HBA’s local team (with the help of JVA Art Group) researched imagery between the 1890s and 1930s, seeking “appealing references that would resonate with guests” and serve as inspiration for the various art forms within the 350-room hotel, says HBA senior project designer Valeria Lassalle.

In the lobby, old newspaper clippings make up the upholstery for sofas in front of the registration desk, with a bicycle spoke light fixture hanging overhead and a collage of historical images adorning the largest wall, tantalizingly obscured by an array of white flowers to lure guests in for a closer look. “We wanted the art to be fun and funky with a respectful reference,” she says. Shapes of jewelry inspired the chandeliers in the third level meeting space, where abstract prints of precious stones can also be found. For some unconventional touches, wallcoverings of stylish women from the 1920s are applied on bathroom stall doors, and floor-to-ceiling prints of old speakeasies surprise guests in elevators. Meanwhile, guestroom wallcoverings resemble what guests might have seen out their windows at the time, from historic buildings to parasols on the street, all overlaid on top of each other. “The artwork was really the design itself,” Lassalle says, “creating a cohesive envelope in which a contemporary approach takes you back in time.”