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今年5月在纽约和朋友们相聚，住进3月18日刚开业的位于West 53街的巴卡拉水晶酒店（Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York）。“水晶”原本不在酒店名字之中，但加上这俩字事出有因。巴卡拉是十八世纪末源自法国，近百年来在纽约颇得发迹的著名水晶奢饰品牌，最出名的产品是在西方富人圈家喻户晓的巴卡拉水晶杯和枝型水晶吊灯。在纽约巴卡拉酒店的建筑外墙上和室内装饰中，水晶墙、水晶窗、水晶灯、水晶饰品陈设比比皆是，白天坐在二层的“大沙龙”（Grand Salon）咖啡厅里，落地大窗布满的菱形水晶棒折射出不规律炫动的彩虹光，直射到客人和服务员的脸上身上，以及沙发家具上，看上去令人兴奋而迷惑。“水晶酒店”，名副其实。
In May this year， I met with some friends in New York and was admitted to Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York on West 53rd Street， which just opened on March 18 this year. There is a story behind the name Baccarat. Baccarat is a storied luxury brand whose artisans have produced custom designs since King Louis XV founded the company in 1764. Baccarat has created the most exquisite crystal products， such as crystal cups and chandeliers， for the world’s most discriminating figures. In the Baccarat hotel， whether on the building’s exterior or interior decoration， crystal is everywhere： crystal walls， crystal windows， crystal lamps and crystal ornaments. On the second floor in the "Grand Salon" cafe， the French windows are covered with diamondshaped crystals， which reflect shimmering light onto the faces of the guests and staff， and furniture too. All is bright and overwhelming.
顶级名店=名牌+名址+明星
Top Hotel = Brand +Address + Stars
纽约曼哈顿有十几条“大道”（Avenue），都是南北贯通的交通命脉，而称为“街”（Street）的都是东西穿行的横街，在最热闹的第五大道和第六大道之间，夹着一段West 53街，这是最金贵的地方。因为这里有个世界闻名的纽约现代艺术博物馆，就是大名鼎鼎的MOMA（Museum Of Modern Art），每天，来自世界各地的艺术界、设计界学子和文化旅者趋之若鹜，在购票大厅排成壮观的长龙。现在，喜达屋资本集团（Starwood Capital Group）就在MOMA大门的正对面建了这个50层高超豪华的巴卡拉酒店和公寓，给这条艺术殿堂般的街道添加了一丝奢华神秘的味道。
喜达屋资本集团一直追求“名店”，1960年出生的巴里·斯特里克先生（Barry Sternlicht，喜达屋集团创始人，总裁兼CEO）从上世纪末创立W酒店品牌开始就没放弃再次打造顶级概念酒店的追求，光靠瑞吉、威斯汀、喜来登这些不同年龄不同长相的熟面孔占领世界虽说成绩斐然，但总是不够刺激。这回好了，在自己家门口再攒一个“顶级混搭”——名址+名牌+明星：纽约曼哈顿的最佳位置、巴卡拉的百年水晶品牌、SOM的建筑设计大师、纽约顶尖设计师托尼·英格劳和斯蒂芬·希尔斯（承担了公寓和一层法餐厅室内设计），加上这些年正从纽约红起来的法国新锐室内设计师吉尔斯和布希耶夫妇（Gilles & Boissier，承担了酒店室内设计和家具设计）。这些明星设计师被巴里先生请到一起来组装这个拥有114间客房，61间公寓单元的都市建筑，“水晶酒店”想不出名都难了。顶级名店，于是实至名归。
Tere are dozens of north-south bound"Avenues" in Manhatan， divided by east-west bound "Streets". Streets are named afer Arabic numbers， there are more than 100 Streets from south to north. Among the most popular Fifh Avenue and Sixth Avenue， tucked the most extravagant West 53rd Street. Because there lies the world-renowned MOMA （Museum Of Modern Art， New York）. Each day， students of art and design and travelers from around the world fock to buy tickets， forming a spectacular queue. Now， Starwood Capital Group built this 50-storey ultra-luxurious Baccarat hotel and residences opposite the MOMA， adding a mysterious taste of luxury to this street of art. Starwood Capital Group has always been pursuing the "brand". Since the creation of the W Hotels brand at the end of last century， Barry Sternlicht （founder， president and CEO of Starwood） never gave up the pursuit of creating top hotel brands. Tough St. Regis， Westin and Sheraton cover guests of diferent ages， somehow， this is not stimulating enough. Well， this time， he has created a "Supreme-mashup"， using top name + address + designer + star！ Te location at the heart of Manhatan， a century-old Baccarat crystal brand， the SOM architectural design master， top New York designer Tony Ingrao and Stephen Sills， and French design duo Gilles & Boissier， all these crafed the 114 sensationally appointed guest rooms and suites. Te hotel does live up to its glorious name！
“内行”的精明
The Way of the "Expert"
和喜达屋集团在亚洲和中国只输出酒店品牌管理不同，巴卡拉酒店和公寓是喜达屋资本自己作为主要股东投资的。就像1998年巴里·斯特里克策划开业第一家纽约W酒店，自己投资自己做。可是，尽管W在亚洲正方兴未艾，Life Style深入人心，在美国，却已燃褪时尚有了速老的迹象。巴里先生不能允许品牌影响力式微，不能失去市场话题的主导，于是还在纽约，还在家门口，另辟蹊径。
我确实喜欢研究一个好的酒店怎样才能建得好，长得好，过得好，而且还能越活越好？看看世界上这些优秀酒店集团和酒店品牌成长和运作的历史，再看看这一个个的模范实例，个中微妙虽层层叠叠但逻辑规律清楚，只要你选对地方，选对合作的人，选对自己的计划，再加上丰富的经验、冷静的头脑、超好的人缘、能说会道的宣传本领、顽强的执行力和耐久而旺盛的精力……好吧，尽管看上去不易，但每盘棋总有输赢。赢家，必定都肯拼，而且都是内行。
酒店投资，拼的事不能强求，但让我们虚心求教努力学习，至少尽快成为内行，成为有国际视野的内行，精明的内行。
Starwood only ofers hotel management in China and Asia， but this time they invest and become one of the major shareholders， just like back in 1998 when Barry planned on opening the frst W Hotel New York and invested in his own project. Although W Hotels is still hotly sought afer in Asia， the brand has showed signs of decline in the United States. Not allowing the brand’ s infuence to dwindle， Barry has chosen to act on his new idea right here at home in New York！
I truly enjoy studying a good hotel， observing its foundation， growth and management. Drawing from the experiences of these outstanding hotel brands， I found that， as long as you choose the right location， right partner， right project， accompanied by experience， a clear mind and great networking， excellent publicity skills， tenacious execution and durable and strong eforts… Of course， it does not seem easy， but there are always winners and losers in each game， and all of them are experts！
Hotel investment cannot be forced， but at least let us ask and learn and aspire to become experts with international vision as soon as possible.
