This was a group project to create a hotel and resort in Las Vegas I completed with Sophie Blood, Rachel Bath and Jen Wagner. The notes that accompany the following slides were the script for our presentation and further narrate the story and concept. We collaborated on the overall story, layout and aesthetic. I developed the initial Orchid / Iris shape of the building that was then rendered by Rachel and solely designed the sample hotel room, created the Loose Leaf Tea Room & Café, Crystalline Cavern and Arcade. I also wrote the presentation script.
Script Begins:
Salutations Wanderers! [I'm Sophie, I'm Rachel, I'm Jen and I'm Devon] We are the guardians of The Gaia Hotel & Conservatory where whimsy is as bountiful as our blossoms, buds and blooms. Are you here to check in? Well you’ll certainly want to once you step inside! Let us escort you through our plant palace and herbaceous hotel where you will soon find that Las Vegas might have luck, but The Gaia has magic.
[Logline] In the parched desert and synthetic sprawl of Las Vegas, lies a magical oasis. A vast 19th century Art Nouveau conservatory constructed by Botanist and Explorer Lady Hyacinth Vervain welcomes Wanderers to discover the beauty of not only our world, but of the world of the fae. Having unlocked a gateway between the human and fairy realms, Lady Hyacinth’s scientific sanctuary has become a verdant villa that hosts fairy folk, enchanted plants and all four seasons simultaneously. And now the Gaia Hotel hopes to host you on an immersive adventure into botanical whimsy.
We hope your journey here was pleasant. Whether you drove up Las Vegas Boulevard or took the monorail to get here, you certainly could not miss the Gaia with our beautiful sculpture out front. Well, either way you'll have noticed we are conveniently located between both and are blessedly towards the end of the Las Vegas strip to avoid all that hustle and bustle …
The Gaia is a towering structure inspired by different elements of nature. The towers are encased in a web like structure, inspired by the microscopic texture of plant cells. Large leaves sprout from the center, to provide shade to key areas, including the guest arrival and over our two large decadent pool areas.
As we enter our Lobby, we see a monument to our esteemed founder, Lady Hyacinth. This area is dedicated to her and her research so you can come back and read more about her discoveries. Once we get you checked in at concierge services you'll be ready for your own adventure throughout the resort. Now that you have your room key, let us show you what makes the Gaia Hotel so magical…
This Rotunda is Lady Hyacinth’s library with cascading walls of books, detailed botanical illustrations, and crisp eucalyptus wafting through the air. The centerpiece of this space is the Astolabe*, a magical fae artifact that Lady Hyacinth recreated from etchings she discovered on stones surrounding a fairy circle. At the center of the orb pulses a life force that has generated a portal, allowing different seasons and realms to harmonize together in one space. It is the heart of The Gaia.
Through the rotunda, guests are welcomed into our large atrium space. The gateway to our vast array of amenities, the atrium features lush plants and towering trees. The main focal point is a large waterfall, filling the space with the relaxing sound of falling water. Hidden throughout the space, guests can discover unique creatures and fairies among the flora and fauna. At night, the space transforms with a technicolor of light, illuminating the nature held within.
Our petal towers branch off of the Rotunda and each is the incarnation of one of the four seasons. The Petals feature their own gathering space with a small garden full of various plants and trees for the season it encapsulates.
With glass elevators at the center of each tower, you can glide into the sky to reach your own luxurious hotel room while overlooking the gathering space below.
Don’t think that your hotel room door would keep the seasons out! Powerful fae magic has permeated every inch of the space so the wonders of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter have shaped the rooms in the same way they shape the seasons. From glacial walls to pastel blooms, sunny jungles to orange forests, each room immerses you in the magic of the season.
Lucky you - you are checking into one of our Winter double rooms! Enter into your glacial cavern with plush faux stone and moss carpeting with mattresses and sheets that are as soft as newly fallen snow. The walls look as though they are carved from ancient ice with stalactites glinting with light streaming in from your huge floor to ceiling window. Another special feature of our rooms is ...
The seasonal curtain room divider! Create two separate environments in your room to enhance the possibilities of your experience. The curtains are sectional and can be moved and spaced as desired to create your own custom snow flurry. And if you love this room, you'll just have to come back to enjoy your stay in the other three seasons!
And it’s not a vacation without a pool! Our Winter and Spring petal towers share a pool that bares a startling resemblance to the medicinal and tranquil Blue Lagoon in Iceland – but don’t worry. The only thing frozen there are the drinks! The Summer and Spring petals enjoy a tropical Amazonian pool complete with giant floating lilypads to lounge on.
Are you hungry? Well I know we at least could use a drink, so lets go check out our many amazing culinary options.
