Interior designer Roger Haan has turned the Kaboom Hotel into a no-frills and highly functional hotel for the modern traveler. The name ‘Kaboom’ suggests an explosion or a clash; a clash between the quality you get and the price you pay for it — a five-star experience for fifty euros. Kaboom is housed in a building that dates from 1905 situated directly opposite Maastricht’s central railway station. On the outside, the building reflects the architectural style in which it was built – the Amsterdam School. On the inside, it is ultra-modern.
In most hotels, high-traffic areas like corridors tend to show signs of wear and tear due to the constant stream of suitcases and linen carts. For the corridors in Kaboom, the designer opted for partial wall tiling made from diagonal ceramic tiles that protect the walls from damage. This also produces a very striking and unusual look.
In contrast with most hotels, the linen carts at Kaboom never block the corridors. Here, they are tucked away in specially designed niches in the wall, keeping the corridors free. The slightly recessed room doors create a kind of portico to give guests a homey feeling. Two additional functional design elements in the corridors are the fluorescent tubes on the ceiling that double as signposts and the illuminated arrows that guide guests to their rooms.
This functionality spills into the rooms as well. Suitcases can be easily stored under the bed and the room itself is extremely minimalist in design to create maximum living space.
all images courtesy of Kaboom Hotel