H O S P I T A L I T Y
Marriott Marquis
Washington, DC
aspire
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Hospitality
that
Transforms
We at Cooper Carry aspire to wake up every morning energized by the belief that we can change the world
by designing a better experience for its people.
H O S P I T A L I T Y
I
n a broadcast from the
White House in 1931, President Hoover said, “The opening
of the new Waldorf Astoria is an event in the advancement
of hotels, even in New York City. It carries great tradition in national hospitality… marks the measure of [the]
nation’s growth in power, in comfort and in artistry… an
exhibition of courage and confidence to the whole nation.”
These remarks were made of a hotel – a hotel with a design
powerful enough to mark the nation’s growth.
The U.S. travel industry remains one of the largest industries in our country, touching about one in five Americans.
According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association,
the hospitality industry ranks among the top 10 industries in
49 states in addition to the District of Columbia, and most
every industry analysis projects this trend to continue for
the foreseeable future. Jonathan Tisch recently remarked,
“I think it’s fair to say that America’s service sector as a
whole – led by travel – has almost single-handedly pushed
the U.S. economy forward since the recession.”
This year Cooper Carry was once again recognized as
one of the top five hospitality practices in the country.
Cooper Carry’s hospitality practice took form in the mid
1980s when a commitment was made to become a Specialty Practice Group of experts and thought leaders in
the hotel industry.
Noted sculptor Rodney Carroll created the 56’ tall
stainless steel lobby sculpture entitled “The Birth
of the American Flag.”
Today the practice has grown to be global, providing a
variety of hospitality design services to valuable clients.
We seek to provide services to our clients which address the
artistic nature of architecture founded in specific pragmatic requirements. The constant in our work is to provide
thoughtful design solutions based on ideas that transform
the quality of cities, communities and individuals.
The Washington, Marriott Marquis
On May 20, 1927 - the day aviator Charles Lindbergh
began his historic transatlantic solo flight – J.W. Marriott opened a nine-stool root beer stand on 14th Street in
Washington, D.C. In June 2014, Cooper Carry opened
the Marriott Marquis, Washington, DC, the 4,000th hotel
in the prestigious company’s history. The largest hotel in
our nation’s capital, the project was conceived to provide
guestrooms and meeting spaces needed to support the
popular Washington Convention Center.
“Washington is one of the world’s greatest cities and we
are excited to host visitors and groups from across the
globe at our newest hotel to fly the Marriott Hotels flag.
The Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C. also has created
more than 500 new jobs, with 63 percent coming from the
District,” said J.W. Marriott Jr., Executive Chairman. The
hotel provides multiple food and beverage outlets, stateof-the-art conference and banquet facilities, and will serve
as the nation’s capital flagship convention hotel.
Continued on next page
H O S P I T A L I T Y
“It is fitting that our 4,000th hotel is located here in
our nation’s capital, because it is the birthplace of
our company and represents the future of the Marriott Hotels brand,” said J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr.
H O S P I T A L I T Y
The Cl evel an d Mal l - D own town Cl evel and
Located along Massachusetts Avenue, one of the
Mid Western Revival
most recognizable street
In the summer of 2013,
names in the world, the
Cuyahoga County and
architects were chalthe City of Cleveland
lenged to create a large
sent invitations to 18 of
convention hotel that
the world’s top hospiwould fit into the smaller
tality design firms to
urban scale of Washingdesign their new downton. This was achieved
town convention hotel.
in part by providing a
Cooper Carry was ultiunique building massing
mately selected to dethat respects the prosign the facility, largely
portions of the existing
based on the ability to
context. District of Coprovide a vision for how
lumbia guidelines restrict
the hotel would contribthe height of downtown
ute to the existing urban
buildings, so the massing
context and become an
was sensitive to other
icon that would lift the
Cleveland’s challenge to the design team included to
neighboring buildings.
spirit
of the community.
design a building respectful to the Burnham Plan that was
The historic American
The
Hilton
Cleveland
unique to Cleveland, creating an iconic image for the
Federation of Labor
Downtown Hotel in
Cleveland skyline.
building was integrated
Cleveland, Ohio, will
into the hotel’s design,
be located adjacent
housing a specialty club, a two-level exercise facility and
to the newly opened Cleveland Convention Center and
selective boutique guestrooms.
the Global Center for Health Innovation; two important
facilities intended to support and bolster the success of
The height limits placed on the facility required that the
Cleveland’s University Circle Arts and Cultural District.
convention and banquet spaces be located below-grade.
