7 Hotels We Love and the Designers & Architects Behind Them
The Surrey
20 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021
- The Surrey Bar Pleiades, courtesy of Rottet Studio.
|
|
2.jpg "Entrance of The Surrey, courtesy of Rottet Studio and The Surrey.")
Designed by Rottet Studio
The Surrey is a luxurious haven in the Upper East Side. The original Surrey was built in 1926 as a residence hotel. Acclaimed interior designer Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio was missioned with maintaining the hotel’s historical integrity while giving it a modern twist. Of the design for the luxurious upscale hotel, Rottet Studio said, “The Surrey Hotel is subtle and sophisticated yet rich with intrigue and style. Like a vintage black and white photograph, it has turned history into a timeless romantic memory where the guest is enveloped in the charm and nostalgia of an era of formality and glamour. The guest salons are the definition of “Modern Luxury.” All of the furniture was custom designed by the design team for the guest room, but it looks as if it had been collected throughout the twenties, thirties and forties.” Her inspiration for the hotel’s design was a New York City townhouse, passed down through succeeding generations.
Click here to see more of this project.
Albion Hotel
1650 James Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
- Photo credit: Marco Ricca, courtesy of Scott Sanders LLC.
- Much of the artwork in the hotel comes from the Rubell family’s personal collection, including a lobby installation of 85 works by Purvis Young, the legendary Miami outsider. Photo credit: Marco Ricca, courtesy of Scott Sanders LLC.
- Photo credit: Marco Ricca, courtesy of Scott Sanders LLC.
Designed by Scott Sanders LLC
The Albion Hotel is owned by the Rubells, the founders of one of the most significant museums of contemporary art in the country, the Rubell Family Collection. People who spearheaded the transformation of Miami into a cultural center frequented the Albion, which is equal parts down-to-earth and sophisticated. The very first conversations about Art Basel starting a Miami fair were held on the poolside terrace of the Albion. Scott Sanders, the mastermind behind this renovation, took Igor Polevitsky’s original Nautical Deco architecture from 1939 and outfitted it with sleek custom furnishings that make you want to set sail on a private yacht. Scott Sanders notes, “My design was inspired by the nautical architecture of the building. I wanted it to feel like a cool cruise ship that had docked on Lincoln Road! We used a color palette of navy and white for the entire hotel, but threw in bright orange as an accent in the lobby to give it a pop and to connect to the original orange terrazzo flooring from 1939. Finishes of polished chrome, mahogany, and rope details found throughout the hotel really connect to the overall nautical theme. 300 pieces of original art were commissioned for the hotel from Miami artist Sabrina Baron. The abstract nautical art was inspired by vintage boating flags!” Scott Sanders is known for his distinctive “New American Style,” a casual yet elegant blend of his all-American roots and inspiration from his travels around the world.
Click here to see more of this project.
The Standard, High Line
848 Washington Street, New York, NY 10014
- The lobby of The Standard, High Line, designed by Roman and Williams. Photo credit: Nikolas Koenig, courtesy of Ennead Architects.
- Photo credit: Nikolas Koenig, courtesy of Ennead Architects
- The Standard, High Line. Photo credit: Jeff Goldberg Esto, courtesy of Ennead Architects.
Designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects, and Roman and Williams
Located just above the bustling city streets, The Standard straddles the High Line, once an abandoned elevated railroad line that has now become a favorite public park. The hotel catalyzed the redevelopment of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, and anchors this vibrant neighborhood. The Standard, High Line has over 300 rooms with full wall-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views of Manhattan and the Hudson. “The Standard and those who step up to its glass are placed in a unique embrace with the city – private meets public, individual meets collective, and the question of whether architecture affects the way we live answers itself,” remarks Todd Schliemann, Partner in Ennead Architects, and designer of this remarkable hotel. Roman and Williams, the design firm behind the interiors of the hotel, created spaces that ascend through the building in a progression of eras, from the early industrial beginnings into the future. To contrast the stark concrete and glass building, the design team incorporated warm, organic elements that utilize texture, color and light. In addition to boasting spectacular views, The Standard, High Line offers a bustling German biergarten, a rooftop discothèque, the award-winning Standard Grill, rotating art installations and even an ice rink in the wintertime.
The Liberty Hotel
215 Charles Street, Boston MA 02114
- Through restoration, reuse, and reinvention, the abandoned Charles Street Jail was transformed into a four-star luxury hotel overlooking the Charles River in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. © Peter Vanderwarker
- The Hotel’s lobby is located in the original rotunda and features restored windows, elements from the original catwalks, and exposed roof structure. © Peter Vanderwarker
Designed by Cambridge Seven Associates, Ann Beha Architects, and Champalimaud Design
A team of architects, designers, historians and preservationists transformed the former Charles Street Jail into the Liberty Hotel, a modern design gem. Originally completed in 1851 by one of Boston’s most accomplished architects of the era, Gridley James Fox Bryant, the Charles Street Jail once housed some of Boston’s most notorious criminals. After closing its doors due to poor living conditions, the derelict building was given a fresh start in 2007. Cambridge Seven Associates worked with preservation architecture firm Ann Beha Architects to transform this space into a four-star luxury hotel. The Champalimaud interior design team was tasked with infusing the hotel with a distinctive personality that honors the building’s rich history while imparting vibrant modernity. What was once an exercise yard is now a gorgeously landscaped courtyard garden. The original catwalks overhang the lobby, and preserved jail cells are now incorporated into the hotel restaurant. The exposed brick walls and a stunning wrought iron chandelier in the 90-foot tall central atrium exemplify the commitment to the historic preservation, attention to detail and the marriage of traditional grandeur with modern style.
