Ambiance Boutique Art Hotels launched its second property in Pakistan in Karachi, City of Lights. The grand opening showcased not only the stunningly designed property and its distinctively-curated art collection but also a unique immersive theatrical performance in which an entire block of the hotel was converted
into a ‘walk-through’ theatre, allowing guests to interact with performing actors.
Star Attendees
Hosted by Sophia & Kasim Kasuri, notable faces from Karachi and across the country participated in the event including former Senator Javed Jabbar, former minister Nisar Khuhro, economist Dr. Ishrat Husain, former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Beaconhouse founder Nasreen Kasuri, Munirah & Wajid Jawad, educators Nassir Kasuri and Amina W Kasuri, civil rights activist Jibran Nasir, Sharmila Faruqi, Sanam Saeed, Mohib Mirza, Ayesha Omer, Maria Wasti, Asim Raza, Saqib Malik, Asad Ul Haq & Farah Haq, Tariq Amin, Fifi Haroon, Rukaiya Adamjee, Tapu Javeri, Shamoon Sultan, HSY, Khadijah Shah, Yousaf Shahbaz, Maheen Karim, Saba Ansari, Fouzia Amaan, Sachal Afzal, Takeshi Khoji, Fatima Hasan, Mahvaish Rehman, Misbah Momin, Asad & Laila Premjee, Nida & Adnan Tapal, Raza & Mehreen Agha, Chandni Saigol, Farah Leghari, Simeen Tapal and Mikaal Habib, among others.
Amid the glitz and glamour of celebrities, socialites, and fashionistas, a number of artists, designers, business leaders, journalists, bloggers and media personalities also attended the event.
Also present were the hotel’s design team: architect Moyena Niazi, interior designer Sabeen R. Shiraz, and hotel stylist Deepak Perwani, who has also designed the staff uniforms.
The event was marked by ‘Living Art: Episode Two’, an immersive theatre performance directed by theatre actor Vajdaan Shah which bridged the gap between the visual and performing arts. Uber-creative and distinctive, the Living Arts performance was an amalgamation of 18 different stories inspired by the artwork displayed at Ambiance Hotel, each of which was selected by the Ambiance Curators’ Committee which includes Prof Salima Hashmi, Prof Shehnaz Ismail, Adeela Suleman, and Kasim Kasuri.
An Evening To Remember
Guests were mesmerized as they interacted with the performing actors who individually and in small groups told an interwoven tale that featured themes of sibling separation, lost love, the trauma of war, regeneration, and celebration replete with whispering surgeons, mad scientists, cheeky fembots, and other colorful characters all buoyed by intense action and stellar acting. Audience members walked through several rooms to follow the trajectory of the performances in four-time slots from 6 to 10 pm.
Speaking on the occasion, Kasim Kasuri, the hotel’s CEO & Chief Design Curator, commented: “We built Ambiance to redefine hospitality by offering curated experiences to our patrons as Pakistan’s first network of boutique art hotels. Art is center-stage at the hotel, not just in terms of the paintings on our walls but in terms of our overall design aesthetic. While staying at Ambiance, you get to live, breathe, and immerse yourself in visually and aesthetically appealing art in multiple forms.”
Guests also sampled mocktails and bite-sized food from ‘Ambiance Express’, a first-of-its-kind hotel restaurant broadly inspired by Karachi’s old trams, which serves a carefully curated menu of global comfort food.
The newly-launched hotel, a green oasis situated in Clifton Block 5 in the heart of Karachi, showcases over 200 original works of art from emerging and mid-career
Pakistani artists including Atif Khan, Mohsin Shafi, Sonia Chundrigar, Beygum Bano, Tooba Ashraf, and many others.
The boutique art hotel is separated into four spacious blocks and currently offers an inventory of 14 operational rooms, expected to increase to 24 in the next few weeks. By the end of 2022, it will offer guests a total of 42 luxuriously-appointed accommodations including the upcoming ‘Ambiance Garden Suites’, each one featuring a lush green private garden. A spa and other facilities are also expected to be launched. The property is managed by Awaiz Adil, who has worked in hospitality leadership roles in England, Scotland, and Pakistan.
Renowned for its thoughtfully-crafted interiors and soulful vibe, Ambiance Boutique Art Hotel first launched in Lahore in October 2020.
Pakistan’s pioneering production and PR agency, Catwalk Event Management Productions Pvt. Ltd. with 32 years of experience was responsible for orchestrating this unique launch event in Karachi and its PR.
