cozy, clean, artfully considered, semi-open, with a great view of the mediterranean and a big, very hot shower.
i hope this isn't research for some sort of design project because the question is so simplistic that it's basically useless. when architectural dialogue gets to a point of being an assessment of black/white, either/or questions instead of a consideration of the infinite potential qualities of a place/space, i usually check out. how boring.
I prefer a hotel with an awesome staff. Where I can smoke cigars throughout.
As noted, sheri, you need to be specific with what you are after. If you want a "discussion" give us something to discuss. This means presenting your own viewpoint re: boutique hotel design and asking if others agree and why or why not. Do some work yourself first or you're likely to only continue to get snarky and not very helpful comments, as you (mostly) have been getting.
There are a lot of really smart, savvy people here who love to discuss design and be helpful - but you have to hold up your end of discussion too.
Sheri, a little archinect edicate (god knows I shouldn't be the one giving it though), you don't have to start a new thread if your subject is fairly similar to what you've been discussing, i.e. hotels. You can just post a comment to the thread which can orientate the discussion in another direction...
I.E. if you wanted some opinions on if people like blue hotels or red hotels better, just post such on this thread, and don't start a new thread called "Blue vs. Red, A Hotel Divided".
so i'm thinking the our informal code of laws, as it were, should be heretofore referred to as archinetiquette.
as for the type of hotel i enjoy, i enjoy a space which is not merely a shoebox. some relief on the wall or on the ceiling can really make a space feel more unique. if your really lucky, your room may be L-shaped. and while it needs to feel familiar, it should offer something that you wouldn't usually have in your own home, such as a television bolted to the cabinet and a proprietary remote control.
i think in this code of laws, we should ban the use of "archi-" as a prefix. unless used in an exceptionally witty, drole, or otherwise pleasing manner.
hotels? i hate the john portman like atrium hotels. it's cold. it's repetitive and i hate the water feature at the bottom of the atrium. the only good is that you can make paper airplanes glide forever from the top of the atrium.
I'm an ID and this is my first big project guys, and I’ve done lots of research. My problem is that I keep changing my mind when it comes to how I want to design the hotel.
I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
I like clean, white, flat roof, glass walls, open space etc, but I think most people would find that cold. I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
Ex. Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs,
Lovell house, farnworths house
I'm an ID and this is my first big project guys, and I’ve done lots of research. My problem is that I keep changing my mind when it comes to how I want to design the hotel.
I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
I like clean, white, flat roof, glass walls, open space etc, but I think most people would find that cold. I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
Ex. Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs,
Lovell house, farnworths house
I'm an ID and this is my first big project guys, and I’ve done lots of research. My problem is that I keep changing my mind when it comes to how I want to design the hotel.
I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
I like clean, white, flat roof, glass walls, open space etc, but I think most people would find that cold. I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
Ex. Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs,
Lovell house, farnworths house
If you are a student, you should explore the ideas that interest you. Taking into consideration the concern that some people might find your design "cold", you can either try to soften that effect or exploit it - and since there is no real client you don't have to worry which direction you take, you just need to explore it deeply enough to learn something from it. And remember you don't have to have all the answers in this one project - it is totally acceptable to say "In this project I am exploring Miesian ideas, maybe for the next project I'll look at Lutyens". That's the point of being a student, to try new approaches. But I would warn not to take a superficial approach - really look at Mies or whoever and get to the root of why he made certain decisions, don't just copy the visual results of those decisions.
If it's a real project with a paying client, obviously they will weigh in. If you go into a presentation and you like your design but have an idea what the client might not like about it, then have ready some examples of how you can address their concerns while keeping the intergity of your design intact. Using Mies as an example, his space layout and surfaces could be called "cold", but his materials were often so over the top lux that the material itself added warmth and texture. In a hard interior fabric is a reliable way to soften things up: a tailored upholstered lounge in mohair for example is clean and luxurious at the same time.
I think "boutique hotel" implies that the design is going to be somewhat self-concious and intentional. A chain hotel might be looking to make someone comfortable, while a boutique is reinforcing to the user that s/he has elevated tastes, and deserves them. The word boutique basically means someone else has already exerted their good taste in making selections before the user comes along. So if it truly is a boutique hotel, it will probably be trying to attract a clientele that appreciates attention to design, and is familiar with Mies et al, and so will understand that the "coldness" in his work is actually an extremely well-developed sense of luxury.
If I can go on a little longer, I think a boutique traveler also wants to have the geographic/cultural location evident in the design. Somone who collects travel experiences goes in search of what is specific about a place. Hotel San Jose in Austin is so successful in part because it is a reworking of a vernacular type - a motor court hotel - with new finishes and materials and landscaping that speaks to the desert locale. I don't think dumping a hard cold Miesian design into Texas would have been as successful. But if you are in a very urban location, those hard edges and glamour might be very appropriate. The Aleph in Rome is based on a theme of heaven/hell, so it brings the history of Christianity and mythologies into play in the design.
I actually love the Portman-style mega-atrium spaces, but the problem with most of Portman's projects are that they're horribly detailed with crappy materials, in addition to being very inward-focused and anti-urban. But executed properly, I think an atrium hotel with the obligatory water feature and glass elevators can be a very cool project.
me and mu wife took us a secund honeymoon last sweetest day. we decided to go to tha big city and enjoy all that cosmipolitan stuff. we stay at one of them fancy hotels in downtown. it had a big ass entrance that made me feel like an ant. well maybe not an ant but a small person. like you know a midget.
well anyway everyone wanted a damn handout at every turn. the guy who parks your car. the guy who carries your bags. the guy who checks you in. the damn maid even wanted a handout! but i'm getting off the subject. anyways. so the thing about fancy hotels is that you can never find any good pornos under the bed matress. not once did i find one in my room or the rooms i secretly snuck into while the maid wasn't lookin'. i mean when we go huntin' down on my ex's, brothers land in the lower half, we always stay at the cherokee inn. it's not much to look at and all but i tell you what there is alwasy good porn magazines to be found under them matresses. once i found me a jugs that was only a month old. my buddy jerry found himself a cheri that was brand new only the centerfold was missin' whic is a terrible thing but still theres ususally losts of other good stuff to look at.
so anyway i don't know if the cleaning crew takes all the magazines before each guest arrive or if no one looks at porn in their rooms. i know they got them porno movies you can buy on the telivision but they cost like $100 for 30 minutes plus i like the comfort of having the magazine in my hands where i can flip back and forth between spreads.
maybe if you design a fancy hotel you can put magazine racks beside the bed so yous don't have to go hiding it under the matress. or maybe put safes in each room that has a secret compartment where people can stash their porno magazines.
I'm a student, graduating in June, got this offer to design a boutique hotel here in LA through some developer friends . I've never done a real project though. I'm finishing my senior thesis and I've chosen "the boutique hotel" as my project in schoolas well.
True, I can use Mies' layout and soften it up w/ fabrics, color and furniture.
What the hell, this is what I like and I should stick to it.
Thanks for your comment.
be sure to check out the new hotel puerta america in madrid...it has been published a lot recently...the building was designed by jean nouvel, and each floor was designed by a different architect/designer from an all-star list that includes zaha hadid, john pawson, marc newson, etc...
also check out the lloyd hotel in amsterdam by MVRDV...
and for the record, i prefer the sleek, modern boutique-y hotels...
Do you have a brief? Or is it just an amalgamation of ideas/hope/fancies/desires?
Do you know Room size? Room types? occupany? restaurant? Car parking? brand and image? do you have a site? Are you just preparing a design strategy? Either we need more details or you do.
I ask because I am designing a hotel at the moment, and very little about the programmatic is flexible -either becasue of planning laws and limitation, or the hotel business program.
My hotel is not boutique - but it has 75 rooms, retail spaces, lobbys, plaza, basement car park, etc, etc.
I'd be more concerened with the pragmatics of the project at this stage, because you may end up having to change interior and aesthetic programs later on to amalgamate things not considered in the beginning.
