Boutique, Design Hotel in Brussels

While some designers might find the Pantone Hotel a charming homage to the colors of their trade, others might just feel like they are still on the job. The inspiration for this boutique hotel in Brussels is the color matching system Pantone introduced to the graphic arts industry 45 years ago. The hotel is the latest addition to the ever expanding Pantone Universe, their line of designer life-style items that includes kitchenware, bicycles, and sneakers. The abundance of trademark colors and catalogue numbers might be a novelty to some, but for those who make their living with them, this boutique, design  hotel in Brussels won’t make the ideal escape from the daily grind.

With such an extensive array of colors to work with, designer Michel Penneman and architect Olivier Hannaert very easily could have produced something garish and tacky. Instead, they showed restraint in their approach and chose to showcase only a handful of Pantone colors. This should be of no great surprise to those who have seen Penneman’s work at the White Hotel in Brussels. There he designed an interior that is (you guessed it) all white to accentuate the custom furniture made by a variety of Belgian designers.

A strategy similar to the one used at the White Hotel was put to work at the Pantone hotel. Penneman and Hannaert used for the foundation of the hotel a simple white tower from the 1970s. The occasional exterior window is tinted a different color, giving the building a Mondrianesque feel. Each of the hotel’s seven floors were then assigned a classic Pantone color that is supposed to evoke a certain mood. The idea is that the guests get to select the color that best reflects their current disposition. Colors offered to the guests range from the “earthy, rich” brown of Pantone 478 C, to the “tranquil, aquatic, exhilarating” blue of Pantone 298 C.

The 59 rooms are very minimally decorated and furnished, creating space for the little bit of color and artwork to be showcased. Hanging in each room is a photograph by Victor Levy that captures a Pantone color. Otherwise, almost all of the room is left white except for a splash of color in a blanket and a few Pantone samples on the wall for accent. While some of the rooms look cozy, some simply look like Pantone show rooms.

Read the full boutique, design hotel review at Entertainment Designer
Hotel Bookings & Reservations:: Brussels, Bruxelles, Brussel