EMEA’s top luxury hotel brands and hospitality design firms
Every year, BOND produces the BOND Five Star EMEA Top 50: its own, unique list of the hotel brands and hospitality design firms who are bringing EMEA’s headline hotel projects to life. This ‘Top 50’ therefore lists EMEA's most dynamic luxury hotel companies and hospitality design firms.
Before we get to the Top 50, here’s a quick look at how EMEA’s luxury hotel project landscape is shaping up in 2024 and beyond.
Skip to the Top 50.
Hotel Projects in Europe
The past 3 years has seen a real surge in hotel tourism through Europe. CBRE’s latest market outlook for Europe confidently reports an increase in leisure travel, including from the Asian markets and a recovery of corporate and group travel. The hotel companies are duly responding with plans to increase their European portfolios.
Marriott International has announced ‘100+’ new hotel projects throughout Europe, totalling 1200+ rooms by 2026. Interestingly, many of these will come through conversions and adaptive reuse projects, with hotel projects hotspots in the UK, Italy and Turkey, across all brand segments.
Marriott’s luxury segment is also seeing an increase in conversion and adaptive reuse developments, with The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts accounting for over 10% of the expected European hotel projects by the end of 2026.
“We are seeing significant interest from independent hoteliers, developers and investors looking to leverage the efficiencies and advantages of renovating and rebranding existing hotels and properties,” said Jerome Briet, chief development officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International.
Hilton is also set to expand its resort portfolio with 10 hotels housing over 1,500 rooms by the time you read this. With destinations such as Sardinia and Greece enjoying a tourism resurgence, Hilton has signed over 20 new resort hotel projects throughout EMEA in the last year alone.
“Last year alone, more than a fifth of our openings in Europe, Middle East and Africa were resort hotels and, working with a range of owners, we are looking forward to continued growth across this market segment, particularly in Mediterranean island destinations” said Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President, Development, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton.
Lodging Econometrics recorded record highs in upper upscale, upscale and upper midscale hotel projects in Europe by the end of Q4, 2023, the U.K. leading the region with the highest number of hotel projects, followed by Germany, France, Turkey and Portugal. These five countries account for 51% of Europe’s hotel project pipeline. With demand for hotels running strong across the European market this year, 348 new hotels totalling 48,559 rooms are anticipated to open by the end of 2024, the report claims.
Among cities, London is the frontrunner with 80 hotel projects in the pipeline, followed by Istanbul with 51 hotels, and Lisbon with 37 projects.
Looking ahead, 2025 is expected to continue this trend, with an estimated launch of 367 new hotel projects and nearly 53,000 rooms.
Hotel Projects in the Middle East
Lodging Econometrics reveals that Q1 2024 in the Middle East saw 612 hotel projects and a total of 144,222 rooms (up 5% on last year).
Hotel projects currently under construction stand at 302 projects with a total 80,589 rooms. Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months stand at 133 new hotel projects/30,447 rooms, up 24% on last year by rooms. New hotel project announcements in the Middle East at the end of Q1, 2024 stand at 44 projects and 8,346 rooms, with new construction projects totalling 24 and 5,733 rooms.
It's little surprise that the Middle Eastern country with the greatest number of hotel projects is Saudi Arabia (see Top 50 Architecture Firms in the Middle East), with a record 318 projects, accounting for 75,761 rooms, followed by Egypt with record-highs of 103 projects and 24,731 rooms. Following distantly are the United Arab Emirates with 89 projects/22,849 rooms, Qatar with 32 projects/8,053 rooms, and Oman with 32 projects/5,939 rooms.
Cities in the Middle East with the largest pipelines at Q1 are led by the Eastern Province region with 144 projects/30,266 rooms, Riyadh with record-high counts of 93 projects and 18,715 rooms, Jeddah with a record 59 projects/12,262 rooms, Cairo with 40 projects/8,760 rooms, and Doha with 29 projects/7,365 rooms.
During the first quarter, the Middle East opened 21 new hotels/3,663 rooms. Lodging Econometrics is forecasting an additional 86 new hotels/17,748 rooms to open throughout the remainder of the year for a total of 107 new hotels/21,411 rooms to open by year-end 2024. By year-end 2025, LE analysts forecast another 101 new hotels/26,743 rooms to open across the Middle East.
Hotel Projects in Africa
As of early 2024 the luxury hotel projects throughout Africa total a record 524 hotels and resorts with 92,193 rooms, up an amazing 9.2 per cent on 2023.
When it comes to hotel development across Africa in 2024, 'Egypt and the Big 5' – Accor, Hilton, IHG, Marriott International and Radisson Hotel Group lead the charge. This year's African Hotel Chain Development Pipeline report, lists a market share of 28% for Egypt and 71% for the Big 5 global chains.
The BOND Five Star EMEA Top 50
BOND are the originators of the 1-to-1 meetings forum concept and their 20-year perfected delivery of unmatched architect and designer event experiences has won them the support of the most respected brands in the industry. You can read our story here.
