Designed by award-winning hospitality design studio Indidesign, Alma expresses the uniqueness of the southern Californian lifestyle. Instead of theming the hotel with a beachy and surfer aesthetic, Indidesign veered away from the stereotypical vision of San Diego and drew inspiration from the border city’s connection to Mexican heritage, street culture and obsession with comic books to create a brand new identity for Alma, deeply rooted in its surroundings. Indidesign wanted guests to feel privileged, relaxed, surprised and appreciated all while embracing Alma’s familiar spirit to feel right at home.
Room features
Alma’s design is simple yet complex with high attention to detail. The rooms are designed to look and feel residential with bright open spaces. All rooms feature small cacti that reference the local species of San Diego, along with meditation pillows and eco-friendly cork yoga mats for wellness. One of the strongest design features is the window seating in the standard rooms that allow guests to immerse themselves in the city. In-room dining and work surfaces by the window were a key move to reinvent how the space functions. In the details, the accommodations are adorned with textiles and decor that pay homage to Mexican culture and the spa bathrooms in the guestrooms offer standalone tubs that further emphasize the feeling of wellness.
Bespoke art and decor
Indidesign created a large array of bespoke designs for Alma, including textiles, furniture, wall panelings and wallcoverings. Textile patterns were inspired by traditional Mexican motifs, with an Indidesign spin, along with handmade tapestries and convex mirrors set in handwoven baskets that cement the luxury lifestyle experience. The walls at Alma are a focal point, intended to draw the eye with a variety of artistic wall pieces—lacquered wall panelings with geometric motifs being one of them. In the guestrooms, unique wall organizers stand out as functional statement pieces. Wallcoverings with a nod to graffiti and tattoo art fill the walls in some of the guest bathrooms. In the public areas, large murals from local artists and one-of-a-kind artworks illustrate the fun and laid-back attitude of San Diego.
Culinary offerings
For dining, Alma has options for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the Café, the “Leave of Absence” pizza bar and The Desmond. At the lower level, the Café has 64 seats and booth seating that circles the space, accessorized with whimsical accent pillows and Mexican wall decor. The “Leave of Absence” lounge located on the pool deck is a pizza bar with dishes for poolside leisure. The deck offers many seating options from avocado-print sunbeds to cabanas to your regular dining chair; paired on top of mosaic tiles. The Desmond by Chef Jason Neroni is Alma’s timeless destination restaurant, designed with a mix of historic and contemporary elements. The design weaves deep blue and greens as well as brighter tones to open up the space for an approachable setting that is also intimate in nature.
Tag
Tags:Indidesign, Kimpton Alma
