Claridge’s unveils the Map Room

Claridge’s, the Art Deco hotel in Mayfair, has unveiled the Map Room, a dedicated space designed expressly to meet the needs of today’s global business traveller. Creating office facilities for business guests which are also smart and appropriate to the look of a classic luxury hotel  such as Claridge's is a new challenge facing iconic hotels.

  The Map Room marries the needs of  modern travelers with the style and art deco flair for which Claridge’s is renowned.  Elegantly designed by internationally renowned British design workshop Linley, who has balanced sophistication and functional design with technical innovation, the Map Room keeps business travelers in touch and ‘in the know’ however far from home they may be.

The Art of Business: The Map Room at Claridges

  The Map Room at Claridge’s is far more than just a place to catch up on emails, check the latest market movements or arrange to meet with clients. With all the style that makes Claridge’s so special, and the impeccable service that ensures everything runs like clockwork, it is a beautifully designed bolt-hole created to inspire the generation of ideas and the flow of conversations. In fact, to impress this point, Claridge’s will shortly be launching their own inspirational gallery where some of the hotel’s distinguished guests will reveal items that have been the source of their greatest inspiration and creative genius.   

  Commenting on the creation of the Map Room, General Manager Thomas Kochs said: “We set out to create a special place for our guests that makes a nod to the past but also references the present and the future. We wanted to apply the same magic, touch, feel and subtle emotional experience that we deliver in other parts of the hotel. Welcome to business travel, Claridge’s style”. 

  The focal point of the room, and the piece from which it takes its name, is a magnificent marquetry wall-size map of the world alluding to the notion of the adventure inherent in travel. Designed by Linley, it is crafted from macassar and walnut veneer and crowned by a bespoke steel clock sat on the Greenwich meridian.

Charting your business success:
The golden age of travel married with
modern business needs at the Map Room

  Drawing on the glamour of the golden age of travel, when liners sailed the Atlantic and deco décor dressed the first-class lounges of the Orient Express and the Queen Mary, Linley’s design pays homage to the hotel’s celebrated art deco aesthetic with hand-crafted furnishings, from the signature Transatlantic Chair with its generous curves, to the glamour of the high-backed Salon Sofa. Even the carpet has been specially created for the room, based on geometric patterns originally produced in the 1930s by American-born textile and rug designer Marion Dorn. Across two walls are in-built solid wood bookcases, where guests will find a comprehensive library, covering art, fashion and design brought together by luxury book publisher Assouline. There’s also a carefully sourced selection of magazines from Monocle to Intelligent Life, to the Robb Report and The Rake.

  "Creating interiors for this beautiful hotel feels very natural to me, I admire the history and heritage of Claridge's; so the Map Room was an absolute joy to work on," says designer David Linley.  "Claridge's, like Linley, is a global company so it seemed appropriate to use maps to illustrate the space and the romantic notion of adventure. Inspired by journeys the marquetry map provides a talking point about world travel and the red banquettes emulate those found in a 1920's first class train carriage. The result is in a giddy and glorious celebration of British life and design, past, present and future."

  In creating this elegant take on a space in which to do business, the team at Linley has also incorporated the very latest technical innovations demanded by business-people on the move.  The Map Room will feature iPads and laptops for guests to utilise, and quieter corners for more discreet discussions, interviews and conversations in confidence. All the facilities of the Map Room are accessible by room key to Claridge’s guests 24/7 as well as supported by one of the world’s most celebrated concierge teams. Throughout the day, timely deliveries of gourmet treats are brought fresh from Claridge’s kitchen. There’s also a fridge area, tucked away on one of the bookshelves, well-stocked with refreshments and complimentary water, and a Nespresso machine, just in case guests need to keep jet lag at bay for a little while longer.