Today on the Hotel Design Podcast we a have Mitch Patel, President & CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, one of the most highly regarded developers and owners in North America. Mitch is a second generation hotelier, starting his company in 1997 with seed capital of just $3000 after cashing in his 401k and divesting his career as a civil engineer. He makes light of his modest startup funding by telling the story of his father who immigrated to the US with just $8 to his name, but eventually bought the family’s first hotel in Stockton, California. Today Vision Hospitality Group owns 33 hotels and has 17 more in development.

Mitch has an innate eye for design and sits on both Hilton and Marriott’s Design Boards. His opinions are well founded and he believes in using key design elements to connect with guests, such as the creation of social media moments. He believes designers need direction from owners, and that it is unwise to be trendy with certain items, but good to go all out with others. He urges particular caution on the building envelope and exteriors. Brand standards are important for conformity but Mitch firmly believes in pushing the boundaries with Art and Food & Beveridge. Vision Hospitality Group is building the USA’s first new construction Moxy Hotel by Marriott in Cherry Creek, Denver, and Mitch explains the lifestyle concept of his boutique properties and soft branded Autograph and Curio collections. Listeners will hear the enthusiasm Mitch has for the boutique segment and the creation of VHG’s first independent property, The Edwin Hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Mitch reveals his fundamental knowledge that hospitality is unique in the real estate industry. His belief is that people are the real differentiator in his business and he sites company culture will always trump business strategy. Vision Hospitality Group invests heavily in staff development and has their own Vision University, with a 150 curriculum class situated at their HQ.

Mitch wraps up this wonderful conversation by endorsing the opinion of Hilton’s Chris Nassetta – that the industry is in the golden age of travel and there is sustainable long term growth ahead.

Learn more about Vision Hospitality Group at http://www.vhghotels.com/.

Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome Siobhan Barry, Design Director at Gensler. Like everything we see with hospitality design lately, projects are grounded in ‘experience’ – something that Barry says is essential to satisfying today’s customer.

Good thing that she has had plenty of experience doing just this sort of thing since the 1990s. That’s when she spent a considerable amount of time working on nightclub related projects, where experience is essential. Glenn and Siobhan discuss the rise of bottle service, which transformed the nightclub scene, and how they’re developed. They also discuss how selling real estate changes the economics of this side of the hospitality business, and how music, décor, and customers’ desires have changed since that era.

They talk about how design must appeal to both women and men while creating a scene in both restaurants and nightclubs that facilitates mingling and more. Siobhan shares how to create an interplay between the different elements of design to create the perfect foundation for people to make those connections against the pageantry of it all.

Then they move onto hotels from the nightclub world by chatting about the Ian Schrager effect on hotels and hospitality. Glenn and Siobhan layer on how culture is pushing the hotel experience to change, especially when it comes to satisfying that screen need and how business and leisure trips are melding.

Siobhan shares some detailed tactics for designs including table heights, depth of seating and more. It is an essential lesson that many designers do not seem to get right. Afterall, it’s more critical than ever, especially as folks tend to want to hang out more in public spaces. Designers must create a great, comfortable environment which prompts people to spend more money. Siobhan and Glenn use the Citizen M in New York as an example for this and talk about the balance between the science and heart of design.

Then Glenn and Siobhan discuss the dichotomy of the hotel experience vs. shared economy type stays. Siobhan shares a story about her experience with Airbnb and how it underscores to her the importance of knowing what your brand is, how it should be communicated to a target audience, and how everything should be geared with that specific point of view.

Technology is also discussed, of course. But in this case, they chat about how it is used in the design process and how it helps create common ground quicker between developers and designers – like a virtual model room.

They wrap up discussing an airline lounge project that Siobhan loves and how it’s changing the notion of what that product is supposed to be. Listen and find out how.

Today on the Hotel Design Podcast we have Lauren Rottet FAIA, FIIDA, Founding Principal and President of Rottet Studio. Lauren is one of the most celebrated interior designers and architects in the world and holds fellow status of both the American Institute of Architects and the International Interior Design Association. Lauren is a Lifetime Appointee to the U.S. General Services Administration’s National Register of Peer Professionals for Design Excellence.

In addition to her extensive list of accolades, some of Lauren’s notable hospitality projects include the Langham in Hong Kong, Lowes Regency Hotel in New York, the Viking Odin Class Ships, the St. Regis Aspen Resort, and The Beverly Hills Hotel Presidential Bungalows.

Whilst her style is contemporary, Lauren treats each of her projects with precise detail and tailors design to the location and environment of the site. Sometimes when planning her designs, Lauren writes scripts and creates characters that move throughout the space so that she can look at the entire project through the eyes of the story’s incumbents. She explains this process with regard her plans for The Surrey in New York City – a historically protected building from the 1920s – which was ultimately inspired by Coco Chanel. The process led her to convince the owner to add a bar into the hotel’s design and has strong black and white accents throughout the building inspired by the iconic Chanel compact. Lauren intends for her designs to be timeless. A project designed correctly won’t date and will only become better over time.

Lauren concludes the interview with tidbits of advice for up-and-coming designers, reminding them to take the time to learn and think through their designs completely. Enjoy this fascinating interview with Lauren, one of the greatest practitioners in global architecture and design.

To learn more about Lauren and Rottet Studio, visit https://www.rottetstudio.com.

Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast, we welcome Lisa Simeone and Gina Deary - two of the principals of Chicago based Simeone Deary Design Group.

Host Glenn Haussman, Lisa and Gina start by discussing the state of hotel design in 2022.  Both guests feel optimistic about the state of design during the past few years and believe the future is open to new design concepts and creativity. Incredibly, post Covid, design has emerged on the other side with a lot of positivity and a lot of change for the better, they say.  Many of the worries associated with COVID crisis protocols such as the permanence of special distancing and barriers are gone, which allows designers to get back to creative rather than being hamstrung by functional design.

These days, food & beverage spaces are more frequently being incorporated directly into the lobby experience. The principals discuss Yours Truly DC, which opened during the height of COVID boasting a central bar with the entire lobby serving as a restaurant. The concept: having a productive social place to hang as a group, or be alone together.