Once a year, BOND brings EMEA's most prolific hotel project community together: the region's most active luxury hotel companies and hospitality design firms spending quality time, getting to know its most innovative and helpful manufacturers. Each of our architect and designer events has its own dedicated sector specialist who will call on all their sources and contacts on the ground to identify the hotel brands and hospitality design firms behind EMEA's most prestigious new builds, adaptive reuses and refurb’s. The following list, therefore, can be used as an extremely valuable guide to the companies which need to be on your radar right now if luxury hotel projects throughout the EMEA region are your target.
The Top 50
Hotel Brands / Developers
- Accor
- Adriatic Luxury Hotels
- Aman Resorts
- Belmond
- Bulgari Hotels
- Four Seasons
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Hyatt Hotels Corporation
- IHG
- Jumeirah
- Kempinski Hotels & Resorts
- Mandarin Oriental
- Marriott International
- NH Collection
- Oetker
- Red Sea Global
- Rocco Forte Hotels
- Rosewood Hotels
Architecture and Design Firms
- AECOM
- Areen Design
- BAR Studio
- BLINK
- Campbell House
- Denniston
- DiLeonardo
- DLR Group
- EPR Architects
- Forrest Perkins
- Foster+Partners
- Gensler
- Goddard Littlefair
- HBA
- HKS
- HOK
- JOI Design
- Kelly Wearstler
- Leo A Daly
- Perkins and Will
- Pinto Interior Design
- PYR Design
- ReardonSmith Architects
- Richmond International
- Rockwell
- Studio Moren
- THDP
- The GA Group
- Tristan Auer
- WATG
- Woods Bagot
- Yabu Pushelberg
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The BOND Five Star Top 50
1. Accor
Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide. Accor operates 5,584 locations in over 110 countries. Currently has 315 hotels/225,000 rooms in pipeline, including the following:
- Fairmont Golden Prague (Late 2024)
- Gigiri Gem Forest Hotel Nairobi – MGallery (Early 2024)
- Mama Shelter Dubai Business Bay (Late 2024)
- Hyde London City (Early 2024)
- JO&JOE Budapest (Late 2024)
- SLS Barcelona (Mid 2024)
- The Hoxton, Vienna (Early 2024)
- Rixos Obhur Jeddah (Late 2024)
- Mövenpick Wroclaw, Poland (Mid 2024)
- Swissôtel Marianske Lazne Resort & Spa, Czech Republic (Late 2024)
Accor Luxury Brands
2. Adriatic Luxury Hotels
Adriatic Luxury Hotels (ALH) is a premier hotel group with a portfolio of luxurious hotels and villas in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Adriatic Luxury Hotels present some of the most luxurious hotels and villas in Croatia, offering a combination of outstanding leisure and business facilities, and superior services. The hotels are located in magnificent settings in Dubrovnik, Cavtat, and on the island of Mljet.
The ALH portfolio includes:
- Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik
- Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik
- Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik
- Hotel Croatia Cavtat
- Villa Orsula Dubrovnik
- Hotel Odisej Mljet
- Villa Agave Dubrovnik
- Hotel Supetar Cavtat
- Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
- Villa Glavić Dubrovnik
- Grand Villa Argentina Dubrovnik
3. Aman Resorts
Aman Resorts is the trading entity of Aman Group Sarl, a Swiss-headquartered multinational hospitality company. Founded by Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1988, the company operates 35 properties in 20 countries. Vladislav Doronin is the chief executive officer, chairman, and owner.
EMEA Properties:
4. Belmond
Belmond Ltd. (formerly Orient-Express Hotels Ltd) is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide. In 2015, the company had 35 deluxe hotels, 7 tourist trains, 3 river cruises and restaurants in 22 countries.
Worldwide Development Offices
Belmond has a full development and operational support infrastructure at its corporate headquarters in London as well as in its network of regional offices around the world. Please contact the Company at the relevant email address below regarding potential business opportunities.
EMEA Contact:
Email: development.emea@belmond.com
5. Bulgari Hotels
The Bulgari Hotel and Residences began as a luxury hotel in Knightsbridge, London. When it opened in 2012, it was the most expensive hotel in London, and the penthouse apartment sold for $157 million. Bulgari now has a selection of luxury properties in major cosmopolitan cities, including Milan, Rome, London, Dubai and Paris, with a new property set to open in Bodrum, Turkey in 2026.
6. Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is a Canadian luxury hotel and resort company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Four Seasons currently operates more than 100 hotels and resorts worldwide. Since 2007, Bill Gates (through Cascade Investment) and Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal (through Kingdom Holding Company) have been majority owners of the company. As of January 2022, Cascade Investment owns 71.25% and Kingdom Holding Company owns 23.75% of the hotel and resort company.