The hotel will be a beacon amidst the Cleveland skyline
Large openings are placed in the floors to introduce natu- while connecting hotel guests and visitors to the convenral light to these below-grade floors giving the appeartion center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and activating
ance of spaces located at or above grade. Supporting this
downtown streets and the Cleveland lakefront.
design principle is a 189-foot-long glass porte cochere.
Such a structure might have created a cavernous space
Because the hotel is being financed almost entirely with
at the entrance; howpublic funds, there was
ever, natural light filters
a desire to involve the
through the canopy and
community in establishlands in the lobby and
ing the design principles.
convention spaces beMultiple workshops
yond, similar to the glass
were set up to listen to
awnings so often seen
ideas from the commuon the world’s embasnity and to hear thoughts
sies along Massachusetts
on what the hotel would
Avenue. The facility
mean to them. Many of
was designed and docuthe design team’s prinmented in collaboration
ciples that shaped the
with tvsdesign.
design were established
at these meetings.
Continued
The Cleveland Mall is a long public park in downtown
Cleveland, Ohio. It was conceived as part of the 1903
Group Plan by Daniel Burnham as a vast public space
flanked by the city’s major civic and governmental buildings, all built in the neoclassical style. The plan was
designed at the time to influence the growth of one of the
largest cities in America
and to organize the growth
around a public mall. The
site for the Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel
occupies the last available
site on that civic green.
Cleveland’s newly opened
Convention Center is
located under two thirds of
the Mall.
tive cornice line 90 feet above grade. The Hilton Hotel
design has a cornice at 90 feet that becomes a tall porch
and continues the strong horizontal line of the surrounding
buildings. The porch connects the hotel to the Mall. The
result is a modern building that connects to the historic
context and that is unique to Cleveland.
The building can be viewed as having two parts: the building
base and the building tower.
The hotel entry is on Lakeside Drive directly adjacent to
the entry to the Convention Center to encourage a strong
connection both visually and physically. The hotel’s
restaurant and public spaces are positioned on the Mall.
The glass tower of the
hotel is articulated as
three slender towers.
Each of the three towers
has a unique expression
in the glass metal cur90’ tain wall. Near the top
of the tower, the glass
façade tilts out over the
Mall. On the upper most
floor, a terrace for the
roof top bar is cut out of
The County’s and the
the glass, providing an
City’s challenge to the
Grounded in the ideals of Beaux-Arts architecture, the
Cleveland
Group
plan
called
for
Beaux-Arts
style
buildoutdoor area overlookarchitect team included to
ings
with
neoclassical
details
to
be
arranged
around
ing the lakefront. The
design a building respectful
a central mall.
tower’s unique sculpto the Burnham Plan that
tural form will create an
was unique to Cleveland,
iconic
image
for
Cleveland’s
skyline.
creating an iconic image for Cleveland’s skyline.
The design for the building base was directly influenced
by existing neoclassical buildings flanking the Mall. The
shared characteristics of those buildings (base, middle
and top), expressed with solid corners, were applied to
the hotel base but in a modern architectural language. All
of the older buildings flanking the Mall have a distinc-
The project will seek to achieve LEED Silver certification.
90
The Hilton Hotel design has a cornice at 90 feet that becomes a tall porch and continues the strong horizontal line of
the surrounding buildings.
H O S P I T A L I T Y
One important design principle related to the historic
Cleveland Group Plan for Public Buildings designed in
1903 by Daniel Burnham. The downtown waterfront area in
Cleveland as we know it today was designed as a vast green
mall flanked by the City’s major government buildings. The
mall is considered one of the important major urban spaces
in the United States (Burnham also completed designs for
Washington, D.C., and the Chicago lakefront). The site for
the Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel occupies the last
available site on that civic mall.
The architectural team’s
goals were to create a
building respectful of this
plan, provide a uniquely
Cleveland building and
create an iconic image on
Cleveland’s skyline.
Slated to open in 2016, the
Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel was a key
factor in Cleveland being
selected by the Republican
National Committee as the
site for their 2016 national
convention. Chairman
Reince Priebus said of the
choice, “I will say it was a
business decision. When it
came down to hotels, the
venue, [and] the arena, it
was unbelievable.” The
transformation of Cleveland continues with the
design of the hotel.
that would extend to other hotels nearby. Cooper Carry
stressed the importance of creating a distinction between
the old and the new. We stressed the importance of allowing
the timeless to stand on its merits without being diluted by
an architectural character that attempts to recreate the past.
Five historic buildings were integrated into a contemporary
solution that highlighted the rich history of Lancaster, while
blending into the pedestrian scale of the downtown. The
design strategy also complemented the city’s unique system
of alleys by creating an “interior street” or alley. This street
connects a long historic
block that allows guests to
walk through the building, passing by the exposed
front and rear facades of
the historic structures. The
results exceeded expectations, and the hotel serves
as a catalyst for continued
development in downtown
Lancaster. The vision to
re-energize Lancaster was
created by residents and
business leaders who love
the city and were willing to
put their financial investment and their reputations
at risk; the majority of the
credit is due to them.
