A unique airline lounge concept, centred on guests experiencing comfort, technology and design with a blend of ‘Belgitude’ and Japanese hospitality, THE LOFT has won this prized accolade each year since it first opened in 2018. Following the pandemic, it reopened in June of this year after an eight-month closure. Guests are welcomed with the highest health safety standards including discreet COVID signage and bespoke touches like a personal welcome and seating process, traditional warm Japanese ‘Oshibori’ towels and digital newspapers. In catering the buffet concept was adjusted to reduce infection risks and while waiting for the passionate Neuhaus maître chocolatier to return, Neuhaus chocolate has continued to be offered to all lounge guests.

Wencke Lemmes-Pireaux, Head of Customer Experience, Product & Marketing: “ It is remarkable how our welcoming staff succeeds in providing our guests with a relaxing experience in the LOFT and this under challenging circumstances. Together with our partners who are driven by the highest quality, we made it our mission to make our guests feel well taken care of every day. The fact that, next to travel and tourism professionals, these same customers have chosen for the third consecutive time for the LOFT by Brussels Airlines and Lexus as “Europe’s Leading Airport Lounge 2021” is the greatest reward we could get. I wish to thank the team as well as all involved partners for their commitment to excellence and for always putting hospitality, and herewith our customers, first.”

Pascal Ruch, TME Vice President Lexus Europe, said: “Winning this award for the third time running with THE LOFT rounds off an amazing year for Lexus, with highlights like the all-new NX 450h Plug-in Hybrid and NX 350h Self-Charging Hybrid. Above all it reflects our world-class Japanese ‘Omotenashi’ service ethos where we anticipate customer needs, offering them safety and peace-of-mind during the pandemic.”

THE LOFT at Brussels Airport draws on award-winning INTERSECT BY LEXUS brand spaces in Tokyo, Dubai and in New York’s fashionable Meatpacking District. This new airline lounge concept for international travellers was inspired by Lexus luxury, design and the traditional Japanese ‘Omotenashi’ hospitality. It marks a further expansion of Lexus beyond the premium automotive world as a global luxury lifestyle brand.

Covering an area of more than 2,000 m², THE LOFT offers seating for up to 500 guests. It is divided into areas with distinctive ambiences and features, including a central bar, seating zones and a break-out space that is ideal for those who need to work while on the move.

In line with the brand proposition to ‘Feel More’, lounge guests are provided with a wealth of facilities to make their visit feel relaxing and enjoyable, together with opportunities to immerse themselves in the world of Lexus. They are invited to feel more luxurious with a masterclass hosted by a Neuhaus maître chocolatier; feel more relaxed in SPA Grohe shower suites’, nap rooms with starlit ceilings and LS Shiatsu-effect massage chairs; feel more inspired by award winning arts and design elements by Lexus, including a Lexus Boardroom with its Mark Levison^® audio system; and feel more entertained at regular events ranging from wine tasting to music recitals.

THE LOFT is once again fully operational, with Lexus Brand Ambassadors providing a Omotenashi welcome to guests each day from 05.00am till 09.00pm.

More information on THE LOFT by Brussels Airlines and Lexus can be found at : THE LOFT By Lexus | Lexus Europe

ABOUT THE WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Celebrating its 28th anniversary in 2021, its programme is the most prestigious and comprehensive in the industry. Each year the World Travel Award travels the globe with its Grand Tour – a series of regional gala ceremonies, culminating in a Grand Fina.

World Travel Awards gala ceremonies are regarded as milestone events in the travel calendar, attended by the industry's key decision-makers, figureheads and media. Despite the ongoing global challenges, the appetite for travel has reached new and unprecedented levels. Evidence is reflected in the World Travel Awards annual voting figures. In 2019, we reported a record 1,945,965 votes cast, a 17% increase on the previous record. In 2020, a record 2,033,494 votes were cast.

Crafted by world-renowned interior designer Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall, who also led design in Tokyo and Dubai, the 16,500 square foot, three story Manhattan space will be the largest of the three properties, with unique elements and experiences that evolve with each distinct floor. The street level will be anchored by the Café area, the CRAFTED FOR LEXUS retail area and a Public Gallery space, which will feature everything from product concepts to custom exhibitions and installations. The inaugural full-service Restaurant at INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC and Cocktail Bar and Lounge will be located on the second floor. Finally, the third floor Private Gallery rounds out the space and will transform for a multitude of culturally relevant programming concepts such as: full immersion events, art installations, film screenings, panels, performances and other inviting experiences.

Like its predecessors in Tokyo and Dubai, INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC will call upon visionaries to collaborate on experiential programming that engages with the building, community and five core pillars – hospitality, food, design, entertainment and technology. Each program will “intersect” facets of culture on multiple levels and deliver creative, exceptional moments to the city and beyond. “New York City is an important global cultural hub with a great spirit of collaboration, making it a perfect location for INTERSECT BY LEXUS,” says Yoshihiro Sawa, President, Lexus International. “The combination of the uniquely designed space with the curiosity and imagination of the city's people will serve to inspire the next generation of creators and innovators."

RESTAURANT

A destination within a destination, the restaurant at INTERSECT BY LEXUS will offer fine dining to provide patrons with world-class cuisine in a refined yet informal atmosphere. A rotating Global Chefs-in-Residence program will allow the restaurant to introduce a new dining concept from a different chef every four to six months, each of whom will be selected in collaboration with Danny Meyer’s acclaimed Union Square Hospitality Group.

The restaurant will officially open with Chef Gregory Marchand who has built his culinary notoriety with Frenchie Restaurant in Paris and Frenchie Covent Garden in London. His inspired menu will feature dishes rooted in French cuisine and transformed to infuse the flavors of the esteemed restaurants, chefs and countries he has come across throughout his career.

Neighboring the dining room sits a Cocktail Bar and Lounge. The cocktail program will draw inspiration from the seasons, featuring signature creations as well as updated classics. There will also be a thoughtful selection of beer and wine.

DESIGN

INTERSECT BY LEXUS’ dedication to the brand’s Takumi craftsmanship – a quintessentially Japanese term translating roughly to “artisan” – resonates throughout the building’s design. Using this philosophy, Mr. Katayama has transformed the space into three distinct levels with corresponding personalities.

Like each of the previous locations, the new design-forward hub will contain signature elements inspired by INTERSECT BY LEXUS’ global reach but that also reflect an authentic aesthetic of the surrounding city. Standout elements such as a wall display with over 1,200 miniature car models, a two-story art installation featuring historic Lexus vehicle parts and bamboo window screens inspired by the signature Lexus spindle grille are shared with the Tokyo and Dubai locations.

INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC is located at 412 West 14th Street New York, New York 10014. For more information on the space please visit www.Intersect-NYC.com.

Lexus also acknowledges the lead creative contributions and guidance of Inform Ventures in the creation of INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC in providing programming ideas for this space.

OVERVIEW OF INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC

Address: 412 West 14^th Street

New York, NY, 10014, USA

Phone: +1 212 230 5832

Website: www.Intersect-NYC.com

Hours: 7:00am – 11:00pm

Twitter: @IntersectNYC

Instagram: @IntersectNYC

Facebook: Intersect.NYC