Le Méridien Hotel des Indes in The Hague, Netherlands

Of course branding is not just related to the interior’s design or furnishings but more strongly to the operational parameters of service, the smile guests are welcomed with, cleanliness, food etc. Contrasts between hotels within the same brand in this area are potentially more problematic than they are in design. Driven by a sense of history, and by a familiarity with a restaurant in Paris designed by Jacques Garcia, the new owners of the Hotel des Indes spent around €40 million on commissioning the Frenchman to refurbish the hotel. For a long time minimalism has ruled the roost as a design style in Europe, and many a guest has prayed for the day when pattern and fabric would return to banish the Scandinavian bleakness of many hotel interiors. If pattern is the measure of success, then here the prayers have been answered. As a young designer I was told that patterned carpets hid the dirt and wear of everyday use and should be preferred to plain carpets. The carpets here may well have hidden depths, and they have a patterning that goes back to the same era that appears to drive much of the decoration. That era relates to the original building of the hotel, once a favourite haunt of Royalty and International diplomats, and the designer has attempted to create a feel in keeping with the era of carriages and top hats.

Problem solving is a key designer skill. I would imagine that this hotel was an early pioneer of the use of electric light because of the way in which the fittings were made a part of the original ornate plaster mouldings in the ceiling, and this posed a problem seeking solution by the designer. Probably faced with a large bill for ripping out all the plasterwork and replacing it in order to remove the fittings, the designer has opted to keep them in place installing small lamps into them. The result is to create an interior in which lighting plays a dominant rôle. The lamps follow the form of the columns and arches, much in the way that lighting is traditionally used to outline a big top or on a fairground wagon. When added in to the patterning of the carpets, the liberal use of red, black and gold, the palms and marble the opulence of the interior is overwhelming. The intent of the designer is fairly clear and it may be that when the palms achieve the scale one sees in photographs of Victorian interiors then it may start to achieve that intent, but the over-lighting tends to flatten the interiors except in areas like the bar where outline lighting is missing, allowing the designer to achieve more subtle variation of light and colour.

Le Méridien Hotel des Indes in The Hague, Netherlands, was developed by the hotel development and management company, Marriott International. Marriott International is a global hospitality company with a vast portfolio of hotels and resorts worldwide. Le Méridien Hotel des Indes is a luxury hotel located in the heart of The Hague. It is housed in a historic building that dates back to 1858 and offers a blend of classic elegance and modern comforts. The hotel is known for its exquisite design, impeccable service, and upscale amenities, making it a popular choice for both business and leisure travelers.

JACQUES GARCIA