Interestingly, while they’ve been partners for 20 years, they typically work independently of each other, choosing to use each other as creative partners to bounce ideas off of.  Combined, they weave into their design incredible guest experiences. “It's not always just about the sticks and stone of design”, they philosophize, but bringing in experiential components that transform spaces into Instagrammable moments.

One project they discuss is the Austin Marriott Downtown, in Austin, TX. Despite being a branded hotel with specific standards, the property has a beautiful, clean, modern, & classic design pushing the notion of what a branded hotel can be. Rather than feel prototypical, instead the property has a timeless appeal hinting at the Austin landscape.

The next project discussed is the Hotel Kansas City, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Formally a men’s club known as the Kansas City Club, the space was transformed into a hotel. Here, the adaptive reuse project highlights existing architectural elements which underscored the craftsmanship of the original structure.  The existing building also featured myriad unexpected treasures utilized to tell smaller stories within that bigger hotel design story.

When creating The Detroit Foundation Hotel, the team looked back at the region’s auto industry for inspiration, combining the aesthetic and automobile colors as the palette in which they created the broader design. In rooms, pastel colors and design elements evoking the auto industry are used to create guestroom design tone.

Also featured are the downtown Dallas based Monarch and Kessaku restaurants, located at the top of the Thompson Hotel.  Here, the Jewelbox Bar has a stunning metal flower chandelier that orients the design for the small 10 seat bar. The craft cocktails bar also serves as a space delineating different space elements as guests move between separate dining areas.

Meanwhile, the Cheyenne Club at The Farm at Brush Creek Ranch is located on an 80,000 acre ranch owned by White Lodging. Here, the project is an expanded version of a farm to table concept, including a brewery, distillery, fine dining restaurant, creamery, bakery, and greenhouse.  The ranch’s cattle supplies the restaurant’s beef, while lambs and goats supply the dairy. It’s a true experience where the design was created entirely from reclaimed materials.

Finally, the designers reveal an important secret for any future designer: build an art piece into the construction budget, thus it’s included in the overall project budget, eliminating the chance the art budget will be cut considerably as the projects moves along.

Follow along with some great project visuals on our website - http://hoteldesignpodcast.com/ - and subscribe to our new Youtube page to watch the video interview!

In this inaugural edition of the Hotel Design Podcast, we feature an incredibly engaging discussion with Mr. Larry Traxler – interviewed at the Hilton Worldwide HQ in McClean, VA.

Larry outlines the challenge of working with the world’s largest development and construction pipeline with over 2,300 projects under the management of his team’s 11 global design offices. We take an in depth look at the phenomenal success of Tru by Hilton, the scope of streamlining the process of construction and focus on design efficiency – “Everything has a place and everything is in the right place”. The conversation covers the global trend of reducing room size whilst drawing the guest to increased use of the public space amenities.

Larry takes the discussion through Hilton’s signature brands including lifestyle with Canopy, the unique approach of Curio and Tapestry and luxury with Waldorf Astoria and Conrad. He details the importance of brand ethos and narrative, architectural cues and sense of place. With both developers and investors, Larry talks about the need to understand the zeitgeist of the city where a hotel is to be situated and the crucial aspect of connecting with the community.

Continual innovation is a core competence and Larry sites their recent design competition “The Box”, held with 12 of the world’s best design firms to develop a luxury hotel room of the future as an example of pushing the envelope of design.

Larry concludes that Pinterest & Instagram have been game changers by raising the bar; he sees the design of raised service levels and guest experience as key critical in their importance.

Rounding off this information packed discussion, Larry offers advice to students considering hospitality design as a career path before finishing with news on his fantastic philanthropy work.

Larry and his wife Jerri Hatch work with Sunzou Village in Rwanda, where they are having a library built and they now are raising funds for a multipurpose community center which will be dedicated in the name of the late Jesse Kalisher. They are also instrumental in the Warrior Canine Connection and building a facility to partner returning veterans in trauma recovery with their service dogs. The talented couple are the proud parents of two rescued donkeys (Bonnie & Clyde), along with several orphaned elephants, and active in a wonderful charity called Little Longears Miniature Donkey Rescue, providing sanctuary for mistreated donkeys.

It is clear from the interview that giving back is a life passion. Watch this space – there will need to be a follow up show to continue this fascinating story!

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome designer Kimberly Daoust, who is principal at Tandem – a Las Vegas-based interior design firm that she co-founded in 2005. While she lives in Austin, TX, she commutes by plane to Vegas.

The conversation starts out with how Las Vegas is a great place for design freedom. Kim loves that by nature, the city is impermanent and so is its design. Glenn and Kim then discuss the first casino resort project that she ever took part in 25 years ago. The project was a riverboat casino, which she did with Paul Steelman – another visionary who was previously featured on The Hotel Design Podcast.

Kim then shares her experiences working on creating The Cromwell, which was the first project that her company Tandem completed on The Strip. The project challenged her to utilize original structural and design elements of the former Bill’s Gambling Saloon, such as the existing chandeliers, as a starting point for a modern boutique hotel design experience. She also shares details about what it was like working with Las Vegas icon and nightclub visionary Victor Drai, and how he inspired her to utilize a more feminine design approach throughout the property. They also discuss the opportunities and limitations designing new guestrooms in older guestrooms ideally built for a previous era, and how the small scale of the entire property has affected its overall evolution.

The conversation shifts to her role in designing the Bret Michaels suite at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya, and then back again to Las Vegas to discuss recreating the historic El Cortez. Kim discussed tying in a graphic street art element into the design, and the notion of designing something seemingly timeless in a city where timeless is anything but that. She also discusses the Black Hawk Casino expansion project in Colorado outside Denver. It has a Wild West feel in an area that goes back to the days of gold rushes back in the 1800s. Kim goes into detail about how she created a sense of authenticity for the 500-room hotel expansion.  The area is also exceptionally small, and the one-lane roads to leading to the hotel are curvy and narrow, so she talks about how that challenge affected the entire project from design to execution.

