Boutique Design - December 2015 - 84

2 015 gOLd k e Y AwArdS

beST New brANd Or SOFT brANd cONcePT
"everYTHiNg AbOuT THeSe
HOTeLS TruLY SAYS LuxurY wiTH AN
ecO-FrieNdLY PerSPecTive. iF YOu
dON'T geT THe SuSTAiNAbLe meSSAge
OF THe brANd, YOu muST be deAd"
- rAuL LeAL

1 HOTeLS
New York
Designer of the branD's first hotel

Meyer Davis Studio, New York

the brief Launch a hotel brand that serves as a platform for change by reinventing the industry standard for socially responsible hospitality. "We aren't
just focused on making our hotels better; we want to make the world better,"
says Barry Sternlicht, founder and ceo of 1 Hotels' parent company, SH Group.
Here's his roadmap for how to make that happen: Intertwine nature with everything guests (and staff) touch, see, smell and taste; create seamless indoor/
outdoor transitions; prioritize natural lighting; concentrate on #Daylife rather
than night life; emphasize untouched, authentic textures and materials; and
design experiences to cater to all guests' tastes-from a wild adventure to a
relaxing meditation. The starting point: local natural wonders that inspire each
hotel from start to finish.

Meyer Davis Studio was tasked with realizing that in the
design of the brand's first property. 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami. Although each
of the group's hotels will have a character all its own (referencing the natural settting that surrounds them, whether a beach, park, or mountain), they'll share
some of the fundamental DNA introduced in this 426-room oceanfront locale.
the insiDe scoop

boutiquedesign.com december 2015

The inside-outside connection is a big part of that. Meyer Davis' team took
advantage of the architecture and climate to create more than 100,000 sq. ft.
of indoor/outdoor space for this Collins Avenue five-star. Clearly, that can't be
translated verbatim to little sisters such as New York's 1 Hotel Central Park. But
the designer for that property, AvroKO, kept the spirit alive with its suspended
terrariums in the lobby and the Greenhouse Suite (the hotel's Presidential Suite),
with its green moment from Sprout Home and wall of stacked pebbles.
genius time Brands aren't just built on one aspect of design; the entire
visual package-from design to graphics to collateral-has to tell the story.
Living walls, greenery shaped into the numeral "1" as the outside signage and
the simple, wish-you-were-there images on 1 Hotels' website all reinforce the
idea this a new kind of lifestyle brand for travelers who are eco-conscious,
healthy and appreciative of the fact that a coral stone lobby bar and handthrown pottery say luxury just as much as the marble-clad bathrooms. A rock
with a simple statement, "not now," replaces the traditional Do Not Disturb
sign, and paper has given way to chalkboards and technology.
the takeaway Young brands need to keep trying new things. As Sternlicht
says on the brand's home page, "We want 1 to be a different type of hotel. We're
not there yet, but we're working hard to do our part, and in doing so, we're
constantly learning. Growing. Evolving. We make mistakes, but we can promise
one thing: we will always be good-natured. We know you don't need another
hotel; you need a better 1."

E R I C L A I G N E L (1 H O T E L S ) ; J E N S B Ö S E N B E R G ( A Z I M U T ) ;
C O U R T E S Y O F T H E WAY FA R E R ( T H E WAY FA R E R )

wiNNer

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - December 2015

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