The Hotel Grand Chancellor in Auckland, the brand’s first new-build hotel in New Zealand, showcases the importance of thoughtful design in creating a warm, inviting, and distinctly local experience. With its central location on Wellesley Street, the hotel is part of Auckland’s expanding skyline and is designed to blend urban vibrancy with a connection to nature. The flooring, supplied by Inzide, plays a crucial role in reinforcing this vision by integrating sustainable, aesthetically pleasing materials.

In the 191 total guest rooms, Interface's Net Effect Collection was chosen to reflect the hotel's close proximity to the Auckland Harbour and the region’s coastal environment. This collection is inspired by the movement and textures of the ocean, with three square styles that evoke the dynamic moment when sea foam meets the shoreline. The hotel’s king-sized rooms feature a custom golden sand colour from this collection, mirroring the sun-bleached hues of coastal sands. The twin-sized rooms, on the other hand, incorporate the standard blue Atlantic colourway, which speaks to the deep, tranquil tones of the ocean. Designers have masterfully utilised the three accent, transition and field tiles from the collection, to frame the heads of the beds with the more plush, soft pile accent tile - Net Effect B601, transitioning smoothly to the field tile Net Effect B603 that covers the room’s main walkways. This not only adds visual interest but also enhances the tactile experience for guests, ensuring they move from bed to floor in comfort.

In the hotel’s corridors, the flooring shifts to Interface’s Urban Retreat Collection, which reflects the juxtaposition of nature and urban life. The UR101 transition tile in a custom charcoal/granite colourway serves both as a striking design element and a functional one – the transition tile is used cleverly to frame the corridors, guiding guests through the space, acting as a subtle wayfinding tool. This collection draws on textures from nature, such as the grain of old-growth trees, alongside more modern, industrial forms, embodying the hotel’s balance between natural surroundings and its location in a busy urban environment.

The flooring choices throughout the hotel offer more than just visual appeal; they are integral to creating a sense of place. The Net Effect and Urban Retreat collections together weave the story of Auckland’s unique geography and cultural history into the guest experience. From the moment guests step into the lobby and move through the corridors, the design transports them between the city’s bustling streets and the serene coastal landscapes that surround Tamaki Makaurau.

By combining the oceanic inspirations of the Net Effect collection with the organic textures of the Urban Retreatcollection, the Hotel Grand Chancellor creates a luxurious, comfortable, and sustainable environment. This design highlights the hotel’s connection to Auckland’s natural beauty while recognising its place within the city’s vibrant, ever-evolving streetscape. The result is a holistic guest experience that is not only visually stunning but also deeply rooted in a sense of local identity.