PHARRELL’S HAPPY PLACE: THE GOODTIME HOTEL
GAMZE YESILDAG
When names from the art world channel their experiences and imaginations outside of their own fields, unique results often emerge…
One of the latest examples of this is The Goodtime Hotel, which Pharrell Williams opened with his partner David Grutman in Miami. This is actually the duo’s second project after their restaurant, Swan, in the Miami Design District.
This rather large hotel with 266 rooms is in South Beach, the somewhat abandoned historical area of the city. The project created an unexpected and surprising space while reinterpreting the art deco architecture around it with its open area of approximately 1000 square meters. Believing that the hotel, which opened on April 15, will give life to its surroundings, the duo says that they have prepared for this project throughout their lives and have taken their cooperation to the next level.
The difficulties of the pandemic didn’t stop this project, on which Pharrell and Grutman have been working for 3 years. The hotel, which has a restaurant, shopping area, bar, an outdoor gym, beach club and two pools, seems to be able to instill a high dose of positivity during a period like this. In the project designed by Ken Fulk, many different colors, textures and materials were used together. An eclectic and exotic coastal house in positive, joyful pastel tones, the hotel also has a nostalgic feel.
There are cabins and lodges that maintain the interior colors around the pool, which is reached through the two-story high lobby full of plants. Between the two pools, the open corridor with palm sculptures can take guests to the bar or sunbathing area. Pastel green and pink dominate the scenic and pleasant rooms, according to the team, “There is everything you need, not more”.
It offers an experience that lives up to the name of the hotel, which we can call the incarnation of Pharrell’s Happy in a place. It seems as if he took the first step by listing local museums, bars and restaurants on the hotel website, which is expected to contribute to its surroundings with its presence.
