Boutique Design - November/December 2010 - 29

a minimalist hotel with high-end architecture and contemporary interior design. We also integrated art into this formula. Hotel Habita became a magnet for creative people. Locals and visitors would mix in our space and discover the positive aspects of our culture.
BD: Wouldn’t it have been easier to have modeled your first property on proven concepts such as Ian Schrager’s New York boutiques or maybe Hôtel Costes in Paris or St. Martin’s Lane in London?

Our strength has always been our authenticity. Most hotels in our region want to Mexican architect Legorreta + Legorreta transformed an ice/water purification factory copy whatever is being done by others. We into the dramatic La Purificadora in Puebla. do the opposite. We generate new trends and try to stay away from whatever is being done abroad. Since we were in the rate. So the originals must be careful to stay boutique industry from the beginning, we true to their stories. The new arrivals that wanted to be pioneers. are honest (Maritime, Ace, Bowery) must stay honest to make a difference.
BD: How has the boutique sector evolved since Hotel Habita? BD: How has the role of design changed?

comfort, service, sustainability and social responsibility. Our brand is not only about design; it’s about improving the quality of life of our guests, our workers, our community and our region.
BD: Is the design bar being raised for boutique hotels in Latin American and elsewhere?

It was all about the owners then. The press wanted the owners’ story. The hotels were nothing without the personalities attached to the concept. You were going to Ian’s (Schrager’s) hotels, André (Balazs’s) hotels, the Costes brothers’ hotels. This is different now. Our industry has become more corpo-

Design gave us recognition when we started. It was our main driver with Habita, as well as at the COnDeSAdf and Básico hotels. Although we won many awards for those properties, we want to go further. We try to deliver a hospitality product that integrates architecture, design, lifestyle,

People should not confuse design with good taste. I think it has become more difficult to find hotels that speak of a sophisticated lifestyle and taste. There are plenty of hotels today in many cities that offer great design and great architecture but are soulless. You can tell they were built by people who leave the property as soon as it opens and move onto their next project.
BD: What’s next in design terms?

The 1950s allure of Acapulco’s Boca Chica was restored by designers Frida Escobedo and Jose Rojas.

People spend more time now in hotels. There’s a great deal of mobility in our society and I think that will only increase. When people travel, they want to feel safe in their hotel room. And when I say safe, I mean safe as when they are safe at home: not just secure, but pampered, comfortable. So a guest room has to have a good reading light and good shower pressure. It is no longer only about looks. The trend in design hotels should be to get away from trends, to create new propositions and to make our hotels leaders, not followers. It is the only way to survive. Future hotels should be human-oriented; they should feel warm and welcoming.

Courtesy of Grupo Habita

Boutique Design | November+December 2010

Boutique Design - November/December 2010

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