巴卡拉公寓就在巴卡拉酒店的上边，同一栋建筑分开两组竖向交通，酒店在下，公寓在上，临街有两组大门，各走各的。公寓是项目的造币机，2013年3月就开始预售了，每平方英尺平均售价约三千至四千美元，也就是每平方米平均售价约三万多美元，小的大约1000平方英尺一套，三百多万美元，最大的一套7400平尺（约687平米）的售价达到六千万美元，还要另外加上每年百分之六左右的税费和管理费，就这样居然已被抢空。现在能卖的少数几个单元已是中介公司的二手房，价格也已经涨了，当时的销售收入可想而知。巴里先生的喜达屋资本集团熟悉资本游戏，凭着纽约得天独厚的市场号召力，凭着W53街+MOMA对门的黄金地段，股票市场收益和楼花销售的收入，加上适当的融资，钱自然不是问题。于是，一个世界-顶级-都市-奢华-名酒店梦想成真。 Baccarat Residences are located above the Baccarat Hotel， in the same building with separate trafc and front doors. In this project， the residences lay the golden eggs. Te pre-sale began in March 2013 and the average price was about US$3，000-4，000 per square foot， meaning the average price per square meter is more than US$30，000. Te small set of 1，000 square feet cost more than US$3 million； and the largest set of 7，400 square feet （about 687 square meters） reached US$60 million， excluding 6% tax and management fees per year. And now， All sold out！ Now the sales said， only a few second-hand units are available and the price has already upped tremendously. Barry’s Starwood Capital Group Capital is familiar with the game， with the unique appeal of the New York market， the prime location of W53 Street + MOMA， stock market returns and appropriate fnancing； Money is never the problem here. Tus， a world-class luxury hotel brand is born and dreams do come true.
酒店设计美学
The Art of Design
住在纽约巴卡拉酒店客房里，由于楼层较低，窗外被群峰般的曼哈顿建筑森林包围，所谓城市景观，不观也罢。比起高高在上可以俯瞰纽约的那些公寓房间来说，按说下面这几层的酒店应该有点不爽。可为什么巴卡拉酒店刚一开门就门庭若市？为什么刚开业就600多美元一晚的房价，还居然客满？
这就不能不谈“设计美学表演”对酒店的奇特作用了。就建筑设计而言，在纽约，几乎所有现代建筑的摩天大厦都只能供人们远距离欣赏，因为走到近前你反而会对这些看惯了的玻璃大门毫无印象，除非，这建筑真有个独特的大门口。
而巴卡拉酒店入口的“全黑”设计，尤其是有点洋洋得意向上翘起的那三个“黑帽檐”，以其前所未有的形式感和性格特征，给人造成快速而新奇的视觉冲击，使客人瞬间产生强烈的印象，这一笔，应该是SOM建筑师和业主的共同功劳吧。我相信，巴里先生和他的团队对酒店创新的热情可能一点不比设计师少。
当代设计美学（Contemporary Design Aesthetics），包含了对古典美学的信仰，对现代艺术的热爱，对时代科技的关注，以及对人性关怀的尊重。在酒店室内设计中，具有这方面强烈认知和学习精神的人，具有这方面较多修养和生活工作在现代文化信息环境中的人，都有可能成为非常好的设计师，来自法国的年轻设计师吉尔斯和布希耶夫妇就是这样的人。在酒店二层的公共区域，以及在客房的设计中，我看到他们的追求，他们的理念，以及他们的章法和分寸，当然也有些小小的补丁，但瑕不掩瑜。仔细读来，巴卡拉水晶酒店是反映当前“纽约派”室内设计风格的代表作之一，或者说，是现代酒店设计中所谓低调奢华风格的一个最新的、典型的样本。
住在客房里，即使外面的大楼遮天蔽日，里面的精美小世界也足够让人养眼了。养眼，是设计美学对人心境的捉弄和抚慰；也是孕育酒店客人忠诚度的最重要配方之一。
在巴卡拉酒店，“暗”与“亮”的对冲和互衬可能是室内设计师最早拿定的主意。
走进酒店高大的黑色大门，不足百十平米的小大堂和电梯厅是一个更暗的空间，为了展现“水晶主题”，设计师在这里制造了四面全暗的背景，然后在天花正中间高高悬挂了几组经典的巴卡拉枝型水晶吊灯，又在北侧墙面上用800多个货真价实的巴卡拉水晶杯组装了一面LED电脑灯光秀的艺术橱窗！这种“一进门的惊喜”给每个初到酒店的客人留下了快乐而有趣的好感，甚至产生内由心生的赞美。
在第一时间获得客人发自内心的赞美，是任何优秀酒店在前门和大堂的设计中必做的功课。而把客人的这种视觉好感和兴奋情绪稳稳地延续到电梯轿厢里、客房走廊里，直到进入房间后引发再一次更意外的视觉惊喜，造成新的“眼前一亮”！这是一条宝贵的“宾客心理引导线”，走完这条线，客人的心应该已经被酒店征服了，而前后需要的时间可能不足十五分钟！巴卡拉酒店的法国室内设计师，虽然年龄不大，却似深谙此道。
I lived on a lower floor so I felt the hotel surrounded by Manhattan buildings. I didn’ t have the so-called City View. Compared to the higher apartments， the guests should be complaining. Why are the rooms of more than US$600 dollars a night still fully booked？ We cannot carry on without talking about the design aesthetics of the hotel， especially those that specifically focus on "design aesthetic performance" to win the market.
