© Harmo Design / Photography: He Chuan

As a rapidly maturing consumer market, China has not only seen massive diversification, but also a steep increase of brands, particularly homegrown ones. This trend has also manifested in the country’s fast-evolving hospitality scene, and in booming first-tier cities such as Chengdu, it has resulted in continuous wave of new lodgings in different categories. The recent opening of the newest outpost of SFEEL Designer Hotel, a local boutique chain, is indicative of this trend. Situated a stone’s throw away from Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li, the city’s leading luxury shopping centre, it occupies 1,600 sqm. (17,222 sq.ft.) on the third floor of a modern building and features an interior design by HARMO Design. On the ground floor, guests find the hotel’s entrance in the form of a shiny metal-clad elevator hall adorned by whimsical graphic design, and hints the chosen design codes of the entire premises.

The lobby unfolds as a lofty yet understated corridor captured by a palette that juxtaposes raw concrete with metal and other modern materials, and LED ceilings and skylights. Totally geared towards modern travellers, the lobby features a contactless self-service check-in area, in addition to a coffee lounge and an aroma therapy gift shop. The guest rooms at SFEEL Designer Hotel come in six categories, five sizes, and different settings. A number of rooms are flanked by a lush inner courtyard, and the interior settings quite poetically emphasise the dialogue between the courtyard scenery and the indoor space. Through the window frame, the outdoor landscape is introduced into the interior after being sorted and collected by that very frame view. Consequently, when this frame view is seen from the inside, it shields the buildings at the far end, making people more focused on the peace brought by the green landscape.

The room setting features a palette of warm wood and light green tones. The design is as such that the outdoor terrace is divided into two gardens—a big public garden facing the street, and a smaller equivalent which flanks the guest rooms. A large section of the garden floor is paved with black stone, and indoors, black floor tiles form a continuation. At 55 sqm. (592 sq.ft.), the Garden Tangchi Queen Room is the largest, and comes with a large double bed, an LCD TV with satellite channels and movie service, complimentary WiFi, a balcony with garden view and a slew of other perks. As for the interior design, the interior walls are simply white and intentionally empty to offer a relaxed, soothing backdrop. Furnishings are few, simple and understated, and also contribute to this sense of calmness. The bathroom is fitted out with a tub and comes with a wide range of complimentary toiletries.

SFEEL Designer Hotel
59 Dong’an Nan Lu, Third Floor (Jinjiang)
610056 Chengdu

© Harmo Design / Photography: He Chuan