The Vibe: Hollywood-esque.
The Area: Burbank in the San Fernando Valley, found after the establishment of a sheep farm, now bills itself as “Media Capital of the World”, with the headquarteres or significant production facilities including Warner Bros. Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, The Burbank Studios, and Cartoon Network Studios.
The DNA: Design agency HBA Los Angeles (Hirsch Bedner Associates) has redesigned the identity and interior of luxury boutique hotel Amarano situated in Burbank, California. The whole concept is personified through a fictional muse and gracious host named ‘Amara’, layered with local Burbank history and old Hollywood mystique. The hotel entry is residential in style, with black-and-white marble flooring and dark barrel-vaulted ceilings. A large-scale sculptural white horse installation projects from a wall in the lobby as a playful nod to the area’s film studio ranches, and a preview of the unexpected surprises found within the hotel. Behind the reception desk, floor-to-ceiling cabinets filled with California pottery and ceramics provide a stately yet convivial backdrop. Scripts, photos, books, oddities, and collectibles speckle the lift lobbies and fill the bookshelves in the lobby lounge where golden velvet banquettes wrap the room and seating groups are comfortably arranged. Framed antique sheep shears, wall-hung artwork and sheep stools recall Burbank’s sheep ranch.
Suite-Me-Up: Guestrooms are enveloped in a classic colour palette of navy, taupe, and white accented with brass and gold finishes. Refurbished trunks in a rich cognac serve as dressers while antique gold-trimmed mirrors and sculptural lighting add a dash of old Hollywood glamour. Above the golden velvet upholstered headboards hang an eclectic assemblage of frames with vintage photographs, sketches, paintings and postcards offering a glimpse into the Hollywood of yesteryear.
Seen: designboom
✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 132 rooms & suites (28-57m2) (301-614 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2002, renovated 2020 (formerly Hotel Graciela) • interior design: Studio HBA • bathroom amenities: Molton Brown ✅ free on-site parking • pets allowed • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible
