A round up of ten of the most prominent hotel designers today including Kelly Wearstler, Pierre Yves Rochon, Alberto Pinto, Hirsch Bedner and Yabu Pushelberg. Hotels are one of the oldest symbols of luxury, so much so that Coco Chanel famously chose The Paris Ritz as her home for over thirty years. In the accessible age of luxury e-commerce and iPad applications, hotels have survived and prospered in remaining truly exclusive experiences, the quintessential definition of luxury. Where the affluent choose to rest their heads, when on business, holiday or simply escaping the daily grind, is where some of the most unique, elaborate and luxurious designs in architecture and interior design can be found. Luxury Society investigated the creative minds behind these opulent concepts and presents a round up of ten of the most prominent hotel designers today. For a complete listing of luxury interior designers, we invite you to explore the Luxury Society  directory . ➤Hirsch Bedne...

The Caribbean-Mexico development pipeline is nearing 30,000 rooms, according to a new report from hotel analytics firm STR. There were 170 hotels and 29,572 rooms in the hotel development pipeline in the Caribbean and Mexico through September, according to STR. That represented a 23.5 percent increase in rooms under contract compared with the same month in 2013, with a 31 percent increase in rooms in construction. The upscale segment accounted for the largest number of rooms in the latest report, with 7,213 rooms. The luxury segment was next with 6,189 rooms or 20.9 percent of the total pipeline.   http://www.caribjournal.com/

Hotel du Marc Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Sophie Maxwell, Insight Director at Pearlfisher, investigates how the shift from owning luxury to experiencing luxury is impacting luxury hotels A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group ( BCG ) identified a shift from “owning a luxury to experiencing a luxury” with bespoke treats now accounting for more than half of the $1.4tn spent on luxury goods and services last year (The Guardian). Travel has always been a mainstay of the luxury market – a luxury in our lives with desire created for journeys and destinations that aim to be both extraordinary and highly aspirational. Today however it is no longer about ticking the boxes with a one-of-a-kind destination holiday, multi starred hotels or a far-flung Spa. Now it is their difference that sparks our interest and instead we are seeking destinations that create new doorways to the unexpected… We are shifting towards a new luxury experience with unique escapism matched by an individual...

The Shangri-La hotel in Pudong, Shanghai. (Courtesy Photo) Although luxury hotels in China are still feeling the effects of the  government’s anti-corruption campaign , Chinese consumers’ interest in luxury hotels is at an all-time high based on internet search results. The new “World Luxury Index Hotels” report for 2014 by  Digital Luxury Group  in partnership with Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) finds that internet searches for luxury hoteliers surged 39 percent in China this year, making it the fastest-growing region in the world. Luxury hotel searches originating from China made up 9 percent of the global total, placing China third behind the United States and the UK. “Such a significant increase in interest for luxury hotels from China can be attributed to a few things,” says Digital Luxury Group Founder and CEO David Sadigh. “Firstly, numerous Western hotel brands are opening in second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities, building brand awareness in parts o...

Arriving at your destination, tired and jetlagged from the plane ride, doesn't necessarily have to be an unpleasant experience. Luxury accommodations around the world are now offering airport and hotel transport that is just as extravagant as their lavish suites. So, go ahead, start your relaxing vacation off on the right note with these top transfer options.  +17 Hong Kong's Peninsula Hotel has a fleet of customised Rolls Royce Phantoms in their signature green hue +17 If you prefer to arrive by air, a private helicopter service is also available from The Peninsula Hotel +17 A traditional Rajastani boat shuttles guests to The Leela Palace Hotel in Udaipur, India Perhaps the most comprehensive of all hotel transfer options,  The Peninsula Hotel  in Hong Kong offers guests the option to arrive via one of their 14 Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms or instead, to use the hotel's helicopter service and private helipad. ...

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Marriott International has announced it expects to more than double the size of its portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region in the next few years. With 132 hotels open in Asia today and a pipeline of signed and approved deals now totaling an additional 143 properties, the company expects to grow to at least 265 hotels by 2016, with more than 80,000 rooms in 16 countries.  Commenting on the announcement, Simon Cooper, Marriott International’s president and managing director in Asia, said: “We are delighted with our growth in the region and believe it is a great testament to the popularity of our brands and the quality of our hotels in Asia that we expect to double in size by 2016. “We operate a strategically targeted brand portfolio and our products clearly resonate with our guests, our hotel owners and the communities in which we operate. “We have seen great growth across our portfolio and expect to be launching new brands in the region soon, with the introduction of Fairf...

The best may be over for Singapore's booming hotel market as tightening corporate budgets and bank job cuts leave more luxury rooms empty, crimping profits at firms such as CDL Hospitality Trusts. Singapore runs neck-and-neck with Hong Kong for the title of the world's busiest hotel market, with both boasting occupancy rates that exceeded 85 percent for 2011, according to the two cities' tourism boards. That's higher than in global tourist hot spots such as New York and London . Hong Kong's occupancy rate may pull ahead of Singapore's in 2013, largely because it has fewer new  hotels  slated to open. If Singapore's demand stays lukewarm next year, as many hotel operators expect, room rates and profits will slip. "We will see a slight drop in occupancy rate (in Singapore) mainly due to new supply that is about to come on board in 2013," said Jonas Ogren, Asia director at hotel data provider STR Global , based in Singapore. "In Hong Kong,...