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By Stacy Shoemaker Rauen
Photography by MK Photography
Just a little over two years since the announcement of the mid-market, high-design, loft-lifestyle hotel brand NYLO, the inaugural property has opened its doors in Plano, Texas. And it was well worth the short wait. New York City-based designer Stephane Dupoux has used his signature witty style to capture the Texan spirit in a hotel (and brand) that just happens to be green. "It’s my abstract vision of Texas—taking ideas from the past and making them work in a modern way," says Dupoux, who is also a partner in the hotel company.
Cowboy-inspired design elements include a blue, brown and white bull's-eye rug in the lobby; Plexiglas tabletops embedded with hay; pink cowhide rugs; a stainless steel bar; antler-informed handblown glass chandeliers; wood slatted banquettes covered with a poncho-inspired brown cover; and restaurant director's chairs with their own two-pocket leather saddle holster. "It's like what a cowboy has on the back of the horse," Dupoux explains.
Artwork by local artists Amanda Smith and Nicole Marrow further bring a local flavor, while kitschy custom pieces like egg-shaped swing chairs suspended from the ceiling, oversized, wraparound square banquettes, and standalone square chairs (all done in white, brown, or gray ultrasuede) as well as guestroom couches with enlarged armrests add playful touches. And to create the brand's namesake authentic urban loft feel, 12-foot exposed ceilings, brick walls, expansive windows, spacious layouts, plywood, and polished concrete floors and walls abound throughout the public spaces and the 176 guestrooms dubbed guest lofts. "It works," says Dupoux of the raw space. "There's enough color, warmth, comfort, and the originality of the furniture makes it funky."
The concrete-and-brick construction does more than provide a cool look though; it's energy efficient: "It has a narrow thermal range, so the building never gets too hot or too cold," says Patrick O'Neil, senior vice president of operations for NYLO. It's part of the brand's Everything Green Construction Policy calling for the use of the most energy-efficient building materials and techniques. And the energy saving continues into the hotel's operations. Wind power provides half of the hotel's energy needs, web-based software tracks the hotel's conservation and consumption, and lighting and air conditioning in guestrooms run on sensors. "NYLO Plano turned out to be a very green hotel," says O’Neil.
Concerned with not only the wellbeing of the environment, but the guest as well, the entire second floor (45 rooms) is allergy-free thanks to Pure Solutions North America. Each guestroom features hypoallergenic bedding, a medical grade air purifier, and furniture stained with tree-seed oil. "When [Pure Solutions] told me 70 million Americans suffer from allergies, asthma, and respiratory illnesses, I thought having [these] guestrooms would add tremendous value for our guests," O’Neil says. "Other hotels had two or three of these rooms, but we wanted to make a bigger commitment. NYLO became the first brand to have an entire floor of allergy-friendly guestrooms and this is a commitment we'll continue."
Another promise: investing in Renewable Energy Credits (RECS). "It's a way for NYLO to give back and contribute to a better environment, while still remaining affordable," O’Neil adds. "In Texas, we chose wind power. NYLO will invest in RECS for every hotel, and we'll decide which renewable resources to focus on in each of our markets. In years to come, being green won't be trendy; it will be a way of life."
For more information, visit www.nylohotels.com or www.dupouxdesign.com.
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Lofty Ideals
March 12, 2008By Stacy Shoemaker Rauen
Photography by MK Photography
Cowboy-inspired design elements include a blue, brown and white bull's-eye rug in the lobby; Plexiglas tabletops embedded with hay; pink cowhide rugs; a stainless steel bar; antler-informed handblown glass chandeliers; wood slatted banquettes covered with a poncho-inspired brown cover; and restaurant director's chairs with their own two-pocket leather saddle holster. "It's like what a cowboy has on the back of the horse," Dupoux explains.
The concrete-and-brick construction does more than provide a cool look though; it's energy efficient: "It has a narrow thermal range, so the building never gets too hot or too cold," says Patrick O'Neil, senior vice president of operations for NYLO. It's part of the brand's Everything Green Construction Policy calling for the use of the most energy-efficient building materials and techniques. And the energy saving continues into the hotel's operations. Wind power provides half of the hotel's energy needs, web-based software tracks the hotel's conservation and consumption, and lighting and air conditioning in guestrooms run on sensors. "NYLO Plano turned out to be a very green hotel," says O’Neil.
For more information, visit www.nylohotels.com or www.dupouxdesign.com.
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