DoubleTree by Hilton Docklands Riverside

We were employed to refurbish and rebrand a large core brand Hilton hotel on the banks of the Thames at Rotherhithe. The team were responsible for designing every aspect of the hotel from the 378 bedrooms and suites to the ballroom, meeting rooms and destination restaurant, ‘Columbia’.

The Thames port of Rotherhithe has had a far reaching influence across the globe. A centre for shipbuilding, exploration and world trade for hundreds of years. Nautical themes with nods to the rich maritime history of the area are woven throughout the interior design. This fits perfectly with the ethos of the DoubleTree brand, which focuses on giving each hotel its own local story to help create a truly unique product within the Hilton framework.

The project posed a number of challenges for our team; the restaurant is housed in a grade II listed warehouse building whilst the majority of the bedrooms are housed in modern blocks built in the 1980s. It was therefore important to ensure the design was sympathetic to both styles of building without losing the overarching narrative. The hotel remained trading throughout the refurbishment which meant great emphasis was placed on phasing to ensure smooth operation and minimal disruption to guests during the works. Close working relationships between the client, brand and design team are essential in this type of rebrand in order to ensure delivery of a successful well considered product which fulfils the aspirations of all parties.