Since 2009, Studio HBA, a division of Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), has been providing cutting edge, stylish designs to three and four-star hotels across the globe – their designs bridging the gap between the culture the guest is coming from and is entering into By Rituparna Chatterjee
One of the world’s leading hospitality interior design firms, Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) always had a focus on luxury hotels. Since 1965 the firm has been creating signature looks for many traditional luxury hotel brands, independent contemporary boutiques, urban resort spas, world-class residences, restaurants, casinos, and cruise ships. What is unique about its design is that each HBA interior is the result of a sensitive response to location, architecture, and client vision which has led the firm to win numerous awards including the Gold Key Award, A&D Trophy Awards (previously Perspective Awards), European Hotel Design Awards, among others.
After having successfully established its presence globally, HBA recently expanded its reach by launching a young, dynamic brand that would cater to the design requirements of five and four-star hotels. Hence, Studio HBA was launched in 2009, with its first office opening in India at New Delhi. “In these 50 years, the way hospitality is delivered on a commercial level and the way it is consumed on a domestic/ professional level have changed. Due to the rapid advancement of technology, travel has also undergone significant changes, causing three and four star hotels, apart from the luxury ones, to focus on offering good quality design services to its guests. This is where we felt the need to establish a brand that would be of the HBA level but at the same time affordable to three and four-star hotels. In 2009, we established Studio HBA and the pilot project was started in New Delhi,” mentions Rahul Shankhwalker, partner, Studio HBA. Over the six years, Studio HBA went on to establish more than 10 offices around the globe including Shanghai, Singapore, New Delhi and others. The Mumbai office was launched earlier this year.
India is one of the major markets for Studio HBA after China. “To be able to be successful in this country, it was very important to have a physical presence. Within one year of our launch in India we were able to establish ourselves and since a major part of our business is in Mumbai we decided to open an office in Mumbai,” opines Shankhwalker. Since its lunch, Studio HBA has been catering to different segments like hospitality, residential, F&B, wellness and workplace. The company is presently engaged in over 200 projects stretching from the West Coast of America to the Middle East, India, China, Indonesia and Myanmar amongst others.
Design next
Today, hotels have cleverly adapted to rapid social changes with creative solutions. From rethinking guestroom configurations to creating highly personalised experiences, hotels are transforming guest rooms into experiential retreats. With rising land costs, many hotels under the budget segment are focusing on merging different functional spaces. “In the budget segment the focus in on maximising return on available spaces. There are budget hotels coming up in Europe that have trendy designs, even ibis is a trendy and forward thinking brand when it comes to its design. A great thing ibis has done is of merging functional spaces. For instance, in the day when people are getting ready to leave for work, the lobby should be able to take care of the dining function. In the afternoon, the restaurant should be able to become more of a meeting space. This trend of merging functional spaces is taking place across all budget hotels. Many of the luxury hotels are also looking at blurring the boundaries between different functional spaces,” points out Shankhwalker.
A hotel design acts as a bridge between the culture the guest is coming from and the culture he is entering into – it is like bridging two experiences. “This is an universal trend which gives us immense tools to design hotels using local craft resources. It is also a social responsibility to support local industries. We at Studio HBA try to give guests the local experience without trying to be too cliche or thematic. But it needs to convey what the place is all about once guests enter the lobby. For instance, Goa is culturally rich and diverse from other parts of India. It has a strong local crafts’ presence, which is presently dying because of lack of support. Hence, in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Goa – Arpora – Baga project, we have worked with the local craft community to weave fabrics for us. We have tried to source as many things within a radius of 200 km,” avers Shankhwalker.
Technology is big. But how you incorporate it in hotels for the modern traveller is important. “Technology has effected the way we design spaces. Luxury is not necessarily defined by size but by how much convenience and functionality you can provide to the guest in the room,” preaches Shankhwalker.