On architectural design， in New York， almost all modern skyscrapers are designed for people to view from a distance， because once you go near one， you won’ t be impressed by its glass front door unless it really has a unique entrance.
However， the Baccarat does have a striking all-black fa？ade， with each of three doorways capped with long black brims. Curious and Fresh—an instant eye-catcher！ Perhaps we should thank the SOM （Skidmore， Owings & Merrill） architects and the owner. I believe Mr. Barry has no less zeal than any designers！
The contemporary design aesthetics contains the faith in classical aesthetics， love of modern art， attention to the latest technologies， as well as respect for mankind. In the field of hotel interior design， if one has such strong aesthetics sense and learning spirit and many years of experience， then he is likely to become an excellent designer. The young designer couple from France， Gilles & Boissier， is a good example. In the public areas on the second floor of the hotel， especially in the design of the hotel rooms， I saw their quests， their ideas and their discipline and propriety， of course， there are imperfections. However， they have truly reflected the current "New York School" of interior design and the latest socalled low-key luxury.
Living in the room， though other buildings blocked the views， yet the exquisite little world inside is seductive enough to keep you occupied. Seductive is a quality of design aesthetics that soothes and teases the human mind； and it is also one of the most important formula to cultivate the loyalty of hotel guests.
In Baccarat Hotel， the positioning of"dark" and "light" was probably the earliest decided idea of the designer. After the black doors， one comes to the lobby and elevator hall of a little less than 100 square meters， and enters into an even darker space， in order to set off the "Crystal Theme". The designer has set up a all-black background in the hall， then in the middle of the ceiling hung several classic Baccarat crystal chandeliers. Moreover， on the north side wall， over 800 Baccarat crystal glasses were used to compose an art window of LED light shows！ The Baccarat experience is certainly nothing but stunning and dazzling！ Any decent hotel would do its homework on the front door and lobby design， since these give the first imperssion. Then the visual excitement of the guests will extend all the way to the elevator， hallway until it climaxes upon entering the room. This is a valuable"psychological route"， and by the end of this short route， which takes possibly no more than 15 minutes， the hotel should have conquered the hearts of the guests！ The French interior designer of Baccarat Hotels， though not old in age， have understood this well.
“黑暗”的玄机
The Mystery of the "Dark"
客人乘坐幽暗的以古铜雕刻和北美胡桃木装饰的电梯轿厢，到达二楼一个精巧别致的Hotel Lobby，这里是酒店的前台空间，很小。四周是简洁素雅的、深褐色的、从顶到地的古典木浮雕花饰墙面和黑色金属框落地大玻璃窗隔断，在水晶吊灯的映射下，一实一虚相得益彰，但还是挺暗的。
为什么如此吝啬光亮呢？我想大概因为酒店并不希望客人在这个紧张局促的公共空间里滞留太久。巴卡拉水晶酒店在纽约寸土寸金地块上获得的建筑面积实在有限，这么小的前厅和前台空间当然最怕拥挤，而设计美学早就证明黑褐色和深灰色幽暗的色调最能在流动空间中发挥快速疏散的功效，这对巴卡拉酒店实在太适用了。重要的是，设计师吉尔斯和布希耶懂得如何给拥挤的空间添加“美”的营养，他们用古典优雅的浮雕花饰和不锈钢线条的精致修饰为幽暗的Lobby增添了不少美学价值，这就成功缓解了暗的压力，反而成为“暗香”。
人，在潜意识中最想离开的就是黑暗，最不想离开的就是明亮。于是，当代优秀的酒店室内设计师常常选择“幽暗”用于客人的流动空间：前厅、电梯、客房走廊......，为了尽快疏散人流；同时坚决选择“明亮”用于客人的停留空间，这些停留空间，大都是为酒店直接创造收益的所在：咖啡厅、餐厅和客房......在这些空间里，客人停留越久酒店收入越多。巴卡拉水晶酒店的室内设计，几乎把这个“此明彼暗”的手法用尽了。
Riding in the dark elevator decorated with bronze sculpture and North America walnut， the guests reach the chic hotel lobby on the second floor， a very small front desk space. Surrounded by dark brown classical wooden walls， simple yet elegant， and partitioned by the French windows framed by black metal. Lit by the crystal chandeliers， though still quite dark， the darkness and light truly complement each other.
