HD Talks Blog

10 WAYS TO DAZZLE GUESTS: THE SPA

Here is the seventh installment of HKS Hill Glazier Studio's blog "Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests." This month, the focus is on spa design, with thoughts from Ray Neal, Steve Doyle, and Luciano Mazza.

 An outstanding spa experience can help set a hotel or resort apart from its competition. From a design perspective, the spa presents an architect with an opportunity to get creative. From an ownership point of view, it is an integral profit center. Great spa design must be beautifully pristine, yet highly functional—imagine spa employees floating like butterflies in rarified air, creating a guest experience deluged in relaxation  and rejuvenation—the ultimate escape. 

Privacy, Privacy, Privacy. Allow for complete privacy from every corner and every room. Make it an escape. Place the spa in a quiet or serene location, and make the most of any natural views or vistas the site has to offer.

Right Place, Right Time. Avoid locating the spa in proximity to other public areas such as the restaurant, meeting rooms or business functions; the journey to and from the spa should be an experience in and of itself. Comingling the spa with other public locations, noise and traffic quickly erases that “in the moment” sensation. 

Treat Me Right. It’s a delicate balance between servicing the guest and discretely providing services.  Place back-of-house and support spaces near or within the treatment zones, where the guest experience and service-related functions interact but are not seen.

Part and Parcel. Design the spa as an integral part of the resort or hotel—a chapter or a continuation of the same story, and not just a luxurious addition or world apart.

Soul Immersion. Climate permitting, incorporate outdoor paths that lead from the lockers and lounges to treatment rooms. It’s important for guests to feel mesmerized by the ambiance, local climate, and culture. Let them breathe in the salt air and the native flora, and feel the warm breezes.

Sensory Sensation. Create texture, bring the outdoors in, and delight guests with dramatic passages and arrivals to their treatment rooms. Use a color palette and materials to stimulate and enlighten the senses as the guests begin their retreat and escape.

Mood Maker. Incorporate features to create an ambient and relaxing quality. Exceptionally appropriate lighting, tranquil water elements, and serene landscaping should work in harmony to create a place of sanctuary.

Public-Privacy Protection. Create a clear demarcation pattern for spa guests from locker rooms to treatment areas without crossing highly public spaces. The spa lounge, whether co-ed or gender specific, provides a welcome, anticipatory departure from the mainstream to the sublime, reinforcing the escape from the daily grind.

What’s the Hook? In urban settings or locations where the connection to the outdoors is not possible, an iconic, signature element—such as a themed co-ed pool—can serve as the draw and allure for the spa.

Did You Hear That? We hope not. Getting it acoustically correct is the single biggest technical challenge to tackle in spa design. While studying your wall, floor, and ceiling assemblies, don’t overlook HVAC systems, lights, and equipment noise. Water features, music, and “white noise” will assist in providing the quiet that the guest will remember.

 

 

10 WAYS TO DAZZLE GUESTS: THE Hotel Pool

Here is the sixth installment of HKS Hill Glazier Studio's blog "Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests." This month, the focus is on pool design, with thoughts from Regan Holt, Ryan Doone, and Mike Menefee. 

Whether on a tropical island, urban rooftop, or basement floor, the hotel pool is one hospitality design niche where it definitely pays to know your audience. Everyone knows that pools and poolscapes are costly to build and maintain; understanding how much this amenity will be used and enjoyed by guests is fundamental to the design concept. An unforgettable pool experience is a given at resorts and family vacation hotels; on the flip side, at an airport hotel frequented by business travelers, perhaps an exercise-oriented pool is just right. Always consider the hotel setting and guest profile before diving in. 

