Sleeper - Issue 88 (February 2020)

101Tucked down a little side street in the Regola neighbourhood – a sleepy spot far enough away from the crowds but still at Rome’s heart – is the 42-room, three-suite Chapter Roma. First impressions of this new Design Hotels member are of a smart boutique hotel with notes of industrial-chic, but within the 19 -century building there is classical thelegance at every turn. “We are introducing a new hospitality vibe in Regola with Chapter Roma,” says owner Marco Cilia, who made the jump from business and finance to hospitality having learnt the boutique hotel ropes under Anouska Hempel, and Carlos Couturier and Moisés Micha of Grupo Habita. “I was born here, and it is important that we put our guests in the Italian state of mind; protecting Rome’s design heritage while celebrating the future with genuine and original design, service, and F&B. With Chapter Roma we’re telling the first part of our story – we want to create a place where guests truly feel like a local.”Cilia – formerly General Manager of Blake’s in London then Hotel Americano in New York – and South African interior designer Tristan Du Plessis are the dream design team behind the property. Cusping the Jewish ghetto, and a short walk from the historical magnets of Rome and bohemian Trastevere, every part of the hotel feels luxurious: from the stylish, warm-hued communal areas through to the friendly service and the refined, minimalist, guestrooms. Blending classical opulence with more current influences, this fusion brings to life spaces including a restaurant, an organic food market and a luxurious lobby bar with a street slant.The building itself dates back to the 1800s, and the design team have managed to retain its grandeur and history whilst putting a refreshingly modern spin on things. The property is located on Viadi Santa Maria dei Calderari, or the street of the blacksmiths, which Du Plessis has honoured by weaving a range of metals and industrial elements throughout.Chapter RomaROMEA new chapter begins in the Eternal City with the opening of this streetwise, timeless and innovative city hotel. Words: Rachel Everett Photography: Courtesy of Design Hotels

102“We have created a lot of beautiful and engaging features in our design,” Du Plessis offers. “But my favourite elements are the existing age-old arches on the ground floor.” Here, the designer has used raw steel, brass, copper and bronze, adding an industrial touch to the historic space, along with parquet floors, and Mid-Century Italian furniture. The dramatic setup is rounded off nicely with a palette of dark green and rust, and a coat of soft touch velvets.A sassy city bolthole, everything has been considered throughout the rest of the hotel too. Furniture designed by Tom Dixon, Seletti, Diesel and Moroso can be spied once inside. Beyond the arches, there’s a breakfast and bar area with a bright and breezy spirit featuring classic Italian elements such as original high ceilings, neat breakfast tables with co-working facilities, fabulous graffiti by local artist Alice Pasquini, a dashing bar and a row of decadent sofas.Guestrooms, meanwhile, are thoughtfully designed and meticulously executed. There are delightful, industrial-luxe double options with exposed brick walls, handsome velvet-bordered beds, polished copper and brass finishes, black metal touches and intricate wooden herringbone flooring underfoot.The glamour and elegance of Chapter Roma’s Mad Men-esque suite is equally impressive; it has three large rooms for living, ravishing sleeping quarters with a charming balcony, an alluring bathroom with gold taps, a terrazzo flecked floor, a huge shower space with a fragrant selection of La Bruket toiletries and a seductive forest-green velvet lounge with a glossy cocktail bar area completing the set. Don Draper would surely approve. “We wanted to create a design that stood out for its youthfulness, whilst still respecting the traditions of the city,” Du Plessis explains. “We used local craftsmen, materials and aesthetics for a large amount of the hotel and collaborated with young artists, furniture designers and lighting manufacturers – based both locally and internationally – to embed a spirit of rebellion throughout. The age of the building was both Chapter Roma’s Lobby Bar is a breezy communal space with a distinctive graffiti mural by local artist Alice Pasquini

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104inspiring and challenging, but the old walls and ancient layout made sure that each room had a unique footprint, which has lent us the opportunity to create interesting room types.”Slipping into the social hub - the hotel’s breakfast and bar area - guests can choose from an extensive continental buffet including Italian classics and other healthy options. A flexible layout allows guests to grab a cappuccino in the morning from the coffee station and an Aperol spritz from the bar at happy hour. Chapter’s communal atmosphere is relaxed and club-like, with people pulling up their stools to chat to the convivial staff at the bar or lounging on the sofas. The mixed crowd of millennials and older, well-versed trippers makes for some interesting conversations come cocktail hour. A restaurant is set to open in future, but in the meantime the newly-launched Market is a refreshing take on hotel dining, combining a salad bar, juice stop, coffee shop and grocery store in one. It’s a small space decked out in blonde wood and brilliant white tones. Retreating to guestrooms, a peek from the balcony takes you back to old, romantic Rome; the one where Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck filmed Roman Holiday; where narrow, cobbled laneways lead to ancient piazzas filled with markets, flowers, cafés and trattorias; where independent makers create leather goods in petite warehouses; where old couples linger on park benches and have animated conversations on the street; where locals queue for the best takeout pizza slices from Roscolio. Design sensibilities aside, stepping out onto the picturesque streets, the beauty of this neighbourhood is not lost, and offers any creative traveller a real glimpse into Italian life in this part of town. Perhaps this is the Rome we all desire?EXPRESS CHECK-OUTOwner / Developer: Marco CiliaInterior Design: Tristan Du Plessiswww.chapter-roma.com

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107Acreative hub that combines co-working space, social hangout, members club and boutique hotel, Kafnu is redefining hospitality. Launched in 2017 by Singapore-based Next Story Group, the concept takes the best elements of hospitality spaces and social communities to form an urban village for a new generation of creators. The first property opened in Taiwan in 2018 and there are currently five locations – Taipei, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Bengalaru and Sydney – with plans to expand into Sri Lanka soon. Some, like Kafnu Hong Kong, are located symbiotically in existing hotels; others – including the latest, which opened last year in the industrial suburb of Alexandria in Sydney’s inner West – have their own integrated boutique hotel. Kafnu Alexandria is a vast space, spanning 3,000m over two levels in an industrial-style 2building. It is described by the Kafnu group as a community for a new generation of creators, what they call hyphenates, or those defined by more than one area of interest or occupation. “This is an interesting location in Sydney as it has developed a lot over the past few years and is on the belt between the city and the airport,” says Simon Hall, General Manager at Kafnu Alexandria. “We are mainly targeted at people who already live in the local community and the hotel is for people travelling in for meetings – it is a unique element to a club like this.”The idea behind each Kafnu is to create a community inspired by a village, with everything a business or individual might need in one location. Kafnu Alexandria however, had the advantage of a much larger space than other venues. “This allowed us to carve out spaces for designated activities and provide a balance between private and public spaces and between formal and casual areas,” says Darren Edmonstone, CEO at Next Hotels & Resorts, who oversees design and technical services at Kafnu.As a result, Kafnu Alexandria is home to a variety of environments, from flexible offices and meeting areas, hot-desks and a brainstorming space known as the creative KafnuALEXANDRIA Next Story Group continues its expansion of Kafnu, bringing the urban village concept to Sydney’s suburbs. Words: Mandi KeighranPhotography: © TLT Productions

108cave, to high-tech media production rooms and a podcast studio. There’s also a virtual fitness centre, the Tonik Bar (which stocks over 20 Australian gins), a lounge with feature fireplace and a quiet room equipped with an oxygen chair to promote wellness and meditation. Each of the spaces are designed to be fully flexible; meeting rooms and offices feature moveable walls, the fitness studio can be used for gaming and movie nights, and the lounge can be reconfigured into an event space for launches or workshops. “Finding the balance between designing quiet corners, work areas and breakout areas was a challenge at first,” explains Edmonstone. “We spent a lot of time understanding our members’ needs and how they use spaces to work, rest and socialise. We also took learnings from other Kafnu properties in Hong Kong and Taipei to give us a better understanding on how our members utilise the space.”The in-house design team worked with a local contractor to transform the existing building to meet their needs. Part of the floorplate was cut away and a central stair was introduced to link the two floors, both visually and physically, and encourage community and interaction between members. The interior fit-out reflects the industrial surroundings of Alexandria, with a neutral colour palette and natural materials such as timber and glass, imparting a light and spacious feeling throughout. Social areas are designated through the use of colour – burnt orange and turquoise details for example, or the green armchairs and camel sofas in the lounge – and layers of texture. Plants also feature heavily. “We have a lot of natural light here, so wanted to bring in plenty of greenery,” confirms Hall, noting the benefits of biophilic design principles. It was also important for the design team to create a strong link with the surrounding area and the local community, to give visiting members a sense of place. “Given the creative environment that Kafnu Alexandria connects to, we reached out to local artists and suppliers,” says Edmonstone. “We wanted to feature Kafnu Alexandria is home to a variety of environments, from flexible offices and meeting areas to a lounge with feature fireplace

