LUXURY

Brand Insider
Design Hotels
The expectation of luxury travellers is changing as they seek out new experiences that
will enhance the quality of their lives long after the holiday is over. An innovative and
exciting brand that has tapped into this new way of thinking is Design Hotels . We
recently caught up with the founder, Claus Sendlinger for a chat.
LUXURY: What are the origins of Design Hotels?
Claus: We founded the business in 1993 as a marketing
company for contemporary hotels. We started off with a
modest portfolio of only 10 iconic member properties and
have expanded over the years by strategically tapping into
new markets and handpicking a collection of more than 175
one-of-a-kind hotels in over 43 countries.
LUXURY: Can you tell us a bit about ‘Made by Originals’
and what inspired the concept?
Claus: Made by Originals is our core message. As I
mentioned before, people and their holistic hotel concepts
are our key differentiator. I am proud to say that every
single member hotel was created by a person of exceptional
creativity - an Original. Designers, owners, chefs; these
are the masterminds behind the hotels, the Originals.
We asked extraordinary characters such as Emanuele
Garosci, owner of the Palazzina Grassi in Venice, if they
would like to be part of our global Made by Originals
campaign and they loved the idea. So, we started a global
campaign in which we showcase the Originals as they
really are: authentic, responsible, creative and as real as
the properties they’ve brought to life. Each Original stands
for the individual, aesthetic and service-driven experience,
which their hotel provides.
LUXURY: Tell us about the culture of a Design Hotel and
its people.
Claus: The people behind our member hotels are passionate
– they love what they do and transport this attitude into
their properties. So while selecting a hotel, one of the most
important factors for us is the creative mind behind the
project and whether or not the ideas and visions fit with
ours. It’s not just the design that makes a property suitable
for the brand; the hotel also needs to show it has the right
personality. The staff and the guests obviously play a large
part in that, because they give a hotel its soul and character.
The architecture and interior design need to create the right
environment for these people to interact in.
LUXURY: How do you define luxury, especially as it applies
to Design Hotels?
Claus: I don’t particularly like to use the word ‘luxury’. To
me it always connotes decadence and waste. Luxury to me
translates into quality of life, which is also an underlying value
for Design Hotels. Luxury is enjoying a holiday with my family
at a remote beach with like-minded people - does it get any
better than that?
Widder Hotel, Zurich
LUXURY: What interesting trends do you see in the
worldwide luxury hotel market?
Claus: Our society is undergoing a value shift at the moment.
The importance of ‘soft factors’ such as quality of life and
well-being is growing along with a re-discovery of simple,
human, even humble values. The human is taking centre
stage within the spheres of industry and commerce. Hotels
will have to embrace this development and offer services
that go far beyond a bed and a bar. They have to be able to
manage the experiences of their guests. It’s not just about
sending them to a gallery; it’s more about showing them
around as well. Future hotels will also be created around
experiences such as the Ana Yela in Marrakech or the soon to
open The Other Side in Norway.
LUXURY: What are the challenges and opportunities you
face when you look at a new project/property?
Claus: We receive more than 450 applications for membership
per year. About 70 percent of them fall through immediately
because the concepts are either too shallow or the hotel is
part of a big chain. The real challenge is to pick the right
hotels for our guests.
LUXURY: What do you think are the key ingredients of a
successful property?
Claus: People with a vision and a holistic concept.
LUXURY: Do you have any plans to bring Design Hotels to
New Zealand?
Claus: Of course! New Zealand is an amazing country
with unbelievable natural virtues. We would love to have a
member hotel in New Zealand - so far we just haven’t come
across a property that fits with our portfolio. So, let me take
this chance to appeal to all those creative visionaries out
there: we’re ready to have our socks knocked off by your
great concepts!
LUXURY: Any other exciting developments in the pipeline?
Claus: We have several new member hotels on board such as
the Kube Hotel and the La Resérve Ramatuelle both on the
French Riviera, the Sanctum Soho Hotel and the Boundary,
both in London and the Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali. The Alila
Villas Hadahaa is just about to open in the Maldives, as are
the Scarlet in England, the Cosmo in Berlin, and the Palazzina
Grassi in Italy as well as Firmdale`s first property in New York:
the Crosby Street. So, there is a lot to look forward to.
LUXURY: How did you get into the business?
Claus: I started my own travel and event agency in my early
twenties. I travelled the world and organised events with
musicians, DJs, artists and other creative minds. They had
very specific requirements and wanted to meet like-minded
people everywhere they went. To find hotels that really
offered a creative surrounding attracting a cool crowd was
a major challenge back then. That was the point when I
decided to bring hotels like this under one umbrella, which
we called Design Hotels.
Murano Resort, Marrakesh
LUXURY: And what do you love about your role?
Claus: The great thing about my job is that there is nothing
like a typical week. In all I travel about 150 days a year.
In the first two months of 2009 I wasn’t in Berlin once. I
meet a lot of fascinating people and get the chance to visit
extraordinary places and hotels. That’s exactly what I am
passionate about!
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