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The air of the English country house worn by the hotel is a major part of its attraction to the 60% of its guests that are repeat visitors, many of whom make the hotel their London home. With a strong US customer base this air of Englishness, the air of unobtrusive stylishness and the relaxed living spaces it creates, it was essential for the hotel that the style of the main building was repeated through the new Mews rooms. Some of this was straightforward – the large bathrooms with same marble as those in the main building quickly struck a similar note, although with new spaces it was easier to create the walk-in showers that were so difficult to fit into the main rooms. Double washbasins and large soaking tubs completed the high standard bathrooms (contrasting with the Grosvenor House, where Marriott were unable to achieve this level of luxury, despite it being a stated part of their J.W. Marriott brand standard).
Jane Goff said:
"Our challenge was to create a more contemporary look which still had the spirit of the main house and, importantly, maintained its “Englishness”. This has been successfully achieved by a process of refinement. We have still applied our attention to classical detail, paneling and motif, but this has been tempered with restraint."
All of the rooms also have hi-tech audio visual plasma screen televisions, wireless broadband, CD radios, iPod docking stations and both UK and US sockets throughout. Where possible rooms have been given balconies, and some have feature fireplaces, again echoing the rooms in the original 17th century part of the building group. Opportunity created by the acquisition of the new building also enabled the hotel to add a fitness suite for those for whom running in nearby Green Park was not too attractive for keeping fit.
It is easy for designers to be carried away with creating the fashion statement so beloved of those for whom trendiness is the prime concern. Here Jane Goff’s planning skills in working through the interior architecture and then her teams ability to recreate the ambience of the rest of the hotel provide an understated refinement fully in keeping with the ethos of the Stafford. The practice experience of four and five star luxury, from the modernism of Apollo Basingstoke, the Celtic Manor Resort, the trendy Chester Grosvenor or Jersey’s the Club combines with the experience of over ten years work at the Stafford enabling Goffs to provide the operator with the environment to take the Stafford to new heights as one of London leading luxury hotels
Patrick Goff (no relation)
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