Cinema Paradiso
Ari S. Heckman & Xavier Donnelly

Words Allison Reiber DiLiegro Images Michal Rzepecki

If entering one of Ash Hotels’ spaces feels like stepping onto a film set, that’s because Ari S. Heckman and Xavier Donnelly envisioned it that way.

Ari S. Heckman, co-founder of Ash Hotels, spent years admiring the work of Xavier Donnelly before bringing him on as creative director in 2023. They both see their hotels as immersive, cinematic escapes, “steeped in each destination’s mythologies,” as Xavier puts it, and set in some of the most exciting, ascendant creative communities in America—including Baltimore, home of Hotel Ulysses. The world they’re building extends to restaurants, bars, and event spaces, as well as a proprietary retail line that includes personal care, home furnishings, and collectibles.

Here, we talk to Ari and Xavier about the influences, instincts, and eccentricities that shape their work.

You say Ash “envisions hospitality as an infinite art form.” How does that manifest in your work?

Ari: We often think of our hotels as movie sets. The genius of a hotel is that it can be a vessel for whatever you want it to be. It’s a background against which all of life happens. Our job is to create this backdrop and make it a place where anything can unfold. Every little interaction within our hotels should keep you “in the scene.”

Who would direct the movie about your life?

Ari: I’d like to say David Lynch but I’m not sure being one of his characters is fun!

Xavier: 80s-era Terry Gilliam.

Where did your interest in hospitality begin?

Ari: When I was really young, my parents took me to stay at The Plaza in New York. It was the first time I experienced a hotel as an experience more than a place to sleep. It made me feel like I could or should act a different way or try on another personality that was hidden within.

Xavier: For my 8th birthday, my grandmother gave me a gift of a trip to anywhere in the world. I chose Paris and I obsessively poured over my guidebook choosing which sights to see, which restaurants to eat at, and which toy shops to visit. While we were there, she would nap in the afternoon and allow me to go off and explore on my own (as long as I didn’t leave the arrondissement…). I realized the discovery and adventure inherent in travel was something I wanted to experience for the rest of my life and eventually I found that working in hospitality afforded me the ability to fully live in that world.

If each of your hotels is its own world, would you say they all exist in the same narrative universe?

Xavier: They are definitely part of the same universe. Each hotel is quite different aesthetically, but they share the same sense of irreverence and attention to detail. They’re beautiful but not self-serious.

How do you decide where to open next?

Ari: We look for regions, cities, or even neighborhoods that feel ascendent. Those we believe will play a role in the cultural zeitgeist and are humming with creative energy, and that we feel will be very receptive and supportive of a locally integrated hotel. For visitors, our hotels should provide access and be a conduit to these burgeoning creative communities.

Are there any cities on your radar that you can share?

Ari: We’d love to explore the West Coast as well as look at international cities such as Montreal or London.

Describe yourselves in three words.

Ari: Curious, vibe-sensitive, stubborn.

Xavier: Adventurous, resourceful, particular.

What was the greatest era for design?

Ari: Hard to say best but I think 20’s and 30’s where you had classicism being modernized. It is very challenging and exciting to see new styles born from the old.

Xavier: Anything pre-machine age, especially the almost modernist simplicity of some ancient

What has travel taught you?

Ari: I think just seeing different materials, flora, fauna, types of people breaks us out of our silos and makes us appreciate the richness of difference and diversity. I’d say travel has been my greatest educator and inspiration.

Xavier: I would second what Ari said. Travel is how I get inspired and understand the world. I think seeing and experiencing how different people interpret the art of living feeds curiosity, breeds empathy, and enlarges one’s own life.

What are some of your favorite flea markets on earth?

Ari: Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen is the obvious answer, but I love the second-city markets that appear all over France and Italy a few times a season. Also giving a shout out to the San Telmo flea market in Buenos Aires

Xavier: I love the Odeo antique market in Tokyo for small treasures and the Fiere di Parma in Parma, Italy for monumental furniture and decoration.

What is your greatest fear?

Ari: Getting stuck in a boring conversation with no way out.

Xavier: Sleeping in.

What are some of the films that have shaped Ash Hotels?

Ari: Mulholland Drive, Talented Mr. Ripley, LA Confidential, Matchpoint, Manhattan. They all capture the essence of places I love and have great acting in beautiful scenography.

Xavier: Mishima: A life in 4 chapters, Satyricon, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Each is a surrealist work with a mysteriously fascinating story and gorgeous set design.