Contemporary Verve in Hospitality Design
Ar. Khozema Chitalwala talks about the need to bring together history, culture and craftsmanship into luxury spaces to create a multisensory experience
Khozema Chitalwala
Luxury hotels are often the ultimate definition of opulence and hospitality. A good hospitality design offers guests not just soothing interiors and a calming atmosphere, but also comes completed with top notch service quality. This expectation pushes the majority of the facilities to a higher standard of delivering luxury. While the contemporary focus is on design, there’s still a need to generate multisensory integration through craftsmanship that instantly uplifts the comforting interiors with an element of luxe. Depicting a growing understanding of the human senses builds a thought provoking space in reaction to the environment and urban surroundings.
When it comes to the mainstream hotel market, the global design and output factor is largely stagnant. Thus, it is imperative for the design of luxury segment hotels to showcase the delicate balance between authentic ideas and what is expected from the hospitality industry universally. The team at Designers Group aims to provide a cultural touch of the local region infused with contemporary opulence. This helps the guests connect well to the region’s heritage and history during their stay. Moreover, the tasteful amalgamation of local craftsmanship and luxurious design style adds value to a project.
For instance, the Radisson Blu at Alibaug was a renovation project that was assigned to the firm. The property is surrounded by Alibaug’s manicured landscapes and green bliss, which the team seamlessly blended into the design of the hotel through earthy tones within an open layout. The intriguing inclusion of wood laminates ultimately helped create a warm and cosy ambience while ensuring low-cost maintenance. The lobby was further artistically transformed into a subtle assortment of colours with blue as the
primary shade symbolising the coastal waters.
Likewise, the design of the Four Points by Sheraton in Lucknow was inspired by the arches of the maze at Bara Imambara, a renowned heritage monument in the beautiful city. These arches are integrated into the inte rior design grammar and stunningly represent the heritage architecture in a contemporary manner. Other native characteristics from Uttar Pradesh such as the Islamic design concepts, glasswork and filigree work have also been included in the blueprint. This helps bring together the essence of the native place in an authentic manner, while keeping the contemporary interior aesthetic intact.
The Wow Hotel located in Indore is another Designers Group project that took heavy inspiration from the surroundings. The interiors display elements inspired by the national bird of India, the peacock. The concept was devised through elaborate research by the team, leading to the discovery of the fact that the population of peacocks in the area, which was once in abundance, has been diminishing due to increasing real estate development. The interiors were thus an attempt to revive the area’s legacy and throw light on the decreasing peacock population. The inclusion of local artwork further uplifted the property’s value in the area immensely.
Similarly, with the Novotel Resort in Goa, the team drew inspiration for the interiors from the impressions of waveforms, thereby reflecting the Goan beaches and textures of sand. This is showcased in the overall interior design grammar and through the use of beige flooring with a sand dune pattern. Local flavour is added to the lobby with the use of vibrantly-coloured fabric shades over the bar counter and light fixtures with a waterfall design effect. Intricate design elements that hold strong Portugal influences are flawlessly included by the team, further adding to the charm of the property.
Including local craftsmanship in design is to emphasize local authenticity without compromising on the cosmopolitan standards and client brief. A successful hotel property skillfully depicts the local heritage of the location. Presenting the hotel with a local flavour further aids the guests in connecting with the history and culture that the region represents. Each interior style holds its niche that helps drive the recall value of the property. While some standard hotel spaces such as the rooms, dining areas etc need branded accessories and furnishings, custom-made accessories give a defined dimension to spaces like bars and lobby, with innovative design solutions and creative outreach achieved through local crafts.
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successful hotel property skillfully depicts the local heritage of the location. Presenting the hotel with a local flavour further aids the guests in connecting with the history and culture that the region represents. Each interior style holds its niche that helps drive the recall value of the property.