hotel design

Client Background

Holiday Inn is one of the world’s largest hotel chains, with 3,463 hotels globally.

Project Details

Having created all of their Minnesota based pubs and restaurants, Ol Irish Pubs has a long standing relationship with Cara Irish Pubs. In 2003, they approached us to create their latest addition to their pub portfolio, The Liffey. Located in downtown St. Paul and beside the city’s entertainment arena, a Victorian style Irish pub design was decided to be the most suitable option and was felt was most add to the current hotel design. This involved the incorporation of intricately carved wood furnishings and antique light fittings as well as breaking up the 4,400 sq ft space into four separate spaces, each with their own unique character. Due to the success of the pub and the Minnesotan love of outdoors, in 2005 they wanted to create a 4,000 sq ft rooftop terrace above the bar. Staying true to the original pub theme, we decided to create a Victorian conservatory style terrace. With the rooftop having one of the best views of the city, the design and layout of the rooftop was created around how best to maximise these, with St. Paul’s Cathedral being the focal point. Combining the design vision with practicality was key for the long term success of the rooftop. Since Minnesota experiences extreme weather conditions, it was key to incorporate furnishings and fittings that were able to endure their hot summers while being resilient against accidental damage when it came to moving them into storage for the winter. In 2009, Cara wished to carry out a refurbishment of The Liffey. In recent years, they had found that a growing number of their clientele was female and they wanted this to reflect in the design and layout of the pub. To achieve this, we completed a full soft refurbishment. We employed pastel colours throughout, incorporated more vibrant wall finishings and created a more open environment through the removal of screens and mirror partitions. Distinct spaces were fashioned using changes in wall colourings and soft furnishings, such as red velvet curtains and a variation of furniture. This allowed for each space to have own atmosphere without creating closed off sections.

• Custom-made flooring
• Bespoke finishes
• Handcrafted joinery
• Furniture and lighting design
• Concept design
• Tailored Graphics
• Bespoke finishes
• Fixtures and Fittings
• Project management
• Fit out