Project volumes up 30 per cent on pre-Covid levels as international projects beckon for DAKOTA

The year is ending on a high note for DAKOTA, with commissions at least 30 per cent up on pre-Covid levels and new instructions coming not only from the UK, but from Europe and beyond.

With extensive knowledge of leisure, hospitality and residential interiors, DAKOTA is renowned for its talented and highly experienced team which works at locations throughout the UK and Europe and can count many blue-chip operators as clients.

The company began the year with a bar refurbishment project in Basel, Switzerland on Steinenforstadt, one of Basel’s busiest pedestrianised streets and the same street as Soho, an earlier, successful design project that Dakota undertook.

By April, DAKOTA had been briefed on the design of a restaurant and visitor centre at the base of the Kuwait Water Towers, a world heritage site, and in October, Genting Casinos approached the company to work on a refurbishment project for its casino in Cairo.

This was a repeat piece of business for DAKOTA who produced the design for the casino initially in 2019 when it was an acquisition site within a Hilton Hotel on the Nile.  Now owned by Genting Casinos and operating under the Crockfords brand, which is one of the most exclusive casino brands in London’s Mayfair, it has a very high-end aesthetic and this level of quality and styling must inform the refurbishment of the Cairo venue too where the main gaming floor, round lounge bar area and WCs will be refurbished, starting on site in March and ending in April.

With the Egyptian culture favouring lush, luxurious, warm and comfortable designs that feel classic and timeless, the challenge for DAKOTA will be to specify products that are available in Egypt.

Pictured: Genting Salford Casino – recently finished 

Coming up to the present, January will see director Peter Hodgson, flying over to Thessaloniki to redesign the Vergina Theatre Regency Casino, which is a Vegas style live theatre and the largest in Greece.

Commenting on DAKOTA’s increasing workload and international design commissions, Peter said:

“We’re delighted with the way that business is shaping up. It certainly shows no signs of slowing down.  The casinos and hotels we have been working on over the recent past have been talked about very positively throughout the industry and much of the work has come through word of mouth.

“The Thessaloniki project was a great boost to the end of the year.  The height of the building poses certain challenges, and we are looking at ways we can introduce some special lighting effects at ceiling level to maximise the potential of this currently space.

Closer to home, Dakota has a raft of projects nearing completion including Rosie’s night club in Birmingham for Stonegate, the UK’s largest hospitality group. This venue features a video installation which extends across the ceiling.  Also completing for Stonegate is Fever, a night club in Nuneaton.

At Malmaison Manchester, DAKOTA’s refurbishment of the brasserie and bedrooms has just completed with the public areas receiving such a good response, that the same design approach will also be used within the Belfast hotel.

Pictured: Malmaison Manchester Brasserie – recently finished

Due to start in the New Year are projects for Metropolitan Gaming, featuring the refurbishment of the roof terrace at The Hilton, Park Lane; a refurbishment of the main restaurant at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park in Cirencester and a refurbishment at the Sailors Arms, pub and nightclub at Newquay, Cornwall.  Work is also scheduled to start in early January Malmaison hotels – in Liverpool and Reading.

Malmaison’s development director, Jonathan Livesey, has enjoyed a long-term working relationship with Peter and the DAKOTA team.  He said:  “What I love about working with DAKOTA is that we always get cutting edge design ideas, but the team is so experienced, they have an eye on budget too, which is a perfect combination.”

Along with its increasing workload, DAKOTA has appointed two full time and two part-time staff as well as two external consultants during 2022 and is currently seeking an architectural technician with experience in the leisure industry.

Peter added:  “The team have worked so hard throughout 2022 we are pushing the boat out by celebrating with a Christmas party in Alicante this year, which will include a food tour.  It will be a great end to a very successful year. Everyone is looking forward to it!”