For design aficionados and hotel devotees alike, these leading hotel lifestyle brands offer far more than the traditional bar of soap
Long gone are the days where hotels were considered merely a place to sleep, with co-working spaces, destination restaurants, gallery-worthy art and rooftop bars now all par for the course. Increasingly, many are adding concept stores to the list, alongside branded products that allow customers to take a piece of the hotel home.
In London’s Aldgate, Buckle Street Studios By Locke sells curated crafts, clothes and homeware by local makers, a template mirrored at Innes in Accord, near the Catskills, and across The Hoxton portfolio. And it stands to reason that a beautifully designed and well considered hotel brand should have a product line to match, whether that’s a keepsake candle, a tote bag or a collection of bathroom products.
Below are some of the best hotel lifestyle brands for an alternative gift this holiday season.
From top left: The Candle, $120; Siren key chain, $12; Siren cap, $40; Ulysses tote, $50; Volcano Ash Tray, $65; Art Egyptian Glass, from $40
Ash
Ash is the New York-based multidisciplinary studio, property firm and hotelier behind design-rich boutique stays including Hotel Peter & Paul in New Orleans, The Siren in Detroit and Ulysses in Baltimore. Each hotel has an onsite concept store, where you’ll find a covetable selection of wares including branded robes, playing cards, tote bags, toiletries and umbrellas, which reflect various custom touch points throughout its properties. The online Souvenirs shop brings everything together, alongside a tableware range of ornate cutlery, glasses and twisted candlesticks handmade in Italy. “Souvenirs introduces the Ash point of view on new classics and collectible heirlooms, made and sourced from the hospitality worlds we create,” summarises Xavier Donnelly, creative director of Ash.
Ash Souvenirs ships throughout the US, ash.world
From top left: Logo toweling cap in stone, £189; silk foulard in orange, £353, leather charm and card holder set, £763; North South Tote, £3,538; Essential Yoga Set, £188
Aman
Brand loyalists, or Aman Junkies as they are affectionately known, rejoiced this December when the rarified hotel group launched its inaugural Aman Interiors line at Miami Design Week, including a limited-edition furniture collection designed by Japanese architect and Aman collaborator Kengo Kuma, handcrafted in oak and marble.
Aman Interiors joins the Aman Essentials range, which includes home fragrance, skincare and leather accessories, made by artisans in France and Italy. “It comprises several collections which together offer a holistic Aman lifestyle,” says Kristina Romanova, CEO of Aman Essentials. “I think of this as a collection of elevated everyday items which are timeless, classic and elegant.”
Aman is considered a byword for quiet luxury and its thoughtful and luxurious product line is an extension of its resorts. Akin to its hotels, each piece has the power to instil calm – whether its lighting a Grounding Spa Candle with top notes of ginger and jasmine, slipping your passport into a pebbled leather holder, or stretching out with an Aman yoga set, crafted from eco-conscious cork.
Aman essentials ships worldwide, shop.aman.com
From top left: Orange Lost and Found cushion by Kit Kemp x Christopher Farr, £135; Pink Peace & Love Cushion by Kit Kemp x Christopher Farr, £125; Tall trees Oval Platter, £160; Mythical Teacup & Saucer Set, £75; RikRik candle, £38
Shop Kit Kemp by Firmdale
Kit Kemp is the design tour de force behind the Firmdale Hotels brand, which includes Ham Yard Hotel in London and The Whitney Hotel in New York, among many others. Shop Kit Kemp sells a selection of high-end lifestyle products found in the hotel’s suites, including whimsical hand-painted ceramics created in collaboration with Wedgwood, table linens, RikRak toiletries and cushions made from appliqué fabrics found throughout Kemp’s hotels.
Shop Kit Kemp ships worldwide, firmdalehotels.com/shop-kit-kemp
Hox Shop
Every Hoxton hotel – which is a rapidly growing list following new openings in Amsterdam, Brussels and Berlin – has its own Hox Shop, a pocket-sized boutique curated with local wares, such as candles, ceramics, T-shirts and cushions. “We like to bring the best of the outside in and support and showcase the artisans and producers in our neighbourhoods,” comments Olivia Tucker, brand director for The Hoxton in North America. “This includes limited-edition pieces created with our favourite local brands. We love for our guests to take a bit of the Hox home with them.”
While these products are only available to buy in select Hoxton hotels, the popular Blank bathroom collection can be purchased online. Beautifully scented toiletries, spanning handwash, hand cream, shampoo and conditioner, are paraben and sulphate-free, and packaged in sleek black and white recyclable hand pump bottles.
The Hoxton ships within the UK, shop.thehoxton.com
From top left: New York sweatshirt, $108; Private Hours candle, $44; Planet Standard Astrology Deck, $50; Lip Shape Pillow by Alex Proba, $285; “More Ibiza” tote bag by More Joy, $68; The Standard x Daniel Arsham short sleeve T-shirt, $90.00
Shop The Standard
The Standard’s retail offering reflects the group’s bold and irreverent style, spanning an extensive range of homeware and comfy cotton clothing, as well as hotel bed linen, towels and Davines bathroom products. The hotel group’s inimitable logo is emblazoned on hoodies, sweatshirts, hats, socks and tees, while the Private Hours candle smells as dark and seductive as it looks.
The Standard runs regular collaborations with design talent including American artist Daniel Arsham, design studio Alex Proba, More Joy by Christopher Kane and Áwet New York, which has put its name to a co-branded hoodie. “Our brand has always been invested in giving our customers more than just a typical hotel stay,” says Amber Asher, CEO of Standard International. “We strongly believe in offering fully immersive experiences and our retail selection is an extension of that.”
The Standard ships worldwide, shopthestandard.com
From top left: Signed print by artist Kim Sielbeck, £73; Friends Everywhere cap, £33; Ace Hotel Portland crew neck, £126; Record tote bag, £207, Ace Hotel New York bandana, $17
Ace Hotel
Ace Hotel was at the vanguard of the lifestyle hotel brand movement and remains one of the best examples of branded product curation. Its retail offering mirrors the group’s design-centric hotels and features products that can be found throughout its global portfolio. Pick up milk glass mugs from Ace Brooklyn; kimono-style custom bathrobes from Ace Kyoto, and prints by artist Kim Sielbeck inspired by Ace Hotel’s Palm Springs outpost. There are also graphic hoodies, tees, tote bags and caps that reference Los Angeles, New Orleans, Toronto and Sydney, to name a few.
Ace Hotel ships worldwide, shop.acehotel.com
