Summer is always a good time to “check in” with the hospitality industry (pun intended). And what we found when we did is that guests/patrons/ticket holders are on the hunt for experiences they can tell their grandkids about.
Well, we found a few that offer up just that and definitely deserved some real estate in this issue. From Vegas to Doha and back over to upstate New York, they all had one thing in common: offering up an undeniable sense of place.
Because we travel to experience a life outside our own, right? This can be as simple as having a dish from a new cuisine you’ve never tried before or as elaborate as seeing a concert in a venue that wraps up, over and around the audience and appeals to much more than just the auditory sense…
As you might have noticed from our cover, Populous’ highly anticipated project—The Sphere in Las Vegas—debuted the amazing capabilities of its LED exosphere on July 4 with visuals that took social media by storm. And if that’s what it can do for just the general passer-by, imagine what it can do once you step through its doors. Check out one of the only interior renderings available to the press on page 24 and read up on the technology behind this completely immersive space set to start performances and beyond, in just a few weeks! Also, find out how three other next-generation venues in this feature (like the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center) are making attendees feel like they are a part of the show rather than just an audience member.
But we also explore the trend of hyper-localization in this issue (which has been diving deeper than ever before) with a great how-to article from contributor Ako Ardalan of Unalome Interior on page 14, as well as projects that embed guests in the history and culture that surrounds them. We’re talkin’ groovy chic at Workshop/APD’s second Autocamp location in New York’s Catskill mountains—just a hop skip and a jump through the surrounding woods away from Woodstock. Then we pull up a chair at the restaurants of the Park Hyatt Doha, brought to life by Brooklyn’s CRÈME who helped bring that region’s design to a whole new level. We’ve even got TripAdvisor’s #1 Hottest New Hotel for the year—the LUMA in San Francisco.
And that’s not all: IIDA offers up a fascinating sit-down with brand mavens (and hospitality geniuses I might add) AvroKO, specifically their Chief Creative Officer Nick Solomon, on page 42; JCJ Architecture penned a tutorial on how mobile technology is dictating hotel design and what amendments need to be made from the lobby to the guestroom in order to accommodate it today and in the future for its advancements.
My advice? If you have a hospitality project in the works, keep this issue in your back pocket. It’s going to be your Bible. I hope everyone enjoys not just this issue, but more importantly these precious, last few days of summer.
