Introducing a City Through Design: GCSTIMES "Hello World" Fridge Magnets
GCSTIMES creates wooden fridge magnets that double as key cards, featuring local landmarks to introduce guests to their destination upon check-in.
Design & Architecture
Between myth and experience: Monte Carlo's grand hotels as narrators of European luxury
The piece examines how three Monte Carlo hotels - Hôtel de Paris, Hermitage, and Metropole - each embody different narratives of European luxury through their architectural design and guest experiences.
Wimberly Interiors 2026 Hospitality Design Trends: Authenticity, Resonance, and Resilience
Wimberly Interiors forecasts 2026 hospitality design will prioritize emotional connection through multisensory experiences, hyper-local materials, and integrated wellness over visual spectacle.
BLINK Design Group arrives in London: Founder Clint Nagata brings his visionary design philosophy to the UK
The luxury interior design firm, known for projects like Six Senses Kyoto and One&Only Le Saint Géran, has appointed William Evans and Matt Nadilo to lead the new studio.
Five Trends Shaping the Hospitality Landscape in 2026
WATG identifies five design trends for 2026, including F&B as destination driver, evidence-based wellness, and ultra-luxury expansion targeting growing UHNW segment.
All aboard Rome’s new hotel inspired by the Orient Express
Architect Hugo Toro transformed five 17th-century Roman buildings into the Orient Express brand's first hotel, drawing design inspiration from the Pantheon and Roman fountains.
Four historic train stations reimagined as luxury hotels
Features four iconic railway terminals transformed into luxury accommodations, from London's St Pancras to Tokyo Station Hotel.
Windsor Aughtry Completes $5 Million Renovations at Two Hotels, Enhancing the Guest Experience
Greenville based Windsor Aughtry Company, announces the completion of $5 million in renovations across two of its hotel properties: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Roanoke in Virginia and Hampton Inn & Suites Baton Rouge Downtown in Louisiana. The projects were completed in partnership with longtime management company partner Hospitality America. This is the first SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel in the Hospitality America portfolio, and it’s fourth Marriott brand.
America’s Top Hospitality Architects & Designers: Crafting Exceptional Spaces
To mark the publication of Forbes’ inaugural America’s Top Hospitality Architects & Designers list, we gathered a group of distinguished principals from listed firms—each not only an award-winning designer but a thought leader in the field—for a conversation about the core issues and opportunities that define progressive hospitality design today. Our aim: To bring to life the vital relationship between business leaders and those who design their exceptional spaces.
Forbes and Rockwell Group
Reimagining Space: How Hotels Are Turning Underutilized Areas Into Revenue, Relevance, and Guest Value
Over the past several years, H&LA has seen increased interest from hotel owners, operators, and developers seeking ways to maximize the value of underutilized areas within their properties. As competition intensifies and guest expectations evolve, hotels recognize that unused or inefficient spaces represent an opportunity to enhance the guest experience, improve operational flow, and generate incremental revenue.
By Anthony DiPonio, CHIA, Associate, Hotel & Leisure Advisors (H&LA)
Where Are We Headed with Colors in 2026?
Let me tell you what happened with Pantone’s Mocha Mousse last year. Design blogs lost their minds. Every magazine cover screamed about this “revolutionary” milk chocolate shade. And you know how many of my boutique lodging clients actually used it? Zero. Not because it was ugly—it wasn’t—but because it had nothing to do with the real work of creating memorable guest spaces.
By James Kuester, Interior and Experience Design Consultant, Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
Oram Hotels Launches Artist-in-Residence Program
Oram Hotels, the San Diego hospitality collective behind two of San Diego’s most historic hotels—Granger Hotel and The Guild—has appointed Jennifer Findley as its first Director of Arts & Culture. An internationally regarded art advisor and founder of La Jolla–based JFiN Collective, Findley and Oram Hotels co-founder, Kevin Mansour, are the driving forces behind this collaboration. The two are bringing together cross-border voices and rising artists, giving them space to create and showcase work inspired by the hotels and San Diego community. Together, Granger Hotel and The Guild will serve as a center-points of exchange, focusing on art and artists from the region and beyond.
