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The huge mirror must have caused the supplier some problems in hanging on that wall as it is inclined forwards from the top and must have required some very strong fixings to ensure stability and security, but it does enhance the feeling of spaciousness in the room. In some ways it is reminiscent of the mirror leaned against the wall in the bedroom of Starwood’s ‘W’.
Bathrooms are similarly generously sized, and have the luxury of underfloor heating beneath their marble floor tiles. With heated towel rails as well they provide a very comfortable environment , well lit and with more than adequate shelf space.
Amidst the opulence are cues referring to Holland's colonial past. The 'rivets' used in the interior of the liftcar and on the furniture are from a style we are all now a little familiar with, being seen in imported teak furniture from the Dutch East Indes - now more usually referred to as Indonesia. These echoes from previous eras are there too in the tulips, the ceramics and other smaller cues, for those whose trip to the Hague has been to see the Maritsmuseum and other inheritances of the past.
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There is something of the boutique hotel about the Hotel des Indes, despite the operation being by a major chain. The bar and tea room have a popularity as a 'place to be seen' although maybe the Hague doesn’t run to the funky ‘in crowd’ seen in a ‘W’ in New York. In the same way that there are design flaws in many boutiques where style rules over function so there are design flaws here. What is undoubtedly a success is the opulence of the interiors and the drama of some of the set piece areas which will appeal to those who have had their fill of minimalism.
Respecting a past whilst creating a modern hotel can cause problems, but solving them is part of the skill set expected of any hotel designer. The trick is not to raise another set of problems in providing the solutions. Idiosyncrasy can work, opulence can provide a feast for the eye, but visual indigestion may be only a flutter of a feather boa away.
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