WATG.com Blog

Timeless in Thailand

(Chris Singer) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:41:10 PST

Investigating the locale for a potential project, I visited the Maruekatayawan Palace, constructed in 1923 by His Majesty King Rama VI, in Hua Hin, Thailand.

A stunning building ... more than a building … a guided perambulation through a tropical garden, a careful selection of vistas, a cool sea breeze on a heavy afternoon.

Envisaged by a King as a place to 'fully relax, in great comfort', realised by a travelling Italian architect, constructed by local craftsmen – the parallels with our current design process struck me.

Recyclable, minimal, prefabricated materials … a refined and modern response to a climate and an ideal.

There is so much to inspire our contemporary design of 'places to relax' through continuity with times passed.

A Blog About Blogs

(Howard J. Wolff) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:17:58 PST

When WATG launched a blog three years ago, we were among the first architecture and design firms in the world to embrace this medium.

While most company blogs in existence today...

WATG Project - Olivion Golf Resort in Turkey - Makes CNN

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:38:20 PST

It's really satisfying to see one of our most interesting jobs, with such a great client—Haluk Kaya, covered on CNN

WATG Wins Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award!

Fri, 21 May 2010 13:34:24 PST

"And this year's winner of the Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award...Mosaic by WATG"

WATG Joins Hospitality Design's Platinum Circle

Thu, 20 May 2010 10:07:13 PST

Last night, WATG was honored at HD Expo at the Venetian in Las Vegas for 65 years of service. We are now part of Hospitality Design's prestigious Platinum Circle. Here are my remarks I gave after receiving the honor on behalf of the firm.

Notes from 2010 HD Expo: Green Day Panel

Tue, 18 May 2010 15:26:52 PST

Raj Chandnani, Director of Strategy, and Rhonda Rasmussen, Vice President and Director of Interior Design, on the Green Day panel.

WATG Wins Big!

Thu, 06 May 2010 15:21:31 PST

The awards includes excellence in quality construction and design of new and remodeled, residential, kitchen & bath, commercial, landscape, public works, and historical projects.

St. Regis Princeville won the Overall Grand Award for Commercial Renovation

Marriot Ko Olina Beach Club won the Overall Grand Award for New Commercial

Kahala Hotel & Resort won the Grand Award for Commercial Renovation under 5,000 square feet

HD Expo: It's Almost Here!

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:26:24 PST

Six months and 23 days, that's how long it has been since we found out we had won the first USGBC Sustainable Suite Competition! Now with the Hospitality Design Expo just 3½ weeks away, we are making sure all the pieces are in place for our Haptik suite to come to life. We're putting together our final check lists and marking items off every day as the show gets closer.

Reclaimed wood headboard…check, outdoor garden balcony…check, eucalyptus sheets…check, walls…check!

We have been working closely with USGBC to make sure this is a success for everyone. On May 19th, WATG and IDEO will unveil their winning design at the Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas, NV for all to see. This isn't just another model room, it's an experience. If you will be attending the HD Expo, please visit the Haptik Suite and discover all the subtle nuances of sustainability enveloped in luxury. Also be sure to check out our many gracious vendors and sponsors that helped make this a reality with their donations of sustainable products.

After the HD Expo, the Haptik Suite will be moved to a more permanent location at the College of Southern Nevada.

My Volcano Ash Story: travel overland from Italy

(Melanie Richards) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:13:35 PST

After a client presentation in northern Italy last Thursday, travelling back to Pisa airport, Sadie, executive assistant in London rang me to tell me I was going nowhere fast and certainly not back to London. But she managed after a lot of hassle to book me a nice hotel and I waited...

Two days later I was sitting in my Pisa hotel dining room wondering how much longer I would be there (the travel agents weren't optimistic!) when I noticed that the people at the next table spoke English. Pretty soon we got talking - like me they were also 'stuck' after a week's Italian language course.

'Why don't we rent a bus and drive back to UK?' I suggested.

