Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, International Hotel Interior Designer

Who is Mr. Neal Prince? Mr. Prince is a trained Architect from Rice University, an Art Historian, Art Collector and a person with a vast passion for Motion Pictures and Theatre History, especially Set Designs. These elements came together to build a foundation to Mr. Prince's skills, which later became recognized as his ability for designing Hotel and Restaurant Interiors. Mr. Prince incorporated his own passions of above, into an International branding philosophy that remains as strong today as it was when he developed his philosophy of Hotel and Restaurant Designs, which is visible today, in Hotels worldwide. But what makes Mr. Prince different? He was a pioneer within this Industry, along with Dale and Pat Keller, of Hong Kong, in designing Hotels in countries that never had an International Hotel presence. Mr. Prince, along with Kenneth Smith (Interior Designer), Charles Alvey (Graphic Designer), Richard Simpson (Graphic Designer), William Embury (Interior Designer), Joe Grusczak (Interior Designer), James Ray Baker (Interior Designer) and Irene D'Alessio (Interior Designer) and many others were the first, to sent the standards for International Hotel Interiors. And what is incredible is that he did not have the grand budgets that most designers have today. Mr. Prince used local talents and products, when available and appropriate, to augment his designs, which, in return, allowed local Artist, Gallery Owners, Merchants and vendors to view InterContinental not as an invader, but as a partner in creating new sources of commence within the local economy. What is even more unique in Mr. Prince being different, was that Mr. Prince has always credited his success, not in the terms of "I", but "WE". Mr. Prince, being from Corsicana, Texas, has always remained modest and respectful and always have contributed his success due to the fact that designing hotels is a "TEAM" effort, from his Departmental Staff to his Professional Associate Designers that he had brought on to do a certain project for the vast inventory of InterContinental Hotel holdings. This website is to bring together the collections, resources, stories and images documenting a period of time, before computers, mobile phones, fax's or video conferencing. This website is to recapture the time when International Hotel Design Industry remained in its infancy before the growth and development into what we have today as multi billion dollar companies. Each Hotel on this website will encompass how Mr. Prince and his Staff and Professional Associates overcame the troubles of designing Hotels, from a historic point of view, to what was necessary to open the Hotels, maintain the Hotels, and what lessons were learned to be applied for the next project.

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Hotel:

Keio Plaza InterContinental Hotel

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Architect:

Lead Interior Designer:

Neal A. Prince, R.A., A.S.I.D, Lead Designer

V.P. of Graphic and Interior Design Department, InterContinental Hotel Group 1960-1985

Lobby -

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Location:

Tokyo, Japan

Rooms:

1,500 completely air-conditioned guestrooms, close to Shinjuku’s busy entertainment and shopping enter. Five minute walk from Shinjuku Station.

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Suite -

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

How does Mr. Prince's identify an outstanding Hotel?

Response: When you arrive at the Hotel, telephone room service and order a club sandwich to be delivered to your room. Once the room service had delivered your requested club sandwich, take a moment to access how it was prepared, what materials they used to create your club sandwich and then taste the sandwich. Mr. Prince firmly believes, from 55 years of travelling around the world that if a Hotel is able to prepare the "simple" club sandwich correctly, then that Hotel is being operated correctly.

Restaurants/Lounges:

29 dining facilities including specialty restaurants, informal restaurants, cocktail lounges, bar, supper clubs and snack bars:

Sky Restaurant / 44F: Ambrosia
Ambrosia, Food of the Gods, an apt name for this gracious dining room with a theatrical view of the world’s largest city. The Olympian repast, served piping hot from wagons, is in keeping with the d�cor.

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Supper Club / 2F: The Consort
The smartest supper club in town. Dining and dancing on the white floor of Italian marble which rises to become a stage for the feature artists at show time.

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Grill/2F: Medallion
A quiet restful grill room, featuring meat dishes served on bronze medallion service plates.

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Prunier/2F: Prunier
Japan is justly famous for its seafood, and the Prunier is proud of its seafood cuisine.

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Jurin Coffee House /2F
A bright, informal coffee house for light snacks and refreshments.

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Buffet Sango / 2F
Enter through the glass door into this buffet-style restaurant with its gay, garden atmosphere.

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Chinese Restaurant Nan-en/2F
Outstanding Cantonese food prepared by a staff of seven cooks from Hong Kong. The plum and rosewood d�cor is in keeping with the restaurant’s mood.

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Sushi Kyubei / 7F
Raw fish, Edomae sushi to delight the gourmets, prepared by one of Japan’s most famous restaurants.

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Tempura Inagiku / 7F
Tempura, one of Japan’s classic dishes, served sizzling hot out of the frying pan by Inagiku, founded 70 years ago at the turn of the century.

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Sukiyaki Okahan / 7F
Wadakin, the house which made Matsuzaka beef famous around the world, limits its sales to a select group of restaurants around Japan, of which Okahan is one. Sukiyaki or shabu-shabu, which melts in your mouth, served as only Okahan can serve it.

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Sky Lounge / 45F: Aurora Lounge
A gay lounge to enjoy tea or cocktails. By day or night, it offers a magnificent view of Tokyo.

