Interiors

Interiors

STREET EITE ASSOCIATES | AL SHAIKH HOTEL RECEPTION, DUBAI

This is one of a variety of stills, produced to show a new hotel development in Dubai. Other views included those of the state-of-the art bar and restaurant but it was this visual that needed to be the 'hero'. As the centre-piece of the entire hotel, the lobby area had to communicate the right mood and atmosphere. The soft lighting created a sense of space while the careful texturing of the marble floor and feature stairwell helped with the contemporary, exclusive feel that the client wanted to communicate.

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MARK MARWOOD | STOULTON MANOR

As part of the development it was envisaged that a gym, indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi could all be specified by the purchaser. As our Client had no interior designer on the project we were more than happy to indulge our Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen fantasies and set about producing mood boards of environments, fixtures and fittings and even lighting and colour variations. These interior visuals were then used in the marketing material. The property in question has just been sold to an order of monks (We'll never know whether it was the jacuzzi that clinched the deal for the them but we like to think so).

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ADS DESIGN | HOLIDAY INN, RECEPTION

Holiday Inn reception areas underwent a redesign recently and we played an important part in the process. Our visuals offered a variety of views of the ground floor area and were produced specifically for the designer so that he could get a full picture of the design as it was being developed. The Holman team were constantly updated on changes to fixtures and fittings as well as colours and textures and the visuals were updated daily. It's a very intensive way of working on a project as the designs are developed alongside the visualisation. But in this case the ends more than justify the means.

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STREET EITE UK | CHARLES WELLS BREWERY

Charles Wells is one of Britain's oldest and most successful breweries. They also run an estate of over 200 pubs and when Street Eite - a firm of interior architects - were asked to update their interiors Holman were, in turn, commissioned to produce the CGI you see here. Blending modern and traditional finishes the visual uses soft lighting to create a cool, contemporary space that retains the intimate, relaxed feel of your favourite local.

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NHS | VANGUARD HEALTHCARE

Cutaway axomometric view showing the whole concept in one visual. Extensively researched, we had to visit an endoscopy unit in Plymouth to understand how the mobile surgery operates. The model was later used to create an animation showing the mobile surgery being lifted from a lorry and converted into a fully operational surgery within 30 minutes.

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ADS DESIGN | HOLIDAY INN, BEDROOM

'Tweaks' are what some people do to nipples. They are also what some clients do to visuals. This used to upset creative people. But now, thanks to the magic of computers, it's really no big deal. Take this project for Holiday Inn, for instance. This main hotel room interior has been 'tweaked' repeatedly to show different bedspreads, curtains, carpets and more as the design has evolved. This kind of 3D visual is perfect for this as small amends can be made instantly and accurately.

Best hotel

QE2 to become Dubai hotel

The Queen Elizabeth 2, arrived in Dubai to start its new life as a floating hotel.
Manfred Ursprunger, CEO of Nakheel's QE2 Enterprises, told the Associated Press it will take two to three years to transform the luxury liner into a hotel.
Plans call for the new hotel to feature several restaurants, a theater, and a spa. Some of the cruiser's famous quarters, like The Queen's Room, The Captain's Quarters and The Bridge will be preserved in its original form.
Nakheel, a Dubai developer and part of Dubai World, plans to dock QE2 along Dubai's artificial, palm-shaped island.

Apartments in Dubai - Dubai Hotel Apartments

Apartments in Dubai - Dubai Hotel Apartments

Dubai Hotel Apartment - The choice is yours but with the world getting smaller all the time, making holiday options overwhelming, think about a different type of holiday in the jewel of the Middle East, Dubai. Making headlines on a weekly basis with its huge tourist expansion programme and its fantastic new infrastructure and innovative architecture, Dubai has everything to offer visitors in this fantastic Emirate.

