Top 5 stories of the week: Cakes, ribbon cutting and hotel design launching at sea

150 150 Hamish Kilburn
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Here are the top 5 stories of the week, as selected by Hamish Kilburn, editor of Hotel Designs.

This week we collated all the ingredients for a great series of stories. We’ve had architectural cakes, new builds, significant anniversaries, drawing-board renderings of new hotels, showroom openings and even a sprinkling of an exclusive Q&A from the managing director of bathroom specialist Duravit.

It’s been a busy week, so here’s a breakdown of the major stories.

1) Winning design unveiled from WATG’s Great Architectural bake-off

Leading architects gathered last weekend for the final of WATG’s Great Architectural bake-off. Judges included Great British Bake-Off competitor; Jane Duncan OBE, the 75th RIBA president; Bethan Ryder, Digital Editor at Wallpaper*; Peter Murray.

2) Will hotel designs and Cruise ship design marry at sea? 

Under the Arch sculpture

Image credit: Zemer Peled

In an exclusive feature, editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn investigates why so many hotel designers are stretching their services to also include cruise ship design.

3) The luxury hotel experience: how to design an ultra-modern bathroom

Modern bathroom

Image credit: Unsplash

Regardless of their location, the world’s finest hotel bathrooms are designed to evoke a sensory experience. Tegan Denwood  investigates how hoteliers can simply create an ultra-modern bathroom that lives up to the growing consumer demands of guests checking in…

4) Soho House to open in Amsterdam this Summer

Rendering of Soho House Amsterdam

The 79-key Soho House Amsterdam will open in the city’s The Bungehuis building in July 2018…

5) Seven minutes with Managing Director of Duravit

Martin Carroll

As Duravit opens its new Clerkenwell showroom, the editor of Hotel Designs, Hamish Kilburn, went behind the scenes to ask the Managing Director of Duravit, Martin Carroll, ‘why here’, ‘why now’ and ‘what’s next’…

Hamish Kilburn / 22.06.2018

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.