It’s funny how one door leads to another. I first noticed the phenomenon when I spent a year living and working abroad in Whistler, Canada. Going out into the unknown exposes you to new possibilities; ones which can only be found in person.
This concept has been called many things by many people. There are numerous books that explore the idea, for example The Alchemist, a kind of fable for following your dreams, taking chances and riding the wave of fortune to see where it delivers you.
Your Best Friend in Ljubljana: Hotel One66 interior
I personally call it ‘The Law of Hidden Doors’. It’s the idea that doors of opportunity will open when you go somewhere new, but such doors cannot be seen, let alone opened, without taking the gamble and diving into the unknown – which of course involves some risk. Therefore only by jumping off the cliff into the opaque future, can you find and open the hidden doors of opportunity.
Such is the case with my most recent partnership with the extremely hip ‘Hotel One66’ in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I had launched BREG Design just weeks before the pandemic struck. This meant my plans to have them in shops around the country took a major hit. But they did catch the eye of the Slovene media, which led to an interview in Dnevnik, a major Slovene daily.
This interview caught the attention of the lovely Lejla of Hotel One66, a brand new development in Ljubljana who were seeking Slovene-flavoured products and brands to be part of it.
Hotel One66 in Ljubljana
And so it came to pass that several of my BREG Designs now hang as art prints alongside actual artists of renown in the corridors of Hotel One66 (check floor 5 for mine!) and my shirts will be on sale within the hotel itself.
I recently got a sneak-peak tour of the Hotel One66 which will be opening very soon, and it’s looking very cool indeed. They’ve opted for a great mix of modern styling, blended with antique. An enormous carved wooden wardrobe sits in the foyer, along with a tiled ceiling reminiscent of the kamin – the Slovene tiled stove – and rather attractive mosaic-tiled floors. The bedrooms look high spec – with clean, quality design and art everywhere.
BREG Design Co T-shirts: for sale in Hotel One66
There are lots of very interesting different areas within the hotel: a co-working space (which will be open to locals as well as guests), little chillout zones, a leafy terrace, a little stage for performances, plus other nooks and crannies where you can sip your coffee, read a book and chat.
They also have a shipping-crate bar, an airstream kitchen, and perhaps most interesting of all, a fully functional open air copper bath that sits atop the shipping crate bar and is sure to encourage naughtiness after dark.
Feeling dirty? Take a dip in Hotel One66’s open air copper tub.
What I really like is that HotelOne66 has gone for a very strong Slovenian flavour throughout their asthetic. Many hotels I have visited over the years neglect their location and betray their roots, with pictures of cliché capitals on the walls (New York, Paris, London …yawn) or done-to-death generic imagery.
Not so in Hotel One66. They have gone full-fat Slovene here, involving art, artists, brands and manufacturers that are thoroughly Slovenian-flavoured. The Elan basketball hoop in the conference room is one such touch. (The globally known Slovenian brand that invented the parabolic (carver) ski also makes boats, and other sports equipment).
BREG shirts are in good company, sitting alongside clothing and bags from BOO - a minalist brand run by two Slovene sisters, and Broken Bones Gin - an award-winning Slovenian spirit. Perhaps my only suggestion would have been to swap the Airstream-style caravan for a Slovene-built Adria - but I’ll let that slide.
Hotel One66’s kitchen
Hotel One66 Ljubljana is a much-needed addition to Ljubljana’s accommodation offering; they have really gone to town on the details and the result is – impressive. It’s fair to say this is Slovenia’s coolest hotel, and I suspect it will become a favourite with visitors looking for an authentic Slovene experience, quality rooms, fantastic spaces, and in a cool part of town (Šiška).
The Elan basketball hoop in the conference room is a great Slovenian touch
The partnership between Hotel One66 Ljubljana and BREG Design Co. once again shows me how one thing leads to another. And another. When I conceived the idea for BREG, Hotel One66 did not exist. So it’s very rewarding to be included alongside several other great Slovene brands, to showcase what this great country has to offer and give guests an authentic Slovenian experience.
For me, it’s a fresh demonstration of the The Law Of Hidden Doors, and how if you just start walking the path you want to tread, doors of opportunity will open up to you along the way.
Hotel One66 opens summer 2021, will have around 200 rooms, a co-working space, bar and restaurant for locals and guests, and will be selling BREG Design Co. t-shirts – amongst other great Slovene merch.