In announcing the award of
the hotel, Authority Chairman Dave Hixson said of
the city’s portion of the
The design team sought to connect historical and modern public-private partnership,
architecture by incorporating the 205-year-old William
“This [city’s] $15 million
Montgomery House into the new hotel lobby and the
investment is an essen1898 Watt & Shand Building into the exterior structure.
Hotel-City Connectivity
tial part of our financial
Located in Lancaster,
package. It will give us the
Pennsylvania, the Lancaster County Convention Center and opportunity to move forward and deliver on a project that
Marriott Hotel at Penn Square opened in 2009. The commuwill be an economic stimulus for the downtown as well as
nity invited responses from the country’s leading hospitality
for the entire region.” The adaptive reuse project not only
design firms through an RFP process. Cooper Carry was
succeeded in revitalizing the region, but also was recognized
awarded the project and began work, hoping the impact
as the recipient of the 2014 inaugural Willard G. “Bill” Rouse
would extend beyond property lines. The community’s
Awards for Excellence sponsored by Urban Land Institute
investment in this one building would re-energize the down- (ULI). The award recognizes projects that provide comtown and provide much needed convention space that would munity leadership in the responsible use of land and create
bring visitors to the area, creating a demand for hotel rooms
thriving communities.
The Main
In Norfolk,
Virginia, city
and community
leaders are looking to build on
the downtown
redevelopment
successes enjoyed
there over the
past few decades.
Gold Key/PHR
Hotels and Resorts is developing a state-of-theart luxury Hilton hotel and convention center using a
public/private partnership with the City of Norfolk, hoping
to grow Norfolk’s reputation outside the region.
The Hilton Norfolk at The Main is a significant public/private partnership development where the hotel was designed
to interact with pedestrian street activities, support existing
retail and to showcase views of the city and the harbor. The
Main will incorporate a
Hilton hotel, a conference
center, a civic atrium, and
multiple food and beverage
components into an iconic
building that anchors
the corner of Main and
Granby Streets.
The Exchange
at The Main
is expected to
catalyze redevelopment in
Norfolk by creating a conference facility that
will meet the
qualifications
of the International Association of Conference Centers
(IACC) and
expand the city’s ability to increase their conference reach
and attract new visitors to an emerging tourist market. The
facility will include secure rooms designed to meet federal
requirements; technology enhanced, tiered classrooms;
and other cutting-edge conferencing spaces.
In 1989, Cooper Carry was selected to design the downtown Norfolk Waterside Marriott and Convention Center.
We are excited to return to
the roots of our first convention hotel and expand
on the ideas and principles
created in the early 1990s.
A large atrium space greets
the arriving guest and will
serve as an extension of
Main Street, inviting the
public to enter and move
through the building.
PHR Hotels has a history of providing unique
food and beverage outlets
and this will hotel will not
disappoint. Two themed
restaurants will be provided
along with a roof top bar
designed with some of the
best public access views
in Norfolk.
The hotel is designed to showcase views of the city and the
harbor, incorporating a conference center, civic atrium, and
three restaurants into one 20-story iconic building.
Urban Select Developed
by The JBG Companies,
the Hyatt Place Washington D.C./U.S. Capitol
opened this summer in a
rapidly expanding area
of Washington. This
200-key, select-service
hotel is located in the
northern portion of the
NoMa district—a vibrant
mixed-used neighborhood
located less than a mile
from Union Station and
just north of and in view
of the Capitol Building in
Washington, DC.
Continued on next page
H O S P I T A L I T Y
The Hyatt Place
resulting
project is one of the
in operation
more distinct brands
efficiencies.
by Hyatt and was
specifically selected
Cooper Carry’s
for this location for
first dual brand
its ability to provide
hotel joined
guestrooms to an
together a Resiemerging and growdence Inn selecting population segservice hotel with
ment. To celebrate
a full-service
the new urbanism
Renaissance.
upon which this
Residence Inn
area was envisioned,
is referred to as
Cooper Carry
an extended stay
The Hyatt Place hotel is striving for LEED Certification and features many hotel; the Renaisprovided an archisustainable design concepts such as water-reducing fixtures, energy eftectural character
sance is a fullficient equipment and lighting, and a rain-screen exterior cladding system.
