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.

Eleven stories above the arctic circle, a panoramic view — of Norwegian mountains, fjords, and the Northern Lights — sweeps travelers into the natural world. Sculpted by Copenhagen-based designer and longtime mountain backpacker Mette Fredskild, Moxy Tromsø helps travelers let go of modern life, put on their hiking boots, and cross into one of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth.

What do an airport terminal, the set of a Broadway show, one of the most revered parks in New York City have in common? They’ve all been shaped by master designer David Rockwell, and they all reveal the hidden choices that go into designing a public space. In this episode, David shares how his love of theater and his decades-long understanding of Union Square Park helped him to reinvent W New York - Union Square, a hotel that he originally designed in the late 1990s.

Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, is a rising destination for travelers who want to visit a vibrant European city with centuries of architecture. Taking on a labyrinth of design puzzles to protect generations of heritage, architect Indre Sangus transformed a historic bank building into The Marmorosch Bucharest, an Autograph Collection hotel.

On the southern tip of Bali, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of beachside hotels, the Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort is meticulously crafted to help travelers connect with Balinese culture. Veteran designer Carl Almeida explains how he’s paid homage to Balinese architecture and performances — through the resort’s villa-like layout, locally influenced building materials, and interiors inspired by specific Balinese dances.

The Riviera Maya, on the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, is home to peaceful mangroves, stunning beaches, and over 4,000 years of Maya heritage. Fascinated by the Mayas’ historic mastery of astronomy and inspired by her first trip into the crystal clear waters of the Yucatan’s cenotes, Tatiana Sheveleva designed the St. Regis Kanai Resort as an indoor-and-outdoor experience that literally reflects the stars and immerses travelers in the heavenly natural settings of the Riviera Maya.

In L.A.'s trendy Downtown neighborhood, two new hotels are about to open in the same building. But while they occupy a similar space, each embodies a distinct — and very different — personality, thanks to the power of design. In this episode, Hamish speaks with George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, the revered and award-winning designers behind the Moxy and AC Hotels in Downtown Los Angeles. George and Glenn share how the hotels inhabit the building as two siblings, very different in how they...

The Maldives is known for luxurious hotels, with dreamy overwater villas set on a jewel-tone sea. But not every villa is the same. On one island in the Maldives, a hotel is drawing from unexpected sources of inspiration: fashion and Bauhaus design. In this episode, host Hamish Kilburn chats with designer Dan Kridsada to trade Maldives travel stories and reveal all the careful decisions that go into constructing an overwater villa. From the bold guest rooms to the panoramic bar where...

What is biophilic design? One hotel, set deep in the mangrove jungle of Costa Rica, shows why this trend of blending design with nature is so powerful. Hamish speaks with Andres Pacheco, owner of El Mangroove Hotel and Residences, Autograph Collection, and architect Ronald Zürcher, who designed the hotel, to find out how they worked around the mangrove trees to build a luxurious forest escape.

What can a designer do to re-invent the forgettable trappings of a hotel that’s always been treated — quite literally — as a layover? Hamish learns how airport hotels are being overhauled to deliver a travel experience that shakes up decades of design inertia, by chatting with Colin Finnegan and Lauren Holmes — who played crucial roles in overhauling the interiors at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel and Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Toronto, respectively.

When designing for royalty, it's all about the details. Hamish speaks with interior designer Maria Katsarou Vafiadis to learn how she reimagined Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, to embrace its royal heritage, with modern touches for today's traveler.

How do you capture Nova Scotia's rich maritime culture through design? Hamish speaks with Alessandro Munge and Grace Zeppilli, a husband-wife team who designed the interiors, furnishings and art collection at Muir Halifax, Autograph Collection, and who, coincidentally, just returned from a stay at the hotel.

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 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.

What is it about sitting by the waves that makes so many people happy? And what does it take to recreate that feeling at a hotel that's nowhere near the ocean?  We've spent hours talking about the design of hotels and the world of hospitality. But in this episode, we go on a deep dive into the design of SoundWaves, a one-of-a-kind water attraction that's built into the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee. To see SoundWaves for yourself and book a resort package at the Gaylord...

Where does good taste come from? In this intimate conversation with Seija Ojanpera — the owner and designer of Chattanooga's Dwell Hotel — we learn just how much personal passion and the things that made us happy as children can create an instinct for design that stands up to any kind of credentials or pedigree. To see all 16 of Seija's room designs and book a room at the Dwell Hotel, check out the The Dwell Hotel web site.  Read more about the Dwell Hotel and the hidden world of hotel design...

At first glance, New York's Gramercy Park Hotel seems like a typical luxury hotel. But a closer look reveals a rock-and-roll past — and a newfound devotion to make art a tangible part of every stay at this historic haunt for creative minds. To see the Gramercy Park hotel's art collection and book a room, check out gramercyparkhotel.com. Read more about Gramercy Park Hotel and explore the hidden world of hotel design at traveler.marriott.com/behind-the-design. And to explore the world's...

W Hotels recently launched its very own record label, W Records. At the W Music International Summit in Austin, Texas, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler sat down with some of the top innovators in the music industry who led the launch of W Records. Learn how they ensured brand consistency, navigated the changing music industry landscape, and got some of the top emerging artists to come on board.

Join Marriott TRAVELER as we explore the world of Destiny 2, a video game in which players assume the role of a Guardian and are tasked with reviving a character called (appropriately) The Traveler while journeying to different planets along the way. Learn how the designers grounded the sci-fi settings in reality and how travel inspired the final look of the game.

Video game designers are creating landscapes so realistic, it's almost like traveling there yourself. Marriott TRAVELER sat down with the designers of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, which is set in ancient Greece, to find out what it took to create these landscapes and why recreating Greece was so important to them for this amazing game.

Marriott TRAVELER visited the opening of Toy Story Land in Orlando and spoke with creative designers from PIXAR and Walt Disney. They discuss the process behind translating the beloved Toy Story films into a real-life interactive outdoor park, giving guests the opportunity to step into the stories and immerse themselves in a world of fun.

Marriott TRAVELER visited the opening of Toy Story Land in Orlando and spoke with creative designers from PIXAR and Walt Disney. They discuss the process behind translating the beloved Toy Story films into a real-life interactive outdoor park, giving guests the opportunity to step into the stories and immerse themselves in a world of fun.

In this episode of Marriott TRAVELER's Behind the Design Podcast, we talk to Bill Young, the man behind the "My Hotel Carpet" Instagram account, which chronicles his favorite hotel carpet snaps. We discuss his Insta-fame, carpet trivia and how he came to Marriott HQ to consult on a carpet design for an Aloft Hotel.

Marriott TRAVELER goes "Behind the Design" to interview 4 designers of the private cottages of Autograph Collection’s new Lido House hotel. This series, broken up into 5 parts will showcase the inspiration for the curated cottages' various design elements. Hear how these designers mix beach house vibes with Newport’s sophisticated coastal charm. Hosted by Marriott TRAVELERS's Hannah Wiest. http://www.lidohousehotel.com/ https://autograph-hotels.marriott.com/ https://traveler.marriott.com