DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds
ABDA Design was asked by Valor Hospitality to develop a full concept uplift design and visuals for the DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds for their standard bedrooms, suites, corridors and the lift lobby. This included a full strip out, whilst maintaining the case goods.
bold bedrooms inspired by the dark arches
The bedroom design was based around ‘The Dark Arches’. These are located under the railway station by the Hilton at Granary Wharf. Our designer wanted to create a comfortable, cosy and sumptuous stay for all guests. We removed the existing desks and replaced them with a hybrid working set, comprising a fully upholstered armchair, footstool, large floor lamp for task lighting and a large stone topped table which can be used for relaxing at, eating or working.
Stunning suites with a local design touch
The hotel has a Junior ‘L’ shaped suite on nine levels. On the top floor you will find the even grander ‘City’ suites with a separate lounge area and the ‘Tower’ suite which is the largest room available. We wanted to create a standalone design for these suites to give a more superior and premium feel compared to the standard bedrooms.
Keeping in theme with the darker inspired interiors of the standard rooms, we chose to work with local Leeds artist, Charlotte Raffo from The Monkey Puzzle Tree, for feature wallpaper. The ink ‘blot’ of the design was a subtle take on the flow of flaxseed. Our designer was inspired by the abstract designs of Wadsworth and decided to use mostly monochrome with pops of colour within the suites. We went with emerald green and yellow for the feature colours in the room to tie in the botanical elements and included rich, luxurious velvet curtains. All suites have the added benefit of a dual-purpose sofa bed, allowing for a family stay, or a comfortable seating area to watch TV or relax.
art-led corridors that make a statement
For the corridor re-design, we wanted to tie the bedroom and suite designs together and create a bold and memorable talking point for guests entering these areas. Our inspiration came from Henry Spencer Moore’s sculptures which are seen in the local Yorkshire Sculpture Park. We worked with Indigo Art to produce the lift lobby wall mural. This created a real focal point on each floor, complemented with a luxurious dark teal feature wall with brass effect wayfinding. We also worked closely with Brintons to create a bold, abstract inspired carpet that would work on a large scale.
a warm and welcoming final result
This venue has a varied demographic of ethnicity, age and reason for stay, with a lot of business meetings and conferences being held within the hotel. With the location right by the station the hotel is popular amongst business stays and leisure guests. Our goal was to create something that would feel comfortable to everyone; a place you’d feel relaxed and be able to unwind in, work from, or get ready to go out in.
As a business, we are really proud of how these different designs all work together and the feedback from both the client and hotel guests has been really positive.
