Smart Sites November 2009
Author: John Anderson
November 2009
Select Sites
Hotel Distrito Capital and The Bravern
Capital Improvements
There’s a certain type of hotel appearing on the urban landscape in cities from Vancouver to Veracruz, designed to appeal to a certain type of business traveler—the ones with the iPods tucked into the pockets of their suit coats. They’re hip, happening and men- or women-about-town, and they prefer a hotel that reflects their lifestyle. For those of them traveling to Mexico City, the new Hotel Distrito Capital should fit them perfectly.Part of Grupo Habita, a Mexico-based ownership group that specializes in hip hotels, such as Hotel Azucar in Veracruz and Deseo Hotel and Lounge in Playa del Carmen, Hotel Distrito Capital (meaning Capital District) is located in the new business district of Santa Fe just west of downtown. Embracing the artfully creative minimalism that’s all the rage these days—with the focus on public spaces—the interiors were conceived by Parisian designer Joseph Dirand and include several open terraces and a film projection room.
You’ll also find a library, business center, solarium, gym and lounge-friendly pool area, along with Enrique Olvera’s fifth-floor restaurant—one of the city’s hottest. Each of the 17 guest rooms and 13 guest suites are stocked with vintage furnishings by 20th-century designers such as Charlotte Perriand and offer wireless Internet, iPod docking stations and Acqua di Parma toiletries. There’s also an executive boardroom for meetings, and the pool lounge and bar area are available for group events. hoteldistritocapital.com
Belle View
What do London, Milan and Bellevue, Wash., have in common? According to the developers of The Bravern shopping complex in Bellevue, they all offer a world-class shopping experience with high-end designer boutiques set along outdoor plazas. Opened in September, The Bravern, a 1.6-million-square-foot mixed-use project 10 years in the making, is located at the entrance to downtown Bellevue and includes such luxury retailers as Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton. There’s also a DavidBartonGym, Red Door Spa and Artisanal Brasserie and Artisanal Table restaurants from two-star Michelin chef Terrance Brennan. And while the project will include 455 Signature Residences (set to open in early 2010), the complex also happens to partially surround the Meydenbauer Center, one of the area’s premier sites for meetings and events.Not to be outdone by its flashy new neighbor, the Meydenbauer Center also opened a new Executive Conference Suite—a 2,500-square-foot conference space that brings the center’s total to 54,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space, including the 36,000-square-foot Center Hall and a 410-seat auditorium. The conference suite features three executive boardrooms with the latest in audiovisual technology, high-speed Internet, 65-inch flat-screen TVs (some with Rock Band and Xbox Live) and views of Mount Rainier. But when your neighbor is Microsoft, located in two adjacent office towers, the high-tech bar is raised high. bravern.com; meydenbauer.com
