The success of Firmdale hotels crosses the Atlantic to bring the unique styling of kit kemp to the group’s latest hotel, in New York

Interior design: Kit Kemp
Architecture: Stonehill & Taylor

So, Kit Kemp has finally arrived in the Big Apple. An 11-storey new-build hotel in downtown Manhattan is the first US venture for the Firmdale Hotels group, owned by Kemp and her husband Tim. The self-taught designer already has six successful hotels in London to her name, including, most recently, the Haymarket Hotel, and it was only a matter of time before she took her talent across the Atlantic.

The concept for the hotel’s public areas and guest accommodation is a sophisticated melange of colours, textures, antiques and quirky furnishings, with both American and British references in the mix for good measure. The lobby features mixed media artwork by Scottish artist Jack Milroy while hand block printed fabrics have been sourced from Philadelphia company Galbraith & Paul.

Grey oak floors and large windows form the foundations of the design scheme. They’re an appropriate neutral base on which to pile the eclectic array of furniture textiles and art used to create a different identity for each room and suite and define the various areas of the hotel. Patchwork sofas and large oil paintings hang in the drawing room.

Adjacent to the lobby the hotel bar is home to vintage finds and heavily patterned  upholstery. Each chair sports orange felt appliqué featuring different mythical creatures, and it’s not uncommon to spot animals elsewhere in the hotel.

There’s a dog collage in the reception, another of a bull in the bar and a large wooden sculpture of a dodo sits on the bar’s pewter top. Bakelite telephones and Fifties’ light fixtures complete the retro look.

Having been used to distinguish the interiors of each of the 86 guest rooms and suites,  colour is applied most vibrantly in the hotel’s private cinema (another import from Firmdale’s London hotels), where the walls are padded in a violet wool and a zesty orange was chosen for the leather chairs.

The Crosby may be situated in one of the world’s busiest cities, but it boasts several outdoor areas that includes a sculpture garden and a rooftop vegetable patch.

All aspects of the hotel’s construction and operation were developed to reduce the hotel’s impact on the environment, as Firm dale worked hand in hand with consultant Veridian Energy & Environmental. Among the measures taken, local materials were sourced from within a 500-mile radius, construction used certified wood and energy-efficient lighting was installed. All of which should stand it in good stead for achieving Gold LEED certification from the US Green Building Council.

A collection of individual houses in a village setting was created by local craftsmen using age-old techniques and materials

Designer: Wilbert Das

After his first visit to the Bahian region of Brazil and the quiet fisherman’s village of Trancoso, Wilbert Das, creative director of fashion label Diesel, embarked on a whole new type of design project.

What started as a small holiday home with a design studio evolved into an intimate resort with houses individually designed for guests.

Situated on the town’s historic Quadrado, a grassy hilltop square closed to traffic,  UXUA’s unique houses are self-catering or fully serviced according to preference. The units of one to three bedrooms all have access to a ‘one-of-a-kind’ swimming pool lined with aventurine quartz, a restaurant, lounge, library, gym, spa and a beachfront annex made of run-aground fishing boats set beside ocean mangroves.

Three of the UXUA houses were traditional fishermen’s homes and face directly on to the Quadrado, while the remaining six, including a multilevel tree house made entirely out of recycled wood, are nestled around pools set in a lush tropical garden.

Rather than creating a hotel with rooms, individual houses were chosen to provide  privacy and accommodate longer visits. Das had in mind creative types like himself who might want to use the property as a retreat and work from it. He was also very conscious not to disturb or intrude on the surrounding village, which informed his decision to restore and build the individual houses instead of creating one big hotel. Similarly, there is no signage leading to the properties from the Quadrado.

Das conceived the entire project as a tribute to the Bahia region and its inhabitants, and it has been built in collaboration with a group of local artisans and builders skilled in traditional construction methods. The resulting architectural mix showcases southern Bahian and Indian influences alongside a rustic modernism that reflects Das’s work in contemporary fashion and furniture design.

