Hotel Kaktus Playa, located in Calella on the Catalan coast, has modernised its rooms to ensure its guests have a more relaxing and comfortable stay. The main aim was to give the rooms a contemporary, urban style, seeking to maximise guest comfort, using HI-MACS® for all the furniture and eye-catching backlit wall cladding.

The hotel currently has 226 rooms, with additional services including a spa, heated pool, restaurant, and beach club. Looking to give the hotel an updated, modern look, architecture studio Byko was appointed to refurbish some of the hotel’s communal areas and the guest rooms. The architects opted for HI-MACS® acrylic stone in the guest bedrooms. 

The rooms’ design is inspired by the Mediterranean. To get the right ambiance, light tones were used, providing space and brightness, with the huge windows designed to add to the atmosphere. 

The layout and style of the rooms were a real challenge for the team of architects and designers, since they had to create standard, modern spaces that would not become obsolete over time. “We prioritised a design that opts for interior visual spaciousness, functionality, and the feeling of comfort that we get at home,” says Ismael Fernández, building engineer and CEO of Byko. 

A headboard that dominates the whole room  
To achieve guest well-being, the interior designers looked for something that would feature smooth, continuous surfaces and light colours, along with minimalist furnishings that would add to the feeling of spaciousness. The only decorative elements included are some outside plants and the pillows and bedspread, in turquoise and gray tones, which reflect the blue of the beaches surrounding the hotel premises.  

Thanks to its technical and aesthetic properties, HI-MACS® was choosen for the room furniture, consisting of the nightstands and desk (with a built-in cupboard that hides the minibar), as well as the headboard for the bed. The furniture was built into the wall to save as much space as possible.  Ismael Fernández comments: “We looked for designs and materials that would give the rooms as much space and natural lighting as possible.” 

The magnificent headboard was created by superimposing several panels made from HI-MACS®, evoking the swell of the sea and turning it into the undeniable star of the room. The thermoformable properties of LG Hausys’ acrylic stone offer designers the ability to create a wide range of shapes, resulting in an exceptionally versatile whole. 

The use of light plays an important role in the feeling of comfort and relaxation, so to achieve this, LED lighting was incorporated to play with different ambiances: “Artificial lighting is only used at night-time and indirect, variable light is enough to give sufficient warmth as desired,” Fernández affirms. The translucent properties of HI-MACS®, in combination with light sources, made it the perfect option for the furniture with lighting. 

The privacy of an open bathroom
Looking to maximize the spaciousness of the bedroom, it was decided to create a sinuous space where the bathroom would flow from the bedroom. To achieve this, the sink was designed as built into a worktop and appears to be suspended in the air.

For privacy, both the shower and toilet are closed off by opaque glass doors, although still fully integrated into the rest of the room. 

Continuing the theme of relaxation and well-being, the designers ensured that the outside terraces  were as relaxing as the minimalist bedroom. The result is a space with an excellent visual appearance, where functionality and design are as important as the well-being of the hotel guests. 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT DESIGN

Project name: Hotel Kaktus Playa de Calella renovation
Date of completion, HI-MACS®: 2018
Renovation architect: Byko Proyects i Gestió & María Gelpí Interiorisme  www.byko.es 
Location: El Maresme, Barcelona, Spain
HI-MACS® manufacturer: Lining Time www.liningtime.com
HI-MACS® supplier: Gabarro www.gabarro.com
Material: HI-MACS® Lunar Sand and Alpine White www.himacs.eu
Photos: © Isaac Mas 
HI-MACS® elements: Headboards, nightstands, and ceilings