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“These days, people use the phrase ‘design hotel’ purely as a marketing vehicle,” says Marcel Wanders, who just completed the Mondrian South Beach in Miami. “But you can’t just put a fancy sofa in the lobby and call it a day; a design hotel is an experience that goes beyond—it’s a place to pour your ideas and your dreams.”
What hotel has prompted you to dream? Why?
What were the most important elements: Furniture? Lighting? Service? Location?
I have been in a number of wonderful hotels, but the one I am currently highest on is the Dominion 1912 in Quebec City. It had it all going on: a repurposed building in a perfect location in the City, a slick, contemporary design in both the lobby and the rooms, great service and a wonderful lighting design. It is a comfortable place to hang out in the lobby, and the rooms are spacious and extremely comfortable both for kicking back, and for hooking up to the internet and getting some work done. I was there for leisure but can’t get away from work, so I was pleased to be able to have it all…
I was also totally captivated by the design. Fabric panels sheath the brick pillars of the old market space that is part of the building, and these panels are rigged in such a way that they can be changed seasonally, even, and make a completely fresh statement without changing another thing in the lobby. Great idea! The design in this place makes me want to jump into commercial design with both feet.