Blog Category: Interiors

I recently traveled to Koh Samui, Thailand and couldn't resist the opportunity to visit three popular boutique hotels. Here's a review of the hotels I visited.

W Retreat Koh Samui:
73 Rooms, 19 residences
Almost 2 years old
Designed by Singapore based MAPS Design Studio
Interiors by P49, Thailand

True to W-style, the hotel is stylish with accents of Thailand in the materials used. It was quiet and honestly a bit empty for a hotel that targets the younger generation, perhaps due to seasonality. A W insider (that is what they call a their staff) was nice enough to show us around and answer our questions. He mentioned that most guests were happy with their stay although some preferred the resort be more family friendly.

Hansar Samui:
74 Rooms
Almost 2 years old
Lobby and common areas Architecture: Suchate Ingsudhum,
Landscaping : Pajitpong Pongsivapai
The open air interior design was by the Inside Out Design Company of Bangkok.

Hansar took me by surprise as a small, well-managed hotel. The interiors were modern but most elements were done with local materials such as bamboo and wood. The rooms all feature sea views and have an open toilet concept. The hotel only has one restaurant but it's good enough to satisfy any food critic. The pool is always seemed to be surrounded by guests and its location at the end of the Bo Phat beach makes it a convenient yet quiet location.

The Library:
26 suite/studio cabins
Member of Design Hotels
Architecture and Interiors: Tirawan Songsawat.

As a member of Design Hotels, The Library is located on the busiest tourism stretch of beach in Koh Samui. Immediately upon entering, the minimalistic style of the hotel brings a sense of peace and calm. The rooms are organized by stacking one room on top of another. The feeling of the space is more residential than hotel due to the layout and the density. The "red" pool anchors the end towards the beach, together with its fitness, restaurant and recreation area, which looks a lot like an Apple store. The Library brings an interesting take on hotels to Koh Samui, but lacks a "sense of place" in general.

A few weeks ago, Tiffany Lee and I participated in the Niu Valley Middle School's annual career day.  Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students attended two sessions that introduced them to possible career choices. Tiffany and I represented architecture and interior design.

During the first part of our session we discussed the roles of architects and designers. The second half was spent with an activity.  Students were asked to create bubble diagrams of their dream house and present their ideas.  A few students went beyond the assignment and developed floor plans with features such as: sunken living rooms, barrier walls, water slides and hidden passages.  Here are a few photos from our day.

At the airport after another invigorating day in Shanghai. Yesterday I delighted in the underground market exploration, similar to night markets but all underground. I made many friends through long negotiations. It's interesting how you slowly get moved from one room into another secret chamber as secret walls suddenly pivot and open up to slimy alleyways scattered with garbage and scurrying rats, and then into yet another layer of secret rooms; it's a bit scary being a woman who's alone, but also an adventure to remember... in retrospect, a bit too adventurous.

It was a relief going to Peninsula Hotel's luxurious shopping arcade with well-dressed security guards everywhere, and best of all, it was so wonderfully chilled! Not quite in my budget, but very elegant… nobody except security guards around; how do these luxury retail stores stay in business? The High Tea Lounge at the Peninsula is elegant and sophisticated, but has no view of the Bund. It looked somewhat similar to the High Tea Lounge at the Peninsula Hong Kong in Kowloon, but lacked the ambiance and inhabitation of guests as it was empty both times I went there.

After, I took a cab to the Xintiandi area, which is filled with charming old brick buildings, narrow side alleys, a rich variety of restaurants and small stores flanked by large shopping center with new and upcoming Chinese fashion designers on level 1. Relaxing while sweltering in the sticky heat, but fulfilled by inhaling such a wonderful quaint ambiance, I could definitely imagine opening a satellite office there...