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110emerging and upcoming creatives and we were really pleased with the result.” Art Pharmacy Consulting was selected to curate the artwork, with colourful murals by local street artists Micke Lindindebergh, Joi Murugavell, James Lesjak-Atton and Ingrid Wilson featuring in the public spaces, while whimsical works by Gillie and Marc – known for their animal-human hybrids in sculpture and painting – grace the guestrooms. In a notable upgrade from the Taipei property – which offers single rooms and capsules – Kafnu Alexandria boasts a 16-key boutique hotel. Each room has been designed to pack in as much functionality for the business traveller as possible. A clever, multifunctional frame houses a desk surface, large television screen that can be connected to a laptop, multiple charging ports, storage shelves and clothes hangers, making the most of the available space. There are also plans to introduce the virtual fitness classes that run in the main fitness centre, enabling busy travellers to fit in a quick work-out in their room. And in a further development to the concept, the forthcoming Colombo property will incorporate a 164-key Next Hotel as well as unique sleep pods for guests who arrive early or require a late check-out.The driving force behind Kafnu Alexandria was a vision of a creative village – and the design team has succeeded in bringing this vision to life, creating a space that champions community and the exchange of ideas. “Witnessing members, whose paths would not normally cross, collaborate and brainstorm together is really satisfying,” concludes Edmonstone. “It means that we have created a space that is conducive to conversation, free-flowing ideas and creativity. To us, that breeds success.”EXPRESS CHECK-OUTOwner / Operator: Next Story GroupInterior Design: Next Story Group in-house design teamArt Consultant: Art Pharmacy Consulting Project Manager: SMLXL Projectsww.kafnu.com

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112Transformative TravelWith its sights set on 50 openings in five years, The Postcard Hotel is seeking to shift the luxury hospitality paradigm in India and beyond.Words: Neena Dhillon I t’s no easy task to change narratives in an established industry, but that’s exactly what veteran Kapil Chopra has set out to achieve with his own luxury hospitality venture, which he founded 13 months ago with a trio of intimate Goan properties. His vision for The Postcard Hotel revolves around innovation, nimble thinking and positive disruption. “We last saw big innovations in luxury hospitality over 20 years ago when Six Senses and Aman came along,” he says. “Since then, I feel that brands have largely stopped questioning, pushing the frontiers and evolving.” His response to this perceived stagnation is a collection of small characterful hotels in compelling leisure destinations, targeting discerning travellers with personalisation and immersive experiences designed to create memories and plug into local cuisine, wellness, wildlife and lifestyles. In addition to the Goan hotels, all of which are converted heritage buildings, properties have since sprung up in Bhutan’s Thimphu Valley and Sri Lanka’s coastal town of Galle. To reflect today’s travel needs, each offers flexible check-in and check-out over 24 hours, breakfast anytime and complimentary beverage inclusions – as standard. The rest of the experience is tailored to individual guest needs, with an emphasis on slowing down time, harking back to a simpler era.CARVING A NEW NICHEDrawing on 25 years in the business, including most recently as President of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Chopra explains how he came to identify a gap in the market: “During my years with Oberoi, we’d seen significant increases in occupancy and room rates, driven primarily by an Indian demographic. At the same time, Airbnb had established itself with people willing to pay prices that were, at times, higher than equivalent room rates simply because they wanted the experience despite the uncertainty of service. We have had iconic resorts typically offering beautiful design and the same line-up of facilities but not really tapping into innovation or experiential travel. So I asked what I could learn while recognising there was a niche to be filled.”Chopra breaks down the hospitality landscape into five broad categories: the first comprises basic lodgings; second, products with decent hotel rooms but lacking service; third, existing luxury brands; and fourth, experiential providers such as Airbnb that aim to let people live like locals. He sees The Postcard as the fifth, an amalgamation of distinctive hotels in premium locations offering both experiential travel and exceptional service. “I call it transformational luxury,” he elaborates. “So when you stay with us, I want you to leave with memories, whether that’s scheduling in time for a consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor who is willing to follow up with you at home and facilitate change. Or by taking you into the middle of the Arabian Sea to catch the sunrise on a boat, or by inviting you to learn how to cook a fish curry with a Goan housewife.”CULTURAL RICHESWhile The Postcard has already gone international, Chopra sees his Goan hotels as just the beginning of a regional portfolio that will exploit some of the 334 villages making up the destination. “We have the opportunity to position Goa as India’s equivalent of Bali,” he enthuses. “It has a magical confluence of architecture, design, cuisine, music and history, with the potential to become our cultural capital, but we need Picture PostcardLaunched in December 2018 with three properties in Goa, The Postcard Hotel announced international expansion beyond its home base of India within the first year, opening in Bhutan and Sri Lanka at the end of 2019. On a mission to disrupt rules and set new standards in experiential luxury, the brand pillars include authenticity, immersive inclusions, superlative service and distinctive design rooted in the local vernacular.The Postcard Hotel networkas of January 2020:5 Hotels 50 Rooms 3 Countries

113BRAND STANDARDSto change the narrative, elevating it back onto the high society circuit again.” Dotted from south to north, The Postcard’s three hotels are under ten rooms each, ranging from an elegant ancestral abode in the heritage village of Moira to a colonial hideout set among a verdant forest reserve in Velha and a Portuguese-influenced residential estate with its own 350-year-old chapel, overlooking the paddy fields of Cuelim. The restoration approach has been sympathetic with Mangalorean tiles, laterite and black Kadappa stone favoured in Moira, for example, because of their ability to cope with monsoon conditions. Large courtyards and balconies extend rooms out to the tranquil exterior, where guests are invited to discuss their food requirements with the resident chef, who advises on the catch of the day and seasonal options before serving artisanal meals. At the Goan properties, you won’t be offered a croissant, rather a poi bread. “There are over 20 ethnic breads in India, and we want to showcase this culinary heritage while thinking sustainably about our sourcing,” notes Chopra.Serious consideration has also been given to wellbeing. Based in-house, Ayurvedic specialist Dr. Mubash Basheer consults with guests who are interested in addressing a medical condition or taking preventative action. “Indians are predisposed to obesity, insomnia, digestive issues and back problems so our Ayurvedic centre is able to provide relevant lifestyle prescriptions,” explains Chopra. “We want to send you back a little more healthy and well.” BULLISH EXPANSIONGrowing his team organically, Chopra is supported by executives including Senior Vice President of Operations, Akanksha Lamba. In Goa, notable partners have included Akshat Bhatt of Architecture Discipline and photographer JJ Valaya whose black and white prints adorn walls. Outside India, The Postcard’s internal design team has worked closely with owners Kinley Tshering and Tshering Zangmo in Bhutan, and Dian Gomes in Sri Lanka to achieve architectural and aesthetic authenticity in each location. There are at least eight more Indian hotels in the pipeline, some signed under long-term lease arrangements or management contracts and a few owned by the company, including a property on the Arabian Sea and land parcels ripe for development in Kanha and Ranthambore. The first complete newbuild has already been announced as a serene beach location in South Goa where the 50 rooms and suites will be designed by Bill Bensley’s Bangkok-based atelier. Sandeep Khosla of Khosla Associates meanwhile has been drafted in to work on an intriguing wildlife hotel in Karnataka while Luca Franco of Luxury Frontiers is the selected partner for two jungle resorts.India is only one part of the expansion strategy however, with The Postcard seeking to own or manage more than US$1 billion of hotel assets within five years, be they conversions or newbuilds. “To achieve our goal of 50 hotels, we will need to sign another six to seven properties annually and we’re on track to achieve this,” says Chopra. “The potential for The Postcard Hotel extends beyond a single continent when you consider the flow of outgoing tourists from India. Homegrown Indian hotel companies lack a visible and strong presence in Europe so I see immediate potential in France and Italy. But who’s to say that a heritage property in Havana is out of our reach? The key consideration remains handpicked locations that allow us to deliver experiential and transformational holidays to luxury leisure travellers.”

TOTAL PIPELINE 2020Projects: 2,682Rooms: 571,020Whilst the 2000s may have proved more turbulent than expected, the hotel industry has remained resilient, holding strong in major destinations across the globe despite political, social and economic upheaval. With the early weeks of 2020 suggesting more uncertainty to come, we take a look at the global hotel construction pipeline and why the community has reasons to be optimistic.2020 Hotel Construction Pipeline114ASIA PACIFICProjects: 902MIDDLE EASTProjects: 270AFRICAProjects: 105NORTH AMERICAProjects: 708SOUTH AMERICAProjects: 104EUROPEProjects: 513

TOP 20 COUNTRIESPROJECTSROOMSUSA638127,800CHINA407101,363UK11617,165GERMANY10916,135UNITED ARAB EMIRATES10434,524INDIA6510,393AUSTRALIA6412,187INDONESIA6210,389MEXICO5814,235SAUDI ARABIA5723,154THAILAND5212,020VIETNAM5115,939JAPAN408,652FRANCE395,356MALAYSIA359,760SPAIN305,439ITALY303,775BRAZIL295,168QATAR277,032NEW ZEALAND253,134REGIONSPROJECTSROOMSAFRICA10520,462ASIA PACIFIC902211,316EUROPE51382,484MIDDLE EAST27079,434NORTH AMERICA788162,280SOUTH AMERICA10415,044TOP 20 CITIESPROJECTSROOMSDUBAI7426,777NEW YORK347,875LONDON336,299DOHA236,024RIYADH204,273BALI182,823CHENGDU174,185ORLANDO167,148LOS ANGELES163,456SHANGHAI153,240MELBOURNE152,988NASHVILLE143,452GUANGZHOU143,448BANGKOK123,073SANYA123,021WUHAN122,811MAKKAH118,282SUZHOU112,227PARIS111,248LAS VEGAS1013,736Taking a countrywide view, the USA and China lead the pack by a considerable distance, reflecting the current competition between the two global powerhouses. Elsewhere, the UK and Germany are the only European nations to appear in the top 10, showing the continued interest amongst hotel groups. When it comes to development hotspots, Dubai tops the list with 26,000 rooms expected to open this year alone. New York and London remain attractive to owners and operators, while Bali is the rising star, counting some 18 hotels in the immediate pipeline. For more information on Top Hotel Projects and the hotel construction pipeline visit: www.tophotelprojects.com115BUSINESS CENTRE

