Web Exclusive: Affinia Hotel Collection's Holiday Trimmings

Everyone knows NYC’s department store windows are a must-see around the holidays.  They take retail merchandising to dramatic and fanciful extremes, with elaborate design concepts that require the year-long efforts of top design teams from shopping institutions like Bergdorf’s and Bloomingdale’s.

This year, Affinia Hotel Collection has given window design a new twist—creating custom displays for five of its Manhattan properties, which range from a quiet and tranquil hideaway to an exciting, theater-like atmosphere that impresses a crowd. The project is a sort of soft launch for Affinia’s recent rebranding efforts, conveying to guests that whether they are in need of personal space, feeling social, low-key, in work mode, or seeking a high-energy buzz, they’ll find an Affinia just right for their needs and preferences.

We asked Betsey Moser, brand program and style manager for Affinia Hotels and creator of the window displays, to walk us through her vision for each property and share her insights into her design process.

So far we've looked at the Dumont NYC hotel and Gardens NYC, but stayed tuned as we bring you each new property throughout December. And join us on Twitter at @interiorssource to share your #holidaydesign ideas!

Interiors & Sources: How did you get involved in designing these window displays?

Betsey Moser: I’ve been with Denihan Hospitality Group for over 30 years. As brand program and style manager, I help to create experiences for our guests. The holiday displays are the project I most look forward to, because of the introduction of new substrates, accent pieces, and festiveness I have the flexibility to incorporate.

I&S: How does this project relate to your previous work?

BM: Styling the properties for all hotel brands under the Denihan umbrella is an ongoing part of my role. That includes room layout, room design, and styling common spaces, as well as photo shoots, and of course, the holiday decor. My history of seeing the hotels’ phases of development and branding lends insight into how I design, and how that design will translate to current and potential guests.

I&S: Can you tell us a little bit about the Dumont property?

BM: Familiar, spacious, and central, the all-suite Dumont NYC is the roomiest of the Affinia Hotel Collection. When guests stay at the Dumont NYC, they’re often with their family ready to spread out and relax in their New York pied-a-terre. And the hotel answers back with a make-yourself-at-home kind of vibe.

I&S: How does that vibe translate into your holiday designs for the hotel?

BM: To align with that quality, the design vision is family-inspired, and starts with life-sized, handcrafted snowmen made of white woolen knits and looking out the lobby windows. It’s as sweet as it is cozy—with snowmen kits on hand, in case there’s a major accumulation and guests want to add to the family. With mason jars full of complimentary candy at the front desk under suspended paper snowflakes, the lobby offers up a precious, DIY-crafted aesthetic, in acknowledgement that the holidays are made more special by youth.

Our second stop is the Gardens NYC. Stayed tuned as we bring you each new property throughout December.

I&S: What was the collaborative process like to determine the appropriate design concepts for each property?

BM: Because we view Affinia guests like family, we want to design public spaces that make them feel at home. We collaborate with all the various constituencies: the hotel and brand managers, our marketing agency MME, and design firms such as Rockwell Group and Rottet Studio on projects, as brand message and personality needs to live across many platforms. For the Affinia Hotel Collection holiday windows project I collaborated with Rebecca Cole, an award winning and internationally renowned garden, floral, and interior designer.

I&S: Can you tell us a little bit about the Gardens property?

BM: The Gardens NYC is a headquarters for alone time in New York, discreetly located on the Upper East Side. It’s surrounded by boutique retail stores and museums—but it’s tranquil, thoughtful, and private, essentially a retreat where guests can take to their suites and escape for a while. There’s a kitchen in every one, and some offer outdoor terraces and patios. It’s very much a place for solitude.

I&S: How does that vibe translate into your holiday designs for the hotel?

BM: The concept developed as a connection between the self and nature at its calmest. I worked to combine the hotel’s tranquil suites, hideaway feel, and private front garden with a blissful wintry tranquility. A bedroom is the pinnacle of relaxation, but sometimes there’s nothing better than a walk through a silent forest. The whole thing beckons “come relax”: the trim is natural and lush with snow greens, light robin’s egg blue and silver ornamentation, and birch branch accents. We chose the cyan or powder blue color because of the historically iconic Tiffany’s culture of New York City. Potted trees and evergreens are placed within the space as well, as a visual nod to the secret garden in front; and with it, the notion they were pulled from the garden before winter’s first frost.

Our third stop is at the Manhattan NYC. Stayed tuned as we bring you each new property throughout December.

I&S: Many tourists come to NYC to see the department store window displays during the holidays. Did you have those in mind when working on these hotel windows? How would you compare the two—telling a retail story versus a hospitality one? 