The climate, whilst hot and steamy in the height of the summer still doesn’t deter ‘Mad Dogs and English Men’ in July and August, and is absolutely gorgeous for the remainder of the year. It’s a safe bet for visitors at anytime without the aggressive weather patterns that can hit further eastern locations such as India, Thailand and Malaysia resulting in a diluted holiday season in these locations which could pose a threat to your holiday. The worst Dubai can throw at you is the odd sand storm which even holds some exotic attraction to the masochists among us!

Dubai excels and prides itself on its standard of accommodation and houses some of the most luxurious hotels, holiday apartments and vacations villas all situated either on or close to the fabulous Jumeirah Beach overlooking the azure blue seas of the Arabian Gulf.

Hotels in the UAE and especially in Dubai are all designed to offer visitors a variety of fabulous experiences from Desert hotels, with camel safaris and falcon experts on site, to amazing beach locations all with their own unique style and all with fantastic customer service.

Whilst the hotels are stunning and well worth a visit, there is a shortage of hotel rooms with Dubai hosting so many events, such as the Dubai Gold Cup, Dubai Air show, Power Boat Racing, Dubai Shopping Festival, Exhibitions and many open air concerts. Dubai is also developing into THE major Business and Financial Arena in the Middle East boosting the economy but resulting in a shortage of hotel accommodation. Due to this, many investors in Dubai are offering their apartments and villas to the holiday villa and apartment rental market and maximizing on their investments. This bodes well for investors and visitors alike as the price-saving over hotel accommodation can be as much as 50% making this a really affordable place for families or large groups who want to have the full Dubai experience.

For families thinking of visiting Dubai, this is a fantastic location offering not only fabulous beach facilities with all the water sports you can imagine, but probably the best shopping in the world and plenty of activities to keep the kids amused and entertained. Try snow skiing in the Desert in the middle of summer or the famous Wild-Wadi Water Park overlooking the Burj Al Arab Hotel, or horse riding, Camel and Desert Safaris with Dune and Wadi-bashing in a 4 wheel drive, all with expert drivers who will give you the ride of a lifetime.

Whilst the hotels are truly amazing, the benefits of holiday apartment or villa rental are manifold. Dubai Planning Authorities have ensured that only the best locations are developed to make for a great lifestyle choice for investors in Dubai. Most accommodation has either a Lake, Marina or Sea view, most are equipped with swimming pools and gyms, are either on or within easy reach of beaches and without fail, all are within minutes of the best shopping malls in the world.

Holiday Rental companies in Dubai offer airport transfers, maid service and food parcels with some also offering a full Concierge Service taking the worry and the work out of visiting or staying in Self Catering Villas or Holiday Apartments in Dubai. Short term lets are now readily available and for far less than you would expect considering you could be located on the amazing Jumeirah Palm Island, the Arabian Ranches or fabulous Dubai Marina areas.

Dubai is a place not to be missed so if you are looking for a flexible and lower cost way of experiencing Dubai and are looking for a high quality Dubai Vacation Rental, Serviced Apartment, Beach Apartment or Villa Rental, all in the best locations and close to all the fabulous attractions that are part of this unique and stylish holiday experience, think again about the flexibility of a self-catering holiday but with all the associated hassles taken away. Dubai has the best Service Industry around and you would be hard pushed to lift a finger while you are here if you want to take advantage of the services on offer. So what’s it to be, hotels or holiday rentals? You can’t make a wrong decision but you can make a wise one!

Pick a pillow at Conrad hotels

Pick a pillow at Conrad hotels

Conrad Hotels has some big plans for expansion, as their senior VP for brand management Richard Blamey was telling me this week. The first new hotel project is in Shanghai (pictured) with others planned for Dubai, Koh Samui, and, closer to home, Portugal.

Conrad is a high end brand, but it isn't afraid of adding some quirky touches. Guests can choose from 75 varieties of pillow.The romance pillow and snore no more pillows sound good, but I'm not sure I fancy the porcelain pillow.