• Scene and Be Seen. Get creative and deliver the “wow”—make it a cool, hip, and unique environment. An inspired poolside scene where people want to hang out not only makes the vacation highlight reel, a cool pool can become a property’s star amenity.
• Outta Sight. Incorporate day-use cabanas in the pool deck design. Cabanas should have power and Internet connectivity and, to go the extra mile, plumbing for showering. Make sure to provide a suitable level of privacy around cabanas and chaise lounge areas.      
• To Infinity and Beyond? If the location and setting allow, an infinity or negative edge pool takes views from amazing to dramatic—but not every pool needs an infinity edge. If there’s no horizon line to match, skip it and focus on integrating the pool and its shape with the surroundings, setting, views, landscape, and other complementary qualities. 
• Child’s Play. Incorporate shallow or beach areas within the pool or as a stand-alone offering, which is great for lounging in the sun while the kids play.
• Put the “Fun” in Function. The pool area should function as a multi-purpose venue for parties, celebrations, fun, and relaxation.   
• Let’s Cut to the Chaise. Different hotel operators have varying chaise lounge suppliers and requirements. Be sure to know your operator’s prerequisites for space-planning purposes.
• At Your Service. Ensure pool areas are well-connected to food and beverage venues and service.  Provide dedicated restrooms for pool guests, as well as towel dispensaries at convenient and visible positions on the way from the hotel to the pool.
• Just Go With The Flow. Perimeter-overflow pools, also known as wet edge pools, create a sleek, disappearing edge sitting level with the pool deck, unifying deck and water in one smooth, unbroken surface. Besides crafting a beautifully modern statement, overflow channels allow quicker spillover of surface water than do skimming systems, creating better water quality through faster filtration and removal of contaminants and pathogens, which can be harmful to guests’ health. 
• Sky High. Rooftop pools offer your guests an unbelievable experience at any given height.  Seclusion, vistas, and exclusivity are all elements that provide a memorable rooftop pool experience. If you go topside, take the time to invest in the proper research into waterproofing, providing redundant systems and understanding the mechanical systems required. Make sure to mitigate the acoustic impact to guestrooms and hotel functions beneath the pool’s structure.
• Saline Solution. We’ve all experienced the burning sensation and red-rimmed eyes or unpleasant odors associated with chloramines, the irritant commonly associated with chlorine pools. Some owners and operators are choosing saltwater pools to accommodate guests with chlorine sensitivities. Because saltwater systems produce chlorine naturally, they don’t need additional, traditional pool chemicals, such as stabilizers or algaecides. The chlorine levels in saltwater pools are lower, reducing the occurrence of chlorine-sensitive allergies. Before you jump in, make sure to check the local pool building regulations—due to salinization issues, saltwater pool systems have been outlawed in some areas in the U.S. and around the globe. 

Capital Style

Last week I boarded an Amtrak train and headed down to Washington, D.C. for NEWH’s first Sustainable Tradeshow and Forum held at the Capital Hilton. In addition to hearing inspiring speakers such as Judith Heerwagen, Penny Bonda, and Donald Griner discuss a more eco-friendly future, other highlights included lunch at Fabio Trabocchi’s elegant Fiola, dinner at Top Chef Mike Isabella’s wildly popular Graffiato (still swooning over those pancetta laced crispy Brussels sprouts), and a cozy night at the luxurious Jefferson Hotel (www.jeffersondc.com).

Two years ago, this Relais & Chateaux property, first built as a posh apartment building by Jules de Sibour in 1923, was tastefully overhauled by ForrestPerkins. Everywhere I turned in this Beaux Arts beauty the dual influences of Monticello and Paris were evident. The lobby, flaunting a recently unearthed skylight, is a stunning first impression what with its black and white marble floor, Thomas Jefferson bust, and wrought-iron screen. The 99 rooms and suites upstairs are just as classy, awash in hushed tones accented by the likes of soft green splashes, a velvet settee, and a modern TV-embedded mirror in the bathroom. The bed, featuring silky Porthault sheets and an abundance of pillows, was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in, while a glass bottle of purified water left on my nightstand at turndown not only was a refreshing alternative to the familiar $7 Evian encountered at hotels, but captures the Jefferson’s appreciation for meticulous detail.

However, it was the rich atmosphere of the public spaces that seduced me most. I expected a well-heeled diplomat to plop down beside me as I sipped a Sidecar at the illuminated glass bar at dark, inviting Quill, or wrote in my notebook in front of the fireplace in the historic tome-lined Book Room.

As I ventured to Union Station to return to New York, it wistfully felt like I was leaving home.

 

10 Ways to Dazzle Guests: the Corridor

Here is the fifth installment of HKS Hill Glazier Studio's blog "Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests." This month, the focus is on corridor design, with thoughts from Regan Holton, Ryan Martin, and Kim Tran.

