Design expert Mike Suomi is back to talk about how COVID continues to influence the future designs of hotels. Plus, we take a look at some great projects. This episode was originally aired as part of the series No Vacancy Live with Glenn Haussman and Anthony Melchiorri. Watch this episode on video here: https://youtu.be/4g-1PWj1iK4 We'll be returning soon with all new Hotel Design Podcast episodes!

Hotel Design Podcast

Hotel Design Expert Mike Suomi

In today’s episode, Cheryl speaks with Barbara Best-Santos, Principal of ForrestPerkins--a Perkins Eastman company. During their conversation, Cheryl asks Barbara the question, “How does having the kind of design expertise and experience in hospitality help you in your healthcare design projects?” To give you a little background, for 20 years Barbara Best-Santos has led the design of boutique and large-scale hotels, spas, restaurants, and resorts! Barbara’s answer was inspiring. She shares, “Hospitality can bring the focus to the guest experience and to the guest journey. We can be a little disruptive in the tried and true healthcare interiors focused arena and at the same time we get to collaborate with our partners who are really deep experts in healthcare. So the clients are getting the best of both worlds.”  Learn more about the changing face of healthcare and senior living design from someone with decades of experience and understanding of how hospitality design can influence and improve the patient, family, staff and community experience.  Lean more about Barbara Best-Santos and Forrest/Perkins by visiting https://forrestperkins.com/. In Cheryl’s conversation with Barbara Best-Santos they discuss: With over 20 years leading the design of boutique and large-scale hotels, spas, restaurants, and resorts, how has Barbara worked on breaking down the borders between hospitality and healthcare design, and hospitality and senior living design? How does Barbara’s design expertise and experience in hospitality inform her current work? What was Barbara’s role in the MarinHealth hospital project in Marin, California? Barbara’s work with a new senior living project with a Zen aesthetic in Healdsburg, California called Enso Village. This project is a collaboration between The Buddhist Center in San Francisco with the senior living group Kendal Corporation whose philosophy of design is based on Quaker ideals. Learn more about Enso Village by visiting: https://enso.kendal.org/. What will healthcare and senior living look like in 30 years from Barbara’s perspective? Barbara’s advice to interior design students who are interested in healthcare design but are afraid to specialize in it. 

EPISODE 43: Barbara Best-Santos, Principal of ForrestPerkins--a Perkins Eastman company

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 to 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! Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com for more episodes, or feel free to email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

Hotel Design Podcast #17: Tom Ito, Principal, Gensler

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. Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com for more episodes, or feel free to email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

Hotel Design Podcast #16: Siobhan Barry, Design Director at Gensler

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. Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com for more episodes, or feel free to email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.  

Hotel Design Podcast #15: Kimberly Daoust

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. Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com for more episodes, or feel free to email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.

Hotel Design Podcast #14: Bunnyfish

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 in late spring, TAL is merging with Wynn entirely. So there’s been a little change in the company’s structure, but not its ethos. 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.   Enjoy the show and be sure to visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com, or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.  

Hotel Design Podcast #13: Todd-Avery Lenahan

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 is designed to carefully balance great service and technology. So, it’s natural this conversation focuses on combining design aesthetic created by Parissa O’Connell Interior Design – in this case California Craft - with critical intuitive guest facing, and back of house technologies. They discuss the design approach and its focus on using natural woods, balanced textures and the right lighting to create the overall visual appeal of the varied spaces. However, this hotel is also about getting away from Silicon Valley technology, so the conversation discusses how to create the right tech balance as part of the design. For Broughton, that means incorporating only elements that are intuitive to use. Their philosophy, guests in Silicon Valley have enough technology in their lives, and the hotel experience must balance digital and real experiences. For example, they discuss the hotel’s ‘pour over’ coffee experience is as critical as the guestroom elements that are plugged in. It’s all about crafting an luxurious feeling experiences that helps calm people while keeping them productive. Then the conversation focuses on the actual design of the hotel, it’s overall look and feel and a discussion of the specific elements of the property. Broughton and Spiegl wax on about the importance of texture on wallpaper, as an example of getting the details right. Also discussed is the importance of engaging a design team as early as possible in the hotel development process. This is essential to accurately create a hotel that fits the developer’s vision, operational necessities, and ultimately guest expectations. They talk about how developers look to save money by waiting to hire designers, but how in the long run that could create even costlier mistakes. Broughton discusses the characteristics of a good leader and the leadership qualities Weston has that secured the job for him, though until this job had zero 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 a matter of finding way to communicate the heart and soul of the project to designers in way they can then go and visually interpret that desire. They even share the story of where the hotel’s name came from. Listen now and find out! Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.  

