The Inn Crowd!

Six boutique hotel designers reshape the way the world decorates—and the results may be coming soon to a living room near you

By Meghan McEwen

Looking for the absolute latest in cutting- edge design? We snagged a fi rst-hand peek at a handful of exclusive boutique hotels that have become the world’s laboratory for ground- breaking interiors. So who’s calling the decorating shots? We’ve tapped the new demi-gods of CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: global design. A guest room at the Viceroy Miami; the Coral Bar at The Tides South Beach; poolside at the Avalon, Beverly Hills; the lobby at the The Tides South Beach; a yellow-on- yellow sitting area at the Viceroy Palm Springs; the bar at the Viceroy Santa Monica.

Kelly Wearstler

Interiors style-stunner Kelly Wearstler is a judge on Bravo’s hit reality show, mod-Baroque: Wearstler wields an unmistakable ability to pile on patterns, Top Design; has a signature collection for ￿ e Rug Company; and recently layer color and mix materials. ￿ e design mastermind behind the beyond- launched a line of home accessories for Bergdorf Goodman. But it doesn’t chic luxury Viceroy hotels (Santa Monica, Palm Springs and Anguilla on stop there. As the Kor Hotel Group’s star designer, Wearstler’s spot-on the way), she’s also at the aesthetic helm of ￿ e Tides South Beach, Maison sense of over-the-top, glitzy-glam hotel interiors has made her name one of 140 and the fab rehab of Beverly Hill’s Avalon Hotel. At the new Viceroy the biggest in the biz. A fearless proponent of anything-goes, this glamour Miami, it’s all about her blend of “modern sophistication with a dash of girl’s color-popping lobbies and guestrooms trend toward the funky side of exotic fl air and timeless Asian accents.”

SIGNATURE TOUCHES: Layering up her WOW FACTOR: A bronze chair UP NEXT: ￿ e Viceroy Anguilla, CAN’T-LIVE-WITHOUT HOTEL LUXURY: sumptuous tones and bold patterns encrusted in semi-precious stones which will have a restful color A lavishly made bed. “Poor-quality with classic forms and organic designed for the lobby of palette that draws upon the hues of mattress, pillows and linens are a fi nishes. ￿ ink antiqued mirror, Viceroy Miami. the beach setting. big no-no in my book!” brass, onyx, stone, marble and wood.

90 | | Spring 2009 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNIE SCHLECHTER FROM HOTEL TO HOME: “Try to play with old and new. In my designs I always incorporate something new and something old. I always try to be in the middle— between my parents and my daughter. In order to live in a warm and personal environment, I try to integrate respect for the past and the present.”

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The lobby at the Mondrian South Beach Hotel where giant fl at-screen monitors display rotating art installations; inside a guest room at the Mondrian; a guest room at Wanders’ Lute Suites hotel located outside Amsterdam; the fl oating black lacquered staircase in the lobby of the Mondrian; a guest room at the Lute Suites.

Marcel Wanders

Best known for founding the revered Dutch furniture company Moooi and castle—the Mondrian is kitted out in Wanders’ distinct brand of humor- an endless roster of greatest design hits (like the Knotted chair and Crochet meets-mind-bending-creativity: foliage-encrusted cabanas, anyone? His table) as well as his work for high-profi le companies Bisazza, Cappellini, other hospitality masterpiece, the Lute Suites—seven freestanding 18th- Magis, Poliform, Vitra and Moroso, Marcel Wanders is the current darling century cottages set in a bucolic village outside Amsterdam—seem like of over-the-top luxury hotel design. With the much-anticipated opening Wanders-lite in comparison. And that’s no small feat, considering each of the new Mondrian South Beach, guests can get inside the kooky head magnifi cent Lute suite calls on Wanders’ impressive oeuvre of design hits, of a true design superstar. Living up to its inspiration—Sleeping Beauty’s such as his soap-shaped soaking tub for Bisazza.

SIGNATURE FLOURISH: “Diff erent designed to be a home away from WOW FACTOR: ￿ e swooping laser-cut UP NEXT: Another fantasy-fueled hotel themes for diff erent parts of the home. I hate it! People are at home steel staircase in the center of the project: the Kameha Grand in Bonn, hotels,” says Wanders. “I create a all the time. ￿ e place must feel Mondrian’s soaring 4,000-square-foot with two restaurants, fi ve lounges/ stage, a theater where people are in like an experience.” lobby. In the guest rooms, Wanders’ bars, three terraces and a spa. a diff erent world. A lot of hotels are signature crystal shower chandeliers.