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BUSINESS CENTRE117Radisson brushes up on its GermanHotel groups are ignoring short term concerns over economic conditions and strong pipeline, and doubling down on their commitment to growing portfolios in Germany and surrounding countries.Radisson has just announced it will accelerate expansion of its Radisson flags in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A strategic joint venture sees the group working with German developer Fay Projects, and the newly created Fast Lane Hospitality as a manager of the properties.The first fruit of the arrangement will be a Radisson hotel in Leipzig, where Fay is already constructing a 224-room property. Fast Lane will take a 25-year lease on the property, which should open in 2022. Fast Lane is headed by Radisson’s Yilmaz Yildirimlar, alongside Simon Hubbeling and Thomas Kahl of Georgeous Smiling Hotels.Elie Younes, chief development officer at Radisson Hotel Group, explained: “The German market is becoming increasingly versatile and requires an unconventional approach to accelerate growth. We look forward to a successful journey with our partners and to unlock value to various stakeholders through this venture.”GSH is an established multi-brand operator, managing 90 properties in the DACH region, and is eyeing expansion into other European markets including the UK and Netherlands. To date, it has concentrated on managing franchised brands under the Holiday Inn family, Hampton by Hilton and Wyndham’s Super8, as well as operating a wider range of hotels under flags including Best Western and Choice.Fay is active across many German markets, having leased a number of hotel projects in the last year. It recently leased a new hotel in Chemnitz to operator GS Star, which will be branded as a Super8, and in the summer signed Meininger to a development in Cologne. The group is an established commercial player, albeit relatively new to the hotel sector.Meanwhile, Swiss investor Aevis Victoria has made a significant second step in building its hotel presence, buying a portfolio of eight hotels from Credit Suisse Real Estate Fund Hospitality. The acquisitions include the InterContinental in Davos, and hotels under the Seiler brand.Integrated with the Victoria-Jungfrau Collection, which it bought in 2014, its subsidiary Swiss Hotel Properties will now hold an 896-room portfolio with rental income of CHF20m a year. The group is also acquiring the management businesses, giving it a platform with annual revenues of more than CHF135m.Germany’s leading budget hotel brand, Motel One, continues its growth in the region, having recently opened its first property in Poland, as well as adding a 250-room hotel in Munich-Haidhausen, with both properties developed in-house. An ownership shuffle in the summer saw Proprium Capital Partners acquire the 35% stake in Motel One, held for the previous 12 years by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Special Situations Fund III.Motel One’s latest performance figures for Q3 of 2019 did reflect a weaker German market, with occupancy slipping 2% to 78%, but overall revenues were up 11% year-on-year to EUR146m; ebitda edged up to EUR48m. The group has 73 hotels open of which 51 are in Germany. The development pipeline includes 16 more German properties, and nine outside the country, while 20 of the 25 will be rented assets. Foreign markets are starting to look more attractive, notes the company: “Because of the overheated property markets and the high number of hotels in the pipeline, there is a limit to how much sustainable growth can be achieved through new contracts at the moment.”HA PERSPECTIVEBy Chris Bown: It is clear that Radisson has decided it needs to adopt a close partnership model to expand in Germany. While it’s been successful leading the brands into central and eastern Europe, its peers have to date made greater headway in the substantial German market.It’s a similar approach to that which IHG has taken with its multi-development agreements, looking for a structure where leases can be signed - without appearing to be directly linked to the brand. What’s not clear, is quite how Radisson is standing behind the newly formed Fast Lane, to give it the covenant strength to sign long leases.However, while a new company, Fast Lane is clearly using the DNA of GSH, an established player with principals that are pushing hard out of Germany to create a leading European third-party manager. With aligned aspirations, the new partners could generate some traction. And having recently paid up for full ownership of the German brand Prizeotel, Radisson should have eyes on the ground to spot new hotel sites, as they come up.By Andrew Sangster: Germany does seem to be the apple of most hotel brands’ eyes right now. And yet there remain a number of significant structural challenges in the German market.On the demand side, Germany still suffers from a comparatively low room rate compared to similar European countries, particularly with regard to the major cities and the luxury market. Figures from STR for YTD to September for luxury hotels show, for example, Amsterdam at USD408, London at USD 432, Paris at USD690 and Berlin at just USD239.And on the supply side, Germany is predominately a leased market, a big problem for most of the major asset light hotel brands, and there is currently a big building programme. Figures from TopHotel show 229 hotel openings with 37,766 rooms planned for next year against the 66 hotels opened planned to open this year. For 2021, there are 186 new projects already underway.The intelligence source for the hotel investment community

118It is the smaller groups and independents who account for 677 of the planned 762 hotels in 2020. International players include IHG with 33 Holiday Inn Express in the works and Accor with 14 Ibis Styles. Marriott has 15 Moxy hotels in the pipeline.Domestic German brands are strong: The Niu, an offering from Novum Hospitality, is looking at 37 new hotels and Motel One, which already has a strong foothold, is planning 12 hotels.With the growth of third-party management companies like Gorgeous Smiling Hotels, the proportion of international brands in the German market ought also to grow. It is interesting, however, that many of these new operators are also choosing to develop their own offering and this is presenting a challenge to the received wisdom of global brands dominating.Graduate leads lifestyle pushAJ Capital Partners, the group behind Graduate Hotels, has acquired two Macdonald hotels in the UK. The move helps the lifestyle brand secure a second UK site for its international expansion.In Scotland, AJ has bought the Rusacks hotel in St. Andrews, where it plans a major refurbishment and expansion that will add 44 more rooms and a rooftop bar. In Oxford, it has taken over the Randolph hotel, which it will refit as a Graduate.The deal comes after Macdonald said earlier in 2019 that it was planning a portfolio deal to sell 27 of its properties to private equity investor Centerbridge Partners. The UK hotel group was reported to be facing a refinancing deadline on GBP195m of loans from Lloyds Bank.Group deputy chairman Gordon Fraser hailed the disposals as a “superb deal for the business, which allows us to reduce our borrowings significantly while we progress a number of very positive options for the refinancing.”AJ was founded by CEO Ben Weprin in 2008, and in 2014 the group launched its Graduate brand. The company has involved itself in a range of projects, typically reusing historic buildings, and working alongside investment partners. It collaborated with Soho House on that group’s Chicago members club, which opened in 2014.The Graduate brand seeks to locate in towns and cities with a strong university, linking hotels with the institutions and designing properties to reflect the locality. AJ also has a programme to develop hotels alongside universities, aiming to gain access to leasehold development sites.Currently, there are 25 Graduate hotels open across the US, with a further 10 in the pipeline. In the UK, Graduate acquired the DoubleTree in Cambridge, which it will be converting and opening ahead of the Randolph in Oxford. Alongside its Graduate portfolio, AJ also owns six individually branded properties, plus hotels in Chicago and Nashville operating under Hyatt’s Thompson brand.AJ’s move comes as another lifestyle hotel operator, Soneva, swapped private equity investors as it looks to scale up. The niche company, which has three ultra luxury hotels in the Maldives and Thailand, plus a yacht, has KSL Capital Partners as a new backer. KSL bought out early stage investor Sailing Capital, which exited after five years. Soneva has plans for two further Maldives properties, based around its “no shoes” format.Indian British hotelier Sonu Shivdasani and his Swedish wife Eva launched Soneva in 1995.The pair’s properties have won awards, and guests have their own butlers. Tina Yu of KSL said of the investment: “We recognise the power of the Soneva brand platform in the expanding market for luxury experiential travel.”Phillip Allen, chief development officer, international markets for AJ Capital Partners told Hotel Analyst: “The Graduate brand is deeply rooted in storytelling and each hotel celebrates the dynamic university community it is positioned within. Graduate Oxford and Graduate Cambridge will be no different - each hotel will speak specifically to the centuries of university history and tradition that make its destination so unique.”The brand works hard to create strong links with each hotel’s locality. “From the moment we identify an opportunity, our team begins a thorough research process of the corresponding community, including connecting with locals, interviewing alums and exploring the city itself to uncover the town legends, age-old stories and beloved local haunts. It is through this comprehensive process that we are able to create a hotel that is deeply personal to the people, places and things that call that destination home.” Allen said the brand is looking to grow into “many more” other university towns and cities in the UK in future.HA PERSPECTIVEBy Chris Bown: As branding experts in consumer products know, a strongly developed brand identity that has provenance and connection is something consumers will buy into, stay loyal to, and pay a premium for.Now that approach is being used to create hotel brands that make a deeper connection with guests. But it requires taking risks, and spending a whole lot more time and trouble on, to get to success. For both Graduate and Soneva, finding the right sites and creating the right product can be challenging.The big groups know these lifestyle brands can be very lucrative, too. And they also know that, even with the best care, they can go off the boil. So it made sense for Marriott to recently buy its W hotel in New York, giving it the space to test out a refreshed W brand, without a worried landlord stressing about occupancy or room rates.And proving that it’s still possible to come up with creative, lifestyle brands, there’s Barry Sternlicht and

