Interior design group HBA Manila Design Office has helped prepare a place where lock-down weary travelers can now go to and enjoy.
HBA Partner and HBA Manila Design Office Principal Norman Agleron shared how they worked with the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and the Erawan Group to ensure that both the signature IHG brand and the spirit of modern Cebu, which have been touted globally, will greet visitors as soon as they step inside Holiday Inn Cebu, the newest hotel in the Queen City of the South.
“Hotel guests can expect maximum comfort during their stay complemented by modern Cebuano hospitality. As Holiday Inn’s first hotel in Cebu, there were specific requirements from the Holiday Inn brand guidelines that were incorporated into the interior design. They include the planning of guest amenities that adhere to their operations and guest-centric services. Design-wise, we were tasked to create a unique character for the hotel to provide a sense of place for the guests,” Agleron said.
Known worldwide for designs that localize even the most sophisticated spaces, HBA Manila took inspiration from the Cebu heritage and culture and aimed to interpret these in a modern contemporary gesture.
They worked to ensure that interiors alone already celebrate Cebuano culture by subtly applying its characteristics in the textures, materials & color palette, from the dynamic ribbed walls to the floor and wall patterns, down to the graphics & artworks.
“As an example, the lobby planning itself has a more welcoming arrival with a central lounge for waiting guests who are either directed toward the reception and guest lifts on one side, or the formal lounge and co-working space on the other side. This layout represents how Cebu is the convergence of Philippine trade and business from both the north and south. The layers of design elements then envelop the space with patterns inspired by local arts and crafts. Suspended vertical screens surround the lobby to define the transition from the urban outdoors. This linear pattern was replicated behind the reception counters. The overall backdrop has a neutral material palette accentuated by the colors of the furniture fabrics, area rug and woven pendant lamps,” he says.
This is not HBA Manila’s first time to work with IHG. It likewise worked with the group on a few other properties such as the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, the Holiday Inn Express Manila.