An Urban Escape; Disconnect Within These Walls
What if there was a resort experience that was accessible within your own urban center? Can you imagine an exotic vacation within driving distance of your home, and yet—a world away. What if you could experience the indulgence of a resort within a global city so that you didn’t have to choose between the cultural richness of international urban travel and the restorative serenity of a beach vacation?
While the landscape of luxury travel has looked a certain way, the team seeks to reframe this idea in order to provide a new, distinct offering that is vertically integrated into a city’s urban center. By redefining resorts, we hope to expand our understanding of what is by creating something that has never been.
The Vertical Resort will capture every resort amenity in a way that is entirely new; it will embody the same un-plugged escape that one finds on a private island without leaving a city’s epicenter— marrying relaxation, convenience and connectedness.
Resort Of The Future…
Enter the Vertical Resort—a world of escape that will instantly transport guests to another dimension. The arrival experience overwhelms the senses—aromatic smells, a rushing indoor waterfall, breathtaking design, artful details everywhere—the whole space buzzes with an energy that is distinct and separate from the world outside.
A host escorts guests to the elevator that transports them to the rooftop, passing vertical pocket gardens, a historic neighbourhood with cultural meanderings and “sidewalk” cafes to reach a domed, glass greenhouse that erupts with vibrant greenery. The rooftop features one of many infinity pools, each offering a unique view of the city below and a different angle to watch the sky at sunset.
An ideal location for a quick, romantic getaway—an escape to connect—without enduring lengthy flights and strenuous travel. Upon arrival, guests are invited to sit in a cocooned cabana and served a complimentary welcome cocktail garnished with fresh mint from the resort’s edible garden as the host walks them through personalized options for their stay. This really is a world of its own.
Reimagining A Resort In An Urban Context
The Vertical Resort Hotel is the one-stop-shop; a destination that guests return to, again and again. Just like a typical resort at an exotic destination, there is intrigue for an entire family. The Vertical Resort will offer a variety of moods to choose from, with separate active zones and quiet spaces, complete with effective noise isolation or curated sound landscapes—depending on what you desire. There will be recreational fun for all ages, lavish spa offerings and a multitude of culinary experiences means that you can come to The Vertical Resort Hotel with your whole family without having to long book flights and coordinate transportation; when you arrive, you won’t even have leave the hotel.
Arrival And Sky Lobby
Guests will enter through a landscaped park, with lush blooms and climbing gardens that flow through and under the building, and into the lower lobby, instantly highlighting the idea of arriving to an urban oasis—a surprising paradise amongst the cityscape. The lower lobby is simply a drop-off zone for luggage before guests are vertically transported to the sky-dome lobby with stretching panoramic views of the city.
Art and Culinary District
Many esteemed urban hotels are culinary destinations for those traveling to major cities. Michelin Chefs create decadent menus and creative cocktails draw in cultured crowds who want to experience the hotel’s ambiance for even a brief moment.
Aera will feature multiple culinary offerings that are curated around the layered edible gardens that thrives throughout the resort. As such, the menus will be local-by-design, allowing for organically grown produce that is fresh and exclusively available within the resort. While the fine-dining restaurants, juice bars, cocktail lounges, bakery and casual cafes will be available to the resort’s guests, they will also attract an audience of people who seek exceptional culinary experiences—either locals or travelers staying elsewhere—which will further emphasize the magnetic, alluring qualities of the resort.
Lastly, there will be adaptable F&B spaces that are designed to shift with the changing atmosphere
