Premier Hospitality

InterContinental Barclay

InterContinental Barclay
Written by Roma Publications

InterContinental Barclay Presidential Suite

Located on the 14th floor and newly expanded to 4,000 square feet, the Presidential Suite at The InterContinental Barclay New York, features historic accents and elegant furnishings, as well as an array of artwork ranging from pastoral landscapes to Chinoiserie accent pieces.

The Presidential Suite was recently reimaged through a collaboration between Stonehill & Taylor, IHG Design Studio and Charbel Kallab.

“Stonehill & Taylor was initially brought on to renovate the entire hotel at The InterContinental Barclay New York, at this time we established a close working relationship with the InterContinental Hotel Group. The original project scope consisting of a gut renovation of a 702-room hotel with the addition of two new ballrooms,” Vince Stroop, Principal at Stonehill & Taylor, tells Premier Hospitality Magazine. “As we worked on the architecture and interior design for the full hotel, Stonehill & Taylor was subsequently tapped to recreate its Presidential Suite as well, which sits on the 14th floor of a 15-story building on the South East corner with views of the Chrysler Building.

“Since we were heavily involved with the hotel renovation, our transition to the suites was seamless. The hotel was originally built in 1926, and at that time in American interior design and architecture, there was a revival of the federalist period – a more traditional, colonial aesthetic,” Stroop explains. “The hotel was renovated many times over the years, and when we took over in 2012, the style was mismatched. We wanted to bring it back to its original intention, following a federalist style architecture and interior design. In order to differentiate the Presidential Suite from the rest of the hotel, we strategically incorporated a lot of symmetry, federalist millwork detail, layering of materials and use of marble and stone.”

InterContinental Barclay

Immediately upon entrance to the space, the grand entry hallway sets the tone for the suite, with floors elaborately patterned in three types of marble. This leads guests into a dramatic rotunda, boasting a bright 12-foot-high octagonal dome that opens to the reception, fitness room and master bedroom entryway. The living room area features gold, rich red and pewter details with a baby grand piano as the focal point, while the bedrooms have a palette of powder blue, cream and taupe. The master bedroom leads to a spacious bathroom haven that features a steam shower and the only freestanding bath tub in the hotel.

The history of this highly distinguished private residence speaks for itself, placing The Barclay’s Presidential Suite in a class all of its own. The expanded 3,400 square-foot suite addresses the needs of heads of state, royalty and the most discerning travellers alike. Guests who have stayed in the suite include former President Barack Obama, who stayed in the suite before its renovation and has stayed after its renovation, former Vice President Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, who in 1992 ran his presidential election campaign from the suite.

Conceived with its guests in mind, the ample living and dining areas, entertainment centre, bedrooms and bathrooms are exquisitely designed with historic accents and elegant furnishings. The impressive grand marble entrance, private fitness room, library office and baby grand piano add to the grandeur of the suite, setting a new standard of luxury.

The project has been shortlisted for a SBID award in the category of Hotel Bedroom and Suite Design.

“Since this is a limited viewing opportunity for the public to experience, it is nice from the awards perspective that people can peek inside to see what it would be like to stay in the suite or be a dignitary,” Stroop noted on the award shortlisting.

“We are really excited to showcase the Presidential Suite – a lot of hard work went in to the project. A challenge we faced was catering to the high level of security required within the construction, and pairing that with a very classic, traditional design aesthetic.  So, to have it recognised in a finalist position makes us extremely happy, proud and grateful.”

The SBID awards recognise, reward and celebrate design excellence across a broad range of categories. Winning a SBID International Design Award is a high achievement – they are evaluated by leading industry experts for the technical content and aesthetic creativity while the design-conscious public also has a say in choosing the most inspiring projects.  Award winners will be announced later this year.

InterContinental Barclay

 

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