HOTEL & SPA
PEACE AND TRANQUILITY
Cameron Fraser, Director of Ceramique Internationale, discusses how tile advancements are being used to add both style and practicality to hotel spa projects.
For many, a hotel spa is the epitome of luxury and it is fair to say that tiles are key in creating that high end look and feel. However, in wet environments they also play a very important practical role, from a safety perspective.
Historically, aesthetics and safety have not always sat well together, but advancements in printing and manufacturing technology means that these ‘safety’ tiles are no longer simply serviceable. Porcelain tiles perfectly replicating natural stone, wood and other materials look good as well as complying with European anti-slip standards and being easier to clean and maintain. And, in fact, porcelain tiles have provided the perfect solution during a number of high-profile hotel spa projects in the last 12 months.
After more than a decade of planning, the new spa at Rudding Park in North Yorkshire adds to the resort’s already sizable list of luxurious amenities. The new facility includes an indoor swimming pool, a Juniper Log Sauna, a Rasul, extensive Mind and Sense Zones, beauty facilities as well as an awe-inspiring Roof Top Spa – which itself features a Hydrotherapy Infinity Pool, a panoramic sauna, two steam rooms, an ice fountain, a snail shower experience and a first-of-a-kind Rooftop Spa Garden.
Working to a design brief, we liaised with Italian manufacturer Casalgrande Padana to provide the Amazzonia tile, in Dragon Grey, to give striking detail along the edge of the indoor pool – even having some of the Amazzonia pieces made especially in the UK to blend with the pool’s bespoke drainage system.
For the inside and surrounds of the Hydrotherapy Infinity Pool and the indoor pool, we worked with Italian manufacturer, Ragno, to specify its Landscape tile in Sabbia (beige). The tiles used on the pool surround feature a Bocciardato anti-slip surface to enhance the safety of guests, while those used within the pool tanks had a Natural surface to create an overall seamless finish.
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Of course, every project is different, and presents a different set of demands and challenges. When we worked with hotel and leisure experts Curveline Design, of Bradford, on the £16m refurbishment project at the famous Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa in the Lake District, the design brief required all materials to reflect the location of the resort, with wood effects playing a prominent role
With this in mind, we again turned to Italian manufacturer Casalgrande Padana utilising Grigio Maggia 600x600mm tiles for the pool surround, with the Bocciardato finish to provide anti-slip qualities. The surround was completed with the stunning wood-effect Newood Cream Outdoor Bullnose tile to edge the pool.
And, of course, it is not just the spa and pool areas that require special attention. Again working with Curveline on the refurbishment of the prestigious Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa, we not only worked on the pool and spa, but the luxurious bathrooms in the resort’s new loft suites.
Casalgrande has built a reputation for creating amazing products for these environments and Formby Hall chose its Dragon Black tile for the pool surround and on the floors of the wider spa area to take advantage of the Grip finish, which provides anti-slip qualities.
And within the new lavish suites, the Italian manufacturer’s large-format Loft Nero 600x600mm tile was also chosen for the bathroom floors, accompanied by Vidrepur’s Aura Black tile, to create a stunning feature wall within the shower area.
With new technology changing the printing and production processes for tiles, there is really no restriction on spa and swimming pool designers to create fit-for-purpose wet leisure areas that are stunning and stylish as well.
www.tilesandmosaics.co.uk www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk
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