Award-winning hospitality architects and interior designers, Dexter Moren Associates (DMA) is pleased to announce the following eight hotel and apartment openings in 2021.
Hotel Villa Pamphili
DMA’s Interior Design team was appointed to renovate and redesign the interiors of the Hotel Villa Pamphili in Rome, a 235-bed ‘urban villa’ which takes its name from the vibrant park and landscaped grounds of the Villa Doria Pamphili. The concept for the hotel was directed by DMA’s ethos of developing a ‘neighbourhood story’ unique to the site – in this case, the location, the Mediterranean vibe and the existing seventies period architecture provided the inspiration for a ‘Miami beach’ feel. This complemented the iconic Italian aesthetic; merging a city hotel (Urban) with a resort (Villa) to create a venue for local and international leisure and business guests to experience Rome’s abundant and multi-layered history while enjoying all the comforts of a wellness-oriented environment. Thus the ‘Urban Villa’ was born. It is due to open second quarter 2021.
Gatehouse Apartments, Southampton
Due to launch in March 2021, the Gatehouse Apartments in Southampton will be DMA’s fourth project working with Grainger plc. Taking inspiration from the local industry, trade and transit that has always been at the heart of Southampton, the resident amenity spaces will include a large flexible co-working and lounge space, private dining room, gym and roof terrace for residents to connect and socialise. Industrial inspired materials are present throughout and detailed within the bespoke joinery, whilst fun recycled materials give layers of interest to the scheme.
Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos
DMA’s Interior Design team has been appointed to refurbish the guestrooms and public areas at the Four Points by Sheraton in Lagos, Nigeria, which is due to open in Quarter 2 of 2021. The popular four-star hotel comprises 231 rooms, swimming pool, conference facilities, ballroom, and gym. The scheme will involve large-scale re-organisation of the hotel’s public areas, with the proposed inclusion of co-working and executive lounge spaces, as well as a completely new wing of meeting rooms and facilities. Topping off the refurbishment will be the newly designed outdoor terrace and bar, hosting music and events, as one of the top social spots in the city.
Hampton by Hilton, Dublin
The Hampton by Hilton, Dublin is a new build hotel and will include 249 keys across eight floors with one basement level and a mezzanine. DMA was appointed by M.B. McNamara Construction Ltd to take this project through RIBA stages 3 to 5 and is using an inverted type of construction where the transfer slab at level one has been built first to allow the construction of the upper levels, while archaeological excavations are undertaken below. Precast construction with precast floors and structural ‘twin walls’ allows faster construction. The façade will feature roman bricks. The Hampton by Hilton is due to open March / April 2021 subject to local Covid-19 restrictions.
The Fellows House, Curio by Hilton, Cambridge
The Fellows House, Curio by Hilton, Cambridge aims to play host to the discerning clientele of Cambridge and beyond, who are seeking somewhere to eat, drink and stay in style. The property will feature boutique-style guest rooms and suites (including accessible and interconnected rooms) with modern kitchens for both short- and long-stay guests. Launching this spring/summer, guests will benefit from a gym, swimming pool, sauna and steam room, as well as a restaurant, café and bar with ample on-site car parking, including multiple electric-car charging ports.
Hyatt Place London City East
DMA’s architecture team is working for client Resolution Property on the Hyatt Place London City East, reconfiguring an aparthotel scheme by replanning the internal layouts with the Hyatt brand at the forefront. Located on Whitechapel High Street, the existing seven-storey building will be stripped back to its concrete structure and re-clad, with an additional three storeys. This 280 bed Hyatt Place hotel will be the first of its kind in Central London, featuring a ninth-floor lounge and terrace as well as a roof bar with views to the City and Canary Wharf. The lobby and restaurant area are on the lower ground floor, alongside an orangery, courtyard, gym, and a grab-and-go food market. The hotel is due to open in mid 2021. DMA has also been appointed to construct the second centrally located Hyatt Place in London in Paddington.
Westin London City
Mid June 2021 will see the culmination of almost ten years of DMA working for 4C Hotel Group with Vascroft Contractors on the Westin London City complex, a new-build development near St Paul’s Cathedral. The 5-star Westin hotel will comprise nine luxury apartments with panoramic river-facing views, 222 guestrooms including 29 suites, a spa and swimming pool, extensive conference and banqueting facilities, a riverside restaurant and bar with spectacular views over the River Thames. DMA’s design for the new landmark building replaces the previous a collection of four tired and outdated office buildings with a cohesive piece of architecture. The Thames-side walkway is a key element of the scheme, and the final piece connects the Embankment with the Tower of London. DMA’s interior design is driven by a nature-inspired concept aiming to create a feeling of calm within the bustling city. A serene palette of natural colours is enlivened with contrasting tones, textures and materials.
InterContinental hotel, Lusaka
The second phase of the refurbishment of the existing InterContinental hotel, Lusaka, into a dual-brand 106 room InterContinental and 160 room Holiday Inn, is due to open towards the end of 2021. Building on the success of its previous designs for the Holiday Inn, which opened in October 2020, DMA was asked to refurbish and update the extensive food and beverage offering at the InterContinental and create additional meeting rooms. DMA’s interior design concept is a modern, urban African twist on a natural palette inspired by minerals such as copper, in which Zambia is rich. Joel Iseli, Associate at DMA, comments: “This project is truly a complete design solution: it’s a Holiday Inn and an InterContinental; it’s a refurbishment and a new-build; it’s architecture and interior design. I don’t think it is a specialist project, it’s a global project.”