Trends can be playful and juxtapose apparently opposite ideas: hot and cold; colorful with monochromatic; baroque, over-the-top patterns mixed with understated solids; structured surfaces next to smooth ones; less textiles or an abundance of fabrics – there are no limits!

Essentially a trend can be nearly anything, it just needs to be “discovered” and published.

But there is one trend that has been consistent for a long time, – in reality, it has really become more of a movement – the idea of going “back to nature.” This development has emerged in many forms and with many labels – wellness, spa, healthy living, ecology, green/sustainable design, no-plastic policy, archaic style, luxury through reduction – but they all reflect “nature” and the aspiration to live in harmony with God’s world, a place which we all must share.

And really, what could be nicer than lying in the grass under an old tree, looking into the sunny sky and feeling that you are indeed part of this world!

So although designers today often speak about bringing “nature” into hotels, this trend can come across as a concept that is as old as human beings themselves. Of course, though, styles continually evolve so that “green” décor is now often interpreted as the unexpected use of natural surfaces, for example, a contrast between rough finishes and very smooth areas.

Sometimes it could also just be a symbol that represents nature, such as a tree forming a bench as Philippe Starck created for St. Martins Lane Hotel in London, or a big community table as we used for the Dolce hotel in Munich.

 

In the “Vita Campus” we have been working with a feng shui expert, using natural materials and bamboo to function as a visual screen. And then for the Country Club in Moscow we’ve taken another approach by proposing the use of rough timber logs within a polished frame, thus combining rural cosiness with smart elegance.

 

Over the next few years I am sure we will continue to see many more natural elements integrated with modern design – and no doubt it will be interesting to see the many inventive interpretations.

 

 

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Chicken and Egg

Posted on September 16, 2011 by

Which is more important – to have a brand concept in place before designing a hotel, or to let the property’s design create its brand identity?

I believe most of you would think that there is not a major difference between an InterContinental, a Sheraton and a Hilton… and you are right!

With such large numbers of properties, it is nearly impossible for the major brands to consistently maintain each one at the level demanded by their quality standards. Yet behind every new project a philosophy exists about the brand’s values and how the design should reflect them. Whether or not the hotels end-up looking different from one another is up for debate… ;-)

Branded Hotel – Hilton Frankfurt Airport, The Squaire

 

 

But if you look at a multi-brand company like Starwood, it is obvious that, indeed, the design of Sheratons varies from that of Ws, Westins or Le Méridiens – which all have the same level of luxury but target different groups of guests. Since each of these hotels’ schemes is created by a separate designer, they each take on an individual style – while simultaneously reflecting their respective brand’s values. So there is an opportunity for “local flavor” to inspire a hotel’s design – in fact, that is what the operators expect.

The repetition of obviously standardised brand designs is usually found in hotels with lower levels of service and comfort, which I do not want to discuss here. And on the other end of the spectrum, many superior luxury brands have designated an exclusive set of their most exceptional properties – they are also not part of this post.

Unbranded Hotel – Le Clervaux, Clerf, Luxembourg

 

 

But then, too, there are 4- to 5-star level hotel groups where the design is not branded at all!

One of those chains is the Lindner Group (in Germany, as well as other locations in Europe), which is forming a collection composed of distinctly unusual properties, such as a hotel located at a football stadium, at a zoo, or at a racetrack.

In these cases, it is entirely appropriate that the hotels would feature interior design themes dedicated to their location! We had the pleasure of creating the zoo hotel in Hamburg, following the trend of today’s guests craving out-of-the-ordinary experiences.

So… chicken or egg? Standardized or unique?

Like the title of the blog already suggests, there is no answer.

From the perspective of a guest, I would always want to book a Hilton in Tajikistan, as I would be assured the security of a well-organized, worldwide brand; if I’m looking for a hotel in New York City or London, it might be more inspiring to find a bespoke place to stay.

But then from a designer’s point-of-view, I have to say that both versions are interesting although the question of balance always remains: how much local individuality can be adopted by a strong brand without it losing its corporate identity – and what degree of functional standards do guests expect in a stand-alone hotel?

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