Hospitality Design - December 2017 - 50

perspectives

brand identity hilton

The new glass vestibule entrance in
the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

the contemporary vein. It's still very timeless and
classic, but rooted in modern architectural style,"
says Traxler. "Beijing guides everything else that
comes along."
For the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam,
designed by London-based G.A Group, a
collection of historic canal houses once occupied
by the mayor and a bank were converted into
the hotel with airy, double-height ceilings and
a bar in the former vault. "You're seeing real
plaster molding details from the late 1700s and
early 1800s, and we had to create a vestibule,"
says Traxler. To do that, they "inserted a clear,
glass box so you don't touch any of the walls. It's
a new intervention into that space." Meanwhile,
the clock, a focal point of all Waldorf properties,
is reinterpreted as an armillary sphere that pays
homage to Dutch shipping history.
An old Trader Vic's tiki bar, adjacent to the
Beverly Hilton, is now the home of the 170-room
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, which opened this
year with a design courtesy of Gensler and PYR
complete with an indoor-outdoor secret garden.
"People are shocked by the views they never
thought existed in Beverly Hills," says Traxler.
The key was taking the fantasy of what Waldorf
Astoria was in New York and making it relevant
in California, he adds. The Streamline Moderne
design of the limestone-clad exterior telegraphs
the Golden Age of Hollywood, and "a sense of
cinematic glamour begins with the dramatic
arrival to the porte-cochère with a sweeping
bronze canopy; guests are welcomed through

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December 2017 hospitalitydesign.com

Light floods into Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam's king loft room from G.A Group

bronze doors adorned with crystal pulls," says
PYR founder Pierre-Yves Rochon. Recalling
film noir, the interior mingles light and dark,
combining the likes of Italian marble with black
lacquer. "Subtle palm prints in a mixed variety of
delicate applications in carpeting, wallcovering,
and fabrics throughout give a quiet nod to
surrounding lush California landscapes, as well
as a throwback to patterns popular in the 1930s,
'40s, and '50s Hollywood," he adds. Jean-Georges
Beverly Hills also channels Old Hollywood by
blending rosewood furniture with lemon trees
and bronze accentuated terrazzo flooring.
Another buzzy new addition to the portfolio is
Waldorf Astoria Chengdu, a 289-room, 52-story,
mixed-use development in the city's high-tech
zone. New York design studio Champalimaud
spearheaded the design (including numerous
residences in the building) with two restaurants
and a wine bar from New York-based Jeffrey
Beers International, including the clubby Limited
Edition Grill with a glassed-in kitchen, and an
upcoming rooftop bar from Paring Onions Design
in Hong Kong. Artwork is particularly staggering
here, incorporating handmade, individually
glazed ceramic tiles "and glass leaves that have a
kinetic fiber optic light, so it can slowly transition
over time from a warm gold color into a brighter
space," says Traxler.
Chengdu is a "casual, relaxed city-the
greenest in the country and often referred to
as the Seattle of China," says Champalimaud
principal Jon Kastl, and the design reflects that

with an open-plan concept for the public areas
with a flowing series of spaces. "The décor is
tailored, crisp, and a celebration of beautiful
woods, metals, and stones combined in a
sophisticated manner." Inspired by Chendgu's tea
house culture, flora, pandas, and silk embroidery
traditions, the hotel is referential to both its home
city and the original New York location. Since
large-scale art and murals are brand touchpoints,
an installation of colorful 3D bas-relief lacquered
shapes reminiscent of peacock feathers "that read
in a contemporary pixelated way" graces Peacock
Alley, while the chandeliers in the ballroom are
based on abstracted stalks of bamboo. A double
staircase knits together public areas of the hotel
spanning three floors. "As the space unfolds and
opens up, one can see up and down into various
lounges, restaurants, and bars," says Kastl. "It's a
wonderful clubhouse in the sky.

Conrad Hotels & Resorts

"We are on fire with Conrad in Asia," says
Vanderslice. "More than any other brand, Conrad
has lived the narrative that we created. You can
see the thread that goes behind it." High-tech
touches, for instance, where guests can check in
for flights and valet their cars a day in advance
via the touch of a screen, is a strong example of
how luxury has changed, while programs like
the 1/3/5 experience tailor activities to timestrapped travelers for one, three, or five hours. At
the Conrad Manila, for example, guests eagerly
pore over books that explain each of the hotel's

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