EMEA Hotel Project Pipeline (with approx. opening dates)
- Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, August 2024
- Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Alk Bahr, October 2024
- Hotel Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel, 2025
- Four Seasons Resort Red Sea at Shura Island 2025
- Four Seasons Resort and Residences Amaala at Triple Bay 2025
- Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Jeddah at the Corniche 2026
- Four Seasons Hotel Diriyah, Saudi Arabia 2026
- Four Seasons Hotel Luxor Opening 2026
- Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences New Cairo Capital at Madinaty 2026
- Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Muscat, Oman 2026
- Four Seasons Resort Neom at Sindalah 2026
- Four Seasons Resort Puglia 2027
- Four Seasons Resort Zanzibar date tbc
7. Hilton Hotels & Resorts
EMEA: 686 Properties, 145,853 Total Rooms, 410 Properties in the Pipeline
Brand / Number of Hotels / Number of Rooms
- Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts / 14 / 3,561
- LXR Hotels & Resorts / 7 / 990
- Conrad Hotels & Resorts / 10 / 3,565
- Canopy by Hilton / 7 / 1,381
- Curio Collection by Hilton / 50 / 7,473
- Tapestry Collection by Hilton / 12 / 690
- Motto by Hilton / 1 / 108
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts / 175 / 55,104
- DoubleTree by Hilton / 151 / 29,715
- Hilton Garden Inn / 108 / 18,334
- Hampton by Hilton / 138 / 22,591
- Embassy Suites by Hilton / 1 / 151
- Hilton Grand Vacations / 4 / 184
Hilton Hotels & Resorts Luxury Brands
8. Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacation properties. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is one of the businesses managed by the Pritzker family. Hyatt has more than 1350 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 69 countries, across six continents. Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Hyatt Luxury Brands
9. IHG
IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company. We focus on using our scale and expertise to create exceptional guest experiences and strong hotel owner returns that keep our brands growing in the world's best markets.
- 6,368 HOTELS GLOBALLY
- 946,382 ROOMS GLOBALLY
- 2,079 HOTELS IN PIPELINE
- 305,405 ROOMS IN PIPELINE
IHG Luxury Brands
10. Jumeirah
Jumeirah, a member of Dubai Holding and a global luxury hotel company, operates a world-class portfolio of 26 properties, comprising beachfront resorts, city hotels, and luxury serviced residences across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Properties:
Middle East
- Jumeirah Burj Al Arab- Dubai
- Jumeirah As Naseem - Dubai
- Jumeirah Al Qasr - Dubai
- Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf - Dubai
- Jumeirah Mina Al Salam - Dubai
- Jumeirah Creekside Hotel - Dubai
- Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel- Dubai
- Jumeirah Living Marina Gate - Dubai
- Jumeirah Living World Trade Centre Residences - Dubai
- Jumeirah Beach Hotel- Dubai
- Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab- Dubai
- Jumeirah Residences Marsa Al Arab - Dubai
- Jumeirah Zabeel Saray - Dubai
- Zabeel House The Greens - Dubai
- Jumeirah Saadiyat Island - Abu Dhabi
- Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain - Bahrain
- Jumeirah Messilah Beach - Kuwait
- Jumeirah Muscat Bay - Oman
- Jumeirah Jabal Omar Makkah - Saudi Arabia
Europe
- Jumeirah Capri Palace - Capri
- Jumeirah Carlton Tower- London
- Jumeirah Lowndes - London
- Jumeirah Mallorca - Mallorca
- Le Richemond- Geneva
EMEA Hotel Projects Contact:
Jumeirah Group
PO Box 73137
Dubai, UAE
Email: development@jumeirah.com
11. Kempinski Hotels & Resorts
Kempinski Hotels S.A., commonly known as Kempinski, is a luxury hotel management company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in Berlin in 1897 as the Hotelbetriebs-Aktiengesellschaft, the group currently operates 77 five-star hotels and residences in 35 countries:
Europe
- AUSTRIA, Jochberg - Kitzbühel
- BULGARIA, Bansko
- CROATIA, Savudrija - Istria
- GERMANY, Berchtesgaden - Berlin
- Berlin - Bristol (Partner Hotel) Dresden, Frankfurt & Munich
- HUNGARY, Budapest
- ITALY, Venice
- LATVIA, Riga
- MALTA, Gozo
- RUSSIA, Moscow
- SLOVAKIA, Štrbské Pleso - High Tatras
- SLOVENIA, Portorož - Istria
- SPAIN, Estepona
- SWITZERLAND, Engelberg, Frutt Mountain Resort (Partner Hotel)St. Moritz
- TÜRKIYE, Belek, Bodrum, Bodrum Residences, Istanbul
Middle East & Africa
- DJIBOUTI, Djibouti
- EGYPT, Cairo - New CairoCairo - NileSoma Bay
- GHANA, Accra
- IRAQ, Erbil - Bristoria (Partner Hotel)
- ISRAEL, Tel Aviv
- JORDAN, Amman
- JORDAN, Amman, AqabaIshtar - Dead Sea
- KENYA, Masai Mara, Nairobi
- LEBANON, Beirut
- OMAN, Muscat
- QATAR, Doha, Doha - The Pearl
- SAUDI ARABIA, Al KhobarYanbu (Opening Soon)
- SEYCHELLES, Baie Lazare - Mahé
- UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Dubai - Central Avenue, Dubai - Mall of the EmiratesDubai - Palm Jumeirah, Dubai - The Boulevard
12. Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited is a multinational hospitality and management group focusing on luxury hotels, resorts, and residences, with a total of 34 properties worldwide, 20 of which it wholly or partially owns.