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Sky Bar / 45F: Polestar
A breath taking view from a cozy space ship in the sky. A restful spot for a quiet drink with friends.

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Circle Bar / 45F: Little Bear
A circular marble counter bar in the north side of the Aurora for convivial drinking.

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Main Bar / 2F: Brillant
Cool, restful main bar. A spectacular photograph of Arashiyama, near Kyoto, dominates the room.

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Youngbar / 2F
There level design in shocking, psychedelic colors. Informal and convivial.

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Charles’s Wain Membership Bar / 3F
Charles’s Wain, or Charlemagne’s Wagon, another name for a Big Dipper, Not many people know that William Shakespeare used the term. A bar for members only.

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Cocktail & Tea Lounge / 3F
Spacious extension of the Lobby designed to bring the outdoors indoors, including a rippling man-made river. A gay, airy place for an appointment.

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Tea Room / 1F: Lilas
A cozy, hideaway tea room on the first floor, intended primarily for persons taking the express elevator to the Sky Promenade on the top floor of the Keio Plaza.

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Soda Fountain #47 / 47F
Soda Fountain in the 47th Floor Sky Promenade. A place to rest and enjoy the view from the Top of the Keio Plaza.

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Polestar Sky Bar /45th Floor

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Little Bear Circle Bar /45th Floor

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Brillant Main Bar / 2nd Floor

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The Consort Supper Club / 2nd Floor

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Ambrosia Sky Restaurant / 44th Floor

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Prunier Restaurant / 2nd Floor

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Jurin Coffee House / 2nd Floor

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

The Concord Ballroom

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On the 10th Floor, the Tea Ceremony Room: Syo-Fu-An

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Gibson Restaurant -

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

This earlier image is another example of the detail graphics and designs that were created by the talents of Charles R. Alvey and Richard Simpson, of the InterContinental Hotel Corporation's Department of Interior & Graphics Design. This image is another example of InterContinental Hotel's competitors copied for their own Graphic's applications. In some hotels, this image is used to this day.

Meeting Facilities:

30 function rooms accommodating up to 3,000 people

Keio Plaza Inter-Continental Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Neal Prince, AIA, ASID

Images held by the Collection:

STATEMENT

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL

INTERIOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGN

POLICY

NEAL PRINCE

The approach to hotel design differs greatly from interior design for an individual. The latter is dictated by the aesthetic environmental pleasures of one particular person or family, whereas hotel design is a coordinated effort between the functional requirements if IHC Hotel Management and Operations, the architectural concept and space allocation, the desires of the local hotel company, the limitations of restrictive budgets, and the harmony and market of the country in which a hotel is located – all combined to produce a profit marking plant reflecting the current international tastes of a widely diversified market.

Although standardization would appear to be desirable in a rapidly growing industry, experience indicates the most successful efforts are based on individuality related to the country of origin rather than standardization of design, but with an overlying emphasis of international standardization of quality and service.

Each hotel in each location produces its own surveyed, conceptual, and operational requirements of IHC, its own local interior designers, and its own problems of local availability and manufacturing; however, the following outline of goals is generally applicable:

A. To produce good design based primarily on the functional needs and requirements of IHC Operations in order that Management can merchandise fully the facilities provided and develop a high quality of service; this design to be approached simultaneously along the following avenues:

1. Concept (objectivity) – initiated by IHC Operations and local Hotel Company (where applicable).

2. Function (utility) – based on past experience and current consumption of practical innovation.

3. Construction (fabrication) – utilization of local market facilities and methods wherever possible.

4. Budget (feasibility) – dictated by market surveys indicating the initial expenditure warranted by projected profits.

5. Beauty (design) – a conglomerate result of the thinking and ideas of all parties involved coordinated into a smooth, compatible result.

B. To insure that the original design concept and subsequent development of each project is based not on the likes and dislikes of any one faction but expresses the taste and insures the comfort of the international guest; and also utilizes, wherever possible, the trades, manufactures and craftsmen as well as the arts and crafts, ornamentation, styles, and traditions indigenous to the country in which a project is located.

The following Exhibit is a memorandum from March 5th, 1971, by Mr. Prince's, regarding the policy on "How to Design Hotel Guest Rooms", from an Interior Designer point of view, by Mr. Prince:

The following Exhibit is a memorandum from March 5th, 1971, by Mr. Prince's, regarding the policy on "How to Design Hotel Guest Rooms", from an Interior Designer point of view, by Mr. Prince:

DISCLAIMER: A considerable effort has been made in good faith to ensure that all information accessible from this site of Archives and memoirs are accurate. Despite this effort, it is clear that errors are inevitable. Consequently no guarantees are expressed or implied as to the accuracy, timeliness, currency or completeness of any information authored by persons at or agents of the Neal Adair Prince Trust or its Estate Trust Holding affiliates, or accessible using links from this site. Nor is any warranty made that the information obtained from this Educational Archival site or that of an affiliate is valuable or useful for any purpose. A reader assumes full responsibility for any actions taken based on information obtained from this Educational Archival Interior Designer's web site. In particular, we emphasize that the information available through this site should not be interpreted as professional International Interior Designer advice. All information from these archives, from this or any other source, needs carefully to be reviewed with your own trusted License Interior Designer provider before being acted upon in any way.