Hospitality Design: What I've Learned

Feb 05 2025 157 ep. 51 mins 79

Hospitality Design: What I've Learned Podcast artwork

In this series, Hospitality Design magazine's editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen talks with influential hotel and design leaders on how they got to where they are today, what drives them, and their biggest lessons learned navigating an ever-changing industry.

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Elizabeth Blau

Feb 05 2025 50 mins

A driving force behind the evolution of Las Vegas dining scene and beyond, Elizabeth Blau began her F&B journey under the legendary Sirio Maccioni at Le Cirque in New York. That foundation propelled her to Las Vegas in the late ‘90s, where she played a crucial role in transforming the city into a culinary powerhouse. Today, as founder and CEO of Blau Associates, she continues

Sigurlaug Sverrisdóttir

Jan 22 2025 62 mins

Icelandic hotelier Sigurlaug Sverrisdóttir has built a reputation for her innovative approach to creating immersive guest experiences. Growing up in a small town near Reykjavik, she developed a deep connection to Iceland’s rugged natural beauty, a bond that would later shape her career. After nearly two decades with Icelandic Airline, Sigurlaug returned to Iceland in 2013, where

Vincent Celano, Celano Design Studio

Jan 08 2025 49 mins

From working in a butcher shop as a child to immersing himself in the world of art and architecture, Vincent Celano’s upbringing in Brooklyn, New York instilled in him a love of storytelling and a deep appreciation for the power of design. After graduating from Pratt Institute, he cut his teeth at design giants like Rockwell Group, Jeffrey Beers International, and ICRAVE, where h

Matt Goodrich, Goodrich

Dec 18 2024 50 mins

Matt Goodrich, principal of his New York-based design studio Goodrich, has cultivated an approach that is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and pursuing the unexpected. With a career that spans more than two decades, including stints at Rockwell Group and AvroKO, Goodrich’s perspective champions the art of storytelling. Since founding his eponymous firm in 2017, Goodrich, who w

Episode Re-release December 8, 2020: Tara Bernerd, Tara Bernerd & Partners

Dec 04 2024 50 mins

Revisit our conversation with prolific designer Tara Bernerd, founder of her eponymous London-based firm Tara Bernerd & Partners. Back in 2020, as the world was facing an unprecedented pandemic, Tara shared how her team was navigating Covid, as well as detailed her work on projects including the Hari Hong Kong. This year, Tara was guest editor of our November 2024 issue, where

Aliya Khan, Marriott

Nov 20 2024 52 mins

Having lived across continents—from Hong Kong to Houston and Singapore to Pakistan—Aliya Khan’s upbringing instilled a appreciation for culture, architecture, and art. After studying architecture at Pratt Institute in New York, Khan began her career in residential design before transitioning to the hospitality industry, working for Starwood Hotels & Resorts (now Marriott)

Tom Ito, Gensler

Nov 06 2024 43 mins

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tom Ito, a third-generation Japanese-American, was destined to be in the hospitality industry. He worked at his grandparents’ restaurant when he was young, and he was also inspired by his parents—his father was a bartender-turned-restaurant GM and his mother worked as a hostess. He joined Gensler nearly 40 years ago, launching the firm’s hospit

Sam Fox

Oct 23 2024 41 mins

Born in Chicago and raised in Arizona, Sam Fox’s early experiences working in his parents’ diners, Mexican restaurants, and delis shaped his understanding of the industry. He dropped out of the University of Arizona, where he was studying real estate finance, to pursue his passion, using his tuition money to open his first restaurant—all before he turned 21. Now, with a vast

John Meadow, LDV Hospitality

Oct 09 2024 50 mins

Raised for much of his childhood in Connecticut before moving to New York as a teenager, John Meadow developed a love for hospitality at a young age. He got his start as a dishwasher and sandwich maker at Au Bon Pain before attending Cornell’s hotel school. By 24, he opened his first restaurant, and in 2008, launched Scarpetta, which won accolades for its refined yet unpretentiou

My Nguyen, Holland America Line and Seabourn

Sep 25 2024 49 mins

Settling in Seattle as a Vietnamese refugee, My Nguyen began her 22-year design career as an intern for Holland America Line followed by nearly nine years at NB Design Group. Now, Nguyen leads the interior design and interior asset management teams for Holland America Line and Seabourn fleets. Through her commitment to sustainability, Nguyen has pushed boundaries in the cruise indu