What can travelers expect from the next generation of hotel rooms? To find out, Hamish heads to the top secret innovation lab at Marriott Headquarters — where more adaptable, interactive, and locally connected hotel rooms are being crafted as the ideal home base for millions of travel journeys to come. He learns why the near future of hotel rooms isn’t a dogpile of technology for technology’s sake. Instead, it’s a future where we can adjust our room to be what we need right in the moment, by pressing a single button or pulling on a single handle. In this episode, Hamish gets a glimpse of that ..read more

Eleven stories above the arctic circle, a panoramic view — of Norwegian mountains, fjords, and the Northern Lights — sweeps travelers into the natural world. That’s the first thing you’ll see when you check in at Moxy Tromsø, because the hotel lobby is intentionally perched on the top floor. A welcome drink and an uninterrupted view make this a one-of-kind introduction to one of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth. Sculpted by Copenhagen-based designer and longtime mountain backpacker Mette Fredskild, the hotel is designed to help travelers embrace mother nature, whether that means takin ..read more

On the southern tip of the Indonesian island of Bali, the Nusa Dua peninsula offers travelers some of the most stunning beaches in Southeast Asia. But the area surrounding Nusa Dua is also home to majestic cliffs, lush hills, and stone temples. These settings offer a chance to connect with Bali’s local landscape, architecture, and culture — an experience that goes beyond a beach-side getaway. The Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort, secluded from the hustle and bustle of beach-side hotels, makes good on that offer by paying homage to Balinese architecture. The resort is nestled into the hills lik ..read more

The Riviera Maya, a coastal paradise on the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, is home to peaceful mangroves, stunning beaches, and breathtaking freshwater pools known as cenotes. And nestled amongst the mangrove trees is the St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya — a 620-acre reserve that immerses travelers in a heavenly natural setting and pays homage to over 4,000 years of Maya heritage within greater Mexico. In this episode of Travel by Design, host Hamish Kilburn chats with designer Tatiana Sheveleva, who spent seven years painstakingly sculpting a seamless indoor-outdoor experience at the St. Re ..read more

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg have been partners in design (and in life) for decades, creating award-winning hospitality spaces that span the globe and never deliver the same experience twice. When they were asked to design the interiors for two distinct hotels built inside the same 37-story building in Downtown Los Angeles, George and Glenn decided to craft the spaces for two contemporary “protagonists” — rooted in the lifestyles of Southern California artists. For The Moxy Downtown LA, they imagined a desert nomad, who would imbue the hotel with a vivacious, mismatched aesthetic and restl ..read more

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg have been partners in design (and in life) for decades, creating award-winning hospitality spaces that span the globe and never deliver the same experience twice. When they were asked to design the interiors for two distinct hotels built inside the same 37-story building in Downtown Los Angeles, George and Glenn decided to craft the spaces for two contemporary “protagonists” — rooted in the lifestyles of Southern California artists. For The Moxy Downtown LA, they imagined a desert nomad, who would imbue the hotel with a vivacious, mismatched aesthetic and restl ..read more

The Maldives, an archipelago of more than a thousand islands off the southern tip of India, is renowned for pristine beaches and unparalleled ocean views. The natural setting of these islands, which sit atop shimmering waters and reflect colors of emerald and royal blue, is the perfect place for an island resort getaway. But while any number of resorts in the Maldives offer snorkeling among the coral reefs and overwater villas that let travelers dive into the lagoon from their hotel rooms, Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa stands out — with its careful curation of the island spaces and bol ..read more

Picture the grand entrance to an Austro-Hungarian palace from the late 19th century, complete with iron-wrought gates and a vaulted ceiling. A beautiful blend of art styles that includes Art Nouveau, Baroque, and Romanesque. Ornate finishings on everything, from handle rails to columns and ceilings. A color palette that reflects the city’s rooftops in teal, green, gold and copper. These sights are just a hint of the bridge to Budapest’s history that is Matild Palace — a Luxury Collection Hotel, housed in the painstakingly restored palace that originally brought into being by Her Imperial and R ..read more

Host Hamish Kilburn, Editor of Hotel Designs, leads us on a globetrotting journey through immersive, insightful conversations with the designers behind the world’s most extraordinary hotels. Travel by Design reimagines the hotel design podcast previously known as Behind the Design. From a secluded overwater villa in the Maldives, to a rejuvenated royal palace in Budapest, to a trendy hotspot in downtown Los Angeles, join us for new episodes — and find your next great travel destination. To learn more, check out more stories from across the globe at Travel by Design ..read more

Travel by boat across the Venetian lagoon and escape onto a private island, where every step — and every plate of locally sourced food — has been thoughtfully integrated to bring you back into touch with the healing power of earth, sea, and sun. In this episode, we travel to the J.W. Marriott Venice resort and Spa, which gives guests access to the secluded retreat of Isola delle Rose. To understand the impact of designer Matteo Thun on the resort, Host Robin Bennefield chats with General Manager Cristiano Cabutti, who was one of the property's very first team members. While reflecting on what ..read more