AN INVENTIVE HOTEL OPENS IN SUMMIT COUNTY WITH DESIGNER TOUCHES FIT FOR OUTDOORSY TYPES AND DISCERNING TRAVELERS ALIKE.
The Pad’s design is grounded in the beauty of the local surroundings. PHOTO BY DAVID LAUER PHOTOGRAPHY
WHEN KIKO SINGH AND LYNNE BAER were classmates in junior high in Oklahoma, little did they know that they would team up years later, reconnecting on Instagram, to work on The Pad (thepadlife.com), a boutique hotel and hostel in Silverthorne. Lynne and her husband, Rob, founded the sustainable property replete with 18 upcycled shipping containers culled from ports in Texas, and they turned to Singh, a partner at BraytonHughes Design Studios in San Francisco, for design expertise.
“We’re well known for our luxury hospitality experience,” says Singh, whose projects include the Four Seasons Hotel Tunis in Tunisia and the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Mont. “But as the world has been evolving, so have we as a firm.” The Baers were intent on creating a sustainable concept, and BraytonHughes embraced this goal, applying its experience in luxury design to an entirely new hospitality concept, working innovatively within a set of budget parameters.
Common areas are bright and airy, with a color palette inspired by nature. PHOTO BY DAVID LAUER PHOTOGRAPHY
Housed on the former site of a 130-year-old dairy farm, the 101-room mountain modern hotel features the rooftop A-bar and accommodations ranging from shared dorm-style rooms to deluxe private rooms with king beds and private balconies. Local artist Erica Nicol was tapped for a salvaged wood installation in the lobby using remnant wood from the defunct farm, while a cheeky pink neon sign hangs nearby encouraging guests to “Stay Rad.” Cozy communal spaces are appointed with upscale gray oak tables by RH and wood-and-ceramic lamps from West Elm. The furniture, art and decorative objects were chosen with an artistic sensibility. “Design doesn’t have to be expensive to evoke the spirit of a place elegantly,” Singh says. “Good design is for everybody.”
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