After checking out of Les Suite Oriente Hotel, I took a cab to my next hotel: the Waterhouse Hotel. I must admit this alternative unusual boutique hotel is a rather intriguing and a very different experience. The building is a former army warehouse which has been roughly renovated--patched concrete walls and floors, narrow winding concrete stairs and remnants of old tile overlaid with quotes of famous writers. It has only 19 rooms, all with some sort of peek-a-boo or exhibitionist effects: reflecting shutters and/or large windows between public areas and guest rooms. My room was extremely small, with large windows along the 2 sides. One large window was facing the courtyard with controlled views and open mirrored shutters to some guest rooms and public areas across the narrow courtyard; the other turned out to face directly into the neighboring guest room some 4 feet across a narrow void, and the void further connected a peak into the lounge bar one floor below.  Fortunately, drapery could control the limit of exposure.

Dinner was served on a long communal table at the hotel restaurant Table No.1, a small but amazing restaurant serving the most delicious taste sensations I have had for years. The restaurant consisted of 3 small 2-person tables and 4 long communal tables for 12 guests each with vintage Scandinavian furniture. This place is all about family style (sharing dishes); unfortunately, I had nobody to share with, but each dish was such an amazing tantalizing taste and ingredient combination: pate with truffles, scallops and a tiny dollop of black bean/vinegar reduction as appetizer, a main dish of sea bass dripped with a soy sprinkle, topped with smoked oysters, and dessert of mixed fresh berries (yes, raspberries...) with a raspberry reduction and green tea/lemon/tarragon sorbet sprinkled with edible flowers. The meal was a visual delight, a sensory feast, to be remembered. Very small servings make each bite extra special, and people-watching/listening is quite intriguing when dining by yourself.

Heavenly satisfied, I ventured upstairs through a series of narrow, chipped old winding concrete stairs with peeks to some guestrooms to the roof terrace, which turned out to be a very romantic rooftop lounge: an amazing location with the skyline of Shanghai and the black river dotted with brightly lit tour boats as backdrop. Soft candle lighting just barely lighting the lounge, it took a while to adjust to the dark but satiated experience. Corten steel bar and sunken maze-like small lounge pockets interlaced with herbal gardens for the restaurant enhance the views and create intriguing layered experiences. No wonder the food tasted so fresh at table #1! The sky was softly hazy and steamy hot, which added to the sensual layer of mystery and drama. It would be such a romantic place to have a cocktail with someone special! I seemed a bit out of sync being there by myself… after mentally recording the special experience, I ventured back down to the lounge to peruse Shanghai lifestyle magazines and books, lounging alone in an eclectic mix of retro Scandinavian furniture from the sixties blended with some over scale eclectic, modern accessories, while my favorite Blue Bar music was playing.

This morning I ventured into Old Shanghai Street, which is a very crowded Chinese tourist area. The smell of incense from a couple of old temples next to the entrances layered the already hazy air. I spotted narrow, colorful alleys with all kinds of Chinese artifacts--a wonderful visual feast for the eyes. Holding tight to my purse zipper, I tried to photograph them, but it was difficult as it was too crowded and hazy. A zigzag bridge leading across a koi fish garden was a popular photo point but too crowded to try and explore. Hawkers try to lead you upstairs to their pearl and jade stores, and probably to more obscure places if you are looking for purses. Different massage places offer exotic treatments such as hot wax ear massage, glass cupping and a Japanese-style massage where they lightly beat you with bundles of bamboo sticks. Not enough time to explore these offerings… it's time to head back to the hotel prior to going to the airport. Next stop: Guangzhou… the Hengqinwan Hotel.

Shanghai opened my eyes to an intriguing city so rich in history, yet booming and vibrant. What a great opportunity to explore the world while designing resorts! I just wish I had someone special with me to share the experiences. Writing them down will help me remember the special moments and maybe share them with special friends and colleagues.