We know, we know—using the phrase “dazzle your guests” when discussing corridor design seem contrary, unlikely companions. Yet this most rudimentary, transitional space plays an important role in guest comfort, and is critical to the overall experience. Smart corridor design is essential in large or convention hotels and resorts, where the simple act of finding a room can go from goodnight to nightmare.  

Top 10 Tips for Corridor Design

• You Had Me at Hello. From the guest floor elevator lobby, set a tone for what and how the guest will feel and sense as they begin to decompress into their surroundings. Develop key focal points—from the guest elevator lobby to the termination of corridors—to lead and define the room sequence succession experience.
• Tipping the Scales. Be sensitive and incorporate the correct use of height, length, and width ratios in corridor design to ensure a comfortable scale, helping guests feel at ease. Break up long corridors with turns, lighted alcoves, and a sequential room layout. 
• Punctuation, Please. Create a sense of room arrival with clearly defined door drops. Raised ceilings, differentiated carpet design, individual room lighting, and easy-to-read, aesthetic room numbers provides a front door arrival that welcomes.
• Right at Home. Thoughtfully selected furnishings, art, and design elements give the corridor “place,” creating a residential feel and enriching the character of the hotel and its locale.
• Let the Sunshine In. Whenever possible, incorporate natural light into guest corridor design.  Used creatively, the light will augment a long stretch of corridor, opening up views to public areas or natural scenery, making the journey to the guestroom interesting and entertaining.
• Finding Your Way. Develop intuitive wayfinding with easy-to-follow, well-lighted signage and graphics, providing clear direction for guests and staff. Emergency instructions—from exiting options to fire equipment—are conveniently and intuitively located and include wayfinding information.
• Bienvenido! Welcome guests to their rooms with an effortless and coordinated entry experience, using signage, lighting, and keycard entry points that are easy to use and attractive.
• Take Cover. Corridor wall surfaces, treatments and coverings must be extremely durable to withstand the wear and tear of constant hits from guest’s luggage and valet, housekeeping and room service carts.
• I’ve Got Your Back. Back-of-house operations typically found in the corridor, from housekeeping, storage, and/or utility closets, to service elevators, ice machines, and vending areas, ideally are separated from guest circulation areas and cloaked from view.
• Do You Hear That? Never forget acoustics. Study the wall and floor assemblies to ensure that the sound or impacts being generated in the corridor are kept to an absolute minimum.

A corridor at the St. Regis Punta Mita

10 Ways to Dazzle Guests: the Guestroom Bathroom

Here is the fourth installment of HKS Hill Glazier Studio's blog "Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests." This month, the focus is on guestroom bathroom design, with thoughts from Steve Doyle, Felix Howard, and Natalie Smith.

From your first waking moment to lights out, the guestroom bathroom plays a pivotal role in setting the tone for a phenomenal guest experience. This integral, multi-use space is the true hotel chameleon, serving as both mood-setter and pure function: a private, spa-like sanctuary and place to decompress, or a highly serviceable, get-in, get-out necessity. 

Top 10 Tips for Guestroom Bathroom Design

• Close Quarters. With tight spaces, create a comfortable and open connection between the guestroom and its bathroom for a feeling of greater spaciousness.
• Can We Vent?  Bathroom ventilation is critical to guest comfort, in the bathroom as well as the guestroom itself. Introduce natural light and air whenever possible, and in resort settings, private outdoor showers will leave guests feeling exhilarated, refreshed, and relaxed.
• Tea for Two. Create a focal point with the tub—use one that accommodates two people—allowing guests to soak up the atmosphere and peaceful surroundings.
• Back-to-Back and Stack. Design guestroom bathrooms back-to-back, and stack them in multi-floor configurations, for both cost and plumbing economies. Your client will love you for it.
• Practically Pretty. Provide spaces for standard amenities, from a make-up mirror to an outlet or robe hook. Practicality counts in vanity-space planning—smart storage spaces for personal items minimize vanity top clutter and show off the hardware, making it aesthetically pleasing and easier on housekeeping staff.
• Lighten Up. Bathroom lighting should be functional yet tender. Provide adequate lighting to each of the main functional areas for practical matters (shaving and make-up), and make it mood-setting by the tub and view windows.
• Got Space? Accommodating up to five fixtures in the bathroom turns the ordinary into extraordinary.
• The Elephant in the Room. Two words: Water closet. Conceal the commode.
• Finish First. Bathrooms should be infused with elegant, simple finishes that link them visually to guestrooms and the hotel setting. In bathroom spaces, lean toward tones and shades, textures and surfaces that are clean, fresh, and luxurious to project a bright, crisp aesthetic.
• How Art Thou? Art and decorative objects that reinforce the hotel’s style and location has a subtle place within the bathroom, helping guests feel comfortable and connected to their surroundings.
• The Toes Know. Adding heated flooring and heated towel racks takes comfort to a lofty level and lessens the shock on a cold winter’s night.