that incorporated
service, upper
natural materials such as exposed concrete and terracotta
upscale conference hotel. The site in Arlington, Virginia,
panels. “JBG is excited to enter the growing NoMa district
overlooks Ronald Regan National Airport, the Potomac
with the introduction of Hyatt Place Washington D.C./
River, and boasts distant views of the nation’s capitol. The
U.S. Capitol,” said Moina Banerjee, principal at The JBG
design team maximized these views for both hotel brands
Companies. “This brand is a state-of-the-art product, and
and organized functional elements, such as the lobby’s
we are extremely proud to be the first Hyatt Place hotel in
grand stair, in order to capture specific vistas. Arlington
Washington, D.C. Cooper Carry and our entire design
Capital View, as the project has been named, is designed
and development team have created a unique design that is
with two individual hotel entrances on adjacent streets
setting a new standard of what an urban select service hotel giving each brand their own guest arrival experience.
can offer. This project will provide an unmatched D.C.
Conference and banquet facilities as well as the expanded
experience for
exercise facility
our guests.”
can be accessed
from either hotel
Dual Branding
lobby, as well
Dual brand and
as the expanded
triple brand hoexercise faciltels (2-packs and
ity. This LEED
3-packs) are becomSilver project is
ing more comthe first new hotel
mon within hotel
to be constructed
companies as a way
in Arlington’s
to reach multiple
Crystal City in
customer bases in
over 20 years.
one structure. These
This duet of
hotels take advantage
select/full service
of a single location
brands was deto provide accomveloped by The
modations for mulJBG Companies
tiple brands while
of Chevy Chase,
combining land costs One of the first LEED Gold hotels in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the
Maryland.
and amenities, often Arlington Capital View Renaissance and Residence Inn features a planted
roof and other sustainable design concepts.
Continued
Posi ti ve Ef fects Of A Publ i c- Pri vate Par tner ship
Public-private partnerships (PPPs)
are a very common way for public
entities to participate in funding development projects where it may not
be financially feasible for a private
investor to do so alone. In return,
the public sector receives a project
which creates economic development
and a company with the knowledge,
experience and efficiencies in the
private sector to lead the effort. It
is not uncommon for the partnership to combine a government entity
with one or more private entities.
Public participation in a PPP can
be achieved several ways including
providing land or utilities contributions, creating general obligation
bonds, or providing tax benefits.
Because there are public funds
involved, there is often a requirement for the development teams to
include small, local or minorityowned businesses that will participate on the design and construction
teams. In addition to providing the
primary business generator, these
projects ultimately establish a larger
tax base, create new employment
opportunities and provide the engine
for community growth.
PPPs undergo a high level of transparency and must stand up to more
scrutiny because of the participation of public entities. Approval of
design firms, design strategies and
budgets are public information, and
often special meetings are required
to approve the many phases of the
project. The role of the architect is
not only that of a design professional, but it often is extended to
that of bringing consensus among
the many stakeholders involved.
We make public presentations,
speak to community groups, report
to special advisory commissions and
lead workshops intended to make
the process as open as possible. We
designed the Lancaster Marriott &
Lancaster County Convention Center
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that
was completed in 2009. As the vision
was being conceived, the Lancaster
County Convention Center Authority (LCCCA) was created to oversee
the county’s interest in the project.
The board met monthly and closely
followed the design and budgets,
approved all payments to the design
and construction teams, and oversaw
any changes to scope or fees. This
project had added complexities in
that it included two public participants (LCCCA and the Lancaster
Redevelopment Authority) and a
private partnership (Penn Square
Partners, which originally consisted
of the High Companies, the Fulton
Bank and Lancaster Newspapers).
Today, the Convention Center and
Hotel is operated by Interstate Hotels and Resorts, while the LCCCA
directs the Convention Center. The
authority has a small, full-time staff
and a board of directors to which
they report.
Cooper Carry’s Hospitality Specialty Practice Group has a long
history of working with PPPs dating
back to work in the late 1980s with
the Stormont Hospitality Group and
later with Stormont Trice Hospitality Corporation. Projects such as the
Norfolk Waterside Marriott and
The Hyatt Regency Wichita were
projects built in downtown areas
where private ownership supported
the hotel and public ownership supported the conference center. Both of
these projects were built and operated as single projects and required
detailed condominium documents,
describing lines of ownership and
operational boundaries. Building
these as single projects allowed the
construction costs to be reduced and
it brought certain additional planning efficiencies, including the sharing of back of house programmed
spaces, administrative offices, vertical transportation and egress stairs.
However, because of these shared
spaces, it is not possible for the various components of the facilities to
ever operate without the other.
The following is a partial list of hospitality projects at Cooper Carry designed in some form of a PPP.
