Champalimaud Design renovates The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
New York-based interior design studio Champalimaud Design has completed the renovation of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, revamping its public spaces, guestrooms and suites in honour of the island’s history.
With the aim of creating a strong sense of place that reflects the region’s natural beauty, Champalimaud employed organic materials and a palette of lush greens, beach-inspired whites, beiges and deep blues in the resort’s lobby and reception area are evocative of Cayman’s night sky and the turquoise of the Caribbean Sea.
The silver thatch palm, endemic to the Cayman Islands, has also been interwoven throughout. The national tree – used to make rope – is a vital export that has supported the economy and brought people together; today, the palm serves as a representation of the ingenuity of its people. The symbol influenced the choice of the pendant lights in the lobby lounge and the biophilic carpets in the lobby, corridors and stairwells.
“The corridors are whimsical, with layers of local flora travelling through the halls, leading visitors through the public spaces and beyond,” says Courtney Brannan, Principal at Champalimaud Design. The palm also inspired the rich green colour palette used in the Silver Palm Bar, a cigar and cocktail bar that celebrates Caribbean elegance and features soaring arched windows that provide views of waterways and fairways.
Cigars and rum – other exports for which the region is historically known – are showcased in the form of custom-built hardwood cabinets by local designer Martlet Design, which feed into the idea of respecting the island’s environment, culture and people. “The public spaces are rich with art by local artisans, as well as bespoke furnishings from surrounding talent,” adds Brannan. “The entire hotel is adorned in large-scale, impactful pieces that have been selected specifically to harmonise with the locations in which they reside.”
Champalimaud also drew upon the island’s history of basket weaving and rope making across the resort; a collection of baskets form the chandelier in the Silver Palm Bar, a suite boasts a four-poster bed featuring a woven texture at the headboard; and rope detailing is repeatedly incorporated in the lighting throughout.
In addition to the public spaces and private quarters, the resort’s meeting spaces were refreshed. These palatial areas were reimagined in neutrals from cream to champagne with rich, warm accents on the ceilings and rope detailing in the wallcoverings. The pre-function venue evokes a classic thatch pattern, while the ballroom deconstructs those designs into a field of woven elements. Light fixtures transpose undersea life to the ceiling, with each dome reflecting the unique shape of sculptural coral colonies, just like in nature.