Decor is composed of antiques and local art as well as hand-made furniture and fixtures crafted on-site. Walls formed from tree branches and clay, a method used by the local Pataxó Indians for centuries, look as if they are growing out of the earth. Fallen trees on the site have been transformed into benches, sinks, tables and sculptures - including an enormous outdoor shower carved out of a standing tree trunk, while local carpenters helped Das experiment with new ways to finish doors, windows and floors based on traditional techniques. In other areas floors are made from burned cement.

Das limited the amount of glass used in the project because glass windows are rarely found in traditional homes of the area, as well as eschewing man-made materials wherever possible. Comfortable temperatures are maintained in the houses by use of shutters, used in conjunction with mosquito nets.

For the swimming pool Das envisioned something very natural, almost like a lake, and so began looking for samples of stones. Quartz aventurine caught his attention with its fresh yet muted green colour, and in collaboration with an artist experienced in mosaic techniques, some 40,000 of these stones were placed one by one into the pool.

With stunning and unique architecture and a sensational futuristic interior design concept, The Yas hotel makes a striking statement both externally and internally

Architecture: Asymptote Architecture
Interior design: Jestico+Whiles, Richardson Sadeki

Sleek, sexy and inspired by speed, The Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi could easily be the setting for a Bond film. Its location on Yas Island, overlooking a marina and the newest of Grand Prix circuits, is overwhelming enough, but the building itself with its ‘out of this world’ exterior is simply stunning.

New York architects Hanoi Rashid and Lise Anne Couture of Asymptote Architecture came up with the concept based on the ergonomics of high performance cars and yachts. The hotel is the amalgamation of two separate buildings connected by a bridge, over which is draped a shell-like grid of diamond-shaped glass panels lit by more than 5,000 colour-changing LEDs. 

British firm Jestico + Whiles was partly responsible for the interior design of the hotel which includes 499 rooms and suites,14 food and drink outlets, event facilities, a gym and spa.

Inside, the Yas is a fusion of futuristic style and glitz, full of texture highlighted by smart  lighting. White lattice walls (a modern take on the traditional latticework found in Middle Eastern architecture) were used to section off parts of the open lobby and create intimate areas within it. Its diamond motif casts delicate shadows into the space, while in The Ballroom white wall paneling proves the perfect backdrop to yet more lighting tricks. Here colour-changing lights form a chandelier, which spans the entire ceiling.

To match the unique shape of the hotel, bespoke furniture was specified, upholstered in shades of deep purple for maximum impact. Suites feature white leather headboards and sun-catching, floor-to-ceiling glass panels that change from scarlet to indigo. Original art and furnishings from the Museum of Modern Art break up the all-white design in the double-height Presidential suites and an oversized wet room - essentially a frameless glass box, mounted with sheer silk panels, for modesty’s sake - feature in the Deluxe and Executive suites.

New York design team Richardson Sadeki designed the destination spa in homage to Islamic architecture, reinterpreting the traditional hammam steam and bathing rooms.

Here a circular room made entirely out of stone is heated (although the floor remains chilled) and topped with an illuminated nightscape scene on the ceiling.

Many of the dining options at The Yas make more literal reference to their design inspiration. For example, an Italian restaurant is focused around a large, olive wood refectory table, a seafood restaurant sits at water level, and The Tandoori uses traditional saris as decoration for the table tops.

The exception is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, located on the same level as the rooftop terrace for grand views of the marina at night. This is classic and sumptuous, with dark-stained timber, thick leather upholstery and large oil paintings framed by full-length silk drapes.