With a few days forewarning, I recently found myself one Monday morning sitting on a 757 at LAX bound for JFK, instead of my normal commute from University Drive to Alton. Was it really Monday morning? A work day?  What about the staff meeting? Thank God I turned my timesheet in on Friday. After surviving the security line and baggage carousel, I was magically transported to the tenth floor of a charming hotel room at 60 Thompson Street, NYC. I found a comfy chair next to the window of my room where I enjoyed a chicken salad and chamomile tea. Monday night? Really? As I looked out the window at the water tower, fire escapes and city skyline, I felt like it must be someone else occupying my body. It didn’t look anything like my home but I immediately felt at home.

I woke up energized and excited to navigate on foot to 75 Spring Street to see David, Margaret and their new digs! My brisk walk from 60 Thompson to 75 Spring felt like I was walking on the streets of a charming European city. I was surprised when the Starbucks Barrista said good morning instead of guten morgen or bonjour.

As the elevator opened into Wimberly Interiors, I was met with a welcoming hug by David, who gave me a tour of the beautiful space and quickly connected my laptop to our familiar intranet site Pete Street. One by one, I met the NY team as the morning unfolded. It was interesting to me that not one person drove a car to work. I loved my bright temporary NY workspace! The cubicle partitions are about one foot shorter than those in Irvine--providing separation yet good visibility to the windows + the team. The bright whites and oranges seemed to give off an energy of their own. I was also amazed by how quickly I felt at home with the team, who I now call my NY family. Amazingly, my three days there were very much like sitting in Irvine and very much the "Wimberly Way" I have known and loved for over 30 years … talent and energy galore! Thanks to our IS team, I actually was productive, at times, bouncing back and forth between our NY and Irvine computer worlds.

Before I knew it, three days of work (along with great food) had come to an end. I did not have time to see more than a half-mile of the actual city, but driving back to JFK, I was amazed to see how close the office and hotel are to the World Trade Center Memorial as it unfolded directly in front of the car for a minute or two, followed next by Lady Liberty with the sun on her head and fog at her feet  … a perfect ending to a short trip + a reality check as to where I was and had been for a week -- really.

The major lesson I learned was the tremendous benefit of working day-to-day + face-to-face.  Priceless, actually.  I feel most fortunate and blessed to have been given this opportunity, especially meeting the NY team.  Thanks to all my WATG/Wimberly Interiors family who made this experience possible + unforgettable.

Wow, it has been hectic and exhausting, but also exhilarating! Shanghai is quite fascinating--now I understand why so many artists and writers moved here in the early 1920's. The Bund, the name of the river, has a stunning wide, elevated river walk with a spectacular view similar to Hong Kong on the Kowloon side but is so much more beautiful and engaging: full of people and families with their kids, even late at night. Beautiful buildings in Neoclassical or Art Deco style with 5-star hotels/high-end retail or government agencies flank the Bund on one side, while the other side has an amazing mixture of bustling high-rise buildings with animated lighting that are constantly trying to outdo each other.

On Tuesday we researched 12 hotels which would be competitors for our new hotel and then took the bullet train to Nanjing. Nanjing is said to be a beautiful city, but all we saw was a hotel and our client's high-tech office headquarters in a business park across from the hotel. The day was filled with multiple presentations before we headed back by train to Shanghai, with client meetings till 10:00pm. Just before midnight we checked into the Waldorf-Astoria, an old grand neoclassical hotel along the Bund. Such a treat, luxury can become so addicting.....sophisticated and stylish pampering. The old building used to be a gentlemen's club--a large new addition was designed in a more contemporary Neoclassical style.

This morning consisted of more hotel research in a charming area consisting of old Shanghai-style brick houses with narrow alley ways turned into chic restaurants and retail--so relaxing and different. Lunch at Shanghai Tang cafe: soy and chili marinated jellyfish with fungus as the appetizer--about as strange and exotic to taste as it sounds--chewy and spicy... We have a design workshop this afternoon with a client and are anxiously waiting for new ideas to finalize all vertical circulation and area locations. We need to resolve all circulation within a few days as the structural engineers are to complete DD drawings within 10 days and they are to start construction in two weeks. The concept design ideas were approved and it is exciting to move forward with this fashion-inspired boutique hotel mixing contemporary hip and cool interiors with a new Art Deco exterior along a narrower river Bund.

