How does the hotel interface with existing Equinox
members in the city? I believe that one of the most
important aspects for us – and I kind of think it’s what
the Ace Hotel did at its inception – is this idea that you’re
mixing a transient guest and a local guest. We have the
added advantage that we’re doing so around an activity
that doesn’t have to do with drinking, an activity that is
more positive. Our New York property will have a fully
functioning neighbourhood club running as hotel guests
come and go. And what’s great about that for hotel guests
is that you’re not just visiting an empty and underused
hotel gym. Instead, you’re fully immersed in a neighbour-
hood club, and you get to take a class with people from
the neighbourhood and benefit from all the energy that
that brings. And as a neighbourhood person, you’re seeing
a constant stream of fresh people from around the world
who are also enthusiasts. We think that that interaction
will be very positive.
How consistent will the design be between hotels – is
there a localization strategy? We don’t change up certain
core aspects of the clubs and we’re not going to do that
with the hotels, either. The idea is that we have a rather
rigid brand standard concerning the things that we think
are important. For instance, we’re interested in building a
typical hotel room that focuses on getting the acoustics,
the ergonomics, the science around sleep absolutely
right. That will get carried across properties. But we have
to acknowledge the difference between markets, taking
into consideration how people relate to the nature of a
particular city, how they adapt to the building typology,
and whether we’re entering a mature market or one that
is less developed. So we will intentionally be quite varied
when it comes to some aspects of design. However, much
like the clubs, you’ll always be able to find an aesthetic
thread. So even though a venue may not share the same
location or ever be the same product, you’ll know that
they’re sister properties. That’s a lot of what I do: acting
as a form of brand editor, figuring out what’s appropriate
through our brand lens. ●
equinox-hotels.comRooms at the Equinox Hotel were designed
using the latest in sleep science.FRAME LAB 145