Architect: Luciano Columbo

Barbados is the perfect antidote for an executive lifestyle. It’s true what they say about it: perfect beaches, an idyllic lifestyle and perfectly laidback ambience. But I stayed in The House, so-called for its lack of hotel infrastructure - no concierge, reception, or formalities, so this turned out to be quite a different experience from the more conventional 5-star hotels, especially in the UK. Every guest is assigned an ‘ambassador service’. This is someone who is there just for you and is on call 24 hours a day to meet your every request. Another drink? Another towel? Another scallop? But is it intrusive? Well, no. They never crowd your space. It’s a bit like a very quiet restaurant with more waiters than guests, knowing that they are just waiting to jump into action…

The design is chic with a minimalist spirit, and with just 34 suites it stays true to its ’boutique’ description. It’s a triumph for the owners, The Elegant Hotels Group.

But the down side, if there is one, is the laid-back stuff. You can take it too far, or perhaps it just doesn’t cut the rough with our European lifestyles. Laid back also means delays - my request means “I want it now”. The delays can be frustrating - so if you want that extra drink it’s quicker to help yourself than go through a third party…

Laid back, relaxed, and in paradise I certainly was, but maybe I just can’t match the Barbadian lifestyle. But then again, if I could adapt, I’d never meet our deadlines!

Fun-filled, laid-back and relaxing seaside holiday was what the designer remembered and planned for his own beach hotel

Getting in shape for the beach generally involves shedding a few pounds. For the renovation of The Surf Lodge, this meant stripping down decades-old interiors and filling eight skips.

The Twenties’ building had previously been a motel and a nightclub. Peeling off layer upon layer of its past until just the raw beams and original flooring were left, designer Robert McKinley embarked on a fresh new look mixing clean lines with natural materials where possible.McKinley is also one of four owners of The Surf Lodge and as such the project became something of a labour of love. He had a long-standing interest in opening a hotel, and its location, lakeside at Fort Pond, Montauk, in Long Island, New York, and half a mile from the sea holds a special place in his heart as he has known the area since childhood.

The hotel’s laid-back interiors channel the beach and surfing scene at the seaside village on the very eastern tip of Long Island. Think: flip flops, vintage Land Rovers, surfboards on the roof and bonfires by the lake. Rooms and public areas have a subtle surfing theme, apparent in the white-washed walls and sun-bleached pine flooring.

Driftwood found on the local beach was used to make much of the furniture, including The Surf Lodge restaurant’s tables and a DJ booth. Other furniture pieces are vintage and there are design classics too, like the Eames rocker. Beach and surf related artwork has been sourced from artists who work in the neighbourhood.

The beach-shack-style hotel also has an international flavour. Fabrics were sourced from Tracy Feith - a fashion designer and avid surfer, who uses African and Indian patterns in his work. The hanging chairs in the bedrooms are from Bali and the charming wicker elephants come from India.

In the guest rooms, the bathrooms have an earthy quality. Some are a little more luxurious than others with teak sinks, pebble-effect flooring and showers with floor-to-ceiling windows - three-quarters frosted for privacy but still offering guests a view of the great outdoors while they wash.

An outdoor lounge, known as The Deck, is one of several communal delights at The Surf Lodge. It features a full bar and cocktail tables with views over the calming Fort Pond. In the evenings guests can sit there to watch the sun set and there are live music performances at the weekends.

We aim to review, comment and critique the latest, most luxurious hotel designs. To bring you the latest interviews and discussions with most influential designers in the industry, as well as the latest product designs to grace their walls, rooms and balconies. Ranging from bar designs through to cityscape views, X2 aims to bring you the very latest in global hotel design whilst outlining the inspiration and motivation behind each project.

Please feel free to send us your comments, opinions and experiences.
We hope you enjoy our website.

Swire hotels are going up in the world, literally, with its latest offering in Hong Kong. Built above the hubbub of the city, The Upper House aims to be a sanctuary of calm

Design: Andre Fu

Swire Hotels’ newest property, The Upper House, had a hard act follow. Its first hotel, The Opposite House in Beijing, opened to rave reviews in 2008, much of it attracted by the architecture. That was masterminded by Kengo Kuma Associates, regarded as one of the world’s leading design practices.

