HONG KONG—Every hospitality design firm wants to puts its mark on projects in hopes of pleasing owners and hotel companies, as well as garnering awards and notoriety. Starting with a clean slate is the easiest way to accomplish those goals.
But that’s not the way things started for the architecture and interior design firm Design World Partnership (dwp/SRG) when it started working on the Grand Hyatt in the City of Dreams, Macau. Two other design firms already had started working on the project, but they didn’t work out. That, coupled with never having worked with Hyatt before, complicated the project. Nonetheless, the finished product was more than satisfactory for all involved.
A rough start
Dwp/SRG had to rework some of the previous companies’ designs when it came on the scene, as well as create new designs that met the needs of the owner, Melco Crown Entertainment, which owns most of the gaming facilities in Macau.
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| The front desk at the Grand Hyatt in the City of Dreams, Macau. |
“This happens a lot,” managing director Lorraine Reimann said about coming onto a project after other designers have started it. “You try and put your own mark on the project. We changed a lot—we had to redesign 80 percent of the hotel, including the lobby, spa, public space and two of the property’s four restaurants.”
More than 2,500 drawings were sketched in five months right after dwp/SRG came on board.
“When we started, the project was eight months behind, so we worked hard and got it back to two months behind, which was pretty much on track,” Reimann said.
The budget had diminished when dwp/SRG started. At that time, the project was US$3 million over budget, Reimann said.
“We brought them into line with the budget,” she said. “They gave us a budget of somewhere around HKD$30 million (US$4 million) even though the owner wanted to cut the overall budget more. But this didn’t affect our work.”
There are always challenges when it comes to design because one deals with many consultants and contractors, and everybody wants to implement what they think is the best design, Reimann said.
“You’re dealing with a lot of egos, including mine,” she said. “With construction projects, there are always problems you have to work around. You redesign things daily. And in Asia, you’re dealing with a lot of the local thought processes, such as feng shui.”
Elements of design
The Grand Hyatt Macau—which was completed in October 2009 (dwp/SRG started the project during September 2008 and finished its part in March 2009)—has two distinctive towers comprising 790 guestrooms and suites with river and city views within an integrated urban entertainment resort. One tower was designed by dwp/SRG, the other was designed by one of the previous designers that didn’t work out.
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| A guest suite at the Grand Hyatt in the City of Dreams, Macau. |
The hotel was supposed to be a Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt, but the president and CEO of Hyatt, Mark Hoplamazian, wanted it all to be a Grand Hyatt. So, tower two, which dwp/SRG designed, is more in line with Grand Hyatt standards. The other tower is more in line with a Park Hyatt. Together it’s a Grand Hyatt, which may have been a mistake, Reimann said.
Clean, bold design statements and understated Asian-chic attitude echo throughout the hotel from the underlining concept themes of earth, wind, water and fire. Considering Macau is surrounded by water, it’s the biggest element. Also, there are elements of Chinese style, such as farmer hats, that are more understated.
“The design originated from water and the elements, and we carried that through the hotel,” Reimann said. “We worked with the previous designer to see what they had originally had in mind, which was a fire in the sky, but the client didn’t want that. In the end, we worked to maintain a similar feel.”
An entire side of the main ballroom, which is on the second floor, is open to the lobby below.
“We were pretty happy with what came out of the lobby area,” Reimann said. “It’s fantastic. When you walk into it, you say, ‘Wow!’ It features the highest ceiling in Macau and a marble staircase. And we used a local sculptor to make the water feature, which is one piece of stainless steel.”
The pillarless, natural-light grand ballroom features a 26-foot ceiling and covers more than 23,000 square feet. It can cater to as many as 2,500 guests in theater style and 1,500 for a banquet function.
“We believe in comfort first, so guests don’t feel intimidated,” Reimann said. “Other design companies design to get their names in the papers. We design solely for owners and to meet their needs.”
This project was the first time dwp/SRG worked with Hyatt, which Reimann said has a simple design style that doesn’t date quickly. The firm now is on Hyatt’s preferred list of designers.
“I’ve worked in the hospitality design sector in major international hubs for more than 25 years, conjuring up magic like an alchemist, but this project would have to be the most challenging and rewarding,” Reimann said. “We’ve succeeded as the design custodians, setting Asian standards for future Grand Hyatt Hotels and Resorts high (meetings, incentives, conventions and expositions) standards.”
The design firm worked closely with Hyatt and the owner consistently through the project, Reimann said.
“There wasn’t a lot the owner and Hyatt didn’t accept from us,” she said. “We worked hard to complete the project in a short time frame, yet are proud of it.”