• The Norfolk Waterside Hotel and Convention Center
• The Portsmouth Renaissance
• The Hyatt Regency Wichita
• Brasstown Valley
• The Baltimore Inner Harbor East Marriott
• The Cool Springs Marriott and Conference Center
• The Sugar Land Marriott and Conference Center
• The Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel
• The Suffolk Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center
• Raleigh Marriott City Center
• The Marriott Marquis,Washington D.C.
• The Main Norfolk Convention Hotel (In Design)
• The Cuyahoga County Hilton Convention Hotel
(In Design )
These projects align with Cooper Carry’s mission to integrate specialized knowledge to create Connective Architecture:
connecting ideas and people to the places where they work, relax, live and learn.
H O S P I T A L I T Y
Keepi ng Up Wi th th e T i m es
The Hyatt Place
resort in Nicaand Hyatt House at
ragua is located
Charleston Midtown
in the nature
in Charleston, South
reserve Laguna
Carolina, developed
de Apoyo. The
by Regent Partners,
resort subtly
is a dual brand hotel
transforms a
The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House at Charleston Midtown in Charleston,
combining a Hyatt
tropical dry
SC is a mixed-use dual brand project with a 112-key Hyatt House hotel,
House hotel, a Hyatt a 200-key Hyatt Place hotel, conference center, retail and a 400 space
forest ecosystem
Place hotel, conferinto an attractive
parking deck.
ence center, retail
destination for
and a parking deck. The design took into consideration the
nature lovers to learn and live in the rare environment.
surrounding scale and architectural expression of historic
The resort includes a main building with restaurants,
Charleston and the existing streetscape. The design is
meeting rooms, eight guestrooms, and 16 two-story
responsive to the zoning envelope created to protect the
eco-casitas that are carefully dispersed to create a striking
historic scale of the city. The resulting collage of building
sense of the culturally native housing of Nicaraguans.
massing, scale and architectural expression will provide an
Each casita level is a self-contained bedroom/bathroom
expansion of King Street, intended to invigorate and serve
unit with individual private decks and hammocks overas a catalyst for future growth in downtown Charleston.
looking the volcanic lake. This allows for privacy, one
“Cooper Carry has an innate talent for envisioning archiof the key themes of Pacaya Eco-lodge. The architects
tectural plans that not only return results to the client, but to designed the resort to double as a satellite campus for
the surrounding region,” says Reid Freeman, president of
an educational center founded by Opportunity InternaAtlanta-based Regent
tional Nicaragua
Partners. “Choos(OIN), where
ing Cooper Carry
students receive
for the project was
a traditional
an obvious decision,
high school
especially knowdiploma while
ing that we needed
also learning
a pioneering design
about agriculture
that would boost the
and eco-tourism.
north end of King
Because of the
Street.” Other dual
project’s impact
brand hotels on which
on the region it
Cooper Carry is
serves, Cooper
working include
Carry elected to
Courtyard/Residence
provide design
Inn combinations in
services proOrlando and Washbono for OIN.
ington, D.C.
Cooper Carry
A Global Reach
has worked or is
In stark contrast to
working on hosthe urban environpitality projects
ments that Cooper
in the Middle
Carry works in,
East, Africa and
The architects designed the Pacaya Eco-lodge to double as a satellite
Pacaya Eco-lodge
the Caribbean.
campus for an educational center founded by Opportunity International
Nicaragua (OIN), where students receive a traditional high school
diploma while also learning about agriculture and eco-tourism.
Continued
rant, the lobby, and other public spaces Place hotel in downtown WashingCooper Carry established itself long
ton, D.C. We worked closely with the
such as banquet and meeting spaces.
ago as a design firm to turn to when a
The renovation was completed in 2014. brand and developer to protect those
resort project requires updating. Such
elements important
was the case with
to brand identity
Rose Hall, a 400-key
and guest experience
resort hotel in Monwhile achieving the
tego Bay, Jamaica.
developer’s goals for
This project involved
program and construcrenovating the guesttion budget. The 165
rooms, reorganizing
guestrooms yielded by
the spa and ballroom,
the project will include
and establishing an
all the brand exentry and arrival
pected elements, but
sequence that would
will each be slightly
serve to connect the
unique in nature. We,
arriving guest to the
as designers, enjoy the
Caribbean. The entry
challenges that come
circulation diagram
with an adaptivecreated for Rose
reuse renovation such
Hall takes the guest
as this one.
through the lobby and
Located in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Rose Hall was transformed into a
down a grand stairRenovation is more
case before reaching a vibrant resort hotel.
than selecting a new
zero-edge pool which
carpet or color palappears as if it is part
ate for the rooms. A
of the Caribbean.
