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    editor checks in

    Editor checks in: the hotel openings to watch in 2024

    Editor checks in: the hotel openings to watch in 2024 As we prepare to round-off 2023 in style, Hamish Kilburn, Editor of Hotel Designs, has this year’s final words, picking out which hotel openings in 2024 should be on your radar… We love looking ahead here at Hotel Designs; exploring emerging trends – think gamechanging next-gen hotel concepts like disappearing…

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    Editor checks in: unlocking creativity at The Brit List Awards 2023

    Editor checks in: unlocking creativity at The Brit List Awards 2023 Hamish Kilburn, Editor of Hotel Designs and lead judge for The Brit List Awards 2023, explores some of the key themes that were evident throughout this year’s campaign, as well as sharing the official highlights video from awards ceremony… When I come to judge The Brit List Awards and,…

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    Editor checks in: finding new voices in hotel design

    Editor checks in: finding new voices in hotel design Hotel Designs’ Editor, Hamish Kilburn, was left speechless this month, and it wasn’t just from the judging of The Brit List Awards 2023… Until recently, I thought there was nothing I had not lost on a flight. Headphones, sunglasses, passport, laptop – the list evolves. I should take more photos because…

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    Editor checks in: the real value of ‘pride’ in hotel design

    Editor checks in: the real value of ‘pride’ in hotel design To conclude Pride Month 2023, Editor Hamish Kilburn shares a behind-the-scenes on the significance of one interview that was published this month, while also giving his pick of impactful stories and reviews written recently, including the launch of The Brit List Awards 2023… When James Bermingham, this month’s ‘cover…

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    Editor checks in: has it really been five years?

    Editor checks in: has it really been five years? Editor Hamish Kilburn marks five years leading the editorial direction of Hotel Designs with a few words about embracing the in-between moments and championing the risk-takers… If there was ever a week to remind myself of the whirlwind that I call ‘my editorship’ it was this one. In seven days, I…

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    Editor checks in: “hotels in the metaverse and beyond”

    Editor checks in: “hotels in the metaverse and beyond” Headsets on. Hot off the HIX Talks stage, where he and a handful of visionaries explored why hotels are betting on cyberspace, Editor Hamish Kilburn is himself heading into the metaverse to explore how virtual spaces, in theory as well as reality, could work in harmony with physical hospitality and hotel…

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    Editor checks in: “The Brit List 2022 is served”

    Editor checks in: “The Brit List 2022 is served” Not so fast. Did you think The Brit List Awards 2022 was just a party to celebrate the nine individual award winners? Each year, to conclude a year-long campaign to find the true influencers leading the hotel design and hospitality scene, Hotel Designs publishes The Brit List, a publication that profiles…

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    Editor checks in: lessons learned in hospitality design since Covid-19

    Editor checks in: lessons learned in hospitality design since Covid-19 It’s coming up to two and a half years since a deadly virus aggressively brought the hospitality and design industry to its knees. Rules, regulations and guidelines were sharply put in place, but did any of them stick – and have we emerged from the forced hibernation with a wider…

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    Editor checks in: what’s happened (so far) at Clerkenwell Design Week

    Editor checks in: what’s happened (so far) at Clerkenwell Design Week Taking centre stage for the first time since 2019, Clerkenwell Design Week is currently delivering a performance of a lifetime, writes Editor Hamish Kilburn who has been on the ground to capture the action… We’re not known for spreading gossip (only when it’s really juicy), but we have it…

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    Editor checks in: ‘suite’ juxtapositions in hotel design & travel

    Editor checks in: ‘suite’ juxtapositions in hotel design & travel Editor Hamish Kilburn has taken the rough with the smooth this month to explore the attraction of opposites in hospitality – and how these situations can influence evolution in hotel design… I touched down in Florence with a rocket full of energy flowing through my body – since being able…

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    Editor checks in: ESG, let’s talk about it (consciously)

    Editor checks in: ESG, let’s talk about it (consciously) Are you discombobulated with the various buzzwords that are circulating conversations around sustainability? Why are we being advised to use the term ESG, and what does it even mean? Editor Hamish Kilburn attempts to answer these questions when trying desperately to encourage people to be more conscious when using terminology on…

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    Editor checks in: A sense of change in hotel design

    Editor checks in: A sense of change in hotel design Making the best out of a disruptive situation – day eight of 10 into quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 – Editor Hamish Kilburn finds the time (and the words) to explore in his final editor’s letter of 2021 how sensory design and togetherness could help fuel hotel design and…

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    Editor checks in: The unethical merry-go-round in design I want to jump off

    Editor checks in: The unethical merry-go-round in design I want to jump off Somewhere between furious and frustrated are where editor Hamish Kilburn’s emotions currently sit after learning about the inexcusably unethical design processes behind many products that are in demand of being specified in hotel design projects globally. But will the industry wake up to realise the human cost…

