Cool New Caribbean Vibe

By Mary Scoviak -- HOTELS Magazine, 10/1/2007

Kerzner International Holdings, was thinking “theming” when it opened discussions with interior designer HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates’ Atlanta office regarding plans for a 600-room upscale resort on the expanding campus anchored by its flagship, Atlantis, on Paradise Island, Bahamas.  Six months later, they changed direction.

This international resort specialist Butch Kerzner (Kerzner International’s late chief executive) saw a new market for the project and understood that another version of the Atlantis concept wasn’t going to capture it. “In the middle of the design process Kerzner International’s team decided to move away from theming toward an open, very casual but slick look that would be contemporary without feeling like an urban hotel,” says Eric Chiarelli, HBA project designer. 

Kerzner’s mandate was for a luxury image with appeal that wasn’t limited to singles and high-end, wealthy travelers.  The design had to sell to families drawn by “a world of resort amenities,” as well as convention delegates attracted by the site’s expanded convention center (planned for Phase 3) and couples and sophisticated travelers lured by exclusive amenities “for a more adept and technologically advanced consumer.”  It had to address pent-up demand for a cool Caribbean destination that could deliver a high-end experience without an even higher end price tag.  And, it needed to accomplish that within a US$970 million budget that covers two towers, all of the public support areas and the convention center improvements.

600-Room Boutique
Despite its varied markets, one of the givens for The Cove Atlantis was to create an adult environment.  To do that, even a hotel with 600 rooms needs to feel like a boutique, says Renee Timonera, HBA project designer. “Guests at The Cove are not confined in those gaping interior quarters as they usually are in a big resort.  The space plan and design makes the property relaxing—not huge, noisy and impersonal,” Timonera adds.  “Occupancy is often 90-100%, but the resort never feels crowded.”

Guestrooms are set apart from the rest of the property, both physically and experientially. HBA carried through bright natural colors to provide continuity with the rest of the resort but added a twist. Cliches such as floral print cushions on wicker chairs are thankfully absent. Color makes a statement in the very clean lines of the furnishings and fabrics.

Details are becoming more important as a means to differentiate rooms—from the candlelight that can end the perfect romantic evening to the fact that all guestrooms have connecting doors, creating a full range of options for families with children.  Instead of tucking the mini-bar under the counter, HBA uses it to separate the sleeping and living area. A set of drawers next to it offers a full complement of glassware, coffee cups, coffee-making utensils and dry food. A connectivity panel in the front of the millwork gives guests plug-and-play options for everything from their iPod to their latop.  Lighting can be controlled from three main locations, which means guests can turn lights on and off from another room.

Budgets don’t have to be big to get big impact. The Cove’s bathrooms aren’t that much bigger than a standard bathroom in terms of square footage. But, they look and function like much larger space. Separated by a large soaking tub, his and hers vanities sit at a 45-degree angle to ensure “guests aren’t bumping elbows when they’re getting ready,” says Timonera.  An enclosed water closet in one corner is opposite to the shower, leaving a large open space between.

The designer, architect (WATG was the architect on this project) and operations team worked to make each of the rooms saleable. “Unlike the other hotels on site, every guestroom in The Cove has a view of the beach, whether big or small. We’ve taken advantage of that. There’s always a connection to the environment,” says Chiarelli.

Suites That Sell
“We didn’t pull any punches when we selected finishes and materials forthe Penthouse and Presidential suites,” Chiarelli says.  For USS8,000 to US$10,000 a night, it wasn’t even an option.  High-spend travelers who have seen it all before need to be surprised. HBA did that in the foyer of the Penthouse by covering the foyer from floor to ceiling with iridescent facades of mosaic tiles. “It almost looks like a damask—white-on-white tiles that blend contemporary and baroque.  When the light hits in a certain way, the effect is like a jewel refracting different colors.  It really shows off the pattern,” Chiarelli adds.

Even the fixtures are outside the usual experience. “You don’t see any bath filler spouts.  There’s nothing on the floor or the wall. You turn on the water and this great stream of water drops 10 ft. (3.05m) from the ceiling to fill the tub,” she adds.

HBA used mosaics to produce a similar effect in the Presidential Suite bathrooms. “We tried to find the newest plumbing fixtures—things guests haven’t seen before,” Chiarelli says. In the Presidential and Royal Suites, that means a glass shower boxed in glass reaching to a tall ceiling. “Once you’re in there, you have the ultimate spa experience, from steam to rain shower or full body shower,” adds Timonera.  For those who prefer a more languid sensuality, there is the sculptural freestanding tub that affords views of the ocean far below.

Surprises, Delights
Timonera contends that design “needs to create a place that gives a sense of escape from the real world.” That requires uncommon elements guests don’t get at home.  “Design features should be a step above what most people get in their homes but not so far out that they can’t afford them.  They have to be something guests can relate to and aspire to,” she adds.  

Guests may expect chandeliers when they enter the lobby.  What they get are “jelly lights”—big, clear silicone disks with embedded fiber optic cable that slowly runs through different colors.  “What’s great is that, during the day, you walk through and the changing colors don’t blow your mind.  But, at night, it takes on an entirely different character.  We worked with the lighting designer to produce an effect that includes an aqua light that washes down the wall like water—very close to the color of the Caribbean,” Chiarelli says. Vibrant and intense, the five sets of disks change colors at different times. “They almost look alive,” he adds.

The staff that brings the design to life has to dress the part.  At The Cove, that translates into “cool” uniforms that enhance the hotel’s  image.  “They definitely tie in. The apparel has a laid-back feel,” Timonera says. Details count. Valets, concierge staff and bell staff wear white from head to toe.  “When you pull up, there an army of people in white waiting to help you out of the cab or  limo. That’s really nice,”   says Chiarelli.

Do’s & Don’ts At Resorts 

• Create a storyline, not a themed look. “We wanted a sense of escape, but we still wanted color, high-end technology, a great bath experience and so on,” says Chiarelli.
• Make it exclusive. “Make the design look higher end and feel higher end,” he adds.
• Don’t overlook functionality.  “Keep an eye on materials.  People sit on dining room chairs in wet bathing suites or come into the lobby with sandy feet. They are going to want to go into certain outlets without having to get dressed up. You need to design transition spaces so that guests can go from one place to the next without having to change their shirt, their shoes or their persona,’ he says.