CASE STORIES /
Courtyard by Marriott Basel

The Courtyard by Marriott Basel, beautifully renovated between 2022 and 2023 under the guidance of Geplan Design, is situated in Pratteln, a suburb of Basel. This extensive renovation included a complete recalibration, with the central design theme – sport – holding a deep-rooted tradition at the area. But let’s start from the beginning…

Water and wellness at Aquabasilea
The SV Group is a leading gastronomy and hotel management group located near Zurich in Switzerland. Marco Antonelli, Senior Project Manager Design & Construction, had already been responsible for the construction of the hotel in 2009/2010. The hotel boasts direct access to Aquabasilea, one of Switzerland’s largest and most varied water and wellness worlds. In the evenings, many business people simply stroll over from the hotel to unwind in the sauna, Turkish bath, or spa after demanding conferences. And come the weekend, it’s predominantly families who relish long, fun-filled days in the wave pool, on thrilling slides, or in the outdoor whitewater river. They end the day nicely – skipping a tiresome trip home – with a delightful evening meal in the restaurant and a restful night in the hotel.

Moreover, the Courtyard by Marriott has always been a revolving door for guests with sporting interests, hosting players from FC Basel – one of the top football clubs in the Swiss Super League – as well as competitors in the ATP tennis tournament in Basel, the Swiss Indoors. Inspired by this, the interior architecture firm Geplan Design – known for their bespoke and truly unique hotel and gastronomy projects – came up with something extraordinary for the hotel’s rejuvenation in Pratteln: The rich, traditional sporting references were sharply highlighted as a key design feature.

“Oh, the grass is so green”
Nowadays, “green is the colour that naturally dominates the hotel’s public areas,” remarks Marco Antonelli, Senior Project Manager at SV Hotel AG, with a playful smile and adds: “Green is the iconic colour of every sports pitch, the grass.” This green tone spreads across the walls of the waiting areas before the conference area on the first floor, decorated with historic sports gear such as tennis rackets, ice hockey sticks, and basketballs. A particularly striking aspect is the bold use of colour in the floor design of the spacious 260-square-metre meeting room on the conference floor: The carpet replicates a vast, green pitch surrounded by a red tartan track with three distinct lanes.

You could easily imagine yourself being at a stadium. This impression is not entirely off the mark, as companies and their employees regularly deliver top performances at conferences here. And significant gatherings celebrate moments as unforgettable as a sporting victory. Dansk Wilton, as the carpet manufacturer, transformed this highly ambitious vision of a sport-centric hotel into reality through the design of the “stadium carpet” in the grand meeting room and grass-green carpets in other public spaces.

Greetings from Basel
The second theme in the modernised hotel’s interior design draws from its proximity to Basel and the formidable Rhine, a powerful symbol of the city. Dansk Wilton crafted carpet designs featuring a green and blue diamond pattern, whose visual structure presents a contemporary yet elegant reinterpretation of the Basel Minster’s roof. The green variant once again ties back to the sports pitch theme, while the blue nods to “Father Rhine”, seeming to greet guests with its vibrant, bubbling presence behind the reception’s back wall during check-in. Both colour variations of the carpet are seamlessly blended together using the same complementary colours: brown, grey, black, and white. An ingenious design idea that brings calm to the multi-coloured scheme and connects the various functional areas in the public space.

Revitalisation successful
The remodelling and redesign of the building can also be described as outstanding in terms of its potential uses. Cord Glantz and Ursula Christen from Geplan Design explain why: “We are particularly proud of several aspects of this project. First and foremost, the striking difference between the before and after is remarkable. The first-floor spaces are now much more efficiently utilised, representing a significant enhancement for the hotel. Moreover, the exceptional fitness room and youth area, both spacious and unique for a hotel, should not be overlooked. Finally, the excellent collaboration with everyone involved resulted in a smooth process and exceptional outcomes.”

And the environment also had a say
Over 5,400 square metres of carpet from Dansk Wilton were laid during the renovation of the Courtyard by Marriott in Pratteln. “Several aspects were crucial in choosing the carpet manufacturer,” says Marco Antonelli. “In my view, sustainability has been an important trend in hotel and restaurant interior design for six or seven years, even if it wasn’t mandatory in this project but more of a ‘nice to have’. However, at the SV Group, we have now embedded sustainability standards into our building specifications and room guides, insisting on them from our suppliers.” It’s fortunate, then, that Dansk Wilton is among the few manufacturers with Cradle-to-Cradle certification, offering carpet solutions that satisfy even the most rigorous requirements for resource-saving, future-friendly products.

“We do not manufacture in far-off countries with dubious working and environmental conditions or long transport distances. Instead, production is based in Denmark, a country renowned for its high design standards and pioneering sustainable initiatives,” explains Angélique Krauter, Country Manager D/A/CH at Dansk Wilton. “We also develop the yarns alongside a Danish producer. The wool utilised is a blend of British and New Zealand wool. The British wool ensures the necessary resilience, while the New Zealand wool adds outstanding lustre to our base wool fibre.”

However, the unconventional, flexible and open cooperation with Dansk Wilton was decisive for the choice of supplier for the revitalisation project of the Courtyard by Marriott Basel. Marco Antonelli elaborates: “All projects have their challenges – pricing demands, tight deadlines, complex product requirements, and unique design preferences… That’s why it’s vital that my contact is honest and adaptable. Thinking ‘outside the box’ is essential once in a while. Not just sticking with the catalogue but suggesting: ‘Let me see if the machinery can handle it – let’s have a go.’ Moreover, when the entire team works in harmony, from production to decision-making… This is precisely what we need. Besides product quality, selecting a manufacturer is about the solutions offered, communication, collaboration, delivery schedules – ultimately, overall process flexibility. And that’s why Dansk Wilton remains a leading player.”

As a result, the renovation project was executed flawlessly, culminating in a comprehensive transformation. Today, the Courtyard by Marriott Basel stands out as a modern, elegant, and above all thoroughly sporty hotel, a place Marco Antonelli is always delighted to revisit: “It holds a special place in my heart – it was my first hotel project for SV Hotel AG 15 years ago, and now I’ve been able to oversee its full transformation. This fills me with great pride. I make a point of stopping by whenever I’m nearby. I enjoy a coffee while savouring the distinctive charm of this place. It holds a special place in my heart”