It's 10:30 PM, I just moved all my heavy luggage (not all clothing… mostly work samples!) to another hotel, Les Suites Oriente, along the Bund to continue the hotel research--much tighter accommodations, but the bath tub centered at the window overlooking an amazing angular view of the Bund with views to both sides of the river is a unique experience. The bath tub has a headrest but I'm not quite sure if I'm ready for the exposure. The toilet has a phenomenal view as well, yet there's no view from the bedroom; the interiors all have Scandinavian classics blended in as furniture.

Tomorrow is Saturday and I am so ready to relax, explore Xintiandi, a charming old Shanghai-style area, possibly delight in some retail therapy, sip tea at one of the cozy cafes, and explore a bustling underground market with all the designer wares imaginable while holding on tightly to my purse and negotiating with my limited Mandarin language skills. It all seems so fun, passionate and enduring.  After, I'll check out of my loo with a view to explore in depth an eclectic boutique hotel named the Waterhouse that's also on the Bund, but in an area that's barely developed. The hotel is small--19 rooms only, and designed in an old warehouse setting, again, with Scandinavian furnishings..., reminds me of my Danish roots. The hotel has a fabulous cafe with the most tasteful morsels, but one night only and then off to Guangzhou for 2 days of coordination meetings and then a design workshop in Hangzhou, which should be a beautiful city built around a lake that emperors used to bring their concubines to cool off. I forgot to mention it is about 96 degrees with very high humidity; sweat is dripping from my forehead, a melting sensation satiating and layering the exotic experience.

Time to count some Z's.

One of the joys of our line of work is that we get to combine our passion for travel with our work. When those two interests overlap on the same trip, it's even better. Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Shanghai for the fist time for a project. Not only was this a client presentation but it was also an opportunity to work across offices with the Singapore interiors team and the  interiors team in Irvine. Prior to our client presentation, Zia Hansen and I met up, booked a car for the day, and armed with a list of hotels, we set off to see what Shanghai has to offer. Alas, our driver did not speak English, so the concierge at hotel was kind enough to translate our 'wish list' so that the driver would know where to take us. This proved to be an adventure throughout the day, as the driver would take us to each location and it was not until we arrived that we knew which hotel we were visiting! We spent the day taking in about 10 hotels, looking at F+B outlets, taking in the vibe of the lobby, walking guest corridors, and when possible asking for room tours.

Our tour included well known brands like Marriott and St. Regis and newer players like Hotel Indigo. We even took in a small property called the Waterhouse that was very charming.

By far the most gracious was our tour of the Waldorf Astoria. Thru some contacts I was able to get an in depth personal tour of the property for us. We walked the hotel up and down, toured the rooms and suites, got to ride in the historic elevators (only operated by select trained staff) and see the famed Long Bar, located in the historic old gentleman club that the new hotel tower is attached to. It was a real treat to get an in depth perspective on a beautifully designed hotel.

Shanghai was thriving, full of energy, and a sight to see. The Bund lit up at night, is a thing of beauty, and the people gathered and walking along the expansive waterfront path is delightful. Across the river, in the Pudong, towering skyscrapers meet Vegas with lighting that illuminate the skyline in a kaleidoscope of LEDs.

In the end is was an exhausting but rewarding day spent learning about properties in the area and gaining insight in the city we would soon be putting our mark on.

The Honolulu office presents a bi-monthly lunch-and-learn program we call WATG-U. Each session builds upon previous presentations and keeps our designers, managers and technical staff engaged in lively conversations about contemporary design techniques and processes. It's a great opportunity to learn … without exams or papers! In this session, the legendary George Berean shares his experiences in working with Pete Wimberly and inspires all of us to think about how we approach design in this day and age.