If I was you, I'd have alook at Frame Magazine which has done some issues on Hotels. There was also an AU issue. Dont know when, but its been done. Also, if you havent got a Neuferts at very least, you should.
and if you haven't done your research. go look at the "hip hotels" series. it's sort of a coffee table type book but might give you ideas... or just go to hennessey and ingalls in santa monica and lose yourself.
I've gone to all hotels in Los Angeles. Avalon is more like a motel to me, they've tried to make it look better w/ modern furniture.
W, hated it, waste of space in the bar area and it's too damn dark, Standard, better but missing something.
is pointing out a double entendre against archinectiquette?
because i absolutely cannot get over ACFA's "farmer's daughter (across from the grove) always looked intriguing. never been inside..." post, but i fear transgression against Mrs. Manners.
I love the doors opening up onto the beach feel personally, wind blowing, half naked natives running about whilst I sip on a mojito and smoke a stoggie with liberty
if your client can digest unique, i'd look to non architectural clues. eg, surfboard design. molecular physics. slovak etymology, though i'm sure that would semi-bore me. misheard lyrics.
Mar 13, 06 6:13 am ·
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Hotel Design Preference
What hotel design do you prefer? A cozy, busy, homely design or minimalist, clean, open space style(Mies van der Rohe)?
not that open
cozy, clean, artfully considered, semi-open, with a great view of the mediterranean and a big, very hot shower.
i hope this isn't research for some sort of design project because the question is so simplistic that it's basically useless. when architectural dialogue gets to a point of being an assessment of black/white, either/or questions instead of a consideration of the infinite potential qualities of a place/space, i usually check out. how boring.
I prefer a hotel with an awesome staff. Where I can smoke cigars throughout.
As noted, sheri, you need to be specific with what you are after. If you want a "discussion" give us something to discuss. This means presenting your own viewpoint re: boutique hotel design and asking if others agree and why or why not. Do some work yourself first or you're likely to only continue to get snarky and not very helpful comments, as you (mostly) have been getting.
There are a lot of really smart, savvy people here who love to discuss design and be helpful - but you have to hold up your end of discussion too.
i will have you know that i prefer "grand" hotels.
I prefer the kind that doesn't ask any questions about the string of questionable women that keep coming to my room.
Ha, I'm right there with you HasselHoff,
Sheri, a little archinect edicate (god knows I shouldn't be the one giving it though), you don't have to start a new thread if your subject is fairly similar to what you've been discussing, i.e. hotels. You can just post a comment to the thread which can orientate the discussion in another direction...
I.E. if you wanted some opinions on if people like blue hotels or red hotels better, just post such on this thread, and don't start a new thread called "Blue vs. Red, A Hotel Divided".
so i'm thinking the our informal code of laws, as it were, should be heretofore referred to as archinetiquette.
as for the type of hotel i enjoy, i enjoy a space which is not merely a shoebox. some relief on the wall or on the ceiling can really make a space feel more unique. if your really lucky, your room may be L-shaped. and while it needs to feel familiar, it should offer something that you wouldn't usually have in your own home, such as a television bolted to the cabinet and a proprietary remote control.
i think in this code of laws, we should ban the use of "archi-" as a prefix. unless used in an exceptionally witty, drole, or otherwise pleasing manner.
hotels? i hate the john portman like atrium hotels. it's cold. it's repetitive and i hate the water feature at the bottom of the atrium. the only good is that you can make paper airplanes glide forever from the top of the atrium.
i like hotels where local politicians take their mistresses
I'm an ID and this is my first big project guys, and I’ve done lots of research. My problem is that I keep changing my mind when it comes to how I want to design the hotel.
I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
I like clean, white, flat roof, glass walls, open space etc, but I think most people would find that cold. I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
Ex. Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs,
Lovell house, farnworths house
I'm an ID and this is my first big project guys, and I’ve done lots of research. My problem is that I keep changing my mind when it comes to how I want to design the hotel.
