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.
