The Gallery HBA redesigns public areas of Grosvenor House

The Gallery HBA designed the new interiors of the public areas of London's Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel. The redesign pays homage to the property’s history while enhancing its sense of place with the neighboring Hyde Park.

The Gallery HBA opened up the ground floor so it now offers views of Hyde Park, and infused the space with references to the natural world outside. The most significant change is the replacement of a traditional fireplace with one encased in a floor-to-ceiling glass frame.

The lobby now has feminine, pale crema marfil marble floor with brass inlaid detailing. The reception desks have a mirrored glass façade, while walls were clad in rich fabric. There are also antiqued mirrors on the columns and ceiling.

The lobby design in particular plays with the history of the hotel, particularly the days of the “Grosvenor Gaieties” and the Grosvenor House Girls, with their influences seen in the abstracted feather motifs in the carpet and the backdrop of the reception desks that suggests the wings of a stage.

The Park Room was also opened up to become the social hub of Grosvenor House. On the floor, pale oak was laid herringbone fashion and combined with an inset hand-tufted rug that was custom-designed for the property. The color palette here includes greens, grays and cream. The Park Room has elements that reference parkland life, such as a collection of white glass butterflies that form the central chandelier, and glass cloches that display insects and butterflies from the park.

The floorplan now flows from the fireplace through to The Library (previously a separate room) and into the main space, all connected by an adjacent promenade that leads to the Park Lane entrance. Seating up to 20 people, the library space can be partitioned by draw curtains for private gatherings.

The bar and its tables, as well as the central patisserie display table were topped in Damasco White marble, a green-veined white marble. There are now also new upholstered sofas and chairs.

Inspired by the ice skating rink that Grosvenor House once accommodated, The Gallery designed a carpet for the ballroom and custom-designed lights. The Gallery’s color palette includes blues and white.

Meanwhile, the powder rooms combine black and cream marble, and deep-buttoned velvet upholstered seating, fittings and features.