Within minutes most of the diners, overhearing our conversation and likewise 'stuck', mobbed us. All potential passengers. We had doctors from a conference on schizophrenia in Florence, biologists from a workshop in Pisa, families on holiday and a few business people making a group of over 40 including 6 kids. Within 4 hours, thanks to my Italian speaking friends, we had our bus with 2 drivers and, in the end, 35 of us departed at 4am the following morning for Calais leaving a number of disappointed people behind. Not enough space for everyone. We drove through the glorious northern Italian and French Alps and up past Lyon. 20 hours later, after 3 10 minute 'comfort stops' (no time to eat so we carried food with us), we had arrived at Calais. Although we missed our ferry booking, the coach was much s..l..o..w..e..r than anticipated, we were able to get on the last midnight ferry to Dover.

Although exhausting we made it!

I met great people.
It was relatively inexpensive - only euro 150 each - and a real adventure!

Green Means Go; But We Haven't Gotten Very Far

(Howard J. Wolff) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:07:56 PST

Despite the lodging industry's well-meaning efforts to go green - and to tell the world about it - we've barely made a dent to date.

Check out the recently released 147-page CMI Green Traveler Survey Report. Based on a survey of 4,109 adults throughout the United States, the study focuses exclusively on the 1,736 respondents who consider themselves to be "extremely" or "very" eco-conscious and who took at least one overnight vacation in the past year. That's a population that is likely to be educated about the concept of sustainability and open to hearing your message.

Janice Goes to Washington

(Janice Li) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:15:02 PST

I was fortunate to travel to Washington DC a few weeks ago for AIA's 2010 Grassroots Annual Leadership and Legislative Conference. I was there to represent the Pacific Northwest Region's Young Architects Forum (YAF), whose focus this year is to set up a mentoring program.

Value is Invaluable

(Howard J. Wolff) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:34:54 PST

For even the wealthy traveler, value will be a top priority in the coming years. The fact that consumer spending, even on sale items, will continue to be replaced by a reason-to-buy at all, spells trouble for brands with no authentic meaning, whether high-end or low.
"People want value for their money in every single market," according to Ralph Toledano, chairman and CEO of Chloé in Paris, as quoted in The Wall Street Journal. Affluent travelers will be looking for an optimal price/quality balance when they are selecting their luxury vacation destination.

Microsoft is Paralleling WATG

(Jim Balding) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:40:10 PST

The TED video below shows Blaise Aguera y Arcas of Microsoft demonstrating the new Bing Maps capabilities. The three technologies he demonstrates are SeaDragon (Deep Zoom), Photosynth and augmented reality. All three are technologies that WATG has been researching or is currently using. Beyond that he mentions "Live Dynamic Mapping" that uses live video feeds in the geo-spacial space.

Bling Has Blung: High-end hospitality trends

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:39:01 PST

Luxury hospitality has been hit harder by the worldwide financial disruption than any other segments of the hotel business. According to Mark Lomanno of STR , it may rebound the quickest, but it has the farthest to go.

While all indications are that affluent travelers will indeed return, what they will be hoping to find in the hotels and resorts they visit will have morphed in a number of subtle ways. Shifting perceptions about luxury will account for changes that we are already seeing in high-end hospitality design.

Finally - A Sigh of Relief

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:08:44 PST

It took just under a year after the property opened but at the end of January, we received word posted on our USGBC project site that Bardessono had completed the final certification review and was being awarded Platinum certification. Talk about wanting to turn cartwheels in the office and scream FINALLY! What a relief. I have to say, the review process was challenging, interesting and stressful towards the end. We ran into a few hiccups – having to issue clarifications, reissuing information that the review team had received yet we believe was lost at some point. Checking and rechecking – dotting I’s and crossing T’s. During that time in the back of my mind I thought – what if we miss this and receive LEED Gold – do we write Highest Amount Gold Points Achieved below the plaque? Missed it by ONE point? No – that wouldn’t do. In the end, the perseverance of a dedicated design team along with a determined owner/client paid off. Bardessono is an excellent product and I understand it’s faring well despite the economy. Guests are impressed and have returned. I’d do it all again, in a heartbeat.

