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Make Your Own Mondrian with Moooi Designs

Where: 1100 West Ave [map], Miami Beach, fl, United States, 33139

During a recent stay at the Mondrian South Beach, we were quite taken with the “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle” concept of Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.

After looking back at some of our photos, we wondered if we might be able to recreate the look at home—or at least, parts of it. We’re not too keen on having one of these bug-eyed lady murals staring at us when we wake up every morning.

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Coming Soon in Germany:: The Design Hotel-Power Plant Hybrid

Where: Am Bonner Bogen 1, Bonn, Germany, 53227

Now that the Mondrian South Beach has been open for almost six whole months, the hype as well as the advertising of its Marcel Wanders-designers interior has died down. This means it's perfect timing for Marcel to put himself back out there by leaking photos of his next big hotel project, the Kameha Grand in Bonn, Germany.

Due to to open this fall, the Kameha Grand is going to be one of those hybrid design/business hotels, where they'll be venturing outside of neutral tones but still respectful of business traveler tastes. Boasting 192 rooms, 61 suites, and one massive Presidential Suite with a sweeping staircase reminiscent of Wanders' Miami masterpiece, the Kameha will bed the trendiest of suits.

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Philippe Starck's 'yoo' Launches a Hotel Group, Yo

From left: John Hitchcox, Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck

Yoo, a design and investment company co-founded by developer John Hitchcox and much-hyped designer extraordinaire Philippe Starck — which we believe is pronounced like "you" and not, like, your stoner cousins drawn out "yo" greeting — is launching a hotel group of its very own.

Apparently, the company won an architectural competition to design a new hotel in Split, Croatia, and after designing the 110-room hotel on the Adriatic Sea (the first five star resort and spa in the city), the company — which, right now, primarily does residential projects — announced a new focus on hospitality.

Several yoo designers have already done hotel projects: The JIA Hotel in Hong Kong was designed by yoo, and The Mondrian South Beach, "the work of yoo's newest design partner Marcel Wanders," are examples — from here, yoo plans to partner with hospitality groups to "design hotels in the brand's signature style with the dramatic lobbies, whimsical accessories and unique lighting already found in yoo's residential work."

Philippe Starck: conquering the hotel design world, one quirky piece of room decor at a time.

Design Hotels / Hotel Vending Machines / Hotel Gift Shops / Morgans Hotels / Mondrian Hotels / Marcel Wanders / Miami Hotels / → All Tags

Even the Vending Machines Are Kinky at the Mondrian South Beach

Where: 1100 West Ave [map], Miami, fl, United States, 33139

Is nothing sacred? Not for Morgans Hotel Group, who have just desecrated the almighty concept of a vending machine as well as their Marcel Wanders-designed Mondrian South Beach. Doing away with a hotel gift shop and brushing off Marcel for a moment, the Mondrian brought in Mari Balestrazzi to reinvent an automat, called Semi-Automatic, for peddling their goodies. It's a great idea except for the fact that it only accepts credit cards and contains nothing edible.

That said, we're completely seduced by its clean lines and bounty of Atari classics for Playstation, and we kind of want to rub against it and purr. Aside from Atari games, the automat contains various other earthly delights such as 24-karat gold handcuffs from Kiki de Montparnasse, rentals of a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow or 2000 Bentley Azure convertible, $28 anti-recession T-shirts and $400 marabou feather vests. Only in Miami, we say. Will this vending machine be popping up in any other Morgans Hotels? Probably not, but we do know it's next destination: our fantasies.

[Image via Morgans Hotel Group]

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South Beach in Style: Preview Pics of Mondrian South Beach

Where: 1100 West Ave [map], Miami Beach, fl, United States, 33139-4760

The eagerly awaited Mondrian South Beach--we had a tour of the unfinished version back in November 2007, and we've been enthusiastically waiting for the real opening--is set to open fully soon.

In the meantime, HotelChatter tipster Michael told us about a bunch of lobby and sample guest bedroom pictures available from designer Marcel Wanders online and we just had to show you. It really does look something special.

Starting in the lobby, there's a pretty spectacular spiral staircase, as pictured above. Move into the guest rooms and you can't miss the unique design features that really make it look different to other hotels.

We love the big sweeping spaces of the bedroom and if you take a look at the same room from the other angle, we're pretty excited by its funky bath tub too.

There's no official opening date being publicized soon and no online reservations open yet, but May or June are looking likely.

[UPDATE: The hotel is set to open in December 2008 for the annual Art Basel Art Fair.]

Two more photos after the jump.

[Photo: Marcel Wanders]

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Mondrian South Beach Not Until May 2008 But It Will be Wander-Full

Where: 1100 West Avenue [map], Miami Beach, fl, United States, 33139

From the Bahamas to Florida....

Yesterday we were given a brief tour of the Mondrian South Beach which is, much to our dismay, still under construction. The hotel will technically open some of its units in January 2008, as had been previously reported, but the entire property won't be fully operational until May 2008.

Either way, when it opens the Mondrian will be spectacular. And we're not just saying this because we got a tour and we feel like we have to be nice.

For starters, Morgans Hotel Group basically gave designer Marcel Wanders creative freedom for the hotel. And his designs are pretty spectacular if somewhat unusual.

The Dutch-born designer was named "Designer of the Year" by Elle and been recognized by Time magazine as a top interior designer. Here's how he described his vision for the Mondrian:

Wanders, 44, conceived the hotel as "Sleeping Beauty's castle," with gardens that serve as indoor and outdoor living spaces, featuring cabanas, tented play spaces for children and a hanging chandelier above the elegant pool. The hotel rooms, which resemble theater boxes, overlook the gardens so that "everyone has the best seat in the house," he says.

We saw samples of the interior decor and furnishings inside the sales office of the Mondrian South Beach which is temporarily housed in the building. Wanders' contemporary designs have been called bold, innovative and romantic but we thought it was also incredibly happy and giddy (excuse our layperson's descriptions.)

It's decor that we wouldn't want to live in 365 days a year but we firmly believe a hotel stay (especially in a luxury hotel) should be an experience different from your daily life. And Wanders' whimiscal but bright decor should do the trick.

MORE pictures from inside the Mondrian SoBe after the jump.

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Party Dispatch: Mondrian South Beach's Yacht Party

Where: 1100 West Ave [map], Miami Beach, fl, United States, 33139

Not a yacht, but the planned Mondrian South Beach Hotel.

While we couldn't attend last week's Mondrian South Beach yacht party, (we were busy with a...um..private jet party), the hotel made sure that we got the full party dispatch.

Keep in mind, the Mondrian is still not open but it will be sometime in early 2008. The yacht party was kind of like of "woo cruise" in hopes of getting buyers for the residential units in the hotel. These residences will start at $400,000, and consists of 342 studios, one and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses.

Thus aboard the yacht, 200 VIP brokers checked-out furnishings from hotel's designer Marcel Wanders Mooi collection which will be placed in the Mondrian South Beach residences. Fancy hors d’oeuvres from OLA were served and of course, there was champagne. Revelers included the hotel's co-developer Keith Menin, Jeff Mohr, the owner of Majestic Properties and the hotel's general manager Maria Elena Rubio, along with sales director Pietro Belmonte.

Yacht-goers were also offered the chance to enter a raffle for a two-night weekend stay at the Mondrian LA. The night ended by docking in the soon-to-be-home of the Mondrian's private marina where guests were treated to a "video visualization" of the hotel from Marcel Wanders on an inflatable screen. We just can't wait for the place to actually open soon.

Party Pics after the jump.

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