Les Bains des Docks

OK, so this newly-opened continental pool complex is stretching the boundaries of Experience Fix‘s ‘Stay‘ classification, but you could literally stay here for hours. And what better time to feature a Public Bath in this blog than when the ‘i-am’ London studio are sweltering through a mini heat-wave. Les Bains des Docks’ relaxing and cavernous system of halls is a sanctuary of smooth surfaces and rippling expanses of water, offset by bold architectural shapes. Situated in Le Havre and designed by architect Jean Nouvel, the baths are a part of a major rejuvination of one of the oldest docks in France.

The centre offers treatment zones for all-around pampering, but in terms of customer experience, ‘i-am’ are most impressed by the unexpected attention to detail that makes a visit to the baths that extra little bit special – check out the eye-searingly bright flashes of colour and smart mosaic detailing while planning your next trip across the Channel. Click HERE to see a fly-through animation.
Website: www.vert-marine.com/le-havre

Chic and Basic

Reported straight from the ‘i-am’ team in Barcelona, this article on the hotel Chic & Basic caught our eye, because of the brand’s all-encompassing customer experience. Here’s a clipping of the article – visit the ‘i-am’ Barcelona Blog for more…

Chic & Basic is cool and perfect! Cool, in the sense that there’s a nice harmony with the classic architecture of the old building combined with modern architecture and furnishings. Perfect, in the sense that everything – and I mean everything – has been considered here. This is how a brand should work.

It all about YOU when you stay at Chic & Basic. From the staff who are discrete and attentive, cute soap packaging with great copywriting, even lollipops in your welcome pack… Fabulous!

This is a great example of a brand who have considered every stage of their customer journey, carrying the brand values through from interior design and packaging to staff uniforms and training.
Visit: www.chicandbasic.com and ‘i-am’ Barcelona

‘Home’ Hotel

At ‘i-am’ we love brands that make their customers feel special, and Home in Buenos Aires is a prime example. Husband and wife founders Patricia and Tom say “We wanted our friends and their friends to visit, to experience this fantastic neighbourhood and city, so we created ‘Home’ a brand-new custom-built hotel”. Designed by architects Rodrigo Cunill and Juana Grichener, Home is nestled in the trendy Palermo Viejo district and features 17 rooms, each with their own distinct retro theme mixing vintage European wallpapers and Chilean wool rugs. See you by the pool: www.homebuenosaires.com

La Purificadora Hotel

At ‘i-am’ we’re always on the lookout for surprising, eye-popping environments and interiors, and the latest destination from Mexico’s HABITA Group, La Purificadora definitely deserves a mention. Having emerged from a converted water purification factory in Mexico’s fourth-largest city, Puebla, the hotel’s design, from Mexican architects Legorreta & Legorreta, features an open-air lobby area with a dramatic sweeping staircase.

Meanwhile, the interiors of the 26 rooms, identified by letters of the alphabet, blend glass, dark stone and wood, with splashes of kitsch purple for a playful feel. The rooftop terrace bar has become the latest hotspot in Puebla and buzzes til the early hours. Visit: www.lapurificadora.com