Hotel interior designer debate
Interior designers debate the key issues surrounding their work, from the function versus form debate to the challenges of working within compressed budgets, revealing how their goal is to balance the visions of the hotel owner and operator
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If only this was true in the case of hotel creation, where beauty is in the eye of the owner, the operator, the developer, the architect, the interior fit-out contractor, the procurement company, the in-house purchasing team, the head housekeeper — the list goes on.
The role of the interior designer, therefore, is surely to align the visions of all these different partners. And according to the designers Hotelier Middle East spoke with, this can be a lengthy and complicated process — for example, during the six years that Wilson Associates worked on Atlantis, The Palm, the firm worked with more than 30 different contributing consultants.
Wilson Associates principal in charge and design director James Carry comments: “It is important to keep in mind that there needs to be clear communication 100% of the time between all consultants. If issues are not addressed from the start of the project, they will never go away. My advice to owners and operators is to pick their consultants based on team capability, not on a fee, and trust them to execute the vision.”
The “team” factor is crucial when it comes to design, agrees WATG associate vice president Rory Hopkins.
“The culmination of a successful project is bringing the right team members together who share a similar vision and equivalent level of expertise. Integration is done through diligent communication and a willingness to be open to new ideas,” he says.
At Rockwell Group, this process involves the creation of a written narrative at the outset, says managing director of the group’s Middle East office, Chuck Wood.
“Our job is to develop a design concept that functions well, that supports the vision and story of the brand, that works from an economic standpoint, which ultimately builds a strong emotional, memorable and pleasurable connection with the guest or the customer. It’s not always the case that when a project starts there is a clear understanding between an operator and an owner or a developer about collectively what they want to achieve and it’s an important part of the process to map that out in the beginning.
“We do it through producing what we call a written narrative; that is, a story about what the project is, its place, the locale, how it responds and reaches out to the target guest segment and how guests are going to experience the project and brand as they move through it and inhabit it. We use that as a tool with visual exercises to bring everybody together,” says Wood.
However, bringing all the relevant partners together at the appropriate time is not as simple as it sounds, say the designers.
“Good co-ordination is key to good design and unfortunately the interior design is always the one that suffers due to being the last in line when it comes to the fit out,” says Interior Motives MD Julia Dempster.
Aukett Fitzroy Robinson head of interior design Anne Kuzyk admits to experiencing the same problem.
“We are the last consultant to be appointed to the project. In many instances, it is long after the building has been designed by the architect and MEP consultants, and in some cases before a hotel operator has been appointed,” says Kuzyk.
“Interior designers inherit spaces that may not work for a hotel operation, with guest bathrooms that are too small or awkward shaped spaces that cannot fit the requirements of a restaurant. The ideal solution is one practice that has architectural and interior design capabilities, so that the building and interiors may be designed together. This integration is about shared ownership among the entire team for the delivery of the end product,” says Kuzyk. “Our biggest challenge is to blur the line between the hotelier and the hotel owner’s expectations,” she adds — and the earlier this process begins, the better.
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is one example of such shared ownership, as it benefits from its own in-house design firm.
“Banyan Tree has a unique vertically integrated business model which includes hotel and spa management and operations, as well as architectural and interior design through its in-house Architrave Design and Planning. This is something that other hotel groups do not have. As part of this business model, we are able to exercise better control over the quality and consistency of the design standards of our projects, as we continue our global expansion,” says Ho Kwoncjan, senior vice president and managing director, design services of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, and managing director, project development of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, PCL in Thailand.
But, assuming the right team is in place at the right time and able to weave together the visions of both owner and operator, what issues must designers address when developing a hotel concept? How do they balance practicality with beauty, sustainability with luxury, and quality with cost?
Over the next few pages, interior designers — all of whom have created projects in the Middle East — tackle these issues and reveal trends of the future and their nominations for the world’s best-designed hotels.