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    Editor checks in: What it’s actually like for young designers

    Editor checks in: What it’s actually like for young designers In his latest column, editor Hamish Kilburn addresses an issue that is resulting in young designers and architects missing out on a fair opportunity to succeed. Can we do more to help students to become the next generation of A&D professionals, he asks…  Do you remember when you first graduated;…

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    Editor checks in: Tomorrow’s themes in hotel design and hospitality

    Editor checks in: Tomorrow’s themes in hotel design and hospitality In his latest editor’s letter, Hamish Kilburn addresses the four S words that will help us when exploring and understand tomorrow’s hotel design and hospitality landscape – and in the process, he unexpectedly comes up with the themes that will be put under the spotlight in four engaging panel discussions…

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    Editor Checks In: don’t make me round-up 2020

    Editor Checks In: don’t make me round-up 2020 “For someone who always tries to see the positive in everything, this year has been a challenging and turbulent journey that has been full twists, turns and dead ends,” editor Hamish Kilburn writes when trying to round-up 2020… It’s 21:00 GMT on a stormy evening in December. The eyes of the world…

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    Editor checks in: will design ever be the same again?

    Editor checks in: will design ever be the same again? Weeks ahead of celebrating the best British designers, architects, hoteliers and suppliers in The Brit List Awards 2020, editor Hamish Kilburn warmly remembers a design legend, Sir Terence Conran, in his monthly column… I have procrastinated long enough over writing this month’s Editor’s Letter. Perhaps it was a case of word…

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    Editor Checks In: the price tag eliminating diversity in design

    Editor Checks In: the price tag eliminating diversity in design An independent investigation on diversity in design, carried out by Hotel Designs, has highlighted the potentially ‘unethical’ lengths that studios are willing to go to in order to win projects on the international hotel design scene. Editor Hamish Kilburn writes… Traditionally – as well as recently – in the international…

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    Editor checks in: calling for intelligent hospitality

    Editor checks in: calling for intelligent hospitality The measure of intelligent hospitality is the ability to adapt. In his latest column, editor Hamish Kilburn explores this statement while explaining the motives behind Hotel Designs’ upcoming events… Earlier this month, the long-awaited good news arrived that hospitality businesses were serving once more. While that was a monumental leap forward amidst the…

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    Editor Checks In: Celebrating ‘Hollywood’s Architect’

    Editor Checks In: Celebrating ‘Hollywood’s Architect’ Having followed a month of tempestuous headlines, editor Hamish Kilburn has come to the stark realisation that more education is needed in order to project equality in the global architecture and design arena… I sat alone peering over London’s Leicester Square from a unique vantage point at a swanky rooftop bar. Glancing down, I…

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    Editor Checks In: “And we’re going live in 3, 2, 1…”

    Editor Checks In: “And we’re going live in 3, 2, 1…” During the COVID–19 pandemic, the team at Hotel Designs have announced initiatives to help further create conversations like no other. It’s safe to say that the editorial team have been anything but taking it easy during lockdown, as editor Hamish Kilburn explains…  I have come to the conclusion this…

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    Editor Checks In: Emerging from pandemic paralysis

    Editor Checks In: Emerging from pandemic paralysis As the lockdown measures continue to the halt the industry’s reawakening from its slumber, editor Hamish Kilburn confronts the pandemic from a new vantage point… The front cover of this month’s US Condé Nast Traveler has managed to harmonise the opinions of the uncertain, and no-doubt anxious, hospitality, design and travel industries worldwide.…

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    Editor Checks In: The hospitality industry fights back

    Editor Checks In: The hospitality industry fights back In his monthly column, editor Hamish Kilburn, like others, is self-isolating. He is reflecting on where it all went wrong – and, crucially, how we can make it right again for the hospitality industry. In the eye of the COVID–19 storm, which will pass, he finds himself praising the hospitality industry for…

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    Editor Checks In: Colouring outside the lines, searching for creativity

    Editor Checks In: Colouring outside the lines, searching for creativity Casting back to a two-dimensional art classroom, editor Hamish Kilburn has a few confessions to make regarding the creativity of his sketch book before rekindling his relationship with art in design… As someone who regularly rushed his art homework in blue biro ink at the back of the school bus,…

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    Editor Checks In: Is it time to reinvent the hotel design experience?

