[caption id="attachment_2244" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf=Astoria"][/caption]
In February the global spa network, Spa Chakra, opened a second Guerlain Spa at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Working with the design firm AC Martin Partners, Guerlain spa offers a holistic retreat from the stress of New York City. Whitewall spoke with Rana Makarem, Vice President of Design at Spa Chakra, about the importance of customization, privacy, and the challenges of designing a spa in the middle of New York City.
WHITEWALL: You've said that it's important to keep a client's visit to a spa personalized and customized. Would you say that personalization and customization are two main criteria for a luxury experience?
RANA MAKAREM: Both personalization and customization are two important aspects to enhancing the spa goers guest experience, and is what sets Spa Chakra apart from other spa companies.
WW: How do you make a spa treatment feel personalized, design-wise?
RM: By forgoing the use of traditional locker room changing areas, which are common in most spas today, we are able to provide our spa guests with a personalized guest experience. Typically, in our Guerlain Spas, each treatment suite includes a full bathroom, guest wardrobe closet/changing area, and make-up vanity so that spa guests have the same privacy and personalized space they would experience in their hotel room. Sometimes appointments are staggered so that guests always feel a sense privacy. Each treatment room is also equipped with its own thermostat, as well as lighting and volume controls so that each can be customized to the guest’s preference.
WW: For Guerlain Spa in the Waldorf Astoria you worked with AC Martin Partners. What was your approach with AC Martin for that space?
RM: It was important that the design of the spa relate to the classical mood of the historic art deco Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York and at the same time maintain the Guerlain brand identity. Materials used in the hotel, such as nickel silver, mosaic tiles, and crystal chandeliers were also used in the Guerlain Spa, but in a more modern way.
WW: How does the location of the hotel affect the interior design? For instance, the Waldorf Astoria is in New York - a city that's hectic feeling and aesthetic. How do you make sure your client feels removed from the busy lifestyle of New York?
RM: The spa setting in New York was a challenge from an acoustic perspective. Since the windows at the Waldorf Astoria are considered part of the historic façade and could not be replaced, the design team specified an additional fixed, dual pane of glass be placed inside each treatment room window to reduce exterior noise and maintain a tranquil environment. The Waldorf Astoria was also challenging because of floor plan configuration. There were several wings that stemmed off of two separate main elevator banks/lobbies. Therefore, the design solution had to maintain clear public and private areas. We had to make sure that each spa wing operated independently and that guests never had to circulate through public areas once their treatment began.