THE FUNCTION VS FORM DEBATE
The function versus form debate rages on when it comes to hotel design, with two of the designers Hotelier Middle East spoke with sitting on opposite sides of the fence on this subject. For Miaja Design Group’s principal Isabelle Miaja and director Martin van der Reijden, aesthetics must come first, but on this note they find themselves head to head with Martin Wojnowski, design principal at Design Work Portfolio, for whom practicality is paramount.
Miaja says: “Design is first and foremost about aesthetics and only thereafter about practicality, durability and timelessness.
“You have to dream up a design before you make it practical, the other way around of taking something practical and trying to make it beautiful normally does not work.”
For example, she says they are currently “dreaming up a new Maldivian Resort, small and extremely high-end, and are just discussing whether a two-curved wall is feasible”.
“The answer is probably going to be yes but quite expensive, so why don’t we make the wall straight? Well, because it would not be as beautiful,” says Miaja, pointing to the idea that the Sydney Opera House “could have had flat roofs” to illustrate her point.
But for Wojnowski, the commercial role of an interior designer to accelerate financial returns for a hotel owner demands that function is the primary consideration.
“Practicality always comes first in a hotel or resort. Personally I always develop the circulation of the public spaces and required back-of-house areas first. I know how a hotel works because I actually worked in restaurants, housekeeping, concierge and front office,” says Wojnowski. “It was 20 years ago. I had to earn a living as a student. I never expected this experience would prove to be crucial in my future as a designer. Without the practical, hands-on knowledge of the operating, “living” hotel, I would have never even have thought about laying a groundwork for a hotel layout.
“Interior design is an awfully practical exercise,” he continues. “It is a lot to do with money and lead times and deadlines. Unfortunately design schools do not prepare people for all that. Not enough emphasis is put on financial planning.”
Aukett Fitzroy Robinson’s Kuzyk says the drivers for aesthetics and the drivers for functionality often contradict each other, but suggests looking to examples in history for the perfect fusion of both, “such as Yin and Yang”.
“It is not so much a question of balance between achieving high design and functionality as it is a question of achieving total unity,” says Kuzyk.
Economic challenges have resulted in hotel budgets being compromised, but designers are adamant that this should not impact upon the quality of the project, either during structural construction or interior fit out.
Aukett Fitzroy Robinson’s Kuzyk puts the onus on the interior designer to ensure standards don’t slip.
“The greatest concern for designers is the short-term approach regarding quality of finish and construction, putting occupancy levels and transaction activity at risk. We need to strike a balance between quality of design and quality of construction,” says Kuzyk.
“There is no doubt that recession drives creativity in a very positive way. Designers need to think outside the box. Good quality products and fittings must be used throughout any hotel design and it is the manner in which they are used that maintains quality and saves money in the long term,” she says.
Rockwell Group Middle East managing director Chuck Wood agrees that it is down to interior designers to re-address how they can deliver their services more efficiently, especially considering the competitiveness in fees.
He says: “Design is coming up with the best possible solution given a certain set of goals and constraints and price is just one of those constraints. I don’t think there is any requirement that a low budget doesn’t mean a great design”.
However, Interior Motives managing director Julia Dempster says that educating hotel owners determined to squeeze budgets as to the critical importance of quality goods is increasingly challenging.
“This is happening more and more frequently and we are having real difficulty getting owners to see that paying more to start with is more cost-effective. Some of the worst offenders are some Chinese lighting manufacturers; lighting is arriving on site rusty, not straight, with cheap dented shades and light fittings that burn when you touch them, which have both a massive impact on the look of the project and more importantly safety,” says Dempster.
Martin Wojnowski at Design Work Portfolio says it is therefore important that “each item should be addressed individually and approved by designer”.
“If it does not meet the set standards, the designer should assist the contractor with selection of a cost-effective alternative. It is possible to replace nearly everything these days,” says Wojnowski.
“However, care should be taken to retain the key finishes. For example there is a recently constructed, five-star hotel in Dubai which features vinyl flooring in the key reception area.
Obviously it was meant to be timber originally. They should have found a cheaper timber or even a laminate option. Otherwise they should have compromised on less significant details or areas. The same applies to furniture; one can never compromise on the quality of bed or mattress. Otherwise clever alternatives are considered,” he asserts.
