Design Hotels

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new addition to our Americas portfolio, Drift Hotels. With properties in San Jose del Cabo, Nashville, Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs, Drift Hotels is committed to creating a modern hospitality experience that mindfully connects with the local culture. The aesthetic is clean, minimal, raw, and organic—with roots in Baja Californian architecture—and the vibe is friendly and relaxed. Discover the four unique Drift locations at our website. https://lnkd.in/e-m_CuRr #DesignHotels

“I have a deep respect for craftsmanship,” Tomoki Matsuyama, the founder of Onko Chishin—a collection of special destination hotels throughout Japan—tells us. “For producers, creators, chefs, storytellers, and shokunin (master artisans) who dye a place with their own unique color and tell a site-specific story.” We had a chat with Tomoki about the magic of ryokan, his experience working with Tadao Ando, and why he believes small hotels are essential. Read Tomoki's story and learn what we can expect from him next. https://lnkd.in/exXKMrJh

From synchronized activities such as dance, to collective listening experiences such as concerts—when we gather in a shared experience, our brains align, and hearts beat in sync, boosting our emotional intelligence and promoting empathy.  Science shows we thrive in environments that facilitate social connection. So how can we create experiences and spaces more intentionally to foster a greater sense of community? Uncover more in our cultural study on how and why to design for community here: https://lnkd.in/eK93dHk8

We are proud to share that our Asia Pacific portfolio has been honored in Travel + Leisure Co. Asia's prestigious T+L Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2024. • Trunk House: City Hotels in Japan • Patina Maldives, Fari Islands by Patina Hotels & Resorts: Resort for Families in the Maldives • Antonio Saponara, GM of Patina Maldives, Fari Islands: Resort General Managers for the Maldives • The Mira Hong Kong: Hotel Pools in Hong Kong and Hotel Spas in Hong Kong • The Slate Hotel: Beach Island Resorts in Thailand Congratulations to these incredible teams for their dedication, and thank you to Travel + Leisure Asia for recognizing their hard work

Last week, the Design Hotels team listened in on a conversation between Éva Goicochea—the Founder, CEO, and Director of maude —and our own Kurt Slanaker. Since it launched in April 2018, maude has been featured in over 1,700 publications, including Vogue, The New York Times, and Fast Company. Éva is one of only 10 Latinas to have raised more than $10M in consumer goods and was selected as one of Forbes Next 1000 in 2021. We heard about the “why” behind starting maude, the challenges she’s faced, and the historical circumstances she has overcome to make maude into the global brand it is today. Thank you, Éva, for joining us!

Last week, we set off for the Austrian Alps to meet some of our Originals at Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel. With this soulful hotel as our base, we got a taste of the culture, art, and—of course—cuisine of the Zug Valley. We had lunch and a walking tour through the valley, visited Anthony Gormley’s Horizon Field installation, and were awed by James Turrell’s latest Skyspace project. To cap it off, we were treated to a spectacular 15-course meal at Rote Wand's Chef's Table. Thank you to joschi walch and the Walch family for having us! !

To celebrate Pride Month, our very own lucy deverall has put together an exhibition of her photography to show at our Berlin HQ. Milk Teeth is a lyrical documentary in which the artist's internal world becomes manifest through a merger of staged and documentary photography. Deeply collaborative and concerned with the lack of female, lesbian, and bisexual representation within photography, this series celebrates the medium's capacity to make desire (for beauty, meaning, closeness, fluidity, fracture, love, and loss) manifest. Thank you lucy deverall for sharing your work with us! Discover the rest of her work here: https://lnkd.in/e2yqNUNz

We’ve teamed up with American Express for an exciting hospitality collaboration! Introducing “A Culinary Quest” —an intimate, three-part summer series with some of Europe’s brightest chefs, and our very own member hotels. From July through September, we look to the culinary talents of three prominent chefs. They'll provide insights into their artistry, and later into the evening, produce specially crafted menus with the gorgeous backdrop of Design Hotels member properties across Germany. These special one-off events give attendees the opportunity to connect with like-minded guests, explore the local scene, and enjoy an innovative gastronomic experience that transcends traditional hospitality. We look forward to gathering together next month for edition one, where we will bring otto Berlin to The George Hotel in Hamburg for a truly special evening. A big thank you goes to American Express, the otto team and The George Hotel Hamburg for their support. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ePJUeZnM Photo Credit: Max Mair

As founder of WOHA Architects Richard Hassell sees it, “If the thinking is authentic, the design outlasts time.” We spoke with the Australian-born architect about his new hotel project 21 Carpenter, Singapore, which calls upon the vibrant history of Singapore’s Chinatown to tell a modern story about the city he made home. Step inside his world here: https://lnkd.in/gE2gc867 #DesignHotels #Originals #Singapore

"Once you have an emotional memory tied to a signature smell, they’re married together for the rest of your life," explains Dawn Goldworm, Scent Director of olfactive brand 12.29. Goldworm is someone who acutely understands that thoughtful scents can bolster the connection between brands and consumers, and shares that there are ways brands can arouse scent memories to differentiate themselves. "That’s loyalty," she says. "There’s nothing else that does that." Read the full interview in our cultural study here: https://lnkd.in/eK93dHk8