Hospitality Design - October 2016 - 46

perspectives

sketchbook

made
> Sam Gelin was dining at Los Angeles favorite Gjelina in Venice
when he became captivated by the restaurant's subtle design
details. He knew immediately that Studio MAI, the local firm
responsible for Gjelina's rustic-industrial look, was who he wanted
to execute Made, his new hotel set to open in December in New
York. "At the time, they hadn't done a hotel before so, objectively,
it was a big risk for both of us," Gelin explains. "But we hit it off
and understood that we could trust each other to create something
genuinely special, reflecting what our generation wants today
when traveling."
The 108-room property in Manhattan's NoMad neighborhood-
already known for its slew of fashionable hotels-is inspired by
the city's ambitious DIY mindset. Gelin, who worked in finance
and private aviation before launching a company devoted to
experiential F&B events, has put an engaging F&B program at
the forefront of Made. Upon entry, for instance, guests cross a
bridge overlooking the restaurant below, which has both indoor
and outdoor components and a retractable roof. In the "open and
airy lobby, an accent table serves as a focal point of the communal
coffee shop," while in the back bar, heavy wood block stairs lead
up to a landscaped alfresco terrace. Prime views of the Empire
State Building are savored on the rooftop.
"We've created a space that transitions seamlessly from
morning to night," says Gelin. "We want guests to start with a cup
of coffee and stay into the evening to mingle over a craft cocktail."

the traveller bar
> Loews Hotels guests now have a new
option for that oh-so-popular old-timey
cocktail. The company has debuted a fourseat, experiential speakeasy-style offering-
appropriately dubbed the Traveller Bar, as it
rotates between 24 Loews properties across
19 cities, popping up for approximately
monthlong stints in locations including
Chicago, Seattle, Santa Monica, and
Hollywood. The concept is the creation of
Mark Weiss, Loews' senior vice president of
F&B, who looked to Chicago-based design
and fabrication firm 555 International to
craft the mobile space, channeling the 1930s
and the golden age of cocktails.
For inspiration, 555 founder James
Geier's bar references "libraries
and apothecaries of old and Victorianstyle greenhouses," he says, with dark oak

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October 2016 hospitalitydesign.com

paneling, a zinc surface, and leather-topped
barstools. Antique lamps and string lights
hanging above offer a subtle glow, and the bar,
itself internally lit from below, is surrounded
by a handpainted fluted-glass enclosure
framed in black bronze. A collection of
bottles and vintage cocktail books graces the
illuminated backbar shelving.
The entire system is constructed in
modular pieces so it can move between hotels.
"The bar is two sections, there are multiple
sections to the backbar shelving system, and
the surrounding enclosure is made up of a
truss system and panels that can all be broken
down," explains Geier, who worked with the
firm's engineers to create a hollow aluminum
frame with a powdercoated finish that mimics
an old iron structure but is still light enough to
transport.
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Hospitality Design - October 2016

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