Hospitality Design - June/July 2021 - 60

perspectives hd expo preview
The Virgin Hotels Las Vegas opened this year in the former
Hard Rock Hotel, a collaboration between Rockwell Group,
Klai Juba Wald Architecture + Interiors, Studio Collective,
Francois Frossard, and Avenue Interior Design, among others
Teddy Mayer
Vice President of Design + Technical Services
Virgin Hotels
With fi ve properties open in the U.S., Virgin is
rounding out its growing portfolio with projects
set to open in New York, Edinburgh, Glasgow,
and Miami in the next fi ve years. They will join
the recently debuted New Orleans property
from local fi rm Logan Killen Interiors, where
the brand's playful style meets a laidback Big
Easy vibe, and the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas,
which opened this year in the former Hard
Rock Hotel, a collaboration between Rockwell
Group, Klai Juba Wald Architecture + Interiors,
Studio Collective, Francois Frossard, and Avenue
Interior Design, among others. A driving force
behind Virgin's signature style is vice president of
design and technical services Teddy Mayer, who
joined the company in 2015 and has been integral
in helping to perfect Virgin's distinct design voice.
When did you know you wanted to
become a designer?
I knew I loved design since I was a kid growing
up in Idaho, before I even knew the word design
or architecture. I was always creating spaces and
models out of anything that I could fi nd. I was
also into drawing and art. That was my formal
avenue for learning about design as a young adult.
Your résumé includes heavy hitters
like SOM, Morgans Hotel Group, and
Gensler before joining Virgin Hotels.
What initially attracted you to the
hospitality industry?
It wasn't until aſt er a few years at SOM in
Manhatt an that I was exposed to hospitality
and all its distinctive yet interlinking uses. You
have the comfort and familiarity of residential
design within guestrooms, the excitement
of the culinary and mixology worlds within
restaurants and bars, plus the thrill of designing
spaces for special events. I also love that really
good hospitality design has an inextricable sense
of place. As the son of a Greek mother and army
sergeant father, I was fortunately exposed to
travel at a very young age, having been to Greece
and Germany as we moved around for my
dad's work. This taught me to appreciate other
cultures and ignited my love for travel.
What makes Virgin properties stand out
from their competitors?
A few fundamentals have stayed the same, and
in fact, are more on point than ever, specifi cally
the guestroom layout. Guestroom Chambers,
as we call them, are composed of two rooms:
a dressing room and sleeping lounge. Among
dozens of benefi ts is the ability to close off the
dressing room from the sleeping lounge to have
services delivered to your room without coming
into contact with another person.
What inspired the design of the recently
opened Virgin Hotels Las Vegas?
We converted the Hard Rock into a desert-focused
wonderland. Instead of creating a water-hungry
garden, we drew inspiration from the area around
us and the oddities you may fi nd along the way.
These infl uences are seen throughout the property,
from the composed cactus gardens and tent lounges
inspired by desert nomads to the arid aesthetic of
our poolscapes and outdoor F&B outlets.
Given the past year, how have you seen
the hospitality industry evolve?
I love that more of our country has been explored
during the pandemic, and the hospitality
experiences in small and even remote areas have
blossomed. I hope the industry invests in smaller
communities to build on the momentum of
domestic travel.
What are your greatest lessons learned?
Be hospitable and gracious in all you do because
this business takes patience and resilience.
Brand Identity: New Brands, Upstarts, and Renegades
Wednesday, August 25th
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: HD Park
060
June/July 2021 hospitalitydesign.com
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - June/July 2021

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