Last week I moderated a panel on design and decor at the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association’s (BLLA) one-day Conference on Food Trends in Boutique & Lifestyle Hotels at the Hotel Monaco here in San Francisco. I was honored to have been asked, especially considering the caliber of the panel.
Architect Cass Calder Smith of CCS Architecture currently has a number of exciting projects in the pipeline with Hyatt and is a heavy hitter in local restaurant design, responsible for, among others, Lulu and Lulu Petite, Perbacco and Barbacco, La Mar and most recently 25 Lusk. I can’t wait to check it out the latter. Not only the design looks fabulous, but the menu by chef and partner Matthew Dolan reads pretty mouthwatering as well.
Architect and contractor Jim Zack of Zack | de Vito Architecture in addition to designing and building contemporary residences he has also been behind the design of some of the Bay Area’s most popular restaurants, such as Bacar, Globe, Orson and Tres Agaves. Their newest project Hecho, soon to open on Sutter and Kearny, is a concept restaurant by Chef Joseph Manzare featuring Sushi and Tequila. Typing all these restaurant names is making me hungry.
Bernard S. Otis, a consultant with Kamran and Company, is an award-winning veteran with over 60 years in the F&B industry who has worked with all the major casinos in Las Vegas and around the country, as well as the W Hotels. He has also catered to the culinary requirements of celebrities like Walt Disney, Gene Autry, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jack Benny and the Hilton family. He is a popular speaker and the author of “Revenue Generation Through the Sale of Kumquats and Other Things”. Gotta love that title!
Stefan Mühle, the Regional Director for Portfolio Hotels, is one of the nation’s leading experts on greening the hospitality industry and a popular lecturer on the subject. I can’t seem to stop thinking about food, as I am fondly recalling having tea with Bunny Williams at Roots Restaurant at the Orchard Garden Hotel when Chef Jeramiah Wheeless prepared special off-the-menu organic treats for the occasion, including mini grilled cheese sandwiches and crostini with goat cheese, laced with a touch of Blackberry puree and Kalamata olive tapenade. Simply divine!
Lisa Neimeth, an accomplished artist with Masters Degrees in Social Work and Urban Planning, designs one-of-a-kind handmade tableware, which she sells through her company Lisa Neimeth and at places like the DeYoung Museum Shop, the Gardener and De Cordova Museum. She also creates custom tableware collections for restaurants like Woodward’s Garden and Station 1. Additionally she is a fellow blogger (big hug) and covers the subject of ceramics on Urban Chicken Coop Myths and Tales.
It was an absolute pleasure speaking with these experts about the role of design in boutique hotels and restaurants, new trends in hospitality design, eco design and more. Now some of you may wonder how I ended up moderating such a skilled hospitality panel. Of course I LOVE great food and well-designed hotels; but that certainly is not enough. Many of you may not know that I actually grew up in a family of hoteliers and got a degree in culinary arts and hotel management prior coming to the US, worked with the hospitality design firm Candra Scott & Anderson for a number of years, and in 2007 was appointed Creative Director for a new hotel chain in India. Most recently my firm also designed Mavelous, a coffee and wine bar here in San Francisco. So thankfully I knew a thing or two about the industry before delving into my first moderating gig. I had a great time, and the audience found the presentation most helpful and informative. Kudos to an excellent panel!
My sincere thanks to BLLA’s founder Frances Kiradjian for inviting me and to a most informative and engaging panel.
All photos by Adeeni Design Group.
Cheers,