BUSINESS CENTRE119Starwood Capital. The group launched its Treehouse brand in London, and says it is now eyeing other potential sites around the UK. Who will buy in?For Macdonald, the disposals will help reduce debt. But selling the family silver? AJ is rumoured to have looked at the whole 27 properties in the portfolio up for sale, before picking the two properties that suited its approach.By Andrew Sangster: There are a number of things going on at Macdonald Hotels which, taken separately, probably don’t amount to a lot. But combined, it begins to create the whiff of a company in trouble.In June, the company submitted its accounts for the year to March 29, 2018. These showed a loss of GBP2.2m. This was just after its finance director Jason McBurnie left the board at the end of May. McBurnie joined Almarose, the management wing of Aprirose, in November.The biggest red flag is the move to extend the accounting reference period from the end of March each year to the end of September (28 ). There may thwell be a legitimate reason for this change but the timing looks, at best, unfortunate. The registration of fixed charges by the Bank of Scotland earlier this year similarly doesn’t help how the company is being perceived.The failure of the Centerbridge deal is hardly going to be made up for by the Rusacks and Randolph sales (the latter was a leasehold) and Macdonald’s debt stack remains daunting.Gossip on the cocktail circuit suggests that a number of would-be buyers have kicked the tires of Macdonald and deemed it unroadworthy, or at least not worth the price being asked. A key reason being the current trading outlook.Knight Frank last month held a seminar on UK hotel trading performance. It made for an uncomfortable session if, like Macdonald, most of your hotels are outside of the UK’s top 15 markets.Whereas for September year-to-date operating profit (GOPPAR) in London was up 1.3%, in the regions it was down 2.9%. Worst still was how it broke between the top 15 cities, down 0.6%, and secondary, down 7.6%.Macdonald’s latest disposal removes one of its properties that was in the top 15 locations (Oxford). And Graduate is going to focus both properties more closely on a niche, boutique or lifestyle, which has proved to be amongst the most resilient in the current profit downturn. The focus for Macdonald remains sorting out its debt pile.Huazhu grabs Deutsche to move upmarket Chinese hotel group Huazhu has agreed to buy German group Deutsche Hospitality, for EUR719m. The move will give fast-growing Huazhu a portfolio of upper end brands to grow in China, and adds a foothold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.The deal sees Nasdaq-listed Huazhu buy all the shares in Deutsche, which was controlled by the Egyptian Travco group. The acquisition will be funded by a combination of cash and a EUR440m bank loan.Huazhu founder Qi Ji told analysts on a quarterly results presentation: “Our company, will be a world-class global company only after it has reached sufficient scale and strength in geographic areas also outside China.” But the challenge was, he said, the time it takes to build luxury and upscale brands, “that’s why we chose to enrich our luxury and upscale brand portfolio through acquisition.”Huazhu has seen substantial acceleration in its pace of growth, and is currently opening an average of more than five hotels a day, triple its pace of a year ago. As at the end of its most recent quarter, the portfolio stood at 5,151 hotels. The group is also busy growing its own upscale brands. Its first Joya property will open before the year end in Chengdu, with two more due in the spring, while a second Blossom Hill hotel will open shortly in Shanghai, joining one already trading in Beijing.Deutsche, with 118 hotels, fits into the Huazhu portfolio providing just 4% of rooms, but 27% of revenues, and 9% of ebitda. “This is a deal size that is meaningful, but not too big for us as a first step of going international,” said Huazhu CEO Jenny Zhang. The move adds brands Steigenberger, Jaz in the City, Maxx, IntercityHotel and Danish budget brand Zleep, which DH bought a controlling stake in, less than a year ago.“The DH brands will have accelerated expansion by leveraging Huazhu’s current strong presence in China,” promised Zhang. “Secondly, Huazhu will successfully establish our initial footprint into Europe, Middle East and Africa. Thirdly, we envision Huazhu’s loyalty programme and our direct sales capability will help DH to strengthen their competitiveness in their existing markets and also help the operation of their current hotels.”Intercity, which already has a hotel in Qingdao, is expected to be the brand to be developed fastest in China, followed by Steigenberger. “We anticipate the growth will exceed Germany in the midterm probably,” said Qi Ji.The addition to Huazhu’s portfolio comes as the group reported a softening Chinese market. Occupancy across the portfolio slipped to 88%, although average room rate, flattered by the movement of the portfolio gradually upmarket, was up 2.6%. Finance director Nee Chuan Teo reported an operating margin of 23%, but said this was 5% down year-on-year “mainly due to our investment in hotel development teams, upscale hotels and IT capabilities”.“The focus of the next two years, we think right now it’s a kind of downturn, overall macro-wise, it is a challenging external environment,” warned Ji. But he said the DH

BUSINESS CENTRE120acquisition would not deflect Huazhu’s growth plans: “China will still be the focus of our growth because the development potential, and the speed of China is unprecedented compared to other geographies in the world.”HA PERSPECTIVEBy Chris Bown: Huazhu, previously known as China Lodging, has grown amazingly fast in the Chinese hotel market, and incredibly is still accelerating its pace, never mind acquisitions. Having set out its stall at the economy end of the market, the group started concentrating on growing its midscale and upscale brands over the last couple of years. And it’s not been afraid to dispose of those properties that didn’t hit the mark.Clearly, the experience of starting out Joya and Blossom Hill, the group’s luxury brands, has taught the Huazhu team that a bolt-on would give it much better pace. And Deutsche looks to be a good fit, with a similar outlook on management contracts, or manachising as the Chinese like to call their version of hotel operating deals.The deal also gives Huazhu a massive opportunity to market somewhere to stay overseas, to its millions of loyalty programme members. The Chinese are coming - and they’ll be staying in IntercityHotels or Steigenbergers.The elephant in the room - and something no analyst asked about - is a fancy dress outfit being worn by Sebastian Bazin. A joint venture with Huazhu to grow Accor’s brands in China has led to more than 300 Ibis, Mercure and Novotel properties coming into the market to date. Will the arrival of the DH brands deflect from the Accor brands’ growth? That’s probably a risk Accor will be ready to take, bearing in mind the pace that the Huazhu team works at. Nobody else comes close.And the person with probably the broadest smile, is Zleep’s Peter Haaber. Having set up the highly efficient Scandinavian economy brand, he was delighted to have DH buy in to the brand, taking a majority stake in January 2019. Less than a year later, Zleep’s upgraded growth plans will be turbocharged still further by the restless Huazhu folk.By Andrew Sangster: Huazhu is making its ambitions clear. The investor presentation at its third quarter results had a slide depicting how Marriott has grown from having 90% of its rooms as domestic US in 1990 to being 63% domestic US in 2019. Today, Huazhu stands at 96% domestic China. The clear implication being Huazhu sees itself as a rival to Marriott (and most likely won’t take 30 years to grow overseas).The pace of openings at Huazhu has certainly quickened, with three times as many rooms opening in Q3 2019 compared to Q3 2018. Its pipeline of unopened hotels is now 34% the size of hotels in operation, having grown from just 17% in Q3 2017.The loyalty scheme is growing at a CAGR of 46% to hit 139 million by the end of the latest quarter.The big push initially was with economy hotels, started back in 2005 with HanTing. Then, in 2010, a second wave was started with the JI brand which today has 2,059 hotels with 400 planned to be opened in 2020.The next wave is luxury and upscale. Exec chairman and founder Qi Ji said on the conference call that these segments require “richer stories and service qualities”. The acquisition of Steigenberger is meant to shorten any learning period.At a 17.5 times ev / ebitda multiple (EUR700m paid against forecast ebitda of EUR40m for 209), Huazhu considers the price reasonable. Just as important as the brands is the acquisition of multi-national experience for the fourth wave of development, international.Huazhu has just reached its 5,000 hotels milestone but it wants to reach 10,000 hotels in three to five years. That Deutsche Hospitality development experience is going to be in demand.Hotel Analyst is the news analysis service for those involved with financing hotel property or hotel operating companies. For more information and to subscribe visit: www.hotelanalyst.co.uk

Amuletwith (u)phoria! ™Digital Print TechnologyA different style of durability www.morberneurope.com4.0 E34Selected for Trends Space & Interior.Architecture.Hospitality.

