The designs presented in this volume offer a wide and varied vision of the latest trends in bar and restaurant design, selected from the most cutting-edge, wining-and-dining hotspots in the world. With ...
Modus Hotels, Macau’s Wynn resort and Marina Bay Sands’ new Banyan Tree Spa offer grist for hospitality designers’ idea mills.
By Mary Scoviak
Lots of hospitality designers made it through the downturn by keeping long-time clients happy. Now, it’s time to prospecting for some new names. One to add to your business development contacts is Modus Hotels. Launched earlier this year by Potomac Hospitality Services, this collection of “approachable” boutique and lifestyle hotels emphasizes a personalized look for each property. One of the differentiators for this three- to four-star brand is its larger than average guest rooms with kitchen facilities. Its 10th hotel is set to open in October and more deals are on the way. “With our brand in place and the hotel industry outlook improving, it’s time to begin offering our unique approach to the hotel stay experience to a broader audience,” said Aaron Katz, president of Potomac Hospitality Services and Modus Hotels.
SpaFinder’s 2011 Spa Trend Report gives designers another reason to hone—or add—skills in health and wellness facility design: “The hotel/spa pipeline is a crystal-clear indicator of the headline story unfolding. Asia-Pacific has the largest number of spas and hotels under development of any region in the world, with 77 percent of that regional hotel expansion in 2011 earmarked for China and India (56 percent and 21 percent respectively). Experts compare the current hotel/resort growth in China to the U.S. in the 50’s and 60's, but predict the Chinese boom will be even bigger. Forty-seven international hotel brands are now entering India, to meet demand over the next decade for 400,000 new rooms.
While each property’s spa will be tailored to the brand and location, I think more than a few will reflect many of the core ideas featured in Banyan Tree’s new spa at the Marina Bay Sands—its first spa in Singapore. Though spas are retaining their serene attitude, they’re becoming more masculine in terms of finishes and colors, a clear nod to the increasing male/female mix in their customer base. Architrave, Banyan Tree’s design arm, responsible for the Group’s designs around the globe, used a palette of earth tones and black accents to express a Tree of Life theme. Hand-crafted timber, woven fiber panels and natural materials such as bamboo, travertine, marble and onyx create a rainforest escape in the city.
And while I’m on the subject of casinos, I can’t resist sharing this item—especially in view of the discussion on art budgets started in Hospitality Style’s blog. Wynn Macau Limited paid more than $12.7 million (including the buyer’s premium) for a group of Jiaqing period (1796-1821) vases at that will be displayed in its Cotai resort set to open in 2015. Bought at auction at CHRISTIE’S, London, the price for the set of four ormolu-mounted Chinese Porcelain Baluster vases “far exceeded twice the current world auction record for ormolu-mounted porcelain.” It’s easy to dismiss the importance of this because most designers won’t be working for Steven Wynn or anyone who has seven-figure bankrolls to buy antiques. But, numbers aside, it’s another piece of evidence about how key art is to building a one-of-a-kind identity for a hotel.
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