    Editor Checks In: Is it time to reinvent the hotel design experience? Steering away from the days of absurd tech-flooded hotels, editor Hamish Kilburn has identified a number of factors in the industry that are acting as catalysts to pave a more meaningful hotel design landscape… The hotel design industry is a shrinking violet, said nobody… ever. And you can…

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    Editor Checks In: Embracing meaningful trends

    Editor Checks In: Embracing meaningful trends Following a colourful year in the hot seat at Hotel Designs, editor Hamish Kilburn looks ahead to a more meaningful future of interior design moments and trends as he gives his thoughts on Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Classic Blue… If I have learned anything in 2019 from listening to the leading designers, architects, hoteliers and…

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    Editor Checks In: The new luxury for AW/19 and beyond

    Editor Checks In: The new luxury for AW/19 and beyond Following an enlightening month at the helm of the editorial desk, Hamish Kilburn pauses for just a moment on whether or not consciousness is the new luxury in design, architecture and hospitality… Am I accurate in saying that a few years working on the international hotel design scene can often…

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    Editor Checks In: Everyone’s gone eco!

    Editor Checks In: Everyone’s gone eco! This September, editor Hamish Kilburn has seen a rise in biophilic and eco design at London Design Festival as he prepares to go on stage at next month’s Independent Hotel Show (October 15) to put the topic firmly under the magnifying glass… I’ve got a confession to make. I’m not a naturally born eco…

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    Editor Checks In: Home comforts in hotel design

    Editor Checks In: Home comforts in hotel design In August 2019, editor Hamish Kilburn concludes that trends are overrated when a project close to his heart reaches its highly anticipated conclusion… I can’t quite believe it has been almost one year since we first started following the award-winning designer Nicky Dobree on her journey to complete her debut hotel design…

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    EDITOR CHECKS IN: Proud of diversity in British design

    EDITOR CHECKS IN: Proud of diversity in British design As the world focuses its attention on amplifying equality in all forms, editor Hamish Kilburn believes now is the time to break down why diversity in British design is something the industry should celebrate and be proud of… We’ve come a long way, and although the journey hasn’t exactly been a…

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    EDITOR CHECKS IN: Making debuts in international hotel design

    EDITOR CHECKS IN: Making debuts in international hotel design Editor Hamish Kilburn has noticed an influx in hotel groups debuting lifestyle brands in far-flung destinations around the world…   Whenever I disembark a long-haul flight I appreciate further just how small the world really is; it’s tiny in fact. The realisation that you can travel from one side of the…

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    EDITOR CHECKS IN: Running on empty in Clerkenwell

    EDITOR CHECKS IN: Running on empty in Clerkenwell Editor Hamish Kilburn explains some of the benefits that come with being a runner on the editorial desk – especially during Clerkenwell Design Week…  I believe that nine problems out of 10 within this ever-evolving industry can be solved with a fresh perspective. Whether the issue is a lack of inspiration or…

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    Editor Checks In: April ‘19

    Editor Checks In: April ‘19 Everyone is talking about Milan… Italy’s city of the future, which is also its fashion, culture and design quarters, thrives in between Gothic architecture. The fast-paced metropolis of Milan comes alive in April for what is seen as the largest design event in the calendar, Milan Design Week. Leading designers, architects and journalists from all…

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    Editor Checks In: March ’19

    Editor Checks In: March ’19 Reviewing March: here’s to the future… One of the many treasures of being a young design editor comes the morning after the night before. Waking up fresh-faced, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t feel as if what we achieved last night at Meet Up London was nothing short of being exceptional! Ever…

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    Editor checks in: February ’19

    It’s in with the new… This month has been about discovery over on the editorial desk at Hotel Designs HQ. At the beginning of February we opened entries and nominations for our 30 Under 30 initiative, which was the start of our global search for the industry’s rising stars. Make no bones about it, this is Hotel Designs’ pledge to help…

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    Editor checks in: January ’19

    When two trendy worlds collide in January… Excitement and optimism are both thick in the January air. My train carriage on the Eurostar is full to the brim of creative people. Half the passengers on board are interior designers on their way, like me, to Maison&Objet. The other half are fashionistas, bloggers and journalists preparing to arrive at Men’s Paris…

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    Editor checks in: December 2018

    Colouring outside the trendy lines… The sun is falling on 2018 – and this particular sunset is filtered in a warm, peachy orange glow, also known as Living Coral or Pantone 16-154. Despite December traditionally being a month of reflection, it’s also a time to sprinkle a hint of optimism on the horizon as the industry turns its head to leading…

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    Editor checks in: November 2018

    And that’s a wrap! Show Season 2018 was a delicious cocktail of all the freshest, and tastiest, ingredients. Served up in a number of containers, each event unique in its structure, content and general look and feel. Sheltering insights of the future as well as game-changing product launches, the whole season has been one to remember, as we will review…

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    Weekly digest: Design deliveries, ace openings & development pipelines