Finally, Glenn and Kim discuss how she found her calling as a designer, how her dad’s role in the fabric business affected that goal, and how she found her way into casino and resort design through residential design. She also shares an emotional story regarding designing and building the Hard Rock Biloxi, MS, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina just before it was set to open. Kim also provides many incredible tips that you have to listen to.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast, we welcome Malcolm Berg, who is the founder, President and Design Director of EoA Group. He also was named the Designer of the Year during the 2020 Gold Key Awards. 

Host Glenn Haussman and Malcolm start by discussing his background, and Malcolm shares what motivated him to be a hospitality focused designer. He attended graduate school for architecture and studied a variety of architecture design focuses - a path which ultimately led him to hospitality design as a focus for his emerging expertise.

Malcolm and Glenn discuss EoA’s work at the JW Marriott in Marco Island where he talks about engaging stakeholders to help projects run smoothly. For Malcolm, creating extraordinary design is about finding those “little golden nuggets” in imperfections, and beauty found in those uncommon places. Then it’s a process of extracting those factors and then distilling them into something essential. That’s where the project’s DNA reveals itself.

The hardest aspect of the design phase, Malcolm says, is creating the overall concept. To solve this issue, the EoA team works to understand what the “property wants to be when it grows up, and what is its personality.” Everything else flows from there. It's not a subjective exercise, it literally is sequential, he says, adding that everything else follows naturally from that point.

He addresses how the property must be something authentic and organic; not contrived. Malcom’s goal for any project is to make that property fiscally successful and emotionally satisfying, which has myriad components to it from creating spaces people want to be in and how its run operationally. Plus, Berg says its critical to hue close to trends, as pushing boundaries too far could result in designs that feel outdated in a relatively short period of time. He also explains his notion of empathetic design, sharing what that means to him and how it relates to satisfying all project stakeholders beyond owners, such as how it relates to daily operations.

The next project Glenn and Malcom discuss is the Barcardi Ocho Lounge, a VIP lounge sponsored by the spirits company and located at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. According to Berg, finding success in all projects is about deeply understanding a brand, and how that brand is represented in a physical space. In this instance, they asked many questions to drill down to the brand’s essential elements, then built a strong design around those brand tenets. This is the secret sauce essential to design success!

Meanwhile, his work at The Ben, Autograph Collection in West Palm Beach, Florida focused entirely on creating a rich backstory, inspiring overall design. Here, his team reached into history, bringing past stories to the fore. In this case, the story was driven by the notion of the hotel’s namesake character Ben - a rugged type who’s out hunting and trapping in the wilderness by day, and then cleans up and demonstrates impeccable style by night. The spoils of his work are displayed throughout, which helps create individualized moments and clearly defines the hotel’s aesthetic.

But be warned - Malcom urges those to think carefully about creating Instagramable moments for the sake of creating Instagramable moments. That leads to poor decision making because you wind up creating erroneous moments that distract and take away authenticity. Berg finds it’s better to engage designing space holistically, by thinking about the entire space, rather than a photographable moment.

Finally, they talk about The Peregrine Omaha Downtown, Curio Collection by Hilton, located in Omaha, Nebraska and managed by Chesapeake Hospitality.  This former bank had a peregrine falcon family roosting on the roof, and during the demolition phase other birds flocked to this location - creating the idea of birds taking flight as a symbolic relationship to property design. This project also had a series of structurally related challenges that helped push Malcolm and his team to be even more creative to find success. Here, they had to lose some space to create better, more potentially profitable guestroom spaces. It’s an interesting approach to bringing in natural light as an element to create a more engaging, natural space.

Follow along with some great project visuals on our website - http://hoteldesignpodcast.com/ - and subscribe to our new Youtube page to watch our video interviews!

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome incredible hotelier Larry Broughton, CEO of the boutique hotel company broughtonHOTELS. We also welcome the general manager of the Park James Hotel, Weston Spiegl.

This show was recorded on the evening of the Park James Hotel’s opening celebration, which is located in the Silicon Valley city of Menlo Park. The incredible luxury hotel has 61 rooms and was designed to carefully balance great service and technology.

Naturally, this conversation focuses on combining design aesthetics created by Parissa O’Connell Interior Design – in this case California Craft – including critical intuitive guest facings and back of house technologies. They discuss the design approach and its focus on using natural woods, balanced textures and the achieving the best lighting to create the overall visual appeal of the varied spaces.

This hotel’s motif is also about getting away from the heavy use of technology in Silicon Valley, so the conversation deepens to how to create the right technology balance as an integral part of the design. For Broughton, that means incorporating only elements that are intuitive to use. Their philosophy is that guests in Silicon Valley have enough technology in their lives, and the hotel’s experience must balance both digital and real experiences.

One example is the hotel’s ‘pour over’ coffee experience, which is as critical as the guestroom’s elements that are plugged in. It’s about crafting a luxurious experience that helps calm people while keeping them productive.

The conversation then focuses on the actual design of the hotel, its overall look and feel, and a discussion of specific and unique elements that the property features. Broughton and Spiegl chat about the importance of getting the design details right.

They also mention is the importance of engaging with a design team as early as possible in the hotel’s development process. This is essential to accurately creating a hotel that fits the developer’s vision, operational necessities, and ultimately the guests’ expectations. They talk about how developers can look to save money by waiting to hire designers, but how that can be detrimental in the long run and could create even costlier mistakes.

Broughton discusses the characteristics of a good leader and the leadership qualities Spiegl has that secured the job for him, even though up until this job Spiegl had no general manager experience.

Broughton also shares his design philosophy, what he expects from a design firm and ways to create a great partnership between developers and designers. It’s important to find a way to communicate the heart and soul of the project to designers, so that they can then go and visually interpret that desire.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome design industry icon Paul Steelman. He’s been involved in some of the most influential casino resort and hotel projects around the globe. His company Steelman Partners, has been closely tied to the leaders of the casino resort business such as Steve Wynn, Sheldon Adelson and Kirk Kerkorian.