I'm at the Global Spa Summit in Bali supporting our two Cornell Hotel Management students Sarah Widjaja and Saurabh Sud in the 'Profitable Spa Student Challenge' Four teams of students from Asian hotel schools are paired with design firms to submit entries. This year the theme was centred on profitability after previous years of 'fantasy' designs. Sarah and Suarab made a great presentation of their 'Theaven' spa concept, aimed at a younger market in the shopping malls of China's emerging cities. They created quite a buzz amongst the Spa professionals attending the summit.

12:29 PM - That's what time we finished the presentation for the Radical Innovation Competition due to some technical errors.

12:30 PM - When we walked on stage to give the presentation!

It's amazing what you can do when you are under pressure. Our team had little time to rehearse together, but we knew the project. After a little coaching, we knew we just had to get up there and show the audience how passionate we were about this concept and how it could impact the hospitality industry.

Our 10 minutes flew by, and I was back in my seat watching the other two finalists present their ideas. Both presentations were really great and the speakers were quite charismatic. When it came time for the final vote, I don't think anyone knew how it would turn out.
 
"This year's runner-up...Aircruise" (clapping, clapping)

"And this year's winner of the Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award...Mosaic by WATG" (loud girlish screams from the back and lots of clapping)

It took a minute for it to set in, and when it finally did they were placing a very large $10,000 check in our hands (no complaints there). All of our colleagues who were there were just as proud as we were to finally be bringing home the win after four years of being a finalist. The judges told us later that every year WATG has had amazing submissions and this year we finally hit it out of the park.

The team was Jerod Costner, Karen Mitri and me. Larry Rocha, Raj Chandnani, Robert Payan, and Mike Seyle (who built a model out of straws) acted as our advisors through the process. We also have to thank the WATG Irvine team for sharing their creative minds with us in our brainstorming sessions. This really was an office-wide effort and we couldn't have won it without them.

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 the remarks I gave after receiving the honor on behalf of the firm.

I am very honored to accept this award on behalf of all the talented designers and employees of WATG.

First, I would like to thank Hospitality Design for hosting this incredible annual conference and this Gala.  HD is major force in the industry and, in addition to fostering an amazing community, this conference teaches us the value of creating and innovating year-round.

So what is the secret to a design firm that prospers for 65 years?

Well, as you can tell from our video, WATG has not only been around a long time, we've also been all around the world.  We believe if you want to work in one place, you generalize; if you want to work everywhere, you have to specialize. WATG made a choice early on to specialize in hospitality design. That choice to become hospitality specialists went against the prevailing wisdom of doing everything possible to avoid being narrowly defined.

But since our beginnings in Honolulu in 1945, our designers have traversed the globe creating some of the world's most uplifting destinations. Our designers do so much more than just create, they are inspired and innovative storytellers.  We have a rich history of creating destinations that guests can experience with all their senses and that deliver on the dreams of their owners.

And we are not yet satisfied.  We remain focused on the future; on what hospitality can be beyond a hotel or a resort; on enriching the guest experience, wherever that guest may travel, explore or enjoy.

We are very pleased that this year WATG, in conjunction with IDEO, won the first annual Sustainable Suite Design competition sponsored by HD and the US Green Building Council. And we are very proud that for the last four years, WATG has been a finalist in HD's Radical Innovation in Hospitality competition, the award that promotes innovation and global thought-leadership in hospitality.  And this afternoon, we took first place in that competition.

I would like to recognize a couple of people here tonight who have helped make WATG successful for many years.  First, I would like to thank Howard Wolff, our Director of Marketing.  Howard has helped make WATG known in almost every corner of the world.

I would also like to recognize Rhonda Rasmussen, our Director of Interior Design, for her tireless work on behalf of our firm and our clients. Her vision is unrivaled, her skill unmatched, and her travel schedule leaves us all speechless.

WATG realized early on that we needed to be two things to do work around the world: nimble enough to go where the action is, and humble enough to listen once we got there.

Today, we look forward to continuing the adventure with all of you, and to continuing to listen.

Thank you again for recognizing our firm's achievements.