Boutique Design - October 2014 - 42

2009 WASN'T exactly a banner year to be taking over

five-star flags. But don't tell that to John Vanderslice.
In the heart of the Great Recession, the former president and ceo of Club Méditerranée Americas and
member of the French resort chain's executive board
joined Hilton Worldwide as its global head of lifestyle
and luxury brands. "There was a lot of talk about the
fact that luxury's time had passed," says Vanderslice. "I
believed that it would return, but that it would be very
different from what existed before."
Vanderslice and a design team headed by Larry
Traxler, Hilton Worldwide's senior vice presidentglobal design, have made it their mission to reshape
the look of this global giant's luxury hotels. From the
get go, that meant finding concepts that would get
the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad brands on owners'
and guests' radar. "One of the main challenges for the
both of the brands when I joined the Hilton Worldwide team was the lack of awareness, including in
the design space," he says.
That's no longer an issue. The Waldorf Astoria Hotels
& Resorts portfolio, now 28 global properties, has grown
exponentially, with hotels opening in Amsterdam, Jerusalem (its property there is a finalist in this year's Gold
Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design), Beijing,
Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah in 2014 alone. Conrad Hotels
& Resorts' 24-property network is in 17 countries already,
including the UK, thanks to the just-opened Conrad
London St. James. More than a dozen are in the pipeline
for both the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad flags, which
should put a 70-plus hotel luxury and lifestyle division
within mid-term reach. For this interview, Vanderslice
zeroed in on his design vision for those upcoming properties, as well as the tool kits for the designers who will
continue to refine what luxury is all about.
WHAT DO DESIGNERS NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT HILTON HOTELS' LUXURY BRANDS TO
IMPRESS YOU?

2 A modern materials palette of
stone, metal and local woods
blends with historic references
to local motifs such as the ceiling
detail and wall cladding in the
Waldorf Astoria Panama designed by Ba-Haus/KNF Design.

boutiquedesign.com OCTOBER 2014

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels &
Resorts represent two approaches to luxury hotel design.
The Waldorf Astoria guest expects an inspirational environment in an iconic location with guest rooms and
suites with luxuriously appointed living areas and bath
rooms. Designers need to be aware that the biggest
change is the expectation that technology is intrinsically
woven into the guest rooms. At Waldorf Astoria Beijing,
for example, every aspect of the room-lights, temperature, etc.-is controlled through one in-wall panel. Our
properties share impressive public spaces that evoke a
strong sense of arrival-places designed to play host to
unforgettable moments. At every location, whether new
build or renovation, we look for design that is unique
and reflective of its destination but also ladders back to
the iconic nature of the brand.

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Boutique Design - October 2014

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