15 Hospitality Highlights From Sleep & Eat 2019
Flexibility, comfort, and social interaction drive today’s hospitality interiors, as trends revealed at the recent edition of Sleep & Eat in London. The 2019 edition of the hospitality tradeshow, which took place November 19-20, once again drew the industry’s big players to the Olympia London exhibition center with a line-up that included hospitality concepts, products, and innovations as well as a roster of high-profile speakers.
Social flexibility was the brief for this year’s hospitality installations—seven in total. The four guestrooms, two restaurant and bar vignettes, and a co-working space all focused on providing different levels of interaction, ranging from solitude to social. From a guestroom with a classic Italian cocktail on tap to a table defining both a space and its use, here are 15 of our favorite products and installations from this year’s show.
1. Flexible Guestroom/Party Suite by twenty2degrees
All furnishings can be tucked away—down to the custom bed with its pillows upholstered in boldly colorful Timorous Beasties fabric (shown at top of page). “Generally, when we take on a hotel, we have really strong restraints—this time, we did exactly what we wanted to do,” notes twenty2degrees partner Nicholas Stoupas. Adds partner Joseph Stella, “We’ve made a party suite, but this could really be one of many flexible room types in a hotel.” Adding to the party ambience: Negronis, the popular Italian cocktail, flowed from an Axor tap in the bathroom (shown here).
2. The Hub Lounge by Wilson Associates
View this post on Instagram
To create the soft glow in the Hub, a lounge catering to those hoping to catch a few minutes of co-working or networking during Sleep & Eat, the London office of Wilson Associates swapped existing lighting for round Eclipse wall pendants by Astro Lighting. “The beautiful thing is you can paint them the same color as the wall, so when you turn them off, they disappear,” notes Monika Moser, regional managing director for Wilson Associates.
3. Faux Camping Experience by Miaja Design Group
With speakers whispering sounds of the forest and a floral scent flowing through the air, Miaja Design Group presented a surreal camping experience where visitors perched on custom stools in front of a faux fire from Dimplex. “Technology is considered something that prevents us from feeling close to each other,” notes Miaja Design Group founder Isabelle Miaja. “However, I took the stand that it can actually serve us.” The high-tech atmosphere had one particularly noticeable piece of low-tech: a fossilized clam shell found in Kenya.
4. Gradient Room Dividers by Luis Eslava for Kriskadecor
Small anodized aluminum links compose the eight variations of the Gradient collection of sturdy yet stylish room dividers by Luis Eslava for Kriskadecor. The collection is inspired by the transitions that appear between two pure colors.
5. Beosound Stage Soundbar by Bang & Olufsen
With connectivity, Dolby Atmos 3D sound experience and various listening modes all wrapped up in one sleek and elegant frame, the Beosound Stage is Danish lifestyle brand Bang & Olufsen’s entry into the soundbar marketplace. A single piece of forged aluminum makes up the frame, available in natural aluminum, bronze tone, or smoked oak.
6. Phone-It-In Bar Installation by SpaceInvader
“The biggest barrier between service and the customer within a bar is the bar itself,” says Izzy Eling, senior interior designer of SpaceInvader, the firm behind a bar installation that came without. Instead, guests dial up drinks from wall-mounted phones.
7. Dekton Slim Manufactured Stone by Cosentino
When it comes to flooring, the benefits of manufactured stone are well established. Cosentino enters into new territory with Dekton Slim, which clads both walls and furniture with a high-performance surfacing material resistant to scratches, stains, thermal shock, and ultraviolet rays.
8. Line Catering Table Collection by Cra’ster
By nature, catering furniture requires ease in both transport and assembly—but with the Line catering table collection by Cra’ster, style is no longer left by the wayside. A clever interlocking design delivers various configurations, created from tables in two sizes and four different shapes (rectangular, classroom, trapezoid and half round). The range is also engineered light—achieved after thickness was whittled down to just 43 millimeters.
9. Slim Table from Mikodam
Part of the debut furniture, door, and wall cladding collection from new brand Mikodam, the Slim table has a “make your own” option for diversity in color, material, and legs.
10. Restaurant Installation by Name Architecture
Custom powder-coated steel lights sprout, bouquet-like, from the organic curves of a table aimed to encourage social interaction in a restaurant installation by Name Architecture. “The table is meant to define the space and shape its use,” notes Name founder Nathalie Rozencwajg.
11. Guestroom Installation by Hat Design
Extreme flexibility also means you can pack more in, as a guestroom by Hat Design equipped with wardrobe, storage area, vanity, shower, table with stools, TV, and even a gym proves. Each could be hidden behind a curtain, leaving a serene space with a round bed that could also be repositioned. “When everything is pushed away, you have a full room to relax and enjoy your space,” explains Anne-Marie Sabatier.
12. Kaya Lounge Collection from Morgan Contract Furniture
Comfort and purity of form merge for the Kaya lounge collection from Morgan Contract Furniture. With a crafted timber frame “rooted in the open and honest purity of trees,” according to the company, the collection offers three seating styles: small, large, or high back.
13. Guestroom Installation by Maria Tibblin & Co.
A bookcase that doubles as a room divider was a standout in a guestroom installation by Maria Tibblin & Co. “It can be used from both sides and adds an element of privacy,” notes founder Maria Tibblin.
14. Set Tile Collection by Sebastian Herkner for Kaufmann Keramik
With its rigid geometry paired with the raw feel of melt-look glazing, the Set tile collection by Sebastian Herkner for Kaufmann Keramik suggests an unexplored realm in ceramics.
15. VIP Lounge by Megre Interiors
A custom floral fabric swathed just about every surface in the press and VIP lounge, designed by Megre Interiors. “I had this thought in my head about our soul being a flower or garden that only blossoms with love and connection,” says founder Yuna Megre. Once again channeling the age-old power of a campfire, an assortment of poufs was centered around a “fire pit”—in actuality a custom light recalling flames.
Read more: Inside the Immersive Showrooms at Salon Art + Design
