Hospitality Design - January/February 2015 - 36

perspectives

sketchbook

gurney's resort & spa
> New York-based designer Michael Kramer is tackling the revamp of
a legendary property-Hamptons' classic Gurney's Montauk Resort &
Seawater Spa. "I'm so happy to be entrusted with this project," he says,
"and to be a part of restoring it to its former greatness. It's a beautiful
diamond in the rough that we're going to take to the next level."
The property recently unveiled the first phase of a planned multiyear renovation. For that, Kramer created 38 brand new rooms,
outfitting them in a neutral palette and a midcentury vibe of washed
gray cedar floors and antique brass and leather fittings. He also
undertook a freshening of the resort's main restaurant, the Seawater
Grill, employing a black, white, and gray color scheme and removing
moldings and window treatments for a cleaner and more open look.
Next up will be a makeover of 24 of the existing 71 guestrooms and
cottages, with the rest to be rolled out gradually. "These rooms used
to have green-painted furniture, corduroy-covered sofas, and dark
draperies," Kramer says. "They will be transformed into something
much more light and airy." A renovation of the property's spa is also on
the agenda.

potawatomi hotel
> Over the last two decades, the Forest County Potawatomi tribe
has built its casino and entertainment complex on the outskirts of
downtown Milwaukee into one of the nation's largest American Indian
casinos. It unveiled its most recent expansion-a $150 million 381room hotel-last August. "The client wanted to create a truly regional
destination resort and realized that a hotel component would be key,"
says principal John Cuningham of Minneapolis-based Cuningham
Group Architecture, which specializes in casino-related work and
designed both the new 19-story building and its interiors.
The hotel tower, which is seeking LEED Gold certification,
seamlessly connects to the three levels of the existing casino via a glass
curtain wall. A highlight is the 2,200-square-foot presidential suite,
which sports dining and living areas decked out with leather chairs,
two fireplaces, a private balcony, and a master bathroom with custom
tilework and a standalone tub perched before a floor-to-ceiling window.
Standard guest bedrooms are wrapped in earthy brown tones accented
with a bright aqua that echoes nearby Lake Michigan.
Elsewhere, Locavore restaurant references natural elements with
touches including a synthetic rope installation that stretches up the
two-story space, while the lobby incorporates architectural features
meant to suggest a forest of trees and rock outcroppings. The lobby
feels "much more luxurious than you might expect," says lead interior
designer Janet Whaley. "There's plush upholstery, curvy customdesigned banquettes, and richly patterned carpets."

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