Nothing screams desperation like an ill-considered brand collaboration. Fake Japanese clothing upstart Superdry adding decals and daft detail to a special edition Morgan car is a recent example from a long list of partnerships that drag both brands down.
Unsurprisingly then, there was concern at Wallpaper* when Bentley announced it was opening a themed hotel suite at the St Regis in New York. Thankfully this collaboration looks considered and well judged, given the two brands' respective long histories providing luxury products and services to similar customers in the related industries of transport and travel.
Unveiled last month, Bentley's 1700 sq ft space joins luxury brands Dior and Tiffany as part of the St Regis Designer Suite Collection and will be rented out for $9,500 plus tax per night. Complimentary use of the St Regis edition Bentley Mulsanne - that comes in its own fetching shade of plum metallic - is part of the package and drivable within ten blocks of the midtown Manhattan hotel's location.
But while the chauffeur car's design couldn't resist the seemingly obligatory St Regis logo sewn into the headrest, the Bentley suite reflects a more subtle affair that avoids overt branding and instead quietly showcases the automotive brand's wood, leather and metalwork skills on the furniture and fittings while keeping the old-world charm of the St Regis rooms.
The wall facing the front door comprises a floating panel of quilted-leather with Bentley-green stitching to echo the brand's signature seating style
The high-ceilinged living room features a pair of high-backed chairs upholstered in grey herringbone fabric, accented with orange leather buttons to create a mix of old and new
Adding a Union Jack into a design by a British brand is normally a red alert cliché moment. However Bentley seems to get away with it by creating the flag out of subtle shades of zebrano wood veneer for the living room cabinet doors
Believe it or not, the drapes of the Bentley St Regis suite are trimmed with lengths of seatbelt. Designer Daniele Ceccomori explains why: 'It's a tiny detail that you'll barely notice until you walk towards the window, but the curtains are finished that way because Bentley is the only car manufacturer that colour co-ordinates all its seatbelts to match its seat leather, so we feel very comfortable having this feature'
Hanging from the dining room ceiling is the most expensive item in the suite - a triple-ringed LED and crystal chandelier
The chandelier subtly references the round LED Bentley Mulsanne headlights
The shiny circular pattern made from machining a metal surface has long been associated with classic car dashboards - Bentley included - but works equally well as a place mat on top of the slim smoked fiddle-back dark eucalyptus veneer of the dining room table. Helpfully, it should be easy to wipe clean after exuberant soirees too
ADDRESS
Two East 55th Street, at Fifth Avenue
New York,
10022
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