WCI renovates Holiday Inn in Oregon

Portland, Oreg.—The renovation of the Holiday Inn in Wilsonville, Oregon was a gratifying project for WCI, Inc., based in Portland. The property’s interior was originally designed about 10 years ago by Jennifer Hatfield, WCI's owner and principal. “It was exciting for WCI to be able to reprise the assignment and reinvent the property with a fresh new look to meet the needs of the evolving clientele and environment,” according to Hatfield.

The redesign included all 170 guestrooms and guest bathrooms, the lobby and the common areas in the property. The furnishings and amenities were selected to meet the needs of the property’s primary clientele - families and business travelers.

“We wanted to create a warm, welcoming, social atmosphere that encouraged intimate gathering, almost like a B&B,” said Larissa Burden, WCI Co-Lead Designer on the project. “Since there weren’t a lot of gathering areas in the property, we added various seating pods for meeting, gathering and socializing throughout the lobby, atrium, and meeting room break-outs.”

New Design Vision for the Property
“The décor in both the common areas and guestrooms is rich with earth tones and natural colors, featuring chocolate and cream with pops of orange and blue to harmonize with the Northwest setting,” said Tracy Thompson, WCI Co-Lead Designer on the project. “At the same time, the mix of textures, patterns and shapes fuses Northwest flair with urban sophistication.”

Harmony and Balance - Guestrooms
The goal for the guestrooms was to harmonize all the individual design elements to create a relaxing private space that evoked a sense of calm and at-home comfort.
A wavy-striped large-print graphic carpet balanced the clean lines of the contemporary furnishings. The room layout was modified to create more open space and achieve the feel of a larger room with a custom designed piece of furniture that combined an oversized desk and dresser and housed a 37” flat screen TV, refrigerator, ice bucket and convenience outlet.

Spotlight on Elegance - Front Desk
The Front Desk detail is a Fresco Plaster panel covered in sparkly glass beads. It was custom-designed with various elevations to create a feeling of spaciousness and interest in the narrow check-in area. New pendant lights were added over the front desk area to highlight the glossy cream LG HI-MACS acrylic solid surface desk top, and accentuate the sparkle of the glass beads.

Subtle Divisions of Space – Atrium
“We used 3Form acrylic panels in the atrium with a translucent linen-look pattern to provide a division of space while still maintaining openness,” said Thompson. “The drapery sheers in the atrium help to subtly reinforce the division of space, and at the same time create textural interest through the contrast of materials – the hardness and rigidity of the 3Form panels vs. the soft suppleness of sheers.”

The entire project from concept through purchasing and installation was handled by WCI, making project management easier and ensuring that the clients’ design objectives and operational needs were met. For example, in order to allow the hotel to remain open during the refurbishment, various sections of the property were staged at different times. This minimized disruption to the guests and hotel operations.

As a vertically-integrated full-service design firm, WCI handles hospitality design projects for both independent and corporate hotel properties. With its depth of staff experience and involvement, the company provides creative solutions at every stage of a project including the coordination of the custom-designed furniture for this property, which enabled the improvement in the guestroom floor plan.

WCI was also able to expedite the corporate approval process because of its familiarity with the specifications and requirements of Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), as well as its submission and approval processes.

“Because of the relationship we have with IHG and the owners of this property, they were open to recommendations regarding color and space planning,” concluded Hatfield. “We were happy that WCI could help the hotel maintain and enhance existing guests' experience, while also appealing to a new clientele.”