纽约巴卡拉水晶酒店
Baccarat Hotel
www.baccarathotels.com/
难得的启示
今年5月在纽约和朋友们相聚，住进3月18日刚开业的位于West 53街的巴卡拉水晶酒店（Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York）。“水晶”原本不在酒店名字之中，但加上这俩字事出有因。巴卡拉是十八世纪末源自法国，近百年来在纽约颇得发迹的著名水晶奢饰品牌，最出名的产品是在西方富人圈家喻户晓的巴卡拉水晶杯和枝型水晶吊灯。在纽约巴卡拉酒店的建筑外墙上和室内装饰中，水晶墙水晶窗水晶灯水晶饰品陈设比比皆是，白天坐在二层的“大沙龙”（Grand Salon）咖啡厅里，落地大窗布满的菱形水晶棒折射出不规律炫动的彩虹光，直射到客人和服务员的脸上身上，以及沙发家具上，看上去令人兴奋而迷惑。“水晶酒店”，名副其实。
喜达屋资本集团一直追求“名店”，1960年出生的巴里斯特里克先生（BarrySternlicht，喜达屋集团创始人，总裁兼CEO）从上世纪末创立W酒店品牌开始就没放弃再次打造顶级概念酒店的追求，光靠瑞吉威斯汀喜来登这些不同年龄不同长相的熟面孔占领世界虽说成绩斐然，但总是不够刺激。这回好了，在自己家门口再攒一个“顶级混搭”名址名牌明星：纽约曼哈顿的最佳位置巴卡拉的百年水晶品牌SOM的建筑设计大师纽约顶尖设计师托尼英格劳和斯蒂芬希尔斯（承担了公寓和一层法餐厅室内设计），加上这些年正从纽约红起来的法国新锐室内设计师吉尔斯和布希耶夫妇（Gilles & Boissier，承担了酒店室内设计和家具设计）。这些明星设计师被巴里先生请到一起来组装这个拥有114间客房，61间公寓单元的都市建筑，“水晶酒店”想不出名都难了。顶级名店，于是实至名归。
An Infrequent Revelation
In May this year, I met with some friends in New York and was admitted to Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York on West 53rd Street, which just opened on March 18 this year. There is a story behind the name Baccarat. Baccarat is a storied luxury brand whose artisans have produced custom designs since King Louis XV founded the company in 1764. Baccarat has created the most exquisite crystal products, such as crystal cups and chandeliers, for the world’s most discriminating figures. In the Baccarat hotel, whether on the building‘s exterior or interior decoration, crystal is everywhere: crystal walls, crystal windows, crystal lamps and crystal ornaments. On the second floor in the ”Grand Salon” cafe, the French windows are covered with diamondshaped crystals, which reflect shimmering light onto the faces of the guests and staff, and furniture too. All is bright and overwhelming.
Starwood Capital Group has always been pursuing the ”brand”. Since the creation of the W Hotels brand at the end of last century, Barry Sternlicht （founder, president and CEO of Starwood） never gave up the pursuit of creating top hotel brands. Though St. Regis, Westin and Sheraton cover guests of different ages, somehow, this is not stimulating enough. Well, this time, he has created a ”Suprememashup”, using top name address designer star e location at the heart of Manhattan, a centuryold Baccarat crystal brand, the SOM architectural design master, top New York designer Tony Ingrao and Stephen Sills, and French design duo Gilles & Boissier, all these crafted the 114 sensationally appointed guest rooms and suites. The hotel does live up to its glorious name