And at Miaja Design Group, Martin van der Reijden points out that “quality has a price…always had and always will”.
“A lot of developers are very proud when they find an even cheaper tile but even at a really cheap level there are quality differences,” he says.
Like Wojnowski, he advises owners to invest into the interior design hardware of the hotel — beds, mattresses, sanitary ware, HVAC systems, lighting, hinges, door closers, wood floorings and tiles, as they hopefully will last more than five to seven years.
“If you get an interior fit-out company from overseas (China, Malaysia, Bali and so on) make sure that the production is supervised and managed by international standards, which normally means, choose a company based in Hong Kong, Singapore or for that matter in the Middle East, as they will have production plants in these low-cost countries,” advises Van der Reijden.
Perhaps the most important factor to keep in mind when trying to save costs, however, comes back to team work and the need to ensure that the project runs according to schedule with no delays.
As Miaja’s principal, Isabelle Miaja, rightly points out: “I guess that most of the cost overruns are ultimately not about design but about time overruns”.
HOW DO DESIGNERS DEFINE LUXURY?
“Luxury is space, quality, simplicity, creativity and putting time and effort into something. You miss one of them, you will not really get the feeling of luxury. As much as you could argue about simplicity, I strongly feel that you have to put effort into making something simple and at the same time beautiful — ultimately luxury has to trigger desire.”
Isabelle Miaja, principal, Miaja Design Group
With regard to hotels “luxury is held in the eye of the beholder. It isn’t about designing interiors; it’s about creating unique places.”
James Carry, principal in charge/design director, Wilson Associates
“Luxury can be presented in the form of space, privacy and intimacy, which is something our Banyan Tree individual pool villas encapsulates.”
Ho Kwoncjan, senior vice president and managing director, design services of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, and managing director, project development of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, PCL in Thailand
“The definition of luxury is based on demographics and individual taste in our opinion — we like to create a timeless elegance.”
Ellen Bishop and Paul Bishop, managing partners, Bishop Design Associates
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: DOES IT MATTER?
The interior designers Hotelier Middle East spoke with held differing views on the subject of sustainable design, which were possibly influenced by the locations around the world in which they work.
A very honest Isabelle Miaja admits: “I don’t think that we are yet in a time period where sustainability and environmental issues are leading future design trends. I can hear everyone being upset about this comment and lecturing me that there are actually quite a few exceptions”.
It is true that for many hotel operators, sustainability is a relatively new concept yet to dramatically impact hotel creation.
As Ellen Bishop, managing partner at Bishop Design Associates, says: “At this moment in time there is unfortunately not enough focus on environmental design — it’s ‘all talk and no action’.
“The LEED compliant product selections are also still quite limited,” she adds.
However, this does not mean that hotel designers are not serious about sustainability and nor does it mean that owners and operators haven’t proved that it can work — as Miaja said, there are exceptions.
Wilson Associates principal in charge/design director James Carry asserts that the company is “committed to integrating the principles of sustainable design into all aspects of our practice”.
“We initiate a dialogue about environmental impact and sustainable alternatives with each client.
“Across the board, I feel that the majority of hoteliers recognise the importance and seek to fulfill LEED-certified standards in their projects,” says Carry.
“Sustainable solutions that we are currently putting in place within our design schemes are bamboo woodwork and flooring instead of wood and the use of recycled glass and metal products,” he adds.
Sustainable design is also a part of WATG’s projects.
Rory Hopkins says: “Sustainability is a must. However, eco-fatigue is the new buzzword. How designers integrate sustainable measures into a hotel without impacting the guest experience in a negative fashion is the solution, which we have already highlighted with WATG winning the sustainability suite award from the USGBC this year.”
WATG designed Bardessono, a 62-room boutique hotel in Napa Valley in the US which recently was awarded LEED Platinum certification, continues Hopkins.