Why are they so careful about the use of bright light？ I think probably because the hotel does not want the guests to linger in this intensely cramped public space. The construction area of the Baccarat Hotel in New York is limited for its expensive land cost， and the dark black and brown space has proved to be effective in the evacuation of people， which is just what Baccarat needs. However， by using exquisite classical floral embossed decorations and lines of stainless steel， designer Gilles & Boissier have added "beauty" to this crowded space. Not only did they successfully eased the pressure caused by the dark， it actually attached a special "fragrance".
Subconsciously， people long to leave the dark， and stay with the light， so the excellent contemporary hotel interior designers often choose the "dark" for the flowing space： lobby， elevators， hallways ... in order to evacuate the crowd as soon as possible； at the same time they resolutely select "light" for the guest staying space， which mostly and directly generate the revenue： a café， a restaurant and rooms ... in these spaces， the longer the guests stay， the more revenue it generates. The interior design of the Baccarat Hotel has certainly put this method to full use.
百变大沙龙
A Wild Grand Salon 酒店二楼的大沙龙（Grand Salon）是客人主要的聚会餐饮场所，所以立即高大敞亮起来，天花足有8米以上的高度，华贵灿烂的巴卡拉水晶吊灯垂吊而下，一排排高大的不锈钢玻璃展示柜里陈设着晶莹剔透的水晶艺术品，临街的大窗被近两千条多棱水晶棒铺满，透过阳光，整个大厅里炫光闪烁，诱人心动。
这个大沙龙，白天是零点早餐厅和咖啡厅，晚上就是一个大酒吧。夜幕降临后，酒店设计美学再次通过酒吧灯光设计的演绎显示了自己独特的魅力，纽约的名人和他们远道而来的朋友在此频频举杯，黑人演奏家精彩的爵士乐钢琴演奏和男女宾客们散发的香水味道深度融合，在这个高大神秘的空间里弥漫飘荡，让人久久不舍离去......
Te Grand Salon on the second foor， fully lit-up with a ceiling of more than eight meters in height， is the hotel’s main gathering place for dining. In it are luxurious and splendid Baccarat crystal chandeliers hanging down， rows of tall stainless steel glass cabinets displaying works of art made of sparkling crystal， and large windows facing the street covered with nearly 2，000 pieces of polygonal crystal rods. When the shimmering glares fashing across the hall through sunlight any heart is tempted.
Te Grand Salon， the day is zero early restaurants and cafes， the night is a big bar. Afer nightfall， the hotel re-design aesthetic interpretation by bars lighting design shows its own unique charm， New York celebrities and their friends from afar toast， black jazz piano virtuoso wonderful men and women guests perfume smell depth of integration， in this big space flled with mysterious foating， make people reluctant to leave ...
有“嚼头”的客房
Rooms of Substance
巴卡拉酒店的客房，作为客人停留时间最长的私人空间，当然被设计为最明亮的地方。超亮的白色石材地面和卫生间环境（卧室是木地板），白色混油亮光漆的木饰面墙和大面积的镜面几乎统治了卧室的所有墙面，而可移动家具则都由极深的木色饰面完成，大多采用深色亮光漆，强烈的色调对比为整个房间提神醒脑。
装饰品，除了引人注目的水晶吊灯和壁灯，就是各种黑色和大红色的服务纸品，以及i-phone提供的巴卡拉客房专用室内智能控制器，这个玩意的外形是一本厚厚的红书，书中被挖开一个方口，里面藏着这个精致的黑色控制器，我玩了一会就发现功能甚为强大：开关照明和窗帘，调节室内亮度模式，点播电视和电影节目，呼叫所有电话，浏览自己的酒店账单和邮件，以及听音乐看新闻，甚至付款买单......客房设计中的细节还有很多，无法尽述，但“亮光白”墙地面做舞台背景，“深褐黑”家具做台前演员的戏路子已经可以看的清清楚楚。
As the private space of the longest stay for the guest， Baccarat Hotel rooms， of course， are designed to be the brightest places. The in-room and bathroom environments are covered with super bright white stone flooring， （wooden floor in bedroom） and decorated with white glossy wooden walls and large areas of mirrors， while the movable furniture used deep varnished wood color， adding a strong tone of refreshing contrast to the entire room. In addition to striking crystal chandeliers and wall lamps， the most attractive decoration is a variety of black and red stationery， as well as an intelligent room controller designed by iPhone. It is a thick red book， dug inside with a square opening， where an exquisite black controller hides. After playing for a while， I found it has very powerful functions： lighting adjustment， blinds switch， room brightness adjustment， on-demand TV and movies， all phone calls， browsing hotel bills and mails， as well as music listening and news watching， and even making payments ... so many design details that cannot be enumerated. With walls of"white light" as the stage background， and the "Sepia black" furniture as the actors， the strategy of this beautiful room is quite clear.
暗与亮的对冲和比较，是现代设计美学应用于现代酒店空间氛围营造的重要手法之一，也与酒店管理与经营者关注的经济收益紧密相关。如果你发现哪个设计师把暗和亮的位置放颠倒了，比如让人流动的走廊很亮，让人停留的房间很暗，就要赶快纠正。
Te positioning of dark and light is an important aesthetic technique in modern hotel atmospheric design， and is also closely related to the economic benefts concerned by the hotel management operators. If a designer has misplaced the position of dark and light， such as bright corridors and dark rooms， it must quickly be corrected.
