Hospitality Design - September 2013 - 118

perspectives

special feature

brands
11

9
9+10. Renderings of a
proposed yoo Collection
guestroom and yoo2
entrance.

10

11. A rendering of the
soon-to-open Mira
Moon in Hong Kong,
a Marcel Wanders for
yoo designed hotel,
with a design based on
a contemporary and
abstract interpretation
of the Moon Festival
fairytale, a legend in
Chinese mythology
about the Moon
Goddess of Immortality.

yoo Hotels

The Brand: yoo, the global design company

founded by international property developer
John Hitchcox and designer Philippe Starck,
which has been designing residential and
hotel projects around the globe for years,
recently launched its own hotel management
arm. And with that, two distinct brands—
affordable luxury option yoo 2 and 5-Star yoo
Collection. “We’ve been creating design-led
residential spaces for over fifteen years, and
it has given us a real understanding of the
way people want to live in their spaces. We
wanted to apply this approach to hotels to
create spaces that are truly original and meet
the most individual desires and needs of our
guests,” explains Marco Nijhof, an industry

118

veteran (Marriott, Hyatt, Jumeirah) who is
heading up this new endeavor.

The Design: “Increasingly, travelers want to
have local and authentic experiences; and they
want to know where they are when they wake
up,” explains Nijhof. “We can see this desire
resonate across the globe, and how in this time
of ‘hyper-connectedness’ we want to be sure
our experiences are real. This is intrinsic to the
yoo Hotels DNA, which is why we consciously
infuse local flavor in our spaces.” At the same
time, he says it’s all about “human luxury”—
understanding and meeting the needs of
guests. “Human luxury is different for every
person—for some it’s the bed, others the soap, or
the shower. What we have tried to do with our

design is cater for all of these different people at
different times in their lives.”
The design of each hotel will come courtesy
of one of the visionaries who are part of the
company’s design arm, yoo Studio—Starck,
Marcel Wanders, Jade Jagger, Kelly Hoppen,
and most recently, Steve Leung. A British
designer may join the ranks soon as well. “We
are actively looking to increase our talent base,
and are currently speaking to some of the most
influential new and established designers across
the globe,” says Nijhof.

What’s Next: Aqua Boracay on its namesake
island in the Philippines. Expect “open plan
living areas with a modern feel—subtle, neutral
colors will be key,” for the beachfront resort, says
Nijhof. “The overall aim of the hotel is to bring
the outside in, so you feel connected with the
natural landscape and can spend as much time
as possible on and around the beach.”

September 2013 hospitalitydesign.com

perspective.brands.indd 118

9/5/13 4:19 PM
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - September 2013
