Earlier this year, at the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado, Rottet Studio revamped the property’s 26 two-, three- and four- bedroom residences with alder wood, leather, wool, and mohair, and incorporated vintage-style carpets, tufted sofas, and woven wallpaper for a more elegant look. Artwork was also critical to the update, with Rottet Studio curating such pieces as vintage Hermès scarves by Kermit Oliver, ceramics, and woodcuts from talents at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in nearby Snowmass Village. Finds from Round Top Antiques Fair like “the beautiful bear art framed above the lock-off beds and vintage ski art from an old book that is over 85 years old,” says Amber Lewis, senior associate in Rottet Studio’s Houston office, “are some of the favorites, and different in each residence.”
Branded residences have always held a certain cachet, serving as extensions of their namesake hotel portfolios, and demand for them continues to rise. Consider Accor, which recently opened the OWO Residences by Raffles in London and plans to increase its collection across 20 different brands by more than 300 percent by 2027. In fact, Ennismore, Accor’s lifestyle division, has 26 under development alone, including the Mondrian Residences Burleigh Heads in Gold Coast, Australia; Maison Delano Residences, Seoul; and Mama Shelter and SO/ residences in Dubai.
The recently opened OWO Residences by Raffles in London, featuring a design by 1508 London
A renewed interest in such properties is also translating to more lavish designs and amenities. Harris Christiaansen, vice president and associate principal at the San Francisco office of SB Architects, says that perks such as home theaters, fitness centers, and outdoor pools are now de rigueur “to meet the specific needs of our high net-worth clientele. While this necessitates a more tailored approach, many operators are becoming more accommodating to personalized requests.”
One forthcoming SB Architects project, the Residences at the St. Regis Los Cabos in Mexico, illuminates this sense of customization in its mix of beachfront villas and condos and townhouses overlooking the Quivira Golf Club and beyond “while still preserving the brand’s identity.” Owners can select from design packages based on earth, wind, or fire with accompanying materials that reflect the chosen element, “but that still highlight the modern Mexican design sensibilities of the luxury property,” adds Christiaansen.
A rendering of the Meyer Davis-designed Well Bay Harbour Islands in Miami
New York firm Meyer Davis currently has seven branded residence projects under construction. Three of those properties are in Miami, including the Well Bay Harbour Islands, scheduled to open in 2025, which translates the Well’s holistic wellness ethos into 54 bespoke residences and 22,000-square-feet of amenities centered around hushed and serene interiors. The Baccarat Residences Miami, part of SH Hotels & Resorts, “is luxury on a totally new level,” says firm owner Will Meyer. The design will marry the traditional French ethos of the brand with a modern aesthetic, showcasing panel moldings, antique accents, and handcrafted Baccarat chandeliers across 328 flow-through residences, eight penthouses, and 28 riverfront flats when it opens in 2026. They will join the Mr. C Residences Coconut Grove. Expected to open next year, the large-scale residential development celebrates the brand’s European heritage with rich materials and a refined sensibility befitting of the city.
Additionally, the design firm is behind two Florida residences for Ritz-Carlton in Tampa and Bonita Springs. Outside of the U.S., the Crown Sydney Residences and Mr. C Residences Jumeirah in Dubai are also in the works. “When you enter a hotel, you’re entering a world that is created for you, and the fun part is that fantasy of imagining what it would be like to live there,” Meyer adds. “We’re taking that full circle with the idea that you’re not only imagining you’re living in that property, but you actually are.”
Artwork plays a starring role at Rottet Studio’s newly redesigned residences for the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado
A rendering of the window-filled Baccarat Residences in Miami, designed by Meyer Davis
This article originally appeared in HD’s December 2023 issue.
