HOTEL REVIEW
Indigo Art, the highlight is a 9 x 3 metre
portrait of Debbie Harry which dominates the cool cream and taupe champagne bar – a reference perhaps to the peroxide blonde WAGs and soap actresses who will no doubt be amongst those sampling the premier cru bottles displayed behind the slate counter. “I was concerned that the dining space needed more intimacy via the addition of some ceiling features that would give scale and varying ceiling height to the room,” explains Plumtree. “This was achieved via a bespoke modular dropped oval GRP lighting feature offset against a random mirror display. The whole feature comes to life at night time when the lights go down and the orange LED lighting scheme plays tricks with the mirrors”. The restaurant design is completed with Hillcross Furniture-supplied leather and cream corded chairs, sat atop oak floors. The biggest difference between this and the other Abode hotels is the building which houses it. According to Tim Mason, “at the previous historic Abode buildings it was always a challenge to work within the existing spaces and room formats, mixing old with new to create simplistic Abode elegance.” Here, explains Plumtree, “the unusual shape of the newbuild at Chester offered us a blank spatial canvas with the possibility of creating curved
walkways free of endless doors by exploiting wedge shaped rooms accessed centrally via open side links off the walkways.” Liberty Properties’ £80m mixed use
development is named ‘HQ’ after the Cheshire Constabulary police headquarters which previously occupied the site. As well as the hotel, the contemporary glass and red sandstone doughnut-shaped building accommodates 60,000ft2
of office space,
restaurants, and 35 residential apartments organised around a central piazza. Within this shell, Mark Plumtree Design
have had control of the spatial design, allowing them to play with the shape and form of the 85 bedrooms, which are classified in typical Abode style as Comfortable, Desirable, Enviable, and Fabulous. Above the fine dining restaurant, the sixth floor accommodates three ‘Fabulous’ suites. Accessed from a dedicated lift, the lobby to this floor contains an LED illuminated wenge veneered wall alongside a bold black, cream, grey and orange floral design carpet by Ege.
The wide angle appeal of the spacious suites encompasses large comfortable beds framed in quartered wenge panelling and open plan monochrome tiled bathrooms with generously proportioned walk through showers. Finishing touches are provided via sophisticated PS
124 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2010
WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM
PREVIOUS PAGE: Guestroom designs combine casegoods by PTT with curtains by Robena Fabrics and lighting from R&S Robertson, David Village and Illumination THIS PAGE (ABOVE LEFT): Furniture in the Champagne Bar has been supplied by PS Interiors, Morgan Furniture, and Style Matters
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