DESIGN®As Seen In September/October, 2016

By Stefani C. O’COnnOr

One of the few cities in the United States that has instant cachet with travelers worldwide is Beverly Hills. Visitors of every stripe can con-jure almost immediately the level of service and quality of experience they can expect to receive in this tony California locale.

So, too, hotel owners and developers who have managed to leap BH’s high bar-riers to entry and secure a piece of this prime real estate know the objective is to maximize the potential of every square inch to capture those global guests along with a strong ROI.

And even when performance is acceptable, sometimes it’s just time to change it up. Which is how the 248-room Crowne Plaza, owned by lodging REIT Ashford Hospitality Trust and managed by Remington Lodging and Hospitality, recently became the Beverly Hills Marriott.

“Ashford has owned and Remington has managed the hotel since 1995 and it has been a successful hotel in our portfolio the entire time,” said General Manager Brian Keys. “As we looked at the property we felt the next chapter in its existence should be forward thinking. Beverly Hills has always been a home of influencers and we felt the design elements should incorporate that forward thinking as well as show respect to our past of the community.” 

With its location at 1150 South Beverly Dr., it was felt the 12-story hotel, which offers sweeping views from the majority of its rooms, should be the gateway to the Beverly Hills Golden Triangle of Wilshire Blvd., Canon Drive and luxe fashion av-enue, Rodeo Drive, about nine miles away.

“We wanted the property to match our community. Beverly Hills is an aspirational community… We felt to celebrate the 100th anniversary [in 2014] of the incorpora-tion of Beverly Hills as a city that we would show the evolution of hotel design in a town full of influencers,” added Keys.

Mark Matz, Remington’s EVP/project management, noted the process was not a hasty one. “When discussing the potential Marriott brand conversion back in 2012, we knew that we had to create a fantastic hotel and spend a lot of money to im-prove the guest experience. We expected two years of conversion work: one year for the HVAC conversion and a year for the renovation. We were able to do it in less time and under budget.”

According to Patricia Miller, VP/managing principal/corporate director of hospital-ity, her firm, Leo A Daly, was engaged to completely transform the guest experi-ence at the property.

“The owners wanted to create a new image for the hotel, from the drive-up and lobby arrival experience, all the way through to the amenities and the guestrooms,” she said.

“We wanted a design that was memorable. What guest won’t remember the dra-matic entrance that evokes the feeling of a fashion runway as they approach the registration desk?” said Carla Niemann, Remington’s SVP/design. 

Indeed, the style and glamour of Beverly Hills was the inspiration for the conver-sion of the hotel, noted Miller.

“We sought to create a sleek feel to appeal to guests seeking California’s modern energized luxury, while hinting at elements of 1920s’ wealth and grandeur. Mimick-ing the interior of a luxury car of the era—models such as Cadillac and Packard, which were favored by the acclaimed movie stars and wealthy individuals of the 1920s—also served as inspiration for the interior architecture of the space. This complete transformation of the property was accomplished with a contemporary

Modern glam with a 1920s twist

Beverly Hills 90035

Reprinted with permission of Hotel Business Design®, copyright ICD Publications 2016

Check out our video montage at video.hotelbusinessdesign.com

Reprinted with permission of Hotel Business Design®, copyright ICD Publications 2016

design creating a perfect setting for the great room where guests feel a part of something special,” said Miller.

The reinvention of the property started on the outside with enhanced curb appeal.

“We rerouted the driveway/entry to the hotel so the parking garage was no longer the guest’s first impression. The parking lot directly in front of the building was converted to a green lawn off the pool,” said Niemann. “We planted a tall, green hedge along the street that allowed the guests to catch a glimpse of what was behind the fence [while] still providing a feeling of exclusiv-ity. The revitalized outdoor area has turned out to be a very popular place for guests to hang out during the day. We activated the pool area with fountains and fire and provided direct access to the bar, which gives a cool vibe from the moment the guest drives up to the front door.”  

The porte cochere then became a defining element to showcase Beverly Hills glamour and style, said Miller, noting Leo A Daly has designed a number of proj-ects for Remington. “We always enjoy the way they really challenge us to make a significant design impact on the properties. We really enjoyed researching the Beverly Hills persona to create an environment that will make each guest feel as if they are a celebrity.”