Colicchio Consulting Places the Iconic “Friends” Central Perk Coffeehouse at the Crossroads of the World
Colicchio Consulting announces it has placed New York City’s first official Central Perk Coffeehouse in Times Square at the corner of 47th Street and 7Th Avenue alongside The Times Square EDITION. Scheduled to open in late 2025, Central Perk invites locals, tourists, and “Friends” superfans to step into a modern, updated version of one of television’s most beloved gathering spots.
BLLA Concludes the 2025 Boutique Hotel Owners Conference
The 2025 Boutique Hotel Owners Conference, hosted by the Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA), concluded its annual gathering, offering a clear view of the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of boutique hospitality. Guided by the theme Terra Incognita, the event championed creative thinking, encouraged hoteliers to explore new strategies, and highlighted the value of integrating culture, innovation, and connectivity to elevate the guest experience and stay ahead in an evolving industry.
AXIS Architecture + Design completes the luxurious modernization of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
AXIS Architecture + Design, the noted and award-winning West Coast hospitality design, hotel renovation, multi-family residential design, and affordable housing architectural design firm, recently celebrated the completion of their latest luxury hotel renovation project: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. Quietly emerging from a phased multi-year property-wide renovation that completed this summer, AXIS Architecture + Design’s transformation of the world-renown luxury hotel breathes new life into the AAA Five Diamond resort by expertly blending timeless mountain lodge character with the luxurious sophistication of The Ritz-Carlton brand. AXIS served as Architect of Record on the project in coordination with the interior design teams at Premier Design Studio and Johnson Studio, and was critical in the reconceptualization of the hotel’s lobby living room, lobby bar, meeting rooms and pre-function spaces, Manzanita restaurant, and new Topgolf Swing Suites.
Is luxury goods industry failing? or is it something else?
Every few months (and recently even more often), a new wave of headlines proclaims the “end of luxury.” Supposedly, the new generation doesn’t want to carry Vuitton monograms, buy Hermès, slip into Gucci loafers, or line up for Chanel bags. The argument goes that legacy luxury is outdated, that Gen Z is too practical, too purpose-driven, too minimalist.
By Martin Soler, Partner, Soler & Associates
Meyer Jabara Hotels Expands Boutique Portfolio with Management of The Abbey Inn & Spa in New York
Meyer Jabara Hotels, a nationally recognized hotel management and ownership company, today announced that it has assumed management of The Abbey Inn & Spa, a boutique hotel perched on historic Fort Hill in Peekskill, New York. Named No. 3 on the “10 Best New Hotels” list in the U.S. by USA Today, this move marks MJH’s entry into New York’s scenic Hudson Highlands region and underscores the company’s continued growth in the upscale boutique segment.
The Feel-Good Effect: Designing Landscapes that Heal Habitually
The global wellness industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. According to Global Wellness Institute, the industry was valued at approximately $6.3 trillion by 2023, accounting for about 6% of the global GDP. This is projected to reach $9.0 trillion by 2028 – indicating an annual growth rate of 7.3%, notably outpacing the projected global GDP growth of 4.8%.
Your Lobby Isn’t Worth Posting
In a world dominated by social media, the value of a hotel is increasingly measured by how shareable its experiences are. Guests aren't just looking for comfort -- they want moments worth posting. For years, “Instagrammable” aesthetics were enough. Now, younger generations are shifting the bar: the real currency is authenticity.
By Carly Pews, Media Strategist and Writer, Something New Creative Inc.
The Death of Sameness
Oscar Wilde wasn’t talking about hospitality, but the line has never felt more urgent in hospitality. Today, the biggest competitive threat isn’t criticism – it’s invisibility.
By Carly Pews, Media Strategist and Writer, Something New Creative Inc.