Seattle to Mumbai and Back (the sequel)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:16:05 PST

On a recent trip to Mumbai again earlier this month, Nick Poynton and Stephen Albert (from our WATG London office) and I attended the HIFI conference (Hotel Investment Forum India) at the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Centre 12-14 January. It was a “networking-fest” for hotel executives, investors, lenders and developers who are interested in doing business in one of the world’s hottest markets – India.

Tiantong Temple

(Mary Suenaga) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:54:29 PST

For our next project inspiration, Mrs. Feng Lin and Mr. Wang Feng of the New Century Real Estate Group escorted me to the Tiantong Temple (the temple of the heavenly child), which is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Taibai Mountain in Ningbo, China.

Russian Style: Nouveau Riche or Old News?

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:57:34 PST

Conde Nast Traveler magazine recently had a big feature on Russia today, and in a sidebar discusses the country’s stereotypical penchant for over-the-top style. This is my take on the notion that Russia is all about bling:

Fastest Project: Jaypee Greens Sports City

(Melanie Richards) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:40:32 PST

We were speeding through Delhi in darkness on our way to the airport. After a busy and successful trip to see our Jaypee Sports clients, we were enjoying some relaxation before a long flight home. Suddenly we looked up and saw not one huge banner high across the road advertising the launch of a new Jaypee residential development, the Lake District, but two or three in close succession. These were advertising phase one of the new Jaypee Greens Sports City, a city that we had just finished master planning. Already our client had engaged architects, designed residential apartment blocks and was marketing it ready to sell it off plan.

Observations of a Design-Focused Denmark

(Shanna Patel) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:29:15 PST

On my way back from our London office recently, I stopped in Denmark for the first time to visit some friends. It was an amazing experience and another example of how much we can learn when we travel to other cultures.

Master Plan Workshop in Bahrain

(Lale Lisya Sullam) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:21:23 PST

John Goldwyn and I went to Bahrain for a master planning workshop last week. This photo was taken at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain, where from this perspective the natural salt water lake is already colonized by native species and flamingos. We are also envisioning a large, extensive wetland body to provide habitat for wildlife, scrub grey water and to also increase the value of the real estate adjacent for our coastal front development in West Bahrain.

Giaphat Signing Ceremony

(Cynthia Jacobs) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:36:16 PST

Earlier this month, Tom Williams, Jason Van Bruaene and I traveled to Vietnam for an official "signing ceremony" for a sport and recreation complex. Held in a Hanoi hotel in front of approximately 150 guests, the festive occasion was highlighted by a WATG presentation by Tom and myself, a string quartet, Vietnamese opera singers and confetti falling from the ceiling! Giaphat Finance and Investment had selected the Seattle office of WATG to master plan a 35-hectare complex at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park. The Hi-Tech Park is a 1586-hectare "Science City" development located west of Hanoi and will eventually become part of Hanoi City. It is expected to have a population of approximately 200,000. The program for the sport and recreation complex also calls for a five-star hotel and botanical garden.

St. Regis Princeville's Fine Dining Opening Gala

(Rashana Zaklit) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:50:21 PST

As Rhonda Rasmussen, Raj Chandnani and I prepared for the St. Regis Princeville Kauai Grill grand opening last week, I was excited and looked forward to coordinating two separate gala events.

The first occurred on Thursday, November 19th, the Grand Opening of the Kauai Grill Restaurant which included media, clients, regional representatives, and of course world renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten who was on Kauai to train his staff to present his famous Asian inspired cuisine. We spent several hours prior to the event making detailed lists and photographing the entire fine dining restaurant, and made notes of adjustments that needed to occur.

After adding a few final touches we got ready and joined close to 100 guests for a cocktail event to introduce and showcase the restaurant. We learned first-hand the difference between Kauai's "resort chic" wear and our own interpretation of it. Let me tell you our group was in the minority.