Glenn and Paul touch on it all, from his start in a pre-gaming Atlantic City to a chance design the Golden Nugget and how that led to a seminal shift in what casinos would become. Paul talks about Steve Wynn being a visionary and how he got The Mirage launched with 1980s junk bonds with the help of the infamous Michael Milken and how the launch of this property changed everything about the Las Vegas casino resort scene. Plus, they talk about the pressure of creating what would become the model for the modern casino resort, what the Mirage design process was like and how much money the resort needed to make every day to survive. They even talk Siegfried and Roy the former Kokomo’s restaurant, which was a staple at Mirage.

Steelman shares examples of why great design is essential and how it creates sense of place.

Paul also reflects on the state of The Mirage today, and other stories from the early modern era in Las Vegas.

Also, Steelman and Glenn discuss how Frank Sinatra and Steve Wynn’s relationship transformed the Golden Nugget both in Vegas and Atlantic City, how the Nugget the property reinvented east coast casino gaming. We even get an update on the current state of the city by the sea.

The discussion moves onto the notion of creating an experience at “personal scale,” says Steelman and how that relates to properties and how that notion created design challenges at the original MGM Grand (now Bally’s), and how the casino forms the basis for a property’s energy and how other elements emanate from that energetical center.

This conversation even examines the cruise ship like form of Showboat Atlantic City, Sol Kerzner and the creating of African casino resorts such as the famed Sun City.

Also on tap, discussing designing casinos and resorts around the world from Dubai and Macau to Vietnam, South Africa and more. Here creating cultural relevance is critical and we learn about the process of how different cultures gamble differently and how that is reflected in design. After all, the American casino goer is very different than the prototypical player in Macau.

In Macau, we hear about public casinos, VIP casinos and super VIP private casinos none of us will ever see. Plus, casino maverick Sheldon Adelson comes up as the conversation turns toward Venetian Macau.

Other famous names that pop up in the conversation include Bill Bennett and Stanley Ho, before the conversation turns toward developing ship-based casinos.

Finally, Paul and Glenn discuss the current and future state of the casino resort experience including the importance of great design to creating social media moments, the incredible resurgence of downtown Las Vegas, and creating highly organized entertainment experiences.

Paul and Glenn also discuss Steelman’s ownership in a slot machine company, and how that company is using technology in new ways to lure younger casino goers.

They sum the conversation with Steelman’s reflections back on how he and others changed the design-scape of the casino gaming resort business.

Also, get your chance to receive a free book from Porcelanosa, which was launched in conjunction with the AIA (that’s the American Institute of Architects) who’s New York chapter run a program of architectural dialogues called Cocktails and Conversations. At these events, design world thought leaders present interviews on architecture’s place in the built environment, culture, master planning. They’re included in this book along with 50 great cocktail recipes, one in honor of each honor of the guest speaker. Interviews include titans such as Steven Holl, Charles Renfro, Daniel Libeskind, Deborah Berke, Todd Schliemann, Morris Adjmi, Michael Sorkin, the skyscrapers of William Pederen’s KPF that have changed forever the skylines of the world’s major cities and more.

Send an email now for your chance to receive a complimentary copy:  info@hoteldesignpodcast.com

Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast, we welcome Ron Swidler, who is the Chief Innovation Officer of the Gettys Group companies.

Host Glenn Haussman and Ron start by discussing how we’re at an interesting intersection in history and how it’s created the rare opportunity to reinvent everything we do in hospitality design from scratch. It's the Great Reset; a chance to try new things with less scrutiny than the pre covid era. It’s a chance to fail without judgment, an opportunity to push traditional design boundaries of what could be when it comes to the future of hospitality.

They talk about the varied facets of the company’s Hotel of Tomorrow project, which brings together industry leaders working together to rethink conventional thinking when it comes to hotel design. First, the discuss biophilic design, the notion of bringing in natural elements into a building. Plus, they discuss how this intersects with the notion of activating spaces that appeal to different day parts.

For example, Swidler and Glenn discuss how programmable lighting, as well as large format LED displays, are becoming more affordable and available. Another strategy, take parking spots in front of the restaurant to create outdoor dining space.  Also, how LEDs are used to shift lighting within a space throughout the course of the day to better match circadian cycles. This allows hoteliers to create different moods during different day parts that’s designed to lead to higher customer engagement, hopefully translating to higher F&B sales.

The downtown Minneapolis Rand Tower Hotel is another project design by Gettys. Here, Ron explains how the property has sensors and display screens in the meeting spaces showing the air quality. They quickly move onto a project featured at hotel-of-tomorrow.com, the Robot Alliance. Here they address how to expand F&B offerings beyond the constraints of a restaurant or a bar that might be tucked away in a hotel.  One solution: robots that could have video screens that also serve as televisions as drones accept food order; and delivered by additional rolling robots.

Another cool technology discussed is Bed X, Y, Z, a sleep platform that monitors sleep quality whole allowing the gamification of multiple sleep environment elements. Try to achieve a higher sleep score on your next night!

Going beyond the hotel’s walls, a student group determined that an RV could be serviced and picked up at a hotel. While stopping at the affiliated hotels along the travel route to get housekeeping, get room service, or to use the pool and the amenities of the hotel.

Glenn and Swidler also discuss virtual reality and its use as a training tool Not only does this system teach specific job tasks, but also lets others understand how difficult it is to do a specific the job, which leads to a higher appreciation for that staff member.

Finally, they summarize the virtual reality experience is a truly remarkable experiment currently being pushed by many Big Tech companies and others. Listen to how this will have wide ranging change on how we interact with each other and built environments.

Follow along with some great project visuals on our website - http://hoteldesignpodcast.com/ - and subscribe to our new Youtube page to watch the video interview!

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast, we welcome Glen Coben, President and Owner of Glen & Company. Coben is a huge driving force within the hotel design community, and brings a unique point of view from the retail environment where he previously worked with Nike.