significant component
for the success of a
Located in downhotel renovation is for
town Atlanta, is
its designers to have
the 73-story Westin
extensive experience
Peachtree Plaza
in understanding the
Hotel underwent a
operational aspects of
recent renovation.
a hotel. Because the
Reportedly the second
design team at Cootallest fully dedicated
hotel skyscraper in the
per Carry has experiWestern Hemisphere,
ence working with all
the hotel was comtypes of buildings, our
pleted in 1976. The
clients are confident in
The 73-story Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, reportedly the second
all-glass, tubularour ability to be able
tallest fully dedicated hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere,
shaped building has recently underwent a transformative interior make-over after many
to address practically
served as a downtown rooms were damaged by a tornado.
any issue that may
landmark for decades
arise. Further, we rely
and is an anchor for
heavily on current
the hospitality convention business.
market analysis to better understand
In dense urban markets, often the
the guests that the hotels would like to
Cooper Carry and Blackdog Studios repurposing of an existing non-hotel
were initially commissioned to renovate structure for a hospitality use becomes attract. With the ever-changing realm
of technology, this is a daunting task,
a viable option. Such is the case with
all 1,068 guestrooms. As this work
was nearing completion, our scope was our 1522 K Street Hyatt Place project. but is vital in our ability to design
new life and vitality into an existing
extended to a full renovation including We are currently converting a 1960s
guestroom suites, the Sundial Restau- office building into an 11-story Hyatt structure.
H O S P I T A L I T Y
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island has received high rankings, including the prestigious Forbes Five Stars and #5 in
the Top Resort Hotels in America.
A Sanctuary in the South
When Cooper Carry won a competition to design
a resort on the South Carolina island of Kiawah, we
embarked on a journey that would ultimately lead to the
creation of one of the finest luxury resorts in the world.
In a short period of time, the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
has been identified as one of just a few five star resorts
and spas and has earned a reputation of providing luxury,
quality and service.
Nestled amongst a
grove of live oak
trees, the hotel site
provides guests panoramic views of the
Atlantic Ocean from
the lobby. The guestrooms are arranged
in two buildings
placed perpendicular to the coastline
providing all of the
rooms a view to
the ocean. Recalling the low country
architectural style
of Charleston, the
resort is constructed
of natural materials including slate roofs, coquina, brick,
stucco and custom wood windows and doors.
In 2012, The Sanctuary hosted the PGA Championship
which was played on the Ocean Course, one of several
golf courses located on the island. One of the highest
compliments an architectural firm can receive is to be asked
to perform repeat business for a client. In 2012, Cooper
Carry was asked by the owners of Kiawah, the Riverstone
Properties, to design
their new hotel at Sea
Pines on the island
of Hilton Head. In
addition to the hotel,
Cooper Carry designed a spectacular
golf clubhouse and
beach club, both of
which have recently
opened.
Cooper Carry is
currently working on
luxury resort hotels
in Destin and Hammock Beach, Florida.
The Lodge at Woodloch
The Lodge has received
International spa designnumerous awards includers John and Ginny Lopis
ing Travel and Leisure’s
(JGL) were seeking to
#3 Spa Destination in the
design a spa retreat that
World; Most Luxurious Spa
would allow them to
in the U.S.; and Best for
incorporate their visions
Cuisine, Best for Cookin a working spa environing Classes and Best for
ment. Cooper Carry was
Mind-Body-Spirit in the
selected to design their
Spa Finder Readers’ Choice
flagship hotel and spa
Awards.
where these ideas would
be implemented. Situated
in the Pocono Mountains
AC Hotels by Marriott
in Hawley, Pennsylvania,
Cooper Carry’s process
the resort was designed
to achieve transformative
to provide a complete imhotel design lies in the rigor
mersive spa experience.
the designers undertake to
The first destination spa
achieve artistic, financial
Designers traversed through trees and over rocks to
built in a decade, JGL’s
and
functional goals. Ultigather bark, leaves and flora to integrate the raw color of
charge was to create a non- nature into the color scheme for the Lodge at Woodloch mately, the process begins
Spa & Resort.
depravation environment,
and ends with the guest exa facility that is enjoyable
perience. In Atlanta, Noble
and educational, providing take-home value. The facility
Hospitality approached Cooper Carry with the opporshowcases their expertise in delivering full spa services
tunity to design an AC Hotels by Marriott, the company’s
in spa involvements, including preparing of meals. A full
newest and most transformative brand. Founded in 1998
teaching kitchen focuses on the education of meal prepaby Antonio Catalán, AC Hotels has properties located in
ration and importance of healthy eating combined with a
Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and soon, Atlanta. AC Hohealthy lifestyle.