    Weekly digest: Design deliveries, ace openings & development pipelines Namaste! Editor Hamish Kilburn here to wrap up your week (and month) with the only story you need to read this week in order to be fully aware of the latest movements on the hotel design and hospitality scene. This week’s round-up includes news from the likes of Marriott, The Set…

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    Weekly briefing: Rediscovering British hospitality & unveiling Rosewood’s plot twist

    Weekly briefing: Rediscovering British hospitality & unveiling Rosewood’s plot twist You’re just in time to catch today’s performance of the Weekly Briefing. My name’s Hamish Kilburn, and allow me to show you to your seat. This week’s cast of stories includes our latest podcast episode that explores creativity crafted, nhow taking unconventional design and art to a whole new level,…

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    Weekly briefing: remembering Sir Terence, lighting launches & a Bath debut

    Weekly briefing: remembering Sir Terence, lighting launches & a Bath debut Only got a minute? Our editorial team have compiled the top design stories that they have published this week, including an editor’s letter that remembers a legend, Chelsom unveiling Edition 27 and Hotel Indigo entering new territory… And just like that we are in October. With the industry busy…

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    Checking in to Inhabit Hotel, sheltering a new level of eco design

    Checking in to Inhabit Hotel, sheltering a new level of eco design During the London hotel’s soft launch period, editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to discover Inhabit’s debut property, which in the process earns his eco stamp of approval… Last year, an insightful study revealed that the city of London had the eighth highest level of pollution in the world,…

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    Hotel Designs closes January with online traffic record

    The leading international hotel design website closes January with a record-breaking 67, 792 readers….  By exploring hotel openings and spas as its Spotlight On features during January, Hotel Designs has smashed its online monthly traffic record, which was previously hit in November, by amassing more than 67,000 readers to the website. Hotel Designs, which last year attracted more than half a million…

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    Top 5 stories of the week: Lighting the mood, surface trends and Meet Up developments

    Concluding January and looking ahead to the future of lighting, surfaces and hotel development, Hamish Kilburn writes the top five stories of the week… As January turns to February, there is much anticipation in the air around developing trends. The must-watch lists of hues, textures and materials that landed in my inbox on January 1 have filtered subtly into the designs…

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    Potato Head Bali officially attains B Corp certification

    Potato Head Bali officially attains B Corp certification Potato Head Bali attains B Corporation Certification, reinforcing commitment to sustainability and social responsibility… Potato Head Bali has announced its achievement of B Corporation certification through the B Impact Assessment. This recognition underscores the luxury resort’s unwavering dedication to social and environmental excellence, setting a new standard in the hospitality industry. Image…

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    Checking in to the new suites at The Dorchester, London

    Checking in to the new suites at The Dorchester, London Editor Hamish Kilburn checks back in to The Dorchester to understand how its latest renovation has enhanced the overall guest experience while redefining ‘luxury hospitality’ in London… The most powerful metaphor one can use when describing the impact of the design transformation inside The Dorchester is ‘taking a walk in…

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    Hotel review: checking in to 1 Hotel Mayfair

    Hotel review: checking in to 1 Hotel Mayfair Editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to explore the organic design narrative inside 1 Hotel Mayfair, a VIP arrival that marks 1 Hotels’ debut property in the UK… While London’s grand dame hotels battle it out to refresh their identities on the congested luxury hospitality map, a new brand has arrived in the…

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    Roundtable: stimulating wellness through design

    Roundtable: stimulating wellness through design ‘Stimulating wellness through design’ is a topic that is unquestionably under scrutiny. To cut through the sensory noise, Editor Hamish Kilburn, along with six leading designers, delved into the challenges and opportunities being faced as the experience and expectations of wellness in hospitality evolves…  At a time when hotels and the hospitality sector are taking…

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    Checking in to Meliá Frankfurt City – a hotel that means business

    Checking in to Meliá Frankfurt City – a hotel that means business Editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to review Meliá Frankfurt City, a hotel that is wrapped in an eco-smart building that shelters a sleek hospitality experience… Business hotels have been given somewhat of a bad reputation in the past. The image of a ‘business hotel’ that many would conger…

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    Design in the metaverse explored on latest podcast episode

    Design in the metaverse explored on latest podcast episode DESIGN POD, the design podcast for all designers and architects, has just dropped it’s latest episode (and it’s a juicy one). Editor Hamish Kilburn and interior designer Pallavi Dean catch up to explore ‘design in the metaverse’… Don’t switch off. Even if you are – no, especially if you are –…

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    Meet Robert Godwin, Hotelier of the Year, The Brit List Awards 2022

    Meet Robert Godwin, Hotelier of the Year, The Brit List Awards 2022 In the third and final video in our series with GROHE X that celebrates the winners from The Brit List Awards 2022, editor Hamish Kilburn meets Robert Godwin, Managing Director of Lamington Group, the company that opened the world’s first net-zero hometel… As we heard from Neil Andrew, Head…

