The Look and Feel of HiBird

The look and feel of HiBird is uniquely Puerto Rican, and the colors it carries are directly inspired by its environment. Interior designer Lulu Puras designed the revamped HiBird hotel using a unique range of colors that reflect the Caribbean warmth of Puerto Rico.

“For us, it was always important that the people who come here feel they are in the tropics, in the Caribbean, in a warm place. That’s why the selection of materials, colors, woods, and textures we worked with throughout the spaces, we were quite insistent on [using] these elements so that people who came here would feel like–‘I am in Puerto Rico.’”

The base colors at HiBird are coral and terracotta, which Puras describes as “the color of clay, of the earth, of the mountains of Puerto Rico.” Green is another color that is key to the HiBird palette. “When we designed the doors, we had the opportunity to have them made in any way we wanted, but we wanted to bring that exterior element inside, the green of moss, the green of palm trees, the green we see in El Yunque, in its various shades,” says Puras.

The color yellow also makes a big appearance at HiBird, as seen in the half-suns decorating the bedrooms at the hotel. “When you come to Puerto Rico, what you can feel the most is warmth, so we wanted to bring that warmth into the space, and what better than the sun, which can inspire you during any part of the day, whether it’s dawn or sunset.”

Taking direct inspiration from HiBird’s past as a building from the 1950s, the renovated hotel also featured terrazzo tiling in its bathrooms. “I wanted to showcase the true history of the buildings in Puerto Rico from the 1950s, and we brought it into the bathrooms… It was an element that was meant to be very cool, so we added a turquoise color to the concrete and gave it a curved shape.”

The beds at HiBird’s rooms were custom made and there are many design elements that were also inspired by the Caribbean, such as the light green upholstery behind the beds. “We made it slightly wrinkled because we wanted it to look like it has history, character, depth. In a green fabric, which also incorporates the color elements we’re working with,” she says. 

The rooms at HiBird were designed in an apartment style with full-sized kitchens, so that guests could could fully enjoy the space and make the most of their stay, says Puras. “They can cook here, bring in a chef, and enjoy a complete meal in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Even with their moderate size, we wanted to ensure that they could have a kitchen with everything they need to enjoy.”

From the bedrooms to the bathrooms and kitchens, every element at HiBird was thoughtfully curated to maximize the guest experience. Come and see for yourself. Enjoy your stay in Puerto Rico and delight in the warmth of its culture, its people, and of HiBird. Book your stay at HiBird today.