Burgh Island
Design A sense
hen Rohaise Rose-Bristow, co-owner of The Torridon, set to work on renovating the hotel’s drawing room, she decided to follow her creative intuitions wherever they might lead. That meant veering away from the rather fusty stereotypes you might expect from a Scottish boutique hotel.
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“I’m not really looking at tartans and tweeds,” she says. “I’m a bit spontaneous so I’ll go with what I feel at the time, especially when I haven’t seen it done anywhere else.”
Built as a shooting lodge in 1887, The Torridon is a storybook-worthy building with dramatic turrets and spires, nestled among the mountains and lochs of the Scottish Highlands. The property has been in Rose-Bristow’s family since 1992, when it was restored as a luxury hotel.
of place
Hotel design is increasingly becoming more than just an aesthetic; it reflects the property’s identity and helps draw out the guest’s experience of the local culture. Abi Millar speaks to hoteliers across the industry who are bringing the surrounding area and the history of the property to bear on the design.
Rose-Bristow says she spruces up a few rooms every year, with the drawing room being her latest project. The fabrics are eclectic, mixing contemporary Mulberry velvet with some original 19th-century touches. The carpet was inspired by the marbled paper in a gift box. But the standout touch is the ceiling, which is festooned with zodiac signs in a nod to the Victorians’ love of astrology. “My biggest influence is the Victorian style of innovation,” remarks Rose-Bristow. “The Victorians were so dramatic in their style and drew in influences from all around the world. They were very flamboyant, so I want to bring that into the design.”
Equally flamboyant is the Burgh Island Hotel in Devon. Perched on its own private island, the hotel was built in 1929 by the filmmaker and socialite Archie Nettlefold, who was looking for a countryside retreat. Then known as the “smartest hotel west of the Ritz”, the property was notorious in 1930s high society for its raucous parties. Guests included the likes of Agatha Christie, Noel Coward and Josephine Baker. Over the past few years, the hotel has undergone an extensive, albeit mostly cosmetic, renovation. The furniture and colour scheme have been upgraded while leaving many
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Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
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