One of our secret features to our exquisite conservatory is
Lady Hyacinth's study. Hidden Access through the Lobby dedicated to her achievements, will take you to what was her secret scientific sanctum and now is a lovely place to enjoy a botanical gin cocktail, one of the only exclusive gin bars in the United States. wink! (said and performed)
Lady Hyacinth's study. Hidden Access through the Lobby dedicated to her achievements, will take you to what was her secret scientific sanctum and now is a lovely place to enjoy a botanical gin cocktail, one of the only exclusive gin bars in the United States. wink! (said and performed)
In our Winter Spring community area, you can grab a glass of wine and embrace the shimmer of winter crystals and spring growth in our serene garden area. You can just taste the frozen grapes now! And don't worry - your room does not need to be in that season in order to explore!
Summer and Fall’s commonality is gathering around the fire to tell stories and create memories. Gather in our Fall and Summer space, grab an artisan hot chocolate, and create moments that‘ll last a lifetime. Yes, pumpkin spice is always available.
If you are feeling a little peckish, you can also explore the Loose Leaf Tea Room & Cafe. A small leaf-shaped greenhouse was built to shelter a rare and frail species of maple tree, which, thanks to fairy magic, has outgrown its greenhouse and since sprouted two acorn greenhouses for additional seating.
A spiral staircase was carved into the mighty maple's trunk to access the acorns and enjoy the view. Branch railings on either side of the steps encase marvelous stained glass mosaics. Soon after, the tree began to grow stained glass leaves, so you can sip your tea under a rustling autumnal canopy with tinkling stained glass leaves that cast a luminous mottled light over the whole space. You can also explore the niches carved into the tree that contained fairy potions, scientific specimens and surprises.
Looking for a little night life? Looking for the famous las vegas neon lights? How about some bioluminescent night life instead?
The crystaline cavern small plates restaurant and bar is located under the crystal and mushroom studded roots of the flourishing trees of the Gaia. The crystals and mushrooms emit the abundance of fairy magic stored inside them as a bioluminescent glow. Giant Art nouveau statues of the fairies with stained glass dragon fly wings adorn the space as a tribute to the benefactors of the hotel's enchantment. If you're looking for more of a party, you can enter our florescent fairy night club area through this door in the giant tree trunk.
The crystaline cavern small plates restaurant and bar is located under the crystal and mushroom studded roots of the flourishing trees of the Gaia. The crystals and mushrooms emit the abundance of fairy magic stored inside them as a bioluminescent glow. Giant Art nouveau statues of the fairies with stained glass dragon fly wings adorn the space as a tribute to the benefactors of the hotel's enchantment. If you're looking for more of a party, you can enter our florescent fairy night club area through this door in the giant tree trunk.
Now that we had a lovely snack and are maybe a little tipsy, lets go try some of our fabulous experiences!
Taking care of kids? Looking to embrace your inner child? Explore our conservatory and find hidden fairies in our interactive scavenger hunt. Guests can use their phone or our fairy lantern to discover the little hints of magic sparkling throughout the resort. (Give a demo of the app using one of our iPads.)
Tired of casinos? We are too! Lucky for us, the fairy magic brought several of Lady Hyacinth's preserved biological specimens back to life! Housed in enormous cloches, you can now control the reanimated specimens of plants and animals to win prizes. You can see with our huge venus fly trap cloche, you can manipulate the roots on the information panel at the front of the cloche to direct the flytrap at the top much like a modern day claw machine. Position your flytrap over the adorable beetle you would like and the plant will drop down to grab it for you. the flytrap then drops the beetle into the larger flytrap growing low to the ground where the beetle will travel down the stem to the hinged leaf at the bottom where it can be retrieved. I suggest you crack that beetle capsule open because you never know what might be inside! And if you're sick of boring golf courses, you can always check out our whimsical and wonderful PGA (Posh Gardens and Antiquities) Championship miniature golf course!
What a day! If you're ready to unwind, you can enjoy our tropical jungle spa complete with authentically humid steam rooms!
Once you've been revived at the spa, and maybe reinvented with one of our hair and makeup makeover packages, you'd be ready to complete your transformation at our Seasonal Change/Flora & Fauna Boutique! Channel your inner fairy queen with a themed experience like no other! Rent or purchase a fairy tale ballgown, and strut yourself in our fabulous resort. The Gaia also hosts a monthly ball so you can live out your historical period drama fantasies!
You can also live out your fantasy anytime with our photobooth opportunities that rotate daily around our fantastically scenic hotel.
We are big fans of our photobooth opportunities where you may find surprises and unseen visitors pop up in your photos!
To end your luxurious evening, we invite you to the Garden Theatre. In this art nouveau theatre, our main stage production feature a fairy burlesque Cirque show, that artistically captures the story of Lady Hyacinth and her discovery of the land of fae.
We hope you enjoyed your tour through the Gaia and that your vacation will be full of botanical whimsey!