Novotel Times Square, the brand’s North American flagship, has gone through a dramatic top-to-bottom renovation to elevate Novotel’s position as a premier destination in Times Square. Stonehill & Taylor created a new vision for the space inspired by the celebration of renewal – a reference to Times Square’s pop-culture significance as the host of New Year’s Eve activities. A kaleidoscope-like 232 ft. tall LED signage establishes the brand’s presence in the area.
The entrance lobby is designed as a transitional spaces that envelopes guests who enter the hotel. A wall-and-ceiling installation made of hexagonal LED panels, representing a deconstructed Times Square ball, is programmed and choreographed to project different colors and sounds throughout the day to create different moods.
Upon entering the reception area, guests encounter visually arresting references to the passage of time. . The cocoon-like reception area with purple lighting represents permanent twilight inside the shattered Times Square ball. The lines and facets, that emulate an armillary sphere, break out through the lobby and converge at a column of light behind the circular bar - the visual center of the lobby.
The design team reworked the floor plan and strategically demolished walls of the restaurant Super Nova, opening up prime vantage points through a cascading layout looking into Times Square. Chandeliers that look like fireworks light up the restaurant and are reflected on the surrounding glass window - creating an illusion of fireworks going off in the night sky of the bustling Times Square scene. The team reworked the 5,700 sq. ft. wrap-around terrace to create more communal spaces for guests to enjoy views of Times Square.
All 480 guestrooms continue references to new beginnings, through elements like custom fireworks-like graphics, which were modified to suit the needs of American business travelers and leisure travelers from around the world.