When Inter-Continental hotels hit the scene in the 1960s, they redefined the luxury hospitality experience—thanks to architect/designer Neal Prince. Starting March 8, the New York School of Interior Design "NYSID" will explore the famed designer’s work with an exhibit titled “Designing the Luxury Hotel: Neal A. Prince and the Inter-Continental Brand.”
The exhibit will focus on seven luxury interiors—ranging from Frankfurt to Washington, D.C.—to tell Prince’s design story. For his first project, Prince crafted interiors at the Phoenicia Inter-Continental in Beirut, Lebanon, where he designed mosaic tiles for the terrace and oval swimming pool. A glass wall in the bar provided a view of the pool with mermaids set against a background of the mosaic patterns.
Siam Inter-Continental Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
Prince also emphasized the use of local artisans and designers on projects. “We wanted our hotels to reflect the native culture regardless of which country that hotel was located in,” he says.” Each hotel’s native designs became our trademark and branding, which allowed Inter-Continental Hotels & Resorts to become a leading international hotel network.”
Frankfurt Inter-Continental Hotel, Germany
The exhibition takes place March 8-April 26, 2013, at the NYSID Gallery, 161 East 69th Street, New York City. For more information, visit NYSID.
Pictured top left: Phoenicia Inter-Continental Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon
