THE JOURNAL
that much and it probably never will.” Testament to this wisdom is the enduring nature of DCS-designed establishments such as The Wolseley and Claridge’s Bar. Restaurateur supremo Jeremy King likely agrees. He’s
busy renovating London’s oldest restaurant, Simpson’s in the Strand. Owned by The Savoy, this grande dame debuted in 1828. Retaining original decor and features, it’s slated to return in November 2025 with interiors by Studio Shayne Brady. “We’re refurbishing an icon with
“OVER THE DECADES, WE’VE SEEN GUEST EXPECTATIONS EVOLVE – BUT THE DESIRE TO FEEL TAKEN CARE OF AND UNDERSTOOD REMAINS CONSTANT”
meticulous care,” says Brady, “and I think guests will be delighted by how familiar it feels – yet also invigorated and enticing. An icon reborn.” Expect to be dazzled. Meanwhile, summer 2025 saw Bryan O’Sullivan
Studio complete the elegant Westmoreland, the café of the Selldorf Architects-designed expansion of The Frick Collection in New York. “Nostalgia gives a space instant soul,” he says, “in Westmoreland, the echoes of the Frick family’s train car bring a romance and warmth that feels deeply sophisticated, but also comfortable and welcoming." Harking back to slow travel is very ‘now’ – consider the
renaissance of luxury rail travel, spearheaded by Belmond – and the café “evokes a sense of luxurious travel and old- world hospitality,” with bespoke walnut furniture, brass detailing and a mural by Darren Waterston. A more contemporary nostalgia is at play with
Ennismore’s current revamp of the Delano Miami Beach, following the 2024 opening of Delano Dubai. The Delano blazed the trail for hip urban resorts when it opened in 1995. The reinvention will celebrate Philippe Starck and Ian Schrager’s original billowing white-draped, playful and surreal
interiors alongside
the building’s art deco roots. New additions include a beachfront deck, fourth-floor pool and the reimagined Rose Bar. Starck and Schrager’s chain of boutique hotels resurrected ‘lobby living’ in the 90s, with the public spaces, restaurants and bars their crowning glory, famously attracting more attention and business than the guestrooms.
BUZZING F&B Thirty years on, F&B plays a starring role yet again. “Restaurants and bars in our hotels have become destinations, not just an amenity,” says Charlie North, VP of interior design at Ennismore. “Designers are tasked with getting under the skin of the F&B brand to deliver meaningful and stand-out design.” Remote working has relaxed business needs, with less formal meeting environments required, also impacting F&B design. “At the newly opened SLS Barcelona, Lora (designed by AvroKO in collaboration with Carte
Blanched) is a modern Mediterranean restaurant that unfolds across a series of light-filled rooms connected by arches, providing the desired intimacy for semi-private dining while allowing guests to enjoy the buzz of the room,” explains North.
QUIET LUXURY Luxury has been redefined as something more mindful, sustainable and considered, translating into what many designers are calling ‘quiet’, or sometimes ‘barefoot’, luxury. Alessia Genova, principal of Tihany Design, sums this up as a shift towards personal, calming and emotionally resonant spaces. “Whether that’s achieved through darker hues, secluded layouts or more immersive spatial compositions, the goal is to create environments that offer a deep sense of comfort and escape from the overstimulated outside world,” she says. It’s an approach that’s playing out across the globe.
In London, the team behind the refurbishment of the Montcalm Mayfair call it ‘sensitive luxury’, with the hotel’s Georgian heritage proving rich inspiration for a pared-back, restrained approach. Natural materials, gentle greens echoing Hyde Park’s landscape, and layered textures all evoke a sense of calm. Carolynne Shenton, co-founder and director of Studio Mica, which is responsible for the guestrooms, says that “custom-designed wallpaper, handwoven baskets and sustainable furniture were developed in collaboration with London-based makers and international social enterprise initiatives. This holistic, collaborative
ABOVE: Milos, a Greek restaurant in West Palm Beach created by Tara Bernerd. The London-based designer works internationally, and sees a move towards more understated luxury, better rooted in quality and craftsmanship; here, her scheme exemplifies this with marble, oak and textured stone, and muted fabrics from brands such as Westbury (available at Altfield) and Elitis
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© Bronwyn Knight
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