122The 10-year dynamic between hotel room openings and closures in the UK highlights the effect of key events in the market and shows a recent slowing in overall activity. The 2008 global financial crisis had a notable impact on the UK’s hotel inventory, as net openings reached just 291 for the year. While 13,221 new rooms were added, almost as many rooms closed during the same 12 months.Amid that period of financial uncertainty, occupancy decreased 2.8% to 69.3%, and ADR fell 6.0% to GBP74.47. Subsequently, RevPAR decreased 8.5% to GBP51.58, the largest decline for any year in STR’s UK database.However, with the London 2012 Olympics on the horizon, the market stabilised, and 10,000 or more new rooms entered the market each year from 2010 through 2012; the event year produced almost 19,000 additions. While 2013 reflected a post-Olympics hangover, with closing numbers outpacing openings, this was shortlived and the number of new rooms went up for five consecutive years between 2014 and 2018. Conversely, yearly closures have lessened considerably over the same period. A look at 2019 data (as of 15 November) shows that closures are on track for another year of decreases – just 571 rooms have closed so far – but the chasm between 2018 and 2019 opening levels currently sits below 6,000. While the number of closures will be the lowest for any year included in this analysis, the number of openings will probably be the lowest since the aforementioned 2013.From a performance perspective, the UK is trending towards another record year with occupancy at 78.3% through October and ADR at GBP94.76. UKUK hotel openings and closures2009 vs. 20192019*Openings: 9,547Closures: 571*as of 15 November2009Openings: 13,221Closures: 12,930STR is the source for premium global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights, tracking 8 million rooms worldwide. www.str.com

BUSINESS CENTRE123Yearly room openings and closures since 2014Number of rooms addedNumber of rooms closed2014201520162017201820195,00010,00015,00020,0000

606 Octagon Point5 CheapsideLondon EC2V 6AAwww.adassociates.londonStrategy & ConceptArchitecture & InteriorsIdentity & WayfindingArtwork & StylingSaga Cruises – Spirit of Adventure

125IMMColognewww.imm-cologne.com13-19JANMaison & ObjetPariswww.maison-objet.comALISLos Angeleswww.alisconference.comStockholm Furniture & Light FairStockholmwww.stockholmfurniturefair.seLondon Design WeekLondonwww.dcch.co.ukLight + BuildingFrankfurtwww.light-building.messefrankfurt.comTop Hotel World TourSingaporewww.thpworldtour.comAHEAD AsiaSingaporewww.aheadawards.com17-21JAN27-29JAN4-8FEBHI Design MEAJordanwww.hidesign-mea.com4-6MARTop Hotel World TourLondonwww.thpworldtour.comSurface Design ShowLondonwww.surfacedesignshow.comIHIFBerlinwww.berlinconference.com2-4MAR6FEB11-13FEBEVENTS DIARY11MAR12MAR8-13MAR8-13MAR

EVENTS126Returning to Olmypia London for three days in January, lifestyle trade show Top Drawer is set to present the latest ranges from over 1,500 brands, as well as providing insight into current industry topics by way of a dedicated talks programme. Looking ahead to the key trends that could shape 2020, the exhibition has continued its partnership with cultural strategy agency Flamingo for a second consecutive season, with the firm researching and identifying five key trends specifically for the show’s S/S20 edition.‘Playful Chromatics’ features a key colour of neo mint alongside block colours that evoke modernity through bright mid-tones, while ‘Rare Bloom’ encompasses powerful pigmented florals grounded by soft brown leathers, and ‘Refined Elementals’ channels minimalist luxe through a subtle palette of neutrals, greens and blush.Meanwhile, ‘Serene Warmth’ juxtaposes warm and cool shade colours in raw fabrics, rich prints, pale marbles and concrete, while ‘Unadorned Tactility’ features new interpretations of traditional materials and techniques, with organic prints and textures layered onto geometric shapes for a bio-futurist look.www.topdrawer.co.ukTop Drawer12-14 January 2020LONDONMaison & Objet17-21 January 2020PARISParis-based forecasting agency NellyRodi has revealed the inspiration behind the theme for Maison & Objet, which celebrates its 25 birthday thin 2020. Brought to life through an installation by designer Ramy Fischler, ‘(RE) GENERATION’ will decipher the desires and expectations of an engaged generation that has grown up in a world of crises affecting the economy, the environment, identities and migration.Meanwhile, Michael Anastassiades has been named as Designer of the Year, and will showcase a number of collections at the event including all 16 of his Mobile Chandeliers. Having collaborated with the likes of B&B Italia, Herman Miller, Cassina and Bang & Olufsen, the Cypriot designer will speak on the topic of light and space as part of the talks programme, which also features a session with Tristan Auer and Dorothee Meilichzon, hosted by Sleeper.Maison & Objet is set to attract over 85,000 visitors in January, with more than half of those hailing from outside of France. In tandem with delivering insight on current hospitality trends, the five-day event will showcase products from more than 3,000 exhibitors as well as promoting new brands and emerging design talent.www.maison-objet.com

the show 2O2O LOOKS GOODHospitality unfolds in space. Limitless opportunities open up. HoReCa at the world’s most important consumer goods trade fair is expanding. What’s more, from 2020 Hall 6.0 will offer a showcase for international innovations, a venue for a discourse of inventive gastronomy concepts and an exchange of trends.Information and tickets at ambiente.messefrankfurt.com/horeca Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83 [email protected] . —— 11.2.

128AHEAD MEA returned to Dubai for a third consecutive year in November, bringing hospitality leaders together for an oceanic-themed ceremony at new venue Caesars Forum, Bluewaters Island. Along with Global Founder Sponsor Grohe and a host of supporters, attendees were immersed in an evening of nautical hospitality, with the dress code and dinner menu taking inspiration from both the waterfront location of Caesars and Wes Anderson’s cult film, The Life Aquatic. Aside from the maritime merriment, the real captains of the night were the hotels that triumphed, as well as the creative and operational teams responsible for steering them to shore.Having met and mingled with their industry peers, guests made their way into the ballroom for the main event, where Awards Director Matt Turner dived into proceedings with a look at the evolution of the awards, before providing a glimpse of what’s to come in 2020: “As AHEAD continues to grow we are developing this platform in new ways. Earlier today for example, we hosted a brunch event allowing us to explore some of the themes and topics that emerged from our shortlist. And over the next 12 months we’ll be hosting more conversations and talks under the SLEEPER 2020 umbrella – a range of initiatives we are introducing in our 20 anniversary year – to help share ideas and thknowledge that drive the industry forward.”This year’s competition attracted over 200 entries, representing some 49 projects from 13 countries across the region, stretching from Bahrain to Botswana, Cape Town in the south to Tunisia in the north, not to mention a selection of projects from the UAE. There was also a variety of hotel types, from a series of ten nautical-inspired cabins in the Namibian desert to an intimate boutique channelling South Africa’s vibrancy and eclecticism.Each project was first assessed online to reach the shortlist stage, before the panel met at Bulgari Yacht Club in Dubai for a day of deliberations. Taking to the stage at Caesars Forum, Pallavi Dean, chair of the judging AHEAD MEA13 November 2019DUBAIGorgeous George scoops the top prize in MEA as the industry descends on Dubai to celebrate the best in hospitality experience and design.Words: Ben ThomasEvent Photography: © Hyku Desesto

EVENTS129panel and Creative Director of Dubai-based architecture and interior design studio Roar, spoke of the criteria the judging process looks to, which includes operational efficiency, use of budget and space planning, as well as aesthetics and guest experience. Dean then went on to praise the passion, professionalism and energy of her fellow judges, before handing over to Sleeper’s Editor-at-Large and host for the evening, Guy Dittrich.Winners were revealed by AHEAD’s loyal line-up of sponsors and supporters, with victors getting their hands on a bespoke crystal glass trophy designed by Lasvit. Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island emerged as the winner of the Resort and Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces categories, with Eco-id’s scheme admired for blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape using warm tones, exposed woods, wicker furniture and raw materials. Meanwhile, the award for Lodges, Cabins & Tented Camps went to Shipwreck Lodge, which also picked up the New Concept trophy after “setting a new standard in experience-led design” according to the judges. Other winners included Omaanda in Namibia for Guestrooms, The Merchant House in Bahrain for Lobby & Public Spaces, and hosts Caesars Bluewaters Island Dubai – which triumphed in the Event Spaces category.Dubai’s new hotels struck gold across a range of categories too, with The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira – designed by Silverfox Studios – applauded for “creating a journey with true meaning” through its use of intricate and atmospheric detailing, while Zabeel House at the Greens’ Lah Lah won best Restaurant, and Bishop Design was victorious in both the Bar, Club or Lounge and Hotel Newbuild categories for Wavehouse at Atlantis The Palm and Studio One Hotel respectively.The big star of the night however was Cape Town’s Gorgeous George – envisioned by interior architect Tristan du Plessis – which took home four awards including Renovation, Restoration & Conversion; Suite; Visual Identity and the highly-coveted AHEAD MEA Hotel of the Year. The judging panel commended the project for its compelling design, which in their words “unites grandeur with the raw industrial edge of central Cape Town”.Winners will now go head-to-head in their categories to compete against other regions, with worldwide champions set to be crowned at the next AHEAD Global edition in January 2021. A full list of winners can be seen overleaf, while photography of the event can be viewed online at www.aheadawards.com/mea.

