Premier Hospitality

Langham Hotel

Langham
Written by Roma Publications

The Langham Hotel

Langham

Situated in the heart of London’s West End, The Langham London underwent an impressive refurbishment with Richmond International which commenced during late summer 2014, and was completed in July 2015. Richmond International, the leading hospitality interior design company, has worked with the Langham since 1992 and have built up a strong relationship where they understand the brand and their needs. It is thanks to this refurbishment that the hotel has been shortlisted for the European Hotel Design Awards 2016 in the ‘Suite’ category for the Sterling Suite.

The Langham Hotel itself is renowned for its legendary service and can provide for any meeting, function or event, offering an expert events team to accommodate every request. The Langham also benefits from a lavish Grand Ballroom with adjacent Courtyard Garden – offering a stunning al fresco space – to accommodate weddings. Boasting caterers to fulfil different food requests and needs, the Langham wedding menus are something special. The hotel’s luxurious spa and wellness facilities will re-launch as Chuan Body & Soul in Summer 2017.

Named Europe’s first “Grand Hotel”, the Langham promises an exquisite experience. For the refurbishment, S&T UK were appointed as the main contractor and delivered the soft refurbishment of 47 rooms in the Regent Wing. Along with this they delivered the formation of the Sterling Suite, Club Lounge as well as the two external structural link bridges that join these two areas to the main hotel at the second and third floors.

Delighting guests with affable hospitality since 1865, the hotel boasts an enchanting exterior and an array of rooms and suites that offer a stylish yet homely stay. The Langham Sterling Suite features many bespoke items such as the silver gilded, hand painted wallpaper; fibrous plaster to the Club Lounge ceilings; and specialist soft furnishings such as specially made carpets. The colour palette of the suite is a mixture of calming blues and greens, with yellow accents, and has domed gilded ceiling creating an elegant feel.

The Sterling Suite is a truly unique residential penthouse. At 4844ft2 the penthouse suite has up to six bedrooms for up to 12 guests, a dining room, expansive drawing room with a piano, private media lounge, Butler’s pantry and a VIP complimentary refrigerated private bar. Along with this comes a 24-hour personal butler, private access, and CCTV cameras and entry controls.

Located in an adjacent building to the hotel, the Sterling Suite is based on the interior of London residential townhouses. “The interior reflects the type of building it is in and is very bespoke,” commented Fiona Thompson, Principle at Richmond International, “everything within the suite has been designed specifically for it.” Painted plaster work with highlighted gilding of real gold leaf, hand painted silks within the panelling and specially dyed curtains make the Sterling Suite a truly luxurious place to stay.

“We chose English oak flooring to give the suite a real residential quality and goes back to the original classical look of the building.” The suite houses three Master bedrooms, which has a hand-painted chinoiserie theme running through them in homage to the hotel’s 18th Century heritage. The suite has the option of linking up with three other Deluxe bedrooms within the existing hotel in order for the Stirling Suite to house six bedrooms.

The main living area is inspired by the classical period and features a Salon and Dining Area with a dining table which can seat up to 10. The Drawing room has a bespoke fireplace and allows access to the home theatre lounge via sliding doors. The media lounge, outfitted with all latest gadgets, is furnished with sofas and screen dividers to create a sense of comfort and privacy.

For those that wish to dine out rather than dine in the suite, the hotel has an assortment of restaurants and bars such as the main restaurant Roux at The Landau, the Palm Court and the Artesian available.

With such a grand suite, there were challenges that Fiona and her team faced when it came to its construction. “As originally the space was an office building, the floor-to-ceiling heights are fairly compromised. The main challenge was to create a sense of space in a place that doesn’t have those fantastic high ceilings,” added Fiona. The use of creative design and clever lighting, however, has made it feel spacious and brings in as much natural light as possible to make it feel proportionate.

Marketed as one of the grandest suites in London, it being shortlisted for the EHDA 2016 is a great achievement. “It’s always good to have the work of the studio recognised within the industry in this way. It’s great for those that worked on the hotel as well as the hotel itself,” added Fiona.

