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Global hospitality design leaders HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates grasped a “remarkable opportunity” to create a brand-defining statement for Swisstouches Hotels and Resorts’ debut in China. On a mission to twin international luxury with Switzerland’s world-renowned hospitality, Swisstouches is a relatively young brand ambitious to extend globally beyond a growing portfolio of hotels in Switzerland.
HBA was commissioned to create showpiece interiors at its first property in Xi’an as a style template for the brand’s development in China. In the home of the famous Terracotta Warriors – now also a major business and financial centre in Central China – the underlying narrative for the 318-room Swisstouches Hotel Xi’an was not only to “bring contemporary Swiss style,” it also required presentation respectful of local culture and history stretching back more than 3,000 years.
The mission, therefore, was to set brand level expectations for Swisstouches, while delivering a hotel experience unlike anything else in central China. HBA responded with a sleek and surprising design that “interprets Switzerland symbolically”; subtly relating each space to Swiss hospitality excellence and creating a memorable experience.
Located in Gaoxin, the city’s business and financial district, the Swisstouches design “creates a sense of place – and that place is decidedly Swiss”, said lead designer on the project, David T’kint, Associate of HBA Singapore. “Guests experience characteristic Swiss hospitality within an environment that evokes a modern Swiss lifestyle, while integrating Chinese culture.”
As its name implies, there are Swiss touches everywhere. From the moment of arrival in the lobby, guests are immediately aware they are in an innovative, contemporary and luxurious space. HBA spurned predictable hallmarks of luxury hotel lobbies such as chandeliers, gleaming gold finishes, and muted beige and ivory palettes. Instead, shapes are linear, clean and bold.
The expansive floor and rectangular columns are clad in white stone. Walls are finished in blonde burl-panels, with custom blue rugs defining seating areas. Replacing the traditional, long wooden reception desk is a stone and glass pod, and stylised candleholders abound – leading the eye to an imposing 6-metre installation of white, modernist candlesticks at the base of the grand stairs. The staircase itself is open, as if suspended by steel cables, leading to the mezzanine where the ceiling makes a bold statement of parallel stainless steel panels striped with red fibre optic light makes a subtle reference to the Swiss flag.
Over two floors, the Swisstouches Spa is simple, chic and highly sophisticated, including several private rooms and a variety of hot and cold dip pools with the usual functions of a pool area. “The atmosphere is very mineral – as spas usually are in Switzerland – finished with a variety of textured beige and gray stone,” noted Mr T’kint. The design is unexpected as well. The main pool is a sleek black rectangle, theatrically showcased by HBA’s dedicated lighting division, Illuminate, with linear blue lights set into stripes across the ceiling reflecting on its mirrored surface. In vivid yet complementary contrast, the circular dip pools are brilliant turquoise.
HBA also themed food and beverage outlets with unexpected Swiss touches – most dramatically in Chinese restaurant: The Lord’s Home, where traditional Chinese cuisine is served in the atmosphere of a stately Swiss home – complete with a study, parlour and butler’s room! The all-day Swisstouches Cafe features a wall of European beers and wines. An adjoining Noodle Bar – in itself something unexpected in a luxury hotel – serves more than 150 different types of noodles from a long, clean, white counter surrounding a light stone rectangular preparation area. The bar on the top floor of the hotel features massive-scale wall art installations in bold splashes of red, drawing out red elements in the custom carpet. A mirror ceiling concealing integrated LED matrix screens allows for mood lighting at night, while ‘puddle’ lighting onto tables and seating contributes “a real wow”, according to Illuminate Director Simon Berry.
Lighting of the Ballroom is also versatile, allowing tailoring in a variety of colours for individual clients and particular events, with large chandeliers bringing richness and grandeur. Guestrooms are clean, precise and well appointed, with walls in a uniform light grey-wood tone increasing the sense of space. Custom carpets with intricate red-line designs continue the theme of the mezzanine ceiling. HBA even explored unusual bathroom layouts, with a separate toilet cubicle across the entrance foyer from the bath, which is finished in grey stone, creating a canvas for the white-stone vanity counter.
With an aggressive design concept deadline of eight months to fitting out and opening the new luxury hotel in 16 months, the project required a great deal of agility and flexibility from HBA. Yet the company’s renown for creating the finest hospitality interiors in China was underlined with masterfully contemporary styling for Swisstouches Hotel Xi’an, establishing a benchmark for the brand’s future projects. “The Swisstouches brand promise is bound up in its name and HBA delivered on this promise in a refreshing, intensely contemporary way,” added Mr T’kint. It also illustrated HBA’s ability to develop stunning design and complementary lighting in any visual language, from the most traditional to cutting-edge style.
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
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