DESIGN HOTELS NEW OPENING: CARBON HOTEL IN BELGIUM

THERE IS NO COPYING THIS CARBON!

DESIGN HOTELS NEWEST MEMBER HOTEL IN GENK, BELGIUM IS NOW OPEN.

Berlin, 7 May 2008 – Design Hotels announces the opening of the Carbon, its second member property in Belgium. Carbon dedicates itself to life's vital element in both name and design.
 
Conveniently located in the centre of Genk, one of the most important cities in Belgium, the newly built Carbon Hotel is part of a vibrant rejuvenation of the city's commercial centre. Genk, just an hour's drive from Brussels, Eindhoven and Cologne, was formerly the heart of Belgium's coal-mining industry in the 19th century.
 
Smartly inspired by its surroundings and their historical background, the Carbon drew its name and design by taking a page from Genk's industrial history. A grey façade evokes the nearby mining fields and the use of carbon-based building materials references coal itself, a fossil fuel composed primarily of carbon.
 
The hotel's 60 open and spacious rooms are each equipped with iPod, television, DVD player and mini-bar. All are located at the back of the hotel, a deliberate design decision to provide guests with a stunning view of Carbon's expansive terrace garden, a calm sanctuary in the middle of a bustling city.
 
On the hotel's top floor sits a vast, 700 m² spa and healing centre, where a sauna, hammam, chromotherapy, relaxation treatments, massage, cocoon corners, herbal baths, tai chi and chakra are available to guests, as is a large terrace with southern exposure. A wine bar, a restaurant with an open kitchen, and three meeting rooms can also be counted amongst the hotel's many facilities.
 
The architecture office PCP developed both the building and the interiors, choosing materials based on carbon and five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Throughout the hotel furnishings were selected for their honest use of materials: metal tables, wooden chairs, solid trunks as occasional tables, and fragments of stone. Many pieces come from local designers, including beds by celebrity designer Stijn Helsen, who also designed the staff's outfits. Black-glazed, freestanding bathtubs and ceramic tiles are by Porcelanosa and showers include rain showerheads and colored LED lighting by Kreon. Indirect colored light in the rooms can be easily adjusted to suit guests' moods.
 
About the city

Today, Genk is a multicultural city with a lively shopping district, green spaces to explore and Bokrijk, an open-air museum where history buffs and architecture enthusiasts can visit Flemish buildings dating from the seventeenth to nineteenth century. The "Green City" is home to a beautiful nature reserve and also hosts a renowned international jazz festival every summer. Genk was voted the friendliest city in Europe.



NOTE TO THE EDITORS  
Carbon's rates range from 105-300 Euros.
 


COMPANY INFORMATION

Design Hotels represents and markets a hand-picked collection of more than 170 hotels in over 40 countries across the globe. Established in 1993, as the first of its kind, the company offers unparalleled specialist knowledge from conceptual branding through to market trend consultancy and international representation.
 
The member hotels are independently owned but united by a commitment to individuality, progressive design and cultural authenticity. Design Hotels embody the most advanced ideas in the hospitality industry and offer cosmopolitan travellers new options for both travel and inspiration.
 
Design Hotels provides services ranging from public relations and marketing to global sales and revenue & distribution management. As of 2007 the company has an expanded service portfolio to include consultation in hotel development.
 
The company has its headquarters in Berlin and branches in London, Barcelona, New York, Singapore, Bali, Tokyo and Perth.
 
Design Hotels is a registered trademark of Design Hotels AG (a German Joint Stock Company).