“The hotel uses solar and geothermal energy, sophisticated energy management systems, sustainable building materials, and organic landscape management practices, all while maintaining a five-star product,” Hopkins says.
He believes that “as people become global navigators of the world”, they are seeking authentic experiences, cultural immersions and hotels where they know the “fabric, fittings and products are having a positive impact on the local community”.
This approach to hospitality design has always been a focus for Banyan Tree, says the group’s senior vice president and managing director of design services, Ho Kwoncjan, also managing director, project development of Laguine Resorts and Hotels PCL in Thailand.
“Sustainable design is something we always take into consideration at the design and construction stage,” says Kwoncjan.
“ The first Banyan Tree in Phuket was built over a piece of abandoned tin-mining land that was once declared by the UN to be toxic and useless, where we invested millions to rehabilitate the topsoil, re-introduce indigenous flora and fauna, to transform the landscape into the lush surroundings with teeming lagoons of today,” he reveals.
The firm has also established environmental measures at its new Middle East resort, Banyan Tree Al Wadi in Ras Al Khaimah.
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts assistant vice president — design for its design arm, Architrave Design and Planning, David Barclay explains: “Waste water collected from the resort will undergo a reverse osmosis process so that it can be pumped into the reserve’s water-hole, as well as used for landscape irrigation. Apart from establishing water flow control systems and utilising energy-saving light bulbs, a recycling centre will be set up on site, segregating all waste material.”
Barclay adds that in the villas, sliding full length windows allow for natural ventilation instead of heavy reliance on air conditioning, while locally produced materials and suppliers were used.
“For example, we used natural local stones from the quarry for areas such as the bar and water features, whilst flooring, cladding and wall tiles were made locally by RAK Ceramics,” says Barclay.
WHO HAS DESIGNED WHAT?
WATG
Emirates Palace
The 275,000m² hotel was built in three years and was “an outstanding example of teamwork between all the parties associated with the project” says Rory Hopkins.
One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai (exterior architecture)
Mövenpick Dead Sea Resort, Jordan
WILSON ASSOCIATES
One & Only Royal Mirage (interiors)
“Arabic details and integration of shadow, texture and light to reveal the surrounding environment help create a warm, hospitable and inviting location for both the local Arab community and international travellers alike,” says James Carry.
Sofitel Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road
Scheduled to open 2012, this hotel is a current project on Carry’s list.
Atlantis, The Palm
A six-year project to “create a luxurious escape”.
DESIGN WORK PORTFOLIO
Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi
“For the last two years I have been working on the refurbishment of Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi — it will be the first Starwood property in the region to showcase their new design guidelines for the coming decade,” says Martin Wojnowski.
Laguna Tower, Jumeirah Lakes
Towers , Dubai
Conrad Hilton Dubai
Park Inn, Mecca
BANYAN TREE HOTELS & RESORTS
Banyan Tree Ringha in Shangri-la
“This would be one of our most innovative designs to date: we purchased unwanted Tibetan farmhouses from the nearby villages, disassembled the timber and reassembled it in the traditional method at the hotel site,” says Banyan Tree’s design expert Ho Kwoncjan.
INTERIOR MOTIVES
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi
Rotana, Yas Island
InterContinental, Al Khobar
BISHOP DESIGN ASSOCIATES
The Fairmont Dubai: rooms, suites, penthouses and Cin Cin
Jumeirah Beach Hotel: relaxation spa
Wafi Hospitality LLC: Mahi Mahi Restaurant
Emirates Golf Club: La Classique Restaurant
AUKETT FITZROY ROBINSON
Radisson Blu Hotel Yas Island
Park Inn Abu Dhabi, Yas Island
ROCKWELL GROUP
Nobu at Atlantis The Palm and Nobu to open at Four Seasons Doha
Aloft and W Hotels for Starwood
Currently designing a Ritz-Carlton resort and golf club in Cairo
Le Méridien designed and under construction in Algeria
The first Nobu Hotel under design
MIAJA DESIGN GROUP
Radisson Blu Dubai Media City
Desert Palm Dubai
Upcoming Rotana projects in Abu Dhabi and on Saadiyat
The new Millennium Copthorne, Doha
Traders Hotel in Doha
DESIGN TRENDS OF THE FUTURE
With sustainability already highlighted as a priority for hotel design going forward, what other trends should hoteliers take note of?
