Hilton Worldwide to open Florida resort designed by Michael Graves
One of the last buildings designed by architect Michael Graves will open as a nautically-themed hotel and beach resort in Florida next year.
Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with developer CFLB Partnership LLC to complete Graves’ vision for its first Conrad Hotels & Resorts property in North America.
Graves – famous for his exuberant postmodernist style – died in March at the age of 80.
His design for the resort, which is located on the beach at Fort Lauderdale, pays homage to the winding waterways and boating heritage of the region – known locally as ‘the Venice of America’. Guestrooms – featuring crisp white furnishings – will have yacht-inspired porthole windows and be furnished with natural materials such as chestnut teak and leather.
The design for the 24-storey resort – which has been updated by Florida studio Garcia Stromberg and hospitality design firm Stephen G Interiors – incorporates 290 studio and suite accommodations, four distinct indoor and alfresco dining experiences. It will also have a 4,000sq ft (372sq m) ocean view spa and fitness centre and an elevated deck oasis with an ocean-facing pool.
A sweeping porte cochère entrance will feature an abstract sculpture by local architect and artist Peter Stromberg, drawing inspiration from local mangrove forests.
The resort will have a northern Mediterranean restaurant with an outdoor terrace facing the beach, a Prohibition-style bar offering craft beers and cocktails, a gourmet market and a pool bar and lounge.
It will open in the first half of 2016.