HotelChatter

HotelChatter:
How does each piece do this?

Ohayon:
In the lobby, the ottomans enable people to sit forward, lean forward and engage in conversation. You can't really lean back and be aloof. The blue tiled wall is meant to be tactile and it gives that sense that you are "removed" from the city and there's a sense that you are heading somewhere else. For the guestrooms, we just wanted to give guests a quiet place to retreat with a comfortable bed and just overall clean appeal.

HotelChatter:
Now that Marrakech is finished, what other hotels are you planning to work on?

Ohayon:
We are working on two pretty big projects right now. One is converting the Sheraton Hotel in Buckhead, GA into a W Hotel. We'll be doing all the public spaces for that.

We are also doing the design for Sanctuary, a new hotel opening in mid-town. (Ed. Note: This is a sister property to the Marrakech) Sanctuary is for the more savvy traveler and it's a very sexy hotel. We've upscaled the rooms and it's not so much as a place to sleep as it is a place to escape and create fantasy inside.

HotelChatter:
Sounds intriguing, especially for midtown. What can we find there?

Ohayon:
There will just be a lot more ways to control their hotel experience from open bath tub areas to lighting controls. Nothing will be pre-determined. And there will also be a sexy lounge/public area to hang out in.

HotelChatter:
Does this seem to be a trend for hotels these days, offering guests a sort of fantasy escape?

Ohayon:
Well, that's what we do at ICrave. We want people to relinquish their inhibitions, sort of like stepping through the looking glass. Hotels should be like social incubators where people can bump into one another and interact. That's the goal, to make a hotel feel like a mini-home but offer a macro social environment.

Related Stories:
· 'Affordable Chic' at the Marrakech [HotelChatter]

Tags: Interviews

by juliana