现代酒店设计，要运用设计美学，要接触现代科技，还要关怀人性需求。很多酒店已经做得很好，纽约巴卡拉水晶酒店算是更好的一个。
To excel in modern hotel design requires the mastery of modern design aesthetics， contact with modern technology， and great care about human needs. Many hotels have already done a good job， but Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York has simply done beter.
In May this year， I met with some friends in New York and was admitted to Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York on West 53rd Street， which just opened on March 18 this year. There is a story behind the name Baccarat. Baccarat is a storied luxury brand whose artisans have produced custom designs since King Louis XV founded the company in 1764. Baccarat has created the most exquisite crystal products， such as crystal cups and chandeliers， for the world’s most discriminating figures. In the Baccarat hotel， whether on the building’s exterior or interior decoration， crystal is everywhere： crystal walls， crystal windows， crystal lamps and crystal ornaments. On the second floor in the "Grand Salon" cafe， the French windows are covered with diamondshaped crystals， which reflect shimmering light onto the faces of the guests and staff， and furniture too. All is bright and overwhelming.
顶级名店=名牌+名址+明星
Top Hotel = Brand +Address + Stars
纽约曼哈顿有十几条“大道”（Avenue），都是南北贯通的交通命脉，而称为“街”（Street）的都是东西穿行的横街，在最热闹的第五大道和第六大道之间，夹着一段West 53街，这是最金贵的地方。因为这里有个世界闻名的纽约现代艺术博物馆，就是大名鼎鼎的MOMA（Museum Of Modern Art），每天，来自世界各地的艺术界、设计界学子和文化旅者趋之若鹜，在购票大厅排成壮观的长龙。现在，喜达屋资本集团（Starwood Capital Group）就在MOMA大门的正对面建了这个50层高超豪华的巴卡拉酒店和公寓，给这条艺术殿堂般的街道添加了一丝奢华神秘的味道。
喜达屋资本集团一直追求“名店”，1960年出生的巴里·斯特里克先生（Barry Sternlicht，喜达屋集团创始人，总裁兼CEO）从上世纪末创立W酒店品牌开始就没放弃再次打造顶级概念酒店的追求，光靠瑞吉、威斯汀、喜来登这些不同年龄不同长相的熟面孔占领世界虽说成绩斐然，但总是不够刺激。这回好了，在自己家门口再攒一个“顶级混搭”——名址+名牌+明星：纽约曼哈顿的最佳位置、巴卡拉的百年水晶品牌、SOM的建筑设计大师、纽约顶尖设计师托尼·英格劳和斯蒂芬·希尔斯（承担了公寓和一层法餐厅室内设计），加上这些年正从纽约红起来的法国新锐室内设计师吉尔斯和布希耶夫妇（Gilles & Boissier，承担了酒店室内设计和家具设计）。这些明星设计师被巴里先生请到一起来组装这个拥有114间客房，61间公寓单元的都市建筑，“水晶酒店”想不出名都难了。顶级名店，于是实至名归。
Tere are dozens of north-south bound"Avenues" in Manhatan， divided by east-west bound "Streets". Streets are named afer Arabic numbers， there are more than 100 Streets from south to north. Among the most popular Fifh Avenue and Sixth Avenue， tucked the most extravagant West 53rd Street. Because there lies the world-renowned MOMA （Museum Of Modern Art， New York）. Each day， students of art and design and travelers from around the world fock to buy tickets， forming a spectacular queue. Now， Starwood Capital Group built this 50-storey ultra-luxurious Baccarat hotel and residences opposite the MOMA， adding a mysterious taste of luxury to this street of art. Starwood Capital Group has always been pursuing the "brand". Since the creation of the W Hotels brand at the end of last century， Barry Sternlicht （founder， president and CEO of Starwood） never gave up the pursuit of creating top hotel brands. Tough St. Regis， Westin and Sheraton cover guests of diferent ages， somehow， this is not stimulating enough. Well， this time， he has created a "Supreme-mashup"， using top name + address + designer + star！ Te location at the heart of Manhatan， a century-old Baccarat crystal brand， the SOM architectural design master， top New York designer Tony Ingrao and Stephen Sills， and French design duo Gilles & Boissier， all these crafed the 114 sensationally appointed guest rooms and suites. Te hotel does live up to its glorious name！
“内行”的精明
The Way of the "Expert"
和喜达屋集团在亚洲和中国只输出酒店品牌管理不同，巴卡拉酒店和公寓是喜达屋资本自己作为主要股东投资的。就像1998年巴里·斯特里克策划开业第一家纽约W酒店，自己投资自己做。可是，尽管W在亚洲正方兴未艾，Life Style深入人心，在美国，却已燃褪时尚有了速老的迹象。巴里先生不能允许品牌影响力式微，不能失去市场话题的主导，于是还在纽约，还在家门口，另辟蹊径。
我确实喜欢研究一个好的酒店怎样才能建得好，长得好，过得好，而且还能越活越好？看看世界上这些优秀酒店集团和酒店品牌成长和运作的历史，再看看这一个个的模范实例，个中微妙虽层层叠叠但逻辑规律清楚，只要你选对地方，选对合作的人，选对自己的计划，再加上丰富的经验、冷静的头脑、超好的人缘、能说会道的宣传本领、顽强的执行力和耐久而旺盛的精力……好吧，尽管看上去不易，但每盘棋总有输赢。赢家，必定都肯拼，而且都是内行。
酒店投资，拼的事不能强求，但让我们虚心求教努力学习，至少尽快成为内行，成为有国际视野的内行，精明的内行。
Starwood only ofers hotel management in China and Asia， but this time they invest and become one of the major shareholders， just like back in 1998 when Barry planned on opening the frst W Hotel New York and invested in his own project. Although W Hotels is still hotly sought afer in Asia， the brand has showed signs of decline in the United States. Not allowing the brand’ s infuence to dwindle， Barry has chosen to act on his new idea right here at home in New York！
I truly enjoy studying a good hotel， observing its foundation， growth and management. Drawing from the experiences of these outstanding hotel brands， I found that， as long as you choose the right location， right partner， right project， accompanied by experience， a clear mind and great networking， excellent publicity skills， tenacious execution and durable and strong eforts… Of course， it does not seem easy， but there are always winners and losers in each game， and all of them are experts！
Hotel investment cannot be forced， but at least let us ask and learn and aspire to become experts with international vision as soon as possible.