I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
I like clean, white, flat roof, glass walls, open space etc, but I think most people would find that cold. I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
Ex. Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs,
Lovell house, farnworths house
I'm an ID and this is my first big project guys, and I’ve done lots of research. My problem is that I keep changing my mind when it comes to how I want to design the hotel.
I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
I like clean, white, flat roof, glass walls, open space etc, but I think most people would find that cold. I'm looking for some input, because I have to present my project soon.
Ex. Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs,
Lovell house, farnworths house
sheri are you a student or a professional?
If you are a student, you should explore the ideas that interest you. Taking into consideration the concern that some people might find your design "cold", you can either try to soften that effect or exploit it - and since there is no real client you don't have to worry which direction you take, you just need to explore it deeply enough to learn something from it. And remember you don't have to have all the answers in this one project - it is totally acceptable to say "In this project I am exploring Miesian ideas, maybe for the next project I'll look at Lutyens". That's the point of being a student, to try new approaches. But I would warn not to take a superficial approach - really look at Mies or whoever and get to the root of why he made certain decisions, don't just copy the visual results of those decisions.
If it's a real project with a paying client, obviously they will weigh in. If you go into a presentation and you like your design but have an idea what the client might not like about it, then have ready some examples of how you can address their concerns while keeping the intergity of your design intact. Using Mies as an example, his space layout and surfaces could be called "cold", but his materials were often so over the top lux that the material itself added warmth and texture. In a hard interior fabric is a reliable way to soften things up: a tailored upholstered lounge in mohair for example is clean and luxurious at the same time.
I think "boutique hotel" implies that the design is going to be somewhat self-concious and intentional. A chain hotel might be looking to make someone comfortable, while a boutique is reinforcing to the user that s/he has elevated tastes, and deserves them. The word boutique basically means someone else has already exerted their good taste in making selections before the user comes along. So if it truly is a boutique hotel, it will probably be trying to attract a clientele that appreciates attention to design, and is familiar with Mies et al, and so will understand that the "coldness" in his work is actually an extremely well-developed sense of luxury.
If I can go on a little longer, I think a boutique traveler also wants to have the geographic/cultural location evident in the design. Somone who collects travel experiences goes in search of what is specific about a place. Hotel San Jose in Austin is so successful in part because it is a reworking of a vernacular type - a motor court hotel - with new finishes and materials and landscaping that speaks to the desert locale. I don't think dumping a hard cold Miesian design into Texas would have been as successful. But if you are in a very urban location, those hard edges and glamour might be very appropriate. The Aleph in Rome is based on a theme of heaven/hell, so it brings the history of Christianity and mythologies into play in the design.
I've babbled enough. I love hotels.
I actually love the Portman-style mega-atrium spaces, but the problem with most of Portman's projects are that they're horribly detailed with crappy materials, in addition to being very inward-focused and anti-urban. But executed properly, I think an atrium hotel with the obligatory water feature and glass elevators can be a very cool project.
me and mu wife took us a secund honeymoon last sweetest day. we decided to go to tha big city and enjoy all that cosmipolitan stuff. we stay at one of them fancy hotels in downtown. it had a big ass entrance that made me feel like an ant. well maybe not an ant but a small person. like you know a midget.
well anyway everyone wanted a damn handout at every turn. the guy who parks your car. the guy who carries your bags. the guy who checks you in. the damn maid even wanted a handout! but i'm getting off the subject. anyways. so the thing about fancy hotels is that you can never find any good pornos under the bed matress. not once did i find one in my room or the rooms i secretly snuck into while the maid wasn't lookin'. i mean when we go huntin' down on my ex's, brothers land in the lower half, we always stay at the cherokee inn. it's not much to look at and all but i tell you what there is alwasy good porn magazines to be found under them matresses. once i found me a jugs that was only a month old. my buddy jerry found himself a cheri that was brand new only the centerfold was missin' whic is a terrible thing but still theres ususally losts of other good stuff to look at.
so anyway i don't know if the cleaning crew takes all the magazines before each guest arrive or if no one looks at porn in their rooms. i know they got them porno movies you can buy on the telivision but they cost like $100 for 30 minutes plus i like the comfort of having the magazine in my hands where i can flip back and forth between spreads.
maybe if you design a fancy hotel you can put magazine racks beside the bed so yous don't have to go hiding it under the matress. or maybe put safes in each room that has a secret compartment where people can stash their porno magazines.