Middle East
- Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
- Mandarin Oriental, Doha
- Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai
- Mandarin Oriental, Muscat
- Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh
Africa
- Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech
Europe
- Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona
- Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum
- Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino
- Mandarin Oriental, Geneva
- Mandarin Oriental, Istanbul
- Mandarin Oriental, Lake Como
- Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
- Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
- Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern
- Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
- Mandarin Oriental, Milan
- Mandarin Oriental, Munich
- Mandarin Oriental, Paris
- Mandarin Oriental, Prague[cs]
- Mandarin Oriental, Zurich
13. Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. claim to be ‘the most powerful portfolio in the industry, with more than 30 leading brands and nearly 8,900 properties in 141 countries and territories giving people more ways to connect, experience and expand their world.’
HQ in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Portfolio of nearly 8,900 properties across more than 30 leading brands in 141 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world.
Marriott Luxury Brands
EMEA Hotel Projects Media Contact
Emily Moir
Senior Luxury Brand Manager PR Manager
Marriott International
Emily.Moir@marriott.com
14. NH Hotels & Resorts
NH Hotel Group is a Spanish hotel chain headquartered in Madrid, Spain that operates over 350 hotels in 35 countries. The group operates under the umbrella of Minor Hotels, following the latter's acquisition of a majority stake in NH Hotel Group in late 2018.
Properties:
Europe
15. Oetker
Oetker Collection, legally incorporated as Oetker Hotel Management Company GmbH, is a German luxury hotel management company based in Baden-Baden. It is managed by the Oetker family.
The company runs a number of hotels and country estates under the brand Oetker Collection. The portfolio currently includes the following properties, excluding additional private villas and residences:
- Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden, Germany
- L'Apogée Courchevel in Courchevel, France
- Hôtel Le Bristolin Paris, France
- Château Saint-Martin & Spa in Vence, France
- Hotel du Capin Cap d'Antibes, France
- The Lanesboroughin London, United Kingdom
- Palácio Tangará in São Paulo, Brazil
- Jumby Bay Island Resortin Antigua
- Eden Rock - St Barths in Saint Barthélemy
- The Woodward in Geneva, Switzerland
- Hotel La Palma in Capri, Italy
16. Red Sea Global
The Red Sea Project, simply referred to as The Red Sea, is a planned tourism megaproject in the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. The project, which is developed by Public Investment Fund-owned Red Sea Global, forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program. The project was announced by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in July 2017.
The Red Sea Project consists of 5 tourist destinations as of 2024. Two of the destinations, Southern Dunes and Desert Rock, are located inland. The other three destinations are located on 3 of the 92-island archipelago.
On completion in 2030, The Red Sea aims to have 50 hotels with 8,000 rooms, and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.
17. Rocco Forte Hotels
Rocco Forte Hotels is a British hotel group that was established in 1996 by hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and his sister, Olga Polizzi. The group owns and operates 14 hotels across Europe. Sir Rocco Forte is Chairman and Chief Executive, while Olga Polizzi is Deputy Chairman and Director of Design.
Properties:
ROME
FLORENCE
SICILY
PUGLIA
MILAN
BRUSSELS
EDINBURGH
LONDON
MUNICH
BERLIN
ST PETERSBURG
FUTURE OPENINGS
18. Rosewood Hotels
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is an international luxury hotel and resort company operating a combined hotel portfolio of 50 hotels in 23 countries with more than 32 new properties currently under development. A privately owned company, it is one of the world’s leading global lifestyle and hospitality management groups. It encompasses four brands: ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®; upper-upscale New World Hotels & Resorts; Asaya, an integrated well-being concept; and Carlyle & Co., a modern and progressive private members club.
Architects/Design Agencies
1. AECOM
AECOM is a fully integrated professional services firm positioned to design, build, finance and operate around the world. The firm’s global staff, including architects, designers, engineers, planners and construction professionals, serves clients in over 150 countries. The firm is a leader in all key markets that it serves, including corporate, transportation, facilities, healthcare, environmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government.
Architects in Region: 50
Architects in the world: 300
Total area of Projects in Region: 1,000,000 sqm
Total area of Projects in World: 3,000,000 sqm
2. Areen Design
- Interior Design.
- Architecture.
- Procurement
- Project Services
We have over 35 years of experience delivering design and procurement solutions to international clients. Our effectiveness and efficiency remove design barriers and deliver world class results. Our portfolio's range and diversity exemplify the quality we deliver.
3. BAR Studio
BAR Studio is a boutique design studio based in Melbourne and Madrid, specialising in luxury international hotel environments. We work on hospitality designs throughout the world and have built a notable and awarded portfolio of refined and sensitively realised projects.
