The theme for a QT Auckland- an oyster shell, rough outside and seductive polish of the inside was a  metaphor for a repurposed inner city building and hotel conversion – a shell hiding the luxury that lies within. It was onset by my first visit to Auckland and a dozen oysters – the salty sweet is a metaphor for the design, where we have elevated the bold use of colour and created a cocooning interior that uses interesting local materials and suppliers, adding to the harbour-based neighbourhood narrative of QT Auckland. Harnessing the idea that beauty lies within, the theme of discovery is a central narrative throughout guest experience. The oyster narrative is a loose one, but extends to some interior components that we used such as wall textures, bespoke rugs and carpets, and graphics and artworks that celebrate Auckland’s DNA and the mythical sea surrounding the land of the long white cloud.