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    Episode 30: Design in the metaverse (Pallavi Dean)

    Episode 30: Design in the metaverse (Pallavi Dean) In episode 30 of DESIGN POD, the design podcast for all architecture and design enthusiasts, editor Hamish Kilburn speaks to Pallavi Dean, Founder of Roar, about interior design and hospitality in the metaverse… The metaverse will not replace the human-centric nature of physical hospitality and design. This is the overarching message from…

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    Part 74: How technology trends are improving guest experience

    William Graham-Park, Hospitality Lead at ALE, and Hamish Kilburn, Editor of Hotel Designs, recently sat down to explore how technology trends are shaping the hotel and hospitality industries… Guide to Hotel Design Technology trends have gone a bit Black Mirror in recent, with AI and the Metaverse emerging as both disruptors and opportunities for brands operating in the hotel design…

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    Women at the forefront of innovation in design

    Women at the forefront of innovation in design To mark this years International Women’s Day, we’re looking beyond the straps and hashtags and, instead, identifying women in the design realm who have embraced technology and innovation both past and present while challenging established design norms and shifting boundaries – our future is truly #DigitALL… This year, International Women’s Day is…

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    What to expect from series 4 of DESIGN POD

    What to expect from series 4 of DESIGN POD The fourth series of DESIGN POD, the podcast for all architecture and design enthusiasts, is about to drop eight new episodes. Bathroom brand Geberit has come onboard as the series sponsor to support each episode that will cover topics from designing in the metaverse, circadian lighting, designing in (and with) nature…

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    Part 71: how technology can enhance hotel sustainability

    Since the invention of electricity to now, the answer in creating more efficient spaces lies in technology. To understand how designers, architects and hotels can optimise energy and make operations run smoother, Vidar Thomassen, Director, Zennio, discusses how technology is enhancing sustainable hotel initiatives…  Guide to Hotel Design The last couple of years has been one of the most difficult…

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    Conran & Partners enters new chapter after management buy-out completes

    Conran & Partners enters new chapter after management buy-out completes Conran & Partners, founded more than 40 years ago by designer and visionary Sir Terence Conran, completes a management buy-out of the practice, which signals a new chapter in the evolution of the international design firm. Editor Hamish Kilburn writes… Known for always doing things differently, designing spaces for the…

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    A playful stay inside No.1 York by GuestHouse

    A playful stay inside No.1 York by GuestHouse Embracing her ‘inner child’, Rachel Everett checks in to No.1 by GuestHouse in York – and is left, checking out, feeling rather nostalgic… No.1 by GuestHouse, the Guest brothers’ latest 39-key hotel in York is set in a handsome 19th-century townhouse. It’s the brainchild of brothers Tristan, James and Tom, who have…

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    5 hotel concepts that were out of this world in 2022

    5 hotel concepts that were out of this world in 2022 Designers, architects and hoteliers have answered the brief in style, calling for innovative, ground-breaking and conscious hospitality developments that will change the game in luxury travel forever. Editor Hamish Kilburn shares his top picks of hotel concepts that broke boundaries in 2022… Albert Einstein famously once said it best:…

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    Panel discussion: members only – exclusivity or community?

    Panel discussion: members only – exclusivity or community? A panel of interior designers and hoteliers took over the stage at HIX to discuss the ever-changing arena of hotel members’ clubs, all with a nuanced take on the concept. Hamish Kilburn, Editor, Hotel Designs, moderated the conversation to dig a little deeper into the ‘members only’ model… As the conversation in the…

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    7 design initiatives that defined sustainability in 2022

    7 design initiatives that defined sustainability in 2022 Editor Hamish Kilburn cuts through the greenwashing noise to look back at the projects, products and people that defined a new era of sustainability in hotel design and hospitality this year… Have we finally entered into an era where greenwashing has been erased and bold, meaningful products and projects are stealing the…

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    Introducing the top 25 Brit List Architects of 2022

    Introducing the top 25 Brit List Architects of 2022 Encapsulating a diverse range of design and architectural innovation, and following swiftly on the heels of us unveiling the top 25 hotel interior designers in Britain, we present you with the top 25 hotel architects in Britain, as profiled in The Brit List 2022… What is immediately impressive when running through…

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    HIX 2022 review: from a mycelium bar to the metaverse

    HIX 2022 review: from a mycelium bar to the metaverse HIX 2022 was underlined by the event theme; ‘Great things will grow’ – and indeed, from the discussions on stage to the conversations on the stands the event was fuelled by a sense of positivity and purpose as the industry as a whole faces up to the challenges of net…

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    Introducing the top 25 Brit List Interior Designers of 2022