The names of the two hotels may sound like they are in the same vein, but The Upper House has a style all of its own, and this time is the work of the British-trained but Hong Kong-based architect, Andre Fu. Called The Upper House because of its location above commercial complex Pacific Place, it also references the guest’s journey from the bustling city to serene surroundings. Fu designed the 117-room hotel to be a ‘haven of calm and quiet taste’, from the hubbub below.

Pacific Place itself couldn’t be busier, located in the city’s business district and occupying a staggering 465,000 sq m of boutiques, department stores, more hotels, a conference centre and office blocks.

To complement the hotel’s contemporary Asian-inspired and monochrome design, many bespoke sculptures in sandstone, ceramic, marble and bronze were commissioned, most notably a 10-storey sculpture by Hiroshiwata Sawada.

Fu sourced natural materials such as bamboo to create an intimate hotel reminiscent of a private home, with the goal that they would generate a sense of tranquility, so vital to the ethos of the hotel. As a rapidly renewable resource bamboo ticks the eco box too, which is important both to Fu and to Swire Hotels as a hotelier with a social conscience. It’s the little things that make a difference too, such as the paperless check in.

Other woods were chosen as well as bamboo, sitting alongside shoji glass and limestone. Furnishings and other design elements, including high-gloss lacquered panels, give a hint of the Oriental influence and no more. It’s the materials that create the atmosphere, not the objects.

Guest rooms, including 21 suites and two penthouses, start at 68 sq m and boast spacious bathrooms with walk-in rain showers and deep limestone-clad bathtubs.

Each room also has its own sculpture by Marvin Mintofang, carved out of wood grain sandstone, part of Fu’s plan to create a feeling of exploration and delight in each of the rooms.

And although The Upper House is promoted as a respite away from the rush of the city below, the urban landscape is not ignored. All the rooms have expansive windows with the cityscape in full view, although one of the best outlooks is to be found in the lounge area on the 49th floor, which while cavernous in size has nevertheless a cosy atmosphere with the welcome addition of a large centre fireplace.

Café Gray Deluxe, the hotel’s main restaurant, is on the same floor.

Philippe Starck makes his debut in Venice with this striking and opulent hotel in a 16th-century grand canal house, where mirrors, glass light, and acid colours play their part

Interior Designer: Philippe Starck with Emanuele Garosci (concept) and Aristide Najean (glass art)

With many acclaimed hotel designs already to his name, Philippe Starck has made his debut in Venice with the astonishing Palazzini Grassi.

This luxurious and stylish destination, with Starck’s design signature all over it, is also something of a pioneer. In line with the wishes of the owner and creator of Palazzini Grassi, the entrepreneur Emanuele Garosci, who worked in close collaboration with Starck and glass artist Aristide Najean to achieve his goal of it being a lived-in home full of life and charm, the hotel has no exterior name plate nor any reception desk.

The presence of the hotel is indicated only by two stylised bull heads created by Najean, while check-in formalities are carried out onboard the hotel’s private launch, which drops guests directly at its private pier.

Located in a16th-century aristocratic house overlooking the Grand Canal, the interiors distill the essence of Venice, contrasting and harmonizing tradition and modernity, with every detail covered by Starck’s design.

Mirrors, mahogany panelling, glass, terrazzo and antique bricks are combined with innovative contemporary design features in a sumptuous creation. Pastel shades turn bright red and acid almond green; original bricks are exposed on corridor walls, lifts become time capsules, and huge rugs with traditional patterns but now in vivid colours envelope the entrance steps.

Inside, guests are greeted by two large mirrors displaying glass art pieces by Najean. In the restaurant and bar, an elliptical frame of 19thcentury columns opens up on to the dining hall where two 7m-long tables are placed either side. One is made of marble, the other of mirror, with smaller tables placed between them for more intimate dining.

A show kitchen and bar add an interactive dimension and provides a modern reinterpretation of the Venetian cicchetteria/osteria, places where people gather to chat. Mahogany panelling and soft lighting, playing on to the space like mist on the lagoon, and a display of unique Venetian glass pieces, antique books and vintage items complete the space.

Two cosy rooms constitute the private G Club for hotel clients and their guests. Here the décor is of the interior of a luxury boat on the Grand Canal, with more twists from Starck: a chemine bar is covered with bright red, acid yellow and silver Murano glass tiles, walls feature paintings by Starck’s artist daughter Ara, tables create visual effects, and a fire god sculpture by Najean is featured.

Passion and wellbeing are bywords for the 16 guest rooms and six suites. Corridors to them are in red, mauve and acid yellow, while the rooms feature large backlit mirrors made precious by reinterpretations of classical Venetian patterns, warm lighting, floors in Venetian terrazzo or wood, and bespoke furniture.

In the suites, beds are in the middle of the space, surrounded by glass wardrobes, ‘jewel’ coffee tables in steel and moonstone onyx, large sofas and soft rugs.

Every element, material and colour, from the linen sheets to the pastel shades of walls and rugs, mirrors and natural stone in the bathrooms, encapsulate sophisticated Venetian tradition, as translated by the creativity of Philippe Starck.

A second Kube Hotel travels to the Med, where white meets blue meets green in garden rooms designed to provide maximum relaxation in ultra contemporary surroundings, and where drinks always are served on ice…

Interior Designer: Christiane Derory
Architect: Francois Viellecroze

This hotel, along with its sister Kube in Paris, is a member of Design Hotels, a global life style brand synonymous with distinctive architecture balanced with functionality and exceptional service.

Kube St Tropez immediately lives up to the criteria of being unique. Even before entering the building it is asserting its unique personality with an outdoor installation, a 3m-wide, backlit steel cube structure of the Kube logo as originally designed by Philippe Di Meo.

Another cube greets guests as they enter the hotel. The reception and entrance lobby is located in a 5m glass cube, while bubble chairs by Earo Arnio inside and around the main pool have become synonymous with the Kube Hotels. Another signature addition is the bar, Ice Kube by Grey Goose, made entirely of ice.

Distinctive lines of colour separate the bright white of the four buildings that make up the St Tropez hotel complex from the blues of the Mediterranean and swimming pools and greens of the surrounding gardens, while the rectangular forms and straight edges counterpoint the curves of the surrounding mountains.

The interiors are designed to create an intimate yet joyful atmosphere. The décor promotes a refined style, along with precise and thoughtful lighting, custom furnishings in greys and whites and high-quality materials. In the hotel’s public areas marble, oak panelling, steel and Corian are featured.

Its 41 guest rooms and suites are arranged in the four buildings along the perimeter of the gardens and the two pools - a 24m seaside pool and an heated 8m pool in the garden’s wellness area - with all rooms fitted with comparable equipment and levels of luxury. The only differentiation is their size, so a new system of categorising the rooms has been introduced: S-XXL.

The rooms are furnished with lacquered white oak floors, handmade beds, dimmable LED lighting, contemporary decor and custom-designed furniture by LigneRoset and La Cox. Flat-screen TVs and Illy coffee machines are to be found in every room.

Bathrooms have oversized square enamel sinks and rainwater showerheads with side jets. Some suites have steamroom-style showers, while others have Technogym fitness equipment on their terraces. Many of the guest rooms have a private garden, balcony or terrace, while all are designed with elegant furnishings and easy colour schemes to promote the feeling of relaxed luxury.

The hotel’s Kubeskybar features mattress seating facing a panoramic view of the Mediterranean and customised tables with integrated music speakers. Elsewhere, the interior bar, which features a 7mlong steel counter and modular sofas, is impressive while remaining discreet, due to stylish and unobtrusive colour-changeable LED lighting.