130BAR, CLUB OR LOUNGEWarehouse at Atlantis The Palm – Dubai, UAEAtlantis the Palm / Solutions Leisure GroupDSA Architects / Bishop DesignEVENT SPACESCaesars Forum at Caesars Palace Bluewaters – Dubai, UAEMeraas Holdings / Caesars Entertainment Corporation K/M2K Architecture & Interior DesignGUESTROOMSOmaanda – Windhoek East, NamibiaZannier Hotels / Zannier Hotels InteriorsHOTEL NEWBUILDStudio One Hotel – Dubai, UAEVice Versa Facilities / Roya InternationalHazel Wong / Bishop DesignRENOVATION, RESTORATION OR CONVERSIONGorgeous George – Cape Town, South AfricaTobias Alter / Urbane Citizen Architecture / Tristan Plessis StudioLANDSCAPING & OUTDOOR SPACESFour Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island – SeychellesAlbwardy Investment / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts One Degree North / Eco.id ArchitectsLOBBY & PUBLIC SPACESThe Merchant House – Manama, BahrainThe Merchant House / Campbell Gray HotelsGulf House Engineering / Summit Interior DesignLODGES, CABINS & TENTED CAMPSShipwreck Lodge – Skeleton Coast, NamibiaJourneys Namibia / Natural Selection / Trip TravelNina Maritz Architects / Women Unleashed

EVENTS131RESORT HOTELFour Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island SeychellesAlbwardy Investment / Four Seasons Hotels & ResortsEco.id ArchitectsRESTAURANTLah Lah at Zabeel House by Jumeirah – Dubai, UAEJumeirah Group / LW DesignSPA & WELLNESSThe Spa at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira – Dubai, UAEwasl Hospitality & Leisure / Mandarin Oriental Hotel GroupDesign & ARchitecture Bureau / Silverfox StudiosSUITEGorgeous George – Cape Town, South AfricaTobias Alter / Urbane Citizen Architecture / Tristan Plessis StudioVISUAL IDENTITY OF THE YEARGorgeous George – Cape Town, South AfricaTobias Alter / Urbane Citizen ArchitectureTristan Plessis Studio / JANA + KOOSNEW CONCEPT OF THE YEARShipwreck Lodge – Skeleton Coast, NamibiaJourneys Namibia / Natural Selection / Trip TravelNina Maritz Architects / Women UnleashedTHE AHEAD MEA HOTEL OF THE YEARGorgeous George – Cape Town, South AfricaTobias Alter / Urbane Citizen ArchitectureTristan Plessis Studio / JANA + KOOS



133EVENTSReturning to Olympia London for a second edition following its expansion to include an F&B element, Sleep & Eat 2019 brought the hospitality design community together from 19-20 November for a look back at the projects, trends and concepts that defined the year, as well as an assessment of the market landscape to come. Cementing its reputation as a key date for hoteliers, developers, architects, interior designers and suppliers alike, this year’s show orbited a central theme of Social FlexAbility, with each strand exploring ideas of disconnection in the technology age as well as the power of hospitality spaces to pioneer a remedy. Running parallel, the international exhibition welcomed over 160 leading suppliers to showcase the latest product releases and innovations, and was complemented by a series of spaces designed to facilitate networking and new connections.“With the rise of electronic and social media, people are starting to disconnect from each other, both by accident and choice,” explained Mark Gordon, Brand Director of Sleep & Eat, regarding the show’s guiding theme. “The challenge for hospitality designers will be to provide flexible spaces where users can activate the social experience of their choice. This year, we asked our design collaborators to share their vision on how this might become reality in a hospitality setting.”THE EXHIBITIONForming the largest section of the show, Sleep & Eat’s exhibition floor provided a platform for both established and rising suppliers to highlight key new releases. Highlights included bathroom manufacturer Laufen, who debuted the much anticipated Marcel Wanders collaboration The New Classic – a range of sculptural fixtures with a cosmopolitan spirit constructed from the brand’s own Saphirkeramik material – and German water specialists Grohe, who returned for a 14 year to present its groundbreaking 3D thmetal-printed taps. The lighting sector, meanwhile, was represented by a balance of experimental installations and classically inclined fixtures. London-based Cameron Design House presented its bespoke Inari chandelier – a fluid, intertwining form inspired by the Finnish lake of the same name – whilst Astro Lighting exhibited its minimal Eclipse and Fold lights, a pair of simple yet bold circular and linear designs respectively. Elsewhere, soft furnishing manufacturer Ena Shaw spotlighted its range of contract curtains, blinds and soft furnishings, and Alarwool its wide selection of premium, custom-woven wool carpets, which appear throughout the recently inaugurated The Standard, London. The best of British design was on show at stands by furniture Sleep & Eat19-20 November 2019LONDON Sleep & Eat returned under the guiding theme of Social FlexAbility to explore how hospitality design can pioneer new forms of connection. Words: Kristofer Thomas, Ben Thomas and Donna SalekPhotography: © Rob Jones (Unless stated otherwise)



135manufacturer Morgan – who introduced the Kenyan forest-inspired Kaya collection – and Chelsom, where standout pieces from the expansive Edition 26 lighting range drew a steady crowd of attendees. THE SPACESOnce again at the heart of the exhibition floor, providing a place for delegates to network or simply catch their breath, 2019’s Sleeper Bar took the form of a timber-clad counter surrounding a live tree. Designed by Michaelis Boyd, and responding to the Social FlexAbility theme with a versatile, distinctive and guest-oriented concept, the bar drew inspiration from French Author Jean Giono’s celebrated short story ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’ – a tale celebrating the power of the natural environment. Having created an environmentally-conscious mix of elegant design and sustainable materials, the tree was then adorned with a selection of front covers from Sleeper’s two decade run in celebration of the magazine’s 20 anniversary. thExamining the theme from a different angle, the event’s VIP Room was designed this year by Megre Interiors. Transforming the oak-panelled Olympia Club Room into a vibrant floral-inspired space arranged to promote connection, Megre’s Gather concept featured a lighting installation at its centre resembling a flickering fire, with the orbicular seating surrounding it referencing the gathering pits around which humans have congregated for millions of years. Similairly, the Wilson Associates-designed Hub provided a dedicated networking and co-working space – the latter function a key feature in the new wave of increasingly flexible hotel spaces. Inspired by the form of a circle, and laid out as a closed curve around which guests stood to face each other, The Hub made extensive use of closed-loop recycled elements whilst furnishings and fixtures by Astro, Knightsbridge Furniture and Atlas Concorde added a contemporary edge. THE CONFERENCECurated this year by Supper Contributing Editor Heleri Rande, the Sleep & Eat conference explored topics ranging from designing hospitality experiences underwater to thriving in a data-driven world. The schedule kicked off with a discussion between Sleeper’s Managing Editor Catherine Martin and Amar Lalvani, CEO of Standard International, with the hotelier tracing his journey from joining the brand in 2011 to unveiling its UK debut in 2019.“Before I even went to my first day working at The Standard, I was already looking for a London location,” he recounted. “We saw the building and immediately thought that’s it – that’s the one. A lot of people have said how they thought it was an ugly building, but the history of The Standard has always been to take obsolete buildings and do something truly special with them.”Concerning the design industry’s capability to combat loneliness and urban isolation, A Holistic Answer to Urban Living explored the ways in which hospitality design could alleviate both physical and psychological symptoms. “What will ultimately keep people returning to these kinds of spaces is a sense of trust,” suggested Kayla Pongrac, Senior Designer at The Design Agency. “It’s important in this urban context to give people something they can believe in, to integrate the local culture and vernacular, and adapt to what the whole city requires. In the case of shared spaces like co-working facilities in city locations this should be at the forefront of the design process.”Rande also sat down with Josh Wyatt, CEO of NeueHouse, a series of collaborative workspaces set within iconic buildings including Los Angeles’ Bradbury Building and the original CBS studio, for an inside look at how the young brand has created an offer that balances the human element with impressive returns. “The most important thing was creating a sense of dynamic community, where there was always something happening,” Wyatt recalled. “We think of ourselves as the intersecting moment between design, hospitality, programming, events and content, where it all comes together in four walls. It’s not just sleeping, working and eating.”Closing out day one, Supper Assistant Editor Jenna Campbell moderated the Bedrooms Are Boring panel, bringing together F&B experts from Shangri-La, The Langham, Rocco Forte and Marriott for a look at the new concepts guests can expect through 2020 and beyond. “At the end of the day, It’s not about latest trends, it’s about lasting trends, and we have to be careful about how much we cater to the niche market,” noted Lydia Forte, Group Director of F&B for Rocco Forte Hotels. “But we must also consider that this is the first time that five generations – all thinking in slightly different ways – are occupying the market, and so flexibility is equally important.” Kicking off day two, Christoph Hoffmann, CEO and co-founder of 25Hours Hotel Company, took to the stage to discuss the ups and downs of his brand’s journey – from moving beyond European borders to partnering with Accor Hotels. The charismatic CEO, who picked up the Outstanding Contribution Award at AHEAD Europe 2019, began by stressing the importance of developing a brand rather than a hotel chain: “We’ve always wanted to grow organically. It’s not about the sheer size of the company or the number of hotels, it’s more about creating brand values and a common denominator,” and went on to divulge how the brand are working to inject the same DNA into each 25hours property. “If we find the right energy and the right people, then a lot of our core elements and the atmosphere we look to create will remain. One of the major parts of our DNA is to keep it alive through the staff,” he mused.A pair of complementary panels looking to the future of hospitality proved a significant draw, with only standing room available for a discussion between Richard Coutts, Director of Baca Architects, and Ben Fitzgerald, Operations EVENTS