They start by discussing his background, and how stories are told in various sporting cultures globally. Coben reveals how he keeps things fresh by continuing to add to his project’s design dialogue. Take an example regarding how he designed two different Italian restaurants and how his firm focused on aensuring that each one was distinctly unique. The goal: Be unrecognizable in the work from one project to another, since each is a wholly different experience!

Coben and Glenn also discuss the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs, NY, where Coben shares the story of revitalizing the last remaining grand hotel in Saratoga Springs. The five-year hotel renovation project took on a life of its own, finding inspiration from existing classic interiors, without reinventing them. For example, original crystal serving dishes were turned into a beautiful backdrop behind the front desk to create a sense of place and time. The firm also reinvented the floor plan, expanding small out of date bathrooms into much larger spaces, and cutting the room count almost in half during the process to create a more luxurious property. Coben, it turns out, loves complicated and intricate types of design projects like that one.

Glen and Company also created the Pestana – a modern property inspired by Portuguese roots – which is located in New York City. The unique part of this design was their approach to heightening the feel of space in a footprint limited in size. We learn how Coben and his team were able to create the illusion of space, along with some of their great design tips.

He also focuses on how to be disciplined when it comes to creating a coherent and streamlined story from which the hotel’s design is built upon, specifically by sharing examples from the Archer. They discuss reinventing space to accentuate the dining experience by bringing it into the hotel, rather than hiding a restaurant where people do not actively see it. He also shares the story of how this hotel was based on a made-up character named Archer who loved art, music, and travel. They used this narrative to create a space that connected back to their envisioned Archer.

Another project is the James Newbury Hotel in Coxsackie, NY - an old structure on the banks of the Hudson River in an industrial town. To reinvent this hotel, its history was the inspiration for its future, and Coben shares how they chose the elements of design to tell the story for this property. Once it has opened, it will have 46 rooms that connect to an older structure that houses the spa. Coben also discusses reinventing how guest rooms are laid out to change the focal point of the experience.

Coben ends with his thoughts on how he knows when a building needs to be taken down and completely redone and when it can be upgraded. He says that young designers can become better storytellers by not relying on social media, but by going out and experiencing life and new spaces. He says that we must put the story on paper and keep looking at the details.

Follow along with some great project visuals on our website - http://hoteldesignpodcast.com/ - and subscribe to our new Youtube page to watch the video interview!

In this episode, Glenn speaks with Laurie Woliung, Senior Director Interior Design at Marriott International about Marriott lifestyle brands as well as the specific designs she was involved in creating. Laurie starts by speaking on what guests who stay in lifestyle-branded hotels are looking for. She says they want something that speaks to their lifestyle. She says they handle designs by seeing what the guest is looking for.

Glenn goes back to the 1990s when he first joined the industry and hotel design was more boring than not! Woliung says that back then it wasn’t thought of as boring, but over time it has become exactly that. She says we grew people wanted to express themselves through everything including hotel design.

Laurie brings up how in around 2012 they brought the modern contemporary look into their hotels. She says they looked at the traveler demographics and how they could evolve the DNA of the brand around their travelers. She says pairing the right architect with the right designer is the key to how they have been able to provide guidelines for a custom experience.

Glenn wants to know how they make a template that meets the needs of the guests. Laurie says they work with the owner every step of the way. She says it is a collaborative effort to bring the ideas to life. They have come up with beautiful products by doing this.

Looking at one of the properties Laurie has created which was AC hotel Scottsdale North, Glenn wants to know what the AC brand wants to show people. She says that they want a seamless, timeless clean look. In 2014 Marriott brought the AC brand to the US with other 100 just in the states. Originally the AC brand was thought of as a business travel hotel. They wanted simplicity that doesn’t complicate the travelers' lives more than it already is.

Moving to the Aloft Hotel Columbus Easton Glenn and Laurie look at the property lighting on the outside. Laurie says that the brand is informed by bright colors and technology. She says this guest looks for live musical experiences. It speaks to a contemporary loft space that creates an exciting backdrop for the music. With everything speaking to technology, it creates a modern type of space.

Next, they look at the Element brand. This is Marriotts sustainability and wellness brand. Believing that everyone deserves to be well and comfortable within their cleaver and warmly designed hotels was their mindset going into these properties. Purposefully creating a space that divides the spaces into truly livable areas. Organic and soft design that makes people feel good was important for this brand.

The last brand they look at is the Marriott Moxy brand. Specifically taking a look at the Oakland Downtown property. Laurie says this brand is made for fun-loving travelers. They wanted people to check in at the bar that includes a complimentary cocktail. They purposefully created smaller rooms that help convince the guest to spend time in the shared areas. The urban design was intentional to bring a bit of grit. They wanted an artsy, fun, practical design. Efficiency is not lost as they use their small space for extra stocked alcohol. Avoiding professional ideas was a strong thought when designing these hotels. They wanted to encourage Instagram-able moments within the spaces.

In conclusion with Woliung, Glenn asked her how she keeps creating properties that people want to keep visiting time and time again. She says discovering the designs made by others is so important in creating new designs. By reinterpreting ideas over and over again, you keep everything fresh. Hospitality design pulls together every type of design to create a cohesive product. She says it can be difficult to move from one to another. She suggests that new designers need to stay connected and get involved in the design community.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome Valeriano Antonioli, CEO of the Lugarno Collection, an ultra-luxury hotel company reinventing the luxury hospitality experience. The company operates properties in Florence and Rome.

The company’s newest brand Portrait is designed to be an extension of the community in which its located and Antonioli shares the critical nature of this strategy as travel trends change. Oh yeah, it happens to be owned by luxury fashion brand Salvatore Ferragamo.

Valeriano and Glenn discuss the importance of creating designs that aren’t quite timeless but will stand the test of time. They discuss the importance of working with a great architect and using only the finest materials to create a feeling of elegance, both in the hotel and on its grounds through use of Feng Shui.

They also discuss creating an amazing first impression through design and service, keeping the property up to five-star standards, why the company uses a name other than Ferragamo for its hotels, how fashion informs their hotel’s designs and the importance of giving guests time.

