Returning guests to Hyde Park’s newest apart’hotel 208 Sussex Gardens, can have a different experience with each stay. Redesigned by London-based design firm March & White, the 63 one- and two-bedroom luxury serviced apartments now come in six varying styles-Theatrical Hues, Glitz and Glamour, Ebony and Ivory, Soothing Neutrals, Elegance and Warmth, and Artistic Playfulness.
Soothing Neutrals Design
“With it being an apart’hotel that has a lot of loyal guests, we wanted to offer these returning customers the options of something different each time they visited,” says James White, director of March & White. “The variation acts as a pull for clients to come back and try out a different floor of the property.”
With an 1840s Victorian exterior, the main challenge was merging the stucco-fronted façade with a 21st century interior. “It was important that we respect the history of the building while designing something fresh and new,” says White. “We wanted to create interiors that weren’t pastiches [of the façade] but confident pieces of contemporary design in their own right.”
Glitz and Glamour Design
The contemporary design begins in the lobby with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and an etched-mirror reception desk among the marble features. However, only the reception’s modern luxury continues consistently into the apartments’ designs. “Linking all the styles is an attention to detail and drive for quality, whether that be surfaces, joinery, or the specification of furniture,” says White. “When devising these [styles], we wanted the variations between floors to be bold and confident, catering for a range of styles and personalities. Also, ceiling heights and levels of natural light played a very big part in selecting which themes would cater to which floor.”
Lobby
On the lower ground floor, there are the Theatrical Hues rooms, awash in soft pastels and bright neons to create 1960s glamour; colored lighting and sleek lines add to the dramatic modernity. The first floor’s Ebony and Ivory style has a black and white palette covering restored original cornicing and high ceilings. Meanwhile, the Soothing Neutrals floor creates a calming atmosphere with gray and off-white tones. “Variation needed to be matched by a consistent feel of quality throughout,” says White. Furniture from B & B Italia and Ligne Roset “help give the impression of a 5-Star quality on a 4-Star budget,” White adds.
Theatrical Hues Design
That continues in the Elegance and Warmth apartments, which thanks to a neutral palette-rich brown, beige, and gold-set against natural stone tiles and an abundance of wood, boast a Scandanavian appeal. And wallcoverings of sketched characters-such as cowboys and astronauts-back the Artistic Playfulness apartments’ primary colored furniture. On the ground and fifth floors, the Glitz and Glamour apartments boast earthy, gold tones and elegant lines.
Elegance and Warmth Design
“Often hotels and serviced apartments stick to very strict brand book guidelines and this can result in pretty bland, uniform spaces,” says White. “We wanted to move away from this, creating distinctly different experiences for guests.”
Artistic Playfulness Design
