NEW YORK—The Time New York, the 193-room hotel on 49th St. and Broadway in Manhattan, has had a big year. The property, owned and operated by Dream Hotel Group, completed a $20-million renovation, and it also has added a high-end bath amenity line by noted French fashion and beauty house Maison Margiela. It is the Paris-based brand’s first hotel bath amenity collaboration.
“We select amenities that speak to our guests’ interests and needs, and further raise our ability to provide guests with an experience that aligns with our take on unconventional luxury,” said Kanvar Singh, general manager of The Time New York. “Brands that share our point-of-view are unique in nature with subtle touches of luxurious qualities that transcend time, and we felt Maison Margiela perfectly matched that concept. We were drawn to the Maison Margiela’s signature style and poise that is infused throughout its product lines.”
The bath amenities are derived from Maison Margiela’s Replica Collection scent line, which includes fragrances that address the place where they were inspired, and are reproductions of familiar scents and moments of varying locations and periods, according to Singh. He added, “Our products from the Replica Collection are inspired by days gone by in a Brooklyn Jazz Club. The aroma is marked by heady cocktails and cigars to create a sultry aura.”
The collection includes a shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body cream, all in 1.4-fl.-oz. bottles, along with a soap bar. According to Singh, the products contain a blend of pink pepper, primofiore lemon, neroli oil, rum absolute, clary sage oil, java vetiver oil, tobacco leaf absolute, vanilla bean and styrax resin.
“The Replica Collection draws inspiration from scent memories to transport guests to a specific time and place that speaks to The Time New York’s sophistication and overall ambiance,” he noted. “The uniqueness and technology behind the collection is unconventional and distinct to the brand.”
The bottles, which Singh pointed out “feature a classic look with a streamlined design,” include a label that highlights the inspiration and time period of the scent, as well as fragrance and style descriptions.
Along with the bath products, The Time New York offers guests an exclusive, 100% cotton white bathrobe from Maison Margiela, which is part of the French brand’s Hotel Fashion Textile Collection.
Guests have enjoyed both the bath amenities and the bathrobe, noted Singh. “We’ve received really great feedback. Guests love Maison Margiela’s high caliber of luxury and playful touches that are unique to the brand. Our guests also enjoy lounging in the brand’s plush one-of-a-kind, lab coat-inspired, white, cotton bathrobes.”
Singh pointed out that the collection is an important part of the overall guest experience. “[The bath products] let guests touch and feel the heightened level of luxury and gain an intimate connection to the property,” he said. “Our enhanced amenities provide guests with these types of small comforts that make a big difference in their overall experience.”
Maison Margiela was founded in Paris in 1988 by Belgian designer Martin Margiela (the brand was originally called Maison Martin Margiela). Since 2014, it has been run by Creative Director John Galliano, who is very well-known in the fashion world as the former head designer at top fashion companies Christian Dior and Givenchy, as well as his own namesake brand. HB
Group GM redesigns Eau Impériale collection
PARIS—International hospitality bath amenity distributor Groupe GM, based here, will introduce a redesign of its Eau Impériale collection by the end of the year. The amenities are a collaboration with French perfume house Guerlain, which created the original scent in 1853.
The redesigned Eau Impériale collection features bottles inspired by the Guerlain’s “bee bottle.”
The line features a new shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion design in 55-ml., 75-ml. and 130-ml. sizes; a 45-g glycerine-filmed soap; and 40-g. and 80-g. vegetable cardboard-box soaps. The range is now presented on a bespoke tray, with each bottle embossed with the Guerlain logo. A special VIP box, including one 100.-ml. Bottle of Eau Impériale perfume, four 55-ml. amenities bottles, 40-g. cardboard box soap and 45-g. glycerine soap will also be available.
“We received requests from clients who love Guerlain and wished to find a quintessentially Guerlain product in their hotel bathroom, not only in terms of scent but also in terms of packaging,” said Laurent Marchand, CEO of Groupe GM. “Guerlain’s bottles truly are beautiful objects. In fact, Guerlain has always reconciled the art of beauty with the art of perfume. People want to live a complete Guerlain experience as part of their morning well-being routine. That is why we wanted to meet this emotional request and propose even more iconic Guerlain packaging for the line.”
According to Marchand, Eau de Cologne Impériale, created by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, was the perfume house’s first eau de cologne. Specially composed for the wife of Napoleon III, it earned its creator the title of “Perfumer to His Majesty” and this bottle became history.
Marchand noted that the new packaging is “inspired by the iconic ‘bee bottle,’ which is emblematic of the perfumer’s heritage.”
Marchand said that the redesign isn’t the only thing on Groupe GM’s agenda. “We have recently announced a rebrand of Bienvenue, one of our oldest brands, to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and we have many new collaborations and announcements coming up toward the end of the year and in early 2017.”