Hotel Design Podcast #12: Larry Broughton, CEO of BroughtonHotels

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast, we welcome Beth Campbell – CEO of global interior architecture firm Wilson Associates. The company has designed some of the world’s most iconic addresses across the globe, and Campbell is looking to ensure its future success. This episode begins by highlighting Campbell’s personal journey from starting as a designer, to her shift to the operations side of the business, and then to the challenges of being a new CEO. They discuss what it’s like stepping into the shoes of the company’s founder, what starting a CEO role is like, and how one gets to know everyone within the organization. Plus, she talks about the importance of the Chinese market, where many of her staff members live, but also how the country is shaping the hotel market there. The conversation then shifts to discussing how designs must incorporate changing shifts in technology and how to plan, or in some cases, get caught by surprise about the rapid pace of technological changes. It’s a matter of figuring out what will be the right type of technology to use when the hotel opens, rather than when it’s on the drawing board.  She also discusses the importance of understanding local culture and designing to those traditions and nuances. For example, if the company doesn’t have an office in that city, they try to send a team to the location. The team attempts to live like locals, try the local restaurants, and immerse themselves in the culture and energy of that community – ultimately to arrive at a culturally relevant and appealing hotel design solution. Campbell chats about strategies regarding how to smartly run a collaborative organization and meshing individual creativity with clients’ considerations. She strives to create a collaborative culture where her designers can stand up for their designs to clients, but also understand when not to. For her, the ultimate achievement is creating a place where people are free to challenge each other and take innovations and design risks in the overarching goal of surprising their clients. Campbell also speaks about what it’s like for a newly appointed CEO to make organizational changes, and the challenges and opportunities that can be born from that effort. Her intention was to create an organizational design strategy – yet how can you change so many things while keeping the corporate culture intact, and rallying people behind the cause? This is critical because it relates to her ability to morph corporate culture and understand the intricacies of helping people change within the organization at their own pace. The final part of the conversation focuses on the changing nature of luxury and how its meaning has become much more personalized to individual preferences and tastes.  There is no longer a strict script for creating luxury hotels, but there are some rules to follow – and she revels them.   Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com for more episodes, or feel free to email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.  

Hotel Design Podcast #11: Beth Campbell, CEO, Wilson Associates

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, 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 energetic 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 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.  

Hotel Design Podcast #10: Paul Steelman, CEO, Steelman Partners

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.  

Episode 9: Valeriano Antonioli, CEO, Lungarno Collection

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, 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) whose 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 created by William Pedersen of 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 Offer valid while supplies last. Visit us at www.hoteldesignpodcast.com or email us at info@hoteldesignpodcast.com.    

