'Creating homely atmosphere is starting point'

What hotels can learn from private dream interiors

A mansion in Leiden, a villa in Vleuten and a penthouse in Nieuwegein: interior design company In Toom from Brabant-based Geldrop realised exclusive dream interiors for these and many other private clients. In cooperation with interior designer Remy Meijers, the company also restyled sixteen rooms in the prestigious five-star hotel The Dylan in Amsterdam. Director Thomas van Nielen of In Toom explains what hotels can learn from luxurious private interiors.

In Toom translates architectural designs into tangible interiors, working closely with specialised subcontractors. "This is how we realise exclusive interiors that are right down to the last millimetre. Eighty per cent of what we do is for private individuals," Van Nielen says. According to him, the renovation and restyling of sixteen rooms in hotel The Dylan was actually an exception to that rule. "But as with private interiors, creating a homely atmosphere with lots of comfort was also the starting point for this project. Warm colours, luxurious materials and comfortable furniture were deliberately chosen. Complete with custom-made carpets, spacious seating areas and beautiful mirrors. The Dylan is therefore a good example of what a luxury hotel room can look like: homely and comfortable. Because my vision of hotel rooms is clear: it should feel like home, with all the luxury you are used to from home too." 

Keep it simple

Still, you can't translate the amenities you apply in a private dream house one-to-one to hotels, Van Nielen stresses. "That applies especially to the technology. Here my motto is: keep it simple. Private customers, for instance, often opt for extensive home automation systems these days, but for hotels I advise against it. Ease of use is central in hotel rooms. Lighting and air conditioning should be easy to operate with clear buttons. Look, at home you can get used to complicated systems, but for hotel guests who usually stay only one or two nights, everything should be simple and intuitive."

Tough

Van Nielen advocates translating the look-and-feel that people appreciate at home to the hotel environment as much as possible as well. "Because the sight of a hotel room, that's what you fall for! So the look-and-feel should be leading in my view when designing a hotel room. But materials that look beautiful and luxurious at home are often not suitable in hotels because of their intensive use. Marble, for example, is beautiful but fragile. In hotels, it is better to opt for marble-look tiles. Fabric sofas are elegant, but sensitive to stains. Leather is a better option. In short, materials in hotels should be easy to maintain and "idiot-proof". Comfort, luxury and homeliness are thus essential, but without complicated technology and fragile materials. The Dylan Hotel proves that this can go perfectly well together."

Separate toilet

Asked how he would design a hotel room without financial or technical constraints, Van Nielen is adamant: "In any case, I would create separate rooms for living and sleeping. This would also include a toilet separate from the bathroom, because I never find a toilet in the bathroom so fresh. Besides, it gives a feeling of home, because after all, at home you usually have a separate toilet as well." On luxuries like a hot tub, Van Nielen has a practical view: "I'm not a bather myself, but many guests do appreciate it. That's why I would definitely offer a luxury bathtub in addition to a spacious shower."

The question remains as to what for himself is the ultimate guest experience. After thinking for a moment, "Well, the renovated hotel rooms at The Dylan, where I myself have stayed a few times, are already pretty close to the ultimate hotel room in my experience!"