We are committed to place-based design responses that ground each project in a material and aesthetic landscape. We value material and spatial quality, detail and the integrity of the designed outcome. Above all else we seek to establish strong relationships with owners and operators, believing that it is the strength of these relationships that underpin successful hospitality projects.
We are specialists in hospitality environments and our extensive portfolio encompasses all aspects of hospitality design, from entire hotels and resorts to branded residences and stand-alone speciality restaurants.
We believe in creating designs that not only look good - but also feel good. We believe in creating designs that continue to engage and surprise guests over numerous visits.
An exceptional depth of understanding - and strength - in operational planning underpins our work. This expertise ensures that our designs work effectively and efficiently for both guests and operators.
Our work has been internationally recognised and awarded within the fields of both hospitality and design.
Recent Projects
- The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne
- Capella, Sydney
- Rosewood Villa, Magna
- Park Hyatt, Niseko, Hanazono
- Grand Hyatt, Seoul - Suites
- Rosewood, Hong Kong - The Legacy House
4. BLINK
We are a collective of bold thinkers. Our open-minded approach allows us to explore ideas with a restless enthusiasm and take our clients somewhere new.
We create with spirit, trust, and a sense of discovery. Our destinations not only meet the operational realities of the luxury hospitality business for clients but form spaces that have a compelling sense of place and inspire connections with their guests.
Our perfect combination of youth and experience allows us to innovate with confidence, sound reason and expertise. By approaching every project from concept to completion in its entirety, clients benefit from our full complementary services of master planning, building design, and interior design.
We always start at zero, with every project evolving from an understanding of the culture, history, and style of each individual place. The details we uncover and influences we draw upon mean each space becomes a reflection of the journey taken and feels authentic and welcoming.
With skill and sensitivity, BLINK is reimagining the future of luxury hospitality design. Each project is singular: a phenomenon that could only exist in one place, and in fulfilment of one client’s vision.
5. Campbell House
SPECIALTIES: HOTELS, FOOD & BEVERAGE, GAMING, WELLNESS, WORKPLACE
Campbell House, founded in 2021, is an award-winning full-service architectural interior design firm, with teams in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York.
At Campbell House, we specialize in creating high-engagement design solutions tailored for the hospitality, food & beverage, gaming, wellness, and workplace sectors. Our dedicated team of top-tier talent is committed to meeting our clients' unique needs, no matter where they are located. In an era where design transcends aesthetics to embody meaning and purpose, Campbell House stands at the forefront, delivering innovative and impactful engagement design that resonates with the essence of our clients' brands and spaces.
6. Denniston
DENNISTON is a consulting firm structured to provide comprehensive design services in the fields mostly associated to the hospitality industry. The multi-disciplinary services of Site Planning, Architecture, Interior Design, and Hardscape are reflected in the numerous internationally acclaimed hotel projects we have completed around the world in the last 30 years.
Jean-Michel GATHY, a Belgian national born in 1955, is the principal designer and personally conceptualizes all design work since the company's inception in 1983. In April 2006, he was inducted into the "Platinum Circle of Hospitality Design" and honored as an industry figure whose career and achievements have contributed to the world of hotel design. Mr. GATHY has on several occasions participated as a jury member drawn from a panel of experts for various project awards and has been invited as an official guest speaker at international forums. The company's projects are also reviewed and applauded constantly in the professional press and often taken as reference. The project teams are motivated by leaders who have, in some instance, honed their professional skills with previous firms. The secret of our success is the collective collaboration of their work.
7. DiLeonardo
In partnering with the world’s top hospitality brands, the DiLeonardo “team of masters” continually demonstrates an ability to harness purposeful elegance in design—and deliver it anywhere in the world, creating spaces that "do their jobs" with grace and flair. We attend to both the aesthetic and financial success of every project.
“It's about where you wake up. Every destination is different. We find what is essential about a place. That means a persistent drive to get each detail right.”
8. DLR Group
We use a collaborative approach to understand a local community and then curate a project vision that aligns client goals and the brand personality of a hotel within that local environment. It’s storytelling through design to deliver a unique experience for every client and their guests.
100% Employee-Owned
With offices around the globe housing specialized design expertise, our integrated design teams are backed by more than 1,500 design professionals and the resources of the entire firm.
Six simple words define our brand promise to each other, clients, and our communities.
Six simple words can change the world.
Elevate the human experience through design
9. EPR Architects
EPR Architects is an award-winning architecture studio delivering exemplary architecture, masterplanning and interior design. We are committed to design excellence, with particular expertise in the workplace, hospitality and residential sectors. Our 200-strong team works across three studios — a central London headquarters plus offices in Manchester and the Polish city of Wrocław.
