Respecting the hotel’s heritage was key, says Maria Vafiadis
The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane (formerly the Park Lane) in Mayfair, London, relaunches this month (October) following a multi million pound renovation and redesign by interior designers MKV Design and architects Woods Bagot.
The two year project has seen the hotel's 303 guestrooms completely redesigned, and the addition of a new bar and restaurant at street level, a redesigned reception lobby and upgraded public areas including the famed Palm Court Lounge. The Grade II listed Ballroom and Silver Gallery also underwent a sensitive restoration as part of the project.
MKV drew on the hotel's Art Deco heritage with the interiors, completely stripping back the guest rooms and adding contemporary features in keeping with the building's history. The schemes are discreetly glamorous with Art Deco touches, including polished silver finishes on furniture, bevelled mirror panels above the full length of the bedhead and ‘Deco inspired wall lights. Guestroom bathrooms are finished in classic black and white tiling, and fittings also subtly refer to the building’s provenance.
One of the challenges of the project for MKV was replanning the public spaces to enable guests to navigate and understand the layout of the building more easily. “Space planning was central to the redesign particularly in the ground floor public areas where we had to work around existing structures including several imposing columns and changes in floor level,” says Maria Vafiadis, founder and MD of MKV.
“We were very conscious of the heritage we were dealing with in this large and prominent listed building on London’s Piccadilly, which has the distinction of being both the first hotel in London constructed with a steel frame back in 1927 and also the only hotel remaining in the capital with extensive Art Deco interiors.”
The hotel’s listed status added an additional layer of complexity to the project, says Vafiadis. “Every material used on and in the building had to be submitted for Listed Building Consent and samples provided for approval, requiring a close relationship with the architectural team.”
For Vafiadis, renovating the Palm Court Lounge was a particular highlight of the project. “The Palm Court is the area that most clearly expresses the hotel’s Art Deco glamour and best represents the next chapter in its history,” she says. “It is the jewel that sits at the heart of the revitalised ground floor public areas, with the new bar, restaurant and executive lounge areas all spanning off it.”
MKV has also recently completed a major refurbishment of the Hotel Royal Savoy, Lausanne in Switzerland.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Respecting the hotel’s heritage was key, says Maria Vafiadis
The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane (formerly the Park Lane) in Mayfair, London, relaunches this month (October) following a multi million pound renovation and redesign by interior designers MKV Design and architects Woods Bagot.
The two year project has seen the hotel's 303 guestrooms completely redesigned, and the addition of a new bar and restaurant at street level, a redesigned reception lobby and upgraded public areas including the famed Palm Court Lounge. The Grade II listed Ballroom and Silver Gallery also underwent a sensitive restoration as part of the project.
MKV drew on the hotel's Art Deco heritage with the interiors, completely stripping back the guest rooms and adding contemporary features in keeping with the building's history. The schemes are discreetly glamorous with Art Deco touches, including polished silver finishes on furniture, bevelled mirror panels above the full length of the bedhead and ‘Deco inspired wall lights. Guestroom bathrooms are finished in classic black and white tiling, and fittings also subtly refer to the building’s provenance.
One of the challenges of the project for MKV was replanning the public spaces to enable guests to navigate and understand the layout of the building more easily. “Space planning was central to the redesign particularly in the ground floor public areas where we had to work around existing structures including several imposing columns and changes in floor level,” says Maria Vafiadis, founder and MD of MKV.
“We were very conscious of the heritage we were dealing with in this large and prominent listed building on London’s Piccadilly, which has the distinction of being both the first hotel in London constructed with a steel frame back in 1927 and also the only hotel remaining in the capital with extensive Art Deco interiors.”
The hotel’s listed status added an additional layer of complexity to the project, says Vafiadis. “Every material used on and in the building had to be submitted for Listed Building Consent and samples provided for approval, requiring a close relationship with the architectural team.”
For Vafiadis, renovating the Palm Court Lounge was a particular highlight of the project. “The Palm Court is the area that most clearly expresses the hotel’s Art Deco glamour and best represents the next chapter in its history,” she says. “It is the jewel that sits at the heart of the revitalised ground floor public areas, with the new bar, restaurant and executive lounge areas all spanning off it.”
MKV has also recently completed a major refurbishment of the Hotel Royal Savoy, Lausanne in Switzerland.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
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An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
