Connecting with the hotel designers behind some of our fave hotels is always a delight. From Bill Bensley’s sustainable ethos to Tara Bernerd’s fondness for materiality and André Fu’s thoughtful spaces, each creative has a world of information to share around their processes. We recently sat down with award-winning interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon to learn more about her portfolio of bold and inviting projects and what hotels she loves to check-in at.

An interview with Dorothée Meilichzon

Thanks for chatting with us, Dorothée. Firstly, how did you get into the niche of designing hotels?

It was the reason I started my own studio in 2009. I wanted to work entirely in the hospitality industry. And after three years designing bars and restaurants, I had the chance to work on my first hotel project.

What special factors do you need to consider when creating spaces for hotels rather than residential or commercial design?

We don’t do residential projects at all. And we only do a few commercial projects, when it’s linked to a F&B project.

In hotels you get the chance to welcome someone for 24 hours, or even a week or two. We have to surprise them, make them feel the vibes of the city they are in, give them comfort, intimacy, and fun

The Grand Pigalle was your first hotel with The Experimental Group, and you’ve subsequently worked on a number of projects with them. Tell us about this relationship and what you enjoy about working together.

The Grand Pigalle
The Grand Pigalle

We’ve known each other for a long time, we met when we were students, so have all travelled together many times. We’re also from the same generation, we admire the same hoteliers: Ian Schrager, Firmdale, Carlos Couturier, André Balasz. We do share a lot of convictions concerning the hotel industry.

We had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Bachaumont a few years ago when we were in Paris, and really loved the furniture. What special considerations and inspiration did you have for this collection?

Hotel Bachaumont
Hotel Bachaumont

We wanted to link the hotel to the neighbourhood history and to the Art Deco style of the building. So we designed a very Parisian hotel, classic with some twists. We recently re-designed the restaurant.

This hotel is also on our list of the best boutique hotels in Paris.

The Henrietta was your first London hotel. What was the brief for this project and how did you approach this differently, given its location?

The Henrietta Hotel bathroom London
The Henrietta

We took inspiration again from the neighbourhood and the front of the buildings to design the bedhead and bathroom vanities. London is a city I know well, and I was very happy to do a project there. We have extended the hotel with an extra 22 rooms, opening this month.

The Henrietta also features on our list of best boutique hotels in London.

Tell us about the story behind Hotel Menorca Experimental. What kind of local materials and inspiration did you use to give this a sense of place?

We did a lot of research on the island, the Balearic Islands, and more globally the Mediterranean Sea. We decided to imagine the hotel as being the summer residence of a fictional artist: a place to create, contemplate, and be nourished.

The hotel is also an agroturismo with a vegetable garden, two restaurants, a spa, a yoga platform, and nine swimming pools.

Hotel Menorca Experimental
Hotel Menorca Experimental

All the furniture we designed was made locally: desks, chairs, tables, bedheads, transats, and counters. We also recycled some of the existing materials, turning the ancient roof tiles into lamps; wooden beams into floors; and the local stone into walls, lamps, and tables.

What are the major changes you’ve seen in the industry since you first began designing hotels?

There are more and more new hotels opening, especially in Paris, which is a good thing as the hotel scene here was pretty bad 10 years ago. Attention to hotels is growing, and I think people are expecting a lot. People can now easily rent a flat, so when they decide to go to a hotel, they have a lot of expectations which is a nice challenge for us.

We see a number of curves in your designs. What are your thoughts on the shape and how does it change the feeling of space in your eyes?

I think this is the way I draw; I draw curves, not straight lines. I like the idea of having inviting shapes, being welcoming. At the end of the day, this business is called hospitality, we do our best to make people feel at home and taken care of.

What do you look for personally when you check-in to a hotel for the first time?

Feel the city, be local; I am not into international hotels. I also like to be surprised either by the design or the service.

And now to get the deets! What’s the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in and why?

I don’t know the best but my favourites are the Ett Hem in Stockholm, Gramercy Park Hotel in NYC, and the Haymarket Hotel in London

Restaurant dining or room service?

Both. I will for sure test the restaurant the first night, and room service is always a good way to test a hotel.

Pool or spa?

Spa with a pool.

And finally, how do you celebrate when you see your design finally come to fruition?

I like to offer myself a nice gift after the opening of very challenging projects. Hotel projects are really challenging, and difficult so it’s always a relief when they finally open and you see the first clients arrive!

Find out more about Chzon and follow the Dorothée on Instagram.

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