St. Regis Punta Mita guest bathroom

Playing Dress Up

Eloise, the fictional little girl lucky enough to have the Plaza Hotel as her playground, always fascinated me, a real little girl who dwelled in an ordinary suburban home. Walking into the luxe new Dior Suite, on the 12th floor of that other fabled Fifth Avenue property, the St. Regis, was a collision with my childhood fantasies of fashionable rooms decked out with brandy decanters and fireplaces.

Like Dior’s Paris ateliers, the elegant 1,700-square-foot suite is awash in ‘whispering’ gray. Throughout the space there are subtle nods to haute couture: Dior’s signature bows adorning wall sconces in the entryway, a dining room chair with a back of ruffled roses that look as if they were plucked from an evening gown,Lady Dior’s iconic cannage pattern atop the TV media unit, and a painting by Bil
Donovan that shows off silhouetted women donning Dior designs.

The dining room, with an old-fashioned map of Paris on the wall, had me plotting an imaginary dinner party, and I would never tire of falling asleep in the bedroom, silky and velvety with an exquisite mirror above the headboard.

Despite its grandeur, what struck me most about the space was how homey it felt, like a refined abode that could be the reality for many a neighboring socialite. Sadly, since staying at the Dior Suite means shelling out $8,500, not mine for even a night. -- Alia Akkam

10 Ways to Dazzle Guests: The Guestroom

Here is the third installment of HKS Hill Glazier Studio's blog "Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests." This month, the focus is on guestroom design, with thoughts from Hilari Jones, Raymond Neal, and Luis Zapiain.

Research shows that hotel guests spend, on average, 60 percent of their stay in the guestroom. To create a memorable experience, a great guestroom must tread smartly between serviceability and inspiration.  This all-important space must be malleable, too—a place for individuals to call their own and feel at home. HKS Hill Glazier Studio’s team has developed a series of 10 key design considerations for your next guestroom design. 

• Consistency Counts. Ensure guestrooms reflect the essence of the hotel’s image and architecture through artwork, lighting, furnishings, bedding, and accessories.
• First Impressions. A vestibule entrance removes guests from shared corridors, generating a dramatic sense of arrival into the heart of the guestroom.
• It’s Sigh Time. Create a transition zone where guests can kick off their shoes, empty pockets, put down weighty bags, and hang up their jacket.
• Hey, Over Here! Develop a beautiful focal area within the room, whether it’s a large window with a view, access to an exterior space, or an intimate fireplace setting, inviting guests to delight in their surroundings.
• Bed Head. Situate the bed so that it faces the door to the room—don’t place the head of the bed within view of the guest’s arrival. Allow space on either side of the bed, and unless you’re dealing with terribly small spaces, avoid blocking windows with the bed.
• Sense and Sensibility. Create a logical flow within the room, with ample access around furniture, an uninterrupted indoor and outdoor path, and smart organization of functional room elements. 
• Creature Comforts. Dedicate space or a sitting area with comfortable furnishings, such as love seats, cozy chairs and lap blankets, small tables, and reading lighting for extended reclining and lounging time.
• Crazy for my PDAs. We’d be hard-pressed these days to find a business or leisure traveler without a smart phone, laptop, e-reader, tablet, or other handheld device. Accommodate guests with hardwiring and spaces to use, store, and charge multiple devices.
• Indoor-Out. Allow sufficient depth for balcony or patio lounging and dining.
• Stow It. Provide ample closet space, attractive open storage solutions for small guestrooms and foot-of-bed space allotment for luggage—a great convenience for shorter stays. 

 
A guestroom at the Montage Laguna Beach. 