Langham

ICE International

Founded in 1970 by Frits Janssen, ICE International produces custom designed carpets and area rugs for high-end hospitality and residential projects. With over 40 years’ experience, the family-owned company is an expert in the field and when it comes to producing handtufted, handknotted and Axminster qualities, ICE International’s abilities to deliver are second to none.

Since 2008, ICE International has successfully started to focus on the hospitality industry, led by the company’s second generation. ICE International now boasts an in-house and very talented Dutch design team.

ICE proudly serves well respected design firms such as HBA, Richmond International, Yabu Pushelberg, Philippe Starck, 4BI, Wimberly Interiors and Gilles et Boissier. The company feels honoured to have been involved with such prestigious projects as The Savoy London, Le Royal Monceau Paris, St Martin’s Lane Hotel London, Park Hyatt NY, Baccarat NY, Four Seasons Downtown NY, Grosvenor House London, Plaza AthenĂ©e Paris, The Beaumont London and Marriott Park Lane, amongst others.

Working on The Langham Sterling Suite London, ICE International’s design team worked in tandem with Richmond International London on the development of the area rugs for the hotel. ICE International is particularly proud that the Sterling Suite, with their rugs, has now been nominated for a European Hotel Design Award.

ICE International Managing Director, Rogier Janssen, said:

“We serve the best design companies around the world and aim to be the best supplier for custom-designed carpets and area rugs. This project gave us the opportunity to show our capabilities.”

Rogier added:

“We simply love to make beautiful carpets and area rugs for exclusive projects. We feel honoured to receive so many requests from well-respected design firms around the world, allowing us the opportunity to create unique and creative rugs for their projects.

“For the past eight years we have been developing ourselves in this new market with offices now located in Amsterdam, Dubai and NY, with more to follow.”

Langham

From The Atrium to The Penthouse: Swaraj Mainee

Swaraj Mainee specialises in the design & manufacture of bespoke textile embellishments for contract use. Swaraj provides a complete textile creative service that includes embroideries; printing; shibori & tie/dye techniques. Swaraj’s unique service is down to the resourceful sourcing of fabrics and having a network of craft workers who undertake traditional methods as well as modern techniques.

Swaraj has operated since 1993 and has worked with many prestigious clients; including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Hilton as well as residential & palatial properties from the Atrium to the Penthouse. Most recently, Swaraj has been involved with The Langham, London supplying bespoke drapery fabric for the Sterling Suite.

Commenting on this project, Swaraj said:

“Having previously worked on The Langham Chicago, I welcomed the opportunity to work on The Langham in London. I have always admired the building & its atmosphere and I love working with the team at Richmond International.

“I enjoy taking on challenging projects and tasks which enable my creativity to provide the best practical solution. I take great care to highlight an attention to detail and my ability to problem solve has been why I have long & close relationships with designers. I find client satisfaction extremely rewarding & motivating and will always deliver the best product and service.”

Langham

Walsh Greene

Founded in 2010 by directors, Susan Walsh and Robin Greene, Walsh Greene is an art consultancy specialising in the provision of artwork to the hospitality sector. The company sources, selects and supplies artwork packages for a range of projects, including both private and corporate schemes.

Over the past six years, Walsh Greene has built up an enviable portfolio of projects, including the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, the Shangri-La at The Shard in London, The Mandarin Oriental in Macau and The East West Bank, China. The company has also worked with numerous leading designers, including Richmond International, HBA and Steve Leung, amongst others.

Working on The Langham Hotel, Walsh Greene supplied a complete artwork package to the hotel for inclusion within its prestigious Club Lounge and its Sterling Suite. Walsh Greene was chosen specifically for the project by Richmond International.

Susan Walsh, Co-Director of Walsh Greene, said:

“It was great to work on The Langham Hotel, which is such an iconic hotel in London. The brief for the Club Lounge required contemporary British artwork, and this presented us with the opportunity to bring both prominent and unknown British artists together in such an amazing space.

“Our collaboration with Richmond International was also wonderful, as we really enjoy working with them.”

Susan added:

“Robin and I believe in our ability to source the best possible artwork for use in public spaces. We like bold statement pieces that really make an impact. We’re also proud of our ability to source artwork that is in line with the brand and is in keeping with the client’s budget.”

 

 

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