© Will Stanley© Mark Luscombe-Whyte

137Manager at CoreMarine, regarding the task of designing on, near or under water. Paying particularly close attention to his work creating Under – a restaurant five and a half metres below the surface of the North Sea off Norway’s coast – Fitzgerald explained that “a huge part of the experience is how little it disrupts the environment surrounding it. Not only is it a restaurant experience, but a biological one too, and with this balance in place we can go on to introduce sustainability and educational elements in the future.”Speaking of the future, Above: Designing for Space, saw charismatic designer Johannes Torpe share his experiences collaborating with members of the emergent space tourism industry. “What fascinates us about space is the desire to understand everything within and beyond it,” he suggested. “Thinking up these kinds of spaces has long involved creating the universe they are possible in, but now, with more and more companies stepping into the market, it becomes a realistic proposition.” Closing the conference, Rande sat down with a panel of designers to take a look at what sets a true eco hotel apart, and whether guests can still have a guilt free experience at a price point that demands luxury. Chris Miller, Creative Director for Design Group Italia, who oversaw the interior design of The Retreat at Blue Lagoon in Iceland, noted of the project: “It’s in the DNA of Iceland to be sustainable and eco-friendly, because the Blue Lagoon is part of a geothermal energy generating station, so there is no carbon footprint. For us, it was more of a basic premise for the whole project, so the journey was how do we create a luxury experience in what is essentially a lava field.”THE CONCEPT ROOMSSocial FlexAbility was brought to life most prominently as part of the Sleep & Eat Sets, a series of spaces in which six architecture and design practices looked to demonstrate that hotels, restaurants, bars and other hospitality spaces can be at the forefront of defining new environments and interior innovationsInspired by the idea that no two guests are the same, Twenty2Degrees developed a flexible guestroom space for the social traveller, where a motto of ‘Dance, Sleep, Work, Play’ was channelled through distorted riffs softened by plush fabrics, and warm timbers set against a vibrant backdrop. “We started by thinking about adaptability and how to make the space social, organic and local,” commented Creative Director Joe Stella. “Our room concept is a metaphor for that, because for us, social flexibility is all about bringing people together and having a good time.”Taking a similarly collective approach, Miaja Design Group chose to challenge the common belief that social interaction is impaired at the hands of technological devices, creating a guestroom that encouraged shared experiences. “We wanted Elevation to be an experience and an opportunity to have a moment of quietness, which is what this world needs more and more,” founder Isabelle Miaja noted.Billed as the ‘Tradition of the Future’ meanwhile, Maria Tibblin’s guestroom channelled the designer’s Scandinavian heritage through a light and warm scheme paying tribute to nature, sustainability and organic materials. “We all have various needs when it comes to hotels, but if we can develop rooms that are adaptable and take a holistic approach, then I believe that we can design well for the guest of the future,” she admitted.Working with build partners Stilles, Hat Design constructed a guestroom that users could control and re-create, applying the same philosophy of integrating social hubs in public areas to the private space. “To do this, we developed a flexible platform in place of a bed, which can rotate and adjust to the needs of the occupant, and then built around that with satellite functions that can be pushed away with ease,” commented Managing Director, Anne-Marie Sabatier.Taking on the first of this year’s Eat Sets, Name Architecture devised one continuous plane in the form of a table, at which visitors could choose their social experience according to their position. “The first idea that came to our mind is the fact we don’t often face each other in today’s dining spaces,” said Founding Director, Nathalie Rozencwajg. “To bridge the situation, we decided to work with an ellipse rather than a round table, which creates different focal points and distances between people.”The sixth and final room set looked to spark face-to-face interaction, with SpaceInvader Design envisioning a bar without a bar, which, through its layout and design, would become a space for discussion. Speaking on the process, John Williams, Founding Director, explained: “Everybody socialises in different ways. In the context of the bar, there could be groups of two or ten, so maintaining that element of flexibility was key when developing the concept.”“What a fantastic two days!” Gordon commented as the programme wrapped up. “Once again, Sleep & Eat has proved to be where the European hospitality design community meets. Be it on our busy exhibition floor, at our late-night party and new networking events, or in our best-attended conference yet, we were delighted to see so many of the great and the good come together.” Sleep & Eat 2020 will take place from 17-18 November, at London Olympia.www.sleepandeatevent.comSleep Sets by Twenty2Degrees and Miaja Design Group brought the show’s theme of Social FlexAbility to lifeEVENTS

138AHEAD Europe announced its winners at a block party-themed ceremony in November, taking over Battersea Evolution in collaboration with Global Founding Partner Grohe for a Brooklyn beats-inspired celebration of the best hotel designs across the continent. Taking the prize for Guestrooms and claiming the prestigious AHEAD Hotel of the Year statue, the night’s big winner was the Palomba & Serafini-designed Palazzo Daniele, a 158-year old aristocratic residence masterly transformed with a balance of preserved history and modernist minimalism. “Palazzo Daniele is truly different,” the judging panel noted, “a unique and rare hotel experience.” The evening kicked off with the Outstanding Contribution award, and 25hours Hotel Company CEO Christoph Hoffmann taking to the stage to collect his Lasvit-designed trophy. Having led the group from a single property in Hamburg in 2005 to a global portfolio of 13 hotels and a partnership with hospitality heavyweight Accor today, the prize recognised Hoffmann’s ability to adapt within a shifting industry, as well as the whirlwind rise of the playful brand. Its latest opening – 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord – was also honoured with a statue in the Restaurant category for the Dreimeta-designed Neni, where vibrant art, pastel tones and feminine touches combine for an indulgent and social F&B space. Diversity reigned across the rest of the interior prizes, with the film-themed Cinema Paradiso at Puro Łódź Poland claiming the award for Event Spaces – where judges praised both the unconventional approach and its clearly defined vision – whilst the regal elegance of Belmond Cadogan’s light, airy and inviting lobby saw the London hotel and G.A Design take home the accolade for Lobby and Public Spaces. Describing the space as having “a real sense of place throughout that perfectly matches the building’s architecture”, judges named Soho House Amsterdam’s lounge as the finest Bar, Club or Lounge. Meanwhile, the leafy ambience of Can Bordoy’s signature garden – incorporating 70 different plant species – was AHEAD Europe18 November 2019LONDONDiversity reigns at the AHEAD Europe ceremony, with the best hotels of the year showcasing a wide variety of form, function, shape and size. Words: Kristofer ThomasEvent Photography: © Sven Eselgroth

EVENTS139judged as the best example of a landscaped outdoor area. Representing the Greeks, Dexamenes Seaside Hotel’s oceanfront accommodation – set in an abandoned wine factory on Kourouta beach – was named best suite, and described as “the height of unpretentious luxury,” whilst further inland, the similarly rural Euphoria Retreat – carved into the base of a Mystras mountain – claimed the Spa prize for its “exemplarily execution and ability to meet the varied health needs of its guests.”Hotel Conversion went to The Langley, where Dennis Irvine Studio transformed a Grade II-listed stately Buckinghamshire home, restoring a sense of majesty to the 18 -century hunting thlodge with deft touches of baroque detail and historic accuracy. Elsewhere, it was Heckfield Place – another Grade II-listed, 18 century thhome – that was named best Renovation & Restoration, with judges praising the collaborative efforts of interior designer BWT London and architects Spratley & Partners as “sophisticated and tasteful, where everything from art and furnishings to beautiful landscaping create a sense of complete coherence.” And in the Newbuild category, it was Mollie’s Motel & Diner – a nostalgic project in Buckland paying homage to the traditional American roadside diner – that took the prize.“Based on the quality of its simplicity, Mollie’s deserves many more locations,” one member of the panel surmised. Showcasing the wide range of scale present in the shortlist, the expansive Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland – a 62-suite property built directly into an 800-year-old lava flow and encircled by mineral waters – took home the Resort Hotel prize, whilst the Lodges, Cabins & Tented Camps statue went to Manshausen 2.0, a collection of sustainably-constructed cabins on the banks of a Norwegian fjord that judges described as “a contemporary outdoor room created from natural materials in a breathtaking location”.The night’s other winners included Copenhagen’s The Audo, a hybrid cultural space hotel blending elements of retail, co-working and hospitality, which took home the New Concept award, and the Jean-Phillipe Nuel-designed Ponant Le Champlain, which claimed victory in the Transport category. And last but not least, the award for Visual Identity went to Norway’s Amerikalinjen, with Scandinavian Design Group’s branding identified as the standout entrant thanks to its colourful, succinct scheme that incorporates heritage elements of the former Norwegian American Line offices the property occupies. Closing out the night, AHEAD presenter and Sleeper Editor at Large Guy Dittrich congratulated the ceremony’s winners, all of which will now go on to compete in their respective categories against other regional winners from Asia, the Americas and MEA as part of AHEAD Global in 2021. A full list of winners can be seen overleaf, while photography of the event can be viewed online at www.aheadawards.com/europe.