10. Forrest Perkins
We are a collective of individuals with uniquely different design backgrounds and passions, collaborating together, across locations, to create environments which bring lasting memories and enrich people’s lives. At ForrestPerkins we create inspired interior design solutions for Luxury Hospitality and Residential destinations. We approach each design as an opportunity to tell a unique story and choreograph a personalized guest experience through attention to design, detail, and service, inspired by a sense of place and individuality. From inspiration to opening, from arrival to departure, we take you on a journey and craft curated experiences that resonate on an emotional level. With offices in Dallas, San Francisco, New York and Washington, D.C., our culture centers on collaboration, both within and across offices.
ForrestPerkins is a distinct design studio of Perkins Eastman, a global architecture firm working out of 15 interdisciplinary offices around the world. The firm believes that design has a direct, positive impact on people’s lives. Perkins Eastman designs places and spaces that put people at the heart by employing best practices, sustainability, and a thorough understanding of clients’ missions and operations. The firm’s diverse teams partner with clients globally to deliver next-generation projects that are uniquely suited to people who will live, work, play, learn, age, and heal within the environments we plan and design.
11. Foster+Partners
Foster and Partners (stylized as Foster+Partners) is a British international architecture firm based in London, England, founded in 1967 by British architect and designer Lord Norman Foster. Foster and Partners has designed buildings and structures including the Gherkin in London, the Hearst Tower in New York City, the 1990s renovation of the Reichstag in Berlin, the Millau Viaduct in France, and the Hong Kong International Airport.
In addition to architectural design, the firm’s practice encompasses engineering and design. As of 2021, the firm had approximately 1,500 employees, located in offices in multiple cities, including New York, Hong Kong, and Madrid. The firm has won the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Stirling Prize.
12. Gensler
Global architecture, design and planning firm founded in 1965 with 53 locations and 7,000 professionals networked across the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
In 2022, Gensler generated $1.785 billion in revenue, the most of any architecture firm in the U.S. As of late 2023, Gensler operated offices in 53 cities in 17 countries worldwide, working for clients in over 100 countries.
In 2023, Gensler was recognized as the #1 architecture firm in the world by Interior Design magazine and the #1 architecture firm in the U.S. by Architectural Record and Building Design+Construction. This year, Gensler was also recognized as the #1 firm on Interior Design’s list of the top 100 sustainable design firms.
13. Goddard Littlefair
Founded in 2012, Goddard Littlefair is a forward-thinking, luxury interior design practice based in London, UK and Porto, Portugal. We are a personable, professional and creative company who celebrate diversity and individuality. Working internationally to deliver client aspirations using our wealth of knowledge and sophisticated sense of style we are never still in our pursuit of new inspirations to weave into the stories of our design.
14. HBA
Probably the world’s number 1 renowned hospitality design firm.
- 58 Years of Designing Hotels
- 15,000 Completed Projects in Over 80 Countries
- 200+ Global Design Awards Won in the Past Decade
- 1,380 Designers Around The Globe
- 24 Offices Worldwide
15. HKS
An architectural design firm leader, HKS operates through 26 worldwide offices. Since its founding in 1939, the firm has completed construction projects totalling more than $84 billion in more than 1,498 cities in 84 foreign countries. Established UAE Offices in 2008. HKS Specializations: healthcare, hospitality, sports and entertainment along with aviation, education, mixed use and master-planning.
Company Stats
Architects/Designers in Region: 86
Architects/Designers in World: 1,540
16. HOK
Global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. 1,600 staff across 23 offices on three continents. DesignIntelligence consistently ranks HOK as a leader in sustainable,
high-performance design and technology innovation.
Company Stats
Architects/Designers in Region: 10
Architects/Designers in World: 1,600
Area of Projects in Region: 100,000 sq.ft
17. JOI Design
We are keen to develop tailor-made concepts that, by their very nature, are bespoke and therefore authentic and individualised for every distinct purpose. For us, the use of real and natural materials represents quality and appreciation while guaranteeing longevity. Every project also has rough edges, because each concept’s persona is individual and tells its own story. Sustainability, clear design statements, and high standards of quality characterise the projects conceived by JOI-Design.
Across more than three decades, we have developed over 500 hotels for clients including CURIO by Hilton, Le Méridien, JW Marriott, Hyatt Place and Capri by Fraser & Fraser Suites, and have been graciously honoured with more than 100 industry awards. However, what we have found is that year after year, project after project, the ways in which hotel spaces are used continues to evolve. Special moments can happen anywhere, which has driven the desire for multifunctional atmospheres carefully tailored to reflect each operator’s distinct brand values. Design is crucial to every hotel’s success; it is the best concierge for instilling a warm first impression. For JOI-Design, interior design is akin to conducting an orchestra — navigating a spectrum of sounds and knowing when one instrument should take centre stage while the others remain quiet.
18. Kelly Wearstler
Kelly Wearstler’s studio is rooted in the exploration of elemental dichotomies, and spans interior design, architecture, industrial design, curation, and creative direction. Central to the practice is a progressive outlook in constant pursuit of new expressions, powered by the latest technologies and grounded by a deep appreciation of craft, history and context.