Episode 8: Mike Suomi, Principal & VP Interior Design with Stonehill Taylor

HBG Design is a Top 10 National Hospitality Design Leader with offices in Memphis Tennessee and San Diego California. The company has designed over 21 million square feet of hospitality and entertainment space in the last 20 years. In this edition of the Hotel Design podcast we are joined by Principal, Mark Weaver FAIA and Melanie Newport Interior Designer, both of whom worked on The Guest House at Graceland, a new 450 room luxury hotel adjacent to the Elvis Presley mansion. The hotel is operated by DreamCatcher Hotels http://www.dreamcatcherhotels.com/ The project which has taken 15 years of study is built on the grounds of the former Heartbreak Hotel. Graceland welcomes over 600,000 visitors per year and the design of the property takes cues from the rich catalog of Elvis’s life as a performer, entertainer, his music, stage & film and not forgetting his time as a soldier and family man. Melanie emphasizes the notion that visitors to Graceland are aware of Presley the entertainer but the design facets have given equal attention to the appreciation of smaller details. The overall architectural design is founded upon Southern Hospitality but listeners and visitors to the property alike find a contemporary, modern and tasteful aesthetic which has taken a deliberately non themed approach. Instead, subtle references are incorporated into the design which were guided by Priscilla Presley with whom Melanie worked to an intricate level of detailing. There are classic points of inspiration that will not be lost on any admirer of Elvis, Americana and pop culture, such as the bank of TV’s, The Jungle Room, color palette accents of hot pink and the mid-century modern décor of Elvis’s Palm Springs home. Even shag carpet makes a small but deliberate appearance! Glenn digs deep into the scale of the task of designing a property with the legacy of one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. Manufacturer and supplier participation were key with the added complexity of around 80% of all furniture and finishes being custom. Melanie adds the point that the review for scale and proportion of each piece added new layers of approvals and the engagement of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Priscilla and CEO Joel Weinshanker. It might be surprising to learn that there is not a single image of Elvis on the property. The artwork is cleverly inspired with “sneak peaks” – the firm having been given complete access to the catalog of curated archives. When pushed for his favorite part of the design, Mark chooses the central lobby and it’s ceiling, Melanie is most proud of the suites. The project is brimming with Presley’s style but has a thoughtful 21st Century twist. Enjoy this edition of the podcast, what a daunting challenge to undertake a project of this scale and execute such a successful delivery – the hotel was awarded a Four Diamond rating by AAA just 11 days after opening. Well done indeed to the participants. It is worth remembering that the US has had 45 Presidents but only one King! Porcelanosa would also like to thank Lina Goldberg and Dana Ramsey. Visit HBG Design Industry Partners: Porcelanosa: www.porcelanosa-usa.com NEWH: http://newh.org/    

Episode #7: HBG Design the Guesthouse at Graceland

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.

Episode #6: Amy Hulbert, VP, Boutique and Upscale Brands at Best Western® Hotels & Resorts

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, Loews 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 were 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. Featured Product: Porcelanosa’s Noken factory is dedicated to the production of brassware and sanitaryware, and has created different bathroom lines including: The MOOD Series, created by Sir Richard Rogers and Luis Vidal – the first intelligent bathroom collection The stunning VITAE collection by Zaha Hadid – inspired by the movement and concept of water The TONO collection from Foster + Partners – contemporary brilliance with coordinating modular furniture that’s unified with a simplistic design language and palette of materials Porcelanosa has created many innovative bathroom products, including the COLD – ON faucet. This faucet line stands out because Porcelanosa changed the opening mechanism so that when the faucet is turned on, it does not automatically dispense a blend of hot water. This can save a 100 room hotel approximately 5,000 gallons of hot water a year that never needed to be heated in the first place, or is needlessly discharged. These small aspects can help make a big difference. Visit Porcelanosa at www.porcelanosa-usa.com to learn more about their intelligent bathroom designs. Industry Partners: Porcelanosa: www.porcelanosa-usa.com NEWH: http://newh.org/  

Episode #5: Lauren Rottet, Founding Principal and President of Rottet Studio

The Hotel Design Podcast features some of the world’s biggest names in hospitality architecture, branding & design. Host Glenn Haussman and his guests explore the dynamics of hotel real estate, restaurant & lifestyle design and bring in- depth and incisive view points from travel industry insiders.