‘Hotels must curate different experiences’
FH Design’s Marjorie Feltus Hawkins discusses building interiors
Marjorie Feltus Hawkins is founder and principal of Feltus Hawkins Design, a Gulch-based firm specializes in interior design and architecture.
The Post recently caught up with Hawkins for a quick chat.
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FH Design does a good bit of work related to hotels. Thoughts?
Presently, we are working on the Noelle Hotel, a historic building and adaptive reuse [project] on the corner of Fourth and Church, which is planned to open this year. We recently completed the guestroom renovations for the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt and the Hilton Suites in Brentwood. We were also just recognized by Golf Inc. magazine for the new construction of the clubhouse Hideaway at Arrington in Arrington, Tennessee.
What is your favorite hotel interior for a local hotel that has opened since 2010 and that your firm did not undertake?
I love the Kimpton Aertson boutique hotel, located in Midtown. The uniqueness of the interior includes creative, original artwork and the spaces evoke an environment that is fun, warm, inviting, engaging and comfortable.
Similarly, what is your favorite hotel exterior for a local hotel that has opened since 2010.
Omni Hotel has set the stage for the SoBro area, complementing the Country Music Hall of Fame and Music City Center, taking our city’s facade to the next level.
I have heard multiple criticisms of the exterior design of the Hyatt Place hotel located on Third Avenue in SoBro. Many critics cite what they feel are cheap window materials, excessive stucco and an ugly blank south wall. Your thoughts?
I have not heard of any negative criticisms and think it plays nicely with the surrounding neighborhood. I feel we need a twist of exterior design that plays among the big box hotels.
What is your take on the JW Marriott hotel tower that is being topped?
It is going to be beautiful and I love the design. It’s not your typical rectangular box and joins the Nashville skyline nicely.
Your firm has done some hotel interior design work with a Music City theme. How do you avoid having that approach yield a tacky and/or cartoonish finished product?
Having lived in Nashville for more than 20 years — and my husband being a native — we understand the soul of the city. With that said, playing off of the vibe is easy. It’s not just abstracting musical instruments in design elements, but also infusing historic names, architecture, landscapes and the essence of the city. For example, at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt, we collected a myriad of old vinyl albums, staged the albums vertically, then professionally photographed the albums’ ends to create a custom headboard wallcovering. We felt this approach told the story of Music City in a creative, sophisticated way.
You contend hotel design is important for branding purposes and return on investment. Explain.
It is very important that hotel brand design delivers innovation — going beyond the comfort zone of “out of the box” thinking. The [hospitality guests] today are savvy travelers whose expectations are extremely high. Thus hotels, particularly boutique hotels, must curate different experiences by delivering elements of surprise, storytelling and a remarkable journey. But in order to do this, we as designers must know how to ask our clients the right questions to find out what makes them different. What is the soul of their brand and what exactly is their product? Hoteliers and designers must collaborate to create memorable life experiences, delivering opportunities for competitive advantage and profitability.
Original article: https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/20983761/hotels-must-curate-different-experiences