Also, Valeriano shares about the community nature of The Portrait brand, which he says empowers the hotel to be a destination management company and how their job is to enable guest experiences in the community. To create successes, they speak to guests ahead of their stay to create a personal relationship from which they can help set the stage for memory creating experiences.

We also learn about Valeriano’s personal journey.

Also, get your chance to receive a free book from Porcelanosa, which was launched in conjunction with the AIA (that’s the American Institute of Architects) who’s New York chapter run a program of architectural dialogues called Cocktails and Conversations. At these events, design world thought leaders present interviews on architecture’s place in the built environment, culture, master planning. They’re included in this book along with 50 great cocktail recipes, one in honor of each honor of the guest speaker. Interviews include titans such as Steven Holl, Charles Renfro, Daniel Libeskind, Deborah Berke, Todd Schliemann, Morris Adjmi, Michael Sorkin, the skyscrapers of William Pederen’s KPF that have changed forever the skylines of the world’s major cities and more.

Send an email now for your chance to receive a complimentary copy:  info@hoteldesignpodcast.com

Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

On this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we’re featuring Amy Hulbert, Vice President, Boutique and Upscale Brands at Best Western® Hotels & Resorts.

Though Amy no longer has the word design in her title, she’s been responsible for creating the look and feel of the company’s brands such as Glo and Vib, and actively helped create its newest brand entrants.

In this episode Amy reveals her design approach to the changing nature of hotel rooms sizes, and what it takes to reinvent a guestroom layout in a clever way when creating efficient rooms that are typically smaller but feel the same size as traditional hotel rooms. Plus, Hulbert shares great information on materials and smart strategies for creating a terrific bathroom experience.

She also shares what the process is like when designing a new hotel concept, and the critical nature to creating a product featuring a strong value proposition that differentiates the brand concept from competitors, while also appealing to the hotel franchising and development community.

And, of course, she discusses the importance of focusing on the overall experience when it comes to brand elements such as food, music, signature scents and creating compelling features that both hotel guests and locals will enjoy. Plus, she shares insights on seating, lighting and programming the lobby to appeal to people during multiple day parts.

The conversation then shifts to the extended stay market and how Best Western is capitalizing on this popular trend with its Executive Residency brand.

Finally, Amy shares about how she finds inspiration for new brands to create, and her methodology to discovering new ideas to incorporate into the company’s established brands. Plus, she shares her secrets to finding great product ideas for hotel inclusion.

Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome Tom Ito, Principal at Gensler. Tom Ito is a force in the hotel design community and created the hospitality division of Gensler back in the late 1990s. Since then, it has been a whirlwind of creating some of the most incredible hotel designs we’ve ever seen – some of which have had far more impact than the building itself.

Tom Ito and host Glenn Haussman start by discussing downtown Los Angeles and the impact that the L.A. Live development created for AEG, and its J.W. Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels. This project set off a storm of development transforming the entire neighborhood in subsequent years. They delve into details regarding that project, the ones that came after, such as the Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown, as well as an 800-room expansion of the hotel that is set to be built shortly.

They talk about the reinvention of how hotel public spaces are used, tying in the notion of the third place – where people hang outside of work and home. Glenn calls it the Great Convergence, and the conversation shifts to how to create instant communities of people in those public spaces.

Then they discuss expanding the design dialogue to avoid homogeneity, a problem that is infecting many designs. They use Moxy as an example here in creating properties that are appealing to a specific group. They talk about balancing loud spaces, meeting spaces, public spaces and more to create a diversified offering both within and outside brand standards.

The conversation then shifts to a survey Gensler conducted on ethnographic and qualitative analysis on design and experience, and the roles they play. This episode shares how that has affected the way Ito and his team create.

They also go over design and efficiency regarding how a property operates once it’s up and running. The conversation also focuses on designing for different cultures and how a hotel in Mecca would differ from one in Greece or Boston. They also discuss the notion of Feng Shui and its design effect.

If that’s not enough for you, The Mayfair is discussed, which brought a Los Angeles hotel from 1929 back to life. Glenn stayed there and they go over the concept of reinventing a historic property for a modern era.

Finally, they wrap up with their thoughts on technology and how it’s affected not just the guest experience, but overall how hotels are designed. Listen now!

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast, we welcome award-winning designer Therese Virserius, Founder of Virserius Studio. She’s worked on projects such as W Atlanta Midtown, Renaissance Paris La Défense Hotel, Hyatt Regency Montreal and others such as the Arizona Biltmore.

Host Glenn Haussman and Therese start off by discussing how she envisioned some of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ suites and its guestrooms. “It was a massive project,” says Therese, as she describes the process of renewing the property five floors at a time, touching 3,000 rooms.

The two discuss artistic point of view, Therese’s Swedish heritage, her global travels around Europe and Asia, and how experiences with many cultures affects her design approach. Interestingly she worked with IKEA, but in business development and logistics. Turns out that wasn’t satisfying enough, and her curiosity propelled her in the direction of hotel design.

They move on to discussing the reimagining of the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired Arizona Biltmore Waldorf Astoria hotel, and the challenges and opportunities to modernizing a historic hotel while still paying respect to its iconic roots. They discuss the delicate balance of adding new design elements. Her biggest challenge: harmonizing a property that has had many expansions and “potentially less diligence in honoring the original design.” Turns out that over the decades, renovation drifted from the original concept, so they discuss balancing the need to honor the hotel’s historic nature vs. newer elements where permitted, opening up spaces for more flow, creating new spaces that evoke a historic feel and modernizing the cottages.

Therese discusses the importance of materials, managing historic vs. non historic project elements, reinventing the event space around the main lawn with a new bar/ lounge, site line connections, the hotel’s signature cottages, opening up congested spaces in the main building and more. Plus, they discuss the use of LVT as a design element and how it adds to the overall look and feel of the newly reinvented cottages.

