EXPERIENTIAL LOYALTY

Design Hotels Accelerates Global Portfolio Growth with Milestone Signings

Design Hotels, the community-driven portfolio of nearly 300 independent hotels, announced 29 signed agreements and 10 percent growth of its global portfolio within the last 12 months. From the under-the-radar Black Sea coast of Batumi, Georgia, to the bustling, residential neighborhood of Tribeca, New York, each of the new and upcoming Design Hotels properties embodies the values of the brand and the singular vision of the property owner.

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Marriott International

Design Hotels, the community-driven portfolio of nearly 300 independent hotels, announced 29 signed agreements and 10 percent growth of its global portfolio within the last 12 months. From the under-the-radar Black Sea coast of Batumi, Georgia, to the bustling, residential neighborhood of Tribeca, New York, each of the new and upcoming Design Hotels properties embodies the values of the brand and the singular vision of the property owner. 

“As we expand our global portfolio, each property reflects the visionary spirit of its “original” owner, ensuring that Design Hotels continues to push boundaries and deepen community,” said Stijn Oyen, Managing Director, Design Hotels. “That sentiment translates to that intangible Design Hotels’ experience – where every stay feels uniquely personal and is infused with the passion of its creator.”

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Design Hotels gains momentum in the United States and Mexico: adding 7 new destinations across the two countries, with 10 newly added hotels in the United States and surpassing 25 hotels in Mexico.

With significant new hotel signings, Design Hotels strengthens its work with Firmdale Hotels and Grupo Habita and introduces new agreements with renowned independent hotel groups Drift Hotels and ASH.

• The Warren Street Hotel, Firmdale’s 69-key property in Tribeca, New York City, opened in February 2024 and marks Tim and Kit Kemp’s 11th opening in the Firmdale stable, with its distinctive hotels and townhouses in London and New York already members of the Design Hotels portfolio.
• ASH, the vision of hoteliers Ari Heckman and Jonathan Minkoff, creates cinematic experiences at each of its meticulously designed hotels. Properties joining the Design Hotels portfolio include Ulysses, Baltimore and The Dean, Providence.
• Thanks to owner Philip Bates’ vision to create soulful hotels with a sense of place, Drift Hotels boasts stunning boutique hotels in San Jose del Cabo, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, and Nashville – all now part of Design Hotels. Drift Nashville, which opened in July of this year, features 104 chic, minimalist rooms and suites, and three vibrant food and beverage outlets led by Nashville hospitality talent, Alexis Soler.
• The signings of the coveted Hotel 850 SVB in West Hollywood, imagined by renowned hotelier and restaurateur Jeff Klein, and upcoming Granger Hotel Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, anticipated to open this year, will bring Design Hotels’ portfolio to 14 in California, including the new additions of Drift Santa Barbara and Palm Springs.
• With these new signings, Design Hotels will boast 26 hotels in its open portfolio and signed pipeline across Mexico. Design Hotels signed the forthcoming Tinte Hotel, an intimate hotel expected to open in 2026 that will offer ocean views from its rooftop sitting in a UNESCO world heritage site in the south of the Yucatán peninsula. Hotel Sevilla—a restored colonial villa from the 16th century in the city center of Mérida, and Hotel Humano—a boutique hotel built into the bedrock at the southern end of the iconic stretch of beach in Puerto Escondido – are expected to join Design Hotels, both part of Grupo Habita and poised to open in 2025.

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Design Hotels will add three one-of-a-kind hotels in Switzerland, bringing the brand’s portfolio to 15 hotels in the country; welcomes its fifth hotel in Georgia; and introduces hidden gems in Istanbul, Singapore, and Bali.

• The Home Hotel Zurich, which opened this August, channels the whimsical Dada avant-garde art movement of the early 20th century – reimagining a former paper mill to feature 132 rooms and suites, lobby and lounge, neo-bistro and collaborations – all with the local creative community.
• Poised to open by the end of this year, Hôtel Borsari will feature 51 rooms and suites set amid the charming town of Martigny and surrounded by gorges that rank among the top 10 in Europe, thermal springs, stunning mountain trails, and terraced vineyards. A subterranean Roman bathhouse, the property stands as a testament to the town’s rich heritage and nods to the town’s ancient legacy.
• Rooms Batumi Hotel marks Design Hotels’ fifth hotel in Georgia, and its first in the resort destination on the Black Sea. With a bold design and 1970s flair, the hotel features nearly 120 rooms and suites, a rooftop pool, a cocktail bar, and a restaurant that blends Georgian and international culinary influences.

With Stijn Oyen at the helm, Design Hotels enters a new era of growth and propels the next generation of independent hotels forward.

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As Design Hotels continues to gain growth momentum, its hotels are increasingly leveraging the brand’s services—which span public relations, sales, digital marketing, web design, and content creation, as well as Marriott’s global distribution channels and access its leading travel program, Marriott Bonvoy^®.

This announcement follows on the heels of Stijn Oyen being named Managing Director earlier this year to helm the award-winning portfolio—now in its fourth decade of operation. “The future of Design Hotels is brimming with opportunity, and I’m delighted to lead such a talented, passionate team, spearheading the brand’s growth in new territories and realizing the brand’s vision for the future,” Oyen concluded.

Source: Marriott