International Hospitality Projects (IHP Group) have been shortlisted for Hotel Under 200 Rooms – Global Award in The International Hotel & Property Awards 2022.

So/ Sotogrande was redesigned from the master plan to the small furniture detail, with each of IHP Group’s departments working as a well-drilled unit to create a one-of-a-kind design that sets new standards in the luxury hotel industry. The 5-star resort includes 152 rooms, 36 suites, 5 restaurants & bars, 26,910 sq. ft. spa and gym, meeting and wedding facilities, and 3 outdoor pools (with one indoors connected to the spa).

There were 6 main points to the design: Create a sense of arrival, open views to the sea and the golf course, create storytelling and brand identity based on Andalusian Cortijo mixed with So/DNA resulting in “The Revolutionized Cortijo”, create unique designs for F&B outlets, integrate the existing building with new constructions plus stunning interiors, and design the rooms for different guest experiences. The first ideas were clear. To open spaces, to breathe, to increase the light, to expand in the surroundings.

The hotel buildings were originally agglomerated so IHP Group needed to open the space between them, demolishing those that block views, and reorganizing the new volumes according to the orography. They had to improve the sense of arrival and enhance the access to the lobby and Reception area. With the new master plan, accessing through an arrival plaza overlooking the golf course and the sea, the client immediately enters an Arrival Pavilion as the first experience in the Hotel. The rest of the experience is enhanced by the creation of a new independent Spa building with an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, integrated into the golf landscape, with luxurious treatment cabins and exercise areas.

As a Cortijo – traditional Andalusian countryside villa – the hotel has a local flavour brought through handmade details such as clay flooring, ceramic tiles, yute and rattan lamps and traditional terracotta pots used as washbasins. Local artisans created stunning elements designed by IHP reminiscent of the local Andalusian tradition: clay lattice inspired by the traditional arches and iconic pendant lamp inspired by flamenco fans.  Since the first sketches and studies, it was a must to integrate the hotel into the environment and highlight the good aspects of the plot.

The challenge for this project was to reinvent and rejuvenate this hotel to become once again a point of difference, a new and fresh wave of young and innovative glamour that will become the first SO/Hotels and Resorts in Spain, Accor’s luxury and lifestyle brand. In addition to the connection with the landscape and history, IHP Group also connected Sotogrande to the community, with the Golf Club and Spa being open to the exclusive neighbourhood.

International Hospitality Projects (IHP Group)

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