Philippe Starck Walks Us Through His SLS South Beach Designs

Where: 1701 Collins Avenue [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

Welcome to Design Thursdays! This is our day to focus on hotel design through photo tours, video walk-throughs and interviews with hotel designers. Got a cool hotel design story we should know about? Let us know.

We’ve seen the renderings and they sure look pretty. But as we all know, nothing can capture the feel of a hotel room quite like checking into it for real.

We’re just weeks away from being able to do that at SLS South Beach, and in the meantime we have the next best thing to walking through the hotel itself–uber-designer Philippe Starck walking us through his designs.

We asked what we could expect from the rooms and where his inspiration came from. His answer took on a life of its own…

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/5/12/15122/1507

The James Royal Palm will have 179 guest rooms, 211 studios and suites, two swimming pools, a Catch restaurant, a poolside bar, lobby lounge and coffee bar. But wait! There’s even more like a full-service spa with salt-infused treatments, a retail shop, over 10,00-sq.ft of meeting and event space and even Lil’ James offerings for children. And did we mention this place has free WiFi?

We say secure your room now as once the season begins the rates will only go back up to around $399 a night.

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/5/15/18122/1005

SBE’s Sam Nazarian Dishes On The Star Designers of SLS South Beach

Where: 1701 Collins Avenue [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

It’s no secret that we’re psyched for the upcoming June opening of SLS South Beach. As June 14 gets closer (and we hear rumors that the hotel will soft open even sooner), details of the room decor is starting to trickle out. But what’s the official line?

We spoke to sbe founder Sam Nazarian and asked what we can expect from the SLS South Beach rooms designed by Philippe Starck.

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/5/10/203753/778

Our front terrace is set back 40 feet from Collins Ave. So were going to be one of the first hotels on the beach side to have the front terrace be a place where you can have a Cuban coffe or a sugarcane drink or Mojito. It will be the power place for people to come and have meetings and overlook Collins. It will be an organized garden, as I like to call it, bringing a real feeling of Miami into the front yard of SLS Miami Beach.

Its unique; something our competitors do not have. During the day, between 2 and 7 p.m. there really isnt an identifiable place for people to go [in South Beach]. So were really pushing the front terrace as a place for people to come and have an espresso, a cappuccino. Something like Davids Caf.

Power sessions at the Terrace at SLS South Beach will start on June 14 (maybe opening if our sources are correct.) In the meantime, read more on the design of SLS South Beach here

[Photo: HotelChatter]

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/5/12/145310/379

Inside a Room at The Kimpton Surfcomber (No Sheep Here!)

Where: 1717 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

Now that we’ve got you working on a name for the Surfcomber’s lone black sheep, we thought you may want to take a look at one of the hotel’s rooms–so you know what to expect if you win the name-the-sheep contest on Facebook and all.

The hotel was made over last year, reopening in 2012 with a fresh, sometimes funky, Kimpton feel. You can see what the lobby, bars and restaurant, Lantao Kitchen + Cocktails, look like from our earlier stories.

Now, check out the room in our gallery below.

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/5/9/18319/59446

The Surfcomber Wants You To Name Its Sheep. Yes, Sheep

Where: 1717 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

____ the Sheep, pulling all the weight at the concierge desk again.

We knew something was in the works with those sheep (the cows, too). Each time we’d been by the The Surfcomber in South Beach, the animal statues were in new positions–around the pool, peeking out from behind a door in the lobby, and hanging out by the concierge desk.

Then the sheep and cows popped up on the hotel’s Instagram feed during Winter Music Conference. Now, at last, their role in promoting the newly Kimptonized hotel is becoming apparent–they are but furry pawns in a game to drive traffic to the Surfcomber’s Facebook page–and, naturally, to the hotel itself.

They’re calling it the “Local Rock Star Needs Name Facebook contest. You see, one lone black sheep in the flock (four cows and four other sheep) remains nameless. (The others all have names but have yet to be introduced. Stay tuned.)

The Surfcomber is turning to its fans to name the fella–yes, it’s a boy sheep–and is providing a little background to help get the creative juices flowing…

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/5/7/193634/9901

Here’s What You Can Expect to Find in SLS South Beach’s Pink Bathrooms

Just in time for the opening of SLS South Beach with their pretty pink bathrooms, sbe has unveiled their Ciel Spa toiletry line which will now be found in all sbe hotels (SLS at Beverly Hills, The Redbury and the Four Points by Sheraton at LAX).

Named after the SLS spa, the Ciel line includes shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion and two soaps, all in stylish black packaging. It’s a win-win for everyone–the guest gets some cool-looking, non-anonymous bath toiletries (especially the folks at the airport hotel) while the spa gets non-stop advertising.

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/5/8/221314/6890

The SLS South Beach Sure Looks Sexy (Thanks to That Mirror on the Ceiling)

Where: 1701 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

The SLS South Beach doesn’t open for another two months but we’re finally getting a little more insight as to what the second-ever SLS Hotel will look like.

And like most things, in South Beach, it will be oozing sex appeal. But only up in the guestrooms. The rest of the joint is taking an eclectic design approach.

USA Today has some scoop on the interior design details of the hotel including a retro American camp theme at reception:

The reception desk is made from a distressed slab of wood; the lighting, from an antique wood kayak hanging from the ceiling. Vintage shots of camping trips reinforce the camp theme.

Down at Bazaar, the restaurant from Chef Jose Andres (which is also found in the first SLS Hotel in Los Angeles), Philippe Starck designed a room that is to be covered in grandma-approved art in only one color, acid yellow.

Expect love-it-or-hate-it acid yellow touches throughout the room – in photographs, on book shelves and in paintings.

Eeeeeeeee.

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/4/25/112029/017

Catalina Cast, Er Hotel Staff, Prancing on Beach in Anticipation of Reality Show

Where: 1732 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

As the preview spot for the new CW show, The Catalina, tells us: ‘If you think the guests like to party, wait til you meet the staff.’ Thanks to their recent cavorting on South Beach captured in The Daily Mail, we have our opportunity.

The article doesn’t tell us much about the cast… er, hotel staff of the Catalina, but if a picture says a thousand words, this piece is a thesis worthy of The New Yorker. They’re young, they’re thin and buff… they have a bit of the Jersey Shore about them, they work with hangovers–what else do we need to know?

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/4/24/75717/6503

Were not doing a traditional nightclub. Hyde Beach is a beach club on par with Cinquante Cinq in St. Tropez.

Sounds swanky! But if you’re not the party type and hate it when hotel pools are overrun with soirees that don’t allow hotel guests in, even to take a swim, you’ll be happy to hear that SLS South Beach will have two pools: one designated for the daytime debauchery St. Tropez-style and one exclusively for hotel guests.

Hyde Beach is also where the already-infamous Philippe Strack-designed food truck serving food by Jose Andres will be parked.

We’re sure Hyde at American Airlines Arena will be a sweet place to hang during the game–but something tells us that you’re more likely to spot LeBron at the one down in South Beach…

[Rendering: courtesy SLS South Beach]

Article source: http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2012/4/20/74755/8591