 

21 Club Dresses Down

I was a bit skeptical when I found out New York’s illustrious 21 Club (www.21club.com) would be unveiling Bar ’21’ on September 15^th. As someone smitten with historic glamour, I feared that this restaurant’s rich past – as a Prohibition-era sanctuary with the most coveted wine cellar in town, as a scene stealer in Sweet Smell of Success – might fade with the addition of a bar dispensing signature Brooklyn Brewery lager on draft.

But when I saw what Beyer Blinder Belle Architecture & Planners LLP, the same firm that has lent its design savvy to the likes of Princeton University and the restoration of the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, had done with the space, I didn’t need to worry.

The windows, now more open and welcoming, allow passersby to peer in and shed the image that 21 is the exclusive domain of old boys swilling Dry Martinis. While the 10-stool black granite bar, where you can idle with pretzel bites dunked in jalapeno-cheddar sauce, is decidedly modern, the antique mirror, damask carpet, and pine paneling ensure the new bar and lounge stays true to 21’s elegant roots.

Traditionalists need not fret about 21’s casual new chapter – after all, gents are still required to don a jacket. --Alia Akkam

Laidback Italian

Even though it is summer, openings are still happening in Manhattan. Case in point, I had the chance to check out Zio Ristorante in the Flatiron District the other night, the newest creation of designer Michael Bagley of BLT fame for owners Darren Berman, chef Massimiliano (Max) Convertini, and Roberto Manfe. True to form, the design of the space—consisting of a front lounge, main dining room, and private dining room—is an elegant backdrop for the fantastic Italian food (I was super happy because they had gluten free pasta). Bagley swathed the three spaces in earthy colors of terracotta, eggshell, and chcolate, lush fabrics, and warm wood floors. Super suede wall panels covered with crisscrossing wood pieces that form a grid-like pattern add texture throughout, while backlit banquettes and lit columns create a perfect dining glow. 

Top 10 Ways to Dazzle Guests: The Lobby

Here is the second installment of HKS Hill Glazier Studio's blog "Top 10 Design Tips to Dazzle Your Guests." This month, the focus is on lobby design, with thoughts from Daron Andrus, Kara Hanson, and Luciano Mazza.

The lobby is the heart and soul of the property, the indispensable hub of functional and social activity. This vital gathering place should unfold as a series of vignettes, sketching a vivid depiction of all the hotel has to offer, establishing a true spirit of place. HKS Hill Glazier Studio’s team has developed a series of 10 key design considerations for your next lobby. 

• And the Winner is. Give the guest an “aha moment” upon entering. Frame a magical vista, spectacular fireplace, or breathtaking art and pull it all together through color, light, texture, and furnishings, confirming in the guests’ mind that they chose well.
• When in Rome. The lobby’s style and scale is the fingerprint for the entire venue and is immediately realized at the entrance. The scale should relate to the hotel or resort type and location, whether low and intimate or explosive and transitional.
• Business or Pleasure? Separate transaction-based and functional areas (the front desk, concierge, kiosks and ATMs) from personal, lounging, and relaxation areas.
• You are There when I Need You. Sensitively make the front desk and concierge areas blend into the overall lobby environment—this space is about initial impressions.
• It’s all About You. Create a high-touch, personalized check-in experience by using small, welcoming desks versus large, formal counters.
• The Place to Be. Craft a “Here and Now” lobby space—the heartbeat of the hotel—with intense sensory interest: a magnificent fireplace, vibrant lobby bar or piano lounge, or play up striking views. 
• Layer it On. Draw guests further into the hotel environment with opportunities for discovery.  Hidden experiences await through the use of dramatic, expansive windows, an open-air view balcony, a library, art collections, a patio, or relaxing lounge, amplifying a dramatic view or augmenting a captivating exterior focal point. 
• Welcome Home. Whether grand, sophisticated, or homey and intimate, design the lobby with a living room in mind—a place that serves as a social gateway for people to gather together. Use comfortable furniture and unique flooring, floorcoverings and light fixtures, keeping within the hotel’s style and setting.
• Stay a Little Longer. Accent lobby spaces with warm and welcoming lighting, visually engaging art, reading materials, easily accessed pathways and arranged seating groups.
• Inside Out. Capture the essence of place by connecting to the environment at every opportunity.  The lobby’s interior look and feel should always reinforce the exterior perspective, location, and contextual surroundings.

 The Montage Laguna Beach's lobby.