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‘Effortless luxury’ in Asbury Park revitalization

Jersey shore alive: Designed to bring an effortless beach life to the East Coast of the U.S., the team behind the Asbury Ocean Club Hotel on the New Jersey shore has created 54 rooms that occupy the entire 4th floor of the mixed-use luxury development featureing 130 condominiums, Asbury Ocean Club Resort & Residences.

David Bowd of Salt Hotels, operator of Asbury Ocean Club Hotel, told HOTELS, “For us, it is all about effortless luxury — we have taken all the effort away from the guest so they truly have an opportunity to relax or work without need for interruption. The hotel is completely transaction-less with no ‘check in’ or signing checks; the guest just orders and we take care of everything else.”

Wanting to employ from the local area as part of the rejuvenation of the Asbury Park neighborhood by New York developer iStar, Bowd’s team did significant training and flew in trainers and ex-colleagues from hotels all over the world to meet expectations.

While he would not offer a projected ADR and occupancy, Bowd did say that given the luxury nature of the hotel, the rate is higher than the local competition but at an appropriate level. “After opening The Asbury three years ago, we have a strong understanding of the market and have positioned the hotel accordingly,” he said.

Bowd’s favorite design element: the oasis of the pool terrace and deck looking out at the views of the Atlantic Ocean. “Anda Andrei (the design lead for the multi-billion-dollar Asbury Park redevelopment project) designed the space to have multiple seating groups, from a 50-foot bed to lounge seating surrounding the outdoor fireplace and more structured dining seating on the terrace around the pool bar, ensuring there would be something for everyone – it couldn’t be more idyllic.”

The Drawing Room serves as an all-day retreat featuring caviar and a floating champagne cocktail cart.
The Drawing Room serves as an all-day retreat featuring caviar and a floating champagne cocktail cart.

Returning to its roots: Hard Rock International continues to expand its European presence with the grand opening of Hard Rock Hotel London — the brand’s first property in the U.K. Located in the birthplace of the brand, the 900-room Hard Rock Hotel London has a lobby that pays tribute to its heritage. Designed by design firm Scott Brownrigg for local owner-operator GLH, the concept for the interior design was inspired by the history of the building, which was built in the mid-1700s and served as the original Hard Rock Cafe, founded in London in 1971. This hotel is the culmination of three concepts – the cafes, hotels and Rock Shops – coming together as one in an open-lobby, community-driven environment with Hard Rock’s memorabilia as the design thread.

Croatia redux: The first phase of a total refurbishment of Camellia Hotel in the Croatian coastal resort of Opatija is complete. It was there in the 19th Century that Adriatic tourism was born and the Hapsburg villas that still characterize the town were built. Named after the camellias, which flourish in abundance around the town, the first phase of HBA London’s work has involved the redesign of 80 guestrooms, transforming them into spaces that flow towards their outdoor terrace and look towards the views of the Adriatic. Their color palette is natural – belonging to the pale stone of the coastal location, enlivened with the russet tones of terracotta – which is synonymous with rooftops in this part of Europe. Timbers are predominantly pale with wide Požgaj planks – a nod to Opatija’s shipbuilding heritage – used to clad the floor, and fabrics and materials are all textured and natural woven. A standout feature of the rooms are the custom-designed wardrobes and wall paneling finished in lattice worked painted timber.

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