巴卡拉公寓就在巴卡拉酒店的上边，同一栋建筑分开两组竖向交通，酒店在下，公寓在上，临街有两组大门，各走各的。公寓是项目的造币机，2013年3月就开始预售了，每平方英尺平均售价约三千至四千美元，也就是每平方米平均售价约三万多美元，小的大约1000平方英尺一套，三百多万美元，最大的一套7400平尺（约687平米）的售价达到六千万美元，还要另外加上每年百分之六左右的税费和管理费，就这样居然已被抢空。现在能卖的少数几个单元已是中介公司的二手房，价格也已经涨了，当时的销售收入可想而知。巴里先生的喜达屋资本集团熟悉资本游戏，凭着纽约得天独厚的市场号召力，凭着W53街+MOMA对门的黄金地段，股票市场收益和楼花销售的收入，加上适当的融资，钱自然不是问题。于是，一个世界-顶级-都市-奢华-名酒店梦想成真。 Baccarat Residences are located above the Baccarat Hotel， in the same building with separate trafc and front doors. In this project， the residences lay the golden eggs. Te pre-sale began in March 2013 and the average price was about US$3，000-4，000 per square foot， meaning the average price per square meter is more than US$30，000. Te small set of 1，000 square feet cost more than US$3 million； and the largest set of 7，400 square feet （about 687 square meters） reached US$60 million， excluding 6% tax and management fees per year. And now， All sold out！ Now the sales said， only a few second-hand units are available and the price has already upped tremendously. Barry’s Starwood Capital Group Capital is familiar with the game， with the unique appeal of the New York market， the prime location of W53 Street + MOMA， stock market returns and appropriate fnancing； Money is never the problem here. Tus， a world-class luxury hotel brand is born and dreams do come true.
酒店设计美学
The Art of Design
住在纽约巴卡拉酒店客房里，由于楼层较低，窗外被群峰般的曼哈顿建筑森林包围，所谓城市景观，不观也罢。比起高高在上可以俯瞰纽约的那些公寓房间来说，按说下面这几层的酒店应该有点不爽。可为什么巴卡拉酒店刚一开门就门庭若市？为什么刚开业就600多美元一晚的房价，还居然客满？
这就不能不谈“设计美学表演”对酒店的奇特作用了。就建筑设计而言，在纽约，几乎所有现代建筑的摩天大厦都只能供人们远距离欣赏，因为走到近前你反而会对这些看惯了的玻璃大门毫无印象，除非，这建筑真有个独特的大门口。
而巴卡拉酒店入口的“全黑”设计，尤其是有点洋洋得意向上翘起的那三个“黑帽檐”，以其前所未有的形式感和性格特征，给人造成快速而新奇的视觉冲击，使客人瞬间产生强烈的印象，这一笔，应该是SOM建筑师和业主的共同功劳吧。我相信，巴里先生和他的团队对酒店创新的热情可能一点不比设计师少。
当代设计美学（Contemporary Design Aesthetics），包含了对古典美学的信仰，对现代艺术的热爱，对时代科技的关注，以及对人性关怀的尊重。在酒店室内设计中，具有这方面强烈认知和学习精神的人，具有这方面较多修养和生活工作在现代文化信息环境中的人，都有可能成为非常好的设计师，来自法国的年轻设计师吉尔斯和布希耶夫妇就是这样的人。在酒店二层的公共区域，以及在客房的设计中，我看到他们的追求，他们的理念，以及他们的章法和分寸，当然也有些小小的补丁，但瑕不掩瑜。仔细读来，巴卡拉水晶酒店是反映当前“纽约派”室内设计风格的代表作之一，或者说，是现代酒店设计中所谓低调奢华风格的一个最新的、典型的样本。
住在客房里，即使外面的大楼遮天蔽日，里面的精美小世界也足够让人养眼了。养眼，是设计美学对人心境的捉弄和抚慰；也是孕育酒店客人忠诚度的最重要配方之一。
在巴卡拉酒店，“暗”与“亮”的对冲和互衬可能是室内设计师最早拿定的主意。
走进酒店高大的黑色大门，不足百十平米的小大堂和电梯厅是一个更暗的空间，为了展现“水晶主题”，设计师在这里制造了四面全暗的背景，然后在天花正中间高高悬挂了几组经典的巴卡拉枝型水晶吊灯，又在北侧墙面上用800多个货真价实的巴卡拉水晶杯组装了一面LED电脑灯光秀的艺术橱窗！这种“一进门的惊喜”给每个初到酒店的客人留下了快乐而有趣的好感，甚至产生内由心生的赞美。
在第一时间获得客人发自内心的赞美，是任何优秀酒店在前门和大堂的设计中必做的功课。而把客人的这种视觉好感和兴奋情绪稳稳地延续到电梯轿厢里、客房走廊里，直到进入房间后引发再一次更意外的视觉惊喜，造成新的“眼前一亮”！这是一条宝贵的“宾客心理引导线”，走完这条线，客人的心应该已经被酒店征服了，而前后需要的时间可能不足十五分钟！巴卡拉酒店的法国室内设计师，虽然年龄不大，却似深谙此道。
I lived on a lower floor so I felt the hotel surrounded by Manhattan buildings. I didn’ t have the so-called City View. Compared to the higher apartments， the guests should be complaining. Why are the rooms of more than US$600 dollars a night still fully booked？ We cannot carry on without talking about the design aesthetics of the hotel， especially those that specifically focus on "design aesthetic performance" to win the market.