    Introducing the top 25 Brit List Interior Designers of 2022 Earlier this month, The Brit List 2022 was published, which profiles the leading interior designers, architects and hoteliers in Britain, following the projects that have completed throughout this year. Kickstarting a three-part editorial series, here are The Brit List Interior  Designers of 2022… The Brit List Awards has become known…

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    Part 68: maximising the social & economic impact of the hotel sector

    Reminding the industry how the hotel sector can maximise its social and economic impact, Andy Jansons, Managing Director of Jansons Properties, writes about the direct, indirect and social affects of good hospitality and hotel design… Guide to Hotel Design Hotels provide far more than just a bed to sleep in when you are away from home. They are hubs of…

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    Hotel Summit & Tech in Hospitality Summit 2022 unveil speaker line-up

    Hotel Summit & Tech in Hospitality Summit 2022 unveil speaker line-up With just over a month to go until hoteliers and suppliers will attend Hotel Summit and Tech in Hospitality Summit, Editor Hamish Kilburn takes a look at the speaker line-up, which includes panel discussions and talks on sustainability, technology and diversity…  With just under five weeks to go until…

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    Part 67: why the ‘workation’ trend is booming right now

    Part 67: why the ‘workation’ trend is booming right now The latest trend to soar in travel and hospitality is the ‘workation’. A study carried out by Anywork Anywhere reveals that searches for the term have increased by 445 per cent, and here’s why… As remote working becomes the new norm, and the hotel design arena adapts to new travel…

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    Round-up of Clerkenwell Design Week 2022

    Round-up of Clerkenwell Design Week 2022 Clerkenwell Design Week arrived back in familiar territory last week; leading conversations around trends and showcasing the best in British and international design. Hotel Designs was proud to be part of the process – hosting parties, panel discussions, roundtables, visiting showrooms in between and connecting with designers while exploring all that the week had…

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    Gran Meliá scheduled for a summer opening in Menorca

    Gran Meliá scheduled for a summer opening in Menorca Meliá Hotels International  has announced the upcoming opening of Villa Le Blanc Gran Meliá on Santo Tomás Beach in Menorca this summer. Returning to Meliá’s Balearic heritage, the new luxury hotel will be fully integrated with its natural surroundings with sustainability at its heart, while reflecting the Mediterranean essence of the…

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    In the factory: how Sanderson Design Group will go carbon-zero by 2030

    In the factory: how Sanderson Design Group will go carbon-zero by 2030 With the aim to understand how Sanderson Design Group will go carbon-zero by 2030, Editor Hamish Kilburn headed up to Lancaster, to the printing factory of Standfast Barracks, to explore how the group is keeping British manufacturing alive… In Northwest of England – under the shadow of the…

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    Weekly digest: Hotel openings, a review from Paris & trends galore

    Weekly digest: Hotel openings, a review from Paris & trends galore Peek-a-boo! Editor Hamish Kilburn here, emerging from the Holidays slumber, with your first weekly digest of 2022 – and it’s a big one! Our list of must-read stories this week features an extensive look at significant hotels openings expected between now and June, a hotel design trends special as…

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    Fauchon L’Hotel Paris: Where rock & roll, design and luxury hospitality meet

    Fauchon L’Hotel Paris: Where rock & roll, design and luxury hospitality meet Briefed to expect the unexpected, Gareth Thomas sets off on a Parisian adventure – far removed from chichés but still in the beating heart of the action – and checks in and checks out Fauchon L’Hotel Paris, where a bold interior design scheme juxtaposes heritage architecture in the…

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    Checking in to The Fellows House Cambridge – one for the history books

    Checking in to The Fellows House Cambridge – one for the history books Armed with a limited knowledge of Cambridge – but a deep connection to cycling and ingenious college pranks – editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to the city’s new hotel, The Fellows House – Curio Collection by Hilton. His time away from his desk to explore design firm…

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    A young architect’s Q&A: Jestico + Whiles’ James Dilley

    A young architect’s Q&A: Jestico + Whiles’ James Dilley In collaboration with our friends at NEWH UK Chapter, we have launched an editorial series that is aimed to bring together established designers and architects with those who are at the beginning of their career. For our first Q&A in the series, we invited young architect James Ingram to interview James…

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    indexPRO: A new platform launched to simplify FF&E specifying for designers

    indexPRO: A new platform launched to simplify FF&E specifying for designers Launching ‘the future of interior design efficiency’, indexPRO has launched to allow designers to collaborate in real-time on their FF&E specification, with reliable product details from renowned, design-led, International brands held on the technologically advanced cloud-based platform. Editor Hamish Kilburn checks it out… The implementation of interior design projects…

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    Weekly briefing: Hyatt milestones, a D.C. check-in & HD Live returns

    Weekly briefing: Hyatt milestones, a D.C. check-in & HD Live returns Editor Hamish Kilburn here with your weekly briefing, a safe place where you can catch up on all the hottest hotel design and hospitality stories from the last couple of days. This week’s round-up includes our latest hotel review and your chance to join us for free at Hotel…

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    Hotel review: Checking in to Riggs Washington D.C.

