Inspirational interiors: Hotel Design

Hotelier Middle East Staff, October 1st, 2013

PICANTE, FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON, DUBAI

PORTUGUESE CUISINE IN A HOMELY SETTING
Picante, a new Portuguese restaurant concept at Four Points by Sheraton, Bur Dubai, was inspired by the Peri Peri restaurant at sister hotel Sheraton Algarve in Portugal. The menu has a strong seafood bias, delivered by a Portuguese chef de cuisine, with authenticity and delivering the flavours of Portugal being a key priority.

To match this, the decor is inspired by traditional features, colours and artefacts found in Portuguese restaurants and homes. The restaurant, which was previously a nightclub, has been completely revamped, with a bread oven now sitting in the main area of the restaurant and an open kitchen that enables guests to actually go and speak to the chefs.

As the hotel’s general manager Sanjeev Gohlan says: “At home the ladies are the ones who cook and the way the Portuguese have it is that it’s all open and you can share in that fun element. They sit together and talk, there’s lots of interaction. That’s what we tried to bring here.”

The restaurant seats 55 inside and 45 outside and spans 100m².

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CONFERENCE CENTRE, DESERT ISLANDS RESORT

MEETINGS WITH A DIFFERENCE ON THIS WILDLIFE RESERVE
Desert Islands Resort and Spa by Anantara has launched its 552-person capacity conference centre on Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi — the first of its kind located on a nature and wildlife island reserve.

Designed by Northpoint Architects from South Africa, every effort was made to pay homage to classic UAE architecture, while “the artwork that adorns the walls is used to depict the story of the early monastery located on the island,” says Chris Pook, senior design manager at the resort’s development partners, Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC).

“The building has been designed to utilise the stunning views of the Arabian Gulf, while arches, decorative columns, and tensile tents have been introduced over the porte-cochere and terraces in order to match the details of the existing resort,” added Pook.

The conference centre is equipped with multimedia systems and can accommodate 320 guests in banquet-style seating, 460 guests in auditorium-style seating and 552 guests for cocktail events.

Suppliers:
INTERIOR DESIGNER : NORTHPOINT ARCHITECTS | LOUNGE AND RESTAURANT: URBAN DESIGNERS, INTERIOR & GRAPHIC | DESIGNERS AND MARQUIS DECORATION | WALL COVERINGS: RUBELLI STUDIO DUBAI | FITTINGS : METALLIC EQUIPMENT, TASK | LOBBY LOUNGE: RAK CERAMIC & SANITARY WARE, AL REMAL MARBLE AND AL AIN MARBLE | OUTSIDE AREAS: DESERT ROCKCRAFT

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SO SPA, SOFITEL ABU DHABI CORNICHE

A SOPHISTICATED STYLISH URBAN SPA EXPERIENCE
Sofitel launched the first So Spa in the GCC at Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche in September 2012, with the brief being to create an “urban sanctuary” in the heart of the city. Natural materials such as pebble walls and dark woods dominate the design, with warm earthy tones creating a relaxing ambience in the modern facility.

So Spa manager Hannah Dowd, who has previously worked at Raffles Dubai and The Address Dubai Marina, says the combination of finishes is “quite stunning”.

“The use of marble, pebble on the floors and walls, dark wood, light wood, soft fabrics and metallic all come together with a unique finish. It is not over the top, it is a subtle elegance that you do not see very often and they have managed to make it work here,” says Dowd.

Sofitel has also taken a novel approach to the treatment menu, which “is based around gastronomy and reads like a fine dining restaurant menu”. Three product lines were selected to create the menu: Cinq Mondes, Carita and Shiffa.

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WHEELER’S, DIFC, DUBAI

MARCO PIERRE WHITE’S SEAFOOD SPECIAL
Following the launch of Frankie’s by Marco Pierre White in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and the recently closed Titanic by Marco Pierre White at The Melia Dubai, RMAL Hospitality has brought the infamous chef’s seafood restaurant Wheeler’s to the UAE.

Aiming to stand out with a clean, minimalist look, the restaurant hopes to echo the original 1856 Wheeler’s of St. James concept in London, but with some features implemented to appeal specifically to the local audience.

Wheeler’s features white walls, a 2300-glass tube chandelier running through the outlet, sea-inspired artwork and mother-of-pearl napkin rings — all reminding diners that seafood is the outlet’s primary focus.