Founded in 1995, the Los-Angeles-based company has evolved into an interdisciplinary global brand. Wearstler’s expressive style and formidable point of view has expanded her influence beyond the realms of design into the broader sphere of culture where she collaborates with the leading brands of today.
19. Leo A Daly
Leo A. Daly, is an American architecture firm established in 1915 by Leo A. Daly, Sr. in Omaha, Nebraska. Aside from architectural design, the firm also works in planning, engineering, interior design and program management.Shaping experiences through design, one moment at a time.
As architects, designers, engineers and planners, we transform spaces where students learn, soldiers train and doctors heal.
We design to reduce carbon and build cities that thrive for everyone. By curating instantaneous emotions with our clients, we create dignity for the aging and delight for your out-of-town clients. We create luxury that lingers in memory and stakes a claim for your brand.
If an experience is an unbroken series of impressions, each moment is an opportunity. How will you seize the next one?
20. Perkins and Will
Est. 1935, named by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in Architecture. Global team of 2,700 creatives and critical thinkers providing worldwide interdisciplinary services in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and more including subsidiary companies PYR Design (hospitality interior design) and Portland Design (retail strategy and user experience specialists).
Recent Projects
- Almoosa Specialist Hospital, Dharan, Saudi Arabia, 900,000sqft, Completion: 2024
- Four Seasons Cairo Capital at Madinaty—350 key resort including 100 villas and 120 private residences; conference center, and spa
- Central Business District at the New Administrative Capital, Egypt, including a 385 m high skyscraper to be identified as the Tallest Tower in Africa, BUA of 241,500 m²
- Detailed Master Plan for Riyadh Biotech City
21. Pinto Interior Design
Eclecticism, luxury details and refinement remain the key words when it comes to creating entire universes for its prestigious clients worldwide: private residences, office buildings, airports, hotels, yachts and jets.
The wide range of Pinto’s style, marked by various cultural influences lets traditional and modern meet in harmony, and adapts as much to intimate rooms as to larger spaces, whether the projects be public or private. Pinto appropriates the eclectic tastes of its international clients by adjusting the décors to suit each one, and all the while adding an elegance which creates a balance within such opulence.
Among Pinto’s clients the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia as well as Qatar, along with many other important private clients around the world for whom residences have been designed and decorated in the United States, Brazil, the Middle-East, Morocco, Tunisia, France and Europe.
Other projects can be counted such as numerous hotels including The Lanesborough, the Dorchester in London, the Grand Park Hotel in Gstaad, the villa Rose-Pierre of the Grand Hôtel in Cap Ferrat, the Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint-Emilion, la Residencia and the Palm Beach in the Canary Islands.
Pinto has also designed the interiors for many private jets - Boeing 737, Bombardier, Airbus A319 CJ - as well as 10 of the 100 largest yachts in the world.
22. PYR Design
Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR) has distinguished itself for its unwavering commitment to excellence. The firm has earned international accolades for its transcendent interior architecture and design projects, gracing the most opulent hotels, restaurants, and residences worldwide.
Celebrated for its lauded designs, PYR has left an indelible mark on the world’s premier hospitality brands—Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, Fairmont, St. Regis, Peninsula, Shangri-La, Sofitel, InterContinental, and a constellation of boutique hotels. PYR has crafted immersive gastronomic spaces for culinary luminaries, including Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse, Gérard Boyer, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
The firm has also overseen grand-scale commercial renovation projects for the Maison Boucheron and the Chopard boutique, both on the Place Vendôme in Paris, several exquisite residential projects including the Jade Signature in Miami, as well as various private residences around the world.
PYR is part of Perkins&Will, a distinguished architecture firm with 25 studios worldwide, specializing in urban planning, architecture, interior design, planning and strategy, preservation, and adaptive reuse.
23. ReardonSmith Architects
ReardonSmith Architects is an award-winning leader in international hotel and resort design. The RIBA Chartered practice and CIAT Chartered Practice, has an unrivalled track record in the restoration and rebuilding of luxury hotels in London and major European cities, an enviable reputation for the design of new international destinations and the widest experience of hotel architecture across the entire spectrum of new-build and existing estates.
The company’s achievement stems from a profound understanding of hotels – as an asset, an operation and as a guest experience.
The practice was founded in 1988 to provide a specialised architectural service dedicated to the hotel and hospitality industry in all its forms. All its projects are overseen at every stage by a senior management team. This team is supported by project groups of highly qualified and experienced creative and technical colleagues, the majority having had many years of service within the practice.
24. Richmond International
We have designed some of the world’s most prestigious hotels, in locations from London to Barbados, since we were established in 1966. We refurbish, we restore and we create for our clients, who range from multinational brands to independent owners. We have won awards and accolades but what drives us most is a desire to design hotels that are authentic, intelligent and inspiring.
25. Rockwell
Founded in 2015 by Donal Mulryan, one of the property industry’s most trusted entrepreneurs, Rockwell represents something vital – a way to build with purpose, and passion, with a clear vision for the future. Bringing together a stellar team, we are at the forefront of creating landmark multi-use developments, with expertise spanning land acquisition, planning, development management and construction.