    Hotel review: Checking in to Riggs Washington D.C. Sheltered in a former bank in the capital city, Riggs Washington D.C. is emerging from the pandemic as a statement hotel that offers a new kind of luxury on the east coast. Writer and cine​matic storyteller Ollie Wiggins checks in to the Caroline Harrison suite and interviews interior design legend Jacu Strauss…

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    Virtual roundtable: Bespoke possibilities in luxury design

    Virtual roundtable: Bespoke possibilities in luxury design To specify or not to specify, that was the initial question that editor Hamish Kilburn put forward to our expert panel of designers and lighting masterminds for our latest roundtable, in association with bespoke lighting brand Dernier & Hamlyn, on bespoke possibilities in luxury design… There are a plethora of well-documented benefits linked…

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    Is it really ‘in with the new’ for the hospitality industry?

    Is it really ‘in with the new’ for the hospitality industry? “Out with the old and in with the new,” but what do you do in hospitality, when what’s about to come looks exactly the same as what’s just gone? Luckily, we have hear from psychotherapist, expert speaker and author Daniel Fryer to help hospitality through… It’s that time of…

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    Checking in to The Mayfair Townhouse, London’s ‘dandiest’ hotel

    Checking in to The Mayfair Townhouse, London’s ‘dandiest’ hotel “If only these walls could talk, my job would have been so much easier,” admits art curator Minda Dowling to editor Hamish Kilburn as he checks in to explore the design narrative, drawn up by Goddard Littlefair, that spectacularly and effortlessly unfolds inside The Mayfair Townhouse… Following what must have been…

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    Meet The Brit List Hoteliers of 2020

    Meet The Brit List Hoteliers of 2020 Each year, Hotel Designs unveils The Brit List, a publication that lists the top 25 designers, top 25 architects and top 25 hoteliers who are operating in Britain. Following the official unveiling of The List at this year’s virtual award ceremony, please meet The Brit List Hoteliers of 2020… For more than four years now, The…

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    Speakers announced for first Hotel Designs LIVE event in 2021

    Speakers announced for first Hotel Designs LIVE event in 2021 Following two successful events, Hotel Designs LIVE will return on February 23, 2021, with a global line-up of speakers who will appear in a series of four engaging panel discussions. Editor Hamish Kilburn, who will host the event, reveals all… It all started in June 2020. The temperatures in the…

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    The Dorchester, where style will always conquer over fashion

    The Dorchester, where style will always conquer over fashion The new challenge for traditional luxury hotels in London – aside from navigating the obvious pandemic – is confronting the demand for a new era of contemporary luxury hotels. Editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to one of Mayfair’s finest establishments, The Dorchester, to understand the power of style over fashion in…

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    Weekly briefing: a London review, a Japanese gem & re-living the drama

    Weekly briefing: a London review, a Japanese gem & re-living the drama Just in time for the weekend, here’s your weekly briefing, featuring the hottest stories of the week. This briefing includes our video review of Sofitel London St James, a boutique bombshell up for sale in Bordeaux and how you can re-watch all the drama from The Brit List…

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    Hotel review (in video): checking in to Sofitel London St James

    Hotel review (in video): checking in to Sofitel London St James 17 years after first unveiling the original designs for the Sofitel London St James, Pierre-Yves Rochon returned to London to breathe new life into the 183-key lifestyle luxury hotel. Editor Hamish Kilburn, along with a production team to film his response, checks in find out more… The ultimate compliment…

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    Checking in to The Bull Inn, Totnes – a new standard in eco hospitality

    Checking in to The Bull Inn, Totnes – a new standard in eco hospitality The award-winning indy hotel, The Bull Inn in Totnes, is a bare reminder that hospitality can be fully sustainable in both design and service. Editor Hamish Kilburn checks in… It is time we erase the myth that sustainable hotels are a compromise on luxury. No longer…

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    Weekly briefing: lighting confessions, new arrivals & a contactless check in

    Weekly briefing: lighting confessions, new arrivals & a contactless check in Only got a minute? It’s been a busy week on the editorial desk but we have have compiled our top stories, including a confession of a lighting designer, multiple hotel debuts and a panel discussion on the future of public areas… As we gear up to unveil the winners…

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    Checking in to a contactless hotel (with touchless tech from TIG)