The lobby was redesigned for a sense of arrival with high-gloss finishes and walls removed to cre-ate a signature Great Room concept, enhanced by marble floors laid in a chevron pattern that leads guests to social areas. An ebony-tone runway guides guests to reception.

The hotel’s new bar features sliding panels with ar-chitectural lighting that highlights the space.

“Each amenity area was touched, from the addition of a new M Club, to the reception, market, restaurant and meeting spaces. The goal was to create a place to be seen, with a contemporary, urban edge so guests feel glamorous and special,” said Miller.

On the more private side, guestrooms now feature the neutral palette of taupe, brown and ivory seen throughout the hotel. To introduce the 1920s inspi-ration, Leo A Daly added an Art Deco aspect with geometric patterns in the carpeting. Miller noted the focal point is the floor-to-ceiling headboard made of dark stained wood covered with ivory vinyl. Each guest bathroom was redesigned with a shower that features white marble tile and a rain shower.

Miller acknowledged there were a few “challenges” that were successfully met. For example, the stone floor for the lobby was from Italy and was being quar-ried and cut as the property proceeded with construction. “The color range began to widen drastically, so we worked with the supplier to get the color range as tight as possible to work with our palette while maintaining the ap-proved schedule,” she recalled.

The property also is one of the first implementations of Marriott’s design aesthetic using the new “Marriott Modern” look. Remington SVP Amy McDaniel indicated “brand messaging in the execution of the Marriott initiatives and concepts” is apparent throughout the design.

“Our design is an indication of the direction the Marriott brand is taking in the next 15 years, and where better to beta test such a design than in Beverly Hills?” said GM Brian Keys, observing the guest response has been overwhelm-ingly positive. “We believe their satisfaction is reflected in the increased RevPAR and guest-service scores. For 2016, year-to-date as of August we are up 26% in occupancy and 40% in ADR resulting an a total RevPAR increase of 77%.”

Beverly Hills Marriott

LOCATION Beverly Hills, CA

OWNER Ashford Hospitality Trust

MANAGEMENT COMPANY Remington Lodging & Hospitality

ARCHITECT Leo A Daly

INTERIOR DESIGNER Leo A Daly

PURCHASING FIRM Lubner Group; Myers, Florida

KEY SUPPLIERS Lighting: Hallmark Collective; Visual Comfort & Co.; Amuneal

Manufacturing Corp.; Boyd Lighting; Delightful Lamps; Kreon Lighting; Top Brass;

Y Lighting Carpet/flooring: Clayton Miller; Desso Carpet; Jamie Stern; Sponge

Cushion, Inc.; Atlas Carpet Mills, Inc.; Desso Carpet; Jamie Stern; Liora Manne for

Lamontage Furniture: Kimball Hospitality; Charter Furniture Co.; David Edward;

EJ Industries, Inc.; Intersource; Muniz Plastics; Old Dominion Wood Products;

Justice Furniture and Bedding; Marquis Seating; Mitchell Gold/ Bob Williams;

Kisabeth Furniture; Lily Jack; Motivo Furniture; Restoration Hardware Contract;

Two Zero Six Bedding: Richloom Fabrics Group; Simmons Bedding Co.; Square

Feathers Wallcoverings: Innovations Textiles & Wallcoverings; Koroseal Studios;

National Wallcovering; Arte; Elitis; Luxe Surfaces: Maya Romanoff; MDC

Wallcoverings; Source One; Tri-Kes; Vycon; Wolf Gordon Fabrics/textiles: Appian Textiles; Architex; James Dunlap Textiles; P/Kaufmann Contract; Valley

Forge Fabrics; Vaughan Benz; Brentano; Casamance; Crest Leather; Designtex;

Edelman Leather; Fabricut; Fil Doux Fabrics; GMF Hospitality; Joseph Noble;

Link Outdoor; Maharam; Momentum Textiles; Opuzen; Pollack & Associates;

Reid Witlin, Ltd.; Richloom Fabrics Group; Romo Fabrics; Schneider Banks; Scott

Fabrics; StudioArt; Swavelle/ Millcreek Bath fixtures: Porcelanosa USA; Project

Stone by Belstone Artwork: Art-Centric; Foundation Art Services; Global Views;

Room 360; Books by the Foot; Global Views; Natural Curiosities; Robin Ficara

Fine Art; Smart Candle; West Elm; Z Gallerie

Photography: Michael Wilson Photography

DESIGN®As Seen In September/October, 2016