The Adelphi Hotel first opened in 1992 and immediately captured the public’s attention and their imagination, luring high-profile guests from near and far. An innovative example of the ’boutique hotel’, the Adelphi combined stark, contemporary design elements with sensational features (such as its famed ninth- floor swimming pool, overhanging the bustling street below). For many years the Adelphi thrived but when sold by original owners Denton Corker Marshall at the end
of the 90s, a drawn‐out period of decline followed.

By 2013, the situation was considered dire - the Adelphi had lost its status, the site had lost its glamour and the enterprise was simply not functional. It was clear to new owners, Dion Chandler, Ozzie Kheir and Simon Ongarato, that much more than an aesthetic makeover was required to reignite the business.

Hachem was commissioned to take on the project and issued with a significant branding challenge ‐ how to make a stigmatised business marketable again, fresh again, inspiring again, viable again. Hachem responded by conceiving of a unique concept - a theme - which would inform all aspects of the redesign: the logo and branding, the interior concepts, the development of a new in‐house venue, even the style of ‘turndown service’ and mini‐bar contents.

’Engage your senses’ became the tagline, while the theme is simply desserts. The idea was to create an environment and visual identity that stirs and delights each of the senses, and to initiate an irresistible talking point - the Adelphi, now the world’s premiere dessert hotel.

The result is a visual and experiential feast - sophisticated, detailed and rich with a touch of the whim and magic of a Willie Wonka wonderland. Its centerpiece is Om Nom, the decadent dessert‐themed restaurant, but the references to exquisite treats, sensation and indulgence, are continual throughout the building: swinging lounges and feature armchairs, graphic carpeting, a dark and glassy ceiling that spans the lobby like shimmering melted chocolate. Eclectic furnishings present an array of texture, pattern, colour and shape yet the final effect is not ornate or saccharine. All feature pieces are balanced by neutral walls and bedding, by modernist simplicity, by
softness, space and greenery.

The iconc glass-bottomed lappool and deck is currently being renovated ready for Summer 2014.