BM: Absolutely, it’s important to consider the overall New York City holiday experience and not disconnect from it. But my main focus was the personality of each of the hotels, and how they would visually translate into a holiday aesthetic. The wonderful thing is having five different properties and personalities to showcase, while keeping in mind that they are to be a unified collection experience-wise. Some materials, motifs and concepts carried across some or all of the properties create a unity, though each has its own unique features and vignettes.

I&S: Can you tell us a little bit about the Manhattan NYC property?

BM: The Manhattan NYC is modern and multifaceted—and quintessentially New York. It’s literally right across from Madison Square Garden. Recently, the New York City-inspired lobby, ballroom and eight other event spaces were redesigned by Lauren Rottet, and our downtown-style rooms were revamped by Rockwell Group. Combining those design elements with the constant foot traffic, the hotel’s atmosphere embodies a chic city energy. We’re always thinking of ways to maintain that.

I&S: How does that vibe translate into your holiday designs for the hotel?

BM: The Manhattan NYC is perfect for guests seeking the thrill of Broadway life and live performances, as it captures the spirit of a buzzing pre-show theater. So the big idea here was clear from the start: entertainment. This hotel is literally at the crossroads of Manhattan’s most iconic districts, and I, like the guests, find myself inspired by the glitzy quality of New York’s very heart. From the flashy lights of Broadway to the Swarovski crystal New Year’s Eve ball in Times Square, New York is always decorated in lights—a hundredfold during the holidays. This design brings all the sparkle outside our doors inside the hotel with a neutral palette of white, gold, silver, and champagne. 

Next up, we visit the Fifty NYC. Just one hotel left! Stayed tuned as we bring you the last property this Friday.

I&S: Do you have any advice for capturing a brand's essence in the design process? Or perhaps how to balance the brand with your own personal brand/style as a designer?

BM: Knowing the guest is first and foremost. They inspire our language, and reinforce the personality, while the neighborhoods inspire our visual images and overall look and feel. Using brand guidelines, we’re systematic introducing specific palettes and colors to hotel guests; a primary color for external communications, and secondary and tertiary colors for internal communications.

I&S: Can you tell us a little bit about the Fifty NYC property?

BM: The Fifty NYC is located in a work-oriented part of town with several Fortune 500 headquarters close by. It attracts a business-savvy, sophisticated clientele who likes to mix business with leisure, so the Fifty is appointed to support a work/life balance far from home. It’s like the living room of a street-smart New Yorker in that it’s residential with original work by local and international artists throughout.

I&S: How does that vibe translate into your holiday designs for the hotel?

BM: The focus was the second floor Club Room, the hotel’s laid-back lounge where guests mingle and network. Its holiday design is inspired by the organic wildness of nature and the guest’s affinity for art, and is a visual cue to clear your mind for fresh, uninhibited thinking in 2015. With natural, earthy touches reminiscent of the woods, there’s an abundance of holiday flora and fauna. Custom sculptural tree groves meander throughout the property, with their potted counterparts flanking fireplace hearths in both the lobby and Club Room. It’s fresh, homey yet rustic, atavistic and powerful. 

Rounding out the series, we visit the Shelburne NYC. Thanks for joining us on our #holidaydesign tour—and don’t forget to share your favorite scenes of the season with us on Twitter @interiorssource.

I&S: Can you tell us a little bit about the Shelburne NYC property?

BM: The Shelburne NYC’s proximity to Grand Central Terminal makes it a go-to for those living within the greater New York City area—and perfect for a relaxed city weekend. This guest loves excitement, but sometimes wants a more down-to-earth, easygoing vibe: just strolling through the city, dining local at the hotel restaurant, and having a nightcap at the bar. The property is reminiscent of a laid-back social club, with common spaces more like living rooms. There are also terrace suites with views of the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building, well-loved by out-of-towners.

I&S: How does that vibe translate into your holiday designs for the hotel?

BM: Designed by Rottet Studio, the Shelburne NYC’s orange, red, and brown-toned lobby is considered its living room—warm and generative, evocative of a glowing fireplace in winter, a spot of warmth in an otherwise stark, unyielding season. It naturally followed to include the traditional holiday color scheme one usually finds within a living room. The concept communicates that while you’re away, you’re still at home and part of the family; a comforting oasis surrounded by the soul of the city. Classic features include elegant Christmas lights, natural touches of evergreen and snowflakes, and as always, the awe-inspiring tree.

I&S: By what measures will you and the hotel determine the success of this project?

BM: This is a truly experiential type of program that is strictly designed for the enjoyment of our guests, both on property and via social media. It’s based on our commitment to engage and interact with our guests, even before and after they arrive on property. We view them as friends and family, and want to make a special environment for them to capture their moments.