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"Como Hotels and Resorts tapped Paola Navone to infuse its two newest properties\u2014located in Miami and Phuket, Thailand\u2014with the chic contemporary style for which she is known. Hospitality was the logical next step for Navone, who is already experienced as a residential and product designer. \"I try to create a relaxing atmosphere and positive energy in everything I do,\" she says. \"I like to make people feel connected and at home in the spaces I conceive.\"\n\nThe first property, Thailand's 106-room Point Yamu by Como, quietly debuted at the end of last year and celebrated its grand opening last month. Its location on the Cape Yamu peninsula on the east coast of Phuket affords breathtaking panoramas of Phang Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea. \"It's impossible not to be inspired by the view,\" says Navone. \"The challenge was to design a contemporary space that also has a connection to the country.\"\n\nTo help establish that relationship, Navone chose materials that are linked to the land. Wood from northern Thailand was employed for the furniture in the rooms, and the country's weaving history is recalled in the oversize light fixtures that hang in the lobby. Ceramic, another important material in the area, can be found on surfaces in the guest rooms, spa, and baths, and even in the room numbers. Navone also designed the hotel's dinnerware\u2014a task to which she is no stranger, having just developed a line for Crate &amp;amp; Barrel.\n\nIn addition to the tranquil infinity pool and the Shambhala spa, there are two restaurants: one featuring seafood with an Italian slant, the other focusing on the flavors of southern Thailand. Bold colors dominate the public areas, while the guest rooms are a bit more serene, with a few pops of an accent color.\n\nMeanwhile, the 74-room Metropolitan by Como opened on Collins Avenue in Miami's South Beach in March. Commanding a prime spot on the beach, the 1930s Art Deco structure was carefully restored to its former grandeur. The building is protected by the city's Historic Preservation Board, but Navone turned this restriction into a catalyst for creativity. Playful lighting and refined furnishings merge with original details, such as terrazzo flooring and stucco ceiling embellishments. The color scheme favors pale shades of green, a popular hue in the 1940s. \"While respecting the Art Deco style of the building, we tried to create a poetic, intimate mood,\" says Navone.\n\nBoth projects integrate the designer's signature techniques: using everyday items in unexpected ways; combining pieces from different time periods and countries; introducing interesting shapes; and incorporating traces of irony. \"In each hotel the spa is a very special space\u2014the essence of the project,\" says Navone. \"In Phuket, the color scheme is based on the varied blues of the sea. And in Miami, white is everywhere. The rooftop has a large treatment pool with an astonishing view of the ocean.\"\n\nClick here to see more of the Como Hotels properties in Phuket and Miami.\n\nRooms from $500/night for Miami and from $275/night for Phuket; comohotels.com\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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