Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 133

planning. "I try to visualize the experience
inside a space that's going to be completely
transformed," he says. "Are the end users
going to be emotionally connected and is
that going to differentiate you from the other
product in that particular market?"
And Rockbridge continues to
distinguish itself with the acquisition of
some unexpected properties, including the
Aqua Waikiki Wave in Honolulu, Dallas'
landmarked Adolphus hotel, and Cliff
House Hotel & Resort, a "2-Star product
with a 5-Star location" on the coast of Maine,
Merkel says. This is in addition to a Marriott

in Raleigh, North Carolina; the Noel Place
building in downtown Nashville (with plans
for an upper-upscale boutique hotel); and
ground-up projects in Savannah's historic
district. "We're very excited," Merkel says.
We're in execution mode to carry out the
vision of what these properties can be." hd
3. A rendering of
a guestroom at
the 100-year-old
landmarked Adolphus
hotel in Dallas, which
is being redesigned by
Duncan Miller Ullmann
Design.

4. A suite sitting
area of Le Méridien
Indianapolis, which
was revamped from
the former Canterbury
Hotel.

2
specializes in hotel investments, Merkel has
overseen the acquisition and development
of more than 325 properties across the U.S.
"We fix broken hotels," Merkel explains. "We
reinvent them and make them relevant to
the market and to customers today." Take,
for example, the company's investment in
Starwood Hotels and Resorts' Le Méridien
brand-with the opening of Le Méridien
Atlanta last September (designed by Gettys),
and upcoming Le Méridiens in Chicago
(designed by Gensler and scheduled to open
at the end of the month), and Indianapolis
(with public spaces by AvroKO and
guestrooms by Studio 11 Design). "Because
Le Méridien is a global brand that has a
relatively small footprint in North America,
there was an opportunity to position these
properties in the upper-upscale, 4-Star
space and have the flexibility to customize
the design and bring some vibrancy,"
Merkel says.
That focus on design-what Merkel
describes as a "learned behavior over time"-
comes from truly considering what the
end user will want and is part of what sets
Rockbridge apart. In fact, five years ago the
company added a design and development
team to its roster "because we wanted to
really be great at executing on the vision for
the properties that we had," he explains. Part
of that vision, and where Merkel personally
focuses a lot of his time, is on space

3
4

hospitalitydesign.com July 2014

133


http://www.hospitalitydesign.com

Hospitality Design - July 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - July 2014

Hospitality Design - July 2014
Contents
Online TOC
From the Editor
People
People
Perspectives
Sketchbook
State of the Industry
Startups
Eastern Canada
Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award
5 Questions for Jason Pomeranc
Products
Emma Gardner
Turquoise
IIDA/HD Product Design Competition
Lighting
HD Americas Preview
From the Show Director
Keynote Speaker
Conference Highlights
The Power of Story
Ad Index
Back Space
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Intro
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Hospitality Design - July 2014
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Cover2
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 1
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 2
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 3
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 4
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 5
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 6
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 7
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 8
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 9
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 10
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 11
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 12
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 13
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 14
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 15
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 16
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Contents
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 18
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 19
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 20
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 21
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 22
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Online TOC
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 24
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 25
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 26
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 27
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 28
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 29
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - From the Editor
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 31
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 32
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 33
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - People
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 35
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 36
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 37
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 38
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 39
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - People
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 41
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 42
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 43
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 44
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 45
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 46
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Perspectives
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 48
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Sketchbook
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 50
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 51
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 52
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 53
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 54
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 55
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 56
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - State of the Industry
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 58
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 59
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 60
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Startups
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 62
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 63
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 64
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 65
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 66
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 67
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 68
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Eastern Canada
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 70
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 71
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 72
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 74
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 75
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 5 Questions for Jason Pomeranc
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 77
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 78
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Products
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 80
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Emma Gardner
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 82
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Turquoise
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 84
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 85
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 86
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - IIDA/HD Product Design Competition
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 88
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 89
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 90
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 91
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 92
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 93
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 94
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 95
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 96
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Lighting
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 98
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 99
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 100
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 101
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 102
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 103
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 104
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 105
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 106
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 107
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 108
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - HD Americas Preview
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - From the Show Director
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 111
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 112
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Keynote Speaker
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Conference Highlights
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 115
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 116
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 117
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 118
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - The Power of Story
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 120
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 121
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 122
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 123
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 124
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 125
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Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 133
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Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 141
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 142
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 143
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 144
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 145
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 146
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 147
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Ad Index
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 149
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 150
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - 151
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Back Space
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Cover3
Hospitality Design - July 2014 - Cover4
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