tels by Marriott leveraged the unique style and design of
Continued on next page
C o o p e r C a r r y ’ s Hospi tal i ty Speci al ty Prac tic e Group
Cooper Carry’s Hospitality
Specialty Practice Group specializes
globally in the design of hotels,
resorts, executive education facilities,
and conference and convention centers, each carefully designed to connect people to place. We are experts
in hospitality design and planning,
and our in-depth knowledge of
hotel operational efficiencies, gained
through experience, provides measurable value to our clients. We understand that hospitality is a business
and that design creates value. Our
architects are thought leaders and
specialists whose sole focus is the
design of hospitality projects. We
collaborate with our clients and other
stakeholders on a variety of hospitality projects where our foundation is to
champion innovation, fresh thought
and creative solutions. Together, we
study the possibilities inherent in the
relationships between buildings and
their surroundings in order to best
capture the potential of space, the
energy of the street and a unique
sense of place.
H O S P I T A L I T Y
these upscale urbanFrom time to time,
inspired hotels with
Cooper Carry is
the portfolio power
asked to perform
and distribution of
highest and best-use
Marriott Internationstudies on buildal. Cooper Carry is
ings of various uses
designing the brand’s
targeted for renovafirst Atlanta AC Hotel The sleek, sophisticated, European-inspired aesthetics of the
tion and repositionadjacent to the fashing, often involving a
AC Hotel bring the culture of the location alive to support the
guest
experience.
ionable Phipps Plaza,
hotel conversion. One
long known for its upsuch recent study was
scale collection of trendy merchants. As described by Mar- conducted on the iconic Brill Building in the heart of Times
riott, “AC Hotels by Marriott provides innovative spaces
Square in Manhattan. Cooper Carry clients, Brickman
of freedom and comfort, with a style that defines the most
Real Estate Group and Allied Partners, recently purchased
contemporary hospitality – the unmistakable AC style.
the building, which was once home to a number of internaThis brand targets travelers searching for a design-led
tionally-recognized music composers and producers. The
hotel in a great location. Sleek, sophisticated European11-story building was being considered for several uses,
inspired aesthetics bring the culture of the location alive to including the possible conversion to a hotel.
support our guests’ experience.”
At the request of the building owners and Project DevelopReimaging and Repositioning
ment Services, Inc., the Cooper Carry design team studied
With an ever growing hospitality market, not only are new how the historic structure could be renovated into a hotel
products explored, but existing hotels are looking to be
on its upper floors. Designers provided a variety of design
reinvented and transformed. Often, hotels change brands
alternatives illustrating how to maximize the room yield
requiring design changes to match brand standards and
while maintaining local zoning and historic guidelines.
objectives. Renovations and additions to existing hotels
These design ideas gave the development team decisionserve to reinvigorate properties, giving them a renewed
ready information to determine the feasibility of the conappearance, vitality, and energy. These renovations create
version. In the end, the hotel was not a compelling financial
opportunities for new marketing strategies. Cooper Carry story for the owner. In this particular instance, Cooper
is currently providing
Carry’s deep experidesign services in Key
ence in hospitality and
West for the converoffice design played a
sion of four existing
key role in the team’s
hotels to new brands.
ability to make timely
Key West has imposed
decisions.
a moratorium on
building new hotel
Cooper Carry has
rooms, so existing
also provided renovarooms have a unique
tion and reimaging
value. Even as the
design services for
hotels are adjacent
Four Seasons, Hilton,
to each other, they
Hyatt, LXR, Marrepresent different
riott, Ritz-Carlton,
hotel companies and
Sheraton, Westin, and
are being designed as
Wyndham hotels.
a single collection.
From time to time, Cooper Carry designers are asked to perform
highest and best use studies on buildings targeted for renovation and
repositioning, often converting them to hotels from other use types.
Revolutionizing Hospitality for the Future
Cooper Carry’s continued recognition as a global hospitality design firm is a direct result of the firm’s desire to
push the practice to the forefront of the industry. Advances
in technology and changing market demographics are
influencing many aspects of the built environment, and the
hospitality industry is seeking to
understand these
changes. Most hotel
companies are willing to depart from
their past brand
standards, at least
in part, to embrace
new ideas. Often
this is accomplished
by creating new
brands that allow
the companies to
experiment without
damaging an existing brand. Marriott
International has
18 brands including Edition, Moxy,
Protea and AC
Hotels which are either new or acquired brands that have
been created to meet the needs of specific travelers. Each
of these brands offers differing amenities, levels of luxury,
costs and locations targeted to expand their reach. Some
incorporate higher levels of technology or sustainability,
while some provide especially comfortable and interactive
public spaces.