In the Ice Kube by Grey Goose bar is to be found 20 tonnes of ice backlit by multicoloured LEDS housing a bar, lounge and numerous sculptures, themselves carved from ice. The hotel happily provides down jackets, gloves and fur hats to guests wishing to have their drinks literally iced.

In Kube’s main restaurant most of the seating is on a terrace overlooking the main pool and the Mediterranean beyond, and wine is provided from the wine cave, holding 10,000 bottles set around a private table for up to eight diners. There is also a chef ’s table in the kitchen, a large slab on oak which also seats eight. Around the pool are furnishings designed and signed by deluxe outdoor furniture manufacturer Ego Paris.

As part of the hotel’s eco consciousness, its lighting design and concepts include LED lighting throughout, with the design team working with Philips to install innovative LED lighting technology, in which long life and high efficiency figure large.

In addition, a ground-based heat exchange system enables the kitchens to be heated and cooled naturally and even the hotel’s transport fleet is made up of petrol/electric hybrid vehicles.

Gordon Campbell Gray is one of the most respected names in the industry, responsible  for launching a new style of luxury hotel offering exceptional service and comfort in an uncompromisingly chic environment. He is chairman of Campbell Gray Hotels, established in 2003, which comprises One Aldwych, London; Carlisle Bay, Antigua; Dukes, London, and now Le Gray Beirut, the group’s first hotel in the Middle East. Campbell Gray designs all his hotels in collaboration with Fox Linton Associates.

How would you describe the role you play in the design of your hotels?
I always work with Mary Fox Linton, but as far as the initial concept and philosophy is concerned that really comes out of my office and that means me. For me it’s about starting with a blank canvas and saying: ‘Who is this for and what do they want?’ and creating from there.

Is it true that you once considered training as an architect?
Yes, but I was unable to pass a science exam and so I had to abandon that idea. But actually I don’t think that architects have such a glamorous life after all. Certainly not at the moment, anyway.

What’s special about your relationship with Mary Fox Linton?
There’s a real meeting of the minds. Mary is a doyenne of contemporary design. When the whole world was really chintzy and Colefax and Fowlerish she was doing something else. She’s has had a strong influence on contemporary design for decades. We get on extremely well and we understand each other intellectually as far as the design is concerned. And the great thing about Mary is she doesn’t just have one look - she’s very adaptable and she wants to give the client what they want. It’s not a question of ‘It’s my way or the highway.’ She’s an extremely generous designer.

Do you choose the furniture and furnishings together?
Absolutely. I’ll design a chair and say ‘Mary, what do you think?’ and she’ll suggest alterations; we’ll have a prototype made and then she always knows the best places to go to get things made. Everything we do is a collaboration. Virtually all the furniture is bespoke - handmade and designed by us.

What was it about Beirut that attracted you?
I was asked if I would consider doing something like One Aldwych in Beirut and I said it was a while since I’d been been out there. But within 48 hours we agreed to do something. I think it’s a wonderful city and I had a sense it was going to come bouncing back, and of course it has. Beirut has none of the extravagance of Dubai and the result is they’re not having credit problems. Everything is in very good shape.

How important was it to reference the local vernacular in the hotel architecture?
Very important. Architect Kevin Dash was very sympathetic to the local vernacular without resorting to pastiche. It’s not cut-glass and steel - it’s completely right for the area.

You’ve said that the traditional concept of luxury has become tedious and clichéd. What is your idea of luxury?
I would say that luxury is local nowadays. You have to be aware of the arrival of the intelligent guest - people who don’t like waste and excess. I think the luxury hotel industry has to reconsider what it’s offering. It has been responsible for lots of lavish excess and guests are unattracted by that.

Can you tell us about the hotels you plan to open next year?
We’re working on the designs for another hotel in the Lebanon by the sea, and one just outside Montpelier. And we have some other projects that are about to go into full design. We’re also planning a new resort in the Caribbean that’s going to be very environmental and considerate. That’s going to be a special one.