Have you seen a pillow menu in any hotels? Is it a practical solution to helping you sleep or just a gimmick?

everything the super-rich could desire

everything the super-rich could desire (except good taste)

As the private elevator ascends the 22 floors to my suite, I ponder quite what one should expect when spending £14,000 for a night's stay.

I know my quarters are 3,000 feet square and feature three en-suite guest bedrooms, a living room the size of Norway and a phalanx of staff including a butler, a chef, a sous-chef and a dishwasher (in the form of a person, not a machine).

What I do not know - although I have my suspicions - is whether it will be in any way tasteful.

Garish: The Atlantis Hotel in Dubai has an aquarium with 65,000 marine creatures

What greets me when I reach the suite - 'room' is certainly not the word to use, perhaps 'hamlet' is more accurate - is a vision of staggering opulence.

From the vast balconies of The Bridge Suite - the flagship suite at Dubai's Atlantis Hotel - floor-to-ceiling windows look out one way over the Arabian Gulf and the other way to the Palm Jumeirah, the ambitious man-made archipelago in the shape of a date palm, which is home to hundreds of perma-tanned residents.

Inside the suite, vast chandeliers sparkle over an 18-seat dining table inlaid with gold leaf.

A four-poster bed perches in the centre of the gargantuan master bedroom, and a sweeping panelled hallway - which would not look out of place in the Palace at Versailles - links the football pitch- sized living room to the sleeping quarters.

Expensive it most certainly is. Whether it is elegant is a different question altogether.

It is so vast, I realise, that it would be possible to bring the family to stay for a week and never actually clap eyes on them.

Staying here is like being unwittingly trapped in an episode of Dynasty, certainly when it comes to the soft furnishings.

Huge: The hotel boasts 1,529 rooms, which cost between £400 and £14,000 a night

Allied to the unmistakable presence in the grounds below of the glamour model Jordan - who is being tootled around in a golf buggy - the impression I am beginning to get is that the hotel is rich, kitsch and more brassy than classy.

But then should we have expected anything less from the flagship suite of the Atlantis, the largest hotel in the Middle East, built at a cost of £750 million?

It's theme throughout is the legend of the ancient lost city - only with more gold plate.

While the rest of the world glumly surveys the fallout from the banking crisis and the soaring cost of household bills, this week the hotel started to admit guests to its luxury suites.

With prices for the cheapest rooms starting at £400 a night (suites rise from £850 a night to £14,000 for the opulent Bridge suite, not including a 10 per cent 'municipality charge' and 10 per cent service charge), a holiday here is not for those working out how to shave a few pounds off their bills.

This, though, is Dubai, a gaudy bauble of consumerism packaged in sweltering heat, a place where such material concerns are mere trifles.

Throw into this heady mix Sol Kerzner, the 'Sun King' tycoon who owns Atlantis, and it is obvious that his latest project was always going to be a monument to excess.

Kerzner bills his pink-hued hotel - which perches on the outermost point of the seven-mile breakwater surrounding the Palm - as 'the new gateway to Dubai'. The question, of course, is whether anyone will want to walk through it.

Ambitious: The man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago is in the shape of a date palm

Bookings are said to be brisk, if the number of gawping hordes filling the corridors on opening night were anything to go by.

Reservations say the hotel is 80 per cent occupied until the end of November, while even the Bridge Suite is busy, with a number of bookings for ten to 14-night stays (including one family who have booked the rest of the floor for their entourage).

The first booking, according to excitable local rumour, is a British family with three sons, who have bagged it for a four-night stay in October, and who are widely believed to be - who else? - the Beckhams.

It would make sense: in many ways The Atlantis is a spiritual home from home for the likes of the Beckhams - gaudy, brash, big and expensive.

Above all, everything is huge, as if someone has taken the original plans and made them 20 times bigger. There are 1,529 bedrooms, the more exclusive of which have private windows onto the 'Ambassador's Lagoon', a massive aquarium in the centre of the hotel - containing a teeming mass of 65,000 marine creatures, including sharks, rays and angel fish.

