GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Our columnist, who has stayed in her fair share of hotel rooms-and has designed some great ones herself-explains why they should not make you feel too much at home.

- By RITA KONIG

It can be difficult these days to translate certain terms encountered while traveling.

“Luxury hotel” is often used to describe quite corporate establishments, and “boutique hotel” no longer suggests one that is small and privately owned. What I am looking for is more individual hotels, and the rise in establishments offering this alternative experience suggests I am not alone.

When I was asked to do Jeff Klein's first San Vicente Bungalows in Los Angeles, a domestic vibe was what I was after. The dreariness of the beige bedroom, surprisingly widespread in L.A., a city full of sunshine and color, was something I wanted to abandon. We did every room at the club differently, and mostly with fabric on the walls inspired by the Hotel Duc de Saint Simon in Paris—where the bedrooms are literally jewel boxes.