Citadines Barbican London Hotel called on Beacon Design Services to facilitate a refurbishment worth £320K from Beacon’s involvement alone. Comprising of seven phases covering seven floors, the hotel refurbishment included the kitchen, bedroom, dining and living areas of their long stay apartments.
Located in the north of London’s financial district, Citadines Barbican hotel was in need of storage, kitchen appliances, bedroom and living room furniture, all of which Beacon Design Services were able to source. The refurbishment reflects life in London with all artwork originating from local London artists and representing the surroundings.
“An aim of the refurbishment was to reflect the hotel’s London location,” says Chris Johnson, design services manager at Beacon. “It was important to give guests a taste of where they were staying, and to experience something new and exciting.
“To achieve this, London based artwork was very important so BDS sourced specific artwork of Smithfield Market, a very well known, very local area to the property. The bathrooms even included maps of London on the floor to further add to this look.”
Although the refurbishment aimed to reflect the surroundings, it was also important to ensure the apartments became a home away from home for guests. Chris adds: “Previously the rooms in the hotel were very corporate looking. As more people are choosing long stay apartments the aim of the brief was to create a warmer, homely feel.
“We created this look by sourcing furniture which deliberately did not match, but that complemented each other, creating a more relaxed, eclectic feel. For example, there were different bedside tables on each side of the bed. To further enhance this relaxing environment, we provided products such as the rugs to create a softer atmosphere.
“The ideas behind the colour schemes also aimed to reflect this home away from home environment. The blue and grey palette is warmed up by deep wood finishes, to create a modern yet homely appearance. The lighting was a mix of metal finishes, with the wall lights echoing the fixtures shown in the Smithfield Market artwork.
“The long stay apartment market seems to be growing in popularity and I think it could see a further increase in the next few years. It’s something that people want and often need, from business people who spend a considerable amount of time away from home, to families who look for a homely environment when travelling – if people are staying away for long periods at a time, there has to be a personal touch.”
Beacon is a leading British purchasing company, specialising in providing solutions for its customers that add value but reduce cost. Working with over 160 suppliers, Beacon supports almost 2000 customers across a range of sectors including hospitality, leisure and care home markets. Since establishing the business in 2000 Beacon has developed a reputation for building long-term stakeholder partnerships based on honesty, expertise and trust. Across the business, Beacon manages a spend portfolio of approximately £100million on behalf of its customers.
