Stylesetter Todd Oldham On What's In, What's Out

By Staff -- HOTELS Magazine, 3/1/2007

Designer/ stylesetter TODD OLDHAM talks about what is "in," what is "out" and what is "next" for hotel design.

MIAMI If you want to make a modern statement that resonates with passersby and Web surfers alike, simplify. "Guests want less. Design does not have to be so Las Vegas-y. It should not launch a visual assault on the guest," says Todd Oldham, the New York-based fashion designer who launched a trend with his cross-over into hotel design in 1999 with The Hotel of South Miami Beach, Florida.

Oldham is putting his theories to work for the renovation of South Beach's 53-room The Hotel as well as for developer and restaurateur Larry Levy's launch of The Fairfax, a 53-suite boutique/fractional ownership concept opening this fall in Miami Beach. His new look for The Hotel represents a learning curve. "Tastes and times change. I learned a lot about how the building fl ows," he says. The most important lesson was eliminating wasted space. Oldham used what was once a "grand lobby" to create a third aspect of the frequently wait-listed restaurant, Wish.

At a time when consultants point out the need to yield manage every square inch of the hotel, Oldham fl owed Wish across most of the fi rst fl oor. The entrance is moved to the front of the hotel to reduce congestion in the lobby. A garden expands seating for those who want to see and be seen. Using the outdoors gives Wish an added advantage: It is one of the few fi ne-dining garden settings among South Beach's myriad hotels.

Overall, design is becoming more casual but it also is becoming more discreet. That is why Oldham used smoked glass for the industrially inspired chandelier-"like something deconstructed from Joan Crawford's bedroom," Oldham says-rather than clear, bright lighting. It also was the rationale for breaking down the restaurant into marketably different zones: the intimate upstairs bar with its celadon and blue drapes, the warmer colors of the main restaurant and the glamour of the garden.

While simple is better, there is a posh element resurfacing in modern design. Oldham uses mouth-blown crystal and hand-dyed velvets to add sensuality to the space. He predicts new attention to materials and patterns: tie-dyed fabrics in high-end restaurants, materials such as glass, wood and metal "with a human touch" and refl ective lighting. "One hotel in Tokyo has a hyper plastic experience that works well. It would be diffi cult to live in, though," Oldham says.

For The Fairfax, awardwining Chef Tony Mantuano will be able to spread his creativity and his signature style across much of the fi rst fl oor with Enoteca Spiaggia, the fi rst Spiaggia outside of Chicago. "Design should be a support system for the restaurant," Oldham says.

The next wave of restaurants will involve ever closer collaboration between chef and designer. Oldham even measured the entrees in order to design the plates and cutlery. To open a new revenue stream, Oldham is designing a coral bar that will serve a selection of hand-crafted Italian mozzarella cheeses and crudo in a variety of pairings.

Whether rooms are sold or rented by the night, Oldham sees a new emphasis on maximizing space. Retractable pocket doors enable guests to customize how they use the rooms and how much separation they want between the bathing and sleeping experiences. "Hotels do not need too many things in the guestroom. What they need is space the guest can personalize," Oldham says. Borrowing a page from yacht designers, Oldham predicts more built-in/ wall-mounted solutions-from televisions to speakers.

He would like to see rooms that are not only large but also practical, with more expanses of counter space, less confusing technology and better lighting. "Guests do not want an inch-thick binder to make the room work," he says. "They do not want poor lighting. They do not want turquoise and burgundy. All of that is sad and bad." Nor do ownership concepts require over-the-top spending in the name of residential appeal. "The Fairfax's kitchens will be sleek but modest. With Enoteca Spiggia downstairs, you would be crazy to do your own cooking," Oldham says. The musthaves to make a marketable kitchen: "higher-end advanced technology, the freezer and equipment in the drawers; the dishwasher hidden behind a door; and cabinets that hide the range top."

Generally, he gives the hotel industry high marks for its recognition of design's importance in brand and image building. "There is room for lots of ideas. The great chains have elevated their taste. And, that is good," he says.