In designing the Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Ann Arundel County, Maryland, RD Jones + Associates owner and principal Rebecca Jones was well versed on the owner’s goals, having already collaborated with Southern Management on a dozen projects. For this project, they wanted Jones and her team to create a full-service, unbranded boutique hotel with ample meeting space, something that did not previously exist in the area.
The open, two-story public spaces encompass a social gathering area below and a bright, expansive meeting space above. On the ground floor, the designers wanted an inviting space to entertain guests and accommodate restaurant overflow, rather than the “typical, old-fashioned stoic lobby,” says Jones. A double-sided fireplace and broad leather furnishings in warm, neutral tones lend a cozy, masculine feel.
For the upstairs meeting area, Jones explains that natural lighting was paramount. “The clear glass balls hanging in the chandelier were selected so they would not block the sunlight, and would expand the space,” she points out. “We wanted something bright to keep the energy flowing and the minds engaged while guests attended meetings.”
In fact, to help accomplish the hotel’s LEED Silver certification, Jones and her team maximized natural light and incorporated LED and CFL lighting throughout. “The scale of the public spaces, especially ceiling heights, allowed us to make use of the concrete columns, [creating] a textural space we highlighted with natural light,” Jones shares. “We wanted to make sure we captured [the light] as much as possible.”
The main challenge came in the guestrooms, where the designers had to keep the original room sizes. The solution: longer, narrower bathrooms, allowing the vanity to act as a focal point, and adding open showers and enclosed water closets. Elsewhere, they employed a darker, richer feel, because, Jones says, “We wanted the space to be efficient yet completely relaxing and enveloping…where you can just melt after a long day of travel.” Built-in niches serve double duty as comfortable places to lounge and workstations, and all entryways are swathed in hardwood flooring.
