DESIGN : HOTEL BEL-AIR
The legendary Bar kept its familiar wood paneling , but designers changed the color slightly to give it a more contemporary look in addition to adding screens so the bar and lounge areas could share a more visible connection .
Enhancing history To help ensure the refurbished hotel would embrace and enhance its roots , management and the design team considered feedback from valued guests , and in the end , some areas remained unchanged . The renowned oval swimming pool — 80 ft ( 24 m ) long and heated yearround — was untouched . Swan Lake housed its signature swans throughout the restoration process , but now boasts a new circulation pump that will save 1.5 million gallons of water annually .
Other areas , meanwhile , retained much of their original character while sporting fresh touches . Sullivan points to the legendary Bar , cherished by many guests who met their future partners or signed their first business deals there . Designers kept the space ’ s familiar wood paneling , but changed the color slightly to give it a more contemporary look in addition to adding screens so the bar and lounge areas could share a more visible connection .
“ Once again , it ’ s taking the DNA that originally is there and just slightly adjusting it so everybody can perceive it as slightly different but also totally connected to its original memory ,” Sullivan says .
The hotel ’ s 103 guestrooms and suites feature custom limestone floors and natural wood ceilings .
The Garden Ballroom features interiors designed with soft tones , allowing each event to create its own color scheme .
48 HOTELS January / February 2012 www . hotelsmag . com