Even the sculptures dotted around are neck-craningly large: the one in the main lobby stands 30 metres high, created using 3,000 hand-blown glass pieces individually placed to create an effect which is not unlike cascading multi-coloured spaghetti.

Over in 'Poseidon's Court', there is a ten-metre high viewing window into the Ambassador Lagoon, while further along another avenue-like corridor, guests can, if they are so inclined, wander through the 'Lost Chambers' of Atlantis.

Guests at the Atlantis can chose from 17 restaurants, four of them opened by 'celebrity chefs', including Giorgio Locatelli and Nobu Matsuhisa.

Gaudy: The Atlantis Hotel is a place of breathtaking chutzpah where only the rich will feel at home

Unsurprisingly, celebrity prices accompany the menus. In the flagship Ossiano, run by three Michelin star chef Santi Santamaria, a plate of Mediterranean langoustine comes in at £47, or you can opt for fish tartare with caviar and yoghurt for just £28, while in the Seafire restaurant, steaks start at £22 but rise to £86 for Chateaubriand.

Of course, all of this takes a lot of water and a lot of fuel - the hotel's water park alone uses 18 million litres of freshwater to power its attractions - not to mention an awful lot of staff, 3,500 of them to be precise, all permanently polishing and sweeping and opening doors and grinning until their faces ache.

Alas, even with such admirable attention to detail, not even Mr Kerzner's many millions can safeguard against the vagaries of fate.

Two weeks ago, a fire in the lobby area, said to have been started by an careless mishap with a blowtorch, sent a section of the central dome billowing into flame. As a result, when I arrive a day before the official opening, I find things are alarmingly behind schedule.

Everywhere is a frenzy of activity, some of it of the construction variety. Men in blue uniforms bob about, sweeping, spraying, drilling and hammering.

In the main hall, around three dozen employees in overalls are forlornly trying to restore the shine on the marble floor, which has been dulled by the firefighters' hoses.

Outside, I note that two new palm trees have sprung up in the time it takes me to take a brief stroll around the pool.

No job is too small here, it seems: one man's work appears to consist entirely of sweeping sand off one of the entrance pathways. In the Ambassador lagoon outside, meanwhile, a scuba diver gamely bobs up and down hoovering up stray sand from the rocks.

There is certainly a lot of beach - the hotel has a 1.4 km private stretch, which is more than ample for a paddle. Less inviting is the view, which looks out over the building site that remains over much of The Palm archipelago.

Luxury: A holiday here is not for those who want to shave a few pounds off their bills

Such concerns, however, seem to matter little to the guests at The Atlantis. As its first day draws to a close, the place is a hive of activity.

In the lagoon, the whale shark - rescued, it is said, only three weeks ago from the warm waters of the Gulf - swims around, no doubt rather baffled as to how it ended up here.

Over at the spa, all soft candles and tinkly music, French manicurist Bastien Gonzalez, hailed as the 'Messiah of the Naked Foot' by beauty gurus, is expounding his pedicure philosophy, imported to The Atlantis at the personal request of Sol Kerzner.

Somewhere around the hotel, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is shuffling down the corridors on an unofficial visit, complete with an entourage of 20. Downstairs, the luxury jewellery boutiques Harry Winston, Graff and Cartier are already doing a roaring trade.

So what to make of the Atlantis? It has indeed risen, like a modern wonder of the world, from the ocean floor - a place of breathtaking chutzpah where only the rich will feel at home, but where good taste appears to have checked out long before any of the guests have checked in.

Luxury Real Estate of The Future

Our sister blog, Immo-Luxus, Germany picked up on an interesting proposed building in Paris, which prompted me to take a look at some planned luxury real estate around the world. Some of these, thank goodness, will never end up being built, but some of them are already under construction.

Oh deary me, I am not liking this one little bit. After the amount of negative reaction to the pyramid outside the Louvre, I am rather surprised H&M are proposing another glass triangle in the center of Paris. According to their proposal:

“Le Projet Triangle” is primarily perceived on the metropolitan scale of the city of Paris. Its elevated stature will lend major visibility to the Porte de Versailles and the Parc des Expositions site within the overall conurbation. It will also permit its integration in the system of axes and perspectives that constitute the urban fabric of Paris.