CEO of RMAL Hospitality Anthony Liddiard says: “Dubai is glamorous and glitzy and the bar is raised every six months. What we have to do is spend a lot of money on the design and fit out of the restaurant because international visitors’ and residents’ expectations are very high of a premium restaurant.”

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MOVENPICK HOTEL APARTMENTS, THE SQUARE

HOME COMFORTS FOR LONG STAY GUESTS
In January, Movenpick Hotel and Resorts opened its fifth property in Dubai, Movenpick Hotel Apartments The Square, designed to meet the needs of both long- and short-stay guests.

General manager Chadi Gedeon says that with this property, Movenpick aims to “be one of only few companies to successfully combine a hotel and a hotel apartment concept together”.

The hotel’s 180 rooms have been split into 90 40m² studio apartments; 80 60m² one bedroom suites; and 10 90m² two bedroom suites. Alll rooms come complete with an iron and ironing board, a kitchenette, washing machine and fridge as standard.

“One design feature that I am most proud of is that most of our one-bedroom suites have connecting doors to adjacent studio rooms, which is a nice facility for families, especially those coming from the GCC that like to have a lot of space,” says Gedeon.

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ROYAL MANGROVES RESIDENCE, ANANTARA

LIVING IN LUXURY IN THE CAPITAL’S LARGEST SUITE
The Royal Mangroves Residence at Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara is the largest suite in Abu Dhabi.

Situated on the top two floors of the hotel, the suite is targeted at celebrities and VIPs seeking the ultimate in luxury and exclusivity, according to the operator. The residence offers up to 2455m² of duplex living space, and the layout can be altered depending on the guests’ requirements.

The modern architecture blends unique elements of Arabic design evident in mashrabiyas, intricate mosaics, solid timber and trellis work. Extravagant touches of 18-carat gold are also used throughout the residence decor.

The apartment-style residence features a private 60m² infinity pool, a grassy sun-bed area, and a rooftop garden. Indoors, the suite features the latest technology, including an entertainment system that spans the two floors.

However, the Jacuzzi on the top floor overlooking the mangroves area is the most impressive feature, according to TDIC representative Andrew Staroske.

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TRADER VICS, FESTIVAL CITY, DUBAI

ESCAPE INTO ISLAND STYLE FUN
Escapism, south-sea island style fun and sushi are all on the menu at the new Trader Vic’s outlet in Dubai Festival City. You have the familiar aspects of any Trader Vic’s — hand-painted Tonga Tappa wall covering, suspended canoes, lobster pots and fishbowls used as part of its lighting strategy, the installations of which were carefully supervised by Trader Vic’s designer William Baker.

But this outlet has experimented with a few new tricks. “It's all about how we differentiate and also how we can make this strong enough for the people on the Palm and elsewhere want to come down to Festival City” says RMAL Hospitality CEO Anthony Liddiard.

“We wanted to keep the open ceiling, and as much height as possible, with the bamboo structure just to create that wow factor. Here we also raise the bar so you can see all the way down into the end of the restaurant. Every TV has the traditional Chinese smoke oven, this one we’ve placed in a glass box so you can see straight through it into the other end of the bar or restaurant,” says Simon Penhaligan, director restaurant operations, RMAL Hospitality.

“The terrace will be set up year-round. People who wish to be outside are more than welcome to enjoy it,” adds Trader Vic’s general manager Laurence Fernandez.
Suppliers

CHINESE OVEN AND KITCHEN EQUIPMENT: ALENCO | CUTLERY: RAK CERAMICS | POTS AND PANS: AL DIYAFA

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FOGO VIVO, JA OCEAN VIEW HOTEL, Dubai

BRAZILIAN FLAIR BY THE BEACH
Literally translated as ‘living fire’, Fogo Vivo brings something quite unexpected to Dubai’s bustling beach location, JBR. Situated in the recently-opened JA Ocean View Hotel, the Brazilian eatery focuses on authentic Brazilian cuisine using the churassco method.

On arrival, guests are greeted with a Caipirinha at the bar and talked through the experience by the waiter or the “garçon”, before being led through the various tasting stations and sitting down at one of the tables, where the meat is brought out to them constantly by the Pasador, and at a flow based on a traffic light system — turn a little wooden stick to green until you’ve had enough meat, when you flip it to red.

The set-up of the outlet also contributes to the offering, particularly the open kitchen. “Fogo Vivo means living fire — as a guest, you need to be part of the whole experience. It would be far less spectacular to have the chef hidden away in some corner. The idea is you have a certain contact with our Brazilian chef,” says the hotel’s executive chef, Alexander Fries.