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Bali is a designer’s dream
By: Lars Malmqvist
At a time when travelling has become very predictable, when the same menus and drinks are served all over the world, when CNN can be watched every time you enter your hotel room, hotels have the opportunity to give something unique.
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Designers must understand that the new generation of traveler are looking for more individual and exiting experiences. You-Tube, Facebook, iPod etc give each and every one the possibility to create their own personal image and to show the world how special they are. The hotels must do the same; try to be unique, ensure that the guest leave the hotel with a smile on his face, telling everyone how wonderful the hotel is.
My wife and I had a an experience a few years ago when we stayed at the Ellerman House in Cape Town. The hotel, and especially the rooms, were so nice that we prolonged our stay for two more nights. The design was classic with a contemporary touch; the room was filled with details such as magazines placed randomly, a very generous bar, a breathtaking view over the ocean and all items selected as if they were personal belongings to an individual and on top of that a bed with 400 thread count Egyptian cotton bed linen. Stay away from conformity, from dull and ordinary, create an atmosphere that makes each individual feel special and put the more and more egoistic man in the centre.
Developers, investors and hoteliers and investors must ask themselves what they want to portray when furnishing and designing hotels. What are the selling points today that make the guests willing to come tomorrow?
As a designer you try to answer the questions in a very sensible way to be able to create the best concept for the client to win the battle for the guests both today and tomorrow. The answer is not easy, but one of the most important issues is to create an unique atmosphere, a feeling that you, the guest, are taken care of as an individual and not just a number who is going to spend as much money as possible during the stay. An important trend for some time has been the development away from conformity and towards individuality.
An important issue is to create a feeling of calm and relaxation when designing a concept. The room should be an oasis of tranquillity, where the guest for a moment can forget what is going on outside and enjoy a few precious moments of serenity. To be able to create such a room and to find the look to make it I recommend people to go to Bali. Nowhere in the world can you find a more interesting mixture of design elements, simplicity, serenity, peace and tranquillity. Contemporary solutions with a strong local touch.
Bali is a designer’s dream. The Bvlgari Hotel in Uluwato, all the Aman resorts, The COMO Shambala Estate in Ubud - there are so many interesting places to see for a designer that I recommend everyone to go there.
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Here are a few design examples from Bali:
1. Make a clean and visible concept reflecting the culture of the country.
2. Do not be too practical; sometimes unpractical items make the guest forget that the hotel is a profit making business.
3. Always highlight the bed, use the best bed linen, make the bed at least 60-65 cm high, use many pillows in various sizes and with a various fillings.
4. Highlight simplicity and serenity; try to create a harmony and a balance between all the used materials. Look for the unique design elements for each country and city where the hotel is located.
5. Calm colours in perfect harmony.
6. Always have fresh flowers, it gives a nice smell and a feeling of luxury.
7. The bathroom and especially the bath, try to let it be a part of the room with both intimate and more functional lighting and always use dimmers. Hotel amenities should contain sensual bath oil and candle light.
Is it possible to make such rooms in cities like Moscow? The answer is yes! It is only a matter of understanding the future needs of the hotel guests and to have a dedicated hotel operators and investors. Remember that every guest is unique and demand a unique experience as far away from the sometimes dull and boring ordinary day.
THE AUTHOR
Lars Malmqvist is the Founder and Chairman of Stockholm-based Living Design, www.ablivingdesign.com. This globally-acclaimed interior design company has working in the hospitality business since 1984, with more than 100 hotel projects successfully completed across Europe and Russia. Living Design's portfolio includes, for instance, Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin; The Grand Hotel, Stockholm; Kempinski Taschenberg Palais, Dresden; The Grand Hotel Europe , St Petersburg. Ongoing projects include the Grand Hotel Kempinski, Geneva, and the Hotel 5 Etoiles Oguzkent Ashgabat, in Turkmenistan.
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