SAN JOSE, CA— To meet and exceed the expectations of its upscale clientele was the impetus behind building the new 13-story, 264-room tower at the Fairmont San Jose, GM Cyril Isnard told HOTEL BUSINESS®. Dubbed the Fairmont Tower, the addition to the existing hotel will sport a luxe look, said Isnard, particularly in the guest baths. It is set to open this February. The GM noted that the design had to match both the existing hotel and satisfy the needs of corporate clientele, which now expect a certain level of comfort and flexibility when they travel, especially in the baths. To that end, the Los Angeles office of interior design firm Wilson and Associates was tapped by developer Maritz, Wolff & Co. (which owns a stake in Fairmont Hotels & Resorts) to conceptualize a new design for the tower’s baths. Jerry Beale, principal, and Oz Ekviriyakul, designer, worked on the project. According to Beale, who was the project’s principal-in-charge, “The overall theme was to use the luxury created for the Fairmont San Francisco. We worked out a new look for the San Francisco baths which Fairmont Hotels & Resorts liked and wanted us to use on the Fairmont San Jose.” However, since the San Francisco property is very traditional and sticks close to the building’s 1907 roots, Beale and Ekviriyakul took the traditional design and made it work for the new Fairmont Tower, which, like the rest of the property, has a more contemporary feel. The designers also had to create a design that would appeal to a different clientele than the one that stays at the San Francisco property, “as the San Jose property is geared more toward business travelers and the high-end luxury market,” said Beale. Given that edict, the design duo determined the standard bath design should be very contemporary, but one that gives off a warm, yet sophisticated feel. “We did a very clean, simple design,” noted Beale, but one that “reflects the Silicon Valley aspect of the area,” he added. They appointed each guest bath with four fixtures: a separate soaking tub and glass-enclosed shower; a water closet partially enclosed by a short wall; and a granite-topped sink. The suite baths feature a dressing area situated just beyond the bath’s entrance. “In the suites, there are standard sit-down vanities on the outside of the baths with a dressing area and a closet,” noted Beale. To bring warmth into the baths, the design duo used a variety of brown and tan tones seen in the tan/brown countertop granite; the Macasser ebony veneer vanity mirror frame; and the warm beige look of the crema marfil marble bordered by the Napolean mouchette marble on the floors. And “all polished-chrome hardware” is set against the natural stone used throughout the baths. The design team used a variety of special trims, as well as sprinkled the baths with details such as ample shelf space above the vanity, towel bars and robe hooks next to shower, a telephone in the water closet and swing-arm make-up mirrors. Artwork also adorns the walls.