Hospitality Design - October 2009 - 50

city spotlight london Marriott, Grosvenor Square Hotel For the multi-million dollar refurbishment of the Marriott, Grosvenor Square Hotel, United Designers produced a contemporary interpretation of a Mayfair Residence within the majestic neo-Georgian façade. The hotel renovation currently includes all guestrooms and suites, some with private courtyard gardens, and custom furniture all designed in collaboration with ODonnell Furniture Makers. There is now an exclusive Club room, multi-functional meeting rooms, gym, and grand staircase linking the yet to be refurbished lobby f lanked on both sides by Gordon Ramsay’s acclaimed Maze Grill restaurant and private dining rooms. United Designers drew inspiration from the hotel’s strong sense of heritage. Integral to this approach was the creation of bedroom furniture pieces: a variety of bed styles and sizes were specified including four-poster, double and king size beds that include integral lighting and leather headboards. The use of dark stained oak, tapered furniture legs, polished stainless steel trims, and colorful drawer interiors also reiterate the contemporary take on English traditional sensibility. The final phase of the renovation is due to be completed early in 2010. www.marriottgrosvenorsquare.com; www.united-designers.com figures—their elongated limbs give them an alien-like appearance. Other parts of the ground floor, including the bar and restaurant, are darker spaces, as they have smaller windows and therefore rely on artificial, mood lighting. One hidden gem is the fire escape: a listed stairwell with ornate iron railings in Art Deco style, sadly hidden from general view. The rooms are spacious; they have some of the largest bathrooms in London, and each room has a design feature unique to itself. newly refurbished www.radissonedwardian.com There are several standout design features, not least the lobby where, despite the modern styled furniture, the space has a distinctly Art Deco feel. Retained wooden framed sash windows are indicative of the period, as are the decorative iron railings alongside the grand stone steps to the entrance and in the inner two stairwells. More modern in style is the chic basement bar and the Landseer restaurant. The bar is quite discreet and sexy: timber paneled walls and ceilings give it a dark, clubby atmosphere, while the cream leather chairs and bar stools add a touch of sophistication. The bar leads directly into the restaurant, which is again an intimate space with low lighting, wall pendants, and two huge round central columns clad in mother of pearl mosaics that divide the room into separate spaces. Guestrooms range from compact to huge, with the corner suites being the most desirable, no two identical in design. In some, guests may find standalone roll top baths, in others, an open wet room shower and bathroom TV. hd www.doylecollection.com; www.sheehanandbarry.com Clockwise from top left: Guestrooms at the Radisson Edwardian, Marriott, Grosvenor Square Hotel, and the Bloomsbury Hotel. Radisson Edwardian One of a spate of Bloomsbury hotels, this Radisson Edwardian hotel incorporates a mix of Far Eastern artifacts and contemporary art. There are 174 bedrooms and suites including a fabulous newly built attic room with sloped ceilings and porthole windows. Subtle references to literature can be found throughout, including a wall of polished resin pages taken from the original handwritten manuscript of Virginia Woolfe’s Mrs. Dalloway. It’s actually quite a subtle art installation that makes up the wall behind the reception desks: this corner space of the hotel benefits from plenty of natural light through four tall windows. The windowsills are occupied by four striking, dark copper, standing The Bloomsbury Hotel A stone’s throw from the newly refurbished Radisson Edwardian, Bloomsbury Street Hotel, is the Bloomsbury Hotel on Great Russell Street. Originally designed by Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens as the UK headquarters of the YWCA, many of the original features of this neo-Georgian property still remain. Now wholly owned by the Doyle Collection it has undergone a multi-million dollar restoration. The hotel, as was the rest of the collection, was inspired by one of the collection’s owners— Bernie Gallagher, and designed by Dennis Looby of Sheehan & Barry Architects. hospitalitydesign www.hdmag.com

http://www.marriottgrosvenorsquare.com http://www.united-designers.com http://www.radissonedwardian.com http://www.doylecollection.com http://www.sheehanandbarry.com http://www.hdmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - October 2009