Ritz Carlton Wolfsburg by Elliot Barnes Interiors

Imagine four sprawling miles of a thematic park featuring a museum, several pavilions, and a client center (where customers can pick up new cars and tour a massive factory). Who would ever expect that something like that would have a Ritz-Carlton abutting it? Today we’ll explore this hotel by Elliot Barnes Interiors! Came with us!

The Ritz Carlton is a contemporary chateau – or as a German speaker would say, a Schloss – on the edge of a canal at the end of the Volkswagen’s Autostadt. Re-designed by Elliot Barnes in 2013, the Ritz Carlton, Wolfsburg is a glass building in the shape of a ‘C’, maybe inspired by ‘castle’, or maybe ‘charismatic’.

The moment you set eyes on this structure you feel an inexplicable desire to enter, and you are far away from imagining what you will find inside.

The entrance of the hotel unites the Autostadt with The Ritz by bringing the park’s nature inside. The main feature is the “glass forest” commissioned by Savanti of Murano, a freely organized masterpiece of hand-blown glass forms with amber tinted accents inspired by bamboo trees. The shapes of the furnishings and the use of lighting and mirrors throughout the space allude to the world of the automobile.

The reception walls are upholstered in leather accented with geometric polished pink-gold inserts, reminiscent of the most stunning automotive interiors. In the lobby, the Namibia white stone fireplace serves as a focal point and divides the vast space into more intimate seating areas. Each setting is grounded by a rug with patterns suggestive of tire tracks and geometric autumn colored leaves.

The saloon-inspired lounge with its arced wall of cognac tinted glass tubes is called Newman’s Bar. Private seating areas are formed by golden mesh panels offering intimate spaces for relaxation. In the bar’s smoking lounge the walls are covered in papyrus leaves creating an interesting aroma and a cozy ambience that is offset by the back wall of the space which is covered in mirrored boxes punctuated by small touches of light; a meeting of textures and smooth surfaces, multiple reflections and distortion.

Upon leaving the valley, the ascent up the mountain begins immediately after exiting the elevator. There are four different suite compositions each featuring a roominess and apartment style layout that create an ambience of home living.

A great deal of attention was given to the bathroom while maintaining the spaces basic structure. The vanity mirror was designed for the ultimate accommodation with a tripartite structure and lighting which can, in an instant, be changed from artificial to natural.

Cloudscape is the theme of the hotel’s top floor Club Level available exclusively to fourth floor guests. As you exit the elevator and enter the large salon area, the experience begins with a suspended fireplace and a stunning view of the Autostadt. Composed of different zones, the space is both intimate and spectacular. The seating area is made up of sky blue arm chairs and comfortable sofas with a lounge area including a fireplace that sits in front of a terrace overlooking the hotel courtyard and the Autostadt.