Boutique Design - May 2018 - 54

That opened both the hotel owners' and EDG's eyes to a different breed of
affluent traveler. "We were watching executives with custom M55 bikes coming
to explore Oregon or climb sand dunes during the day, but who still wanted to
come back to a true 5-star hotel for a relaxing massage, a great meal and an
aspirational guest room afterward."
Johanson stresses the importance of using the guest's filter to weigh what
luxury means. In this case, it included special storage facilities that allow travelers to bring equipment inside. "Who'd want to leave a $5,000 bike clipped to
their car?" she observes.
The materials palette also has to evolve into a fun but functional luxury
lexicon to retain top-quality levels of maintenance and housekeeping despite
the challenges of sun, sand and water damage.
Johanson says layering has replaced opulence as the ultimate design tool
for high-end hotels. Surfaces have more texture. There's a sculptural feel to art
and sense-of-place elements from libraries and eclectic displays of local crafts
to references to neighboring businesses and much-loved landmarks.
Build flexibility into F&B offers. Desai says both the cuisine and design of
restaurants have to be approachable, consistent and comfortable for couples
as well as families. "Create collapsible spaces in restaurants so a customer
doesn't feel he/she is the only one in the venue," he says. "White linen restaurants are a lost cause. Guests want to be entertained. So develop a traffic flow
that makes it easy for the chef to come out and talk about the food."
Also, don't expect hard and fast rules. "In some hotels, it might make sense
to have an open kitchen. But, in a hotel in Laguna Beach, guests don't want to

look at the kitchen; they want to look at the ocean," says Desai. He predicts
5-star hotels will soon be home to some kitschy culinary ideas. "I recently
received a presentation that was pitching a dive bar. Pun intended, but it was
really about famous divers."
Remember that guests still spend more time in their rooms than
anywhere else in the hotel. As a result, that experience had better be
perfect. Four Seasons has unveiled its new Sanctuary Room to be just that.
Developed with design firm Meyer Davis Studio, this retreat is noteworthy not
only for its restrained, easy elegance and unobtrusive tech, but also its nod to
financial and budgetary reality.
"Our Sanctuary Rooms don't necessitate larger modules or structural bays,"
says Kalczak. "Clever design delivers natural light to our Oasis Bathrooms; it
creates a visually strong Sleep Temple; a relaxing Wind Down Zone; and a
beautiful yet functional work/dining/play area with the round Activity Table.
The entertainment opportunities at the media wall and the generous F&B
offerings at the MyBar round out the new room design."
According to Best-Santos, the key word for luxury lifestyle is still customization, especially in the guest room. "As designers, we have to be aware that
custom doesn't just mean giving the guest what we want or what a survey
says people should want," she explains. "One traveler might think no luxe
room is complete without wish-list technology, while the next person may
be looking for a digital detox. Luxury lifestyle design is about finding a way to
do both."
For more on what's ahead for the top of the market, visit boutiquedesign.com 

COURTESY OF FAIRMONT SAN FR ANCISCO

4 "Luxury is about exclusivity. Lifestyle is
about experience," says ForrestPerkins'
Barbara Best-Santos. The firm pared
down traditional high-end elements to
fit into a clean, modern aesthetic in the
sleek, livable guest rooms and suites at
the Fairmont San Francisco.

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