What’s cool or hip doesn’t necessarily dictate the latest hotel designs. Glen Coben, of Glen & Co., an architectural and interior design firm based in New York City, says new trends are often born from problem solving and striking the right balance between appearance and practicality. Coben shares five hotel design trends with examples from a few of his firm’s hotel projects, such as the Archer New York, Tryp Times Square South NYC, and Fairfield Inn New York/Financial District.
Pulling double duty
In cities where space is at a premium, designers have to find creative ways to do more with less. With a number of hotel projects underway in Manhattan, such as the first two urban Even hotels, scheduled to open in 2015, Glen & Co. often faces this challenge. “We really have to be very thoughtful from a guest perspective on how we look at the room and treat the room,” Coben says.
IHG’s Even hotels feature an in-room fitness zone with cork flooring, but the New York City locations have limited room for equipment, Coben says. To get out of a tight situation, the designers pondered whether they could create a stable ottoman that could double as a workout bench. “So while we’re looking at trends, we’re also looking at functionality,” he explains.
Guestrooms at the Archer New York, which opened in Midtown in May, have platform beds with space underneath to accommodate luggage. “It’s almost free real estate if you think about it,” Coben says. “It’s a lot of square footage within the guestroom that’s essentially unused other than the bed.” There are also drawers on either side of the platform, one for guest use and the other for housekeepers to store extra amenities. “Particularly in New York City hotels where real estate is so tight, not every floor has a housekeeping closet. So in some hotels, we’re putting in a housekeeping drawer for backup supplies of shampoo, soap, and conditioner.”
Local storytelling
Context provides a backbone for the stories Glen & Co tells with each design project. Take the Fairfield Inn the firm is working on in New York’s Financial District, which has views of the East River and downtown Brooklyn. The guestrooms feature deck-like furniture and an East River navigational map adorns the wall behind the bed. In the lobby, the design references boats and yachts. “We wanted to tell the story of what happened down at the seaport in terms of navigation, shipping, and sort of recalling the old era of the seaport without making it feel like it’s a novelty or a complete artifact,” Coben says.
Let there be good lighting
LED lighting has advanced significantly, Coben says, offering better performance, improved color temperature, and increased energy efficiency at a lower cost. You can even get LED lights now that simulate the color temperature of an incandescent bulb. “It’s great for the environment, and it throws off less heat into the guestroom, so you don’t need to use as much energy to cool the room.” Guestrooms at the Archer feature swing arm wall sconces that also function as bedside reading lamps.
Striking ceilings
Visitors to the Tryp Times Square South will notice the guestroom ceilings have been painted blue. For a current Mexican restaurant project, Glen & Co. commissioned graffiti artists to paint a story on the ceiling the supports the overall concept. And in the back portion the Archer’s lobby, the firm created an acoustic ceiling treatment made out of leftover swatches of fabric to complement the restaurant, David Burke Fabrick. “You could say it doesn’t get better than Michelangelo painting the Sistine ceiling, but it’s an amazing canvas to be able to tell stories because it’s one of the few surfaces that’s completely uninterrupted,” Coben says.
Goodbye carpet, hello hardwood
For the last couple of years, many hotels have eliminated carpet in the guestrooms in favor of wood flooring for a cleaner look and feel. At the Tryp hotel, Glen & Co. used vinyl wood plank flooring that fits perfectly with the brand DNA. “And by putting in some area rugs, it really allowed the guest to feel a little warmth in the wintertime.”
