Hospitality Design - December 2017 - 50
perspectives brand identity hilton The new glass vestibule entrance in the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam the contemporary vein. It's still very timeless and classic, but rooted in modern architectural style," says Traxler. "Beijing guides everything else that comes along." For the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, designed by London-based G.A Group, a collection of historic canal houses once occupied by the mayor and a bank were converted into the hotel with airy, double-height ceilings and a bar in the former vault. "You're seeing real plaster molding details from the late 1700s and early 1800s, and we had to create a vestibule," says Traxler. To do that, they "inserted a clear, glass box so you don't touch any of the walls. It's a new intervention into that space." Meanwhile, the clock, a focal point of all Waldorf properties, is reinterpreted as an armillary sphere that pays homage to Dutch shipping history. An old Trader Vic's tiki bar, adjacent to the Beverly Hilton, is now the home of the 170-room Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, which opened this year with a design courtesy of Gensler and PYR complete with an indoor-outdoor secret garden. "People are shocked by the views they never thought existed in Beverly Hills," says Traxler. The key was taking the fantasy of what Waldorf Astoria was in New York and making it relevant in California, he adds. The Streamline Moderne design of the limestone-clad exterior telegraphs the Golden Age of Hollywood, and "a sense of cinematic glamour begins with the dramatic arrival to the porte-cochère with a sweeping bronze canopy; guests are welcomed through 050 December 2017 hospitalitydesign.com Light floods into Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam's king loft room from G.A Group bronze doors adorned with crystal pulls," says PYR founder Pierre-Yves Rochon. Recalling film noir, the interior mingles light and dark, combining the likes of Italian marble with black lacquer. "Subtle palm prints in a mixed variety of delicate applications in carpeting, wallcovering, and fabrics throughout give a quiet nod to surrounding lush California landscapes, as well as a throwback to patterns popular in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s Hollywood," he adds. Jean-Georges Beverly Hills also channels Old Hollywood by blending rosewood furniture with lemon trees and bronze accentuated terrazzo flooring. Another buzzy new addition to the portfolio is Waldorf Astoria Chengdu, a 289-room, 52-story, mixed-use development in the city's high-tech zone. New York design studio Champalimaud spearheaded the design (including numerous residences in the building) with two restaurants and a wine bar from New York-based Jeffrey Beers International, including the clubby Limited Edition Grill with a glassed-in kitchen, and an upcoming rooftop bar from Paring Onions Design in Hong Kong. Artwork is particularly staggering here, incorporating handmade, individually glazed ceramic tiles "and glass leaves that have a kinetic fiber optic light, so it can slowly transition over time from a warm gold color into a brighter space," says Traxler. Chengdu is a "casual, relaxed city-the greenest in the country and often referred to as the Seattle of China," says Champalimaud principal Jon Kastl, and the design reflects that with an open-plan concept for the public areas with a flowing series of spaces. "The décor is tailored, crisp, and a celebration of beautiful woods, metals, and stones combined in a sophisticated manner." Inspired by Chendgu's tea house culture, flora, pandas, and silk embroidery traditions, the hotel is referential to both its home city and the original New York location. Since large-scale art and murals are brand touchpoints, an installation of colorful 3D bas-relief lacquered shapes reminiscent of peacock feathers "that read in a contemporary pixelated way" graces Peacock Alley, while the chandeliers in the ballroom are based on abstracted stalks of bamboo. A double staircase knits together public areas of the hotel spanning three floors. "As the space unfolds and opens up, one can see up and down into various lounges, restaurants, and bars," says Kastl. "It's a wonderful clubhouse in the sky. Conrad Hotels & Resorts "We are on fire with Conrad in Asia," says Vanderslice. "More than any other brand, Conrad has lived the narrative that we created. You can see the thread that goes behind it." High-tech touches, for instance, where guests can check in for flights and valet their cars a day in advance via the touch of a screen, is a strong example of how luxury has changed, while programs like the 1/3/5 experience tailor activities to timestrapped travelers for one, three, or five hours. At the Conrad Manila, for example, guests eagerly pore over books that explain each of the hotel's
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