An elegant view from the best hotel design projects by Champalimaud

Champalimaud Design, one of the hospitality interior design titans company, has in Alexandra Champalimaud the mastermind behind some of the world’s most iconic luxury hotels. Today, we share with you a list of the best hotel design projects by Champalimaud Design.

WALDORF ASTORIA CHENGDU, CHINA

Waldorf Astoria Chengdu is the newest luxury 5-star hotel in the burgeoning Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone. Soaring 52 stories, the hotel blends classic elegance and modern grandeur with inspirational environments and modern luxuries.

Guest rooms at the hotel start from a spacious 50 square meters, each elegantly-furnished and featuring the signature Waldorf Astoria bed, a walk-in closet, marble bathrooms with double vanities, and modern entertainment amenities.

THE HOTEL BEL AIR, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

The landmark Hotel Bel-Air opened 1946 and to this day remains a haven for a star-studded roster of guests. Champalimaud pushed the reset button on this iconic property, refreshing the interiors and creating new spaces that seamlessly transition into the lush surroundings and distinctive Spanish Colonial architecture. Today, the Hotel Bel-Air is once again the most luxurious and exclusive hotel in Southern California.

Our studio maintained the hotel’s glamorous individuality through design that merges subtle references the 1930s, 40s, and 50s with modern fixtures and finishes. Encompassing a new lobby and reception area, 45 suites, and 58 guest rooms, the renovation gives each space its own character, infusing each stay with a sense of discovery. Themes inspired by the hotel’s famed gardens reinforce a connection to the outdoors, while texture, pattern, and color to create continuity throughout the estate.

Twelve newly built hillside suites add to the allure of the property. Mid-century furniture, warm wood surfaces, and spacious travertine patios invite guests to enjoy sweeping canyon views from beside indoor or outdoor fireplaces. A 12,000-square-foot addition accommodates a fitness studio, the Hotel Bel-Air Spa by La Prairie, and three loft-style guest suites with three-sided fireplaces and dramatic arched ceilings. The renowned oval swimming pool, a beloved element of Hotel Bel-Air for over 65 years, remains a fixture of the modernized urban getaway.

THE LIBERTY HOTEL, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Boston’s former Charles Street Jail, a historic landmark that once housed infamous criminals including Jack the Ripper, challenged Champalimaud’s creativity. Carpenter & Co., the owners, commissioned Champalimaud, to create a vibrant, luxury hotel within this imposing granite fortress. Beginning with its name, The Liberty represents a surprising counterpoint to a history of confinement.

Champalimaud focused on themes of life, community, and renewal as the basis for repositioning this historic property, inserting humorous and sometimes mischievous references as a playful response to the hotel’s austere backdrop. The hotel includes 273 guestrooms, 31 suites, two ballrooms and two restaurants, all designed to create an authentic connection to the surrounding Beacon Hill neighborhood and attract both local patrons and visitors from far and wide.

Guests ascend from the entrance lobby and reception area to private rooms through a grand, central nine- story atrium that was once a cellblock. Existing granite interior features have been softened with contemporary finishes and fabrics, and large murals in the lobby represent the Tree of Life. In the hotel’s guestrooms, throws and bed skirts are inspired by packing blankets, and the custom artwork includes fingerprint-themed murals and celebrity mug shots. Patterns and colors throughout evoke 19th century palates and the original architectural ironwork of the building and its neighborhood.

An immediate success, The Liberty has become a social hub in Boston’s Beacon Hill. Champalimaud was awarded a Best New Hotel Gold Key for the complete transformation of the former Charles Street Jail into a luxurious destination.

THE PLAZA NEW YORK, USA

For more than 100 years, The Plaza has been the New York hotel to see and be seen. Kings, presidents, and stars of stage and screen have all gathered and stayed at The Plaza. Located at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, this luxury hotel was constructed in the most fashionable residential section of New York City.

RITZ CARLTON KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Blending European design with Malaysian landscape paintings, this 15-year-old tower in the Golden Triangle district offers “amazing value for what you get.” Its location in Jalan Bukit Bintang allows easy access to shopping and entertainment. Rooms with ten-foot ceilings are done in neutral colors highlighted by Asian decorative pieces. The luxury hotel recently had a full refurbishment and relaunched in early 2016.

THE ASTOR HOTEL, TIANJIN, CHINA

Originally built by a British missionary in 1863, the Astor Hotel in Tianjin is a treasured Chinese landmark. When the Astor joined the Starwood Luxury Collection, Champalimaud was appointed lead consultant and interior designer for a major renovation of its existing building as well as its new tower addition. Breathing new life into the guestrooms, suites, dining and public areas, we oversaw the successful integration of the historic building (now, the Astor Wing), with the new guestroom tower.

To unite these separate spaces, which as initially conceived, were to be connected only by a single corridor, Champalimaud designed a new atrium featuring a golden bar, dining areas, and pastry kiosk. Signature elements featured in the historic building now permeate the new spaces, seamlessly integrating a timeless, British style with modern construction and cutting-edge amenities. Meandering timber staircases, classic chandeliers, murals, plaques, and an array of memorabilia remind locals and international guests of the Astor’s rich heritage and historic role as host to Prime Ministers, Presidents, and other world leaders.

BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL BUNGALOWS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

For over a century, The Beverly Hills Hotel has been the spot for Hollywood’s brightest lights, the ultimate beacon of glamour. She greets you like a movie star from the moment you pass the iconic signage, step onto the signature red carpet and enter the grand lobby.