Then Glenn and Therese move from the desert environment to one decidedly beachier, The Ray Hotel Delray Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton in Florida. The two use this property to discuss creating something inherently of the region; one that is a beach hotel, yet not actually on the beach. Plus, they discuss the challenges and solutions to creating an eye-catching hotel required to follow many specific architectural related regulations. Here, Therese created an escape that manages to feel upscale and modern with a design she dubs “tropical modernism”.

Some tricks she leveraged was to create different zones in public spaces that freely flow but also feels distinct. It’s also about breaking down the barriers between the staff, customers, and the overall experience so that a guest can feel more comfortable and ultimately hopefully feel more at home.

She also discusses design strategies such as utilizing mirrors to create the feeling of more space, how lighting affects mood and can be utilized in different ways throughout the day, and other useful pieces of advice. They also talk about the continual journey of learning and how to leverage the nuances of different desires, cultures, consumer behavior to create memorable, functional designs and how to keep yourself mentally fit and constantly creative.

Follow along with some great project visuals on our website - http://hoteldesignpodcast.com/ - and subscribe to our new Youtube page to watch the video interview!

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome Tina Wichmann and Craig Palacios of the Las Vegas based design firm, Bunnyfish. They have been involved in some major projects, such as helping entrepreneur and CEO of Zappos Tony Hsieh reinvent downtown Las Vegas.

The conversation starts with the duo dissecting a project they did in Reno, Nevada to reinvent the Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel. That brand was on the cusp of irrelevancy, but Marriott wanted to reinvent it. The folks at Bunnyfish worked closely with the Marriott team to follow overarching brand strategies while accommodating the desire to create something new that hadn’t been done before. We hear the story about the Renaissance Hotel’s reinvention, and how they rethought guestroom components such as the desk (which has come under lots of scrutiny lately in the hotel business), the dresser, and many other components.

Then, the conversation shifts to how hotel amenities have changed during the last 20 years as guests are looking to have more experiences.  Now, food and beverages have returned as a critical element of hotel industry’s profitability. Guests are starting to do a lot more outside the guestroom, including connecting over coffee and being social in the hotel’s public spaces. Now, it’s about rethinking everything about the public space experience from the entire lobby, to the F&B experience, to the changing nature of how guests want to interact with staff. They discuss what all of that means in the context of service touchpoints and what designers should think about in the future, such as how to create spaces that morph during different times to equally capture the breakfast rush and the happy hour crowd respectively.

Then, Tina and Craig discuss how they met entrepreneur and Zappos founder Tony Hsieh at their favorite coffee shop, who they formed a working relationship with after bonding over architectural books and their love for adaptive reuse projects. At some point, Bunnyfish was tasked with helping reinvigorate what was then a flagging downtown area at the behest of Hsieh. They took on the task of reinventing the Inspire theatre in Las Vegas, added two stories and morphed it into a popular bar, lounge, nightclub and theater. It’s one of the main attractions that have people hanging out in downtown Las Vegas again in record numbers.

Finally, they discuss how micro apartments have come into fashion, particularly for millennials, and how that changes the way hotels are being developed for the rising needs of Generation Z. They also chat about creating new active adult communities and how that applies to changing hotel industry trends.

"She's actually going to be 100 years old. My father's parents are both Holocaust survivors. She survived. And it was a journey to survive, but her outlook on life has always been one of hope. And that has resonated with me throughout my life." –Cheryl Lauren Spigler on The Healthcare Interior Design 2.0 podcast

Today, we're diving into the world of compassionate design with Cheryl Lauren Spigler, a visionary Senior Design Leader at NELSON Worldwide. Get ready for an inspiring journey as host Cheryl Janis and her special guest, Cheryl Lauren Spigler, explore the art of creating healing spaces that touch the heart and soul.

Cheryl Lauren Spigler shares the power of empathy in healthcare design, innovative approaches to creating spaces that resonate with the human experience, and bridging hospitality and healthcare design principles for transformative environments.

This is a deeply meaningful conversation you won’t want to miss on the life altering power of thoughtful healthcare design!

Learn more about Cheryl Lauren Spigler and NELSON Worldwide by visiting: https://www.nelsonworldwide.com/.

Find Cheryl on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-lauren-spigler-rid-ncidq-iida-27391310/.

In Cheryl’s conversation with Cheryl Lauren Spigler, they discuss:

• Cheryl Lauren Spigler's background as a healthcare and hospitality interior designer with over 19 years of experience.

• Her approach to creating spaces that resonate with the human experience and evoke emotion

• The importance of asking clients how they want a space to feel and using exercises to extract design concepts.

• Examples of projects where Cheryl achieved a higher level of design, including a hospitality project balancing luxury and nature, and a healthcare project designed to welcome diverse populations.

• How Cheryl's experiences in hospitality design have influenced her approach to healthcare environments.

• The use of empathy in the design process, especially for healthcare spaces.

• Cheryl's journey into interior design, starting in communications and eventually discovering her passion for the field.

• The influence of her Holocaust survivor grandmother as a source of inspiration.

• Key qualities for design leaders to inspire creativity, including giving everyone a voice and asking guiding questions.

• Cheryl's work on a cancer hospital project, particularly the pediatric wing, as a project she's most proud of.

• Her excitement about exploring new frontiers in civic and justice design.

• Advice for interior design students interested in healthcare, including networking and seeking informational interviews.

• The importance of passion and community in the design industry.

Shout Outs

• Laura Ashley 33:27

• New England School of Art and Design 33:36

• Robert Wood Johnson and Rutgers 26:53

• Sheryl and Jack Morris Cancer Center 26:58

• HKS Architects 27:58

• IIDA International Interior Design Association 47:32

• ASID American Society of Interior Designers 47:32
  
  AIA American Institute of Architects 47:32

• Women in Construction 47:39

• Center for Health Design 48:50

• American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers 49:14

Industry Partners

The world is changing quickly. The Center for Health Design is committed to providing the healthcare design and senior living design industries with the latest research, best practices and innovations. The Center can help you solve today’s biggest healthcare challenges and make a difference in care, safety, medical outcomes, and the bottom line.  Find out more at healthdesign.org.

