Drawing inspiration from its home—the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia—Hotel Colee is the first Autograph Collection hotel in the area. Designed by Andrew Alford of Andrew Alford Creative, Hotel Colee is also the first property in the Practice Hospitality portfolio. The repositioned, renovated property prides itself on offering designs that suit everyone and bring people together after a long time apart. Hotel Colee’s design is rooted in fashion and style and promotes a sense of inclusivity. The lobby’s design and specifically chosen color palette are meant to suit any outfit on any person, giving guests a confidence boost on a job interview or a night out, Alford shares with LODGING. “With a name like Hotel Colee, that’s about dressing up, being pretty, and showing off,” Alford says, pointing out that there’s a moment meant for every person in the Hotel Colee lobby. Patterned chairs and pastels make the lobby come alive. In the lobby bar, guests can enjoy small bites and cocktails on lavender seating, feather-patterned chairs, and high-backed stools. Alford adds that the lobby is designed to tell “everyone’s story, not just one side of it.”
Made for Everyone
“Given that hotels are pretty much used for every aspect of human life, that’s the reason that I put so much work in the front end of making sure that the color palette jives with the style and skin tones with the guests and residents of that city.” Alford does this to ensure that everyone in the lobby looks good in the hotel’s lighting.
Stand Out
Alford has traveling upholsters based in Atlanta that he works with on his projects. “Rather than scrapping the previous design and completely starting over, there was good stuff in there to work with. We just wanted a more colorful, ‘peacocky’ type of vibe than what the previous design had. We did that with color and fabric rather than digging into the walls and changing a lot.”
Keep it Lively
“Operationally, for us to put flowers in can get really expensive,” Alford says. “With orchids, I showed them some tricks to make them last longer. If you water your orchids with ice cubes rather than just putting water in the vase, you usually get about a month to six weeks out of an orchid blossom.”
Perfect Balance
“The intention is really drawing and taking the inspiration from fashion,” Alford says. In the Buckhead neighborhood, “everybody shows up and shows out.” He adds, “It was all done with an eye towards fashion. When you’re doing a lot of pattern on pattern like that, you’ve got to keep an eye on balance.”