Friday, began with a "meet the press" breakfast where our own Rhonda gave tours and spoke to the history behind this renovation as well as the local historical stories behind the artwork chosen and displayed throughout the space. Once again we spent time to “set the mood” for the evening’s event which would be more elaborate than the previous.

At 6 PM that evening, champagne was served outside while we watched a breathtaking sunset. Inside, I experienced several different perceptions of the design of the restaurant and the local community’s view of the 3rd renovation of the Princeville property.

Representatives from "Food and Wine", "Travel and Leisure", "Forbes" and several local Hawaiian publications stopped by many times to give their feedback on the resort, take pictures, and interview our team on our design vision. Comments were extremely positive and re-enforced how appropriate the design was to Kauai, its people and culture. The general consensus was that WATG's vision and execution kept the focus on the views of the hotel and culture that this hotel has to offer.

Although this was a social event, it represented another aspect of a designer's job description: to continue to sell our product and hospitality expertise beyond the drawing table. Each of us were seated with a different group of people by the event coordinator to ensure we were mingling and getting the most out of the evening (I have a strong feeling Raj was most responsible for this mandatory interaction!). It worked. We not only met with the media, we also got to interact with the local community. I met with local restaurant owners of Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant, who have both lived in Kauai since the early 80's, and they both expressed that St. Regis is the best they have seen of the resort. The evening ended with speeches given by the general manager and chef Jean-Georges both continuing to give kudos to our team.

After all the interviews, tours, and reviewing the entire property we left feeling great accomplishment for creating a space that paid homage to the local culture and maintained what our company stands for: creating luxurious, comfortable, destinations while maintaining the thoughtfulness and genuine aesthetic that compliment Kauai.

How Suite It Is!

(Krystal Solorzano) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:47:02 PST

Here is a behind-the-scenes glance into how we won the first-ever USGBC Sustainable Suite design competition.

17 July 2009: WATG officially kicked off its collaboration with innovation firm IDEO with a fresh look at the hotel guest experience. The team began its research by staying one night in different hotels and observing the human behavior of other guests within the public spaces as well as their own behavior as they interacted with and utilized the guestrooms. IDEO sent each team member a booklet in advance to gather and organize their findings...

Hotel renovation window still open but may be closing soon

(Howard J. Wolff) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:11:41 PST

A compelling reason to renovate now is that construction prices have declined significantly following a 30-year rise. Saving money in labor and materials can increase the internal rate of return for any hotel renovation projects that are being contemplated … and have bottom-line benefits. But, as they say on TV, "Hurry, this offer won't last."

As reported in Rider Levett Buchnall's quarterly cost report , construction costs in the US declined for the fourth consecutive quarter, but the rate of decline has diminished considerably. Whereas in the first quarter of 2009, prices dropped in many cities by an average of seven percent, recent reductions in labor and materials (as well as overhead and profit) have leveled off to a single percentage point.

The data suggest that builders are unlikely to make additional deep cuts to their already tightened margins, even as workload projections remain pessimistic. In other words, if you're a hotel owner, operator or asset manager who has been deferring maintenance or waiting to renovate until prices go down even further, this is as good as it's going to get.

Act now.

Cash for Conservation

(Howard J. Wolff) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:27 PST

I recently spoke on a panel at The Lodging Conference in Phoenix on the subject of "Practical Green Concepts in Design, Construction and Conservation Practices." The session moderator, John Scaggs of HVS Eco Services, noted that we have the technology to monitor energy and water usage in individual hotel rooms. If we can do that, why not provide an incentive to guests to conserve resources by letting them know at check-out how their usage compared to the average and offering them a rebate if they used less water and electricity.

The Hotel Renovation Paradox

(Howard J. Wolff) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:42:35 PST

When times are good, hotel owners don't want to impact revenues by taking rooms out of circulation and embarking on a renovation program. Paradoxically, today, poorly performing properties in need of a facelift lack the necessary revenue to do anything about it.

