Westin South Coast Plaza

Costa Mesa, CA

At the request of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, ForrestPerkins transformed the lobby and public areas of the Westin South Coast Plaza to a better version of itself. We took cues from the modern “bones” of the space - high ceilings, square coffers created by the intersection of large square marble-clad columns and floor-to-ceiling windows - to update the space and breathe new life into the heart of the hotel, its lobby lounge.

We began by raising the sunken lounge floor to the level of the rest of the lobby, eliminating the need for balustrades and ramps and making the space more approachable. We removed the sunken curved bar that blocked views of the waterfall in the courtyard beyond and designed a new linear bar opposite the registration area. The result is that the space is the hub of activity at all hours, catering to shoppers, meeting attendees and business guests alike in stylish fashion.

New modern furnishings and large decorative chandeliers along with carpet that we designed specifically for the hotel lent an air of sophistication that stands up to the luxury goods displayed in the adjacent South Coast Plaza mall, one of the highest volume luxury malls in the United States. Utilizing a refreshingly sophisticated color palette of celadon and basil green distilled from the design of the hotel’s public spaces, ForrestPerkins carried the scheme up to the guest corridors, rooms and suites for a comforting sense of continuity punctuated by dramatic artwork and elegant accessories.