Hospitality Design: What I've Learned

The visionary hotelier founded Joie de Vivre hotels when he was only 26 years old, transforming an inner-city motel in San Francisco into the second largest boutique hotel brand in the world. After 24 years, he sold the company, but it didn’t take long for Airbnb to tap Conley to help turn the travel startup into a powerhouse global hospitality brand in the share economy. His most recent venture,...

When Beth Campbell was 10, she began working at her parents’ restaurants in Pittsburgh and was managing them by the time she was a teenager. That experience solidified her passion for hospitality. As CEO of Wilson Associates, she has cultivated an office environment where learning, education, and emotional intelligence take precedence. Trust the people around you, she says, because you’re not alon...

Meyer Davis' refined residential style has attracted many hospitality greats, including chef Andrew Carmellini for Locanda Verde, Barry Sternlicht for the 1 Hotel South Beach, and Dana Kalczak of Four Seasons. For the past two decades, the duo has continued to mark their territory with projects that embody their firm's ethos of creating inspirational environments that leave a lasting imp...

After cutting his teeth styling for retail catalogues and showrooms and working with Martha Stewart, Kemper Hyers' life changed forever when he joined Barry Sternlicht at Starwood, helping to launch such brands as Baccarat and 1 Hotels. Like the rest of the design community, Hyers continues to grapple with today's new normal, but he remains optimistic. The hotel industry will be back, he...

We spoke with Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), to understand the state of the hospitality industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Rogers, the $2 trillion stimulus package recently signed into law by President Trump, is less about stimulus and more about preservation. But he does see some light at the end of the tunnel, and even applau...

When you think of the names that have defined the industry, David Rockwell is on the top of that list. Likely, many of your favorite spaces have that signature Rockwell touch. Whether that’s Nobu restaurants in New York, his stage sets for Broadway, or the recently opened Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards, Rockwell's hallmark—an intersection of theater and hospitality—creates a thrilling choreogr...

Gary Dollens has been with Hyatt Hotels since 1977, when he took an entry level position with a Hyatt in Oak Brook, Illinois. It sparked his love affair with hotels and Hyatt, specifically, which has lasted to this day. In 2004, he switched from operations to overseeing architecture and design for the brand, while also helping guide Hyatt into an exciting new decade with acquisitions like Two Road...

Blake Danner's gregarious personality served him well, leading to jobs with Ian Schrager, Andrew Zobler, and for the past few months, at Proper Hospitality as chief operating officer. The lifestyle-meets-luxury brand is rapidly expanding with properties in San Francisco, Santa Monica, and Austin, all featuring an eclectic design by Kelly Wearstler. Behind it all is Danner, who says he loves b...

Having worked for the likes of Nike, W Hotels, and Ian Schrager, Aaron Richter took a risk when he joined Equinox during a time when the fitness industry lacked design direction. Now, as senior vice president of design, Richter is rewriting the rules of what a guest experience should be. For its brand evolution from fitness clubs to hotels, Equinox calls itself a new kind of luxury, powered by pos...

Designer and architect André Fu made a name for himself a decade ago with the career-making Upper House in his native Hong Kong. It was his first hotel and his big break only a few years after launching his firm AFSO. It embodies the full cinematic experience, which is at the core of all his projects. whether that’s designing pop-ups for brands like Louis Vuitton or crafting sumptuous getaways lik...

As a trailblazer in the wellness space, the Irish-born designer first got her start in fashion, but is now known for her zen-like designs for the likes of Six Senses and Miraval that immerse guests in all five senses. This episode is brought to you by Global Allies . For more information, go to globalallies.com. Thank you for listening! For more of our great interviews, find us at hospitalitydesig...

The tables are turned on this very special episode of HD's "What I've Learned" podcast. Interviewed by Adam Kubryk of Global Allies, editor in chief and senior vice president of the design group Stacy Shoemaker Rauen talks all things hospitality, from how the industry has evolved in the past two decades to building a community centered on a people-first approach. "It'...

