Hospitality Design: What I've Learned
Hospitality Design: What I've Learned
Hospitality Design
In this series, Hospitality Design magazine's editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen talks with influential hotel and design leaders on how they got to where they are today, what drives them, and their biggest lessons learned navigating an ever-changing industry. 
Chantell Walsh, Strategic Hotels & Resorts
Growing up in a small town in central Minnesota, Chantell Walsh’s creativity took the form of graph paper floorplans and endless hours outdoors inventing adventures. A pivotal job shadow at local architecture firm KKE Architects during high school solidified her path. After earning her degree in architecture, Walsh landed in Chicago, working under a mentor who taught her to embrace process over perfection. That ethos followed her to Strategic Hotels & Resorts, where she joined as a consul...
Jul 23, 2025
35 min
Greg Bradshaw, Adam Farmerie, Kristina O'Neal, and William Harris, AvroKO
For more than two decades, AvroKO has pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a design firm. Founded by longtime friends Greg Bradshaw, Adam Farmerie, Kristina O’Neal, and William Harris, the multidisciplinary studio has earned a reputation for its richly layered interiors, holistic approach, and narrative-driven process. From launching self-propelled projects like Ghost Donkey and Host on Howard to building enduring relationships with clients like 1 Hotels, AvroKO has remained steadfast...
Jul 9, 2025
1 hr 2 min
Craig Stanghetta, Ste Marie
Raised in Sault Ste. Marie, a small industrial town in Northern Ontario, Craig Stanghetta grew up surrounded by hospitality—his family owned the city’s oldest hotel. Though initially drawn to theater, he worked as a professional actor until he found the same sense of connection in the world of design. His first project, the Chinese brasserie Bao Bei in Vancouver’s Chinatown, solidified the career pivot. From that moment, his focus shifted. What began as a hands-on, instinctual approach—learni...
Jun 26, 2025
1 hr 5 min
Sarah Klymson and Simon Marxer, Hyatt
As senior leaders shaping the future of Hyatt's wellness-focused brand Miraval, Sarah Klymson and Simon Marxer bring complementary expertise to the table: Klymson is a trained architect and global design strategist, while Marxer is a veteran spa and wellbeing innovator with roots at Canyon Ranch and Red Flower. Since Hyatt’s acquisition of Miraval in 2017, the duo has worked together to evolve the brand while honoring its original mission to empower guests to cultivate balance, mindfulness, a...
Jun 10, 2025
59 min
Dr. Jonathan Leary, Remedy Place
Growing up in a small town outside Providence, Rhode Island, Dr. Jonathan Leary always had big dreams. At a young age, he had plotted to move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in medicine, despite never having visited the city. Those dreams evolved as he explored ways of helping people on a deeper level—not just improving their physical health but enhancing their lifestyle. After completing his undergraduate studies in kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island and obtaining a doctorate i...
May 28, 2025
50 min
Caroline and Sabri Farouki, Farouki Farouki
Caroline and Sabri Farouki, partners behind New Orleans-based studio Farouki Farouki, bring a personal and global perspective to their practice. Caroline grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana in a home designed by Louisiana architect A. Hays Town, known for pioneering reusing materials. Surrounded by antiques and architectural details, her passion for design started early. She studied architecture in college, but shifted to environmental studies with a minor in architecture before earning her...
May 14, 2025
43 min
Suchi Reddy, Reddymade
Suchi Reddy’s creative journey began in Chennai, India, where she grew up in a vibrant home curated by her mother—think scenic wallpaper, terrazzo floors embedded with marble fragments, and a rich mix of textures. Surrounded by gardens and books, Reddy developed an early sensitivity to how environments shape our sense of self. That awareness grew into a passion for architecture, which she pursued both in India and the U.S. In 2002, she founded her New York–based multidisciplinary studio, Redd...
Apr 30, 2025
37 min
Jacu Strauss, Lore Group
Born in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa, Jacu Strauss’ early years were marked by his imagination—crafting dollhouses from wine boxes and drawing urban streetscapes in the dirt. With limited access to TV or the internet, he turned to encyclopedias and magazines to fuel an inner world that laid the foundation for his future. At 18, he left for London on what was meant to be a brief gap year. It quickly turned into a journey through banking, architecture studies in New Zealand, and ultimate...
Apr 16, 2025
53 min
Morris Adjmi, Morris Adjmi Architects
As founder of his eponymous New York firm, visionary architect Morris Adjmi's work is deeply rooted in a respect for heritage while embracing innovation. With a career shaped by early experiences working alongside Pritzker Prize-winning architect Aldo Rossi, Adjmi developed a distinct approach that balances modern aesthetics anchored in a deep understanding of architectural and cultural history. His projects, spanning adaptive reuse to new construction, reflect a meticulous attention to...
Apr 2, 2025
48 min
Cathy O'Brien, Naturopathica
From her childhood in Larchmont, New York to leading a renowned wellness company, Cathy O'Brien’s wide-ranging career spans the music industry as well as the beauty and wellness sectors, where she helped rethink brand strategies at luxury companies like Jo Malone. Driven by her vision for holistic wellness and inspired by her own health challenges, O'Brien came to Naturopathica in 2022 with the goal of revolutionizing the way people approach self-care. Recognizing the powerful conne...
Mar 18, 2025
58 min
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