Ensuite is only a glass wall away from the guest bedroom it serves

A glassed-off bathroom might not be for the super-modest, but it certainly adds to the style and sense of space in this boutique hotel suite

A rectangular bathtub is a modern feature within bed, bed frame, bed sheet, bedding, bedroom, boutique hotel, building, ceiling, comfort, daylighting, floor, furniture, hardwood, home, house, interior design, mattress, mattress pad, nightstand, property, real estate, room, suite, table, wall, gray — A rectangular bathtub is a modern feature within this ensuite, its sculptural impact all the stronger for the bath being able to be viewed from further back, within the bedroom itself. The bathroom’s natural-look tilework connects with elements like the wooden bedhead and other wooden furniture accents in the hotel guest bedroom.

Clean-lined and contemporary, this custom steel-framed vanity is apartment, architecture, bathroom, beige, building, ceiling, floor, flooring, furniture, home, house, interior design, material property, plumbing fixture, property, real estate, room, tile, white, orange

Clean-lined and contemporary, this custom steel-framed vanity is architecture, bathroom, bathtub, beige, building, ceiling, floor, flooring, furniture, home, house, interior design, plumbing fixture, property, real estate, room, sink, tile, wall, gray

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While some guests might think twice about an ensuite visually open to their hotel bedroom, others might embrace the easy connection. Of course, from a design perspective, everything is on show, even from a distance, so the planning and finishes have to be meticulously considered.

For this bathroom in the Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, architect Chris Wilson was asked to create a modern, luxurious design to tie in with the style of the hotel. At the same time, the ensuite had to optimise the stunning outlooks.

“Designing the clean-lined ensuite as a glass-walled insertion within the suite was an easy way to maximise the view from bedroom and bathroom alike,” Wilson says.

Of course this worked the other way too. The bathroom is itself on show from the bedroom.

So how best to create a luxurious ambience that matches the look and feel of the wider hotel?

“We utilised natural-look, locally sourced materials wherever possible to create the earthy yet luxurious feel required. This included the delicately patterned stone-look wall tiles and the herringbone floor tiles.”

Plus, the architect designed the steel-framed vanity to provide plenty of storage for hotel guests as well as to maximise display space.

The ensuite’s earthy colour palette also work well with the tones of the connected bedroom.

However, there was another design issue – how to install such an ensuite on the top floor of the hotel without disrupting guests?

“Building on top of an existing, operating building through an unforgiving Queenstown winter was certainly a challenge,” says Wilson. “We addressed this by creating a lightweight design for easy transportation and installation and worked under construction tents when the weather was at its worst.”