It’s easy to see how other travel industries, such as the
airline industry, seem far ahead in their incorporation of
technology. From a smart device, a customer can book
flights, confirm flight status, check-in and even select a
seat. From a hotel perspective, how do you respond to
the two-day guest that decides at the last minute to stay
another night? The room may have been selected by
another user for that same night. So which guest is the
management going to offend? The issues may be different
between these two travel industries but the desire of the
smart device user is the same.
Many hotels are re-evaluating guests’ preferences within
their properties. This is not only being driven by a new
younger generation of travelers, but also by a generation
that is well into the life transition of retirement. The luxury market which includes The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons
and St. Regis, is consistently pacing above the national
averages in occupancy and room rates (RevPar, or revenue
per available room). This is spurred largely by a growing
generation of baby
boomers who have
more time to travel
and want to stay in
luxury properties.
More and more
travelers select
hotels based on the
lifestyle experience offered by the
property. These
boutique hotels
have some industry professionals
perplexed, as the
definition of “boutique” seems to be
ever-changing. One
web site describes
a boutique hotel as
a hotel with between 10 and 100 rooms with intimate settings. As the popularity of boutique hotels grows, hoteliers
are pushing the limits on size in order to provide a certain
attitude or experience. Cooper Carry is currently designing an Autograph by Marriott hotel in Alpharetta, Georgia.
This project is a 300-key hotel and conference center. Avalon is a mixed-used development and is described in part as
a place to “be,” infusing resort–level hospitality throughout
a walkable, seamlessly connected community.
While it is difficult to look too far into the future, suffice
it to say that hoteliers and design professionals are paying close attention to what motivates the guest and what
expectations the guest might have. This shift contrasts
with the long held position by some hoteliers that the look
and feel of the hotel need to be the same everywhere.
The notion that a hotel should be founded in location and
context is a principle that has long been practiced at Cooper Carry. As we look to the future, an idea-based design
process guided by clear design principles shapes and molds
our work to transform cities, communities and the experience of the individual traveler.
H O S P I T A L I T Y
H O S P I T A L I T Y
P R I N C I P A L S
At Cooper Carry Hospitality, we view our primary design role to be
that of placemakers. This holistic approach addresses not just the buildings we design, but the spaces within and between them. From large urban convention centers to resort developments, our Hospitality practice
is dedicated to applying these beliefs to the creation of unique, quality
accommodations for the body, the mind and the spirit.
Cooper Carry brings an understanding of all of the elements and building types
that make up a community, how to fuse them together to create a sense of place, and
maximize the value of your investment. Cooper Carry was recently ranked
#2 in the Top 5 Hotel Design Firms by Architectural Record.
The Hospitality group specializes in the design of ground-up full
service hotels, conference and convention centers, convention hotels,
luxury resorts and spas.
We start each project with the question: How do we contribute to this
place in a meaningful way? From there, we work with our clients in a
collective search for the appropriate answers.
We also recognize that great projects consist of more than just great
design. Hospitality is a business, and we strive to provide every client
with the ability to meet their functional and financial goals, as well as
their aesthetic ones. Over one hundred completed or current projects –
Including 25,000 guest rooms and well over one million square feet of
meeting space – attest to our ability to achieve these goals.
Through our Atlanta, New York and Washington, D.C. offices, we
have been privileged to provide design services to many of the nation’s
most prominent clients, including public/private ventures, public-sector
agencies, universities, corporations and developers. Our work with
these clients has resulted in the creation of buildings and spaces that are
enjoyed by the people that use and inhabit them, and are recognized by
others as being worthy of praise. Indeed, Cooper Carry has received
over 150 design awards - Including 20 awards from the American Institute of Architects – that recognize the achievements of our projects.
We look forward to the opportunity to help you achieve your goals.
Pope Bullock
C. Robert Neal
Keith Simmel
Cooper Carry Hospitality is committed to
creating unforgettable guest experiences. The Hospitality
Studio’s seasoned leadership and innovative creative process
consistently produce beautiful, thoughtful, and considered
hotels that celebrate the communities in which they live. The
Hospitality Studio specializes in the design of hotels, resorts,
executive education facilities and conference and convention centers. With a deep knowledge of hotel operational
Robert Uhrin
Ben Wauford
efficiencies and a portfolio of innovative design solutions, the
practice emphasizes that the spaces between buildings, the
energy of the street and sense of place are pivotal elements
of the hospitality experience. The studio also studies the
contextual relationship of a facility to its surroundings and
searches for solutions that deliver a seamless and memorable
guest experience--inside and out.
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