Loews Regency New York
540 Park Avenue & 61st Street, New York, NY 10065
- The entry and lobby were reconfigured with the desk in the center, better utilizing the reception and back of house to create a living room/lounge feel where guests could gather, sit and read, or use their laptops. An artist was commissioned to create the back wall of the lobby lounge. Michael Kleinberg Photography. Image courtesy of Rottet Studio and Loews Regency New York.
|
|
- The design team created a custom wall behind the front desk, which is faceted and chromed for a reflective appearance. Michael Kleinberg Photography. Image courtesy of Rottet Studio and Loews Regency New York.
Designed by Rottet Studio
The Loews Regency New York Hotel opened its doors in 1963. After a $100 million renovation, the hotel continues to raise the bar for sophistication and luxury. Rottet Studio, who was behind the newly reimagined hotel, said, “The design is elegant and rich in texture and materials, but light in color and attitude. A sense of Park Avenue glamour is echoed throughout the entirety of the hotel, from the high gloss Fluted Kinon and stone reception desk to the back painted glass and stainless vanity in the bathrooms. Signature features include the limestone and Tiger beige marble walls, the faceted wall behind the rich tortoise shell reception desk, and the custom-designed chandeliers suspended from the recessed ceiling.” The spectacular design combines form with function to create a modern classic.
Click here to see more of this project.
www.loewshotels.com/regency-hotel
21c Museum Hotel
700 West Main Street, Louisville KY 40202
- Courtesy of 21c Museum Hotels.
|
|
- Courtesy of 21c Museum Hotels.
Designed by Deborah Berke Partners
21c Museum Hotel in Louisville was founded in 2006 by preservationists and art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. In an effort to revitalize their hometown community, the couple purchased five run-down 19th-century buildings in downtown Louisville—an entire city block―and transformed them to a boutique hotel and museum. These buildings once housed a bank, a cast iron company, a tannery, and warehouses for tobacco and bourbon companies. The museum-hotel is now an oasis for contemporary art, with 2,500 works exhibited by today’s emerging, internationally acclaimed artists. Deborah Berke Partners designed the hotel in a three-year restoration project. She exposed the original brick walls, timber and steel trusses, restored the cast iron façades, and incorporated reclaimed wood into the lobby area. The bedrooms have sleek, minimalistic furnishings, with small pieces of art from the owners’ collection. The 21c Museum Hotel is a one-of-a-kind union of Southern hospitality, thoughtful design, accessible luxury, and world-class contemporary art.
Related Article: 21c Museum Hotel: Louisville, Kentucky.
www.21cmuseumhotels.com/louisville
citizenM New York
218 West 50th Street, New York, NY, 10019
- The main lobby’s elevator core is clad in black granite engraved with oversized human silhouettes with engraving filled in with gold leaf, a commissioned art installation by Julian Opie. Photo by Adrian Gaut.
- Located within the main lobby, the canteenM is a 24-hour grab & go-style cafeteria featuring an open kitchen with a full-service cocktail and coffee bar. The canteen offers locally-sourced food and beverage from select New York shops such as Puddin’ NYC, Stone Street coffee, Brooklyn Gin, Mast Brothers Chocolate, and Il Laboratoria del Gelato. Photo by Adrian Gaut.
- The architectural team of Amsterdam-based Concrete and New York City-based Montroy Andersen DeMarco designed the new 21-story, 230-room citizenM New York, the first U.S. property of the citizenM hotel brand, headquartered in The Netherlands. The exterior features a five-story-high art installation by a Brooklyn-based artist Jen Liu. Photo by Ola Wilk/Wilk Marketing Communications.
Designed by Concrete and Montroy Andersen DeMarco Architects
Part of the Amsterdam-based hotel chain, citizenM New York is the first stateside hotel, located off the corner of Broadway and 50th near Times Square. citizenM—the M stands for “mobility”—has revolutionized what it means to be a modern traveler, emphasizing affordable luxury, and tech-savvy style. The design for the hotel was a collaboration between the Amsterdam-based design architect Concrete and the New York-based executive architect Montroy Andersen DeMarco (MADGI). Opened in 2014, citizenM is minimalistic, elegant and modern while still being comfortable and inviting. Building the soaringly high open-concept main lobby turned out to be quite an architectural feat. Richard J. DeMarco, AIA, Principal Architect of this project, explained how they were able to pull it off: “The building is so compact that we were able to remove a number of columns and install a series of two-story high beams that supported the structure. These beams created this large, open space rarely found in New York hotels like this, at a surprisingly low cost.” The living room-style lobby features furniture by renowned Swiss furniture brand Vitra, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves showcasing an eclectic mix of art and objects, and an incredible 26-foot tall Julian Opie installation. Works by Andy Warhol, Daido Moriyama and David LaChapelle are installed throughout the hotel. citizenM hotels have made a name for themselves for their offbeat sensibility and technologically savvy innovations. Richard J. DeMarco continues, “One really cool fact about this hotel is that there’s an automated self check-in, like at an airport. There’s no check-in desk area. The kiosk prints out your room key, and if you’ve ever stayed at a citizenM hotel before, it will remember you, and any preferences you might have will be preset in your room.” From the color settings in the bathroom, to the temperature and even the shade settings, and of your personal preferences can be preset upon your arrival to your room.
