Design B+ Function Not So Much

We are staying in a brand spanking new design hotel in the center of Prague called Hotel Yasmin. When I say brand spanking new I mean it - this place opened it's doors literally last Wednesday. I am the first guest to stay in this room, and there are sure a few kinks that need ironing out. Where to start?

Let's start with the design. I can't say I love it, but there are definitely elements about it I like and it has a pretty solid cool factor feeling when you walk through the door. Something is a little too generic about the feel in general, some things just seem in congruous, and others are just plain bizarre. I am particularly a fan of the conceptual art display in the center of the walkway from the lobby to the restaurant, though I also think it's a colossal waste of space. Inside this large glass rectangle are rows of trees suspended from above with about a foot between their cut off trunks and the sand below. I have no idea why but I like it. The ubiquity of the mirrored sphere lamps hanging above gets old quick, and is particularly dizzying in the restaurant itself where the mirrors on the walls reflect them. What gets me though are these repeated big furry snuffalufagus-esque things - they are everywhere, you can see one in the picture above. They are literally furry then at the very top it's like the artist took a bunch of hair gel and tamed the fro. Bizarre indeed.

Which takes me to the lack of functionality. Kinks in abundance. The curtains that don't keep enough light out in the morning. The down comforter that isn't really large enough to keep you warm. The shower curtain that hits the ground on the outside but then is a foot longer than the bottom of the tub so you are stepping on it as it clogs the drain while you shower. The bed that my measly 5’5” frame barely fits in. The curved desk that's an ergonomic nightmare. No irons in the room. No power adapters. No room service. The bathrooms without shelves for your stuff. The 10 page menus in the restaurant with four things on each page organized by country. Is four hangers really enough in the closet? I thought the black tile in the bathroom was really cool until I realize it's probably a nightmare to keep looking that great.

I'm not complaining, just observing. None of this has made me an unhappy guest by any means. I'm sure they'll figure it out in due time, but you might think twice next time you have an opportunity to stay in a hotel on day three after it opens it's doors.