140BAR, CLUB OR LOUNGESoho House Amsterdam – The NetherlandsAedes / Soho House & Co. / Kentie & Partners /Soho House DesignEVENT SPACESPuro Łódz – PolandGenfer Group / Puro Hotels ASW Architekci / SuperfuturesGUESTROOMSPalazzo Daniele – Gagliano Del Capo, ItalyPetrucci / Gabriele Salini / GS CollectionPalomba & Serafini AssociatiHOTEL CONVERSIONThe Langley – Iver, EnglandCity & Country Hotels / Marriott International / Fredrick Gibberd Partnership / Veretec / Dennis Irvine StudioHOTEL NEWBUILDMollie’s Motel & Diner – Buckland, EnglandMollie’s Motel / Soho House DesignRENOVATION & RESTORATIONHeckfield Place – Hampshire, EnglandMorningside Group / Heckfield Place Spratley & Partners / BWT LondonLANDSCAPING & OUTDOOR SPACESCan Bordoy Grand House & Garden – Palma, MallorcaMikael Hall / OHLABLOBBY & PUBLIC SPACESBelmond Cadogan Hotel – London, EnglandCadogan Estates / Belmond Blair Associates Architecture / G.A DesignLODGES, CABINS & TENTED CAMPSManshausen 2.0 – Manshausen Island, NorwayBørge Ousland / Stinessen ArkitekturRESORT HOTELThe Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland – GrindavikBlue Lagoon Iceland / Basalt Architects Design Group Italia

EVENTS141RESTAURANTNeni at 25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord – Paris, FranceInvesco Real Estate / Hua Kee / 25Hours Hotel Company Axel Schoenert Architects / DreimetaSPA & WELLNESSEuphoria Retreat – Mystras, GreeceEvoikos / Euphoria Retreat / Deca Architecture Natalia Efremoglou & Partners / EthnokatSUITEDexamenes Seaside Hotel – Kourouta, GreeceKaraflos D&SIA / k-studioTRANSPORTPonant le ChamplainGroupe Artemis / Compagnie du Ponant Vard Shipyard / Jean-Philippe NuelVISUAL IDENTITY OF THE YEARAmerikalinjen – Oslo, NorwayFremtind Forsikring / Nordic Choice Hotels & Resorts / Kritt Arkitekter / Puroplan / Scandinavian Design GroupNEW CONCEPT OF THE YEARThe Audo – Copenhagen, DenmarkSpaceCo / Jonas Bjerre-Poulson & Nathan WilliamsOUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONChristoph Hoffmann – CEO, 25Hours Hotel CompanyTHE AHEAD EUROPE HOTEL OF THE YEARPalazzo Daniele – Gagliano Del Capo, ItalyPetrucci / Gabriele Salini / GS Collection Palomba & Serafini Associati

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SPOTLIGHTFloorcoveringsFrom recycled rugs to geometric tiles, we take a look at the latest innovations shaping the world underfoot.Nanimarquina’s Shade collection is inspired by nature and blends two gradients in the same planeSPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT1461. Looking GlassDeirdre DysonInspired by the act of looking at and through glass, Deirdre Dyson’s Looking Glass collection comprises eight different carpet designs including Transparent – a reinterpretation of decorative shapes on a coloured vase; Light Between – a play on contrasting monochrome grading with the illusion of light; Slivers – stemming from a series of small flat discs of overlapping glass; and Looking Through – emulating the distortions of objects when looked at through a water-filled flask. Deirdre Dyson’s work as a fine artist has afforded her the skill of creating striking colour palettes and beautiful compositions, which enhance surfaces and complement a variety of settings.www.deidredyson.com2. /Re/PurposeJennifer MannersJennifer Manners’ /Re/Purpose collection of plush pile rugs – handcrafted from 100% recycled plastic – offers a luxurious yet eco-conscious solution to meet the need for hardwearing and stain-resistant rugs. Discarded polyethylene components, which would otherwise find their way into the ocean or a landfill, are processed using heat and water to create a surprisingly soft and robust yarn. Its fine, matte appearance resembles that of wool, whilst its composition from plastic means that the rugs are resistant to dirt and strong cleaning products. Available in five designs with bespoke options of colour, size and pattern, the pieces are ideally suited for commercial projects.www.jennifermanners.co.uk3. Decorative Collection 2020-22EggerBuilding on the success of its current range, the new Egger Decorative Collection 2020-22 is the company’s largest product launch since 2017. The company revolutionises its portfolio every three years, and this cycle will see the range boast over 250 decors, including new textures, colours and woodgrains, with a specific focus on the latest design trends. New aesthetic options have been introduced to the popular Feelwood range, making the selection of woodgrain finishes more extensive than ever; high-end material reproductions of marble, granite and ceramic have been developed to meet demand; and newly added solid colours help achieve bold contrasts in design. The PerfectSense collection has also been refreshed, adding material decors available in gloss, matte and topmatt, as well as an increased range of matching and accent edging to achieve a high value look with minimal effort. In addition, Egger has further developed its digital services, set to launch this year, which will provide a means of bringing its collections to life and make it easier for designers and customers to make the right choices. “Our new collection will provide customers with the freedom to develop amazing design concepts knowing that Egger will provide high-quality products that will bring their ideas to life,” says Andrew Laidler, Director of Decorative Sales.www.egger.com1.3.2.

BREATHTAKING CARPETS ENGINEERED TO LASTwww.brintons.netAt the heart of our 200 year old brand is a genuine enthusiasm and pride for what we do. From palaces to hotels, restaurants to public buildings, convention centres to airports, over the years Brintons carpets have contributed to make the worlds’ most beautiful interiors. We stay true to our core values, offering our customers an outstanding experience through exceptional products and a fantastic service. People who understand the importance of lasting value choose Brintons.

SPOTLIGHT1481. The ParlorBrintonsThe Parlor collection by Brintons takes its inspiration from traditional parlour games that Surrealist artists would play to pass the time and unlock their creative sides. The range features unique Axminister designs with surprising linear transitions, whilst glowing neon hues contrast with moody velvet textures, bringing to mind intimate social spaces such as public houses which hosted the greats of the literary and art worlds and have long held a strong sense of community. Each fully customisable Axminister broadloom design is woven in Brintons’ signature 80% wool and 20% nylon yarn blend, offering a combination of performance, longevity and comfort.www.brintons.net2. ShadeNanimarquinaInspired by moments in nature where different colours blend together, Nanimarquina’s Shade collection is created through a complex technical process to achieve density, regularity and fluidity. Each rug demonstrates an elegant and simple design, where two gradients converge harmoniously in the same plane – one vertical and one horizontal – using six transitional, complementary shades. In 2019, the range was expanded to include a selection of outdoor rugs, which look and feel like the indoor version but are instead crafted from a PET fibre. This ensures that the surfaces are highly resistant to water, as well as any adverse weather conditions. www.nanimarquina.com3. Leather Flooring AlmaMade from leather that has been tanned, technically processed and finished for flooring use, the Alma Floor collection boasts water repellent qualities and is designed to age elegantly and develop an elegant patina. The leather range is available in a variety of colourways, embossed textures and tile designs, while the catalogue has been indexed with a guide to highlight which options are the best choice for different levels of footfall. Prior to being released, each of Alma’s leathers undergo independent testing to ensure that they are suitable to be used with underfloor heating and that they pass both wet and dry slip-resistance tests for hospitality settings.www.almafloor.co.uk4. ÁbacoRocaCombining versatility and functionality, Ábaco takes the nuances of cement to new levels, improving the structure with the durability of porcelain tiles. Conceived for use on both floor and wall, the range combines formats, colours and finishes for interior and exterior areas, highlighting its worn effect filled with micro-textures. Available in a wide colour range of neutral and rusty hues, the collection features decorative lines with reliefs and organic or geometrical effects. Available finishes include Natural, closer to crafted cement; Lapado, a resistant satin finish; and In&Out, a soft and highly anti-slip surface that can be applied to both indoor and outdoor settings as well as façades. www.roca.com1.4.2.3.

EYE-CATCHING GEOMETRIC DESIGN Oversized, isosceles triangles embellish the fabric of the new drapilux 809 series. Muted and smoky pastel and natural tones create an elegant semi-transparent fabric. Discover this series and other new arrivals on drapilux stand C 56 in Hall 8 at the Heimtextil trade fair. More at: www.drapilux.com

SPOTLIGHT1501. Fidelio & OchaICE InternationalFor Fidelio and Ocha, ICE’s designers studied the archives of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, taking inspiration from the shape and scalloped edges of swan crockery to create a rug with a shell-like appearance and flared wave texture, crafted from a mix of wool and silk in soft colours. Ocha, meanwhile, takes cues from a teacup with a cream-coloured glaze; the design capturing fragility and strength through different shapes, colours and textures. The handpainted background of the rug also conveys the delicacy and craftsmanship of the cup, with a dark-to-light gradient complemented by flecks of gold, inspired by the japanese art of Kintsugi.www.rugs.nl2. CurioNewheyThe Curio collection by Newhey combines a vintage look with a contemporary Ikat-like diamond pattern, featuring a handmade feel through its styling. Inspired by textiles that celebrate natural and authentic details, the series sits comfortably in both traditional and contemporary interiors. Crafted using Colortec technology at 4m wide and available in eight colours, Curio is suitable for heavy commercial use and high levels of footfall. Newhey’s efforts to increase sustainability have also seen it apply Evobac on its products, a highly sustainable backing material made from 100% recycled plastic, added using a hot melt carpet backing line.www.newheycarpets.co.uk3. DécorAmticoAmtico has introduced a range of Décor statement floors to its collection of luxury vinyl tiles. The 19 products have been crafted following research into traditional ceramic styles, resulting in bespoke, practical looks for commercial applications. The range consists of five key styles: Geo emulates traditional Victorian tiles in modern colourways, while Corona features complementary colours and repeating shapes, and Corona Black + White expresses the same traditional style in pure white and graphic slate. Elsewhere, Echo is a versatile geometric design in six colourways, and Marble is complemented by field or perimeter fill patterns.www.amtico.com1.4. Wall RugsStellar WorksDrawing inspiration from various textures and patinas, the Wall Rugs collection by Stellar Works displays a series of balances and contrasts, creating interplays between rough and smooth, and light and shadow. The range interprets the intricacy of how surfaces age, such as old walls and buildings of different natures, mirroring fragments patination and texture for distinctive patterns of elegant colours, allowing the tactile walls to resemble soft floors. The rug names – Dune, Moon, Nude, Tundra, Midnight and Gold – channel the same sensuous mechanisms and constant flow of memories, reflecting a mood rather than a specific colour.www.stellarworks.com3.4.2.