    Checking in to a contactless hotel (with touchless tech from TIG) Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has played a key role in helping BLOC Hotels develop and implement new ‘touchless’ hotel technology. In an exclusive video review, editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to discover what the contactless hotel experience is all about… The BLOC hotel at Gatwick Airport is a advanced…

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    Weekly briefing: arriving in Miami, a cave retreat and going LIVE with Bensley

    Weekly briefing: arriving in Miami, a cave retreat and going LIVE with Bensley Only got a minute? Our editorial team have compiled the top design stories that they have published this week, including a live chat with Bill Bensley, an exclusive review of Kent’s most luxurious hotel and news of a new boutique gem arriving in Miami… We appreciate you…

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    Checking In: The Cave Hotel, Canterbury – Kent’s tech-savvy luxury pad

    Checking In: The Cave Hotel, Canterbury – Kent’s tech-savvy luxury pad In a sea of standard ‘luxury’ hotel offerings in Kent, The Cave Hotel in Canterbury, which opened late last year, has certainly made a statement. Editor Hamish Kilburn checks in to The Penthouse to discover the warm design scheme inspired by multiple hotels around the world… Before humans had…

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    Checking in to No.5 Maddox Street, London

    Checking in to No.5 Maddox Street, London Embracing change – and predicting a rise in demand for luxury apartments post-pandemic – editor Hamish Kilburn checks himself in review No.5 Maddox Street… It was the first time since the start of lockdown I had made the trip into the capital, but certain things were not how I remembered. For starters, not…

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    DESIGN CONCEPT// A vision for a new New York City

    DESIGN CONCEPT// A vision for a new New York City Design and architecture firm WATG has shared its urban planning solution that shapes a new vision for a greener New York City – one that underscores the unforeseen positives revealed during the pandemic… While the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown took force of major metropolises, an unusual thing happened across the…

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    Behind the scenes: designing the ‘hottest boutique hotel’ in Dublin

    Behind the scenes: designing the ‘hottest boutique hotel’ in Dublin The Mayson is said to be Dublin’s ‘hottest new boutique hotel’ and one of the most modern and architecturally striking hotels added to the Dublin skyline. Editor Hamish Kilburn checks it out… Located in the heart of Dublin Docklands, The Mayson is an exciting restoration project by ODOS of 45,000…

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    SPOTLIGHT ON: how Edmund bell grew as a textile brand

    SPOTLIGHT ON: how Edmund bell grew as a textile brand To celebrate Soft Furnishings and Fabrics being placed under the editorial spotlight this month, Hotel Designs asks the team at Edmund Bell to explain its past, present and predict its future… Ever since Edmund Bell was founded in 1855, as a merchant converter in textiles, it has always been proud…

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    Checking in to Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester, the best of both worlds

    Checking in to Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester, the best of both worlds Two years after Hotel Designs reviewed Hotel Gotham, editor Hamish Kilburn is transported to New York City without having to leave Manchester as he checks in to review Hotel Brooklyn…   Could checking in to places like Hotel Brooklyn, in Manchester – experiencing the unequivocal flair and flavour…

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    TREND ALERT: Aspirational lifestyle interior design is in!

    TREND ALERT: Aspirational lifestyle interior design is in! Following pandemic paralysis, forcing the world’s population to become short-term introverts, aspirational lifestyle interior design is now on trend, argues Deborah Heath from Design by Deborah… Social media is full of images of how the celebrated live and play and ideas on how to create your own version of their lifestyles. We…

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    In (Lockdown) Conversation With: Dean Winter, Managing Director, Swire Hotels

    In (Lockdown) Conversation With: Dean Winter, Managing Director, Swire Hotels Following his recent appointment as Managing Director of Swire Hotels, Dean Winter sits down (virtually) with editor Hamish Kilburn to explain the brand’s change of direction… Swire Hotels, which shelters luxury and lifestyle brands The House Collective and EAST, has recently announced a new Managing Director. Dean Winter, who first…

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    PRODUCT WATCH: Tape Cord Outdoor range by Minotti

    PRODUCT WATCH: Tape Cord Outdoor range by Minotti As Hotel Designs starts to place outdoor style under the editorial magnifying glass this month, editor Hamish Kilburn gets comfortable as he checks out Minotti’s Tape Cord Outdoor range of furniture, a fine example of outdoor, robust furniture meeting indoor style…  If you are familiar with the Italian furniture brand Minotti’s timeline…

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    INDUSTRY INSIGHT: Coming back from COVID–19

    INDUSTRY INSIGHT: Coming back from COVID–19 As the UK lockdown measures show (slow) signs of relaxation, Hotel Designs checks back in with Gary Corsbie from Interefurb lists how hotels can come back from coronavirus… In my previous article, we looked at the mothballing of your property, the checks and steps to take.The four main areas we looked at were weather,…

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