The Design Hotels™ Book 2020

Berlin - Over the past quarter-century, Design Hotels™ has been at the vanguard of a disruptive movement in the travel industry, curating a global collection of independent, design-led hotels that reject singular definition to function as transformative social hubs. Spread across 242 destinations, the hotels are united in their unwavering commitment to uncommon aesthetics, transcendent neighborhood culture, and uncompromising, original experiences that defy conventional notions of luxury. In recognition of the collective's 25th anniversary, the release of the 2020 edition of The Design Hotels™ Bookmarks an innovative new editorial and artistic direction for the design anthology, created in collaboration with some of the world's leading photographers. Centering on the concept of New Perspectives, an evocative series of photo essays and reportage provides an individualized look at 25 trailblazing member hotels that are rewriting the narrative of modern hospitality.

Produced by Design Hotels'™ in-house creative team, the special edition of the highly-anticipated almanac presents an in-depth profile of 25 newly opened hotels that are reshaping the international hospitality landscape and changing the way we think about travel. Far more than mere accommodation, the hotels have quickly established themselves as benchmarks in the industry and emerge as beacons for pioneering design, extraordinary engagement and communal development. Tasked with capturing the unique character and visual identity of these properties were some of the best editorial and lifestyle photographers to emerge in recent years—among them, award-winning photographers Robbie Lawrence, Jake Curtis, Danilo Scarpati and Nacho Alegre. The resulting photography is emotively woven into a series of 16-page features that explore the original concept, generative design and meaningful community relationships behind each hotel.

Spanning a diverse range of cultures and embodying original concepts, the 25 hand-picked hotels provide a platform for remarkable travel experiences and represent the core values of Design Hotels™. Dexamenes Seaside Hotel, for example, invites guests to sleep in artfully reanimated wine tanks from the 1920s set directly on the beach, while the all-encompassing arts program at Kazerne provides a springboard to full immersion in Eindhoven's progressive creative scene. Groundbreaking architecture and thought-provoking design unite the profiled hotels, a number of which have been crafted by the leading architects and designers of today, including Vincent van Duysen and Japan's master of minimalism, Tadao Ando. Some, like Stamba Hotel in Tbilisi, have sent ripples far beyond the world of hospitality, instead reinvigorating local arts, fashion, food, and agriculture, and becoming intrinsically linked with the cultural evolution of their respective locales.

Within its 432 pages, The Design Hotels™ Book also details the individual properties that make up the Design Hotels'™ curated collection of over 300 hotels in more than 60 countries. From the pioneering boutique hotels of New York, Paris, and London, to the rising stars of Shanghai, Mexico City, and Nairobi, to exclusive mountaintops, hidden beaches, and off-the-beaten-path escapes, each independent hotel is a wholly unique creative expression, steeped in the history, culture, and nature of its environment. "These hotels stand out because of the people behind them," said Design Hotels™ CEO Peter Cole. "These are true originals, whose passion, sensibility, and vision shine through in the minutest details of the guest experience."

October 28 marks the release of the 2020 edition of The Design Hotels™ Book, which will be priced at EUR 59.90 and is available to pre-order from www.designhotels.cc/shop. All pre-orders will be accompanied by two unique gifts from our partners: a notebook from renowned stationers Mark + Fold and a supreme moisture mask courtesy of Danish skincare brand Nuori. The book will also be available to purchase from selected international partners from January 2020.

About Design Hotels

Design Hotels™ represents and markets a curated selection of over 300 independent hotels in more than 60 countries across the globe. More than a collection of hotels, the company is a collection of stories. Each property reflects the ideas of a visionary hotelier, an "Original", someone with a passion for genuine hospitality, cultural authenticity, thought-provoking design and architecture. Each "Original" stands for the individual, aesthetic and service-driven experience that his or her hotel provides.

In 2017, Design Hotels™ launched Further, a traveling laboratory for experiential hospitality that transforms hotels across the globe into temporal hubs of thematic exploration. The mission behind Further aligns with the values of the future-facing Promad, a new generation of traveler embracing progressive travel and global nomadism. First identified by Design Hotels™ in collaboration with leading futures consultancy The Future Laboratory, the purpose-driven, self-actualizing Promadic movement is set to shape the future of hospitality.

Founded by Claus Sendlinger in 1993, Design Hotels™ offers its members insightful travel industry knowledge, from market trend consultancy to international sales representation. The company has its headquarters in Berlin and branches in London, Los Angeles, New York and Singapore. In 2019, Design Hotels™ joined forces with Marriott Bonvoy, enabling its member hotels to have both a greater and more selective reach while offering its Community the benefit of the industry's leading loyalty program.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of nearly 8,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly-awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.

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