DESIGN : HOTEL BEL-AIR
Indoors and outdoors Much of Hotel Bel-Air ’ s uniqueness can be traced to its surroundings , which play a huge part in its new look . “ You really feel separate from Los Angeles ,” Sullivan notes . “ It really has this special character of checking into — not a hotel — but a beautiful garden residence .”
Kastl says the design always deferred to the hotel ’ s gardens , through fabrics in the colors of the camellias , hydrangeas and bougainvillea on the grounds or a custom embroidery pattern
based on the property ’ s various floral varieties . He adds that in the hotel ’ s 103 guestrooms and suites , terra cotta floors were upgraded to custom limestone and carried out onto the patios to connect indoors and outdoors .
That connection also is evident in Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air — the restaurant serving modern California cuisine with European and Mediterranean influences — that now features an indoor / outdoor patio with windows that open to the terrace . Sullivan highlights other details such as carpet with an abstracted topiary pattern and a fireplace modeled on an outdoor hearth in a Spanish home that serves as the restaurant ’ s centerpiece . “ It gestures back to being outdoors at a beautiful residential estate in front of a fire ,” he says .
Challenges and opportunities Hotel Bel-Air has not been without challenges as part of the renovation process . Following the sudden departure of former general manager Tim Lee prior to the reopening , the
Designers paid particular attention to bathrooms , which aim to provide guests with the most luxurious amenities , finishes and technology possible .
The new Spa by La Prairie boasts a Couples Room with embroidered silk wallpaper .
The Chalon Suite — one of seven individually designed specialty suites — features a modern classic design that hearkens back to the 1940s .
www . hotelsmag . com January / February 2012 HOTELS 49