On architectural design， in New York， almost all modern skyscrapers are designed for people to view from a distance， because once you go near one， you won’ t be impressed by its glass front door unless it really has a unique entrance.
However， the Baccarat does have a striking all-black fa？ade， with each of three doorways capped with long black brims. Curious and Fresh—an instant eye-catcher！ Perhaps we should thank the SOM （Skidmore， Owings & Merrill） architects and the owner. I believe Mr. Barry has no less zeal than any designers！
The contemporary design aesthetics contains the faith in classical aesthetics， love of modern art， attention to the latest technologies， as well as respect for mankind. In the field of hotel interior design， if one has such strong aesthetics sense and learning spirit and many years of experience， then he is likely to become an excellent designer. The young designer couple from France， Gilles & Boissier， is a good example. In the public areas on the second floor of the hotel， especially in the design of the hotel rooms， I saw their quests， their ideas and their discipline and propriety， of course， there are imperfections. However， they have truly reflected the current "New York School" of interior design and the latest socalled low-key luxury.
Living in the room， though other buildings blocked the views， yet the exquisite little world inside is seductive enough to keep you occupied. Seductive is a quality of design aesthetics that soothes and teases the human mind； and it is also one of the most important formula to cultivate the loyalty of hotel guests.
In Baccarat Hotel， the positioning of"dark" and "light" was probably the earliest decided idea of the designer. After the black doors， one comes to the lobby and elevator hall of a little less than 100 square meters， and enters into an even darker space， in order to set off the "Crystal Theme". The designer has set up a all-black background in the hall， then in the middle of the ceiling hung several classic Baccarat crystal chandeliers. Moreover， on the north side wall， over 800 Baccarat crystal glasses were used to compose an art window of LED light shows！ The Baccarat experience is certainly nothing but stunning and dazzling！ Any decent hotel would do its homework on the front door and lobby design， since these give the first imperssion. Then the visual excitement of the guests will extend all the way to the elevator， hallway until it climaxes upon entering the room. This is a valuable"psychological route"， and by the end of this short route， which takes possibly no more than 15 minutes， the hotel should have conquered the hearts of the guests！ The French interior designer of Baccarat Hotels， though not old in age， have understood this well.
“黑暗”的玄机
The Mystery of the "Dark"
客人乘坐幽暗的以古铜雕刻和北美胡桃木装饰的电梯轿厢，到达二楼一个精巧别致的Hotel Lobby，这里是酒店的前台空间，很小。四周是简洁素雅的、深褐色的、从顶到地的古典木浮雕花饰墙面和黑色金属框落地大玻璃窗隔断，在水晶吊灯的映射下，一实一虚相得益彰，但还是挺暗的。
为什么如此吝啬光亮呢？我想大概因为酒店并不希望客人在这个紧张局促的公共空间里滞留太久。巴卡拉水晶酒店在纽约寸土寸金地块上获得的建筑面积实在有限，这么小的前厅和前台空间当然最怕拥挤，而设计美学早就证明黑褐色和深灰色幽暗的色调最能在流动空间中发挥快速疏散的功效，这对巴卡拉酒店实在太适用了。重要的是，设计师吉尔斯和布希耶懂得如何给拥挤的空间添加“美”的营养，他们用古典优雅的浮雕花饰和不锈钢线条的精致修饰为幽暗的Lobby增添了不少美学价值，这就成功缓解了暗的压力，反而成为“暗香”。
人，在潜意识中最想离开的就是黑暗，最不想离开的就是明亮。于是，当代优秀的酒店室内设计师常常选择“幽暗”用于客人的流动空间：前厅、电梯、客房走廊......，为了尽快疏散人流；同时坚决选择“明亮”用于客人的停留空间，这些停留空间，大都是为酒店直接创造收益的所在：咖啡厅、餐厅和客房......在这些空间里，客人停留越久酒店收入越多。巴卡拉水晶酒店的室内设计，几乎把这个“此明彼暗”的手法用尽了。
Riding in the dark elevator decorated with bronze sculpture and North America walnut， the guests reach the chic hotel lobby on the second floor， a very small front desk space. Surrounded by dark brown classical wooden walls， simple yet elegant， and partitioned by the French windows framed by black metal. Lit by the crystal chandeliers， though still quite dark， the darkness and light truly complement each other.