Additional support for this podcast comes from our industry partners:

• The American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers

• The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design

Learn more about how to become a Certified Healthcare Interior Designer®  by visiting the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers at: https://aahid.org/.

Connect to a community interested in supporting clinician involvement in design and construction of the built environment by visiting The Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design at https://www.nursingihd.com/

FEATURED PRODUCT

The prevention of nosocomial infections is of paramount importance. Did you know that bathrooms and showers – particularly in shared spaces – are a veritable breeding ground for pathogen, some of which we see in the form of mold and the build-up of toxic bio films on surfaces.

Body fats and soap scums provide a rich food sauce for micro-organisms such as airborne bacteria Serratia Marcescens, which thrive in humid conditions.

We know that people with weakened immune systems are so much more vulnerable to the illnesses associated with infection and let’s face it, none of us go into the shower with an expectation that we might get sick.

So how do we keep those shower walls clean? Well let’s think big – BIG TILES.

Porcelanosa have developed XXL Hygienic Ceramic Tiles that are 5 feet long - which means just one piece fits the wall of a shower or tub surround. XTONE Porcelain slabs are 10 feet high which means a floor to ceiling surface with no joints.

Why does this matter? Well hygienic glaze will not harbor pathogen and surface impurities are easily removed to prevent build up – it is reassuring to know the evidence - INTERNATONAL STANDARDS Test ISO 10545 - Resistance to Stains -  has determined these surfaces can be easily cleaned and the most difficult contaminants washed away, greatly reducing the need for aggressive chemicals.

Think about this. When we unload our dishwasher our ceramic tableware is sparkling clean, sanitized and fresh to use - again and again. The principle is the same with large ceramic walls - So, when planning the shower surrounds for your facilities please reach out to Porcelanosa. The designer in you will love the incredible options and your specification will deliver the longest & best lifecycle value bar none.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast we welcome the founder of TAL Studio, Todd-Avery Lenahan. Based in Las Vegas, TAL Studio has been an integral part in designing huge projects for many major companies, including Disney and Wynn. In fact, since we recorded this show last spring, TAL Studio is merging with Wynn entirely. While there has been a slight change in the company’s structure, its ethos have not changed.

Todd has always loved hotels. From his earliest days traveling with family and staying in brands like Holiday Inn and Howard Johnsons, his passion for hotels was always there. Little did he know that he’d be designing them one day. Todd shares how he started working at hotels when he was 15 years old, which provided him with an operational background that most hotel designers do not have. Part of the conversation focuses on discussing how his operational background meshes with his love of design to significantly inform him of creating functional properties that also look great.

“It’s not just the physical quality of the building being some extraordinary opulent environment. What we do is we create a canvas upon which service delivery can be rolled out in the most anticipatory seamless way,” says Lenahan.

This is essential to how he approaches hotel design. Too many resorts, for example, have infrastructural shortcomings even if they look gorgeous. Todd shares his philosophy on creating a structure that first and foremost serves the property’s operation, which helps owners save money in the long run while simultaneously increasing customer service. He also provides some strategies for designers to increase back of house functionality in the design phase.

An important aspect of the conversation regards creating memorable guest experiences. For Todd, that means focusing on great storytelling at the property. His approach, which is an important lesson that he learned while working with Disney, is to look at the property’s story like a screenplay. He says he approaches this part of the job in a cinematic way. This helps create what he sees as a consensus around ideas while giving all stakeholders and construction people a framework for all design work to follow. He also shares how storytelling is critical to creating memorable spaces, managing owner and developer expectations, and more. Todd mentions that some Disney projects were used as case studies – including the Boardwalk Hotel, where he served as an Imagineer.

Todd also brings up a Four Seasons project in Lanai, which opens the conversation up to the challenges of turning an aging building that is not built to today’s customer expectations into something that resonates with guests today at the luxury level. There is a struggle with making it feel authentic, which is a challenge on an island with less than 100 years of human history associated with it. He shares how they examined the greater Polynesian region for inspiration.

They wrap up the conversation by discussing designing for companies like Viceroy and how the property in Chicago is very different than one of their hotels in Mexico, for example. Todd also shares details about creating memorable guest experiences that also drive owner profitability at the same time.

In this episode of the Hotel Design podcast, we speak to Mike Suomi from Stonehill & Taylor, who discusses his and his team’s work on the iconic Eero Saarinen’s TWA building at JFK along. For Suomi, it’s a matter of getting into what Saarinen wanted to originally create when designing this incredible space. They talk materials and expected experience, how the original terminal was designed without straight lines and how that informed the design approach to arrive on a 1960’s aesthetic that works in the 21st century.

Mike and Glenn also discuss how HGTV changed design culture in the same way the Food Network helped morph restaurant culture. They discuss how the firm also balances guests’ needs and hotel owner requests.

They also go through the process of designing the Eliza Jane hotel in New Orleans’ French quarter, its in-depth design process, and how he and his team created a modern hotel from a series of abandoned warehouses while honoring the city’s history.

Finally, they discuss bringing in a feminine design approach that doesn’t turn off more masculine personalities while also approaching residential style design in the hotel sphere, color trends and how the major hotel companies are embracing a more design forward approach.

Also, send us an email for your chance to receive a free book from Porcelanosa, which was launched in conjunction with the AIA (the American Institute of Architects) whose New York chapter ran a program of architectural dialogues called Cocktails and Conversations. At these events, design world thought leaders present interviews on architecture’s place in the built environment, culture, master planning.

They’re included in this book along with 50 great cocktail recipes, one in honor of each honor of the guest speaker. Interviews include titans such as Steven Holl, Charles Renfro, Daniel Libeskind, Deborah Berke, Todd Schliemann, Morris Adjmi, Michael Sorkin, the skyscrapers created by William Pedersen of KPF that forever changed the skylines of the world’s major cities, and more.

Send an email now for your chance to receive a complimentary copy:  info@hoteldesignpodcast.com. Offer valid while supplies last.

Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.