Major visibility about sums it up. They are also suggesting that the triangular shape will prevent it from casting shadows over the surrounding areas. Quite how they are proposing to bend the laws of physics to make this happen is beyond me. My favorite comment on this so far is, “As a Parisian I’m sick and tired of living in a city that looks like Disneyland.”

luxury hotels

Luxury Hotels - Raffles Dubai joins Al Basel

Al Basel Consultancy, a leading consultancy firm and a member of Al Basel Group, has announced that Raffles Dubai has joined Al Basel’s pool of high-stakes clients after the two parties signed a consultancy contract that will boost Raffles Dubai’s business portfolio in the Middle East. The new agreement is part of Al Basel Consultancy’s strategy to partner with prestigious business organizations to strengthen its reputation as a premier consultancy firm in the region.

Under the terms of the agreement, Al Basel Consultancy will leverage its extensive regional network, well-placed connections and deep knowledge of the regional market to create awareness of the Raffles brand and deliver more business opportunities, particularly in the GCC market. The cooperation also takes advantage of the excellent performance of the tourism sector, which accounts for up to 28 per cent of Dubai’s GDP, presenting excellent growth prospects to key hospitality players such as Raffles Dubai.

"Al Basel Consultancy has prepared a portfolio of premium services specifically designed to increase market visibility for Raffles Dubai in the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf’s hospitality sector. This agreement aims to aggressively promote the Raffles Dubai brand in key markets in the region through our extensive network of partners and high-profile connections," said Basel Al Kasem, CEO, Al Basel Consultancy.

"Raffles Dubai can also greatly benefit from Al Basel Consultancy’s intimate knowledge of the regional temperament, which will help Raffles Dubai pinpoint high-yielding market segments and boost its competitive edge," added Al Kasem.

Hagop Doghramadjian, GM, Raffles Dubai, commented: "This agreement manifests our strong belief in the expertise and competency of Al Basel Consultancy to deliver the results that we require. In this highly critical market, the premium value offered by a highly reliable consultant is beyond measure, and Raffles Dubai trusts that Al Basel Consultancy has the right tools to improve our business value in this specific region."

The full range of services to be offered by Al Basel Consultancy includes general business consultations, partnership opportunities, market consultancy, advising on marketing tools, consultations to sell or buy shares, targeting important GCC events, and advice and due diligence in all aspects of Raffles Dubai’s business including segmenting the right agents for businesses from abroad, indirectly bringing businesses, and boosting Raffles Dubai’s portfolio of high-end clients.

Located adjacent to Wafi City, the legendary Raffles Dubai is the latest destination and the only branch in the Middles East of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, a worldwide collection of luxury hotels and resorts and winner of such accolades as "Top 100 Hotels of the World", "World’s Best Places to Stay" and "Top 25 Hotels in Asia". Built in the form of a stunning pyramidal structure, Raffles Dubai offers 248 opulent suites, including two royal, four presidential, 24 landmark and 24 diplomatic suites. It also features the unique, one-hectare Raffles Botanical Garden, which depicts the four elements of life – earth, wind, fire and water – promising an enchanting experience to all visitors.

Culinary preferences at Raffles Dubai span the globe through its 11 food and beverage outlets, while it also offers excellent health and fitness facilities with the decadent Raffles Amrita Spa. Raffles Dubai is part of Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ seven branches deployed all over the world, including those in Beijing and California, while a total of 13 branches are under development, including branches in France and the Maldives. Raffles also plans to open numerous new hotels in several key cities in the Middle East.

Al Basel Consultancy is the newest member of Al Basel Group, which has a number of business interests in various sectors in the UAE and in the greater GCC region. Al Basel Consultancy boasts a highly competent team of professionals led by the company’s CEO Basel Al Kasem, recognized as one of the region’s leading figures in real estate consultancy with his comprehensive knowledge of the regional market and hands-on experience with elite projects such as the iconic Burj Al Arab.

