ATLANTA—When it opened its doors in 1967, the Hyatt Regency Atlanta was not only the first atrium hotel, it was also the tallest building in the city. As the iconic hotel embarked on a massive $65-million renovation last year, one of the primary goals was to infuse the property with more contemporary elements while preserving the design hallmarks it has been known for.
According to Casper van Eldik Thieme, director of sales for the 1,260-room hotel, the project incorporated the work of two design firms. Stonehill & Taylor was responsible for the guestrooms, suites and Regency Club lounge, while tvsdesign handled the public spaces. Throughout the renovation, special attention was given to ensuring homage was paid to the building’s original designer, John Portman. A crucial part of that was the flooring.
“One of the well-known elements of the lobby was the tile floor, which was done in a fan-shaped pattern,” van Eldik Thieme said. “But with the small tiles, any time someone walked through with their luggage, it made a distinct sound and it wasn’t the most even surface, especially for women in heels.”
The flooring was replaced with much larger, rectangular ceramic tiles that measure 18-in. x 36-in. from Ceramic Techniques. The light shade of the tile contrasts dramatically with the furnishings in the new registration area, which features pod-style check-in desks made from reclaimed black walnut. “The larger tiles are safer and much easier to clean. But we also didn’t want to completely eliminate the fan-tile design that was such a signature part of our lobby,” van Eldik Thieme said. Therefore, a large marble mosaic by Associated Imports Corp. in the same pattern was installed on the floor of the main elevator landing.
Meanwhile, in the guestrooms and suites, Portman’s original design also impacted the choice of flooring. The design team was inspired by the signature starburst sculpture done by Portman called “Flora Raris,” which is one of the focal points of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta’s atrium lobby. The new carpeting for the guestrooms was custom-designed to reflect the same starburst pattern on a dark background. “We also upgraded the sense of arrival in each of the guestrooms and suites by installing slate flooring in the entry way,” said van Eldik Thieme, who added one of the most labor-intensive parts of the renovation was the tile flooring in the guest bathrooms.
“It had been redone twice before, so now there were three layers of tile on top of one another, which had created a barely noticeable step-up into the space. We got rid of all the layers and now the new tile floor is level with the rest of the guestroom,” he said.
In the redesigned restaurant and bar, wood flooring from Old Savannah Flooring Inc. was selected, and for the new Regency Club lounge, a mix of wood, carpet and stone was used. Van Eldik Thieme stressed that regardless of the particular area, durability was the key requirement when selecting the flooring. “Especially in the public areas. The floors have to be easy to clean and also safe,” he said.