I'm a student, graduating in June, got this offer to design a boutique hotel here in LA through some developer friends . I've never done a real project though. I'm finishing my senior thesis and I've chosen "the boutique hotel" as my project in schoolas well.
True, I can use Mies' layout and soften it up w/ fabrics, color and furniture.
What the hell, this is what I like and I should stick to it.
Thanks for your comment.
be sure to check out the new hotel puerta america in madrid...it has been published a lot recently...the building was designed by jean nouvel, and each floor was designed by a different architect/designer from an all-star list that includes zaha hadid, john pawson, marc newson, etc...
also check out the lloyd hotel in amsterdam by MVRDV...
and for the record, i prefer the sleek, modern boutique-y hotels...
make it out of wood and plaster, I'm sick of one glass curtain wall after another or faux brick....
Do you have a brief? Or is it just an amalgamation of ideas/hope/fancies/desires?
Do you know Room size? Room types? occupany? restaurant? Car parking? brand and image? do you have a site? Are you just preparing a design strategy? Either we need more details or you do.
I ask because I am designing a hotel at the moment, and very little about the programmatic is flexible -either becasue of planning laws and limitation, or the hotel business program.
My hotel is not boutique - but it has 75 rooms, retail spaces, lobbys, plaza, basement car park, etc, etc.
I'd be more concerened with the pragmatics of the project at this stage, because you may end up having to change interior and aesthetic programs later on to amalgamate things not considered in the beginning.
If I was you, I'd have alook at Frame Magazine which has done some issues on Hotels. There was also an AU issue. Dont know when, but its been done. Also, if you havent got a Neuferts at very least, you should.
why dont you go visit some boutique hotels like the W, the Avalon, the Standard etc?
famer's daughter (across from the grove) always looked intriguing. never been inside...
and if you haven't done your research. go look at the "hip hotels" series. it's sort of a coffee table type book but might give you ideas... or just go to hennessey and ingalls in santa monica and lose yourself.
I've gone to all hotels in Los Angeles. Avalon is more like a motel to me, they've tried to make it look better w/ modern furniture.
W, hated it, waste of space in the bar area and it's too damn dark, Standard, better but missing something.
Is the hotel you are designing in Los Angeles?
I'll go and see the location w/ them next week.
I think it will be either in the Beverly Hills area or Burbank around the entertainment studios.
is pointing out a double entendre against archinectiquette?
because i absolutely cannot get over ACFA's "farmer's daughter (across from the grove) always looked intriguing. never been inside..." post, but i fear transgression against Mrs. Manners.
That's Ms. Manners to you, SH!!
(A very funny double entendre, well done. How does one pronounce "entendre", BTW? I've never said it, only written it.)
I love the doors opening up onto the beach feel personally, wind blowing, half naked natives running about whilst I sip on a mojito and smoke a stoggie with liberty
LB: double entendre
click your mouse on the little speaker icon and this site will pronounce the word for you through your computer speaker
Send me the ticket architechno and I'll bring the cigars!
sounds like a plan
I must tell you I prefer Cubans (Montecristos preferably)
clean , not smeared. no smoke odor.
besides that you could provide copious window coverings so hotel customers can optionally ameliorate 'harshness'.
though this guy would not like the coverings.
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22He+strips+naked+to+brush+his+teeth+and+wash+his+face+while+standing+4+feet+from+the+window.+The+window+is+large%2C+and+it+starts+just+above+the+bathtub
if your client can digest unique, i'd look to non architectural clues. eg, surfboard design. molecular physics. slovak etymology, though i'm sure that would semi-bore me. misheard lyrics.
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