Design Plus Service = Sensational!

As you might imagine, architecture and design are among my favorite things. I love seeing a structure from the outside and understanding how that translates to the interior, how materials convey mood, and how space works – or not.

Hotels have an opportunity to express space and mood on a large scale and it’s not easy to do that successfully. Have you ever walked down a boring hotel hallway wondering whether the designers were asleep at the drafting table?

One of my favorite architects of gorgeous hotels is André Fu. With a style he describes as “a quietly thoughtful, carefully considered yet analytical approach marked by a highly refined aesthetic,” Fu was born in Hong Kong and educated in England from the age of 14. He holds a BA from Cambridge University and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Cambridge. His commissions span the globe, from Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul, to London and Aix-en-Provence. Each project is personally managed by Fu from his Hong Kong office.

His designs are simple and beautiful: luxurious materials, impressive art, gorgeous sightlines, and incomparable comforts. Still, a spectacular shell is only part of the equation when it comes to hotels. The service is the pearl.

I stayed at Fu’s Upper House in Hong Kong last year and I have never had such amazing hotel service. When I checked in, I discovered that the hotel had researched me, taken a photograph of my family from my Instagram account, mounted it in a beautiful silver frame, and had it sitting at my bedside in my room when I arrived. That’s sensational service!

You can read more about Fu’s signature designs on CNA Luxury or learn more about the award-winning architect and his vision by visiting his website.