Boutique Design - May 2017 - 34

2 A variety of seating
configurations, along
with chairs and pillows
sporting vibrant colors,
help create an energizing environment ripe
for interaction in the
new Hilton Garden Inn
prototype's lobby.
3 References to the
Rocky Mountain
region's gold-mining
past are interwoven
throughout the Hotel
Indigo Denver Downtown, including a
set of graphics on
opposing walls in the
check-in area.

Hilton has plenty of big-brand company in pursuing such growth
for their mid-tier brands-and in using design to help accomplish
that. First up is a drill-down into some specifics of HGI's new prototype for North America, followed by three case studies-involving
properties representing flags by InterContinental Hotels Group
(IHG), Choice Hotels Intl. and Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co.
Ltd., respectively-where the interiors are major departures from the
cookie-cutter approach that once characterized mid-tier locales.
HILTON GARDEN INN NORTH AMERICAN PROTOTYPE

Dubbed "Magnolia," HGI's North American prototype-created by
Hilton's in-house team, in collaboration with DiLeonardo Intl.'s
DiStudio unit and FRCH Design Worldwide-includes such
features as a modular, pod-style check-in area; bright-white public
spaces punctuated with colorful and flexible seating arrangements;
updated F&B offerings, including a 24/7 retail space (that will also

replace the Pavilion Pantry spaces in existing locations within the
next few years) and a refreshed breakfast buffet centered around
an open-display kitchen for cooked-to-order food; and guest rooms
with nature-inspired designs and larger bathrooms.
Greenleaf says the modifications contained within the
Magnolia prototype were born out of feedback that the hotelier's
in-house team, DiStudio and FRCH gathered over an 18-month
period from developers, owners, hotel staffs and guests. In addition to offering a refreshed, more flexible interior environment,
Hilton officials say that process resulted in two major benefits for
owners/developers utilizing the Magnolia concept: a building
footprint that's 8 percent smaller than its predecessor, and a
corresponding 6 percent reduction in construction costs.
Greenleaf says the prototype's smaller footprint was achieved
"primarily by removing the cupola and pushing the Pavilion under
the room tower. The result is a design that makes it easier for
hotel owners to acquire land and building sites for HGI locales."
Those factors, in turn, mean the Magnolia look should blossom
into a stronger return on investment for owners, Greenleaf notes.
HOTEL INDIGO DENVER DOWNTOWN

Mark Zeff, founder of interdisciplinary architecture/design firm
MARKZEFF, has created several hotels for Hilton's fast-growing
Canopy brand in recent years, and expected to do another in the
Union Tower West mixed-use development in Denver's Lo-Do
district. But when plans changed and the Canopy was replaced with
a Hotel Indigo, Zeff says he was delighted by building architect John
Portman & Associates' invitation to stay on board to design what
would be his firm's first-ever project for that IHG brand.
The resulting 180-key hotel bears Zeff 's signature exuberant
style. That's perhaps best illustrated by both the high-ceilinged
vestibule that serves as the entry for the property's Hearth &
Dram restaurant, and that dining environment itself. "The vestibule is a huge circular space that's clad in wood and has the look

3

34

boutiquedesign.com may 2017

COURTESY OF FRCH DESIGN WORLDWIDE (HILTON GARDEN INN); VIC TOR MOSS (HOTEL INDIGO)

2
http://www.boutiquedesign.com
Boutique Design - May 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - May 2017
