One of the most recognized hotel brands in the world, Holiday Inn is known for its approach to everyday comfort. In turn, Holiday Inn guests are individuals who value a good night’s sleep and the opportunity to recharge that they consistently find at the hotel. As the parent company for Holiday Inn, Intercontinental Hotels Group, questioned whether the hotel was making the best use of its space and resources to provide a distinct experience for guests. To help answer that question, they turned to ai3.
ai3 responded with The Hub at Holiday Inn, a modern-day lobby design that brings everyday comfort to a whole new level. The approach is entirely guest-oriented, crafted to make the guest feel at home within the hotel. In keeping with Holiday Inn’s approach, ai3 designed the space to be casual and inviting. The overall aesthetic tends towards modern with influences that are distinctly residential.
As guests enter the hotel, they are greeted by a contemporary lounge that faces the open reception area. Gone are the days of florescent-lit cages where hotel staff greet guests. This reception desk is designed to mimic a residential kitchen island with such details as recessed panels and feet. Opposite the reception desk is a massive mirror that extends from floor to vaulted ceiling and which clearly announces that this reception lounge is different. Soft lighting and a customized modular lounge lend warmth and comfort to the space. A few steps away, the ebar awaits. Complete with bookshelves and guest computers, the ebar is equally comfortable.
Just beyond the ebar, guests enter the heart of the Hub with its central focus, the bar and restaurant. Though the space is geared for hospitality, subtle details that reference residential interiors add significantly to the overall comfort and casualness to the space. Subway tiles wrap from the cocktail bar to the coffee bar. A zinc counter top in the bar complements the matte black walls of the Hub’s restaurant booths. All the while, signature green influences such as the light box made of green glass bottles, remind guests that this innovative space is unique to Holiday Inn.
ai3’s design optimizes the space available, allowing the Hub to transition from day to night. In the morning, translucent panels mask the bar’s liquor contents and simultaneously reveal the breakfast chef station. At night, those same panels reverse to draw attention to the bar and away from the breakfast stations. ai3’s modular lounge reappears in the media center. Equally central to the Hub’s adaptability, the modular lounge allows the hotel to alter and refresh the space as needed.
Amidst all of this comfort is the market, where guests can find all the things they forgot to pack and all the things they never knew they would need. Equally designed to feel soft and warm, the market reintroduces the white residential island topped with butcher block. Atop the island, sits a large glass apothecary jar filled with lemons and water, a small indication that no detail has been overlooked.
www.ichotelsgroup.com
