Radical innovation won recognition in the previous edition of HD Boutique. With the masterful presentation of the architect David Rockwell and the award of the underwater resort project of the architect Jean-Claude Carme, the event was held in its fifth edition in the city of Miami between September 18 and 19.
by Redacción Gerencia de Hoteles
Radical innovation won recognition in the previous edition of HD Boutique. With the masterful presentation of the architect David Rockwell and the award of the underwater resort project of the architect Jean-Claude Carme, the event was held in its fifth edition in the city of Miami between September 18 and 19.
Art, lighting and outdoor furniture were taken most of the exhibition floor of the fair that this time grew by 20%. "Art is represented by nearly 70 exhibitors including photography, sculpture, graphic arts, paintings and posters," said Michelle Finn, vice president of Hospitality Design. It was followed by outdoor furniture exhibitors with around 80 exhibitors and lighting with 103 exhibitors.
Designing is dreaming
The hotel industry as a spectacle. That was the conclusion that David Rockwell left in the air with the presentation of his book "Spectacle" and his masterful presentation during the event. Rowell, president of the Rockwell Group has in his portfolio of clients names such as the W Hotel in New York, the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California; the Cirque du Soleil in Orlando, Florida, among many other big names. "Be authentic, exuberant and not be afraid", was one of the slogans mentioned by the architect to continue making the hotel industry part of the spectacle of life.
To prove it, HD Boutique made it possible to see how far the limit of imagination in hospitality goes. An example of this was the Radical Innovation contest, in which four hotel projects competed to take the title of the most radical hotel project, which made it worthy of a prize of US $ 5,000. A panel of experts was in charge of revealing the strengths and weaknesses of each project and allowing the audience to have the elements of judgment for a successful vote. The Poseidon Undersea Resort project took the public's preference.
It is a project aimed primarily at the traveling diving public who may prefer an underwater lodging option to a traditional option. It is a floating resort built completely underwater at 12 meters deep, accessible by elevator. This resort will be the first of its kind that will allow guests to enjoy a single atmosphere in their stay, that is, inside the structure the pressure of the surface will always be felt, then visitors will never be exposed to the psychological effects of hydrostatic pressure. (More information in www.poseidonresorts.com).
The competition aimed to discover, identify and explore the concepts of radical innovation, including those that may already be working in development or in their stage of drawing up in conceptual form. "This industry, through design and innovation, has been credited with the need to extend the experience of a guest's hotel stay to their own home, facilitating a business trip with in-room design solutions and touches of comfort," said Michelle Finn.
The other innovations
In tune with this new expectation of the guest, the decoration and interior design showed their novelties. And since it is no longer just about design that involves the visual senses but other sensory experiences, such as smells, manufacturers such as MTI Whirpools, for example, presented their latest novelty in bathtub equipment. With small holes installed at the end of the bathtub, this company seeks to increase the comfort of the guest who no longer has to combine essences of smell with the water they will use in the bathtub. The essence is put in a special receptacle for the effect and from there the smell is combined with water. The same bathtub allows the guest to listen to the music of their choice, without having an additional solution.
Creating a warm atmosphere in large spaces is now a simpler task. In lighting, the Casablanca Fan Company exhibited its most recent chandelier consisting of around 48 candles that keep the line of tradition but at the same time modernity of this company. Each candle is equipped with a 3-watt valve that effectively captures the movement of the natural candle flame and the incandescent glow of the royal candle.
Latin America, in action
The increase in the number of attendees from Latin America was noticeable thanks to the conferences with simultaneous translation from English to Spanish provided by the Travel Management Magazine at no cost to attendees from the region. Additionally, the Latin American Club, offered in conjunction with Valley Forge Fabrics, provided rest and comfort while walking through the fair floor.
With the presentation made by the architect Guillermo Marshall "Design success stories in Latin America", attendees were able to take a broader knowledge of how each piece of the construction of a hotel impacts the operation of the same, as is the case with facades. Marshall & Asociados is a company specialized in façade design and engineering with offices in Argentina and Spain.
The exposure of this type of topics at the academic level and the growth of the attendance of Latin American hoteliers to HDBoutique continues to demonstrate that the region advances in knowledge and access to supplies for the hotel business. The next appointment to see and learn about the latest interior design in hospitality will be in Miami between September 17, 18, 2008.