New Business Hotels

The Best New Business Hotels

Ritz-Carlton Denver

The Ritz-Carlton opened in January, in the heart of Denver, close to the financial district and the 16th Street Mall. It features 202 spacious guest rooms including 47 suites, 32 Club Level rooms, and the Ritz-Carlton Suite. With the largest guest rooms in the city, the Ritz-Carlton offers sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains.

Best villaz

Two weeks ago we launched a special edition of the Suite Life Blog called “Three + Three” in which Perfect Escapes brings you three great deals from three top destinations around the country. Published twice monthly, you can also get your 3 deals delivered directly to you by subscribing to our RSS feed.

This edition of the Three + Three presents deals in Wisconsin, Arizona and Napa, California, each with special amenities exclusively for Perfect Escapes guests. So pick your deal and your destination, and make your escape.

Lake Geneva Escape – The Abbey Resort, Wisconsin
The only full-service lakefront resort on Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva, The Abbey resort offers elegant cottage accommodations, a variety of dining options and a superior spa all on the beautiful blue lake.

Book the 3-night Lake Geneva Escape package and receive: 20% off the best available rate and guaranteed 2pm late check out.

Also, Perfect Escapes guests who book this offer or any other Abbey Resort stay will receive: Complimentary daily spa/fitness center admission, 12pm early check-in* and complimentary room upgrade*.

Discover Napa Valley – Harvest Inn, Napa, California
The warm atmosphere and St. Helena location make this Inn an ideal luxury retreat, close to the fine dining and stunning wine vineyards of Napa.

The Discover Napa Valley package brings elegant romance to your retreat with a 2-night stay that includes: Garden View accommodations, Napa wines paired with fruit and cheese, and $100 gift certificate to the renowned Culinary Institute of America at Greystone’s Wine Spectator Restaurant.

And, enjoy these special amenities only for Perfect Escapes guests: Daily breakfast for two, complimentary daily valet parking for one car, complimentary room upgrade*, early check-in and late check-out*

Sedona Escape – Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa, Arizona
Escape to Sedona and enjoy quality time with your loved one and a romantic experience to be remembered.

Book the Sedona Escape offer and you will receive: accommodations in your choice of room, a $25 resort credit for Reds Restaurant or The Spa at Sedona Rouge.

Also, any Perfect Escapes guest who books this or any other Sedona Rouge stay will receive: an additional $10 daily dining credit, a complimentary one-hour yoga class, early check-in and late check-out*

* Amenity based on availability upon arrival.

To book these offers and for more details go to Perfect Escapes and search for the deal of your choice or just click the links above in each offer. The Three + Three will be back with 3 new great offers in two weeks.

The Best New Business Hotels

Raffles Dubai

Opened in November last year, the 19-story hotel features a striking pyramidal design inspired by ancient Egypt. Located at Wafi in the heart of Dubai, Raffles Dubai is only 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport and a short drive to the business district.

The hotel has 248 suites, each at least 750 sq. ft., wireless Internet connections, and even an espresso machine. There are 11 restaurants and bars, the highlight of which is the contemporary Chinese restaurant, the Noble House, recently voted Restaurant of the Year and Best Newcomer

Design of New Hotel in UAE

Design of New Hotel in UAE

Norwegian architects of the workshop “SnГёhetta” submitted a draft of hotel “KOBRA-HOTELL” in the UAE. The project won an international architectural competition held in the city of Ras Al-Khaimah, the future capital of the United Arab Emirates. The unusual complex, the total area of 270 thousand square meters, will include a commercial complex, exhibition halls with conference-center, as well as to assume a variety of entertainment and social functions. The hotel is like a cobra looking around, it should become one of the symbols of the city’s gates. The height of the tower is 161 metres.

Click to see full-size images:

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