“It's fair to describe it as love at first sight,” Yasemin Vargi Emirdag says of the crumbling Istanbul building that would become Casa Foscolo Hotel, Istanbul, her first hotel.
“An architect must understand the past, work in the present, and have an eye on the future.”
“We don't have beaches. We don’t have mountains. It’s the idea that the interior itself can be an escape.”
“I grew disenchanted with finance and frankly bored. That’s why I love hospitality—the most special interactions tend to happen in hotels.”
“From architects, designers, and chefs to sommeliers, farmers, artisans, therapists, athletes, and storytellers—they are all heroes to me.”
We spoke with architect and artist Richard Hassell about his early days in Singapore, how his latest hotel project blends the city’s past and present, and a few of his favorite spots around town.
Shamim Ehsani, founder of the distinctive, art-filled Tribe Hotel, on the cosmopolitan side of Nairobi, three iconic landscapes to see, and the main things he hates about hotels.
“Our love for great wines isn’t just a personal thing, it’s a joy we want to share with everyone, friends and guests alike.”
“I want my guests to leave Boca de Agua feeling that they were in a place that allowed them to pause and breathe and write and read and connect to whatever is important in their life.”
Architect Barbara Elwardt has a passion for transforming existing structures into fresh-faced wonders. Designer Piotr Wisniewski uses the past to tell new, forward-looking stories.
“We are from the Middle East, we are from Africa, we are from France. The mixture of these three cultures is what I wanted to give to the guests at La Maison Palmier.”
“The experience of everyday life, your interactions, everything affects the way you perceive things.”
“It is a trait that really attracts me, to be on the happier and gentler side. It brings a beautiful sense of humanity to the island.”
“I had to leave my country to understand my country.”