26. Studio Moren
Over the last 32 years we have built a world class reputation in the hospitality sector. Even though we love them, we don’t just design hotels. Our work includes projects in other areas where a hospitality mindset is a bonus, from cutting-edge build-to-rent and student schemes to flexible co-working spaces.
Whatever the project, we bring the same combination of design, commercial knowhow and human understanding to everything we do.
27. THDP
We work from first concepts to completion and opening.
Our principles of design start with our comprehensive 360° approach, it’s a complete design and architecture service.
We understand that a successful project hinges on a consistent vision. Our services encompass architecture, interior design, procurement, project management, and site supervision.
We operate as Architects throughout Europe, leveraging local knowledge and partnerships, especially in the UK and Italy:
- Feasibility Studies and Brand Consultation
- Building Design from Concept to Detailed Plans
- Planning submissions
- Detailing of Project
At the heart of every building is Interior Design, which we divide into four principal disciplines:
- Interior Design
- Interior Architecture
- FF+E Design and Installation
- Artworks and Accessory Curation
28. The GA Group
We are a collection of design companies, who have been creating award-winning experiences for over 30 years.
Our global team comprises a committed, 160-strong group of world-class designers, architects, strategists, project managers and creatives, who work out of our London, New York, Kuala Lumpur, Budapest and Shanghai offices.
United by a shared passion for ground-breaking design, wherever the brief takes us, our driving philosophy is one of Restless Curiosity.
We specialise in luxury hotel interior design, residential interior design, master-planning, furniture and product design, branding, graphic design and communications.
29. Tristan Auer
An interior and emotion architect, Tristan Auer designs beautifully sensual and singular interiors. His extremely rich and aesthetic vision finds its finest expression in vibrant col-our, lights and era mixes. From the Hôtel de Crillon and the Bains-Douches in Paris, to the prestigious works in private houses in London and New York, all the way to Moustique Is-land, he operates with the style of a stage director, his client being both the main actor in his screenplay and his accomplice in this on-going quest for elegance. As an ambassador of a certain French “art de vivre”, Tristan Auer combines his very modern vision with arts and crafts excellence to give a new definition of contemporary luxury. Tristan Auer grew up in Aix-en-Provence. After graduating at ESAG-Penninghen, he joined forces with the Christian Liaigre team, and then Philippe Starck before he went on starting his own interior design firm in Paris in 2002.
30. WATG
From our dawning days in 1945 Honolulu, we have pioneered hospitality, tourism, and destination design. Independent to this day, we are a global integrated design firm specializing in Advisory, Master Planning, Architecture, Landscape, and Interior Design. We are a team of creative, world-traveling professionals designing landmark urban and leisure destinations with seven offices across three continents.
31. Woods Bagot
Woods Bagot is a People Architecture company. We place human experience at the centre of our design process in order to deliver engaging, future-oriented projects that respond to the way people actually use space.
We do this as a global design and consulting studio with a team of over 850 experts working across 15 studios in Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.
Our Global Studio model allows us to work collaboratively across time zones and borders, using the latest technology to share design intelligence and strengthen our knowledge base around the world.
Specializations: Commercial, Residential, Villa/Residences, Boutique Hotel
Company Stats
Architects/Designers in Region: 70
Architects/Designers in World: 1,000
32. Yabu Pushelberg
Yabu Pushelberg creates immersive environments and design considered products. George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg founded the studio in 1980 with a focus on interior design and have since expanded into a multidisciplinary practice that addresses multiple layers of the human experience.
Yabu Pushelberg places an emphasis on design excellence, regardless of typology and location. we bring the same attention to detail and depth of thinking to all of our work, focusing on how we make people feel. we actively look for collaborators who share our passion for creating something better than what has been done before, it's all about designing the world we want to live in.
- Aman
- Bombardier Inc.
- Clase Azul Mexico
- EDITION Hotels
- Four Seasons Hotels
- JW Marriott Hotels
- LVMH
- Lürssen Yachts
- MGM Resorts
- Park Hyatt
- The Ritz-Carlton Hotels
Get Specified!
Getting specified for luxury hotel projects throughout EMEA is extremely competitive. Identifying the hotel companies and hospitality design firms behind the projects is just the start. Getting inside those companies is your next challenge and it’s one that we share. Because, right now, BOND is calling on all the resources, contacts and goodwill that it has amassed over the last 20 years among the architecture and design communities to secure commitment from them to send the right people to Five Star EMEA. This means that for just 3 days of the year, those ‘impossible to meet’ luxury hotel project leaders will be in one place, away from daily distractions, looking to meet building and interior product manufacturers who can help them deliver what their clients want. If that sounds like you, we suggest you get in touch for full details, including attendee and confirmed project lists, when published.
BOND Five Star EMEA will give you quality time with EMEA’s true hotel project influencers. What you can make of that is your story.
Header image courtesy of Aman Resorts
