In the studio this week we’re preparing for our annual intern design competition, which will be taking place in the summer. It has involved creating a detailed brief for the – yet to be selected – interns to work on and outlines the project they will need to undertake and details about the chosen featured company, Chewton Glen.

To our excitement, this week we were given the opportunity to visit our partner company for the competition, one of the UK’s most luxurious and beautiful hotels, Chewton Glen. This quintessentially English, privately owned Country House Hotel and Spa is located on the fringe of the New Forest in Hampshire. The site is surrounded by a perfect combination of stunning countryside and coastal delights.

We were met by Beth, Marketing Manager of Iconic Luxury Hotels – a small collection of exceptional hotels spread across Britain with Chewton Glen being one of them – who told us a little more about the varied clientele who visit Chewton Glen; whether this is for an idyllic escape or an extravagant wedding, the hotel caters for a huge selection of needs. Beth took us on a fabulous guided tour of the property and its grounds. It was great to see the range of uniquely decorated rooms with perfected attention to detail, as well as the extensive facilities. We also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy lunch at one of the hotels restaurants ‘The Dining Room’, which we would highly recommend. It was divine.

By physically visiting the location and learning more about the company, it has really helped us to gain a stronger understanding of the hotel and the type of design materials they would be looking for.

Chewton Glen kindly agreed to be a part of our competition process to allow the interns to work on a live brief for a luxury, high-end brand. Not only is this work experience a valuable asset, but we’re sure the designs created will look fantastic in the intern’s portfolios.

If you’d like to read about last year’s competition and the winning design click here.