The designers were unanimous in their opinion that the most important trends revolved around the guest experience, rather than particular design styles or concepts.
According to Aukett Fitzroy Robinson’s Anne Kuzyk: “The current major trend is the global lifestyle issue. Guests are not just concerned with the convenience of location, level of service and the size of guestrooms. What counts is the overall guest experience; a magical word that encompasses just about everything. It includes everything from the appearance and style to the attentiveness of the concierge; from the cachet of the chef and the atmosphere at the bar to the crowd that it attracts; from the spa treatments to the state-of-the-art gym.”
Chuck Wood takes this a stage further, asserting that a vital consideration for Rockwell Group is to establish an “emotional connection” between hotel and guest.
“I think that there is a growing focus by operators and owners on creating and developing a hotel product that is really focused on building a very strong emotional connection with their target guest segment and that is very much at the heart of how we approach any of our projects — creating an environment that is immersive but builds strong connections with the guests and allows people to interact in very pleasurable and positive ways,” says Wood.
This is partly achieved through creating a product that is “connective and emotive” of its physical, cultural and historical location,” he adds.
“A great example of that is Six Senses Hideaway Zighi Bay, where it is a very unique experience that is very much tied to the community in which it is located. They’re working very hard to connect with the local population and not just supporting the community by building housing but also trying to support and foster local craft traditions and exposing all of this to the guests as part of the experience,” he explains.
“I think that kind of focus on a particular kind of experience that is more unique is something that is going to become more and more of a trend as opposed to a certain level of consistency that you might expect between chains.
Another trend stemming from this, continues Wood, is the adaptation of entrepreneurial brands outside of the hotel business that already have very strong emotive connections with their customers.
“We have developed a hospitality concept for Nobu, which everyone knows is a high-end chain of Japanese cuisine. Nobu himself has a very strong personality that’s very tightly bound to the restaurant brand and people look to him as a kind of concierge — every meal is a handcrafted, deep experience for people and we found that those attributes map very well to a hospitality offering. There is a first Nobu hotel being designed right now for a location in the US,” reveals Wood.
“We have one or two specific locations in the US, I know they have had some conversations with developers here in the Middle East, I believe they are probably interested in coming here at some point,” he adds
Significantly, Wood says: “It’s a different game altogether from taking a celebrity’s name and slapping it on a building.”
DESIGNERS’ PICK OF THE WORLD’S BEST HOTELS
WATG
• Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi
• Hotel Fox, Copenhagen, Denmark
• One & Only Le Saint Geran, Mauritius
• Les Deux Tours, Marrakech,
• Burj Al Arab, Dubai
• Claridges, London
Wilson Associates
• Four Seasons Hotel New York
• The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Royal Livingstone, Zambia,
• Hotel Le Bristol, Paris, France
• Villa San Michele, Florence, Italy
Design Work Portfolio
• The Hotel, Lucerne, Switzerland (designed by French Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel)
Rockwell Group
• The Chedi Muscat, Oman
• Park Hyatt Jeddah
• Belvedere in Mykonos Greece
Interior Motives
• Habita Montterrey, Mexico
• Amman Hotels
Miaja Design Group
• Taj in Mumbai
• The Conrad in Tokyo
• Huvafen Fushi in Maldives
Bishop Design Associates
• Chedi Hotels
• Sanderson Hotels
• Conrad Hotels
Aukett Fitzroy Robinson
• Qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia
• Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
• Onguma Game Reserve, Namibia
• Marques de Riscal, Elciego, Spain
• The Royalton, New York
Hotelier’s favourites
• The Chedi Muscat, Oman
• Six Senses Hideaway Zighi Bay, Oman
• Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi
• The Address, Downtown Burj, Dubai
• Banyan Tree Al Wadi, RAK