Always a person who wanted to build things, born entrepreneur Kane Sarhan had many early careers. He started a college gossip magazine, was an assistant to a venture capitalist, and founded the Enstitute, a mentorship program for college-aged students. One of his funders was Barry Sternlicht of Starwood Capital Group. He then joined the iconic hotelier as brand director for the launch of 1 Hotels...

Father-son duo Alan and Michael Fuerstman of Montage and Pendry Hotels, respectively, both caught the hospitality bug early. Alan cut his teeth at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Bellagio in Las Vegas before founding Montage Hotels & Resorts in 2002. Michael, for his part, inherited his dad’s love of hospitality. Beginning his career as the coveted pool boy at the Bellagio...

The iconic Ian Schrager joined editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen for a fireside chat during HD 's annual Elevate conference held in October in New York. During the hourlong discussion, Schrager was candid about his Studio 54 days and his friendship with longtime business partner Steve Rubell. Always humble, Schrager said he's not afraid to make mistakes and try something else. Whethe...

Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels has been lauded for her eclectic design style that doesn't shy away from color and pattern. But it's her meticulous attention to detail that has elevated her to icon status. She carefully curates and champions work from venerated and emerging artists and craftspeople alike. No matter how perfect the design, she says, it always comes down to the people who make...

Born and bred in Toronto, Dana Kalczak has spent the last couple of decades at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts where she's played an integral part in creating a company that doesn't chase trends but deliberately takes the time to research and understand its guest. New hotels in Philadelphia and Montreal showcase the brand's ability to adapt while still being able to create magical,...

Josh Wyatt's career has had many iterations, with hospitality being his backbone since he founded Generator Hostels in 2007. The gamechanging brand led to many other opportunities, including at Neuehouse, where he's marrying the best of both worlds in a members' club that celebrates great design in urban settings. He credits his success to surrounding himself with good people who kn...

Julie Monk grew up in the Midwest but her career has taken her all over the world from Denmark to New York and Hong Kong, where she is now based. The trained architect has worked on projects big and small, but she points to two things that have solidified her passion for the hospitality industry: the merger between BBG-BBGM and HOK and her time living and working in Asia. Both of which transformed...

This episode originally aired on December 25th, 2018.   Brad Wilson started his career working with his mom to open a series of bakeries throughout Chicago. It was a natural step to go into hotels, helping to launch brands such as W and the gamechanging Ace Hotels. His pragmatic approach to hospitality has evolved into a deep love and understanding for the industry. "I'm sort of a junkie...

As Dream Hotel Group continues to grow and launch more brands, including Unscripted Hotels and the upcoming 5-Star Chatwal Lodge in the Catskill Mountains, CEO Jay Stein credits a community-oriented approach to Dream's success. In fact, he points to a piece of advice from his father that has become a core value of Dream's philosophy: to show respect to everyone on the team. It's a k...

Growing up, Lauren Rotett always wanted to do something creative and set her sights on architecture school. The Texas native first cut her teeth in corporate design with SOM, eventually going out on her own and landing her first hotel job, the Surrey, on the Upper East Side of New York. With three offices across the U.S., today, Rottet's firm is heralded for melding residentially inspired int...

Ennismore's Charlie North has been leading the hotel developer's interiors practice since 2015, after cutting his teeth with the likes of the late David Collins, Alexander Waterworth, and Martin Brudnizki. Recently named to our 2019 Wave of the Future class , North is behind the Hoxton's growth Stateside, as well as helping to spearhead the redo of the posh Gleneagles in Scotland. W...

As one of the Fab Five, Queer Eye 's Bobby Berk is a self-made designer whose road to celebrity wasn't easy. He left his small town in Missouri at age 15, couch surfing and sleeping in his car while doing double shifts at Applebee's to make ends meet. A job at Restoration Hardware then Portico led him to start Bobby Berk Home. Now, as a fan favorite on Netflix's hit show, he ha...

Hospitality rising stars Marcus Carey and Damon Lawrence are shaking up the hotel industry with Homage Hospitality , one of the first brands catered to the African American traveler by honoring and preserving black culture through design and programming. With one property open in New Orleans and three more on the boards, it seems they're onto something. This episode is brought to you by Globa...