Spotlight

Q&A with Hotel Designer Dorothée Meilichzon

The interior designer on what makes the best hotels.

Q&A with Hotel Designer Dorothée Meilichzon

Dorothée Meilichzon is the award-winning French hospitality designer behind some of the most buzzworthy bars, hotels and restaurants across the globe. From the Henrietta Hotel in London to the Hotel des Grands Boulevards in Paris, Dorothée’s design process is all-encompassing; her creative touch is often applied to everything in a project from the interior architecture to designing the furniture and fabrics, and even the signage and menus.

Unsurprisingly for someone whose work takes them around the world creating hotels, Dorothée stays in a lot of them. We got her thoughts on what she thinks it takes to make the best.

alt textDorothée in the Henrietta Hotel she designed, Covent Garden, London. Photo: Karel Balas.


How would you describe your style?
Convivial, I hope.

What’s your process for designing?
A lot of research; we take our inspiration from the neighbourhood, the building, the history of the place... that way, each project is very different.

alt textHotel Bachaumont, Paris. Photo: Paul Bowyer.
alt textHotel Panache, Paris. Photo: Romain Ricard.
alt textHenrietta Hotel, London. Photo: Paul Bowyer.


How do you want someone to feel when they spend time in a room that you’ve designed?
Reassured.

What attracted you to designing hotels?
Everything! In a hotel there are public spaces and private spaces, so a lot of different experiences to design and most of all, everyone is welcome.

alt text


Do you travel a lot with your work?
Yes. We are currently doing a lot of projects abroad (London, Menorca, Venezia, Lisbon...) so I am travelling a lot.

What do you think makes the best hotels?
Service.

What are your travel essentials?
Passport, magazine, sketchbook, pencil, iPhone charger, tape measure.

alt textHenrietta Hotel, London. Photo: Karel Balas.

What do you do when you first get to a hotel?
I check the bathroom.

What's your favourite thing about staying in hotels?
Room service!


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