Bobbi Brown’s transition into the hospitality industry was smoother than a makeup primer. The beauty legend (makeup artist, entrepreneur and author) left her namesake company in 2016 and this past April, opened the doors to The George, a boutique hotel tucked away in Montclair, New Jersey with her husband, Steven Plofker. (And that’s in addition to launching a lifestyle website, justBOBBI.com and a wellness line called Evolution_18.)
Was it a far stretch? Not really, says Bobbi. “As the creative director of the hotel, I was involved with every detail and every aspect of the design, just as I was with my cosmetics company.” It wasn’t unlike working with makeup. “The hotel is filled with a spectrum of shades of gray. We then used pops of colour to help accentuate details throughout the hotel. Similar to this, when doing makeup, I always started with beautiful, clean skin and then added pops of colour.”
But the truest sign of Bobbi Brown’s indelible mark on The George are the stellar amenities – a carefully curated collection of beauty (and non-beauty) products that leave as much of an impression as the decor and furnishings. Two words: Dyson Supersonic. One more: Nespresso. And another: Casper. Enticed yet? Here’s the beauty mogul on how she cherry-picked each and every important detail.
Choosing to provide guests with the Dyson hair dryer is such a brilliant idea. How did you come up with that?
Dyson products are simply the best, and when I was curating all of the amenities for the hotel I wanted to partner not only with the best products in their space, but also the ones that understood the importance of a digital partnership. Dyson creates really cool content, and it has been so much fun to work with them in every regard.
Every room is also stocked with a Nespresso! Why that brand?
Nespresso is my favorite coffee. I have one of their machines in all of my office spaces, houses etc. A Nespresso is how I start my day. Not only is it the best brand in its space, but they are also the best people to work with.
The rooms also all have EO products. Why did you chose them?
I have always been a fan of EO products. They’re super fresh and are made with simple yet effective ingredients. They also smell incredible.
The George has a signature scent. What is it?
I created a signature scent for the George that has Egyptian neroli, white grapefruit and dark patchouli. I’ve always been a huge fan of these scents and I was happy that I was finally able to put them all together. We created a candle, a room spray, a linen spray and a body oil. The candles are available for purchase at the George.
The toothpaste stocked in the bathrooms are from Hello. Can you share a bit about how you came to choose the brand and what makes it special?
The founder of Hello is a friend of mine who lives in Montclair. I love that the ingredients are all natural. Their use of colour and the way they market themselves has always appealed to me. They’re the best products and I was so thrilled to have them in the hotel.
The bathrobes are from Ikea. What makes them surpass all other bathrobes?
I tried bathrobes from everywhere you can possibly imagine, from low to high end. In the end, I found that Ikea’s were the most comfortable.
How did you decide on the Casper mattresses and what qualities do you look for in a good mattress?
When we were looking for a mattress we tried many, but when Casper’s arrived and we slept on it, my husband and I immediately fell in love. Not only are they great quality, but they’re also so convenient to ship. They’ve been wonderful partners to us. When everybody checks out, the most common review is how comfortable the beds are.
Will there be a gift shop or a place where guests can purchase either the amenities from the hotel or your own line of products (like Evolution_18)?
Yes, we are in the process of creating a pop up shop at the hotel, which will sell all the amenities. Everything in the hotel is actually for sale. If you see it, you can buy it.
