Firm Profile : BBG-BBGM

Name : BBG-BBGM
Principals : David Beer, FAIA. Peter G. Gorman, AIA. Bahram Kamalie, AIA, MRAIC. Julia Monk, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP
Contact : info@bbg-bbgm.com
Founded : BBG in 1984. BBGM in 1987
Locations : New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanghai, China
Divisions : architecture and interior design
Sample of Work : 

Futian Shangri-La. Shenzhen, China

 

 

 

 

Vdara Hotel and Spa. Las Vegas

 

 

 

Firm Profile : Arquitectonica

Name : Arquitectonica [arquitectonica.com]
Principals : Bernardo Fort-Brescia, FAIA ; Laurinda Spear, FAIA, ASLA
Locations : Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Lima, Dubai, Paris, Sao Paulo
Founded : 1977 as an experimental studio
Services : architectural design, interior design, master planning, landscape architecture, feasibility studies, site selection, programming, space planning, graphic design, signage and wayfinding, building evaluation
Divisions : architecture, landscape, interiors, healthcare and technology architecture
Sample of Projects : 

Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino

 

Zendai Forum Development. Shanghai, China

 

Golden Moon Hotel & Casino. Choctaw, MS

 

Firm Profile : Anderson Miller

Name: Anderson Miller
Principals: Pamela Anderson, AIA, NCARB ; Laurie Miller, AIA, NCARB
Location: Chicago, IL and Bloomfield Hills, MI
Contact: (IL) 312.226.2500 (MI) 248.647.9690 info@andersonmiller.com
Founded: October 1982
Size: 20 employees
Project Profile: 93% hospitality, 5% residential, 2% commercial/office
Sample of Projects: 

InterContinental Chicago O'Hare

 

The H Hotel

 The Westin Calgary

 

Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders is one of my favorite designers. He does product design, textile design, and interior design. From his website [marcelwanders.com], here is an excerpt from his biography.

 
Marcel Wanders is a product and interior designer who drew international recognition for his Knotted Chair produced by Droog Design in 1996. Marcel Wanders graduated cum laude from the School of the Arts Arnhem in 1988. In 1995 he opened his own studio based in Amsterdam. Six years later, in 2001 he co-founded the successful design label Moooi, of which he is the art director. Marcel Wanders is now ubiquitous, designing for global brands and high end furniture companies such as B&B Italia,Cappellini, Puma, Bisazza, Poliform, KLM -Royal Dutch Airlines, Flos, Magis, Google, Target, Baccarat and more recently Christofle and M.A.C Cosmetics. Additionally, Marcel works on architectural and interior design projects, such as the Kameha Grand hotel in Bonn, the Mondrian South Beach hotel in Miami, the Villa Moda Flagship store in Bahrain, as well as private residences in Amsterdam, Mallorca and Jakarta. In 2010 Marcel Wanders and the Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced their collaboration, together with Aedes Real Estate, on a new hotel project; the Andaz Amsterdam hotel. 

His style is whimsical, dramatic, and innovative. It keeps you on your toes. With exaggerated details and architectural elements used in unusual ways, his designs are inspiring. They create a truly memorable experience for the users. Although my style is not exactly like his, I am drawn to him because he encourages me to think outside the box. To challenge the norm. To add my own touch to the designs. Marcel Wanders has designed numerous types of spaces, including hotels. My favorite is the Mondrian South Beach Hotel.

 

Wanders has designed other hotels including the Kameha Grand in Bonn and the Lute Suites just outside of Amsterdam. His work has been featured in numerous publications, such as Domus, I.D., New York Times, and Elle Decoration. he has also received many awards for both his interiors and products.

Kameha Grand

  

AH&LA

The American Hotel & Lodging Association is an organization focused on hoteliers. It provides networking opportunities, information on governmental affairs, conventions and events, as well as programs and initiatives that strive to improve the hotel industry. The site also includes a message board, career center and data center as professional seek to get connected and advance within the field. According to the site, they define themselves as:

AH&LA is the only national organization dedicated to serving the interests of hoteliers on the front line, behind the scenes, and on Capitol Hill. Members are empowered with exclusive bottom line savings, educational resources, and networking opportunities with our expansive network of top-level industry professionals. Explore our Website to see why we've been the leading voice of the lodging industry for more than 100 years.

The website also includes a brief history of lodging. Check out the timeline : The History of Lodging

American Hotel Classification

Usually, hotels fall into one of three categories: 

Budget hotels offer clean albeit simple rooms that provide the basics of places to sleep and shower. Usually budget hotels are designed for travelers looking to maximize their funds and minimize expenses. Prices can range from $20US per night to $70US per night.

Business hotels offer a high standard by providing rooms equipped with what business travelers would consider necessities. Usually found in business-class hotel rooms are high speed Internet connections, alarm clocks, comfortable beds, irons and ironing boards, coffee makers, complimentary newspaper delivery and hairdryers. Rates can range from $80US per night to $250US per night.       
        The facility of a business hotel would also offer an in-house restaurant, 
bar, exercise room and shuttle service to nearby airports. Limit concierge assistance is often included as well as room service, laundry and dry cleaning and wake-up calls.
 
Luxury hotels are known for their lavish decor and extraordinary service. With superior amenities, accommodations at luxury hotels are designed to thoroughly pamper and impress guests. According to a Business Week Online article, those in the luxury market are getting harder to please stating that luxury goods and service providers can't afford to blunder with the level of service and customer experience they provide. For this reason, many luxury hotels go far beyond the norm by providing a lifestyle experience equal to or better than what guests have become accustomed to at home.
        Luxury hotels frequently offer full-service day spas, five-star restaurants staffed by world-class chefs, ballrooms, lavish pools, golf packages and guest services that are unsurpassed by any other class of hotel. In addition, luxury rooms generally include those amenities found in business class hotels plus in-room safes, goose down comforters and pillows, marble showers and tubs, larger rooms, separate sitting or living area and fog-free bathroom mirrors. Rates can range from $129US per night to $2,000US per night.

[source]

Although these are the main types, hotels can fall into other subcategories.

Commercial Hotels cater mainly to business clients and usually offers room service, coffee-shop, dining room, cocktail lounge, laundry and valet service as well as access to computers and fax services.

Airport Hotels are located near airports and are a conveniently located to provide any level of service from just a clean room, to room service, they provide bus or limousine service to the air lines. 

Conference Centers are designed to specifically provide meeting space for groups, they provide all services and equipment necessary to handle conventions. 

Residential Hotels seam to be in the decline. They used to be very popular. The typical residential hotel offers long term accommodations.

Casino Hotels are often quite luxurious. Their main purpose is in support of the gambling operation. Casino Hotels often offer top name entertainment and excellent restaurants.

Resort Hotels is the planned destination of guests, usually vacationers. This is because resorts are located at the ocean or in the mountains away from inner cities. Resort hotels may offer any form of entertainment to keep their guest happy and busy.

Book List : Hotel Spaces

This book focuses on each part of a hotel, including facades, pools & terraces, lobbies & lounges, bars & restaurants, suites & bedrooms. Each section talks about the function of that piece of the hotel and provides photos of successful examples of each. In reading the section on facades, I find that the author talks about each part as it relates to whole... a Gestalt paradigm. the facade serves as the first impression of the hotel. it is the designer's goal to ensure that the facade sets the tone for the guest's experience. It must be unique and break the mold. The problem is that there is a preconception of what modern design looks like. Successful designs use tradition, technology, or vernacular forms to challenge these notions. The rest of the book breaks down each part of the hotel in a similar way.