The architects shaping modern luxury hotels are a small group. Their fingerprints are everywhere — once you know what you're looking at.
Kerry Hill (1943-2018)
Australian. Worked from Singapore. Designed nearly all early Aman properties. The signature: modern interpretation of regional vernacular. Stone, wood, glass, water. Aman Tokyo (2014) is his last and most refined.
Where to see his work: Aman Tokyo, Aman Bali, Amankora, Aman Sveti Stefan, Amanyangyun, Aman Kyoto.
John Pawson (b. 1949)
British. Minimalist purist. Designed Aman properties (Aman Bodrum) and Hotel Puerta América Madrid (one floor). Calvin Klein collaborations. The signature: silence in space, controlled light, monastic restraint.
Where to see his work: Aman Bodrum (under construction), various single-floor commissions.
Antonio Citterio (b. 1950)
Italian. Industrial designer turned architect. All Bulgari Hotels and Resorts. The signature: Italian modernism, dark woods, leather, theatrical lighting.
Where to see his work: Bulgari Tokyo, Bulgari Milano, Bulgari Bali, Bulgari Roma, Bulgari Beijing, Bulgari Paris.
Tony Chi (b. 1957)
Taiwanese-American. Interior architect. Park Hyatt portfolio. The signature: layered residential interiors with theatrical moments.
Where to see his work: Park Hyatt New York, Park Hyatt Vienna, Park Hyatt Sanya, Park Hyatt Tokyo.
Yabu Pushelberg (Glenn Pushelberg b. 1955, George Yabu b. 1957)
Toronto duo. Hospitality interiors. Signature: layered modernism, mixed materials, bookable bars and restaurants.
Where to see their work: Park Hyatt Bangkok, Four Seasons Toronto, EDITION New York Times Square, EDITION Tokyo, Conrad Tokyo.
Jean-Michel Gathy (b. 1955)
Belgian. Asia-focused. Cheval Blanc Maldives Randheli. Aman Sveti Stefan (with Kerry Hill). The signature: dramatic vistas, water integration, regional vernacular.
Where to see his work: Cheval Blanc Randheli, One&Only Le Saint Géran, Aman Sveti Stefan.
Peter Marino (b. 1949)
American. Luxury retail and hospitality. Cheval Blanc properties for LVMH. Signature: maximalist art-collector aesthetic.
Where to see his work: Cheval Blanc Paris, Cheval Blanc St-Tropez, various LVMH properties.
How to use this knowledge
Build a trip around an architect. A "Kerry Hill week" might combine Aman Tokyo + Aman Kyoto. A "Bulgari trip" might combine Bulgari Milano + Bulgari Roma + Bulgari Tokyo. The design vocabulary travels — you'll notice the through-line.
Five rules
- Match architect to taste — minimal (Pawson, Hill), residential (Tony Chi), maximal (Marino, Yabu)
- Multi-property trips by same architect are richer than mixed
- Read the architect's monograph before the trip
- Stay in suites — design plays bigger
- Tour the public spaces — many hotels offer architect-tours
For more, see the architecture pillar.
