Boutique Design - March 2016 - 90

Eat rEstaurant

The main point on the agenda was also different. It included the "r" word: risk.
"Hilton and the owners-sometimes especially the owners-told us to break
some rules, bend others, look at the biggest things that scared us and try them."
Overall, these owners skewed younger than the typical advisory committee
representatives, he says. They wanted elements that were important to them-
such as a lighted mirror in the bathroom. "We hadn't put one in because we
weren't sure it fit the budget. They pointed out that prices are coming down
and offered us some great options."
Before any rules got broken or bent, FRCH took a long look at the competition. They broadened the search fields beyond lifestyle concepts such as citizenM and Generator to offices that provide inventive alternatives for how people
work. "If we were going to blur the lines between business and leisure, we had to
understand what's already out there," says FRCH's Adrianne Korczynski, vice
president and creative director for the project. "For example, we saw offices using
risers as workspaces. It was different and clearly something people felt comfortable with. Presenting the lobby design with risers was one of the biggest risks we
took. Fortunately, our clients loved it."
Both Hilton and the owners also liked The Hive, a 2,770-sq. ft. lobby concept with
four distinct zones that flow together: Work, with its private spaces and built-in
alcoves; Play, with its wall and table games, large mobile TV and dry-erase unit;
Lounge, with a high mix of seating, including some hammock-style pieces, located by
full glass front walls; and Eat, where guests can relax at a table with chairs or socialize
at a communal table surrounded by bar stools. By emphasizing color as a key design
element and strategically selecting focal pieces (as in one chair costs $50; another
$500), the design costs came in below those of sister brands even though the raw
space is larger (for instance, Tru's lobby is 800 sq. ft. bigger than Hampton by Hilton).
Guest rooms, with rates generally from $90 to $100 per night, got equal billing
as design stars. They also shook things up. "It took us time to convince everyone
that, in this competitive set, the rooms are too big and the bathrooms are too
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small," says Korczynski. But, given the time spent and the importance of spacious
bathrooms to travelers, FRCH got the go-ahead for a space that averages 52 sq. ft.,
10 sq. ft. larger than average. In the sleeping area, gone are the costly guest room
finishes and expensive casegoods that guests don't always need or appreciate. In
their place is a "spirited" palette, simple storage on surfaces (no drawers, no
doors) and an airy layout.
"Usually, it's hard for such an established hotel company to be nimble and
open," says Horwitz. "They told us they wanted Tru by Hilton to be head-turning
in its category, and they backed that up during the entire process. Pretty remarkable." As proof, Hilton had 102 hotels signed when the brand was unveiled in
January and another 30 in various stages of approvals. The first unit is slated to
break ground this spring in greater Atlanta. 

King room

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Boutique Design - March 2016

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