Photo: Basia Kuligowska & Przemek Nieciecki

Hotel
Space for beautiful things

The Autor Rooms welcome design-savvy travelers to a converted old apartment in the heart of Warsaw. The host of this extraordinary boutique mini-hotel is graphic design studio Mamastudio.

by Linda Pezzei | 5/4/2021

“Our aim is to offer visitors to Warsaw a new quality of tourism. We want to bridge the gap between cheap hostels and private accommodation, on the one hand, and big names and luxury hotels, on the other. Autor Rooms seeks to appeal to people who appreciate beautiful things and are looking for an unpretentious atmosphere as well as the possibility to network with like-minded people.” It was this idea that prompted the creative team of Mamastudio based in the Polish capital to start up Autor Rooms in 2015. Under the supervision of architect Mateusz Baumiller and in collaboration with various Polish artists and designers one floor of a quaint old house in the middle of Warsaw’s old town has been transformed into a unique boutique hotel with special charm. Across an area of 200 square meters guests can choose from four rooms – each of which has its own individual style.

Creative oasis

The original outlay of the apartment but also the doors, locks and windows were all retained. In addition, very little in the rooms is “off the peg”. The hand-crafted lighting fixtures were supplied by manufacturer Ultralight. Specially fashioned glasses, mirrors and door handles were conceived by designer Maria Jeglinska. Beza Projekt designed the hand-dyed woolen bedding and the young cabinetmaker duo Segiet Oniszh designed and realized the large oak table that takes pride of place in the shared living and breakfast room. Thanks to the unerring selection by the curators of the Polana Institute the Autor Rooms are a creative oasis. The special flair comes from the successful blend of historic patina, artful stucco ornamentation, and the creaking floorboards that all combine to provide an appropriate setting for the avant-garde artworks and the large collection of vintage Polish furniture. Autor Rooms not only promises 100 percent Polish design that you can admire and use – but anyone who would like to take a favorite item back home with them can do just that: “If a guest falls in love with an item we put them in contact with the designer so as to enable a purchase,” explains the team.

Moreover, guests are not only given a key to their room but also to the city. Autor Rooms seeks to be an opportunity for everyone to get to know new people and places. For its guests the people making up Mamastudio see themselves as new acquaintances who want to familiarize their guests with the city they love away – at a far cry from the normal tourist attractions – from their favorite quarter to cafés, art galleries and street markets. The service also includes a city map with selected destinations for trips that are arranged according to topical areas: For those interested in culture there are guided tours of art exhibitions, fashionistas get a personal invite to the studios of local fashion designers, and anyone wanting to turn the night into day is added to the guest lists of the best parties in town. The hotel also has its own concierge service.

Autor Rooms is a gem for anyone visiting cities and cultural spots who expects more from their trip than simply ticking off famous sights from a list. Anyone who books a room here automatically becomes part of a small family. In addition, the individual rooms with their innovative freestanding bathroom cubicles offer a spacious place of retreat and a genuine “welcome home feeling”. By contrast, the shared breakfast room, the living room, terrace, library and Honesty Bar provide opportunities for mingling with the other guests. As such, Autor Rooms is not only a hotel but also an extraordinary project initiated by people acting as ambitious ambassadors for the diversity of the young Polish design scene. As we said, a space for beautiful things.