DESIGN
-suite renovation , the goal was to weave the DNA of The Dorchester within through traditional British colors and a slightly eccentric atmosphere while creating a residential experience for guests , to
An Executive Park View Room . feel they are staying in the comfort of their private apartments . Throughout the corridor and guestrooms , VISTO ’ s selection of contemporary furniture blends seamlessly with watercolor paintings , many of whom had strong ties to the hotel from the 1930s to the present day . Previously , the guestrooms and suites featured little to no natural light , so we brought a light and fresh perspective to the design through pastel colors . The guestrooms feature three different color combinations : yellow and blue , pink and green and green and beige . In the spirit of the British interior , we also played with mixing stripes and floral patterns for an eclectic layering of textures and colors .
A Belgravia Suite .
HOTELS : It ’ s an iconic , older hotel — were there any design challenges that had to be overcome ? Mabon : There are always challenges with a complex equation like The Dorchester , which has a heritage to preserve though it requires renovation . Conceptually , there was a challenge in creating new volume in the space while preserving certain decorative elements . That was especially true for the lobby where the work required that we modify the facade of the building to bring in more light and that we demolish the mezzanine level . Another challenge was in creating the mirrored ceiling in the Crystal Bar and to have it appended to the existing ceiling . We also felt it was important to bring more natural light and freshness to the public areas , so the guests would have a sense of renewal when they walked into the hotel .
We wanted to ensure that while we made several updates and modern touches for the guests , that we preserved The Dorchester ’ s legacy . It was a challenge to renovate beautiful new spaces , while weaving in historic details of the previous spaces that guests have loved for decades .
HOTELS : How much input did the hotel ’ s owner and Dorchester Collection have ? Mabon : Christopher Cowdray , the CEO of Dorchester Collection , has been involved in the process as he really cared about bringing
78 hotelsmag . com Jul / Aug 2023