The Bentley Suite at The St Regis Istanbul (the first Bentley Suite is at the St Regis New York) is inspired by the iconic Bentley Continental GT motorcar
The new St Regis Istanbul hotel has been designed by award-winning Turkish architect Emre Arolat, and is a modern interpretation of Istanbul’s glamorous Art Deco era of the 1920s. Evoking the very best of modern luxury, the one-bedroom fourth floor Bentley Suite at The St Regis Istanbul (the first Bentley Suite is at the St Regis New York) is inspired by the iconic Bentley Continental GT. Every detail shares the distinctive hallmarks of Bentley design, craftsmanship and quality, with the five star excellence expected from world-leading St Regis hotels.
From the large windows and furnished balcony – with private dining for two – one can enjoy breathtaking views of Maçka Park and the Bosphorus. With a private foyer, powder room, open plan living area, bedroom, sizeable bathroom and large closet, with magnificently crafted marble flooring throughout, the suite offers spacious and luxurious living.
According to Liana Hawes Young, lead designer and creative director, Wimberly Interiors, the design team drew inspiration for the Bentley Suite from the St Regis Glass House genre, positioning it with the Continental GT model. Both brands are hallmarks of performance and luxury, which translate seamlessly into a super suite. “Within the Bentley family, the Continental customer is an affluent and younger audience who responds to the ‘the luxury of spontaneity.’ The vehicle itself has strong curves – sporty and sculpted elements throughout, that play beautifully with the modern architecture of the St Regis Istanbul property,” says Young. In addition to Young, the Wimberly Interiors design team included Noel Cuvin, creative director; Marina Pulliam, senior designer; and Devon Dickerson, designer.
There are numerous design elements inspired by Bentley details – however, care was taken throughout the design process to avoid overt use of the Bentley logo or specific branding elements. The goal for the design team was to create a beautiful space that some guests may associate with an enduring luxury marque of Bentley, while others will simply enjoy the timeless style and design of a living space that exemplifies the luxuriously modern St Regis Hotel brand.
Uncompromising design
No detail has been overlooked to bring Bentley’s mastery of quality design to the Bentley Suite. Entering an impressive marbled and mirrored foyer, featuring brightware insert detailing inspired by the Continental’s wheel, you enter the suite’s striking open-plan living room. A sofa lounge, with signature Bentley diamond upholstery in Bentley linen leather, brings Bentley’s distinctive motoring luxury to life. From the curved veneered walls, in Bentley smoked fiddleback eucalyptus, to the elegant upholstery, the suite’s shapely architecture skillfully reflects the Continental GT’s seductive lines. The room is finished to perfection with an exquisitely crafted fine wool and silk curved rug, capturing the Bentley’s iconic matrix grille.
Bentley features represent quintessential design. The Bentley Suite is no different. A contemporary light installation, based on the Continental’s jewelled headlights and the sinuous curves of the Nuremberg Race Track, illuminates the room. Bentley seatbelt detailing runs down the edge of the drapes, while the powder room features light Windsor blue Bentley walls. Inspired by the wings of a Bentley dashboard, the wet bar is created from olive ash, accented with engine spin, anthracite and claret. Inside, three Breitling clocks help guests keep time with Istanbul, London and New York. Entering the bedroom through dark glass sliding doors, a luxurious king-size tailor-made bed unit, including entry touch panel and rising and rotating TV, has been skillfully created from Portland and burgundy hide and bright engine spin.
Handcrafted excellence
The same painstaking care and attention that Bentley lavishes on its cars, has been thoughtfully applied to all the finer details of the Bentley Suite. A bespoke Bentley Humidor has been made in Crewe by master craftsmen and women in the Bentley woodshop, alongside the cars that inspired the suite. His-and-hers jewellery boxes have been meticulously created to house guests’ precious possessions, hand finished with care and attention in different walnut and ash finishes. A custom-made backgammon set in porpoise and linen hide has been delicately coated in Bird’s Eye maple veneer and stylish Mulsanne champagne coolers are embedded into the sofa lounge A handcrafted chrome finish paperweight, the Bentley flying ‘B’ bonnet mascot, is a reminder of Bentley’s iconic luxury status throughout the decades.