Travel by Design

What can travelers expect from the next generation of hotel rooms? To find out, Hamish heads to the top secret innovation lab at Marriott Headquarters — where more adaptable, interactive, and locally connected hotel rooms are being crafted as the ideal home base for millions of travel journeys to come. He learns why the near future of hotel rooms isn’t a dogpile of technology for technology’s sake...

Eleven stories above the arctic circle, a panoramic view — of Norwegian mountains, fjords, and the Northern Lights — sweeps travelers into the natural world. That’s the first thing you’ll see when you check in at Moxy Tromsø, because the hotel lobby is intentionally perched on the top floor. A welcome drink and an uninterrupted view make this a one-of-kind introduction to one of the most breathtak...

What do an airport terminal, the set of a Broadway show, and one of the most revered parks in New York City have in common? They’ve all been shaped by renowned designer David Rockwell — and they all reveal the hidden choices that go into designing a public space. David’s work shows a deep understanding of gathering places, in-between spaces, and transitions. He can shape a lobby, an atrium, or eve...

Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, is a rising destination for travelers who want to visit a vibrant European city with a fantastic local food scene, access to breathtaking countryside excursions, and centuries of historic architecture. Tapping into that history is The Marmorosch Bucharest, an Autograph Collection Hotel. This hotel was crafted inside the Marmorosch-Blank Bank Palace, a statel...

On the southern tip of the Indonesian island of Bali, the Nusa Dua peninsula offers travelers some of the most stunning beaches in Southeast Asia. But the area surrounding Nusa Dua is also home to majestic cliffs, lush hills, and stone temples. These settings offer a chance to connect with Bali’s local landscape, architecture, and culture — an experience that goes beyond a beach-side getaway. The...

The Riviera Maya, a coastal paradise on the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, is home to peaceful mangroves, stunning beaches, and breathtaking freshwater pools known as cenotes. And nestled amongst the mangrove trees is the St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya — a 620-acre reserve that immerses travelers in a heavenly natural setting and pays homage to over 4,000 years of Maya heritage within greater...

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg have been partners in design (and in life) for decades, creating award-winning hospitality spaces that span the globe and never deliver the same experience twice. When they were asked to design the interiors for two distinct hotels built inside the same 37-story building in Downtown Los Angeles, George and Glenn decided to craft the spaces for two contemporary “pro...

The Maldives, an archipelago of more than a thousand islands off the southern tip of India, is renowned for pristine beaches and unparalleled ocean views. The natural setting of these islands, which sit atop shimmering waters and reflect colors of emerald and royal blue, is the perfect place for an island resort getaway. But while any number of resorts in the Maldives offer snorkeling among the co...

Discover how design, blended with nature, puts you right inside a mangrove, so you can immerse yourself in the jungles of Costa Rica at the El Mangroove Hotel and Residences. Host and hotel design reviewer Hamish Kilburn speaks with owner Andres Pacheco and architect Ronald Zürcher to find out how they worked with the mangrove to build their hotel.   Read more about El Mangroove's design on Marrio...

For the longest time, Airport hotels have been treated as nonchalant, transitional places — simply somewhere to rest your head during a layover, en route to your true destination. With their focus on business clientele, airline staff, and people seeking refuge from a canceled flight or missed connection, airport hotels haven’t always provided an experience that guests could relish as destination-w...

Picture the grand entrance to an Austro-Hungarian palace from the late 19th century, complete with iron-wrought gates and a vaulted ceiling. A beautiful blend of art styles that includes Art Nouveau, Baroque, and Romanesque. Ornate finishings on everything, from handle rails to columns and ceilings. A color palette that reflects the city’s rooftops in teal, green, gold and copper. These sights are...

As the capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is known for its charm, its culinary scene, and its coastal climate. Built on one of the largest natural harbors in the world, this Canadian city is often filled with a gentle fog and sea mist — creating a sense of place that’s simultaneously rooted in the ocean and the earth. Muir Halifax, Autograph Collection has been painstakingly designed to honor and int...

Host Hamish Kilburn, Editor of Hotel Designs, leads us on a globetrotting journey through immersive, insightful conversations with the designers behind the world’s most extraordinary hotels. Travel by Design reimagines the hotel design podcast previously known as Behind the Design. From a secluded overwater villa in the Maldives, to a rejuvenated royal palace in Budapest, to a trendy hotspot in do...

Travel by boat across the Venetian lagoon and escape onto a private island, where every step — and every plate of locally sourced food — has been thoughtfully integrated to bring you back into touch with the healing power of earth, sea, and sun. In this episode, we travel to the J.W. Marriott Venice resort and Spa, which gives guests access to the secluded retreat of Isola delle Rose. To understan...

What is it about sitting by the waves that makes so many people happy? And what does it take to recreate that feeling at a hotel that's nowhere near the ocean? We've spent hours talking about the design of hotels and the world of hospitality. But in this episode, we go on a deep dive into the design of SoundWaves, a one-of-a-kind water attraction that's built into the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Na...

W Hotels recently launched its very own record label, W Records. At the W Music International Summit in Austin, Texas, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler sat down with some of the top innovators in the music industry who led the launch of W Records. Learn how they ensured brand consistency, navigated the changing music industry landscape, and got some of the top emerging artists to come on board. See acast....

Join Marriott TRAVELER as we explore the world of Destiny 2, a video game in which players assume the role of a Guardian and are tasked with reviving a character called (appropriately) The Traveler while journeying to different planets along the way. Learn how the designers grounded the sci-fi settings in reality and how travel inspired the final look of the game. See acast.com/privacy for privacy...

Video game designers are creating landscapes so realistic, it's almost like traveling there yourself. Marriott TRAVELER sat down with the designers of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, which is set in ancient Greece, to find out what it took to create these landscapes and why recreating Greece was so important to them for this amazing game. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marriott TRAVELER visited the opening of Toy Story Land in Orlando and spoke with creative designers from PIXAR and Walt Disney. They discuss the process behind translating the beloved Toy Story films into a real-life interactive outdoor park, giving guests the opportunity to step into the stories and immerse themselves in a world of fun. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode of Behind the Design features a very special conversation with Hannah Beachler, who designed the fictional nation of Wakanda for Marvel Studios' blockbuster "Black Panther". Learn how Hannah's travels to South Africa influenced the way she envisioned Wakanda and how she brought those designs to life on the big screen. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information...

A cozy, plush carpet can truly evoke the feeling of a home away from home. Marriott TRAVELER meets with carpet design aficionados to learn how they glean inspiration from the humblest of sources. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Danish style is influencing design around the world, from restaurants and cuisine to furniture and interiors. Marriott TRAVELER explores the process of bringing comfort and ease into commercial design. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Marriott TRAVELER as we continue the conversation with the designers of Lido House from Autograph Collection at Marriott. In this episode, we talk about the art that occupies Lido House. Lido House's Design Team shares some tips and tricks of interior art and design for those of us looking for big ideas on a budget. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Marriott TRAVELER as we continue the conversation with the designers of Lido House from Autograph Collection at Marriott. In this episode, we talk about the art that occupies Lido House. Lido House's Design Team shares some tips and tricks of interior art and design for those of us looking for big ideas on a budget. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Marriott TRAVELER as we continue the conversation with the designers of Lido House from Autograph Collection at Marriott. In this episode we talk about furniture and the great lengths the Lido House Design Team has gone to combine function and style to create a tailored environment for each guest. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.