F & B : DINING ROOM DESIGN
for the Jackson Hole Area Collection , which includes Hotel Terra and Inn at Jackson Hotel in addition to Teton Mountain Lodge . “ Offering a new , contemporary and fresh perspective on the rustic western aesthetic was a goal of Spur .”
Edge restaurant at Niyama Maldives
DINING ESCAPES
Manhattan may be miles away from the coasts of Italy , but diners at Mondrian SoHo ’ s Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar can still enjoy the feeling of the Amalfi Coast , the Italian Riviera and Sicily . “ We thought it would be a great escape to have a beautiful garden sanctuary in the middle of SoHo ,” explains Verena Haller , lead designer at Morgans Hotel Group , New York City , which operates Mondrian SoHo . “ The overall design aesthetic is intended to evoke the feeling one gets while dining al fresco in Italy .”
After guests pass through an iron-framed entrance with an outdoor garden , wooden benches and a porch swing , the greenhouse dining space features glass walls and roof , chandeliers and a hanging glass sculpture . SoBou at W New Orleans – French Quarter also promises to transport diners to another place reminiscent of the city ’ s history and legends . Designer nemaworkshop , New York City , created a space that recalls an apothecary as it speaks to the cocktail , said to
aims to reflect its surroundings in a literal sense . “ The idea was to create a glass box that would ‘ disappear ,’” explains Kevin Lein , senior director and design and project services director for Per Aquum , Niyama Maldives ’ management company . “ We kept the restaurant itself as a clean
SoBou at W New Orleans – French Quarter recalls an apothecary with walls clad in bottles from floor to ceiling as well as illuminated apothecary cases filled with cocktail glasses , tools and shakers .
originate in New Orleans . Walls are clad in bottles , and illuminated apothecary cases filled with vintage and unique cocktail glasses , tools and shakers divide the space . The main dining room also features two large brass light fixtures recalling the flared end of a trumpet — paying homage to New Orleans as the birthplace of jazz .
“ Guests are interested in more narrative-driven spaces ,” says Anurag Nema , principal , nemaworkshop . “ We see that dining rooms are getting more casual and louder . People crave a high-energy place .”
Vincent Chih-Chieh Chin simple box and let the amazing landscape be the feature .”
The over-water restaurant is essentially an island unto itself . Mirror surfaces on its back wall reflect the surrounding environment , and FF & E details also incorporate a reflective chrome finish . Even the color palette of black , white and chrome with dark blue accents is designed to recede into the background and reflect the surroundings , Lein notes , while one of the restaurant ’ s most popular dining areas — the outdoor deck — required almost no design at all . “ It ’ s simple yet naturally modern , and it ’ s where everyone sits — dining under the stars and open sky ,” Lein says .
Sometimes local sourcing for a project becomes an imperative . Due to ever-changing legislation concerning imports to Argentina , all design materials for Elena at Four Seasons Buenos Aires had to be procured within the country — handcrafted leather wall tiles , antique furniture with both English and French influences from nearby flea markets and even carpet for the private dining room , crafted from local wools in a gaucho-like pattern .
Although the process was arduous at times , Sondra Law of San Rafael , California-based EDG Interior Architecture + Design , which oversaw Elena ’ s design , highlights an auxiliary benefit : “ Chances were if we designed the restaurant with respect to the local culture and manufacturing capabilities the result would be a design that was cost-effective due to limited requirements in shipping and sourcing materials .”
Smart strategies Hotels are finding a number of strategies to keep dining room design as cost-effective as possible . Sometimes it ’ s a matter of repurposing what was already there — for Proof , Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North used chairs from the space ’ s previous restaurant and had them refinished , stained and reupholstered . Plus , in lieu of painting or wallpaper , the restaurant ’ s walls feature large sheets of corrugated metal , which in addition to being cost-effective contribute to the
46 HOTELS January / February 2013 www . hotelsmag . com