Imagine if you took all of the designers on those weird BBC makeover shows and turned them loose on a hotel, and you would have the Hotel Helix. One enters through sliding curtains – not doors – and is hit with multicolored squares of light that change colors every few seconds.
We checked in and walked through bright green halls to our room on the seventh floor, Bright colors and unusual furniture rule here. Our room was sectioned off with sheer curtains – entertainment center, closet, and bed area. Even the minibar was unique, with items such as Pez despensers, wax lips, and CDs of eclectic music. In the drawer next to it one finds the typical Gideon Bible, right next to The Teachings of Budha.
We had gotten in earlier than expected, and with a couple of hours before John and Kate arrived, we headed down to the lounge for happy hour. Cool music was playing even in the elevators, and a definite party atmosphere abounded in the lounge. The same unusual design could be found everywhere, with strangely shaped furniture, lights that rotate through various colors, and a central lounge area that looked like a large hat. The clientele is young, professional.
We sat enjoying some excellent drinks and munchies, listening to music that illicited a reflexive toe-tapping, head bopping response. We both wondered if there was anywhere this cool in Greenville. I don’t think so.
Unfortunately, cool can also mean cigarette smoke. When it got unbearable, we headed back upstairs to wait for our friends. John and Kate arrive downstairs and asked the concierge for our room, 711. The young lady sent them around the corner to the Seven-11 quick shop. We still don’t know if she was pulling a joke, or if she was actually confused. Regardless, they finally got to the room.
