Friday, May 28, 2010

Arrive with Savoir Faire

Since it is the weekend, I think we should all be jetting off to some exotic locale, with lots of panache and lots of luggage in tow.

Arrive in style with some savoir faire at any of these hotels. All too often now arriving at a hotel is a bit of a non event where we are greeted with bland interior design schemes trying to imitate a particular era or the local culture. However check into any of these hotels and you will be arriving in style, marvelling at the design, colour and impact of these lobbies.

I like grand lobbies, filled with lots of light and space, and oversize decoration and objet that lets you know that you are arriving somewhere important. The below from Holiday Inn Galleria Kuala Lumpur ( I know it is a Holiday inn, however they seem to do things so much better OS) is decorative and sheer simplicity itself, creating a stunning visual scene. The low cane seating and tables bring this down to a more intimate and human scale.


Same goes for the Okura in Tokyo. In which could have been a big empty room with a couple of chairs, the lighting brings the eye down, creating a more human space.

The G Hotel in George Town Malaysia again uses oversize lighting which enhances the natural wood tones of the floor and seating.

The e-filoxenia hotel in Kalamata Greece is a whimsical piece of fun, turning what could have been a rather impersonal space into a family living room avec child’s toys and wonderful seating.

The Sofitel Brisbane Australia is just wonderful modern simple elegance which is highly stylised, to create an almost Zen like interior.

The Baiyoke Hotel Bangkok uses bold 60’s style graphics on their elevators to create a visual impact that is second to none.

However not’s let forget 2 grande dames of hotels, le Maurice in Paris and the Peninsular in Hong Kong which let you know with lots of savoir faire that YOU HAVE ARRIVED!


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