Alas, a Catch-22: If your property is making money, you don't feel the need to renovate. But when occupancies are down and you feel the need, you don't have the money to renovate.

So, when is a good time to renovate?

John F. Kennedy once said, "The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining." In terms of the economic climate, these are cloudy times at best (even stormy, in many locations). So, what can a hotel owner do today who is strapped for cash?

Find some money. Invest in capital expenditures and make decisions with an eye on ROI. (http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx?ArticleId=1565&ArticleType=1&PageType=Latest)

WATG has coined the term "RevPAD" to refer to the impact that creativity can have on a hotel's top- and bottom line: Revenue Per Amazing Design.

The most obvious advantage of renovating in this environment is cost savings. Now is the first time in the 30 years I've been in the business that construction costs have actually come down. Historically, they have gone up steadily, if not sharply. Today, in many parts of the world, costs are down by over 10% from just six months ago. According to statistics compiled by Rider Levett Buchnall (http://www.americas.rlb.com/documents/cost/reports/2009_q2_qcr.pdf), construction costs in cities like Denver and Seattle declined by as much as 8% in the first quarter of 2009 alone.

A second advantage: When business is slow and occupancies are down, there is less disruption to guests and less impact on cash flow from operations. On top of that, construction can proceed more quickly, and property owners can get the word out that their hotel is newly renovated and open for business.

Properties that have been newly renovated will be in the best position to restore and/or raise rates and increase occupancies. Hotels that defer needed maintenance and refurbishment and wait until times are better will miss being able to take full advantage of the inevitable upturn.
When planning a trip, travelers seek out hotels and resorts that are either new or newly renovated. Data from a study conducted by STR and Hospitality Advisors LLC shows that, over a five-year period, revenues for renovated properties increase at three-and-a-half times the rate of un-renovated properties.

Bottom line: Hard times are good times to prepare for better times.

Canstruction this Saturday!

(Sean Sih-Young Jeon) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:18:21 PST

We have our design ready.

Our cans were just delivered to Pearlridge Center.

Our build team has been practicing all week.

We're all set to go!

If you're in the area, please stop by Pearlridge this Saturday, 15 August, with cans of food and “vote” for our entry by filling our shopping cart. I can’t reveal what we’re building, but I can promise that it will be uniquely Hawaiian.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many companies for supporting our team and making it possible for us to participate in this event benefitting the Hawaii Food Bank:

Ayson HI, LLC
Bays Deaver Lung Rose Holma
The Chong Group LLC
Design Studio
Orient Travel, Inc.

And special thanks to Safeway for their tremendous support!

What Can We Learn from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts?

(Howard J. Wolff) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:52:04 PST

The story of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is a tale of remarkable expansion, continual innovation, and a single-minded dedication to the highest of standards. WATG has had the pleasure of designing a dozen built Four Seasons properties around the world, including the recently-opened Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita.

Despite their stellar reputation, Four Seasons has not been immune to the troubles that luxury hoteliers are experiencing in these economically turbulent times. As everyone struggles to emerge from this downturn, we can learn something from Four Seasons in terms of their uncompromising commitment to maintaining the service, quality and culture that distinguish their brand.

Isadore (Issy) Sharp, founder, chairman and chief executive officer, wrote a book this year entitled "Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy." MSNBC.com's Christopher Elliott sat down with Sharp to learn more about the book, and to get his take on the historic downturn in the lodging industry. The interview - and the book - are worth a read. There are lessons in it for all of us.

Architecture Blog: Incorporating Innovative and Immersive Technologies: Changing the Art of Design

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:47:21 PST

It seems that everywhere you look, the economic downturn has affected everything: not enough work to go around, low morale, and generally bad vibes everywhere. Call me an optimist, but I think there is a sliver of a silver lining here. This is a time for reflection, a time for vision, a time for planning. When we do rebound, what will have changed for good, and how will we have to react in the new economy?