Why are they so careful about the use of bright light？ I think probably because the hotel does not want the guests to linger in this intensely cramped public space. The construction area of the Baccarat Hotel in New York is limited for its expensive land cost， and the dark black and brown space has proved to be effective in the evacuation of people， which is just what Baccarat needs. However， by using exquisite classical floral embossed decorations and lines of stainless steel， designer Gilles & Boissier have added "beauty" to this crowded space. Not only did they successfully eased the pressure caused by the dark， it actually attached a special "fragrance".
Subconsciously， people long to leave the dark， and stay with the light， so the excellent contemporary hotel interior designers often choose the "dark" for the flowing space： lobby， elevators， hallways ... in order to evacuate the crowd as soon as possible； at the same time they resolutely select "light" for the guest staying space， which mostly and directly generate the revenue： a café， a restaurant and rooms ... in these spaces， the longer the guests stay， the more revenue it generates. The interior design of the Baccarat Hotel has certainly put this method to full use.
百变大沙龙
A Wild Grand Salon 酒店二楼的大沙龙（Grand Salon）是客人主要的聚会餐饮场所，所以立即高大敞亮起来，天花足有8米以上的高度，华贵灿烂的巴卡拉水晶吊灯垂吊而下，一排排高大的不锈钢玻璃展示柜里陈设着晶莹剔透的水晶艺术品，临街的大窗被近两千条多棱水晶棒铺满，透过阳光，整个大厅里炫光闪烁，诱人心动。
这个大沙龙，白天是零点早餐厅和咖啡厅，晚上就是一个大酒吧。夜幕降临后，酒店设计美学再次通过酒吧灯光设计的演绎显示了自己独特的魅力，纽约的名人和他们远道而来的朋友在此频频举杯，黑人演奏家精彩的爵士乐钢琴演奏和男女宾客们散发的香水味道深度融合，在这个高大神秘的空间里弥漫飘荡，让人久久不舍离去......
Te Grand Salon on the second foor， fully lit-up with a ceiling of more than eight meters in height， is the hotel’s main gathering place for dining. In it are luxurious and splendid Baccarat crystal chandeliers hanging down， rows of tall stainless steel glass cabinets displaying works of art made of sparkling crystal， and large windows facing the street covered with nearly 2，000 pieces of polygonal crystal rods. When the shimmering glares fashing across the hall through sunlight any heart is tempted.
Te Grand Salon， the day is zero early restaurants and cafes， the night is a big bar. Afer nightfall， the hotel re-design aesthetic interpretation by bars lighting design shows its own unique charm， New York celebrities and their friends from afar toast， black jazz piano virtuoso wonderful men and women guests perfume smell depth of integration， in this big space flled with mysterious foating， make people reluctant to leave ...
有“嚼头”的客房
Rooms of Substance
巴卡拉酒店的客房，作为客人停留时间最长的私人空间，当然被设计为最明亮的地方。超亮的白色石材地面和卫生间环境（卧室是木地板），白色混油亮光漆的木饰面墙和大面积的镜面几乎统治了卧室的所有墙面，而可移动家具则都由极深的木色饰面完成，大多采用深色亮光漆，强烈的色调对比为整个房间提神醒脑。
装饰品，除了引人注目的水晶吊灯和壁灯，就是各种黑色和大红色的服务纸品，以及i-phone提供的巴卡拉客房专用室内智能控制器，这个玩意的外形是一本厚厚的红书，书中被挖开一个方口，里面藏着这个精致的黑色控制器，我玩了一会就发现功能甚为强大：开关照明和窗帘，调节室内亮度模式，点播电视和电影节目，呼叫所有电话，浏览自己的酒店账单和邮件，以及听音乐看新闻，甚至付款买单......客房设计中的细节还有很多，无法尽述，但“亮光白”墙地面做舞台背景，“深褐黑”家具做台前演员的戏路子已经可以看的清清楚楚。
As the private space of the longest stay for the guest， Baccarat Hotel rooms， of course， are designed to be the brightest places. The in-room and bathroom environments are covered with super bright white stone flooring， （wooden floor in bedroom） and decorated with white glossy wooden walls and large areas of mirrors， while the movable furniture used deep varnished wood color， adding a strong tone of refreshing contrast to the entire room. In addition to striking crystal chandeliers and wall lamps， the most attractive decoration is a variety of black and red stationery， as well as an intelligent room controller designed by iPhone. It is a thick red book， dug inside with a square opening， where an exquisite black controller hides. After playing for a while， I found it has very powerful functions： lighting adjustment， blinds switch， room brightness adjustment， on-demand TV and movies， all phone calls， browsing hotel bills and mails， as well as music listening and news watching， and even making payments ... so many design details that cannot be enumerated. With walls of"white light" as the stage background， and the "Sepia black" furniture as the actors， the strategy of this beautiful room is quite clear.
暗与亮的对冲和比较，是现代设计美学应用于现代酒店空间氛围营造的重要手法之一，也与酒店管理与经营者关注的经济收益紧密相关。如果你发现哪个设计师把暗和亮的位置放颠倒了，比如让人流动的走廊很亮，让人停留的房间很暗，就要赶快纠正。
Te positioning of dark and light is an important aesthetic technique in modern hotel atmospheric design， and is also closely related to the economic benefts concerned by the hotel management operators. If a designer has misplaced the position of dark and light， such as bright corridors and dark rooms， it must quickly be corrected.
现代酒店设计，要运用设计美学，要接触现代科技，还要关怀人性需求。很多酒店已经做得很好，纽约巴卡拉水晶酒店算是更好的一个。
To excel in modern hotel design requires the mastery of modern design aesthetics， contact with modern technology， and great care about human needs. Many hotels have already done a good job， but Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York has simply done beter.