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| Spring 2009 Spring depending on the decoration scheme.” design of the mannequin is di mannequin in every bedroom. “ headboards and a full-size SIGNATURE TOUCHES: Oversized ff erent, ￿ e guests as they arrive at the hotel!” Soho Hotel, “which never fails to impressFernando Botero in the lobby at sculpture by Columbian sculptor WOW FACTOR: ￿ e Soho Hotel Soho e A 10-foot bronze cat back and chilling out: “An honesty bar so guests can help themselves to wish.” they whenever themselves drinks help can guests so bar honesty “An out: chilling and back for kicking amenity ultimate the with it one further step take libraries and rooms Comfort-fidrawing like art. areas usually contemporary rst with not associated coziness a maintain rooms colorful Kemp’s fooled: be don’t in sculpture foot Botero 10- the art—cue contemporary high-concept incorporates creatively she ￿ e UP NEXT: NEXT: UP and a screening theater. ascreening and rooms event private room, drawing guest bar, and arestaurant include will which SoHo, York’s New in ￿ e Crosby Street Hotel Hotel Street eCrosby ￿ e Soho Hotel London lobby—into spaces. And And e Soho Hotelspaces. London lobby—into friends as if in my own home.” own my in if as friends entertain to hotel the to return and theatre the to out go to I like guests. for reserved areas “Hotel LUXURY: HOTEL WITHOUT LIVE CAN’T CLOCKWISE the Haymarket Hotel. Hotel. Haymarket the at room guest white ablack-and- lobby; Hotel Haymarket the Kensington; South in hotel Sixteen Number at area reception the room; guest Hotel aHaymarket London; in Hotel Haymarket the at Restaurant and Bar Brumus The

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON BROWN, COURTESY OF FIRMDALE HOTELS KRANZBACH PHOTOGRAPHY BY EELCO VOOGD @ INNBERG; SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTYN THOMPSON our primal needs… a 3D language.” human experience and how to address content and context. We start from the projects are always driven by the Ilse Crawford Ilse SIGNATURE TOUCHES: else. one no like yarn editor ofrevered the as UK’s it’s Maybe years those all visual a spin to how whimsicality. knows Crawford Ilse whacked-out maven interiors just British certain: is or thing apply,one adjectives aesthetic boho-luxe Whatever warm-modern, it Call design mastermind behind the design mastermind famous Soho House New York,she’sthe considering all laid-back feat, small style—no on are they as storytelling and emotion on high as are for she’sfamous interiors hotel decorated expertly Emotion! “Our cheese.” local and chairs “Local London: outside inns two Crawford’s WOW FACTOR: FACTOR: WOW ￿ e maxim behind behind emaxim

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| Joseph Dirand increases the interaction with natural light.” and rhythm a creates color of contrast the and mindyour function into sculptural form. Pure architectural space frees everyday life glorify Tomoments, I experiences. focus and on pleasuretrying to on dissolve orienteddomestic All be. “For me a hotel room is the essence of what a home should ofsimplicity, depth, balance perfect the with smithereens high-contrast to blown get scene clean-lined all-too-typical ofan notions preconceived any and City, Mexico in by Capital Distrito hotels just-opened the Habita—or Grupo cutting-edge-cool Mexico’s to addition recent Monterrey—a Habita uber-chic the at lookOne work. latest Dirand’s Joseph Paris-based of context layered the consider days, these architect avant-garde every for setting design default the like seems minimalism black-and-white crisp If

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SIGNATURE TOUCHES: TOUCHES: SIGNATURE sophisticated the from ranges in Asian-inflSetai beyond-luxe, uenced the hand to Jakarta in Ibrahim’s Dharmawangsa Resorts, Aman uber- many as luxe well as Vietnam), in Hai Nam the and brand, Chedi the to far-fl serenity a streamlined (specifi by GHM hotels ung culture-rich, Bringing cally design. over, hotel Asian-infl uenced world contemporary of the master Zen o the minimalism is Ibrahim Jaya exotic designer interior of-based and Indonesian-born brand signature a Pioneering Jaya Ibrahim and door handles door and Lattice screens screens Lattice inspired by the local Hmong tribe. lattice screens, whose design was created guest room and public area luxurious Nam Hai hotel, Ibrahim WOW FACTOR: At Vietnam’s ultra UP NEXT: NEXT: UP resort in Mexico, all for GHM for all Mexico, in resort aseaside and Bali; of heart the in aretreat Oman; in club a country ffi cial cial Another Aman in China; China; in Aman Another history and culture as if you are actually living within it.” within living actually you are if as culture and history of sense “incredible the experience can down guests so plays design and deliberately furniture the he where Beijing, Palace Summer at Aman the Or nature.” of power the to “surrender to permeates guests energy forcing and rooms, the sound into the that so Sea, South the faces suite each A: Exhibit place. with purpose linking to South Beach. But perhaps most impressive is this globetrotter’s commitment around the world.” the around it with Itravel cover… a linen with pillow goose Hungarian percent 100 “My personal LUXURY: HOTEL WITHOUT LIVE CAN’T ￿ e Legian Beach Hotel, where where Hotel, Beach Legian e Spring 2009 Spring CLOCKWISE Chiang Mai in Thailand. Thailand. in Mai Chiang Chedi The at area dining courtyard the area; lobby the within and exterior the from detailing latticework signature Ibrahim’s Bali; in Hotel Beach Legian The at space club the room; guest tropical/modern

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