Hotel MdR in Marina Del Rey, Calif., recently completed a $7.5 million property-wide renovation as the final phase in its conversion from a Courtyard to a DoubleTree. Los Angeles-based architecture and interior design firm Indidesign was tapped to refresh the building’s exterior, lobby, bar, restaurant, and outdoor living space. An open floor plan, inspired by urban loft living, blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. “It was about taking down a lot of these visual and physical barriers and opening up the potential of the space by creating a visual connection and eventually also a physical connection,” says Beatrice Girelli, co-founder and design director of Indidesign. The new restaurant and bar, Barbianca Local Kitchen, beckons guests to the property’s outdoor living room and pool, outfitted with tree lights, area rugs, cozy seating alcoves, fire pits, and layered lighting. The design stays connected to the basic DNA of the DoubleTree brand but gives off more of a boutique vibe by paying tribute to the Southern California lifestyle.
Breaking Barriers
Prior to the renovation, the perimeter wall between the lobby, restaurant, and pool deck was solid. “Creating a first impression as you walked into the lobby and immediately getting a visual connection of the outdoors with floor-to-ceiling frameless glass was a priority,” Girelli says. “I like the idea that at first glance, you can get a really good understanding of where things are and be curious at the same time.”
Go With the Flow
The previous restaurant space felt like an old diner, with subdivided rooms and multiple levels, Girelli says. Now, a retractable glass wall along one entire side enables guests to flow seamlessly between its indoor and outdoor spaces. “At any given time, you have a restaurant and bar that is an outdoor-indoor, always-connected type of experience.”
Seaside Sensibility
Local references incorporated into the restaurant’s design include black-and-white wall murals of sailboat masts, as well as a blown-up image of Marina del Rey looking toward the Santa Monica Mountains. “We tried to bring some graphic references to the outdoor landscape into the space,” Girelli says.
