The Hotel Design Podcast

?? New PODCAST episode! "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 Hi friends, I have a brand NEW absolutely fantastic episode for you today! We are 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 Cheryl Lauren Spigler guides us through the art of creating healing spaces that profoundly touch the heart and soul. Lean in and listen as we uncover the power of empathy in healthcare design, innovative approaches to creating spaces that resonate deeply with the human experience, and bridging hospitality and healthcare design principles for transformative environments! Today's episode is filled with passion and hope! Chock-full of insight and inspiration from a visionary in the field of healthcare design, who yes, happens to share my first name. (I mean how often does that happen?) Tap or click on the link in the comments below to listen to this incredible and insightful conversation on the life altering power of thoughtful healthcare design with Cheryl Lauren Spigler! ???? Link to episode in the comments below. ?? Thank you for your ongoing support of our podcast. It means the world and we appreciate you! With gratitude from your podcast host, Cheryl Lauren Spigler, RID, NCIDQ, IIDA NEWH, Inc NELSON Worldwide #podcast #interiordesignpodcast #hospitality #hotelandhospitality

Larry Traxler - Senior Vice President For Hilton Worldwide 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. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gxkVYk8w #hoteldesign #hotelpodcast #hospitality #hilton

Raul Leal - CEO Of Virgin Hotels Today on the Hotel Design Podcast we have Raul Leal, CEO of?Virgin Hotels. Raul is a career hotelier who followed his father into the business with the ambition to become the GM of the Miami hotel his father worked at for 43 years. He got his start as a busboy at the same hotel. We learn how Virgin’s inaugural hotel became the #1 in the US and #6 in the world (via Conde Nast Traveler) and how Raul found success earlier in his career by taking a Chicago hotel from the lowly 400’s to #1 in the rankings. He reveals the secret at the end of the interview! When Virgin decided to enter the hotel sector Raul explains they started with a blank slate. The focus was to identify “guest displeasers” and concept around these to disrupt the status quo by executing on service and comfort – the Virgin concept of “if we can’t disrupt it, we shouldn’t be in it”. Raul discusses the differentiation touch points and his role on Cornell’s Board of Innovation, which championed the needs of the female business traveler. The findings supported the female guest as more discerning which leads to a better product. Raul discusses in depth the Virgin Hotel brand orientation briefing to the design professionals working on their projects. Key areas of design include styling the guestrooms (referred to as chambers) to feel more like an apartment, the need for great lighting is a must, design for the highest housekeeping scores, muted tones – never trendy and with a more thoughtful aspect.?Current projects?under construction include New York, Dallas, New Orleans, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Nashville and Edinburgh. The recent acquisition of Hard Rock Las Vegas will see one of the biggest hotel openings in the world once complete and Raul emphasizes there is only one shot to make sure it is done right. The conversation includes the unique nature of each project, be it ground up construction, as in New York, where there will also be 60,000 sq. ft. of retail space or the repurposing of historic buildings and the adaption of an operating asset such as Las Vegas where each of the three towers will be renovated consecutively and closed before the big reveal and opening. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gJpchZt4 #hoteldesign #hotelpodcast #hospitality

Ron Swidler, Chief Innovation Officer of the Gettys Group Companies 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. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ga_qSpNC #hoteldesign #hotelpodcast #hospitality

Mitch Patel - President & CEO Of Vision Hospitality Group 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. Mitch 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. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/geCehVya #hoteldesign #hotelpodcast #hospitality

Lauren Rottet - Founding Principal & President of Rottet Studio Architecture & Design 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. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gw48NUKw #hoteldesign #hotelpodcast #hospitality

Amy Hulbert - Vice President of Boutique and Upscale Brands at Best Western? Hotels & Resorts 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 guest room 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. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gevuf5Dc #hotelpodcast #hoteldesign #hospitality

Mark Weaver & Melanie Newport of HBD Design 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. 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 while 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 designs 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 made. 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 peeks” – the firm having been given complete access to the catalog of curated archives. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gVmt5ZF8 #hoteldesign #hotelpodcast #hospitality

Valeriano Antonioli - CEO Of The Lugarno Collection 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. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gaYhxiyk #hoteldesign #hotelpodcast #hospitality

Larry Broughton, CEO of the boutique hotel company Broughton Hotels 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. Listen to the episode now on your favorite podcast player or follow this link to Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ggU_R-8M #hotelpodcast #hoteldesign #hospitality