Image via Whitepod
Whitepod, an eco-luxury hotel nestled 1400 meters (4,600 feet) up in the Swiss Alps, has teamed up with aesthetic experts at Audemars Piguet (AP) to create a picturesque nature-focused ‘pod’ for its guests.
The resort, which opened its doors in 2004, consists of 18 private suites perched atop the Dents-du-Midi mountain range, and is a contemporary getaway from the hustle of city life. Combining aspects of both luxury and sustainability, the hotel decided to engage the fellow Swiss watchmaker to design its brand-new ‘Timeless Suite’.
Image via Whitepod
According to Robb Report, this isn’t AP’s first foray into the hospitality sector. The brand had launched its own 50-room Swiss inn, the Hôtel des Horlogers, in 2005. It’s been undergoing renovation since 2018, and is scheduled to reopen in 2022 as a new 75,000-square-foot space designed by famed architect Bjarke Ingels.
Interestingly, AP didn’t just tap its own pool of designers to come up with Whitepod’s latest suite. Instead, the watchmaker held a competition for up-and-coming design firms to pitch their ideas, eventually selecting Bénédicte Meynet and Singal Depéry-Moesch to work on the project.
Image via Whitepod
The bubble-like cocoon ‘pod’ will offer guests a “multi-sensory experience,” with special care taken to ensure that there are features for all five senses to enjoy. For example, the Swiss pine used throughout the room gives off a soothing, woody aroma, while the wool carpeting contracts with organic concrete for different textures.
Guests in the suite will be treated to artisanal teas as a relaxing nature soundtrack plays in the background. The architects even configured the room’s lighting to move in sync with the music, creating an atmosphere that blends together seamlessly for the most complete experience. Not to mention, the suite comes with an outdoor terrace with its very own Nordic bath so you can soak away the tension while enjoying amazing views.
Image via Whitepod
Don’t expect any overt marketing or displays of AP’s merchandise, as Whitepod COO Hugo Pozzo di Borgo told Robb Report the brand’s presence “is discrete in the pod.”
“There are no watches or specific watch designs, except the bathroom is in green and gray mineral colors, related to AP’s corporate colors,” di Borgo explained.
Image via Whitepod
“However, the architecture is based on a watchmaking concept called ‘cardiac coherence’. Ancestral mechanical watches have a rhythm, like a metronome, on which the heart beats. With the light and sound experience—three different types of music and lighting—based on this cardiac coherence, guests of the suite can relax or meditate in a natural way.”
Can’t wait to escape to the Alps for a much-needed vacation? The Timeless Suite starts at US$1,626 per night, including breakfast for two and a bottle of champagne.
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